Prevalence of obesity and related factors in schoolchildren aged 3 to 4 years.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of obesity and analyse possible differences in it according to sociodemographic characteristics, diet, physical activity, screen use and family perception of the weight and dietary habits of schoolchildren aged 3 to 4 years in Barcelona.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of schools selected based on the socioeconomic status (SES) of the corresponding neighbourhood and school ownership. We selected 101 schools in Barcelona and recruited pupils aged 3 to 4 years during the 2016-17 academic year (n = 2936 children).

Retail Food Environment around Schools in Barcelona by Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status: Implications for Local Food Policy.

Childhood obesity is a relevant public health problem. The school food environment has been identified as an important factor for promoting healthy eating behaviors. This study assessed the availability of and proximity to unhealthy food stores around schools (n = 22) in the city of Barcelona and its association with neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES).

Endogenous fluorescence signatures in living pluripotent stem cells change with loss of potency.

The therapeutic potential of stem cells is limited by the non-uniformity of their phenotypic state. Thus it would be advantageous to noninvasively monitor stem cell status. Driven by this challenge, we employed multidimensional multiphoton microscopy to quantify changes in endogenous fluorescence occurring with pluripotent stem cell differentiation.

The influence of electric fields on hippocampal neural progenitor cells.

The differentiation and proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) depend on various in vivo environmental factors or cues, which may include an endogenous electrical field (EF), as observed during nervous system development and repair. In this study, we investigate the morphologic, phenotypic, and mitotic alterations of adult hippocampal NPCs that occur when exposed to two EFs of estimated endogenous strengths. NPCs treated with a 437 mV/mm direct current (DC) EF aligned perpendicularly to the EF vector and had a greater tendency to differentiate into neurons, but not into oligodendrocytes or astrocytes, compared to controls.

Micro-recanalization in a biodegradable graft for reconstruction of the vas deferens is enhanced by sildenafil citrate.

This study investigated the effect of sildenafil citrate on micro-recanalization and neovascularization, which were previously demonstrated in a rat model using biodegradable grafts (BGs) for vas deferens reconstruction. A total of 24 male rats underwent bilateral vasectomy with removal of a 0.5-cm vasal segment and were randomly assigned to four groups.