La alegorización de América en Calderón y Sor Juana

Estudia sobre todo a partir de las loas sacramentales de Calderón y Sor Juana la presentación alegórica de América, y la recreación europea de tópicos indianos, distinta a la que realiza Sor Juana, perteneciente al mundo americano. Un aspecto importante es el uso del emblema imperial "Plus Ultra". This article deals of allegorical presence of America in the sacramental loas of Sor Juana and Calderón, and Studies the topical indian motifs in the European literature and picture. Sor Juanas´s treatment, is very different because she belongs to the american World. Important element is the Sor Juana´s us of the imperial emblema "Plus Ultra"

El teatro breve de Quevedo y su arte nuevo de hacer ridículos en las tablas: lego-pro-menos a una representación riescénica

En su teatro breve, género carnavalesco, Quevedo encuentra la forma escénica ideal para burlarse de una creciente hipocresía convencional, a manera de contraste radical o parodia de las fórmulas artificiosas y lugares comunes de la comedia lopesca. Su mérito no se reduce a la invención de tipos que se popularizan aun más en los entremeses de otros. El logro entremesil quevedesco consiste en una construcción dramática risible muy especialmente barroca que destaca el artificio teatral mismo. En este sentido precisamente se ubica entre los entremeses de Cervantes y los de Quiñones de Benavente. Quevedo, empero, explota ridículamente el artificio del teatro como reflejo del interés monetario manipulador que predomina en la vida de la corte y pervierte toda relación entre hombres y mujeres. Sus entremeses representan la sensualidad femenina ridículamente engañosa y la inocencia masculina exageradamente taimada o paciente como juego de disfraces risibles que destacan la hipocresía de todos los valores idealizados en la comedia. In his carnavalesque interludes and other dramatic skits, Quevedo attains the ideal stage format to poke fun at a growing conventional hypocrisy idealized in Lope’s comedia. Quevedo’s special accomplishment lies not so much in the invention of comic types popularized even more through other playwrights’ interludes but rather in a uniquely baroque construction eliciting laughter as it underscores dramatic artificiality itself. In this sense, Quevedo’s brief dramatic skits fall between Cervantes’ interludes and those of Quiñones de Benavente. Quevedo, however, ridiculously exploits the artifice of theater as a reflection of the monetary interests prevalent in court life which pervert all men-women relationships. His interludes present female sensuality, ridiculously deceitful, and masculine naiveté, absurdly patient, as a game of laughable costumes highlighting the hypocrisy of all values idealized in the comedia

El secreto, esencia de la comedia lopesca-calderoniana, y su intensificación en Sor Juana

El secreto como esencia del género teatral desde sus orígenes clásicos, caracteriza el teatro popular medieval y tipifica la comedia de capa y espada o palatina de Lope, perfeccionada por Calderón. Reelaborando su herencia dramatúrgica, Sor Juana la lleva más allá del horizonte de expectativa, intensificando las técnicas que generan la complicación de secretos desde la primera jornada de sus dos comedias, Los empeños de una casa y Amor es más laberinto.Secrets, the essence of drama as a genre since its classical origins, characterize Medieval popular theatre and tipify Lope's comedia which Calderón perfects. Reworking their theatrical heritage, Sor Juana carries this genre beyond the horizon of expectation, as she intensifies the techniques that generate the complication of secrets from the first act of both of her comedies, Los empeños de una casa («Pawns of a House») and Amor es más laberinto («Love is a Greater Labyrinth»)

