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Políticas urbanas na Espanha: dinâmicas de transformação e desafios frente à crise

This paper examines the main transformations of urban policies in Spain and the challenges they have to face in a context of crisis and structural shift like the current one. Prior to this analysis, it presents and discusses briefly the notion of urban policies ―relatively unknown in our country. Later on, the expansion of urban policy agendas in Spain is observed, as well as the shifts of governance modes in the frame of an institutional context that, nonetheless, is very resilient to change ―a fact that has generated important unbalances and tensions in the development of these types of policies. The current economic crisis poses three kinds of threats to local governments and urban policies: recentralization, retrenchment of urban policy agendas, and the consolidation of technocratic forms of governance. The paper takes an opposing stance to such tendencies, arguing that cities’ resilience will depend on the deepening of decentralisation and the democratic radicalization of urban governance.Este artículo se pregunta por las principales dinámicas de cambio de las políticas urbanas en España y por los retos que éstas deben afrontar en un contexto de crisis y de cambio de época como el actual. Antes de abordar este análisis, se presenta y se discute brevemente la propia noción de las políticas urbanas, con poca tradición en nuestro país. A continuación, constatamos las dinámicas de ampliación de las agendas políticas urbanas en España y las tendencias de transformación de los modos de gobernanza en un contexto institucional que, sin embargo, se muestra muy resistente al cambio, lo cual ha generado importantes desequilibrios y tensiones en el desarrollo de este tipo de políticas. La actual crisis económica plantea una triple amenaza sobre los gobiernos locales y las políticas para la ciudad: la recentralización, la contracción de las agendas hacia el eje económico y el repliegue hacia formas tecnocráticas de gobierno. El artículo se posiciona en el lado opuesto a tales dinámicas, sosteniendo que la capacidad de resiliencia de las ciudades depende en buena medida de la profundización del proceso de descentralización y de la radicalidad democrática de los modos de gobernanza urbana.Este artigo indaga sobre as principais dinâmicas de mudança das políticas urbanas na Espanha e os desafios que as mesmas devem enfrentar em um contexto de crise e de mudança de época como o atual. Antes de abordar esta análise, introduz-se e discute-se brevemente a própria noção de políticas urbanas, com pouca tradição em nosso país. Em seguida, constatamos as dinâmicas de ampliação das agendas políticas urbanas na Espanha e as tendências de transformação dos modos de governança em um contexto institucional que, no entanto, mostra-se muito resistente à mudança, o que tem gerado fortes desequilíbrios e tensões no desenvolvimento deste tipo de políticas. A atual crise econômica levanta uma tripla ameaça sobre os governos locais e as políticas para a cidade: a (re)centralização, a contração das agendas rumo ao eixo econômico e o recolhimento a formas tecnocráticas de governo. O artigo se posiciona no polo oposto a tais dinâmicas, sugerindo que a capacidade de resiliência das cidades depende em boa medida do aprofundamento do processo de descentralização e do radicalismo democrático dos modos de governança urbana

