L'Art social : revue mensuelle / [directeur-gérant : Gabriel de La Salle]

1893/01 (A2)-1894/02 (A3).

Fast and economic immobilization methods described for non-commercial Pseudomonas lipases

There is an increasing interest to seek new enzyme preparations for the development of new products derived from bioprocesses to obtain alternative bio-based materials. In this context, four non-commercial lipases from Pseudomonas species were prepared, immobilized on different low-cost supports, and examined for potential biotechnological applications. Results: To reduce costs of eventual scaling-up, the new lipases were obtained directly from crude cell extracts or from growth culture supernatants, and immobilized by simple adsorption on Accurel EP100, Accurel MP1000 and Celite (R) 545. The enzymes evaluated were LipA and LipC from Pseudomonas sp. 42A2, a thermostable mutant of LipC, and LipI. 3 from Pseudomonas CR611, which were produced in either homologous or heterologous hosts. Best immobilization results were obtained on Accurel EP100 for LipA and on Accurel MP1000 for LipC and its thermostable variant. Lip I. 3, requiring a refolding step, was poorly immobilized on all supports tested ( best results for Accurel MP1000). To test the behavior of immobilized lipases, they were assayed in triolein transesterification, where the best results were observed for lipases immobilized on Accurel MP1000. Conclusions: The suggested protocol does not require protein purification and uses crude enzymes immobilized by a fast adsorption technique on low-cost supports, which makes the method suitable for an eventual scaling up aimed at biotechnological applications. Therefore, a fast, simple and economic method for lipase preparation and immobilization has been set up. The low price of the supports tested and the simplicity of the procedure, skipping the tedious and expensive purification steps, will contribute to cost reduction in biotechnological lipase-catalyzed processes.

Retinal damage induced by commercial light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Spectra of "white LEDs" are characterized by an intense emission in the blue region of the visible spectrum, absent in daylight spectra. This blue component and the high intensity of emission are the main sources of concern about the health risks of LEDs with respect to their toxicity to the eye and the retina. The aim of our study was to elucidate the role of blue light from LEDs in retinal damage. Commercially available white LEDs and four different blue LEDs (507, 473, 467, and 449nm) were used for exposure experiments on Wistar rats. Immunohistochemical stain, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot were used to exam the retinas. We evaluated LED-induced retinal cell damage by studying oxidative stress, stress response pathways, and the identification of cell death pathways. LED light caused a state of suffering of the retina with oxidative damage and retinal injury. We observed a loss of photoreceptors and the activation of caspase-independent apoptosis, necroptosis, and necrosis. A wavelength dependence of the effects was observed. Phototoxicity of LEDs on the retina is characterized by a strong damage of photoreceptors and by the induction of necrosis.

Llegint Cinema. Anàlisi de la representació de la malaltia mental en el setè art

El present treball és un estudi sobre l'estigma social en la malaltia mental i la representació d'aquest al cinema. Aquesta anàlisi s'ha portat a terme a partir de dues línies de treball. Per una banda amb l'anàlisi interpretativa de dotze pel·lícules utilitzant els indicadors de 'perillositat'; 'incapacitat per a la vida'; 'incurabilitat'; 'pèrdua de rols socials'; 'por al rebuig i/o por a les relacions socials'; i per l'altra banda a partir d'un grup de discussió, en el qual s'han visionat fragments de cinc pel·lícules amb set estudiants del Grau d'Educació Social de la Universitat de Vic. Dels resultats obtinguts es desprèn que la pel·lícula és un mitjà de comunicació mitjançant el qual els estereotips són usats en favor de l'espectacle, estigmatitzant així les persones diagnosticades de malaltia mental. Aquest és un dels motius que fan valorar el cinema com un recurs educatiu a considerar tant en la formació d'educadors i educadores socials com en els projectes d'intervenció socioeducativa.

How diverse is Cologne Carnival? How migrants appropriate popular art spaces

The present article contributes to the ongoing academic debate on migrants' appropriation of artistic and political spaces in Germany. Cologne, one of the largest cities in Germany, is an interesting example of the tension between political discourse centred around multiculturalism and cultural segregation processes. The 'no fool is illegal' carnival organised by asylum seekers shows their capacity to act, as they reinvent an old local tradition by reinterpreting medieval rituals. Today, different groups and associations appropriate this festive art space: migrants, gays and lesbians, feminists and far-left groups either organise their own parties or take part in the official parties and parades as separate groups. As a result, the celebration of diversity figures on the local political agenda and becomes part of the official carnival festivities. This leads to a blurring of boundaries, whereby mainstream popular culture becomes more and more influenced by multicultural elements.

