De Heródoto a Lope : nota a El mejor alcade, el rey

Article sobre les al·lusions i anècdotes tradicionals que fa servir Lópe de Vega a les seves obres. Concretament es tracta un episodi del llibre El mejor alcalde, el rey

Kallikrein genes are associated with lupus and glomerular basement membrane-specific antibody-induced nephritis in mice and humans.

Immune-mediated nephritis contributes to disease in systemic lupus erythematosus, Goodpasture syndrome (caused by antibodies specific for glomerular basement membrane [anti-GBM antibodies]), and spontaneous lupus nephritis. Inbred mouse strains differ in susceptibility to anti-GBM antibody-induced and spontaneous lupus nephritis. This study sought to clarify the genetic and molecular factors that maybe responsible for enhanced immune-mediated renal disease in these models. When the kidneys of 3 mouse strains sensitive to anti-GBM antibody-induced nephritis were compared with those of 2 control strains using microarray analysis, one-fifth of the underexpressed genes belonged to the kallikrein gene family,which encodes serine esterases. Mouse strains that upregulated renal and urinary kallikreins exhibited less evidence of disease. Antagonizing the kallikrein pathway augmented disease, while agonists dampened the severity of anti-GBM antibody-induced nephritis. In addition, nephritis-sensitive mouse strains had kallikrein haplotypes that were distinct from those of control strains, including several regulatory polymorphisms,some of which were associated with functional consequences. Indeed, increased susceptibility to anti-GBM antibody-induced nephritis and spontaneous lupus nephritis was achieved by breeding mice with a genetic interval harboring the kallikrein genes onto a disease-resistant background. Finally, both human SLE and spontaneous lupus nephritis were found to be associated with kallikrein genes, particularly KLK1 and the KLK3 promoter, when DNA SNPs from independent cohorts of SLE patients and controls were compared. Collectively, these studies suggest that kallikreins are protective disease-associated genes in anti-GBM antibody-induced nephritis and lupus.

FABP4 Dynamics in Obesity: Discrepancies in Adipose Tissue and Liver Expression Regarding Circulating Plasma Levels.

BACKGROUND FABP4 is predominantly expressed in adipose tissue, and its circulating levels are linked with obesity and a poor atherogenic profile. OBJECTIVE In patients with a wide BMI range, we analyze FABP4 expression in adipose and hepatic tissues in the settings of obesity and insulin resistance. Associations between FABP4 expression in adipose tissue and the FABP4 plasma level as well as the main adipogenic and lipolytic genes expressed in adipose tissue were also analyzed. METHODS The expression of several lipogenic, lipolytic, PPAR family and FABP family genes was analyzed by real time PCR. FABP4 protein expression in total adipose tissues and its fractions were determined by western blot. RESULTS In obesity FABP4 expression was down-regulated (at both mRNA and protein levels), with its levels mainly predicted by ATGL and inversely by the HOMA-IR index. The BMI appeared as the only determinant of the FABP4 variation in both adipose tissue depots. FABP4 plasma levels showed a significant progressive increase according to BMI but no association was detected between FABP4 circulating levels and SAT or VAT FABP4 gene expression. The gene expression of FABP1, FABP4 and FABP5 in hepatic tissue was significantly higher in tissue from the obese IR patients compared to the non-IR group. CONCLUSION The inverse pattern in FABP4 expression between adipose and hepatic tissue observed in morbid obese patients, regarding the IR context, suggests that both tissues may act in a balanced manner. These differences may help us to understand the discrepancies between circulating plasma levels and adipose tissue expression in obesity.

Inverse relation between FASN expression in human adipose tissue and the insulin resistance level.

BACKGROUND Adipose tissue is a key regulator of energy balance playing an active role in lipid storage and may be a dynamic buffer to control fatty acid flux. Just like PPARgamma, fatty acid synthesis enzymes such as FASN have been implicated in almost all aspects of human metabolic alterations such as obesity, insulin resistance or dyslipemia. The aim of this work is to investigate how FASN and PPARgamma expression in human adipose tissue is related to carbohydrate metabolism dysfunction and obesity. METHODS The study included eighty-seven patients which were classified according to their BMI and to their glycaemia levels in order to study FASN and PPARgamma gene expression levels, anthropometric and biochemical variables. RESULTS The main result of this work is the close relation between FASN expression level and the factors that lead to hyperglycemic state (increased values of glucose levels, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, BMI and triglycerides). The correlation of the enzyme with these parameters is inversely proportional. On the other hand, PPARgamma is not related to carbohydrate metabolism. CONCLUSIONS We can demonstrate that FASN expression is a good candidate to study the pathophysiology of type II diabetes and obesity in humans.

Mitochondrial haplogroups and polymorphisms reveal no association with sporadic prostate cancer in a southern European population.

