Distinct roles of NMDA receptors at different stages of granule cell development in the adult brain.

NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity are thought to underlie the assembly of developing neuronal circuits and to play a crucial role in learning and memory. It remains unclear how NMDAR might contribute to the wiring of adult-born granule cells (GCs). Here we demonstrate that nascent GCs lacking NMDARs but rescued from apoptosis by overexpressing the pro-survival protein Bcl2 were deficient in spine formation. Insufficient spinogenesis might be a general cause of cell death restricted within the NMDAR-dependent critical time window for GC survival. NMDAR loss also led to enhanced mushroom spine formation and synaptic AMPAR activity throughout the development of newborn GCs. Moreover, similar elevated synapse maturation in the absence of NMDARs was observed in neonate-generated GCs and CA1 pyramidal neurons. Together, these data suggest that NMDAR operates as a molecular monitor for controlling the activity-dependent establishment and maturation rate of synaptic connections between newborn neurons and others.

Implantació d’una nau industrial destinada a la fabricació de contenidors de reciclatge

El projecte s’ha realitzat a CONSTRUCCIÓ TÈCNICA INDUSTRIAL DEL TERSLU, empresa situada a Aiguaviva, municipi de Girona. Aquesta empresa es dedica a la construcció metàl•lica, però sobretot a la construcción d’estructures metàl•liques lleugeres i pesades, caldereria i manteniment industrial. L’objecte del projecte és buscar un mètode per la reducció del temps de fabricació imillorar la distribució en planta. Per a això s’han d’investigar diferents alternatives icomparar-les entre si per arribar a un resultat final satisfactori. La implantació de la nova distribució en planta com a objectiu final vol aconseguiraugmentar els beneficis globals de l’empresa. Això s.aconsegueix analitzant diferentsdistribucions, l’aplicació de diferents processos de fabricació i muntatge i augmentant lacoordinació entre el departament tècnic i el taller

La societat civil global: les complexitats d’un espai de contestació

Societat civil global és un concepte contestat utilitzat des de diferents aproximacions per a descriure una realitat global. El working paper assenyala la utilitat d’una aproximació de societat civil global per analitzar les potencialitats de l’esfera d’abordar els reptes globals del món d’avui. D’acord amb aquesta aproximació la societat civil global és una àrea global complexa de conflicte i contestació, una àrea que ofereix un lloc i uns valors per a reconsiderar el món de diferents maneres, incloent les visions dels marginats de la societat civil. Per una millor comprensió del concepte i dels debats actuals, el paper repassa les concepcions històriques de societat civil des de la Il·lustració fins avui i el context en el qual el concepte adquireix un nou significat i incorpora l’aspecte global. El paper és la fase inicial d’una futura recerca sobre les potencialitats de la societat civil global per a influir i modelar l’estructura del sistema internacional.

Reduction in the use of diagnostic tests in infants with risk factors for early-onset neonatal sepsis does not delay antibiotic treatment

BACKGROUND: Despite a low positive predictive value, diagnostic tests such as complete blood count (CBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are commonly used to evaluate whether infants with risk factors for early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) should be treated with antibiotics. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated the impact of imple- menting a protocol aiming at reducing the number of dia- gnostic tests in infants with risk factors for EOS in order to compare the diagnostic performance of repeated clinical examination with CBC and CRP measurement. The primary outcome was the time between birth and the first dose of antibiotics in infants treated for suspected EOS. RESULTS: Among the 11,503 infants born at 35 weeks during the study period, 222 were treated with antibiotics for suspected EOS. The proportion of infants receiving an- tibiotics for suspected EOS was 2.1% and 1.7% before and after the change of protocol (p = 0.09). Reduction of dia- gnostic tests was associated with earlier antibiotic treat- ment in infants treated for suspected EOS (hazard ratio 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-2.07; p <0.001), and in infants with neonatal infection (hazard ratio 2.20; 95% CI 1.19-4.06; p = 0.01). There was no difference in the duration of hospital stay nor in the proportion of infants requiring respiratory or cardiovascular support before and after the change of protocol. CONCLUSION: Reduction of diagnostic tests such as CBC and CRP does not delay initiation of antibiotic treat- ment in infants with suspected EOS. The importance of clinical examination in infants with risk factors for EOS should be emphasised.

