Cubiertas de madera de las iglesias fernandinas de Córdoba

After Cordoba´s reconquest by king Saint Ferdinand in 1236, Cordoba town was urbanized into fourteen districts, or parishes. Social, administrative and religious center of these districts was situated in fourteen churchs. These buildings are named ferdinand churchs’, because they were constructed by king Saint Ferdinand. A similar architectural pattern was followed in construction of these churchs. This pattern is characterized by reiteration of fixed arquitectural elements, like roof structure made of timber, in central and lateral church-bodies. Roof timber structure used in lateral church-bodies was tilted frame, while triangular truss with butress and anchor was used in central church-body. Some of these churchs have been destroyed or greatly transformed. However, in survivor ferdinand churchs’ is posible to study the roof timber structure, a singular cover system that was originated by union of medieval constructive and mussulman ornamental technics. The aim of this article is to describe the roof timber structure of cordovan ferdinand churchs’ as well as to research into their origin.Tras la reconquista de Córdoba por San Fernando, en 1236, la ciudad se reorganizó en base a catorce barrios o parroquias, cuyo centro social, administrativo y religioso correspondía a sendas iglesias. Por esta razón estos templos se conocen con el nombre de iglesias fernandinas. Todas ellas se construyeron siguiendo un mismo patrón arquitectónico, en el que se repiten con pocas diferencias una serie de elementos constructivos, entre los que destacan el sistema de cubiertas con madera de las naves central y laterales. Así, mientras que para las laterales se utilizaron forjados inclinados o colgadizos, la central se cubrió con una armadura de par y nudillo, formada por la unión de cerchas paralelas unidas por estribos y tirantes. A pesar de que algunas de estas iglesias han desaparecido y otras han sufrido grandes transformaciones, en las que aún persisten estas techumbres es posible estudiar este sistema de cubiertas, resultado de la unión de técnicas constructivas medievales cristianas y decorativas musulmanas. Este trabajo pretende describir esta tipología de cubierta, así como intentar arrojar algo de luz sobre su origen y realizar una breve caracterización de las techumbres de madera de aquéllas de estas iglesias que aún perviven

Bases para la puesta en marcha de un modelo de recuperación ambiental del paisaje de Tierra de Campos (Castilla y León, España)

Producción CientíficaTierra de Campos es una comarca de unos 4400 km2, cuyas características son el dominio del cultivo agrícola herbáceo, la práctica ausencia de vegetación natural y un gran declive demográfico. Su paisaje es uno de los más representativos de las campiñas agrícolas cerealistas, tanto de Castilla y León como del conjunto de España. La agricultura intensiva y las concentraciones parcelarias lo han simplificado notablemente, reduciendo su calidad visual y biodiversidad. En este trabajo se exponen las alteraciones más significativas de este paisaje, entre las que destacan: la pérdida de vegetación natural, la irrupción de grandes naves en el entorno de los pueblos y la desaparición del patrimonio cultural edificado. Analizada su degradación secular, se propone un modelo de recuperación que contempla tres tratamientos generales: la restauración vegetal con árboles y arbustos, la integración paisajística de edificaciones e infraestructuras, y la restauración del patrimonio cultural. Para ello se definen 56 actuaciones en los 14 espacios degradados diagnosticados: 1) espacios agrícolas intensivos afectados por concentraciones parcelarias; 2) espacios afectados por transformaciones en regadío; 3) aquellos afectados por infraestructuras lineales de transporte; 4) los afectados por explotaciones mineras, préstamos y vertederos; 5) espacios afectados por infraestructuras energéticas; 6) ríos y arroyos desnaturalizados; 7) zonas húmedas degradadas; 8) vías pecuarias y del ferrocarril en desuso; 9) fuentes y parcelas públicas degradadas; 10) terrenos deforestados y/o erosionados; 11) escombreras y vertederos de residuos; 12) entorno de construcciones en suelo rústico; 13) periferias de los pueblos; y 14) pueblos descuidados y abandonados. Para conseguir su restauración, se seleccionan 32 árboles y 27 arbustos. Finalmente, se define la imagen objetivo de este paisaje agrícola, cuya recuperación conllevará un mayor arraigo y calidad de vida de sus habitantes y constituirá un recurso socioeconómico para la comarca

