The "Latin American dream": hope in the future

En sintonía con el autor J. Rifkin, el autor considera que el "sueño norteamericano" está periclitado. Por el contrario está en desacuerdo con ese mismo autor en la consideración de que en el futuro será el "sueño europeo". El autor considera que en el hoIn line with the author J. Rifkin, the author considers that the "American dream" is died out. Rather disagree with the same author in the consideration that in the future will be the "European dream". In this sense, the author believes that on the horiz

Design, chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of new synthetic conjugates of ursodeoxycholic acid for the inhibition of cystogenesis in experimental models of polycystic liver disease.

196 p.Antecedentes y objetivos: Las enfermedades hepáticas poliquísticas (PLD) son un grupo heterogéneo de trastornos genéticos hereditarios caracterizados por el desarrollo progresivo de múltiples quistes biliares llenos de líquido. Anteriormente hemos demostrado que el ácido ursodesoxicólico (UDCA) inhibe la cistogénesis hepática en modelos experimentales y un subgrupo de pacientes con PLD. Además, la inhibición selectiva de la histona desacetilasa 6 (HDAC6) reduce significativamente la cistogénesis hepatorrenal en ratas PCK. Por esta razón, hemos planteado que, nuevas entidades químicas que combinen las características de UDCA y de los HDAC6is en una misma estructura química podrían proporcionar un valor aditivo y/o sinérgico para el tratamiento de las PLDs.Resultados: Diez conjugados sintéticos UDCA- HDAC6i-# 1-10 fueron diseñados, estudiados in silico, sintetizados y analizados para su actividad inhibitoria sobre HDAC6 y HDAC nucleares. 4 de estos 10 conjugados sintéticos de UDCA presentaron una capacidad inhibidora altamente selectiva sobre HDAC6,emergiendo UDCA- HDAC6i # 1 como la molécula más prometedora. UDCA- HDAC6i # 1 inhibió la cistogénesis hepatorenal, mejoró las funciones hepática y renal y aumentó la concentración de UDCA en hígado, bilis y suero de un modelo animal de PLD. Este compuesto mostró mayores efectos antiproliferativos sobre los colangiocitos poliquísticos que el UDCA solo, o el tratamiento combinado con sus componentes farmacológicamente activos. Además, la incubación de colangiocitos poliquísticos con UDCA-HDAC6i #1 produjo una elongación significativa del cilio primario de estas células. Por último, UDCA-HDAC6i #1 es transportado activamente a través de los transportadores NTCP, OCT1 y OCT3

Design, chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of new synthetic conjugates of ursodeoxycholic acid for the inhibition of cystogenesis in experimental models of polycystic liver disease.

196 p.Antecedentes y objetivos: Las enfermedades hepáticas poliquísticas (PLD) son un grupo heterogéneo de trastornos genéticos hereditarios caracterizados por el desarrollo progresivo de múltiples quistes biliares llenos de líquido. Anteriormente hemos demostrado que el ácido ursodesoxicólico (UDCA) inhibe la cistogénesis hepática en modelos experimentales y un subgrupo de pacientes con PLD. Además, la inhibición selectiva de la histona desacetilasa 6 (HDAC6) reduce significativamente la cistogénesis hepatorrenal en ratas PCK. Por esta razón, hemos planteado que, nuevas entidades químicas que combinen las características de UDCA y de los HDAC6is en una misma estructura química podrían proporcionar un valor aditivo y/o sinérgico para el tratamiento de las PLDs.Resultados: Diez conjugados sintéticos UDCA- HDAC6i-# 1-10 fueron diseñados, estudiados in silico, sintetizados y analizados para su actividad inhibitoria sobre HDAC6 y HDAC nucleares. 4 de estos 10 conjugados sintéticos de UDCA presentaron una capacidad inhibidora altamente selectiva sobre HDAC6,emergiendo UDCA- HDAC6i # 1 como la molécula más prometedora. UDCA- HDAC6i # 1 inhibió la cistogénesis hepatorenal, mejoró las funciones hepática y renal y aumentó la concentración de UDCA en hígado, bilis y suero de un modelo animal de PLD. Este compuesto mostró mayores efectos antiproliferativos sobre los colangiocitos poliquísticos que el UDCA solo, o el tratamiento combinado con sus componentes farmacológicamente activos. Además, la incubación de colangiocitos poliquísticos con UDCA-HDAC6i #1 produjo una elongación significativa del cilio primario de estas células. Por último, UDCA-HDAC6i #1 es transportado activamente a través de los transportadores NTCP, OCT1 y OCT3

