Three types of shopping precincts. Three different ways to influence the public sphere of neighborhoods

Indexación: Scopus.Considerando que en la teoría urbana el mercado y los espacios públicos están históricamente vinculados, este artículo analiza un mercado, una galería comercial y un centro comercial (mall). El fin es ilustrar los factores que son determinantes para que en Santiago de Chile estas tipologías de comercio adquieran carácter público y puedan contribuir a la esfera pública de la ciudad, al menos dentro de las limitaciones que se derivan de su condición privada. Hasta ahora el debate ha reflexionado extensivamente sobre estas tres tipologías, sin embargo, existen aún pocos estudios que miran la vida pública que tiene lugar en estas diferentes tipologías de manera paralela, considerando que hoy todas ellas están presentes simultáneamente en la ciudad y se disputan su espacio en ella. Esta investigación describe características físicoespaciales y de administración de estos tres casos para aportar a las políticas públicas y el diseño urbano. Se estudia el comercio en relación a la accesibilidad a nivel metropolitano y en cuanto a los diferentes tipos de comercio, que pretenden atraer un público diverso y promueven el carácter público de los espacios.According to urban theory, commerce and public spaces are historically related to each other. Based on this premise, this paper analyzes a market, a shopping center and a mall. The goal of this research is to identify the key factors that turn these shopping precincts into public spaces and contribute to the public sphere in Santiago, Chile, at least within the context of the limitations associated with their private nature. To date, these three typologies have been the focus of intense debate. However, there are few studies of the public life that takes place in these spaces, especially when considering that they coexist simultaneously in the city, claiming a space within it. This research describes the physical-spatial and administrative characteristics of these three cases in order to contribute to the strengthening of public policies in urban design. Likewise, commerce is studied in relation to accessibility patterns at metropolitan level and the types of markets that aim to attract different users and promote the public nature of these spaces.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-83582018000100089&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=e

Constructing Formally Verified Reasoners for the ALC Description Logic

AbstractDescription Logics are a family of logics used to represent and reason about conceptual and terminological knowledge. Recently, its importance has been increased since they are used as a basis for the Ontology Web Language (OWL) used for the Semantic Web. In previous work, we have developed in PVS a generic framework for reasoning in the ALC description logic, proving its termination, soundness and completeness. In this paper we present the construction, from the generic framework, of a formally verified generic tableau-based algorithm for checking satisfiability of ALC-concepts. We do it using a methodology of refinements to transfer the properties from the framework to the algorithm. We also obtain some verified reasoners from the algorithm by a process of instantiation

Effect of single layer centrifugation using Androcoll-E-Large on the sperm quality parameters of cooled-stored donkey semen doses

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of single layer centrifugation (SLC) using Androcoll-E-Large on donkey sperm quality parameters after 24 h of cool-storage. Ejaculates were collected from Andalusian donkeys and then cooled at 5°C. SLC was carried out after 24 h of cool-storage using Androcoll-E-Large. In the first experiment, all sperm parameters assessed (total and progressive sperm motility, viability, sperm morphology and sperm kinematics VCL, VSL, VAP, LIN, STR, WOB, ALH and BCF) were statistically compared between semen samples processed or not with Androcoll-E-Large. Significant differences ( P<0.05) were found between SLC-selected and unselected semen samples for all parameters assessed, obtaining better results after SLC. In the second experiment, semen samples were classified in two groups according to their sperm progressive motility (PM) before SLC. Then, the increments obtained in semen quality parameters after SLC were compared between groups. No significant differences were found between groups, indicating that SLC improved the sperm quality parameters of entire set of semen samples processed with independence to their original PM. In conclusion, SLC with Androcoll-E-Large can be used in donkeys, increasing the sperm quality of cooled-stored donkey semen doses after 24 h of cool storag

Epidemiology and molecular characterization of Carnivore protoparvovirus-1 infection in the wild felid Leopardus guigna in Chile

