A landscape architectural design approach:the restoration of the Angel Tower and the Cloister of the Cathedral of Cuenca.

Este artículo trata de analizar la reciente evolución de los conceptos sobre intervención en el Patrimonio Cultural. Para ello utiliza como modelo el proyecto metodológico aplicado sobre las dos últimas actuaciones efectuadas en la Catedral de Cuenca. La Carta de Atenas, 1931, que estableció las bases de la modernidad sobre las dos trayectorias de espacio y tiempo, concuerdan hoy después de casi un siglo, recuperando su punto de encuentro. El artículo básicamente valora el potencial que los proyectos contemporáneos de intervención en el patrimonio pueden ofrecer cuando estudias su trayectoria en el paisaje. En orden a certificar sus transformaciones desde la actualidad, el singular monumento de la Catedral de Cuenca, utilizado como modelo, nos aporta a través de sus materiales y morfología la memoria secular que nos informa de sus técnicas constructivas y valores sociales. Este modelo abre un diálogo entre teoría y práctica reflejado a través de los trabajos de restauración aplicados. Después de treinta años de experiencia restauradora llevada a cabo por los autores, las dos últimas intervenciones que son minuciosamente expuestas, revelan algunas nuevas estrategias de aplicación en el proyecto de intervención.

Virtual restoration of the sound of the Hispanic Rite

The virtual acoustic reality techniques are powerful tools for the recovery of acoustical heritage of historic buildings. Through the acoustic modeling and auralization techniques it´s possible to reconstruct the sound of disappeared buildings or the ones with significant modifications over the years, knowing the original geometry and the acoustic characteristics of their surfaces. This paper shows the results of a research project whose goal is the virtual recovery of the sound of the Hispanic Rite, the rite celebrated by Christians of the Iberian Peninsula before the imposition of the Roman Rite in the mid-eleventh century. For this purpose, acoustic models of a series of Pre-Romanesque churches were made. These acoustic models represent the churches in their original state, following the reconstruction hypothesis proposed by leading researchers in medieval liturgical archeology. Multichannel anechoic recordings of several pieces of the music of the Hispanic Rite have been carried out using a spherical array composed of 31 microphones. Finally, static and dynamic auralizations have been developed, involving the different liturgical configurations which were usual in this rite.

Comparative analysis for the assessment of restoration treatments on stone material from the roman theater of Merida (Spain)

The overall goal of the project is the study of effects of conservation treatments applied on stone material from archaeological sites, i n terms of superficial changes, effectiveness and durability. In this sense, one of the first premises is characterize the surface of the treated and untreated material in order to determine changes in physical and chemical properties.

The Theory and Practice of Restoration in England in the Second Half of the 19th Century: The Work of George E. Street

Análisis de la teoría y práctica de la restauración en Inglaterra en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, enfocada al trabajo realizado por el arquitecto George Edmund Street, desde el punto de vista de su investigación sobre la historia de la construcción de la arquitectura gótica en Europa.

Restoration of β-adrenergic signaling in failing cardiac ventricular myocytes via adenoviral-mediated gene transfer

Cardiovascular gene therapy is a novel approach to the treatment of diseases such as congestive heart failure (CHF). Gene transfer to the heart would allow for the replacement of defective or missing cellular proteins that may improve cardiac performance. Our laboratory has been focusing on the feasibility of restoring β-adrenergic signaling deficiencies that are a characteristic of chronic CHF. We have now studied isolated ventricular myocytes from rabbits that have been chronically paced to produce hemodynamic failure. We document molecular β-adrenergic signaling defects including down-regulation of myocardial β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs), functional β-AR uncoupling, and an up-regulation of the β-AR kinase (βARK1). Adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of the human β2-AR or an inhibitor of βARK1 to these failing myocytes led to the restoration of β-AR signaling. These results demonstrate that defects present in this critical myocardial signaling pathway can be corrected in vitro using genetic modification and raise the possibility of novel inotropic therapies for CHF including the inhibition of βARK1 activity in the heart.

