Low-fat dairy products and blood pressure: follow-up of 2290 older persons at high cardiovascular risk participating in the PREDIMED study

High blood pressure (BP) has been ranked as the most important risk factor worldwide regarding attributable deaths. Dietary habits are major determinants of BP. Among them, frequent intake of low-fat dairy products may protect against hypertension. Our aim was to assess the relationship between low-fat dairy product intake and BP levels and their changes after 12 month follow-up in a cohort of asymptomatic older persons at high cardiovascular risk recruited into a large-scale trial assessing the effects of Mediterranean diets on cardiovascular outcomes. Data from 2290 participants, including 1845 with hypertension, were available for analyses. Dairy products were not a specific part of the intervention; thus, data were analysed as an observational cohort. Dietary information was collected with validated semi-quantitative FFQ and trained personnel measured BP. To assess BP changes, we undertook cross-sectional analyses at baseline and at the end of follow-up and longitudinal analyses. A statistically significant inverse association between low-fat dairy product intake and systolic BP was observed for the 12-month longitudinal analysis. In the longitudinal analysis, the adjusted systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower in the highest quintile of low-fat dairy product intake ( 2 4·2 (95% CI 2 6·9, 2 1·4) and 2 1·8 (95% CI 2 3·2, 2 0·4) mmHg respectively), whereas the point estimates for the difference in diastolic BP indicated a modest non-significant inverse association. Intake of low-fat dairy products was inversely associated with BP in an older population at high cardiovascular risk, suggesting a possible protective effect against hypertension.

The Etruscan smile, by José Luis Sampedro

In this project we present some background data about José Luis Sampedro and his works to point out the main reasons why we should translate them. We then offer a translation proposal for some selected chapters of the book La sonrisa etrusca in order to suggest a hypothetical translation job.

La busca de Jorge Luis Borges: metáfora, metafísica y misticismo

El presente trabajo se propone analizar el influjo de la cultura islámica y, muy especialmente, de su vertiente mística, en tres relatos de la ‘serie árabe’ de Jorge Luis Borges: El Zahir, La busca de Averroes y El acercamiento a Almotásim, analizados en torno a los conceptos básicos de metáfora, metafísica y misticismo, respectivamente. El objeto de este estudio es clarificar las fuentes empleadas en dichos textos para desentrañar las actitudes ideológicas de raigambre árabe que comprenden y la particular interpretación que el autor hace de éstas, dando así una idea más completa y global de la poética borgesiana

Estudio del ecosistema urbano de San José. Protocolo de monitoreo de aves y naturalización del Parque La Sabana

El papel de la ciudad en el futuro de la humanidad será transcendente, y es que el crecimiento actual de los espacios urbanos tiende, en general, a desbordar el sitio original de las ciudades, abarcando territorios cada vez más extensos y discontinuos. Y por este motivo es de vital importancia el estudio de la ciudad y de su entorno, el cual es sinónimo de ecosistema urbano. En el siguiente estudio se evalúa el ecosistema urbano de San José, capital de Costa Rica, dando énfasis en las zonas verdes presentes, en las relaciones con los ecosistemas naturales circundantes y como mejorar su capacidad ecológica. Por este motivo se ha analizado un proceso de rearborización en el Parque Metropolitano La Sabana, principal nódulo de carga de la trama urbana. Este esfuerzo de naturación dotará al parque de una mayor naturalización, con lo que se espera un aumento de la biodiversidad faunística. Para conocer estos cambios se crea un programa de monitoreo de aves con su respectivo protocolo.

Automated Segmentation of Cerebral Vasculature with Aneurysms in 3DRA and TOF-MRA using Geodesic Active Regions: an Evaluation Study

