Replacement therapy for iron deficiency improves exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease and/or the Eisenmenger syndrome

La teràpia suplementària de ferro millora la capacitat d’exercici i la qualitat de vida en malalts amb una cardiopatia congènita cianòtica i/ o síndrome d’Eisenmenger El dèficit de ferro és una troballa comú en la cardiopatia congènita cianòtica, i pot ser la causa d’una reducció en la capacitat d’exercici. Actualment, està indicada la reposició dels dipòsits de ferro en aquest grup de malalts, éssent les evidències científiques escasses. En el present treball investiguem la seguretat i eficàcia del tractament amb ferro en malalts amb una cardiopatia congènita cianòtica. Per tal motiu, vint-i-cinc malalts amb una cardiopatia congenita cianòtica i dèficit de ferro van ser inclosos de forma prospectiva entre Agost del 2008 i Gener del 2009. El tractament utilitzat fou fumarat ferròs oral, fins a una dosi màxima de 200 mg tres vegades al dia. En l’anàlisi basal i als tres mesos de seguiment es va utilitzar el test de qualitat de vida “CAMPHOR”, el test de la marxa dels 6 minuts i la prova d’esforç amb consum d’oxigen. L’edat mitja fou 39.9+/-10.9 anys, 80% dones. Catorze malalts tenien la síndrome d’Eisenmenger, sis una malaltia cianòtica complexa i cinc circulació de Fontan. Cap d’ells va haver d'interrompre el tractament degut a efectes adversos. Després de tres mesos de tractament, l’hemoglobina (19.0+/-2.9g/dL a 20.4+/-2.7g/dL, p&0.001), ferritina (13.3+/-4.7mug/L a 54.1+/-24.2mug/L, p&0.001) i saturació de transferrina (17.8+/-9.6% a 34.8+/-23.4%, p&0.001) van augmentar significativament. També hi va haver una millora significativa en la puntuació del test de qualitat de vida (20.7+/-10.9 a 16.2+/-10.4, p=0.001) i el test de la marxa (371.7+/-84.7m a 402.8.0+/-74.9m, p=0.001). No es van evidenciar canvis significatius en els valors de consum d’oxigen (40.7+/-9.2% a 43.8+/-12.4%, p=0.15). En definitiva, la teràpia suplementària amb ferro en els malats amb una cardiopatia congènita cianòtica i dèficit de ferro és segura i millora la qualitat de vida i la capacitat funcional. En aquest grup de malalts, per tant, és aconsellable identificar el dèficit de ferro i restaurar-ne els seus dipòsits.

Route optimization and customization using real geographical data in Android mobile devices

Nowadays, there are several services and applications that allow users to locate and move to different tourist areas using a mobile device. These systems can be used either by internet or downloading an application in concrete places like a visitors centre. Although such applications are able to facilitate the location and the search for points of interest, in most cases, these services and applications do not meet the needs of each user. This paper aims to provide a solution by studying the main projects, services and applications, their routing algorithms and their treatment of the real geographical data in Android mobile devices, focusing on the data acquisition and treatment to improve the routing searches in off-line environments.

Adaptació d'itinerari d'educació ambiental i sensorial a la vall d'Alinyà

Després d’analitzar el potencial de la muntanya d’Alinyà, s’ha observat que és un lloc idoni per desenvolupar activitats d’educació ambiental (EA). Per aquest motiu s’elabora un itinerari d’EA, part del qual és adaptat sensorialment. Havent analitzat els pros i contres de cada itine-rari ja descrit en la muntanya d’Alinyà s’ha escollit l’itinerari 3 que s’amplia fins a la zona de El Ribatell per aconseguir un dels objectius inicials: l’adaptació d’un itinerari d’EA per a persones amb mobilitat reduïda o discapacita-des. En el disseny de l’itinerari s’han inclòs tots els elements d’interès socio-ambiental més desta-cables de la zona, entre els quals es pot destacar els diferents tipus de boscos, aspectes geològics com el Roc de la Pena o els quatre grans rapi-nyaires que es poden trobar a la zona.