Detecció i incidència d'anomalies cromosòmiques en espermatozoides humans

Consultable des del TDXTítol obtingut de la portada digitalitzadaLes tècniques d'hibridació in situ fluorescent aplicades sobre nuclis d'espermatozoides humans prèviament descondensats permeten la seva caracterització citogenètica i, en conseqüència, determinar el risc de transmissió d'una anomalia cromosòmica a la descendència. Hem aplicat aquesta metodologia en espermatozoides procedents d'individus control, per tal de determinar la incidència basal d'anomalies en la població general, així com en individus que per les seves particularitats, sospitem que poden presentar una incidència d'anomalies cromosòmiques superior a la població control. L'anàlisi dels resultats ha posat de manifest que els mecanismes que originen gàmetes amb aneuploïdies afecten preferentment a alguns cromosomes, concretament el cromosoma 21 i els cromosomes sexuals. Els pares d'individus amb la síndrome de Down d'origen patern presenten un increment significatiu d'aneuploïdies pel cromosoma 21. En individus portadors d'anomalies cromosòmiques estructurals, la proporció dels genotips resultants de cada tipus de segregació no s'ajusta a la proporció 1:1 esperada, suggerint l'existència de punts de control al llarg de la meiosi que eliminen selectivament cèl·lules germinals en funció del seu contingut cromosòmic. Per algunes reorganitzacions, el risc de transmissió d'una anomalia cromosòmica a la descendència es pot veure incrementat per la presència d'efectes intercromosòmics. En individus amb la síndrome de Klinefelter, els nostres resultats confirmen la incapacitat de la línia cel·lular 47,XXY d'iniciar la meiosi. L'increment d'espermatozoides portadors d'anomalies numèriques pels cromosomes sexuals es podria explicar pel desenvolupament de la meiosi en un ambient testicular anormal, conduint a un increment de segregacions errònies de les cèl·lules diploides 46,XY presents al teixit testicular. En individus amb cariotip 47,XYY, algunes cèl·lules amb aquesta dotació cromosòmica tenen la capacitat d'iniciar la meiosi. Les dades en aquests individus suggereixen l'existència d'un bloqueig de les cèl·lules aneuploides en l'estadi d'espermatòcit primari, secundari o en l'estadi d'espermàtide, donant lloc a una eliminació continuada de les cèl·lules anormals al llarg de l'espermatogènesi. Les avantatges que presenten les tècniques d'hibridació in situ fluorescent per a l'estudi citogenètic de l'espermatozoide humà ha permès la seva incorporació com a eina de diagnòstic genètic en individus de risc. Tenint en compte que la majoria d'aquests individus presenten problemes de fertilitat, l'anàlisi del contingut cromosòmic dels espermatozoides permet determinar, per a cada cas en particular, el risc potencial de transmissió a la descendència. Aquesta informació pot ser utilitzada per establir el programa de reproducció assistida més adequat a les característiques de cada cas.Fluorescent in situ hybridization methodology allows analyzing the chromosome content of spermatozoa. With the analysis of the gametes, it is possible to determine the real risk of transmission of a chromosome abnormality to the offspring. We have used this methodology in the cytogenetic study of human spermatozoa obtained from two types of men; control men, in order to determine the basal incidence of chromosome anomalies in the normal population, and high risk men, that is, patients that for different reasons, we suspect the presence of a increased incidence of chromosome anomalies. Our results underline that the biological mechanisms which are behind of the non-disjunction phenomenon affected much more some chromosomes than others. The fathers of Down syndrome children of paternal origin showed a significant increased of 21 aneuploidies, suggesting that these patients had an increase risk of transmission of a chromosomal abnormality to the offspring. In carriers of structural reorganizations, the proportion of the expected genotypes in each type of segregation differs of the 1:1 proportion. This result suggests the presence of meiotic checkpoint along meiosis eliminating selectively those cells with chromosome anomalies. In some types of reorganizations, the risk of transmission to the offspring could also be increased for the presence of interchromosomal effects. In Klinefelter patients, our results underline the inability of the 47,XXY cell line to initiate the meiotic process. The abnormal sex chromosome constitution found in spermatozoa could be attributed to segregation errors in XY cells placed in a compromised testicular environment. In 47,XYY patients, although some aneuploid cells are meiotically competent, it seems that there is a continuous elimination of chromosomal abnormal germ cells along spermatogenesis, parallel to an increase in the percentage of normal cells. Altogether, the data underline the importance of incorporating the screening of aneuploidies in sperm in the genetic screening of affected patients, in order to determine the real risk of transmission of a numerical chromosome abnormality to the offspring. Obviously, the only thing that is obtained after sperm FISH studies is information, but this information could be very useful to the affected couple, to help them and the medical team, to choose among different possibilities of assisted reproduction methodologie

Study of community-living Alzheimer’s patients’ adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risks of malnutrition at different disease stages

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by deficits in episodic memory. It is the most common form of dementia and affects 50–70% of patients with cognitive impairments over the age of 65. Elderly people are particularly susceptible to malnutrition and that risk is even higher in patients with AD. This study assessed the nutritional status of patients with AD at different stages of AD and explored how that status correlated with cognitive, functional and behavioural variables and caregiver overburden. The characteristics of the diet and the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet were also analysed.This work has been partially funded by College of Nurses of Lleida and Department of Health of Generalitat de Catalunya (grant number SLT002/16/00384) and also was supported by “Fundació La Marató TV3” (464/C/2014) and by IRBLleida Biobank (B.0000682)