Regeneration of broken tip links and restoration of mechanical transduction in hair cells

A hair cell’s tip links are thought to gate mechanoelectrical transduction channels. The susceptibility of tip links to acoustic trauma raises questions as to whether these fragile structures can be regenerated. We broke tip links with the calcium chelator 1,2-bis(O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid and found that they can regenerate, albeit imperfectly, over several hours. The time course of tip-link regeneration suggests that this process may underlie recovery from temporary threshold shifts induced by noise exposure. Cycloheximide does not block tip-link regeneration, indicating that new protein synthesis is not required. The calcium ionophore ionomycin prevents regeneration, suggesting regeneration normally may be stimulated by the reduction in stereociliary Ca2+ when gating springs rupture and transduction channels close. Supporting the equivalence of tip links with gating springs, mechanoelectrical transduction returns over the same time period as tip links; strikingly, adaptation is substantially reduced, even 24 hr after breaking tip links.

Rapid restoration of visual pigment and function with oral retinoid in a mouse model of childhood blindness

Mutations in the retinal pigment epithelium gene encoding RPE65 are a cause of the incurable early-onset recessive human retinal degenerations known as Leber congenital amaurosis. Rpe65-deficient mice, a model of Leber congenital amaurosis, have no rod photopigment and severely impaired rod physiology. We analyzed retinoid flow in this model and then intervened by using oral 9-cis-retinal, attempting to bypass the biochemical block caused by the genetic abnormality. Within 48 h, there was formation of rod photopigment and dramatic improvement in rod physiology, thus demonstrating that mechanism-based pharmacological intervention has the potential to restore vision in otherwise incurable genetic retinal degenerations.

Restoration of insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT4) gene expression in muscle cells by the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1

Muscle tissue is the major site for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in vivo, due primarily to the recruitment of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane. Surprisingly, virtually all cultured muscle cells express little or no GLUT4. We show here that adenovirus-mediated expression of the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1, which is expressed in muscle in vivo but is also deficient in cultured muscle cells, causes the total restoration of GLUT4 mRNA levels to those observed in vivo. This increased GLUT4 expression correlates with a 3-fold increase in glucose transport, although much of this protein is transported to the plasma membrane even in the absence of insulin. PGC-1 mediates this increased GLUT4 expression, in large part, by binding to and coactivating the muscle-selective transcription factor MEF2C. These data indicate that PGC-1 is a coactivator of MEF2C and can control the level of endogenous GLUT4 gene expression in muscle.

In vivo restoration of laminin 5 β3 expression and function in junctional epidermolysis bullosa

The blistering disorder, lethal junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), can result from mutations in the LAMB3 gene, which encodes laminin 5 β3 (β3). Appropriate expression of LAMβ3 in JEB skin tissue could potentially ameliorate the symptoms of the underlying disease. To explore the utility of this therapeutic approach, primary keratinocytes from six unrelated JEB patients were transduced with a retroviral vector encoding β3 and used to regenerate human skin on severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Tissue regenerated from β3-transduced JEB keratinocytes produced phenotypically normal skin characterized by sustained β3 expression and the formation of hemidesmosomes. Additionally, β3 gene transfer corrected the distribution of a number of important basement membrane zone proteins including BPAG2, integrins β4/β1, and laminins α3/γ2. Skin produced from β3-negative (β3[−]) JEB cells mimicked the hallmarks of the disease state and did not exhibit any of the aforementioned traits. Therefore, by effecting therapeutic gene transfer to β3-deficient primary keratinocytes, it is possible to produce healthy, normal skin tissue in vivo. These data support the utility of gene therapy for JEB and highlight the potential for gene delivery in the treatment of human genetic skin disease.

Negative pH, efflorescent mineralogy, and consequences for environmental restoration at the Iron Mountain Superfund site, California

The Richmond Mine of the Iron Mountain copper deposit contains some of the most acid mine waters ever reported. Values of pH have been measured as low as −3.6, combined metal concentrations as high as 200 g/liter, and sulfate concentrations as high as 760 g/liter. Copious quantities of soluble metal sulfate salts such as melanterite, chalcanthite, coquimbite, rhomboclase, voltaite, copiapite, and halotrichite have been identified, and some of these are forming from negative-pH mine waters. Geochemical calculations show that, under a mine-plugging remediation scenario, these salts would dissolve and the resultant 600,000-m3 mine pool would have a pH of 1 or less and contain several grams of dissolved metals per liter, much like the current portal effluent water. In the absence of plugging or other at-source control, current weathering rates indicate that the portal effluent will continue for approximately 3,000 years. Other remedial actions have greatly reduced metal loads into downstream drainages and the Sacramento River, primarily by capturing the major acidic discharges and routing them to a lime neutralization plant. Incorporation of geochemical modeling and mineralogical expertise into the decision-making process for remediation can save time, save money, and reduce the likelihood of deleterious consequences.

