Del ciberespai al paper

El món editorial més tradicional tendeix cada vegada més a apostar per medis electrònics com a base per a la difusió del seu contingut o com a complement de l’edició en paper. És pràcticament un pas natural que han fet o estant fent la majoriade publicacions en paper.El creixement d’Internet, tant en nombre d’usuaris com en inversió publicitària, juntament amb la poca necessitat d’inversió per a la creació de revistes online, ha propiciat el sorgiment de revistes exclusivament virtuals que han esdevingut les mésimportants d’Internet, per sobre de publicacions virtuals de revistes amb edició en paper.Però tot i que Internet es el futur, el medi en paper és i serà un mercat molt important a mitjà termini. El mercat publicitari es paga força millor que en les pàgines web, on els models s’esgoten molt ràpidament i s’ha d’innovar constantment per tal de mantenir el click-rate dels usuaris. L’atenció que l’usuari presta a la publicitat en paper és molt més alta que en les pàgines web i menys molesta per l’usuari.El nostre treball es centrarà en fer el pas contrari a l’habitual, és a dir, en convertir una revista exclusivament virtual en una revista que publiqui també en paper. Analitzarem els possibles beneficis d’aquest pas així com els costos que suposaria adaptar un medi virtual al paper.El repte estarà en investigar quin és el model de revista idoni per completar el pas del medi virtual al paper, aconseguint maximitzar els beneficis.

Nevera, mp3, mòbil... quin és el seu paper actual?

Des dels seus inicis, l’ésser humà ha tingut una sèrie de necessitats. Ha requerit d’aliment per sobreviure, d’un sostre on refugiar-se, de roba per vestirse, etc. Conforme han passat els anys, ha anat generant tècniques per a millorar la seva estància al planeta, des del descobriment del foc per escalfarse fins al desenvolupament de màquines complexes. És per això, que ha anat introduint invents a la seva vida que han cobert les necessitats sorgides al llarg del temps.El treball que desenvolupem a continuació es centra en un seguit d’aparells que han sorgit al llarg del segle XX i que han revolucionat la nostra vida. Concretament, els set aparells escollits com a objecte del nostre estudi són: la nevera, la rentadora, l’automòbil, la televisió, el reproductor d’àudio portàtil, el telèfon mòbil i l’ordinador.L’aparició d’electrodomèstics, com la nevera o la rentadora, no només ens ha permès dedicar menys esforç a les tasques domèstiques, sinó també estalviarnos temps a l’hora de realitzar-les. Aquest fet, que ara potser ni tan sols considerem, va ser del tot determinant a l’època que van sorgir, ja que va permetre alliberar mà d’obra domèstica promovent la inserció al mercat laboral d’un sector de la població com el del sexe femení.Per la seva banda, la introducció de l’automòbil també ha estat un gran avenç. Aquest, ha revolucionat la manera de desplaçar-nos, proporcionant-nos una autonomia fins aleshores impensable.Aquest mateix patró segueixen la resta d’altres aparells escollits; tots van provocar un canvi profund a la societat amb la seva aparició i, encara avui, segueixen mantenint un paper destacat al nostre dia a dia. La importància que tenen a les nostres vides ha estat la motivació que ens ha conduït a dur a terme un treball que els tingués com a protagonistes.El nostre treball consta de dues parts:A la primera, de caràcter teòric, ens hem proposat estudiar la història d’aquests aparells, és a dir, hem volgut donar resposta a una sèrie de preguntes com: quan van aparèixer, quins van ser els seus creadors i quines transformacions han anat experimentant al llarg del temps, entre d’altres.A la segona part, més pràctica, hem realitzat un treball de camp (les característiques del qual expliquem detalladament a l’apartat següent) amb l’objectiu d’analitzar la rellevància que tenen aquests aparells a la societat actual. És a dir, hem volgut saber quins aparells, dels escollits, són els més valorats per la població avui dia i quins són els que menys. Pensem que l’ús que els enquestats fan d’aquests béns serà un criteri clau a l’hora de puntuarlos, encara que no l’únic. Hem realitzat aquest anàlisi diferenciant els individus per franges d’edat i sexes. A més, també hem treballat altres qüestions comserien, entre d’altres, si el seu ús s’entén com una necessitat o va encaminat cap a l’oci; quant temps triguen els usuaris a renovar-los, quin és el motiu, etc. En relació amb aquesta segona part, hem formulat un seguit d’hipòtesis amb l’objectiu de contrastar-les posteriorment amb els resultats de les enquestes.Les hipòtesis són:- Avui dia, els individus donen més importància a aquells aparells que són més moderns, (entenent com a tals, aquells que han sorgit més recentment i estan lligats a les noves tecnologies i la innovació contínua), com poden ser l’ordinador i el telèfon mòbil, que els electrodomèstics més tradicionals com serien la nevera o la rentadora. Tot això, a més, considerant que pel que fa als primers, entenem que part del seu ús està destinat a l’oci; mentre que pels segons el seu ús està motivat per una necessitat, com seria l’alimentació en el cas de la nevera.- Pel que fa a les franges d’edat, les valoracions mostraran diferències importants en els diversos aparells. Entre la franja més jove (de 16 a 25 anys) i la de més edat (més de 60 anys), les valoracions seran més extremes, gairebé oposades.- Pel que fa als dos sexes, les valoracions que donin als aparells seran molt semblants.Hem considerat que per a dur a terme un bon anàlisi, el més adequat és presentar la informació de cada aparell per separat. És per això que cada bé constitueix un apartat independent que consta d’una primera part referent a la seva història, i una segona referent als resultats obtinguts de les enquestes.A continuació, hem procedit a ajuntar els resultats extrets dels diferents aparells i a presentant-los de forma conjunta per a comparar-los. Així, hem pogut contrastar les nostres hipòtesis inicials i hem raonat possibles causes que justificarien dels resultats obtinguts.