Supercapacitor modified with methylene blue as redox active electrolyte

MWCNT-based supercapacitors (SC) containing methylene blue (MB) as redox active electrolyte were studied. MWCNTs were employed as model of electrode active material due to their ideal double-layer behavior facilitates the investigation of the energy storage mechanisms involved. MB led to a cell capacitance enhancement equal to 4.5 times the original cell capacitance of MWCNTs in sulphuric acid with a capacitance reduction of only 12% after 6000 charge–discharge cycles. The potential evolution of each electrode during galvanostatic cycling revealed that MB redox reaction develops in both electrodes simultaneously in the voltage range of 0–0.104 V and that this is the main cause of cell capacitance enhancement. Beyond this voltage range, the Faradaic contribution from the MB redox reaction decreases because the anode behaves as a capacitative electrode with a rather reduced charge-capacity due to the small surface area of MWCNTs. By means of a modified assembly composed of a Nafion membrane and MB and sulfuric acid solutions located in the cathode and anode compartments, respectively, it was demonstrated the limiting role of the capacitative electrode in the cell charge-capacity in this type of hybrid devices.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the MICINN (Project MAT2010-20601-C02-01). Silvia Roldán thanks MICINN for a FPI predoctoral research grant.Peer reviewe

Comparison between electrochemical capacitors based on NaOH and KOH activated carbons

This work describes the chemical activation of a coke using two different activating agents to investigate their behavior as electrodes in supercapacitors. A coke was chemically activated with two hydroxides (KOH and NaOH) under nitrogen flow, at a constant mass hydroxide/coke ratio of 2 and temperatures of 600, 650, and 700 °C. All of the samples were characterized in terms of porosity by N2 sorption at 77 K, surface chemistry by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and electrical conductivity. Their electrochemical behavior as electric double-layer capacitors was determined using galvanostatic, voltammetric, and impedance spectroscopy techniques in an aqueous medium with 1 M H2SO4 as the electrolyte. Large differences in capacitive behavior with the increase in the current density were found between the two series of activated samples. The different trends were correlated with the results obtained from the TPD analysis of the CO-type oxygen groups. It was found that these oxygen groups make a positive contribution to capacitance, finding a good correlation between the specific capacitance values, and the amount of these oxygen groups was found for both series.This work was supported by the MICIN (Project MAT2007-61467).Peer reviewe

Tocilizumab in refractory Caucasian Takayasu's arteritis: a multicenter study of 54 patients and literature review

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) in Caucasian patients with refractory Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) in clinical practice. Methods: A multicenter study of Caucasian patients with refractory TAK who received TCZ. The outcome variables were remission, glucocorticoid-sparing effect, improvement in imaging techniques, and adverse events. A comparative study between patients who received TCZ as monotherapy (TCZMONO) and combined with conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (cDMARDs) (TCZCOMBO) was performed. Results: The study comprised 54 patients (46 women/8 men) with a median [interquartile range (IQR)] age of 42.0 (32.5-50.5) years. TCZ was started after a median (IQR) of 12.0 (3.0-31.5) months since TAK diagnosis. Remission was achieved in 12/54 (22.2%), 19/49 (38.8%), 23/44 (52.3%), and 27/36 (75%) patients at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. The prednisone dose was reduced from 30.0 mg/day (12.5-50.0) to 5.0 (0.0-5.6) mg/day at 12 months. An improvement in imaging findings was reported in 28 (73.7%) patients after a median (IQR) of 9.0 (6.0-14.0) months. Twenty-three (42.6%) patients were on TCZMONO and 31 (57.4%) on TCZCOMBO: MTX (n = 28), cyclosporine A (n = 2), azathioprine (n = 1). Patients on TCZCOMBO were younger [38.0 (27.0-46.0) versus 45.0 (38.0-57.0)] years; difference (diff) [95% confidence interval (CI) = -7.0 (-17.9, -0.56] with a trend to longer TAK duration [21.0 (6.0-38.0) versus 6.0 (1.0-23.0)] months; diff 95% CI = 15 (-8.9, 35.5), and higher c-reactive protein [2.4 (0.7-5.6) versus 1.3 (0.3-3.3)] mg/dl; diff 95% CI = 1.1 (-0.26, 2.99). Despite these differences, similar outcomes were observed in both groups (log rank p = 0.862). Relevant adverse events were reported in six (11.1%) patients, but only three developed severe events that required TCZ withdrawal. Conclusion: TCZ in monotherapy, or combined with cDMARDs, is effective and safe in patients with refractory TAK of Caucasian origin.Funding: This work was partially supported by RETICS Programs, RD08/0075 (RIER), RD12/0009/0013 and RD16/0012 from “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (ISCIII) (Spain)

