A diet enriched with cocoa prevents IgE synthesis in a rat allergy model

Previous studies in young rats reported the impact of cocoa intake on healthy immune status and allow suggesting it may have a role in the prevention of some immune-mediated diseases. The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of a cocoa diet in a model of allergy in young rats. Three-week-old Brown Norway rats were immunized by i.p. injection of ovalbumin (OVA) with alum as adjuvant and Bordetella pertussis toxin. During the next 4 weeks rats received either a cocoa diet (containing 0.2% polyphenols, w/w) or a standard diet. Animals fed a standard diet showed high concentrations of anti-OVA IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and high anti-OVA IgE titres, which is the antibody involved in allergic response. In contrast, animals fed a cocoa diet showed significantly lower concentrations of anti-OVA IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies. Interestingly, the cocoa diet prevented anti-OVA IgE synthesis and decreased total serum IgE concentration. Analysis of cytokine production in lymph node cells at the end of the study revealed that, in this compartment, the cocoa diet decreased the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) - alpha and the interleukin (IL) -10 secretion but not IL-4 production. In conclusion, a cocoa-enriched diet in young rats produces an immunomodulatory effect that prevents anti-allergen IgE synthesis, suggesting a potential role for cocoa flavonoids in the prevention or treatment of allergic diseases.

Stratigraphy and petrology of the Miocene Montjuic delta: (Barcelona, Spain).

The Neogene rift in the Catalan Coastal Ranges, which is located in the NE part of the Eastern Iberian Margin, corresponds to a system of grabens formed at the nort h - we s t e rn edge of the Valencia Trough. In the central part of the Catalan Coastal Ranges are the Valls - Peneds half-graben in the onshore and the Barcelona half-graben in the offshore, which are separated by the Garraf and the Collserola-Montnegre horsts. Montjuc hill is a tilted block, which is located to the S of the Barcelona city, between the Collserola-Montn egre horst and the Barcelona half-graben . The Middle Miocene section of Montjuc is constituted by an alternation of conglomerate, sandstone, mudstone and marlstone beds. The Montjuc section was divided into four lithostratigraphic units from base to top: (1) The Morrot conglomerate and sandstone Unit, interpreted as delta plain deposits; (2) the Castell conglomerate, sandstone and mudstone Unit considered as proximal delta front deposits; (3) the Miramar marlstone Unit attributed

The effects of cocoa on the immune system

Cocoa is a food relatively rich in polyphenols, which makes it a potent antioxidant. Due to its activity as an antioxidant, as well as through other mechanisms, cocoa consumption has been reported to be beneficial for cardiovascular health, brain functions, and cancer prevention. Furthermore, cocoa influences the immune system, in particular the inflammatory innate response and the systemic and intestinal adaptive immune response. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that a cocoa-enriched diet modifies T-cell functions that conduce to a modulation of the synthesis of systemic and gut antibodies. In this regard, it seems that a cocoa diet in rats produces changes in the lymphocyte composition of secondary lymphoid tissues and the cytokines secreted by T cells. These results suggest that it is possible that cocoa could inhibit the function of Th2 cells, and in line with this, the preventive effect of cocoa on IgE synthesis in a rat allergy model has been reported, which opens up new perspectives when considering the beneficial effects of cocoa compounds. On the other hand, cocoa intake modifies the functionality of gut-associated lymphoid tissue by means of modulating IgA secretion and intestinal microbiota. The mechanisms involved in these influences are discussed here. Further research may elucidate the cocoa compounds involved in such an effect and also the possible medical approaches to these repercussions

Trifolio-Thymetum caroli, associacio nova

Les auteurs décrivent una nouvelle association de l'aliance Sedo-Scleranthion, le Trifolio-Thymetum caroli, jusqu'ici connu de la Cerdagne et de la vallée de -Ribes (Pyrénées orientales)

Les traduccions al català de Marguerite Yourcenar: edicions i recepció crítica

Dins el marc d’un projecte més ampli que vol abastar l’anàlisi de les traduccions d’obres literàries escrites per dones, l'objectiu d’aquest article és establir l’estat de la qüestió de les traduccions al català de l’obra de Marguerite Yourcenar i oferir una primera aproximació a la recepció crítica que aquestes traduccions han tingut a la premsa catalana. Per això hem ordenat l’estudi en tres apartats: a) cronologia de les traduccions de Yourcenar al català; b) referències bibliogràfiques de les obres de Marguerite Yourcenar traduïdes al català i/o al castellà; c) recepció de les traduccions catalanes de Yourcenar a la premsa de Catalunya.