Lower thigh subcutaneous and higher visceral abdominal adipose tissue content both contribute to insulin resistance.

It is well known that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with insulin resistance (IR). Considerable debate remains concerning the potential positive effect of thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue (TSAT). Our objective was to observe whether VAT and TSAT are opposite, synergistic or additive for both peripheral and hepatic IR. Fifty-two volunteers (21 male/31 female) between 30 and 75 years old were recruited from the general population. All subjects were sedentary overweight or obese (mean BMI 33.0 ± 3.4 kg/m(2)). Insulin sensitivity was determined by a 4-h hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with stable isotope tracer dilution. Total body fat and lean body mass were determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Abdominal and mid-thigh adiposity was determined by computed tomography. VAT was negatively associated with peripheral insulin sensitivity, while TSAT, in contrast, was positively associated with peripheral insulin sensitivity. Subjects with a combination of low VAT and high TSAT had the highest insulin sensitivity, subjects with a combination of high VAT and low TSAT were the most insulin resistant. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age and gender. These data confirm that visceral excess abdominal adiposity is associated with IR across a range of middle-age to older men and women, and further suggest that higher thigh subcutaneous fat is favorably associated with better insulin sensitivity. This strongly suggests that these two distinct fat distribution phenotypes should both be considered in IR as important determinants of cardiometabolic risk.

Essential role of platelet activation via protease activated receptor 4 in tissue factor-initiated inflammation.

INTRODUCTION: Tissue factor (TF) activation of the coagulation proteases enhances inflammation in animal models of arthritis and endotoxemia, but the mechanism of this effect is not yet fully understood - in particular, whether this is primarily due to fibrin formation or through activation of protease activated receptors (PARs). METHODS: We induced extravascular inflammation by injection of recombinant soluble murine TF (sTF1-219) in the hind paw. The effects of thrombin inhibition, fibrinogen and platelet depletion were evaluated, as well as the effects of PAR deficiency using knockout mice deficient for each of the PARs. RESULTS: Injection of soluble TF provoked a rapid onset of paw swelling. Inflammation was confirmed histologically and by increased serum IL-6 levels. Inflammation was significantly reduced by depletion of fibrinogen (P < 0.05) or platelets (P = 0.015), and by treatment with hirudin (P = 0.04) or an inhibitor of activated factor VII (P < 0.001) compared with controls. PAR-4-deficient mice exhibited significantly reduced paw swelling (P = 0.003). In contrast, a deficiency in either PAR-1, PAR-2 or PAR-3 did not affect the inflammatory response to soluble TF injection. CONCLUSION: Our results show that soluble TF induces acute inflammation through a thrombin-dependent pathway and both fibrin deposition and platelet activation are essential steps in this process. The activation of PAR-4 on platelets is crucial and the other PARs do not play a major role in soluble TF-induced inflammation.

