Human cardiospheres as a source of multipotent stem and progenitor cells.

Cardiospheres (CSs) are self-assembling multicellular clusters from the cellular outgrowth from cardiac explants cultured in nonadhesive substrates. They contain a core of primitive, proliferating cells, and an outer layer of mesenchymal/stromal cells and differentiating cells that express cardiomyocyte proteins and connexin 43. Because CSs contain both primitive cells and committed progenitors for the three major cell types present in the heart, that is, cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells, and because they are derived from percutaneous endomyocardial biopsies, they represent an attractive cell source for cardiac regeneration. In preclinical studies, CS-derived cells (CDCs) delivered to infarcted hearts resulted in improved cardiac function. CDCs have been tested safely in an initial phase-1 clinical trial in patients after myocardial infarction. Whether or not CDCs are superior to purified populations, for example, c-kit(+) cardiac stem cells, or to gene therapy approaches for cardiac regeneration remains to be evaluated.

Histoire de Duguesclin / par A. Debidour,...

Collection : Bibliothèque des écoles et des familles

Crecimientos de la Concha de Abanico (Argopecten purpuratus) en cultivos marinos de Bahía Paracas, Perú

Entre agosto de 1984 y enero de 1986 se midieron las alturas de valvas de un total de 12,580 individuos de Concha de Abanico (Argopectec purpuratus) en cuatro concesiones de cultivo en la Bahía Paracas (13°50'S, 76°16'W). Las tasas de crecimiento variaron entre 1.3 y 8.9 mm/mes para individuos de 4-8 cm. de altura de valva.

Reproducción de la Merluza (Merluccius gayi peruanus) frete a Paita, Perú, entre 1971 y 1988

Se muestro un total de 13,187 individuos de merluza de la pesca de arrastre frente a Paita entre 1971 y 1980. La variación del ciclo ovárico, proporción de sexos y longitud media de desove fueron determinados y relacionados a la temperatura y desembarque.

La pesquería artesanal de “mariscos” en la zona de Atico, Arequipa, en 1987

En mayo de 187 un total de 71 marisqueros de cuatro caletas en la zona de Atico fueron entrevistados sobre diferentes aspectos de su vida y trabajo. Las especies explotadas más importantes son los gastrópodos Concholepas concholepas y Thais chocalata.

La concha de abanico (Argopecten purpuratus) en Bahía Independencia, Pisco, del 4 al 18 de Marzo 1999

Presenta los resultados de la evaluación poblacional de concha de abanico efectuada en Bahía Independencia, Pisco, entre el 4 y 18 de marzo de 1999, como aporte al conocimiento de la dinámica del stock, en respuesta a la presión extractiva y cambios ambientales ocurridos en los años 1997 y 1998.

Investigação e Ensino Superior A relação entre a investigação na pós-graduação e a docência no Ensino Superior na Cidade da Praia

O presente trabalho de investigação propôs estudar a relação entre a investigação na pósgraduação e a docência no Ensino Superior na Cidade da Praia. O objecto de estudo da pesquisa são os professores pós-graduados das quatro instituições de Ensino Superior na cidade da Praia: Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde, Instituto Superior da Educação, Instituto Superior de Ciências Económicas e Empresariais e Instituto Superior de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais. A colecta das informações para a análise processou-se mediante a aplicação de um questionário semiaberto elaborado em coerência com os objectivos que este estudo propende atingir. Os resultados deste estudo indicam, entre outros aspectos, que os docentes pós-graduados dos referidos estabelecimentos de Ensino Superior na Cidade da Praia estão suficientemente sensibilizados para a questão da investigação, reconhecendo que a mesma é a condição sine qua non para o exercício da função docente nesse nível de ensino. Da mesma forma, concluímos que existe uma relação de complementaridade entre a investigação e a docência no Ensino Superior, onde o ensino se concebe como uma actividade investigadora e a investigação como uma actividade autoreflexiva realizada pelo professor com o propósito de melhorar a sua prática. Portanto, a concretização da investigação visa, antes de mais, resolver os problemas educacionais e melhorar a prática educativa.

Electoral competition under the threat of political unrest

We study elections in which one party (the strong party) controls a source of political unrest; e.g., this party could instigate riots if it lost the election. We show that the strong party is more likely to win the election when there is less information about its ability to cause unrest. This is because when theweak party is better informed, it can more reliably prevent political unrest by implementing a ``centrist'' policy. When there is uncertainty over the credibility of the threat, ``posturing'' by the strong party leads to platform divergence.

Renal tissue oxygenation in essential hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

Animal studies suggest that renal tissue hypoxia plays an important role in the development of renal damage in hypertension and renal diseases, yet human data were scarce due to the lack of noninvasive methods. Over the last decade, blood oxygenation level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI), detecting deoxyhemoglobin in hypoxic renal tissue, has become a powerful tool to assess kidney oxygenation noninvasively in humans. This paper provides an overview of BOLD-MRI studies performed in patients suffering from essential hypertension or chronic kidney disease (CKD). In line with animal studies, acute changes in cortical and medullary oxygenation have been observed after the administration of medication (furosemide, blockers of the renin-angiotensin system) or alterations in sodium intake in these patient groups, underlining the important role of renal sodium handling in kidney oxygenation. In contrast, no BOLD-MRI studies have convincingly demonstrated that renal oxygenation is chronically reduced in essential hypertension or in CKD or chronically altered after long-term medication intake. More studies are required to clarify this discrepancy and to further unravel the role of renal oxygenation in the development and progression of essential hypertension and CKD in humans.

Fil.lis. Jyrki Juurmaa 27/3 1963

Kirje 27.3.1963

Indications des différens chemins et défilés des frontières de France et d'Espagne, relatifs à la carte de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Ancien possesseur : Argenson, Antoine-René de Voyer (1722-1787 ; marquis de Paulmy d')

The predictive value of preoperative B-type natriuretic peptide in children undergooing heart surgery.

Introduction: Low cardiac output syndrome is frequent in childrenafter heart surgery for congenital heart disease and may result in pooroutcome and increased morbidity. In the adult population, preoperativebrain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was shown to be predictive of postoperative complications. In children, the value of preoperative BNP onpostoperative outcome is not so clear. The aim of this study was todetermine the predictive value of preoperative BNP on postoperativeoutcome and low cardiac output syndrome in children after heartsurgery for congenital heart disease.Methods: We examined, retrospectively, the postoperative course of97 pediatric patients (mean age 3.7 years, range 0-14 years old) whounderwent heart surgery in a tertiary care pediatric intensive caresetting. NTproBNP was measured preoperatively in all patients(median 412 pg/ml, range 12-35'000 pg/ml). Patients were divided intothree groups according to their NTproBNP levels (group 1: 0-300 pg/ml, group 2: 300-600 pg/ml, group 3: >600 pg/ml) and then,correlations with postoperative outcomes were examined.Results: We found that patients with a high preoperative BNP requiredmore frequently prolonged (>2 days) mechanical ventilation (33%vs 40% vs 61%, p = 0.045) and stayed more frequently longer than6 days in the intensive care unit (42% vs 50% vs 71%, p = 0.03).However, high preoperative BNP was not correlated with occurrenceof low cardiac output syndrome.Conclusion: Preoperative BNP cannot be used, in children, as areliable and sole predictor of postoperative low cardiac outputsyndrome. However it may help identify, before surgery, those patientsat risk of having a difficult postoperative course.