Mixed subtype of congenital mesoblastic nephroma with poor evolution: a case report and literature review

Abstract A male child born at 27 weeks, weighting 1305 g and presenting with a right-sided abdominal tumor. Computed tomography scan demonstrated the presence of a solid mass compressing the right kidney. Puncture biopsy revealed congenital mesoblastic nephroma. The patient underwent total right nephroureterectomy, and died on the second day after surgery.

Psychomotor Development of 18-Months Children With Orofacial Clefts

Objective - To describe the global and language development of children with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate at the age of 18 months, and to evaluate whether the type of cleft has an impact on psychomotor development. Study Design - Prospective cohort study. Settings - Tertiary care hospital Patients - All children born between December 2002 and November 2009 with an orofacial cleft, operated and seen at the developmental unit (UD) of the same hospital at the age of 18 months. Outcome Measures - Developmental quotients of the Griffiths Mental Development Scale and the French Communicative Development Inventory (IFDC) were used to assess the overall and language development of the children. Statistics- The population characteristics were described with means for continuous variables, and frequencies for binary or categorical variables. Chi-squared and regression analysis were used to analyse the results. Results - 69 children with clefts were examined at the age of 18 months with the IFDC and the Griffith test. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the test results of language development and global psychomotor development between the children with different types of clefts, and all were within the normal range. Conclusion - Psychomotor development is not affected by orofacial clefts, and there is no difference between children with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate.

Evolution of T1 Relaxation, ADC, and Fractional Anisotropy during Early Brain Maturation: A Serial Imaging Study on Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The alteration of brain maturation in preterm infants contributes to neurodevelopmental disabilities during childhood. Serial imaging allows understanding of the mechanisms leading to dysmaturation in the preterm brain. The purpose of the present study was to provide reference quantitative MR imaging measures across time in preterm infants, by using ADC, fractional anisotropy, and T1 maps obtained by using the magnetization-prepared dual rapid acquisition of gradient echo technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included preterm neonates born at <30 weeks of gestational age without major brain lesions on early cranial sonography and performed 3 MRIs (3T) from birth to term-equivalent age. Multiple measurements (ADC, fractional anisotropy, and T1 relaxation) were performed on each examination in 12 defined white and gray matter ROIs. RESULTS: We acquired 107 MRIs (35 early, 33 intermediary, and 39 at term-equivalent age) in 39 cerebral low-risk preterm infants. Measures of T1 relaxation time showed a gradual and significant decrease with time in a region- and hemispheric-specific manner. ADC values showed a similar decline with time, but with more variability than T1 relaxation. An increase of fractional anisotropy values was observed in WM regions and inversely a decrease in the cortex. CONCLUSIONS: The gradual change with time reflects the progressive maturation of the cerebral microstructure in white and gray matter. Our study provides reference trajectories from 25 to 40 weeks of gestation of T1 relaxation, ADC, and fractional anisotropy values in low-risk preterm infants. We speculate that deviation thereof might reflect disturbed cerebral maturation; the correlation of this disturbed maturation with neurodevelopmental outcome remains to be addressed.