Landscape anthropization has been identified as one of the main drivers of pathogen emergence worldwide, facilitating pathogen spillover between domestic species and wildlife. The present study investigated Carnivore protoparvovirus-1 infection using molecular methods in 98 free-ranging wild guignas (Leopardus guigna) and 262 co-occurring owned, free-roaming rural domestic cats. We also assessed landscape anthropization variables as potential drivers of infection. Protoparvovirus DNA was detected in guignas across their entire distribution range, with observed prevalence of 13.3% (real-time PCR) and 9% (conventional PCR) in guignas, and 6.1% (conventional PCR) in cats. Prevalence in guigna did not vary depending on age, sex, study area or landscape variables. Prevalence was higher in juvenile cats (16.7%) than in adults (4.4%). Molecular characterization of the virus by amplification and sequencing of almost the entire vp2 gene (1, 746 bp) from one guigna and five domestic cats was achieved, showing genetic similarities to canine parvovirus 2c (CPV-2c) (one guigna and one cat), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) (one cat), CPV-2 (no subtype identified) (two cats), CPV-2a (one cat). The CVP-2c-like sequence found in a guigna clustered together with domestic cat and dog CPV-2c sequences from South America, suggesting possible spillover from a domestic to a wild species as the origin of infection in guigna. No clinical signs of disease were found in PCR-positive animals except for a CPV-2c-infected guigna, which had haemorrhagic diarrhoea and died a few days after arrival at a wildlife rescue centre. Our findings reveal widespread presence of Carnivore protoparvovirus-1 across the guigna distribution in Chile and suggest that virus transmission potentially occurs from domestic to wild carnivores, causing severe disease and death in susceptible wild guignas

Unleashing the Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Potential of the Neuronostatin/GPR107 System in Prostate Cancer

Certain components of the somatostatin-system play relevant roles in Prostate Cancer (PCa), whose most aggressive phenotype (Castration-Resistant-PCa (CRPC)) remains lethal nowadays. However, neuronostatin and the G protein-coupled receptor 107 (GPR107), two novel members of the somatostatin-system, have not been explored yet in PCa. Consequently, we investigated the pathophysiological role of NST/GPR107-system in PCa. GPR107 expression was analyzed in well-characterized PCa patient′s cohorts, and functional/mechanistic assays were performed in response to GPR107-silencing and NST-treatment in PCa cells (androgen-dependent (AD: LNCaP) and androgen-independent (AI: 22Rv1/PC-3), which are cell models of hormone-sensitive and CRPC, respectively), and normal prostate cells (RWPE-1 cell-line). GPR107 was overexpressed in PCa and associated with key clinical parameters (e.g., advance stage of PCa, presence of vascular invasion and metastasis). Furthermore, GPR107-silencing inhibited proliferation/migration rates in AI-PCa-cells and altered key genes and oncogenic signaling-pathways involved in PCa aggressiveness (i.e., KI67/CDKN2D/MMP9/PRPF40A, SST5TMD4/AR-v7/In1-ghrelin/EZH2 splicing-variants and AKT-signaling). Interestingly, NST treatment inhibited proliferation/migration only in AI-PCa cells and evoked an identical molecular response than GPR107-silencing. Finally, NST decreased GPR107 expression exclusively in AI-PCa-cells, suggesting that part of the specific antitumor effects of NST could be mediated through a GPR107-downregulation. Altogether, NST/GPR107-system could represent a valuable diagnostic and prognostic tool and a promising novel therapeutic target for PCa and CRPC

Moodle at prosgraduate level: virtual platform utilization and continuous assesment

