Factors for the digitalisation of political parties in Portugal and Spain: a comparative perspective

Esta investigación parte da necesidade de comprender mellor a dixitalización dos partidos ibéricos e, especialmente, de comprender a falta de coñecemento científico que rodea a dixitalización dos actores políticos en Portugal. O obxectivo principal desta investigación é mellorar o coñecemento dos factores que interveñen na dixitalización dos partidos políticos. Tendo en conta varias premisas teóricas, analizaremos a relación entre a idade dos partidos, a ideoloxía e a estabilidade do sistema de partidos, e a adopción de instrumentos dixitais para os efectos de contacto, participación, deliberación e mobilización de recursos financeiros. entre partidos políticos con representación parlamentaria en Portugal e España. Para responder a estas preguntas a investigación utilizou unha matriz de datos tomada de seis variables cualitativas aplicadas a cada un dos partidos políticos analizados. Os resultados mostran unha tendencia a un maior nivel de dixitalización dos partidos políticos situados á esquerda do espectro ideolóxico que se fundaron despois do ano 2008. Ademais, a estabilidade do sistema de partidos e unha menor capacidade competitiva poderían explicar en parte o menor nivel de dixitalización nos partidos políticos de Portugal.This investigation stems from the need to better comprehend the digitalisation of the Iberian parties and, especially, to understand the lack of scientific knowledge surrounding the digitalisation of political actors in Portugal. The principal objective of this investigation is the betterment of knowledge of the factors that intervene in the digitalisation of political parties. Taking various theoretical premises into account, we will analyse the relation between the age of the parties, the ideology and the stability of the party system, and the adoption of digital instruments for the purposes of contact, participation, deliberation, and mobilisation of financial resources between political parties with parliamentary representation in Portugal and Spain. To answer these questions the investigation used a data matrix taken from six qualitative variables applied to each of the analysed political parties. The results show a tendency towards a greater level of digitalisation in political parties located on the left of the ideological spectrum that were founded after the year 2008. Furthermore, the stability of the party system and a lower competitive capacity could partially explain the lower level of digitalisation in political parties in Portugal

The importance of waterbirds as an overlooked pathway of invasion for alien species

The importance of waterbirds as vectors of aliens has been recognized since Darwin's time, yet research by pioneers has been forgotten during the development of modern invasion biology, which tends to overlook this means of dispersal. Waterbirds are ignored in databases of alien species and invasion pathways, making management and prevention of invasions more difficult. I summarize 22 studies that provide empirical evidence for the dispersal of alien plants and invertebrates by waterbirds in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, complementing 14 studies recently identified by Reynolds et al. (2015, Diversity and Distributions, 21, 744–754). Together, these studies provide empirical evidence for the dispersal of 79 alien plant species and eight alien invertebrates by waterbirds, including some of the worst aquatic invaders and the most widely distributed alien terrestrial plant species. Waterbirds known to be vectors include ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, gulls, herons and rails. Aliens are usually dispersed after being ingested or becoming attached to plumage, bills or feet, but waterbirds also disperse alien species when making nests, when preying on other vectors such as fish, or even attached to leg rings. Whilst waterbirds may have a trivial role in explaining the arrival of alien species to new continents, they have a vital role in spreading aliens around once they get there. Greater focus on the role of waterbird vectors is essential if management of invasions is to be effective, and I make proposals for future research.Peer reviewe

Diagnostic tests for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders in patients presenting with clinically evident lesions

