Autonomous University of Barcelona
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Member of the Water and Global Change Research Group at the Centre for Research in Ecology and Forestry Applications (CREAF), at the Autonomous University of Barcelona
PhD in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and coordinator of the GRETA group (Research Group on Evaluation and Treatment of Self-harm)
Associate Professor (Professor Agregat Serra Hunter) at the Department of Applied Economics of the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Head of Adult Mental Health at Fundació Hospitalàries Barcelona, assistant psychiatrist at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital psychiatry department, and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
Professor of Ecology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and CREAF researcher
Senior researcher at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) of the Autonomous University of Barcelona
Professor Emeritus of Psychobiology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and full member of the Spanish Academy of Psychology
Coordinator of the Neuro-oncology Unit of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and researcher of the Neuroplasticity and Regeneration Group of the Autonomous University of Barcelona
Juan de la Cierva researcher in the Department of Geology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona
Research Associate in Palaeoprimatology and Human Palaeontology at the Miquel Crusafont Catalan Institute of Palaeontology, Autonomous University of Barcelona
A team of scientists led by the Catholic University of America in Washington has designed new artificial vectors based on viruses to improve gene therapy processes. The main novelty is that they are constructed from viruses that infect bacteria. Among other advantages, this would make it possible to avoid the possible memory of our defences against them and have a greater capacity. According to the authors, who publish their results in the journal Nature Communications, these nanoparticles "have the potential to transform gene therapies and personalised medicine".
The time adolescents spend on social media is one of the least influential factors for their mental health, according to a study published in Nature Mental Health. The analysis attempts to untangle the complex web of risk factors and protective factors, using data from more than 12,000 young people in the UK. Among the factors studied, it concludes that bullying, lack of family support and school work dissatisfaction are more influential than time spent on social media. According to the study, life dissatisfaction and lack of family support are the most influential factors for girls and boys, respectively.
A drug in gel form cured 100 percent of mice with a very aggressive brain tumor. The authors hope that this is a first step towards helping human patients with glioblastoma, one of the most dangerous brain tumors in humans. The article is published today in PNAS.
Beta-blockers (β-blockers) are drugs to treat heart conditions that are also used for anxiety. According to research published in PLOS Medicine, periods of treatment with these drugs are associated with a lower risk of being charged by the police with a violent crime - a 13% lower risk than periods without treatment. The research, which included nearly 1.5 million people in Sweden between 2006 and 2013, does not support the use of these drugs to treat anxiety.
Constant checking of social media activity in early adolescence is associated with changes in the brain's sensitivity to rewards and punishments. This is the conclusion of a study involving 169 12- and 13-year-old students in the United States with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat profiles, according to JAMA Pediatrics.
A study in mice published in the journal Nature has analysed the different responses to aggression and the consequences for subsequent behaviour. In general, animals that confronted the aggressor developed greater resilience than those that fled or avoided the aggressor, and the gain was greater as brain circuits associated with dopamine were activated.
A study published in Science analyses the potential climate benefits of afforestation - both planting trees to create new forests and reforesting old ones - of the world's drylands. The authors show that the cooling effect of afforestation of this vast area would only amount to a decrease of about 1 % of projected greenhouse gas emissions in the business-as-usual and medium-emissions climate scenarios.
The weekend saw record temperatures in both the Arctic and Antarctica, up to 40°C above normal for this time of year.