Tan cerca, tan lejos: Aldo Rossi y el Grupo 2C. Arquitectura, ideología y disidencias en la Barcelona de los 70 = So close, so far : Aldo Rossi and the 2C Group. Architecture, ideology and dissents in the Barcelona of the 70s

The Catalan reception of the 1966 manifestos by Robert Venturi and Aldo Rossi marks the scenario of a breakup: while North America debates about the architectural shape as a linguistic structure, Italy dips its roots in the Modern Movement tradition as an origin for a new temporal and ideological architectural dimension. The first contacts between Rossi and Spain verify this search and allow the Italian to construct common itineraries with some architects from Barcelona. From these exchanges the 2C group will be born, taking part on typical vanguardist mechanisms: they will publish the magazine, 2C. The construction of the city (1972-1985), they will attend the XV Triennale di Milano in 1973 with the Torres Clavé Plan (1971) and the Aldo Rossi + 21 Spanish architects exhibition (1975) while he will organize the three issues of the Seminarios Internacionales de Arquitectura Contemporánea (S.I.AC.) which took place in Santiago, Sevilla and Barcelona between 1976 and 1980. In front of the unfolding of the firsts, the American contacts of Federico Correa, Oriol Bohigas, Lluís Domènech and the PER studio or the teaching work of Rafael Moneo from Barcelona since 1971, allow to draw replica itineraries with the foundation of the magazine Arquitecturas Bis (1974-1985), the organization of the meetings between international publications such as Lotus and Oppositions in Cadaqués (1975) and New York (1977), while stablishing exchanges with members of the Five Architects. Replicas that in 1976 conduct the initial ideological affirmations between Rossi and the 2C group towards irreconcilable distancing. Verifying the itinerary of the journey that the Italian leads from the Italian resistance towards the American backing down is part of the aim of this article

Escola, llengua i immigració a Catalunya. Algunes reflexions

L’article planteja que el model d’immersió lingüística que ha produït excel·lents resultats sobre la competència lingüística dels alumnes autòctons, presenta problemes a l’hora d’aplicar-lo a l’alumnat d’origen estranger, independentment de quina sigui la seva llengua inicial. Això és així perquè, d’una banda, aquests estudiants presenten un escenari d’escolarització molt diversificat, i de l’altra, perquè les seves actituds lingüístiques són diferents de les que s’havien conegut fins ara. Tot plegat comporta que, pel que fa a les habilitats lingüístiques, assoleixin uns resultats més baixos que els autòctons

Analytical Dirac-Hartree-Fock-Slater screening function for atoms (Z=1-92)

An analytical approximation, depending on five parameters, for the atomic screening function is proposed. The corresponding electrostatic potential takes a simple analytical form (superposition of three Yukawa potentials) well suited to most practical applications. Parameters in the screening function, determined by an analytical fitting procedure to Dirac-Hartree-Fock-Slater (DHFS) self-consistent data, are given for Z=1¿92. The reliability of this analytical approach is demonstrated by showing that (a) Born cross sections for elastic scattering of fast charged particles by the present analytical field and by the DHFS field practically coincide and (b) one-electron binding energies computed from the independent-particle model with our analytical field (corrected for exchange and electrostatic self-interaction) agree closely with the DHFS energy eigenvalues.

Risk of hypoglycemia in newborns from mothers with gestacional diabetes

There are not enough previous publications which are focused on mothers with well-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) as a risk factor that determines the occurrence of neonatal hypoglycemia. In addition, approaches to blood glucose monitoring have been inconsistent and poorly defined. Our objective is to determine if being a newborn from a mother with well-controlled gestational diabetes (regardless insulin treatment) have a higher risk to develop hypoglycemia than a healthy newborn, using a defined and strict protocol. The project will take place in a regional hospital of Girona. We will recruit from 2014 to 2015 a cohort of 623 infants born in this center without any malformation or any perinatal pathology or complication, selected with a consecutive sampling. We will record sex, ethnicity and gestational age information. We will measure blood glucose levels and anthropometric measurements in newborns always taking into account the presence of well-controlled maternal gestational diabetes or not. Patients will be followed up during 24 hours to determine the incidence of hypoglycemia. We will analyze the contribution between exposure factors that we have studied and the incidence of the outcome using a multivariate analysis

Monte Carlo simulation of x-ray spectra generated by kilo-electron-volt electrons