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common form of malignancy of the lip and oral cavity, often being proceeded by potentially malignant disorders (PMD). Early detection can reduce the malignant transformation of PMD and can improve the survival rate for oral cancer. The current standard of scalpel biopsy with histology is painful for patients and involves a delay whilst histology is completed; other tests are available that are unobtrusive and provide immediate results.Objectives: Primary objective: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of index tests for the detection of oral cancer and PMD of the lip and oral cavity, in people presenting with clinically evident lesions. Secondary objective: To estimate the relative accuracy of the different index tests.Search methods: The electronic databases were searched on 30 April 2013. We searched MEDLINE (OVID) (1946 to April 2013) and four other electronic databases (the Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies Register, the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, EMBASE (OVID) and MEDION (Ovid)). There were no restrictions on language in the searches of the electronic databases. We conducted citation searches and screened reference lists of included studies for additional references.Selection criteria: We selected studies that reported the diagnostic test accuracy of the following index tests when used as an adjunct to conventional oral examination in detecting PMD or oral squamous cell carcinoma of the lip or oral cavity: vital staining, oral cytology, light-based detection and oral spectroscopy, blood or saliva analysis (which test for the presence of biomarkers in blood or saliva).Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts for relevance. Eligibility, data extraction and quality assessment were carried out by at least two authors, independently and in duplicate. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using QUADAS-2. Meta-analysis was used to combine the results of studies for each index test using the bivariate approach to estimate the expected values of sensitivity and specificity.Main results: We included 41 studies, recruiting 4002 participants, in this review. These studies evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of conventional oral examination with: vital staining (14 studies), oral cytology (13 studies), light-based detection or oral spectroscopy (13 studies). Six studies assessed two combined index tests. There were no eligible diagnostic accuracy studies evaluating blood or salivary sample analysis. The summary estimates for vital staining obtained fromthemeta-analysis were sensitivity of 0.84 (95%CI 0.74 to 0.90) with specificity of 0.70 (0.59 to 0.79), with 14 studies were included in themeta-analysis. For cytology, sensitivity was 0.91 (0.81 to 0.96) and specificity was 0.91 (0.81 to 0.95) with 12 studies included in the meta-analysis. For light-based detection, sensitivity was 0.91 (0.77 to 0.97) and specificity was 0.58 (0.22 to 0.87) with 11 studies included in the meta-analysis. The relative test accuracy was assessed by adding covariates to the bivariate analysis, no difference in model fit was observed.Authors' conclusions: The overall quality of the included studies was poor.None of the adjunctive tests can be recommended as a replacement for the currently used standard of a scalpel biopsy and histological assessment. Given the relatively high values of the summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity for cytology, this would appear to offer themost potential. Combined adjunctive tests involving cytology warrant further investigation.</p

Mucins and Pathogenic Mucin-Like Molecules Are Immunomodulators During Infection and Targets for Diagnostics and Vaccines

Mucins and mucin-like molecules are highly O-glycosylated proteins present on the cell surface of mammals and other organisms. These glycoproteins are highly diverse in the apoprotein and glycan cores and play a central role in many biological processes and diseases. Mucins are the most abundant macromolecules in mucus and are responsible for its biochemical and biophysical properties. Mucin-like molecules cover various protozoan parasites, fungi and viruses. In humans, modifications in mucin glycosylation are associated with tumors in epithelial tissue. These modifications allow the distinction between normal and abnormal cell conditions and represent important targets for vaccine development against some cancers. Mucins and mucin-like molecules derived from pathogens are potential diagnostic markers and targets for therapeutic agents. In this review, we summarize the distribution, structure, role as immunomodulators, and the correlation of human mucins with diseases and perform a comparative analysis of mucins with mucin-like molecules present in human pathogens. Furthermore, we review the methods to produce pathogenic and human mucins using chemical synthesis and expression systems. Finally, we present applications of mucin-like molecules in diagnosis and prevention of relevant human diseases

Informe final del proyecto: Teoría y Construcción de Redes de Máxima Confiabilidad

El cometido del proyecto consiste en generar conocimiento en la construcción y la teoría de redes de máxima confiabilidad, con particular foco en el área de los grafos uniformemente confiables, es decir las topologías que, independientemente del valor de confiabilidad de cada componente, son más confiables que cualquier otra topología con el mismo número de sitios y conexiones.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovació

Analysis of variants in the HCN4 gene and in three single nucleotide polymorphisms of the CYP3A4 gene for association with ivabradine reduction in heart rate: A preliminary report