La adaptación al EEES ha implicado una reestructuración de los estudios universitarios promoviendo, entre otros, el uso de una evaluación continuada de los aprendizajes y de herramientas docentes virtuales en los nuevos grados. Estos cambios también pueden aplicarse en el posgrado, aunque hasta el momento, son pocas las experiencias al respecto. El presente trabajo muestra la opinión y los resultados obtenidos de los estudiantes de una asignatura de posgrado de un Máster Oficial Universitario URV-UB en el que se llevó a cabo evaluación continuada y se utilizó el Campus Virtual (CV) como herramienta de aprendizaje y participación activa. La aplicación del proyecto (2007PID/UB-14) se llevó a cabo en 4 fases: elaboración del aula, diseño de encuestas dirigidas a los estudiantes para obtener su opinión sobre la evaluación continuada y sus conocimientos en el uso de plataformas virtuales de forma previa al curso, gestión diaria del aula y seguimiento de las actividades propuestas y finalmente, evaluación del proyecto a través de indicadores cualitativos y cuantitativos derivados de las encuestas y de la propia aplicación virtual. Al inicio del curso la mayoría (93,75%) de los estudiantes prefería evaluación continuada y al final de éste el 100% estuvieron de acuerdo con el tipo de evaluación realizado. Respecto al CV, los estudiantes realizaron todas las actividades de autoevaluación voluntarias. La puntuación sobre la utilidad de todos los recursos del aula del CV fue muy elevada, siendo máxima la obtenida por los ejercicios de autoevaluación. En global, los estudiantes otorgaron al aula una puntuación de 8,1 sobre 10.The definition of new academic degrees according to the EHEA has promoted, among others, the utilization of graduate students learning by continuous evaluation, as well as the usage of virtual teaching tools. These changes can also be applicable for postgraduate students, although very few experiences exist in this sense. The present work shows the students’ opinion and results from a URV-UB EHEA Master’s subject in which continuous assessment and virtual teaching tools for active learning and participation have been used. The project (2007PID/UB-14) was performed in 4 steps: virtual material production, surveys to students designed to obtain information regarding continuous assessment and their knowledge about virtual platforms (VP), daily assessment of proposed activities, and finally, evaluation of the project by means of qualitative and quantitative indicators from surveys and from the virtual platform usage profiles. At the beginning of the course most of students (93.75%) preferred continuous assessment and at the end 100% agreed with the type of evaluation applied. With respect to the VP, the students performed all the voluntary activities. All virtual teaching tools were considered as very useful by the students, being the most useful for them the autoevaluation activities. Globally, the students gave a punctuation of 8.1 to this experience.Este estudio ha sido subvencionado por la Universidad de Barclona (Proyecto de innovación docente 2007PID-UB/14)

Clinical Utility of Ghrelin-O-Acyltransferase (GOAT) Enzyme as a Diagnostic Tool and Potential Therapeutic Target in Prostate Cancer

Recent data suggested that plasma Ghrelin O-Acyl Transferase enzyme (GOAT) levels could represent a new diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we aimed to explore the diagnostic and prognostic/aggressiveness capacity of GOAT in urine, as well as to interrogate its putative pathophysiological role in PCa. We analysed urine/plasma levels of GOAT in a cohort of 993 patients. In vitro (i.e., cell-proliferation) and in vivo (tumor-growth in a xenograft-model) approaches were performed in response to the modulation of GOAT expression/activity in PCa cells. Our results demonstrate that plasma and urine GOAT levels were significantly elevated in PCa patients compared to controls. Remarkably, GOAT significantly outperformed PSA in the diagnosis of PCa and significant PCa in patients with PSA levels ranging from 3 to 10 ng/mL (the so-called PSA grey-zone). Additionally, urine GOAT levels were associated to clinical (e.g., Gleason-score, PSA levels) and molecular (e.g., CDK2/CDK6/CDKN2A expression) aggressiveness parameters. Indeed, GOAT overexpression increased, while its silencing/blockade decreased cell-proliferation in PCa cells. Moreover, xenograft tumors derived from GOAT-overexpressing PCa (DU145) cells were significantly higher than those derived from the mock-overexpressing cells. Altogether, our results demonstrate that GOAT could be used as a diagnostic and aggressiveness marker in urine and a therapeutic target in PCa