De ratones y hombres. Maus, de Art Spiegelman

This article analyses the cómic book Maus, by Art Spiegelman (1986-1991), from two angles: as a work of art dealing with the Holocaust, and as a cómic that subverts the fictional tradition of the genre, opening itself up to history and the narration of reality. Maus, the first cómic book to treat the topic of the Holocaust in depth, was written by a second-generation witness. It is a story of both physical survival and enduring trauma in the family. At the same time, an analysis of the stratevival and enduring trauma in the family. At the same time, an analysis of the strateof the traditional cómic reveals how Spiegelman has used the genre to recount, instead of fiction and for the first time, a historically authentic biographical tale

Functional magnetic resonance imaging in oncology: state of the art

In the investigation of tumors with conventional magnetic resonance imaging, both quantitative characteristics, such as size, edema, necrosis, and presence of metastases, and qualitative characteristics, such as contrast enhancement degree, are taken into consideration. However, changes in cell metabolism and tissue physiology which precede morphological changes cannot be detected by the conventional technique. The development of new magnetic resonance imaging techniques has enabled the functional assessment of the structures in order to obtain information on the different physiological processes of the tumor microenvironment, such as oxygenation levels, cellularity and vascularity. The detailed morphological study in association with the new functional imaging techniques allows for an appropriate approach to cancer patients, including the phases of diagnosis, staging, response evaluation and follow-up, with a positive impact on their quality of life and survival rate.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the chest in the evaluation of cancer patients: state of the art

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has several advantages in the evaluation of cancer patients with thoracic lesions, including involvement of the chest wall, pleura, lungs, mediastinum, esophagus and heart. It is a quite useful tool in the diagnosis, staging, surgical planning, treatment response evaluation and follow-up of these patients. In the present review, the authors contextualize the relevance of MRI in the evaluation of thoracic lesions in cancer patients. Considering that MRI is a widely available method with high contrast and spatial resolution and without the risks associated with the use of ionizing radiation, its use combined with new techniques such as cine-MRI and functional methods such as perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging may be useful as an alternative tool with performance comparable or complementary to conventional radiological methods such as radiography, computed tomography and PET/CT imaging in the evaluation of patients with thoracic neoplasias.

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in children: state of the art

Whole-body imaging in children was classically performed with radiography, positron-emission tomography, either combined or not with computed tomography, the latter with the disadvantage of exposure to ionizing radiation. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in association with the recently developed metabolic and functional techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging, has brought the advantage of a comprehensive evaluation of pediatric patients without the risks inherent to ionizing radiation usually present in other conventional imaging methods. It is a rapid and sensitive method, particularly in pediatrics, for detecting and monitoring multifocal lesions in the body as a whole. In pediatrics, it is utilized for both oncologic and non-oncologic indications such as screening and diagnosis of tumors in patients with genetic syndromes, evaluation of disease extent and staging, evaluation of therapeutic response and post-therapy follow-up, evaluation of non neoplastic diseases such as multifocal osteomyelitis, vascular malformations and syndromes affecting multiple regions of the body. The present review was aimed at describing the major indications of whole-body MRI in pediatrics added of technical considerations.

Les expositions universelles comme communautés émotionnelles imaginées: du bon usage des émotions dans l'art d'instruire et de divertir

Cette contribution commence par établir que les expositions universelles sont traversées par un ensemble de dynamiques contradictoires qui reflètent celles intervenant dans le processus de la mondialisation qu'elles ont précisément pour vocation de mettre en scène. Parmi ces différents dynamiques, il en est une qui mérite que l'on s'y arrête de nouveau : celle ayant d'abord opposé sciences et loisirs avant de les associer comme organisateurs de la vie sociale. Comment les expositions universelles ont-elles représenté ces deux types d'activités qui leur ont été centrales ? L'article avance que l'évolution de la fonction de normalisation sociale attachée aux sciences et aux divertissements peut être éclairée par une analyse de l'usage qui a été fait des émotions par les organisateurs et commentateurs de ces manifestations. Le phénomène est examiné à la lumière des concepts d'émotionologie, d'émotif et de communauté émotionnelle développés par les historiens des émotions. This article starts from the premise that international exhibitions are driven by the same contradictory dynamics underlying the process of globalization which they seek to stage. Among these various dynamics, there is need to further study the one that has involved science and leisure as organizers of social life in a dyadic relationship evolving historically from opposition to accommodation. Drawing on the concepts of «emotionolgy », « emotives » and « emotional communities », the study attempts to show how changes in the normalizing functions of science and leisure can be highlighted through the shifting use of emotions by the organizers and commentators of world's fairs.