We present a general algorithm for the simulation of x-ray spectra emitted from targets of arbitrary composition bombarded with kilovolt electron beams. Electron and photon transport is simulated by means of the general-purpose Monte Carlo code PENELOPE, using the standard, detailed simulation scheme. Bremsstrahlung emission is described by using a recently proposed algorithm, in which the energy of emitted photons is sampled from numerical cross-section tables, while the angular distribution of the photons is represented by an analytical expression with parameters determined by fitting benchmark shape functions obtained from partial-wave calculations. Ionization of K and L shells by electron impact is accounted for by means of ionization cross sections calculated from the distorted-wave Born approximation. The relaxation of the excited atoms following the ionization of an inner shell, which proceeds through emission of characteristic x rays and Auger electrons, is simulated until all vacancies have migrated to M and outer shells. For comparison, measurements of x-ray emission spectra generated by 20 keV electrons impinging normally on multiple bulk targets of pure elements, which span the periodic system, have been performed using an electron microprobe. Simulation results are shown to be in close agreement with these measurements.

L'efecte del canvi climàtic sobre els precursos de les aromes minoritàries del raïm

Aquest treball forma part d'un macroprojecte que pretén centrar-se en l'estudi de l'evolució dels precursos de les aromes minoritàries a la zona de la Rioja. Neix d'una inquietud que intenta esbrinar quins efectes globals té el canvi climàtic sobre les propietats químiques del raïm. Per tal de que es desenvolupi aquest projecte, prèviament es disposa d’un seguit de dades històriques i analítiques que permetran analitzar diferents paràmetres dels anys considerats com a anys d'estudi, que són 2009, 2010 i 2011. Els principals paràmetres que s'estudiaran són el GDD (Growing Degree Day) i la pluviometria, analitzant-los en tres collites diferents pels tres anys d’estudi , primer per separat i després junts per veure el seu efecte. Posteriorment, es farà un estudi més acurat de les diferents famílies químiques que hi ha, quina és la seva evolució així com, quines són les propietats químiques dels seus precursors minoritaris.

Messiah

r1955, Boston.

Transitoliikenteen lisäarvopalvelut

Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää Suomen transito- eli kauttakulkuliikenteessä käytössä olevia lisäarvopalveluja ja niiden kehitysnäkymiä. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään myös Suomen transitoliikenteen nykytilaa ja tulevaisuutta. Suomen kauttakulkureitin ohella tarkastellaan muita tärkeimpiä Venäjän ulkomaankaupan kuljetusreittejä. Tutkimus jakautuu 1) kauttakulkuliikennettä koskevaan kirjallisuusselvitykseen ja 2) lisäarvopalveluja selvittävään haastattelututkimukseen, jonka yhteydessä haastateltiin Suomessa toimivia kansallisia ja kansainvälisiä transitoliikenteen toimijoita. Tutkimustulosten perusteella Suomi toimii erityisesti itään suuntautuvien arvotavaroiden kauttakulkureittinä. Transitokuljetusten yhteydessä tarvitaan erilaisia lisäarvopalveluja. Haastatteluissa saatiin selville, että tavaratoimituksille on tarjolla Suomessa yli 30 erilaista lisäarvopalvelua, jotka syntyvät yleensä asiakkaan erityistarpeista. Lisäarvopalvelut keskittyvät aineettomiin toimintoihin, kuljetuksiin, laadunhallintaan ja tavarankäsittelyyn. Eniten tarjottuja lisäarvopalveluja ovat räätälöity asiakaspalvelu, IT-palvelut, dokumentointi ja konsultointi. Lisäarvopalvelut eivät yleensä yksistään vaikuta kuljetusreitin valintaan, mutta yhdessä tehokkaiden, laadukkaiden ja turvallisten logistiikkapalvelujen kanssa lisäarvopalvelut muodostavat merkittävän kilpailutekijän Suomen transitoreitille.