En route to a more democratic European Union – An analysis of the communication strategies of European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs)

L’èxit de l’iniciativa ciutadana europea (ICE) com a instrument de democràcia directa a nivell europeu està directament relacionat amb la seva promulgació. Els ciutadans d’arreu Europa han d’estar informats sobre aquest nou mecanisme per tal que es dugui a terme, la qual cosa suposa una dificultat. Aquest estudi qualitatiu ens mostra els recursos i problemes en la divulgació de les ICE. Una anàlisi basat en entrevistes amb diferents organitzadors d’aquestes ICE que ens dona algunes idees sobre les seves estratègies de comunicació, així com l’ús d’eines de comunicació i relacions amb els mitjans de comunicació. A banda de les dificultats lingüístiques i financeres hi ha altres obstacles més específics relacionats amb l’ICE.

A clathrin-dependent pathway leads to KRas signaling on late endosomes en route to lysosomes

Ras proteins are small guanosine triphosphatases involved in the regulation of important cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Understanding the intracellular trafficking of Ras proteins is crucial to identify novel Ras signaling platforms. In this study, we report that epidermal growth factor triggers Kirsten Ras (KRas) translocation onto endosomal membranes (independently of calmodulin and protein kinase C phosphorylation) through a clathrin-dependent pathway. From early endosomes, KRas but not Harvey Ras or neuroblastoma Ras is sorted and transported to late endosomes (LEs) and lysosomes. Using yellow fluorescent protein¿Raf1 and the Raichu-KRas probe, we identified for the first time in vivo¿active KRas on Rab7 LEs, eliciting a signal output through Raf1. On these LEs, we also identified the p14¿MP1 scaffolding complex and activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Abrogation of lysosomal function leads to a sustained late endosomal mitogen-activated protein kinase signal output. Altogether, this study reveals novel aspects about KRas intracellular trafficking and signaling, shedding new light on the mechanisms controlling Ras regulation in the cell.

Networks of people in specialty production: family firms in the iron and steel Wire industries in Spain (1870-2000)

Capital intensive industries in specialized niches of production have constituted solid ground for family firms in Spain , as evidenced by the experience of the iron and steel wire industries between 1870 and 2000. The embeddedness of these firms in their local and regional environments have allowed the creation of networks that, together with favourable institutional conditions, significantly explain the dominance of family entrepreneurship in iron and steel wire manufacturing in Spain, until the end of the 20 th century. Dominance of family firms at the regional level has not been not an obstacle for innovation in wire manufacturing in Spain, which has taken place even when institutional conditions blocked innovation and traditional networking. Therefore, economic theories about the difficulties dynastic family firms may have to perform appropriately in science-based industries must be questioned

Unconventional magnetic behavior of iron-oxide nanoparticles in polymeric matrices

We report the results of magnetization and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements performed in the temperature range 5-300 K on composites containing iron¿oxide nanoparticles encased in polystyrene type resins. After carrying out a suitable field treatment in order to decouple the particles from the matrix, a fraction of the particles freely rotate in response to an applied magnetic field

Structural and magnetic characterization of the lithiated iron oxide LixFe3O4

The Rietveld profile‐analysis method is used to investigate the x‐ray diffraction pattern of lithiated Fe3O4. It is shown that, after exposure to air, pure magnetite coexists with a lithium‐inserted LixFe3O4 phase. The Mössbauer spectra at 300 and 4.2 K have been used to estimate the lithium content of the sample, the pure magnetite concentration, and the iron distribution over the available 16c and 16d sites of the spinel structure. Magnetization measurements from 4.2 to 120 K with an external magnetic field up to 150 kOe have been used to obtain the saturation magnetic moment, the magnetic anisotropy constants, and the susceptibility. It is concluded that a noncollinear spin structure should be present in Li0.5Fe3O4. These results indicate that there is no room‐temperature extrusion of iron even for x→2.0, but that on exposure to air LixFe3O4 samples with x>0.5 are oxidized at room temperature by delithiation.