Social appropriation of new technologies

The social appropriation of new technologies refers to technological and social processes of mediation in the interaction between social actors and technological devices. As such, the concept transcends relatively straightforward ideas of access and use of technology to focus on: how users develop technological and cognitive competences; the meaningful integration of the technological devices into subjects’ everyday lives and behaviour; the active and creative production of meaning; social mediation within communities of users; and the way that the interests of communities of users are represented in public spaces. This text outlines the key concepts and debates in the appropriation of new technologies through a genealogical reconstruction of relevant academic traditions, including, amongst others, cultural studies and the sociology of the uses of new technologies. This interdisciplinary approach takes into account the technical, cognitive, educational and communicative dimensions of new technologies and how they may be useful for understanding contemporary processes of technological change

UCTx: a multi-agent system to assist a transplant coordination unit

We present a system called UCTx, designed to model and automate some of the tasks performed by a Transplant Coordination Unit (UCTx) inside a Hospital. The aim of this work is to show how a multi-agent approach allows us to describe and implement the model, and how UCTx is capable of dealing with another multi-agent (Carrel, an Agent Mediated Institution for the exchange of Human Tissues among Hospitals for Transplantation) in order to meet its own goals, acting as the representative of the hospital in the negotiation. As an example we introduce the use of this Agency in the case of Cornea Transplantation.Postprint (published version

What COP and Kinematic Parameters Better Characterize Postural Control in Standing Balance Tasks?

The authors’ aim was to determine which variables allow for the characterization of motor balance behavior. Traditional measures and nonlinear measures of center of pressure (COP; n D 30) and kinematics (n D 10) were tested in their absolute and relative consistency in a 30-s standing balance task protocol under stable and unstable conditions. Regarding COP variables, mean velocity (mVel), permutation entropy (PE) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) exhibited high consistency between trials and ranked individuals more accurately compare with other metrics. In the kinematic signal mVel, PE and DFA had good intrasession reliability values in unstable conditions. Overall, the intrasession reliability values were better in the unstable condition than in the stable condition and the measures calculated using derived data had better intrasession reliability values. In conclusion, mVel, PE, and DFA allow for the good characterization of motor balance behavior in a simplified protocol where velocity time series are analyzed

Quasi-Prototype Size Testing of Wedge-Shaped Block for Armoring Embankment Dams and Levees

A series of tests of wedge-shaped blocks intended for armoring embankment dams and levees was carried out in a new experimental facility (‘Hydraulic Experimentation Facility—Luis Ruano’) under quasi-prototype conditions. This unique facility is located in the canal leading to the Laverné reservoir (Zaragoza, Spain) with a maximum vertical drop of 7 m and discharge up to 9 m3s −1. The aim was to conduct experimental research on technologies to protect embankment dams and dikes against overflowing erosion under quasi-prototype conditions. The results of the tests demonstrate the ability of the WSBs to withstand high unit discharges under extremely negative conditions at the upstream and downstream ends of the armoring. The tests also helped to identify potential failure modes for the armoring blocks

Extending the Carrel system to mediate in the organ and tissue allocation processes: a first approach

In this paper we extend the formalization of Carrel, a virtual organization for the procurement of tissues for transplantation purposes, in order to model also the procurement of human organs for transplants. We will focus in the organ allocation process to show how it can be formalized with the ISLANDER formalism. Also we present a first mechanism to federate the institution in several geographically-distributed platforms.Postprint (published version