Membrane healing and restoration of contractility after mechanical injury in isolated skeletal muscle fibers of the frog.

In single isolated skeletal muscle fibers of the frog, we studied (i) the recovery from large sarcolemmal mechanical injuries of the response to electric stimulation and (ii) the integrity of the sarcolemma under the light microscope. In Ringer's solution, the damaged cells stopped contracting and deteriorated completely within 1 hr. In the presence of phosphatidylcholine (0.025 g/ml in Ringer's solution), the injured cells initially responded with local twitches. Within 0.5 hr, contractility and membrane integrity started to recover and both were back to control levels within 3 hr. When these cells were placed back in normal Ringer's solution, they remained viable and active for several hours. Our results suggest that phosphatidylcholine can protect muscle fibers from the effects of sarcolemmal injury.

Restoration of surface IgM-mediated apoptosis in an anti-IgM-resistant variant of WEHI-231 lymphoma cells by HS1, a protein-tyrosine kinase substrate.

The HS1 protein is one of the major substrates of non-receptor-type protein-tyrosine kinases and is phosphorylated immediately after crosslinking of the surface IgM on B cells. The mouse B-lymphoma cell line WEHI-231 is known to undergo apoptosis upon crosslinking of surface IgM by anti-IgM antibodies. Variants of WEHI-231 that were resistant to anti-IgM-induced apoptosis expressed dramatically reduced levels of HS1 protein. Expression of the human HS1 protein from an expression vector introduced into one of the variant cell lines restored the sensitivity of the cells to apoptosis induced by surface IgM crosslinking. These results suggest that HS1 protein plays a crucial role in the B-cell antigen receptor-mediated signal transduction pathway that leads to apoptosis.

Pseudoscalar susceptibilities and quark condensates: chiral restoration and lattice screening masses

We derive the formal Ward identities relating pseudoscalar susceptibilities and quark condensates in three-flavor QCD, including consistently the 77-n' sector and the U-A(1) anomaly. These identities are verified in the low-energy realization provided by ChPT, both in the standard SU(3) framework for the octet case and combining the use of the SU(3) framework and the large-Nc expansion of QCD to account properly for the nonet sector and anomalous contributions. The analysis is performed including finite temperature corrections as well as the calculation of U(3) quark condensates and all pseudoscalar susceptibilities, which together with the full set of Ward identities, are new results of this work. Finally, the Ward identities are used to derive scaling relations for pseudoscalar masses which explain the behavior with temperature of lattice screening masses near chiral symmetry restoration.

The Relationship Between Weight Restoration and Maturity Fears in Women with Anorexica Nervosa

High maturity fears predict poor treatment outcomes in women with anorexia nervosa (AN). The purpose of this study was to determine if weight gain predicts decreases in maturity fears (MF) for AN patients. Fifty-six patients in an eating disorders partial hospitalization program were administered a series of psychological tests at intake and discharge. R2 values indicate that percent change in weight restoration will not accurately forecast the change in MF scores, although a positive trend was identified between the two variables. The weak predictive relationship suggests that weight restoration alone is not adequate to address the psychological components of AN.

Restoration Efforts and Prairie Dog Management at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is being re-seeded to native shortgrass prairie, but the effects of prairie dog colonization on some sites may be limiting successful native plant establishment. This Capstone Project compares vegetation monitoring data and prairie dog distributions in four refuge sites to evaluate the effects of prairie dog colonization on restoration. In general, native plant abundance has increased on study plots since initiation of restoration. Localized changes in plant abundance have occurred among transects, but prairie dog densities could not be correlated with the changes. Future prairie dog expansion is cause for concern due to intensified burrowing and grazing effects. Seven recommendations are presented to aid future restoration efforts.