The situation of open access institutional repositories in Spain: 2009 report

Introduction. The DRIVER I project drew up a detailed report of European repositories based on data gathered in a survey in which Spain's participation was very low. This created a highly distorted image of the implementation of repositories in Spain. This study aims to analyse the current state of Spanish open-access institutional repositories and to describe their characteristics. Method. The data were gathered through a Web survey. The questionnaire was based on that used by DRIVER I: coverage; technical infrastructure and technical issues; institutional policies; services created; and stimulators and inhibitors for establishing, filling and maintaining their digital institutional repositories. Analysis. Data were tabulated and analysed systematically according responses obtained from the questionnaire and grouped by coverage. Results. Responses were obtained from 38 of the 104 institutions contacted, which had 29 institutional repositories. This represents 78.3% of the Spanish repositories according to the BuscaRepositorios directory. Spanish repositories contained mainly full-text materials (journal articles and doctoral theses) together with metadata. The software most used was DSpace, followed by EPrints. The metadata standard most used was Dublin Core. Spanish repositories offered more usage statistics and fewer author-oriented services than the European average. The priorities for the future development of the repositories are the need for clear policies on access to scientific production based on public funding and the need for quality control indicators. Conclusions.This is the first detailed study of Spanish institutional repositories. The key stimulants for establishing, filling and maintaining were, in order of importance, the increase of visibility and citation, the interest of decision-makers, simplicity of use and search services. On the other hand the main inhibitors identified were the absence of policies, the lack of integration with other national and international systems and the lack of awareness efforts among academia.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-2 play a major role in the pathogenesis of vascular leakage in cirrhotic rats.

Background and aims: The extent and molecular mechanisms governing plasma extravasation and formation of ascites in cirrhosis are unknown. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) are endogenous substances with powerful vascular permeability effects. We assessed regional blood flow, vascular leakage, mRNA and tissular expression of VEGF-A and Ang-2 and vascular permeability following VEGF receptor 2 blockade in control and cirrhotic rats to define the vascular territories showing altered vascular permeability in cirrhosis and to determine whether VEGF-A and Ang-2 are involved in this phenomenon. Methods: Arterial blood flow was analysed with the coloured microsphere method. Vascular leakage was measured and visualised with the dye Evan¿s Blue and colloidal carbon techniques, respectively. VEGF-A and Ang-2 expression were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and western blot. The effect on vascular permeability induced by VEGFR2 blockade was assessed by administration of the receptor inhibitor SU11248. Results: Arterial blood flow was increased in the mesentery, pancreas and small intestine but not in the kidney and spleen of cirrhotic rats as compared to controls. Increased vascular leakage was observed in the mesentery and liver, where colloidal carbon spread from microvessels to the adjacent fibrotic tracts. Increased hepatic and mesenteric expression of VEGF-A and Ang-2 was found in cirrhotic rats as compared to controls. Blockade of VEGFR2 markedly reduced hepatic and mesenteric vascular leakage in cirrhotic rats. Conclusions: Enhanced endothelial permeability is restricted to the hepatic and mesenteric vascular beds in cirrhotic rats with ascites and VEGF-A and Ang-2 are key factors in the signalling pathways regulating this dysfunction.

Deformación en flexión plantar del primer radio

La posición del primer radio tanto desde el plano frontal como desde el plano sagital, es de vital importancia para la consecución de una correcta y adecuada marcha, así como para mantener la estructura anatómica del pie durante la bipedestación estática. La deformidad en flexión plantar del primer radio modifica estos parámetros creando mecanismos compensatorios que pueden afectar a otras unidades funcionales articulares, tanto del mediopié como del retropié, lo que puede dar lugar a un patrón de metatarsalgia de difícil valoración al tener que contemplar y analizar varios diagnósticos y sus respectivos patrones mecánicos: el equino de columna lateral, el retropié varo compensado y el primer radio plantarflexionado flexible. Se presenta un caso clínico para su análisis conjunto.

Alteraciones en inversión del antepié. Tratamiento ortopodológico

El antepié varo y el antepié supinado son las alteraciones en las que podemos encontrar el antepié en una posición de inversión. Estas alteraciones tienen una repercusión sobre el funcionamiento biomecánico de todo el pie, que debe adoptar unos mecanismos compensatorios para dotar al mismo del máximo de funcionalidad. Conocer estas patologías y saber como diferenciarlas es básico para establecer un tratamiento ortopodológico correcto para cada una de ellas.

Increased anandamide induced relaxation in mesenteric arteries of cirrhotic rats. Role of cannabinoid and vanilloid receptors

Background and aims: Anandamide is an endocannabinoid that evokes hypotension by interaction with peripheral cannabinoid CB1 receptors and with the perivascular transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 protein (TRPV1). As anandamide has been implicated in the vasodilated state in advanced cirrhosis, the study investigated whether the mesenteric bed from cirrhotic rats has an altered and selective vasodilator response to anandamide. Methods: We assessed vascular sensitivity to anandamide, mRNA and protein expression of cannabinoid CB1 receptor and TRPV1 receptor, and the topographical distribution of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in resistance mesenteric arteries of cirrhotic and control rats. Results: Mesenteric vessels of cirrhotic animals displayed greater sensitivity to anandamide than control vessels. This vasodilator response was reverted by CB1 or TRPV1 receptor blockade, but not after endothelium denudation or nitric oxide inhibition. Anandamide had no effect on distal femoral arteries. CB1 and TRPV1 receptor protein was higher in cirrhotic than in control vessels. Neither CB1 mRNA nor protein was detected in femoral arteries. Immunochemistry showed that CB1 receptors were mainly in the adventitia and in the endothelial monolayer, with higher expression observed in vessels of cirrhotic rats than in controls. Conclusions: These results indicate that anandamide is a selective splanchnic vasodilator in cirrhosis which predominantly acts via interaction with two different types of receptors, CB1 and TRPV1 receptors, which are mainly located in perivascular sensory nerve terminals of the mesenteric resistance arteries of these animals.

Characterization of sour (Prunus cerasus L.) and sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) varieties with five isozyme systems

Extracts from young leaves of nine sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) and eight sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) varieties, located in the germplasm collection of the 'Direção Regional de Agricultura da Beira Interior' (Fundão, Portugal), were analysed for five isozyme systems in order to characterise these varieties and detect problems of synonymies and homonymies that frequently present. The sweet and sour cherry varieties analyzed showed low isoenzymatic polymorphism, being PGM and PGI the systems with the highest discrimination power. These systems presented seven and five different zymogrames, respectively. IDH showed four patterns. SKDH and 6-PGD grouped the varieties only into two patterns. The evident and discriminant restrictions of this type of analysis had got results that have only been a complement for agronomical and morphological characterization.