Ultrahigh dose-rate FLASH irradiation increases the differential response between normal and tumor tissue in mice.

In vitro studies suggested that sub-millisecond pulses of radiation elicit less genomic instability than continuous, protracted irradiation at the same total dose. To determine the potential of ultrahigh dose-rate irradiation in radiotherapy, we investigated lung fibrogenesis in C57BL/6J mice exposed either to short pulses (≤ 500 ms) of radiation delivered at ultrahigh dose rate (≥ 40 Gy/s, FLASH) or to conventional dose-rate irradiation (≤ 0.03 Gy/s, CONV) in single doses. The growth of human HBCx-12A and HEp-2 tumor xenografts in nude mice and syngeneic TC-1 Luc(+) orthotopic lung tumors in C57BL/6J mice was monitored under similar radiation conditions. CONV (15 Gy) triggered lung fibrosis associated with activation of the TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) cascade, whereas no complications developed after doses of FLASH below 20 Gy for more than 36 weeks after irradiation. FLASH irradiation also spared normal smooth muscle and epithelial cells from acute radiation-induced apoptosis, which could be reinduced by administration of systemic TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) before irradiation. In contrast, FLASH was as efficient as CONV in the repression of tumor growth. Together, these results suggest that FLASH radiotherapy might allow complete eradication of lung tumors and reduce the occurrence and severity of early and late complications affecting normal tissue.

Stimulation by leptin of 3H GDP binding to brown adipose tissue of fasted but not fed rats.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) leptin administration on rats fed ad libitum or fasted on 3H GDP binding to brown adipose tissue (BAT). SUBJECTS: Groups of 5-6 ten-week-old male Wistar rats. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: An i.c.v. cannula was inserted and unilateral denervation of interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) was performed 5 d before each study. Thereafter, leptin was infused i.c.v. during 72 h while rats were fed ad libitum or fasted. Vehicle-infused, pair-fed or fasted rats were used as controls. MEASUREMENTS: 3H GDP binding to innervated and denervated BAT mitochondria. RESULTS: 3H GDP binding to innervated or denervated BAT of rats fed ab libitum compared to vehicle-infused, pair-fed rats was not increased by i.c.v. leptin. 3H GDP binding was lower in fasted than in fed rats, and the difference was larger in innervated than denervated BAT. I.c.v. leptin increased 3H GDP binding by 30% in innervated, and by 51% in denervated BAT (P < 0.05) in fasted rats. CONCLUSIONS: I.c.v. leptin does not increase 3H GDP binding to BAT of rats fed ad libitum compared to pair-fed (food-restricted) rats. In contrast, i.c.v. leptin produces a mild stimulation of 3H GDP binding to BAT of fasted rats. This effect is not mediated by the sympathetic nervous system, because it is observed in both innervated and denervated BAT. These results are compatible with the concept that, in fasting rats, the decrease in leptin secretion contributes to the reduction in 3H GDP binding to BAT mitochondria.

Precision of a new tool to measure visceral adipose tissue (VAT) using dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA).

OBJECTIVE: A new tool to quantify visceral adipose tissue (VAT) over the android region of a total body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan has recently been reported. The measurement, CoreScan, is currently available on Lunar iDXA densitometers. The purpose of the study was to determine the precision of the CoreScan VAT measurement, which is critical for understanding the utility of this measure in longitudinal trials. DESIGN AND METHODS: VAT precision was characterized in both an anthropomorphic imaging phantom (measured on 10 Lunar iDXA systems) and a clinical population consisting of obese women (n = 32). RESULTS: The intrascanner precision for the VAT phantom across 9 quantities of VAT mass (0-1,800 g) ranged from 28.4 to 38.0 g. The interscanner precision ranged from 24.7 to 38.4 g. There was no statistical dependence on the quantity of VAT for either the inter- or intrascanner precision result (p = 0.670). Combining inter- and intrascanner precision yielded a total phantom precision estimate of 47.6 g for VAT mass, which corresponds to a 4.8% coefficient of variance (CV) for a 1 kg VAT mass. Our clinical population, who completed replicate total body scans with repositioning between scans, showed a precision of 56.8 g on an average VAT mass of 1110.4 g. This corresponds to a 5.1% CV. Hence, the in vivo precision result was similar to the phantom precision result. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that CoreScan has a relatively low precision error in both phantoms and obese women and therefore may be a useful addition to clinical trials where interventions are targeted towards changes in visceral adiposity.