Integrative epigenomics in Sjögren´s syndrome reveals novel pathways and a strong interaction between the HLA, autoantibodies and the interferon signature

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and damage of exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands. The etiology of SS is complex with environmental triggers and genetic factors involved. By conducting an integrated multi-omics study, we confirmed a vast coordinated hypomethylation and overexpression effects in IFN-related genes, what is known as the IFN signature. Stratified and conditional analyses suggest a strong interaction between SS-associated HLA genetic variation and the presence of Anti-Ro/SSA autoantibodies in driving the IFN epigenetic signature and determining SS. We report a novel epigenetic signature characterized by increased DNA methylation levels in a large number of genes enriched in pathways such as collagen metabolism and extracellular matrix organization. We identified potential new genetic variants associated with SS that might mediate their risk by altering DNA methylation or gene expression patterns, as well as disease-interacting genetic variants that exhibit regulatory function only in the SS population. Our study sheds new light on the interaction between genetics, autoantibody profiles, DNA methylation and gene expression in SS, and contributes to elucidate the genetic architecture of gene regulation in an autoimmune population

Complement component C4 structural variation and quantitative traits contribute to sex-biased vulnerability in systemic sclerosis

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), "A way of making Europe".Copy number (CN) polymorphisms of complement C4 play distinct roles in many conditions, including immune-mediated diseases. We investigated the association of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk. Imputed total C4, C4A, C4B, and HERV-K CN were analyzed in 26,633 individuals and validated in an independent cohort. Our results showed that higher C4 CN confers protection to SSc, and deviations from CN parity of C4A and C4B augmented risk. The protection contributed per copy of C4A and C4B differed by sex. Stronger protection was afforded by C4A in men and by C4B in women. C4 CN correlated well with its gene expression and serum protein levels, and less C4 was detected for both in SSc patients. Conditioned analysis suggests that C4 genetics strongly contributes to the SSc association within the major histocompatibility complex locus and highlights classical alleles and amino acid variants of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DPB1 as C4-independent signals

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Serum profiling identifies CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA as markers of active disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a clinically heterogeneous disease that presents a challenge for clinicians. To identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and disease activity in SLE, we investigated a selected yet broad panel of cytokines and autoantibodies in patients with SLE, healthy controls (HC), and patients with other autoimmune diseases (AIDs).MethodsSerum samples from 422 SLE patients, 546 HC, and 1223 other AIDs were analysed within the frame of the European PRECISESADS project (NTC02890121). Cytokine levels were determined using Luminex panels, and autoantibodies using different immunoassays.ResultsOf the 83 cytokines analysed, 29 differed significantly between patients with SLE and HC. Specifically, CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA levels were elevated in patients with active, but not inactive, SLE versus HC, as well as in patients with SLE versus other AIDs. The levels of these cytokines also correlated with SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) scores, among five other cytokines. Overall, the occurrence of autoantibodies was similar across SLEDAI-2K organ domains, and the correlations between autoantibodies and activity in different organ domains were weak.DiscussionOur findings suggest that, upon validation, CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA could serve as promising serum biomarkers of activity in SLE

O31 Integrative analysis reveals a molecular stratification of systemic autoimmune diseases

n/