Rolf Singer, 1906-1994; nota sobre la seva vida, amb especial atencio a la seva activitat a Barcelona

El 18 de gener de 1994 finien a Chicago, els 87 anys de vida atzarosa i increïblement productiva de l'insigne micòleg Rolf Singer

Early versus delayed application of Thomas splints in patients with isolated femur shaft fractures: The benefits quantified.

AIMS: To investigate and quantify the clinical benefits of early versus delayed application of Thomas splints in patients with isolated femur shaft fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Level IV retrospective clinical and radiological analysis of patients presenting from January to December 2012 at a Level 1 Trauma Unit. All skeletally mature patients with isolated femur shaft fractures independently of their mechanism of injury were included. Exclusion criteria were: ipsilateral fracture of the lower limb, neck and supracondylar femur fractures, periprosthetic and incomplete fractures. Their clinical records were analysed for blood transfusion requirements, pulmonary complications, surgery time, duration of hospital stay and analgesic requirements. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients met our inclusion criteria. There were 74 males and 32 females. Fifty seven (54%) patients were in the 'early splinted' group and 49 patients (46%) were in the 'delayed splinted' group (P>0.05). The need for blood transfusion was significantly reduced in the 'early splinted' group (P=0.04). There was a significantly higher rate of pulmonary complications in the 'delayed splinted' group (P=0.008). All other parameters were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The early application of Thomas splints for isolated femur fractures in non-polytraumatised patients has a clinically and statistically significant benefit of reducing the need for blood transfusions and the incidence of pulmonary complications.

El primer Prat de la Riba: trajectòria política, pensament i catalanisme (1887-1906). Un estat de la qüestió

La figura d’Enric Prat de la Riba és bàsica per entendre i estudiar el catalanisme polític de finals del segle XIX i principis del segle XX. La seva trajectòria política, definida i dividida entre el seu paper com a home de partit i la funció com a home de govern, el converteixen en un dels personatges més influents de l’època. El present treball esdevé un estat de la qüestió on s’analitza, precisament, aquesta primera part de la vida política de Prat (1887-1906), és a dir, des dels primers contactes amb entitats catalanistes fins a la publicació de La Nacionalitat Catalana. A més a més, aquest estudi també tracta l’evolució i influències que tingué el seu pensament en el si del catalanisme polític, un moviment que es trobava en ple desenvolupament durant el canvi de segle.

Classical references and their significance in The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

Although Thomas Mann’s novel The Magic Mountain has been the object of innumerable studies, this paper suggests that so far none of these has given truly close attention to the significance of the classical references in this novel with regard to the search for a true humanism. This is probably owing to the generally held belief that the influence of the classical tradition is relatively inconsequential in relation to the ample conjunction of philosophical ideas on which the novel is based. This article takes a differing view and, through a close analysis and comment of the explicit and implicit classical notions in the text, concludes that these ideas are also a valuable key to a greater comprehension of the ideological design of the main character, Hans Castorp, and to a certain degree they also help to continue to reflect on the most enigmatic and controversial episode of the novel: the young protagonist’s descent to the plain from the magical mountain (Zauberberg) in order to take part in the great tragedy of World War I, alien as is any war to the prevalent but ultimately futile desire that love (Liebe) should in the end prevail in the life of humans.