Les connectivites: progrès thérapeutiques et place de la biothérapie [Connective tissue diseases: news in therapy, role of biologics agents].

Systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren's syndrom are the two major connective tissue diseases. A better knowledge of their physiopathology allows us today to propose an adapted therapy. Moreover progress concerns the oldest treatment, hydroxychloroquine, and biotherapy. Hydroxychloroquine is still an actual treatment for lupus, its positive effects are better understood today. Nevertheless it does not seem to be efficient to treat primitive Sjögren. Biotherapy targeting B lymphocytes seems efficient in these two connective tissue diseases. Anti TNF therapy is not recommended and seems to induce connective tissue diseases. The real news is the recent approval and reimbursement in Switzerland of the new drug belimumab (Benlysta) in case of moderate lupus.

Segmental copy number variation shapes tissue transcriptomes.

Copy number variation (CNV) is a key source of genetic diversity, but a comprehensive understanding of its phenotypic effect is only beginning to emerge. We have generated a CNV map in wild mice and classical inbred strains. Genome-wide expression data from six major organs show not only that expression of genes within CNVs tend to correlate with copy number changes, but also that CNVs influence the expression of genes in their vicinity, an effect that extends up to half a megabase. Genes within CNVs show lower expression and more specific spatial expression patterns than genes mapping elsewhere. Our analyses reveal differential constraint on copy number changes of genes expressed in different tissues. Dosage alterations of brain-expressed genes are less frequent than those of other genes and are buffered by tighter transcriptional regulation. Our study provides initial evidence that CNVs shape tissue transcriptomes on a global scale.

Imaging pheromone sensing in a mouse vomeronasal acute tissue slice preparation.

Peter Karlson and Martin Lüscher used the term pheromone for the first time in 1959 to describe chemicals used for intra-species communication. Pheromones are volatile or non-volatile short-lived molecules secreted and/or contained in biological fluids, such as urine, a liquid known to be a main source of pheromones. Pheromonal communication is implicated in a variety of key animal modalities such as kin interactions, hierarchical organisations and sexual interactions and are consequently directly correlated with the survival of a given species. In mice, the ability to detect pheromones is principally mediated by the vomeronasal organ (VNO), a paired structure located at the base of the nasal cavity, and enclosed in a cartilaginous capsule. Each VNO has a tubular shape with a lumen allowing the contact with the external chemical world. The sensory neuroepithelium is principally composed of vomeronasal bipolar sensory neurons (VSNs). Each VSN extends a single dendrite to the lumen ending in a large dendritic knob bearing up to 100 microvilli implicated in chemical detection. Numerous subpopulations of VSNs are present. They are differentiated by the chemoreceptor they express and thus possibly by the ligand(s) they recognize. Two main vomeronasal receptor families, V1Rs and V2Rs, are composed respectively by 240 and 120 members and are expressed in separate layers of the neuroepithelium. Olfactory receptors (ORs) and formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) are also expressed in VSNs. Whether or not these neuronal subpopulations use the same downstream signalling pathway for sensing pheromones is unknown. Despite a major role played by a calcium-permeable channel (TRPC2) present in the microvilli of mature neurons TRPC2 independent transduction channels have been suggested. Due to the high number of neuronal subpopulations and the peculiar morphology of the organ, pharmacological and physiological investigations of the signalling elements present in the VNO are complex. Here, we present an acute tissue slice preparation of the mouse VNO for performing calcium imaging investigations. This physiological approach allows observations, in the natural environment of a living tissue, of general or individual subpopulations of VSNs previously loaded with Fura-2AM, a calcium dye. This method is also convenient for studying any GFP-tagged pheromone receptor and is adaptable for the use of other fluorescent calcium probes. As an example, we use here a VG mouse line, in which the translation of the pheromone V1rb2 receptor is linked to the expression of GFP by a polycistronic strategy.