White matter hyperintensity reduction and outcomes after minor stroke

Objective: To assess factors associated with white matter hyperintensity (WMH) change in a large cohort after observing obvious WMH shrinkage 1 year after minor stroke in several participants in a longitudinal study. Methods: We recruited participants with minor ischemic stroke and performed clinical assessments and brain MRI. At 1 year, we assessed recurrent cerebrovascular events and dependency and repeated the MRI. We assessed change in WMH volume from baseline to 1 year (normalized to percent intracranial volume [ICV]) and associations with baseline variables, clinical outcomes, and imaging parameters using multivariable analysis of covariance, model of changes, and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Among 190 participants (mean age 65.3 years, range 34.3–96.9 years, 112 [59%] male), WMH decreased in 71 participants by 1 year. At baseline, participants whose WMH decreased had similar WMH volumes but higher blood pressure (p = 0.0064) compared with participants whose WMH increased. At 1 year, participants with WMH decrease (expressed as percent ICV) had larger reductions in blood pressure (β = 0.0053, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00099–0.0097 fewer WMH per 1–mm Hg decrease, p = 0.017) and in mean diffusivity in normal-appearing white matter (β = 0.075, 95% CI 0.0025–0.15 fewer WMH per 1-unit mean diffusivity decrease, p = 0.043) than participants with WMH increase; those with WMH increase experienced more recurrent cerebrovascular events (32%, vs 16% with WMH decrease, β = 0.27, 95% CI 0.047–0.50 more WMH per event, p = 0.018). Conclusions: Some WMH may regress after minor stroke, with potentially better clinical and brain tissue outcomes. The role of risk factor control requires verification. Interstitial fluid alterations may account for some WMH reversibility, offering potential intervention targets

Electrophysiological effects of extracellular vesicles secreted by cardiosphere-derived cells: Unraveling the antiarrhythmic properties of cell therapies

This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering.Although cell-based therapies show potential antiarrhythmic effects that could be mediated by their paracrine action, the mechanisms and the extent of these effects were not deeply explored. We investigated the antiarrhythmic mechanisms of extracellular vesicles secreted by cardiosphere-derived cell extracellular vesicles (CDC-EVs) on the electrophysiological properties and gene expression profile of HL1 cardiomyocytes. HL-1 cultures were primed with CDC-EVs or serum-free medium alone for 48 h, followed by optical mapping and gene expression analysis. In optical mapping recordings, CDC-EVs reduced the activation complexity of the cardiomyocytes by 40%, increased rotor meandering, and reduced rotor curvature, as well as induced an 80% increase in conduction velocity. HL-1 cells primed with CDC-EVs presented higher expression of SCN5A, CACNA1C, and GJA1, coding for proteins involved in INa, ICaL, and Cx43, respectively. Our results suggest that CDC-EVs reduce activation complexity by increasing conduction velocity and modifying rotor dynamics, which could be driven by an increase in expression of SCN5A and CACNA1C genes, respectively. Our results provide new insights into the antiarrhythmic mechanisms of cell therapies, which should be further validated using other models.This research was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain: PI16/01123, PI17/01059, Red de Terapia Celular-Tercel-RD16.0011.0029 and CIBERCV-CB16.11.00292

Growth of three-dimensional silver fractal electrodeposits under damped free convection

Quasispherical three-dimensional Ag electrodeposits grown at constant potential and damped free convection exhibit a quasi-isotropic radial growth up to a critical radius rc≃0.3 cm and a mass fractal dimension DM=2.5. For r≫rc, DM→3. The product vrη’ is nearly constant, vr being the radial growth velocity, and η’ the apparent medium viscosity. It appears that vr is determined by the Laplacian field operating between cathode and anode.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Integrity of normal-appearing white matter: influence of age, visible lesion burden and hypertension in patients with small vessel disease

White matter hyperintensities accumulate with age and occur in patients with stroke, but their pathogenesis is poorly understood. We measured multiple magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers of tissue integrity in normal-appearing white matter and white matter hyperintensities in patients with mild stroke, to improve understanding of white matter hyperintensities origins. We classified white matter into white matter hyperintensities and normal-appearing white matter and measured fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, water content (T1-relaxation time) and blood–brain barrier leakage (signal enhancement slope from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging). We studied the effects of age, white matter hyperintensities burden (Fazekas score) and vascular risk factors on each biomarker, in normal-appearing white matter and white matter hyperintensities, and performed receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis. Amongst 204 patients (34.3–90.9 years), all biomarkers differed between normal-appearing white matter and white matter hyperintensities (P < 0.001). In normal-appearing white matter and white matter hyperintensities, mean diffusivity and T1 increased with age (P < 0.001), all biomarkers varied with white matter hyperintensities burden (P < 0.001; P = 0.02 signal enhancement slope), but only signal enhancement slope increased with hypertension (P = 0.028). Fractional anisotropy showed complex age-white matter hyperintensities-tissue interactions; enhancement slope showed white matter hyperintensities-tissue interactions. Mean diffusivity distinguished white matter hyperintensities from normal-appearing white matter best at all ages. Blood–brain barrier leakage increases with hypertension and white matter hyperintensities burden at all ages in normal-appearing white matter and white matter hyperintensities, whereas water mobility and content increase as tissue damage accrues, suggesting that blood–brain barrier leakage mediates small vessel disease-related brain damage