BACKGROUND It is known that mitochondria play an important role in certain cancers (prostate, renal, breast, or colorectal) and coronary disease. These organelles play an essential role in apoptosis and the production of reactive oxygen species; in addition, mtDNA also reveals the history of populations and ancient human migration. All these events and variations in the mitochondrial genome are thought to cause some cancers, including prostate cancer, and also help us to group individuals into common origin groups. The aim of the present study is to analyze the different haplogroups and variations in the sequence in the mitochondrial genome of a southern European population consisting of subjects affected (n = 239) and non-affected (n = 150) by sporadic prostate cancer. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using primer extension analysis and DNA sequencing, we identified the nine major European haplogroups and CR polymorphisms. The frequencies of the haplogroups did not differ between patients and control cohorts, whereas the CR polymorphism T16356C was significantly higher in patients with PC compared to the controls (p = 0.029). PSA, staging, and Gleason score were associated with none of the nine major European haplogroups. The CR polymorphisms G16129A (p = 0.007) and T16224C (p = 0.022) were significantly associated with Gleason score, whereas T16311C (p = 0.046) was linked with T-stage. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE Our results do not suggest that mtDNA haplogroups could be involved in sporadic prostate cancer etiology and pathogenesis as previous studies performed in middle Europe population. Although some significant associations have been obtained in studying CR polymorphisms, further studies should be performed to validate these results.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-associated meningitis, southern Spain.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) was detected in 2 patients with acute meningitis in southern Spain within a 3-year period. Although the prevalence of LCMV infection was low (2 [1.3%] of 159 meningitis patients), it represents 2.9% of all pathogens detected. LCMV is a noteworthy agent of neurologic illness in immunocompetent persons.

Unusual manifestation of toscana virus infection, Spain.

This study was supported in part by project 05/305, Junta de Andalucía, Spain

Disseny d'un portal web per a un hotel de 5 estrelles

En aquest projecte es presenta l'anàlisi i el disseny per a una plana web d'un nou hotel de 5 estrelles. Es desenvoluparà el projecte partint de l'anàlisi de requeriments, casos d'ús i diagrames de seqüència. El projecte anirà acompanyat d'un prototip de pàgina web fet amb Microsoft Visio, el qual es pot exportar a html, per observar el seu disseny i la seva navegabilitat.

Seguiment d'objectes amb un sistema de visió artificial

Aquest projecte s’ha centrat en tractar la part de la Visió per Computador que s’encarrega del seguiment d’objectes dins d'una seqüència d’imatges. Concretament, s’ha fet una aproximació al seguiment d’objectes dins d’una escena qualsevol.

Microarray profiling of mononuclear peripheral blood cells identifies novel candidate genes related to chemoradiation response in rectal cancer.

Preoperative chemoradiation significantly improves oncological outcome in locally advanced rectal cancer. However there is no effective method of predicting tumor response to chemoradiation in these patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells have emerged recently as pathology markers of cancer and other diseases, making possible their use as therapy predictors. Furthermore, the importance of the immune response in radiosensivity of solid organs led us to hypothesized that microarray gene expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells could identify patients with response to chemoradiation in rectal cancer. Thirty five 35 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were recruited initially to perform the study. Peripheral blood samples were obtained before neaodjuvant treatment. RNA was extracted and purified to obtain cDNA and cRNA for hybridization of microarrays included in Human WG CodeLink bioarrays. Quantitative real time PCR was used to validate microarray experiment data. Results were correlated with pathological response, according to Mandard´s criteria and final UICC Stage (patients with tumor regression grade 1-2 and downstaging being defined as responders and patients with grade 3-5 and no downstaging as non-responders). Twenty seven out of 35 patients were finally included in the study. We performed a multiple t-test using Significance Analysis of Microarrays, to find those genes differing significantly in expression, between responders (n = 11) and non-responders (n = 16) to CRT. The differently expressed genes were: BC 035656.1, CIR, PRDM2, CAPG, FALZ, HLA-DPB2, NUPL2, and ZFP36. The measurement of FALZ (p = 0.029) gene expression level determined by qRT-PCR, showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. Gene expression profiling reveals novel genes in peripheral blood samples of mononuclear cells that could predict responders and non-responders to chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Moreover, our investigation added further evidence to the importance of mononuclear cells' mediated response in the neoadjuvant treatment of rectal cancer.

L'ayahuasca ara i aquí : Usos rituals de l'ayahuasca a Catalunya

En aquest treball es descriuen les diferents tipologies i variants rituals de les cerimònies que es realitzen amb ayahuasca (beuratge psicoactiu usat tradicionalment per molts pobles de la conca amazònica) a Catalunya, tot establint una classificació. Es comparen les cerimònies amb la seqüència dels rituals de pas de Van Gennep, tenint present també el concepte de 'communitas' de V. Turner, per acabar establint que es tracta de rituals de pas contemporanis. Alhora es fa una anàlisi de com son les persones que dirigeixen aquestes cerimònies (formació, experiència, motivacions) i els participants en aquestes (edat, sexe, motivacions que porten a provar-ho, per què repeteixen, etc.).