Background: Ivabradine, a selective bradycardic drug, inhibits the If. In patients with heart failure (HF), ivabradine reduces the risk of rehospitalization and mortality. The average heart rate (HR) reduction is 8–10 beats, although clinical trials reveal interindividual variability. The aim of the study is to identify variants associated with HR reduction produced by ivabradine in genes involved in the drug metabolism (CYP3A4) or related to the drug target (HCN4). Methods: In an exploratory cohort (n = 11), patients started on ivabradine were genotyped and the HR reduction was studied. Results: The mean HR reduction after the treatment was 18.10 ± 12.26 bpm. The HR reduction was ≥ 15 bpm in 3 patients and &gt; 5 and &lt; 15 bpm in 7 patients. Four synonymous variants, L12L, L520L, P852P, and P1200P, were detected in the HCN4 gene (frequency = 0.045, 0.045, and 0.681, respectively). Moreover, the CYP3A4*1F and CYP3A4*1B were found in one patient each and CYP3A4*1G was presented in 3 patients. Conclusions: This is the first study using an exploratory pharmacogenetic approach that attempts to explain interindividual variability in ivabradine HR reduction. However, more research must be undertaken in order to determine the role of variants in HCN4 and CYP3A4 genes in response to ivabradine

Reduced mitochondrial pyruvate carrier expression in hearts with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction patients: ischemic vs. non-ischemic origin

Introduction and objectivesMitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) mediates the entry of pyruvate into mitochondria, determining whether pyruvate is incorporated into the Krebs cycle or metabolized in the cytosol. In heart failure (HF), a large amount of pyruvate is metabolized to lactate in the cytosol rather than being oxidized inside the mitochondria. Thus, MPC activity or expression might play a key role in the fate of pyruvate during HF. The purpose of this work was to study the levels of the two subunits of this carrier, named MPC1 and MPC2, in human hearts with HF of different etiologies.MethodsProtein and mRNA expression analyses were conducted in cardiac tissues from three donor groups: patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), and donors without cardiac pathology (Control). MPC2 plasma levels were determined by ELISA.ResultsSignificant reductions in the levels of MPC1, MPC2, and Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) were observed in ICM patients compared with the levels in the Control group. However, no statistically significant differences were revealed in the analysis of MPC1 and MPC2 gene expression among the groups. Interestingly, Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) subunits expression were increased in the ICM patients. In the case of IDC patients, a significant decrease in MPC1 was observed only when compared with the Control group. Notably, plasma MPC2 levels were found to be elevated in both disease groups compared with that in the Control group.ConclusionDecreases in MPC1 and/or MPC2 levels were detected in the cardiac tissues of HFrEF patients, with ischemic or idiopatic origen, indicating a potential reduction in mitochondrial pyruvate uptake in the heart, which could be linked to unfavorable clinical features

Cartografía crítica de recursos educativos y pedagógicos en instituciones y entidades culturales del ámbito de las artes visuales en la Comunidad de Madrid como herramienta para la formación del profesorado

Investigar recursos educativos y pedagógicos en los museos y salas de arte de la Comunidad de Madrid, y establecer como estrategias de acercamiento institucional Educación/Arte para desarrollar un recurso on line disponible en la web, destinado especialmente a la formación de profesorado y estudiantes de arte interesados en educación para creación de una comunidad de aprendizaje

Water urbanism in Bogotá. Exploring the potentials of an interplay between settlement patterns and water management

A paradigm shift in water management is recognized as a necessary and fundamental step for adaptation to climate change and crucial for furthering sustainability. In contexts of rapid urbanization, this paradigm shift is particularly challenged since social and environmental needs often come into conflict. In Bogotá, as other Latin-American cities, demands for new housing are increasing daily, while the overall housing deficit remains an unresolved problem. Currently, the city faces the challenges to deal with the pressure to continue to urbanize flood prone areas with low-cost housing projects and simultaneously protect these areas in view of flooding, which promise to increase with the predictions of climate change. In order to contribute to context-responsive solutions to the water and housing issues, this paper investigates the shifting relations between settlement patterns, water infrastructure and landscape in Bogotá's El Tintal watershed. This sub-watershed of the Bogotá River has a rich history of formal and informal low-cost housing. The critical reading of the landscape transformation of the El Tintal has shown how the water system interventions were and can be instrumental in different stages of development. This reading was the base to elaborate design investigations that could translate to spatial adaptation measures. This paper argues that “soft” water management tools can be part of a twofold strategy to create spatial quality and provide resilience for more qualitative future urban development