La ciutat de les dames i Terra d’elles: dues utopies feministes en català

Elizabeth Russell sosté que les utopies escrites per dones són més transgressores «perquè desconstrueixen el concepte de perfecció» (2007: 21). En aquesta línia de crítica social i necessitat de reformes, quant al gènere femení, neixen, amb cinc segles de diferència, les dues obres estudiades aquí, Le livre de la cité des dames (1405), de Christine de Pisan, i Herland (1915), de Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Amb notables excepcions com La mística de la feminitat (1965), de Betty Friedan, i El segon sexe (1968), de Simone de Beauvoir, a casa nostra els discursos androcèntrics es ben cuidaren de negar l’entrada d’aires subversius que, per raons òbvies, poguessin esverar aquell àngel de la llar amansit i silenciat, per dir-ho a la manera woolfiana. Charlotte Perkins Gilman arribà per primera vegada a Catalunya i a la península ibèrica el 1982 amb la traducció al català de Montserrat Abelló per a l’editorial La Sal d’El paper de paret groc. En els mateixos anys vuitanta i per a la mateixa editorial Helena Valentí traduí al castellà El país de ellas (1987), obra que el 2002 traslladà al català Jordi Vidal Tubau en una edició a cura d’Eulàlia Lledó que porta per títol Terra d’elles. Poc després, el 1990, La ciutat de les dames, de Christine de Pisan, es pogué llegir en llengua catalana amb una edició i traducció de Mercè Otero per a la col·lecció «Espai de Dones» d’Edicions de l’Eixample. Aquest article presenta la recepció a Catalunya de dos clàssics del gènere de les utopies feministes, La ciutat de les dames (1990), de Christine de Pisan, i Terra d’elles (2002), de Charlotte Perkins Gilman, amb notes sobre la seva difusió al castellà i al gallec.

La colección Marca Hispanica, un ambicioso proyecto de traducción de José Agustín Goytisolo

In May 1985 José Agustín Goytisolo launched an ambitious project to translate into Spanish works originally written in Catalan. To this end, with a small group of collaborators he founded the Marca Hispanica collection. Its aim was to spread Catalan literature beyond its borders to reach millions of readers of Spanish through schools, teachers and language academies around the world. The initial idea was to make available in bilingual editions a hundred representative works of Catalan literature but, in the event, only twenty-two volumes were ever published. Based on access to unpublished documents, in this article we defend this endeavour, report on its progress and relate the circumstances, beyond the control of the participants, that led to its demise.

Helena Valentí, fúria i traducció

La filòloga i novel·lista Helena Valentí i Petit (Barcelona, 1940-1990) s’exilià de ben jove a Anglaterra, on buscà en la traducció el mitjà de vida. Entre altres autors i autores, traslladà al castellà William Blake, Marilyn French, Nicholas Guild, Najib Mahfuz, Harold Robbins, Bernice Rubens, Roger T. Taylor i Doris Lessing, de la qual traduí El quadern daurat. De retorn a Catalunya, el 1974, decidí compaginar la traducció amb la narrativa pròpia. Girà a la llengua catalana Al far i Una cambra pròpia de l’anglesa Virginia Woolf i La garden party i altres contes i Un home casat i altres crueltats de la neozelandesa Katherine Mansfield. En els anys vuitanta traslladà El factor humà de Graham Greene i Jo, Claudi de Robert Graves, i féu una breu incursió en la narrativa per a joves. Viatges indiscrets de Lisa St. Aubin, un recull de contes d’autores del segle XX, fou l’última traducció.

Políticas de acceso abierto a la ciencia en las universidades españolas

El objetivo del artículo es analizar el estado de la cuestión de las políticas en favor del acceso abierto (OA) a la ciencia en las universidades españolas. Para ello se han establecido cinco grandes mecanismos de intervención (la creación de infraestructuras y prestación de servicios, la comunicación y difusión, la incentivación económica, la coordinación institucional así como la reglamentación u obligación) que permiten llevar a cabo políticas a favor del acceso abierto y que hemos utilizado para el análisis y la valoración de la situación. La recogida de datos se ha basado en un cuestionario enviado a los vice-rectores de investigación y se ha complementado con la consulta de directorios de repositorios, revistas científicas españolas y políticas institucionales de acceso abierto. Los resultados muestran un panorama diversificado en relación a las actuaciones llevadas a cabo, pero han permitido clasificar las universidades en cinco grupos en función del número y de la calidad de acciones que han realizado. El primero, formado por siete universidades (9% del total) que disponen de una política completa en acceso abierto. El segundo incluye a doce universidades (16%) con una política destacada. El tercero, diecisiete centros (23%) con una política encaminada y el cuarto incluye otras diecisiete universidades (23%) que han implementado una o dos acciones. Finalmente, quedan las 21 universidades (28%) que no disponen de ninguna acción para favorecer el acceso abierto a la ciencia.