Aproximación al teatro completo de Manuel Andújar

Estudio de la obra dramática de Manuel Andújar dividido en tres partes. En la primera se revisa el estado de la cuestión y se establece el repertorio de textos. La segunda, con el criterio ordenador de fecha de publicación, es el análisis de cada obra, destacando los aspectos más notables. La tercera expone algunos rasgos generales: manejo de constituyentes: tiempo, lugar..., y las acotaciones. En las Consideraciones Finales se subraya su sentido ético; se revisa su adscripción a un “realismo simbólico” y afirmaciones anteriores, como la periodización en dos épocas, y su calificación de teatro para leer

La forma proverbi en l’obra de Ramon Llull: una aproximació

Aquest treball ofereix una anàlisi de la producció proverbial de Llull (Arbre exemplifical, Proverbis de Ramon, Proverbis de la Retòrica Nova, Mil proverbis, Proverbis d’ensenyament) tot posant-la en relació amb altres tipus de formulacions aforístiques que hi ha repartides en un ampli ventall de textos lul·lians, i proposa el sintagma "formes sentencioses" per definir aquesta família textual

Paraula i poètiques del desig. Tres itineraris del subjecte líric postmodern: alteritat, identitat i escriptura al l’obra de Gabriel Ferrater, Maria-Mercé Marçal i Enric Casasses

La present investigació parteix de la urgència de revisar la poesia catalana contemporània des dels paràmetres de la teoria literària que abracen l’àmbit de la representació del desig. Sota aquest paraigües teòric i la seva estricta vinculació amb les noves formulacions del subjecte líric postmodern, he proposat un estudi comparatiu entre tres grans poètiques que han marcat, cada una d’elles en el seu context socioliterari, un punt d’inflexió: Gabriel Ferrater, Maria-Mercè Marçal i Enric Casasses. Més enllà de la ruptura moderna entre escriptura i exaltació d’una subjectivitat única i monolítica, he investigat i esclarit les variables retòriques (teoria literària ) i ontològiques (discursos filosòfics) que coparticipen en la instal•lació d’un subjecte líric i un quefer poètic postmoderns. Un nou posicionament de la veu lírica que transforma la identitat textural en un procés, en una recerca. Així és que l’alteritat amorosa s’evidencia com el centre de representació i experimentació dels límits del jo líric. A partir de les aproximacions teòriques sobre la representació del desig –que des del postestructuralisme han arribat, mitjançant la crítica literària feminista, fins als nostres dies -, he establert les coordenades metodològiques que justifiquen el triangle comparatiu i m’han permès mostrar com la poesia eròticoamorosa és epicentre de la poesia i la poètica dels tres autors. L’exègesi de les seves obres ha guiat la investigació cap a l’abordatge de les construccions dels “jo” lírics, tot prenent com a centre: a) l’escriptura, obertura cap a l’Altre, b) el subjecte de l’enunciació com a subjecte desitjant, c) les representacions de l’altre/a amorós, d) les retòriques del desig, e) la recerca del plaer textual, i f)moral i poètiques. L’objectiu final ha estat dibuixar un mapa de carreteres per guiar els itineraris de l’escriptura del desig en la nostra poesia i, palesar, a mode de síntesi i d’obertura, com l’obra d’Enric Casasses recull la retòrica de l’alteritat amorosa i funda, des d’ella, la necessitat de la paraula oral i l’acció poètiques.

El efecto de los cambios climáticos y procesos geológicos en la génesis de la biodiversidad del mediterráneo occidental: el caso de los géneros de arañas Harpactocrates SIMON, 1914y Parachtes ALICATA, 1964

El objetivo principal de mi tesis doctoral es identificar y entender los procesos que determinan la enorme riqueza de seres vivos que existe en el Mediterráneo. Para conseguir los objetivos planteados he utilizado como modelo de estudio los géneros de arañas Parachtes y Harpactocrates endémicas del mediterráneo occidental. Los resultados obtenidos hasta el momento se basan en la información que nos proporcionan las datos moleculares a través de una aproximación filogenética, de inferencia de tiempos de divergencia y de genética de poblaciones. Algunas de las conclusiones a las que he llegado son: (1) la secuencia de formación de las especies que componen el género Parachtes y sus edades asociadas sigue la secuencia geocronológica de formación de la cuenca mediterránea occidental, (2) las especies del género Harpactocrates de los Alpes provienen de una colonización desde la Península Ibérica, (3) las edades de divergencia entre las especies de éste género preceden a las glaciaciones, lo que rechaza la hipótesis de especiación pleistocénica (4) el patrón filogeográfico obtenido para la especie pirenaica Harpactocrates ravastellus sugieren que los cambios climáticos pleistocénicos modelaron la estructura poblacional de la especie, identificándose refugios glaciares, (5) el patrón filogeográfico obtenido para las 3 especies del Sistema Central (H. gredensis, H. globifer y H. gurdus) muestra una marcada estructura poblacional, con tiempos de divergencia que datan alrededor de las épocas del Plio-Pleistoceno, sugiriendo la existencia de varios refugios dentro del Sistema Central.