Anàlisi citogenètica d'espermatozoides humans

Les anomalies cromosòmiques són una de les principals causes d'esterilitat en l'espècie humana. A les anomalies del cariotip, molt més freqüents en individus que consulten per problemes reproductius que en la població general, s'afegeixen les anomalies meiòtiques, limitades a la línia germinal, observades en pacients que presenten un cariotip somàtic normal. En ambdues situacions, s'ha descrit que en poden resultar espermatozoides portadors d'anomalies cromosòmiques. La producció d'aquests espermatozoides pot ser avaluada mitjançant la utilització de metodologies basades en la hibridació in situ fluorescent (FISH), i els estudis de FISH en espermatozoides s'han incorporat ràpidament als protocols d'estudi dels pacients amb problemes de fertilitat. En aquest article es revisen els resultats obtinguts en individus portadors d'anomalies numèriques per als cromosomes sexuals, en portadors d'anomalies cromosòmiques estructurals i en individus amb cariotip somàtic normal que consulten per problemes d'infertilitat; es fa també esment a la significança clínica d'aquest tipus d'estudi.Chromosome abnormalities are one of the major causes of human infertility. In infertile males, abnormal somatic karyotypes are more frequent than in the general population. Furthermore, meiotic disorders affecting the germ-cell line have been observed in men with normal somatic karyotypes consulting for infertility. In both cases, the production of unbalanced spermatozoa has been described. Basically addressed to establish reproductive risks, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on decondensed sperm nuclei has become the most frequently used method to study the chromosomal constitution of spermatozoa. This paper reviews the information obtained through sperm FISH studies in carriers of numerical sex chromosome anomalies, carriers of structural chromosome reorganizations and infertile males with normal karyotypes emphasizing on its clinical significance

HDL and LDL: Potential New Players in Breast Cancer Development.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and primary cause of cancer-related mortality in women. The identification of risk factors can improve prevention of cancer, and obesity and hypercholesterolemia represent potentially modifiable breast cancer risk factors. In the present work, we review the progress to date in research on the potential role of the main cholesterol transporters, low-density and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), on breast cancer development. Although some studies have failed to find associations between lipoproteins and breast cancer, some large clinical studies have demonstrated a direct association between LDL cholesterol levels and breast cancer risk and an inverse association between HDL cholesterol and breast cancer risk. Research in breast cancer cells and experimental mouse models of breast cancer have demonstrated an important role for cholesterol and its transporters in breast cancer development. Instead of cholesterol, the cholesterol metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol induces the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells and facilitates metastasis. Oxidative modification of the lipoproteins and HDL glycation activate different inflammation-related pathways, thereby enhancing cell proliferation and migration and inhibiting apoptosis. Cholesterol-lowering drugs and apolipoprotein A-I mimetics have emerged as potential therapeutic agents to prevent the deleterious effects of high cholesterol in breast cancer

Nursing knowledge of and attitude in cardiopulmonary arrest: cross-sectional survey analysis

Background: Nurses are often the first to activate the chain of survival when a cardiorespiratory arrest happens. That is why it is crucial that they keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date and their attitudes to resuscitation are very important. The main aim of this study was to analyse whether the level of theoretical and practical understanding affected the attitudes of nursing staff. Methods: A questionnaire was designed using the Delphi technique (three rounds). The questionnaire was adjusted and it was piloted on a test-retest basis with a convenience sample of 30 registered nurses. The psychometric characteristics were evaluated using a sample of 347 nurses using Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive analysis was performed to describe the sociodemographic variables and Spearman's correlation coefficient to assess the relationship between two scale variables. Pearson's chi-squared test has been used to study the relationship between two categorical variables. Wilcoxon Mann Whitney test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were performed to establish relationships between the demographic/work related characteristics and the level of understanding. Results: The Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses in the Event of a Cardiorespiratory Arrest (CAEPCR) questionnaire comprised three sections: sociodemographic information, theoretical and practical understanding, and attitudes of ethical issues. Cronbach's alpha for the internal consistency of the attitudes questionnaire was 0.621. The knowledge that nurses self-reported with regard to cardiopulmonary arrest directly affected their attitudes. Their responses raised a number of bioethical issues. Conclusions: CAEPCR questionnaire is the first one which successfully linked knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the attitudes towards ethical issues Health policies should ensure that CPR training is mandatory for nurses and all healthcare workers, and this training should include the ethical aspects.We thank Miguel Ángel de la Cal López and Teresa Gómez-García for supporting this project. This work was partially funded by the OSI Bilbao-Basurto (Osakidetza). There was no additional external funding received for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

High rates of de novo 15q11q13 inversions in human spermatozoa

Low-Copy Repeats predispose the 15q11-q13 region to non-allelic homologous recombination. We have already demonstrated that a significant percentage of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) fathers have an increased susceptibility to generate 15q11q13 deletions in spermatozoa, suggesting the participation of intrachromatid exchanges. This work has been focused on assessing the incidence of de novo 15q11q13 inversions in spermatozoa of control donors and PWS fathers in order to determine the basal rates of inversions and to confirm the intrachromatid mechanism as the main cause of 15q11q13 anomalies