Networks of people in specialty production: family firms in the iron and steel Wire industries in Spain (1870-2000)

Capital intensive industries in specialized niches of production have constituted solid ground for family firms in Spain , as evidenced by the experience of the iron and steel wire industries between 1870 and 2000. The embeddedness of these firms in their local and regional environments have allowed the creation of networks that, together with favourable institutional conditions, significantly explain the dominance of family entrepreneurship in iron and steel wire manufacturing in Spain, until the end of the 20 th century. Dominance of family firms at the regional level has not been not an obstacle for innovation in wire manufacturing in Spain, which has taken place even when institutional conditions blocked innovation and traditional networking. Therefore, economic theories about the difficulties dynastic family firms may have to perform appropriately in science-based industries must be questioned

Iron supply for erythropoiesis in the rabbit

Marrow radioiron uptake and marrow blood flow were measured in order to evaluate iron supply for erythropoiesis. Normal, phenylhydrazine-treated and bled animals were studied. The plasma iron turnover of seven normal rabbits was 1.49 +/- 0.22 mg/dl whole blood per d, of 11 rabbits treated 4 d before with phenylhydrazine was 5.16 +/- 1.81, and of four bled animals the plasma iron turnover was 3.75 +/- 1.61. The cardiac output and the percentage of blood flow to the marrow was increased in phenylhydrazine-treated and bled animals. Marrow iron flow in phenylhydrazine-treated animals was 38.3 +/- 32.6 micrograms/min per kg as compared with control values of 7.0 +/- 1.3 (P less than 0.01). This was due to an increase in marrow flow, an increase in plasma iron, and an increase in plasmatocrit. In bled animals, in spite of an increased marrow blood flow, marrow iron flow of 7.3 +/- 2.2 was similar to that of control animals due to a lower plasma iron concentration. The calculated marrow iron extraction of 3.7 +/- 2.4% in phenylhydrazine-treated animals was not different from that of control animals of 4.3 +/- 1.1, whereas extraction was increased in bled animals to 7.9 +/- 1.3 (P less than 0.01). In additional studies of transfused animals, acutely induced anemia was associated with an increased cardiac output, but also with a relative decrease in marrow flow, which left marrow iron supply unaffected. It would appear from these studies that an important mechanism for meeting the increased iron requirement of the hyperplastic erythroid marrow is an increase in marrow blood flow.

Learning form Nature to improve the heat generation of iron-oxide nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia applications.

The performance of magnetic nanoparticles is intimately entwined with their structure, mean size and magnetic anisotropy. Besides, ensembles offer a unique way of engineering the magnetic response by modifying the strength of the dipolar interactions between particles. Here we report on an experimental and theoretical analysis of magnetic hyperthermia, a rapidly developing technique in medical research and oncology. Experimentally, we demonstrate that single-domain cubic iron oxide particles resembling bacterial magnetosomes have superior magnetic heating efficiency compared to spherical particles of similar sizes. Monte Carlo simulations at the atomic level corroborate the larger anisotropy of the cubic particles in comparison with the spherical ones, thus evidencing the beneficial role of surface anisotropy in the improved heating power. Moreover we establish a quantitative link between the particle assembling, the interactions and the heating properties. This knowledge opens new perspectives for improved hyperthermia, an alternative to conventional cancer therapies.

Iron mining in Goa (India) : an interdisciplinary study

En aquest article es presenten breument els diferents capítols d’un treball interdisciplinari per tal d’entendre el context de prohibició de la mineria de ferro a Goa a finals del 2012 i proporcionar la informació necessària per tal d’orientar i gestionar la presa de decisions sobre l’activitat minera en un futur. Els sis primers capítols consisteixen en l’estudi del medi abiòtic, medi biòtic, fluxos de materials, aspectes socials, aspectes econòmics i finalment aspectes polítics. En canvi, en els dos últims capítols s'avaluen i es gestionen els impactes ambientals de la mineria mitjançant, per una banda, una anàlisi DPSIR i, d'altra banda, es proposen tres escenaris per integrar les diferents variables i fomentar la participació en la presa de decisions. S’ha dut a terme una extensa recerca mitjançant la recopilació de dades, entrevistes i visites a les zones d’estudi d’interès per tal d’entendre el conflicte de la mineria a Goa.

Direct Observation of Magnetic Metastability in Individual Iron Nanoparticles

X-ray photoemission electron microscopy combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism is used to study the magnetic properties of individual iron nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 20 down to 8 nm. While the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of bulk iron suggests superparamagnetic behavior in this size range, ferromagnetically blocked particles are also found at all sizes. Spontaneous transitions from the blocked state to the superparamagnetic state are observed in single particles and suggest that the enhanced magnetic energy barriers in the ferromagnetic particles are due to metastable, structurally excited states with unexpected life times