Microwave spectrometry for the Evaluation of the structural integrity of metallic stents

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of a method based on microwave spectrometry to detect structural distortions of metallic stents in open air conditions and envisage the prospects of this approach toward possible medical applicability for the evaluation of implanted stents. Methods: Microwave absorbance spectra between 2.0 and 18.0 GHz were acquired in open air for the characterization of a set of commercial stents using a specifically design setup. Rotating each sample over 360º, 2D absorbance diagrams were generated as a function of frequency and rotation angle. To check our approach for detecting changes in stent length (fracture) and diameter (recoil), two specific tests were performed in open air. Finally, with a few adjustments, this same system provides 2D absorbance diagrams of stents immersed in a water-based phantom, this time over a bandwidth ranging from 0.2 to 1.8 GHz. Results: The authors show that metallic stents exhibit characteristic resonant frequencies in their microwave absorbance spectra in open air which depend on their length and, as a result, may reflect the occurrence of structural distortions. These resonances can be understood considering that such devices behave like dipole antennas in terms of microwave scattering. From fracture tests, the authors infer that microwave spectrometry provides signs of presence of Type I to Type IV stent fractures and allows in particular a quantitative evaluation of Type III and Type IV fractures. Recoil tests show that microwave spectrometry seems able to provide some quantitative assessment of diametrical shrinkage, but only if it involves longitudinal shortening. Finally, the authors observe that the resonant frequencies of stents placed inside the phantom shift down with respect to the corresponding open air frequencies, as it should be expected considering the increase of dielectric permittivity from air to water. Conclusions: The evaluation of stent resonant frequencies provided by microwave spectrometry allows detection and some quantitative assessment of stent fracture and recoil in open air conditions. Resonances of stents immersed in water can be also detected and their characteristic frequencies are in good agreement with theoretical estimates. Although these are promising results, further verifica tion in a more relevant phantom is required in order to foresee the real potential of this approach.

Els prats de l'alianÇa Xerobromion als Pirineus Catalans

En este trabajo se intenta dar una visión sintética de las comunidades de la alianza Xerobromion conocidas hasta el momento de los Pirineos catalanes. Se distinguen en dicho territorio nueve asociaciones distintas, cinco de ellas ya descritas con anterioridad (Koelerio-Avenuletum mirandanae, Achilleo-Dichanthietum ischaemi,. Teucrio (pyrenaici )-Brometum, Lino (viscosi)-Brometum, Koelerio-Globularietum punctatae) y las cuatro restantes propuestas como nuevas (Cleistogeno-Dichanthietum ischaemi , Teucrio (montani )-Avenuletum mirandanae, Adonido-Brometum e Irido (germanici)-Brometum). De todas ellas, y más especialmente de estas últimas, se hacen comentarios relativos a su estructura, composición florística, ecología y distribución. Además de las tablas de inventarios correspondientes a cada una de las nuevas asociaciones, se ha elaborado una tabla sintética que agrupa el total de las comunidades consideradas.

ClInt: A bilingual Spanish-Catalan spoken corpus of clinical interviews

In this paper we present ClInt (Clinical Interview), a bilingual Spanish-Catalan spoken corpus that contains 15 hours of clinical interviews. It consists of audio files aligned with multiple-level transcriptions comprising orthographic, phonetic and morphological information, as well as linguistic and extralinguistic encoding. This is a previously non-existent resource for these languages and it offers a wide-ranging exploitation potential in a broad variety of disciplines such as Linguistics, Natural Language Processing and related fields.

EsPal: One-stop shopping for Spanish word properties

This article introduces EsPal: a Web-accessible repository containing a comprehensive set of properties of Spanish words. EsPal is based on an extensible set of data sources, beginning with a 300 million token written database and a 460 million token subtitle database. Properties available include word frequency, orthographic structure and neighborhoods, phonological structure and neighborhoods, and subjective ratings such as imageability. Subword structure properties are also available in terms of bigrams and trigrams, bi-phones, and bi-syllables. Lemma and part-of-speech information and their corresponding frequencies are also indexed. The website enables users to either upload a set of words to receive their properties, or to receive a set of words matching constraints on the properties. The properties themselves are easily extensible and will be added over time as they become available. It is freely available from the following website: http://www.bcbl.eu/databases/espal