Purpose: To evaluate the suitability of an improved version of an automatic segmentation method based on geodesic active regions (GAR) for segmenting cerebral vasculature with aneurysms from 3D X-ray reconstruc-tion angiography (3DRA) and time of °ight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) images available in the clinical routine.Methods: Three aspects of the GAR method have been improved: execution time, robustness to variability in imaging protocols and robustness to variability in image spatial resolutions. The improved GAR was retrospectively evaluated on images from patients containing intracranial aneurysms in the area of the Circle of Willis and imaged with two modalities: 3DRA and TOF-MRA. Images were obtained from two clinical centers, each using di®erent imaging equipment. Evaluation included qualitative and quantitative analyses ofthe segmentation results on 20 images from 10 patients. The gold standard was built from 660 cross-sections (33 per image) of vessels and aneurysms, manually measured by interventional neuroradiologists. GAR has also been compared to an interactive segmentation method: iso-intensity surface extraction (ISE). In addition, since patients had been imaged with the two modalities, we performed an inter-modality agreement analysis with respect to both the manual measurements and each of the two segmentation methods. Results: Both GAR and ISE di®ered from the gold standard within acceptable limits compared to the imaging resolution. GAR (ISE, respectively) had an average accuracy of 0.20 (0.24) mm for 3DRA and 0.27 (0.30) mm for TOF-MRA, and had a repeatability of 0.05 (0.20) mm. Compared to ISE, GAR had a lower qualitative error in the vessel region and a lower quantitative error in the aneurysm region. The repeatabilityof GAR was superior to manual measurements and ISE. The inter-modality agreement was similar between GAR and the manual measurements. Conclusions: The improved GAR method outperformed ISE qualitatively as well as quantitatively and is suitable for segmenting 3DRA and TOF-MRA images from clinical routine.

Three-dimensional morphological analysis of intracranial aneurysms: a fully automated method for aneurysm sac isolation and quantification

Morphological descriptors are practical and essential biomarkers for diagnosis andtreatment selection for intracranial aneurysm management according to the current guidelinesin use. Nevertheless, relatively little work has been dedicated to improve the three-dimensionalquanti cation of aneurysmal morphology, automate the analysis, and hence reduce the inherentintra- and inter-observer variability of manual analysis. In this paper we propose a methodologyfor the automated isolation and morphological quanti cation of saccular intracranial aneurysmsbased on a 3D representation of the vascular anatomy.

La información especializada en Internet: directorio de recursos de interés académico y profesional (Ángeles Maldonado y Luis Rodríguez-Yunta, coords.)

Los más viejos del lugar recordarán con nostalgia los repertorios clásicos de fuentes de información elaborados por Malclès y Sabor... A los no tan viejos les sonarán los nombres de Sheehy (o Balay) y Walford

Luis Cernuda: platonic emotiveness versus presocratic-aristotelian mind

The aim of this article is to show how, although the poet finds himself materialist or both Presocratic and Aristotelian, his poetic emotiveness is truly Platonic or idealist, so that that tension between reality and desire with the help of which his poetry has always been defined becomes once more confirmed thanks to the analysis of his poems from a philosophical rather than a literary point of view.

Luis Cernuda: emotivitat platònica versus mentalitat presocraticoaristotèlica

L'objectiu d'aquest article és mostrar com, malgrat declarar-se materialista o presocraticoaristotèlic, l'emotivitat poètica de Luis Cernuda és clarament platònica o idealista, de manera que la tensió entre la realitat i el desig que sempre ha definit la seva poesia es referma també gràcies a l'anàlisi de la seva obra des d¿una òptica més filosòfica que no pas literària.

Platonic shadows and lights in Luis Cernuda's poetry: their didactic use

The aim of this article is to show a wide range of lights and shadows in Luis Cernuda's poetry as images which have a specific reference -in spite of not being mentioned-, that is, the Platonic image of the cave. It is thanks to the images that the poet shows us his ideal world, in which shadows symbolize the beautiful, perfect and everlasting world in which Luis Cenuda needs to believe. Once more, it deals with that well-known tension between reality and desire which defines the essence of his poetry.

Didàctiques llums i ombres platòniques en la poesia de Luis Cernuda

L'objectiu d'aquest article és revelar l'ús reiterat de les llums i les ombres en la poesia de Luis Cernuda, com a imatges que tenen com a referent concret -bé que no mencionat- la imatge platònica de la caverna. És justament gràcies a les imatges que el poeta ens mostra el seu univers ideal, en el qual la foscor simbolitza el món material condemnat a morir, mentre que la llum és el símbol del món bell, perfecte i etern en què Luis Cernuda necessita creure. Es tracta, un cop més, de la tensió entre realitat i desig que defineix l'essència de la seva poesia.

Didácticas luces y sombras platónicas en la poesía de Luis Cernuda

El objetivo de este artículo es revelar el uso reiterado de las luces y las sombras en la poesía de Luis Cernuda, como imágenes que tienen como referente concreto ¿aunque no mencionado- la imagen platónica de la caverna. Es justamente gracias a las imágenes que el poeta nos muestra su mundo ideal, en el cual la oscuridad simboliza el mundo material condenado a morir, mientras que la luz es el símbolo del mundo bello, perfecto y eterno en que Luis Cernuda necesita creer. Se trata, una vez más, de la tensión entre realidad y deseo que define la esencia de su poesía.