The pathogenic role of tissue-resident immune cells in psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, the study of which might also be of considerable value to the understanding of other inflammatory and autoimmune-type diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetes mellitus. There is clear evidence that T cells and dendritic cells have a central role in psoriasis. Based on recent data from humans and animal models, we propose that a psoriasis lesion can be triggered and sustained by the local network of skin-resident immune cells. This concept focuses attention on local, rather than systemic, components of the immune system for rationalized therapeutic approaches of psoriasis and possibly also other chronic inflammatory diseases.

RV contractility and exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in chronic mountain sickness: a stress echocardiographic and tissue Doppler imaging study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular function and pulmonary circulation in chronic mountain sickness (CMS) patients with rest and stress echocardiography compared with healthy high-altitude (HA) dwellers. BACKGROUND: CMS or Monge's disease is defined by excessive erythrocytosis (hemoglobin >21 g/dl in males, 19 g/dl in females) and severe hypoxemia. In some cases, a moderate or severe increase in pulmonary pressure is present, suggesting a similar pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: In La Paz (Bolivia, 3,600 m sea level), 46 CMS patients and 40 HA dwellers of similar age were evaluated at rest and during semisupine bicycle exercise. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary vascular resistance, and cardiac function were estimated by Doppler echocardiography. RESULTS: Compared with HA dwellers, CMS patients showed RV dilation at rest (RV mid diameter: 36 ± 5 mm vs. 32 ± 4 mm, CMS vs. HA, p = 0.001) and reduced RV fractional area change both at rest (35 ± 9% vs. 43 ± 9%, p = 0.002) and during exercise (36 ± 9% vs. 43 ± 8%, CMS vs. HA, p = 0.005). The RV systolic longitudinal function (RV-S') decreased in CMS patients, whereas it increased in the control patients (p < 0.0001) at peak stress. The RV end-systolic pressure-area relationship, a load independent surrogate of RV contractility, was similar in CMS patients and HA dwellers with a significant increase in systolic PAP and pulmonary vascular resistance in CMS patients (systolic PAP: 50 ± 12 mm Hg vs. 38 ± 8 mm Hg, CMS vs. HA, p < 0.0001; pulmonary vascular resistance: 2.9 ± 1 mm Hg/min/l vs. 2.2 ± 1 mm Hg/min/l, p = 0.03). Both groups showed comparable systolic and diastolic left ventricular function both at rest and during stress. CONCLUSIONS: Comparable RV contractile reserve in CMS and HA suggests that the lower resting values of RV function in CMS may represent a physiological adaptation to chronic hypoxic conditions rather than impaired RV function. (Chronic Mountain Sickness, Systemic Vascular Function [CMS]; NCT01182792).

Fish Tissue Monitoring in Iowa, 2006

Iowa has nearly 72,000 miles of streams. With one week of camping, miles of paddling, on-going educational opportunities, and hundreds of dedicated and hard-working Iowans, Project AWARE can make a difference – one stretch of river, one week a year, one piece of trash at a time. If it seems like a vacation to the participants…it is. They just learn and improve the river as they go.

Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) acting as G protein protects hepatocytes against Fas-mediated cell death in mice.

Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is a protein cross-linking enzyme known to be expressed by hepatocytes and to be induced during the in vivo hepatic apoptosis program. TG2 is also a G protein that mediates intracellular signaling by the alpha-1b-adrenergic receptor (AR) in liver cells. Fas/Fas ligand interaction plays a crucial role in various liver diseases, and administration of agonistic anti-Fas antibodies to mice causes both disseminated endothelial cell apoptosis and fulminant hepatic failure. Here we report that an intraperitoneal dose of anti-Fas antibodies, which is sublethal for wild-type mice, kills all the TG2 knock-out mice within 20 hours. Although TG2-/- thymocytes exposed to anti-Fas antibodies die at the same rate as wild-type mice, TG2-/- hepatocytes show increased sensitivity toward anti-Fas treatment both in vivo and in vitro, with no change in their cell surface expression of Fas, levels of FLIP(L) (FLICE-inhibitory protein), or the rate of I-kappaBalpha degradation, but a decrease in the Bcl-xL expression. We provide evidence that this is the consequence of the impaired AR signaling that normally regulates the levels of Bcl-xL in the liver. In conclusion, our data suggest the involvement of adrenergic signaling pathways in the hepatic regeneration program, in which Fas ligand-induced hepatocyte proliferation with a simultaneous inhibition of the Fas-death pathway plays a determinant role.