Mass-transport-induced kinetic transitions during the electrochemical formation of three-dimensional dendritic silver deposits under ohmic control

The influence of mass transport processes on the growth of three-dimensional dendritic Ag deposits on a Pt quasi-spherical substrate at a relatively large cathodic overpotential has been investigated. After a certain induction time a first stage of dendritic growth of Ag can be observed. The deposit formed at this stage exhibits a fractal surface and non-fractal mass—volume properties. For charge densities greater than a certain critical value, a second stage of growth can be distinguished. At this second stage the contribution of free convection changes the shape of the deposit. The fastest growth of the Ag electrodeposit is determined by the rate of migration of sulphate ions in the electric field. A model accounting for the parametric relationships derived from the experiments is presented.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Polyfunctional T cell responses in children in early stages of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection contrast with monofunctional responses of long-term infected adults

Background: Adults with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi exhibit a poorly functional T cell compartment, characterized by monofunctional (IFN-γ-only secreting) parasite-specific T cells and increased levels of terminally differentiated T cells. It is possible that persistent infection and/or sustained exposure to parasites antigens may lead to a progressive loss of function of the immune T cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: To test this hypothesis, the quality and magnitude of T. cruzi-specific T cell responses were evaluated in T. cruzi-infected children and compared with long-term T. cruzi-infected adults with no evidence of heart failure. The phenotype of CD4+ T cells was also assessed in T. cruzi-infected children and uninfected controls. Simultaneous secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 measured by ELISPOT assays in response to T. cruzi antigens was prevalent among T. cruzi-infected children. Flow cytometric analysis of co-expression profiles of CD4+ T cells with the ability to produce IFN-γ, TNF-α, or to express the co-stimulatory molecule CD154 in response to T. cruzi showed polyfunctional T cell responses in most T. cruzi-infected children. Monofunctional T cell responses and an absence of CD4+TNF-α+-secreting T cells were observed in T. cruzi-infected adults. A relatively high degree of activation and differentiation of CD4+ T cells was evident in T. cruzi-infected children. Conclusions/Significance: Our observations are compatible with our initial hypothesis that persistent T. cruzi infection promotes eventual exhaustion of immune system, which might contribute to disease progression in long-term infected subjects.Fil: Albareda, María Cecilia. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: de Rissio, Ana María. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Tomas, Gonzalo. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Serjan, Alicia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, María Gabriela. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Viotti, Rodolfo Jorge. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Fichera, Laura Edith. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Esteva, Mónica Inés. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Potente, Daniel Fernando. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Armenti, Alejandro. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Tarleton, Rick L.. University of Georgia; Estados UnidosFil: Laucella, Susana Adriana. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Topological relationships between perivascular spaces and progression of white matter hyperintensities:A pilot study in a sample of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936

Enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are features of cerebral small vessel disease which can be seen in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Given the associations and proposed mechanistic link between PVS and WMH, they are hypothesized to also have topological proximity. However, this and the influence of their spatial proximity on WMH progression are unknown. We analyzed longitudinal MRI data from 29 out of 32 participants (mean age at baseline = 71.9 years) in a longitudinal study of cognitive aging, from three waves of data collection at 3-year intervals, alongside semi-automatic segmentation masks for PVS and WMH, to assess relationships. The majority of deep WMH clusters were found adjacent to or enclosing PVS (waves−1: 77%; 2: 76%; 3: 69%), especially in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions. Of the WMH clusters in the deep white matter that increased between waves, most increased around PVS (waves−1–2: 73%; 2–3: 72%). Formal statistical comparisons of severity of each of these two SVD markers yielded no associations between deep WMH progression and PVS proximity. These findings may suggest some deep WMH clusters may form and grow around PVS, possibly reflecting the consequences of impaired interstitial fluid drainage via PVS. The utility of these relationships as predictors of WMH progression remains unclear