Karst in conglomerates in Catalonia (Spain): morphological forms and sedimentary sequence types recorded on archaeological sites

This article aims to make the karst morphological forms to be found in conglomerate rocks, as well as the sedimentary sequence types recorded in such deposits, more widely known. Particular attention is paid to points where prehistoric occupation has been traced, sites such as: the Font Major Cave (Espluga de Francoli, Tarragona), the Hort de la Boquera, the Filador Rock-shelter and the Colls Rock-shelter (Margalef de Montsant, Tarragona), and the Parco Cave (Alôs de Balaguer, Lleida). By means of this approach the characteristics of karst deposits in conglomerate rocks are analyzed both from an archaeological and a sedimentary point of view

Retrato politico de el señor rey don Afonso el VIII

Texto enmarcado y con apostillas marginalesSalvà 3055 identifica esta edición como contrahecha y la distingue de la original, ambas con el mismo pié de imprentaSign.: A-T4Port. con orl

Bone Marrow-Derived Cells from Male Donors Do Not Contribute to the Endometrial Side Population of the Recipient

Accumulated evidence demonstrates the existence of bone marrow-derived cells origin in the endometria of women undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In these reports, cells of a bone marrow (BM) origin are able to differentiate into endometrial cells, although their contribution to endometrial regeneration is not yet clear. We have previously demonstrated the functional relevance of side population (SP) cells as the endogenous source of somatic stem cells (SSC) in the human endometrium. The present work aims to understand the presence and contribution of bone marrow-derived cells to the endometrium and the endometrial SP population of women who received BMT from male donors. Five female recipients with spontaneous or induced menstruations were selected and their endometrium was examined for the contribution of XY donor-derived cells using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), telomapping and SP method investigation. We confirm the presence of XY donor-derived cells in the recipient endometrium ranging from 1.7% to 2.62%. We also identify 0.45–0.85% of the donor-derived cells in the epithelial compartment displaying CD9 marker, and 1.0–1.83% of the Vimentin-positive XY donor-derived cells in the stromal compartment. Although the percentage of endometrial SP cells decreased, possibly being due to chemotherapy applied to these patients, they were not formed by XY donor-derived cells, donor BM cells were not associated with the stem cell (SC) niches assessed by telomapping technique, and engraftment percentages were very low with no correlation between time from transplant and engraftment efficiency, suggesting random terminal differentiation. In conclusion, XY donor-derived cells of a BM origin may be considered a limited exogenous source of transdifferentiated endometrial cells rather than a cyclic source of BM donor-derived stem cells

Improved gnss-r altimetry methods: Theory and experimental demonstration using airborne dual frequency data from the microwave interferometric reflectometer (mir)

Altimetric performance of Global Navigation Satellite System - Reflectometry (GNSS-R) instruments depends on receiver’s bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The altimetric delay is usually computed from the time difference between the peak of the direct signal waveform and the maximum of the derivative of the reflected signal waveform. Dual-frequency data gathered by the airborne Microwave Interferometric Reflectometer (MIR) in the Bass Strait, between Australia and Tasmania, suggest that this approach is only valid for flat surfaces and large bandwidth receivers. This work analyses different methods to compute the altimetric observables using GNSS-R. A proposed novel methodThis work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, “Sensing with Pioneering Opportunistic Techniques”, grant RTI2018-099008-B-C21/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033, and the grant for recruitment of early-stage research staff FI-DGR 2015 of the AGAUR— Generalitat de Catalunya (FEDER), Spain, and the grant for recruitment of early-stage research staff FI 2018 of the AGAUR—Generalitat de Catalunya (FEDER), Spain, and Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu MDM-2016-060Postprint (published version

Procesos deposicionales y antrópicos en el registro holoceno de la Cova de Can Sadurní (Begues, Barcelona, España): aportaciones microestratigráficas

[spa] El estudio geoarqueológico y microestratigráfico de la secuencia de la Cova de Can Sadurní (Begues, Barcelona) ofrece una variabilidad de procesos deposicionales de tipo detrítico y antrópico que en determinadas etapas se alternan y repercuten en los procesos diagenéticos localizados. La secuencia cultural del yacimiento va desde el Epipaleolítico hasta época Romana bajo imperial con algunas interrupciones cronoculturales. Durante el Epipaleolítico y Mesolítico los aportes solifluidales son los responsables de la sedimentación. A partir del Neolítico, movimientos de masa y procesos coluvionales son los dominantes. Se distinguen flujos densos principalmente durante el Neolítico antiguo cardial y postcardial inicial; también se localizan pero con menor extensión durante el Neolítico medio postcardial, Neolítico final/Calcolítico y en el Bronce inicial. Los aportes coluvionales no laminados aparecen en el resto de la secuencia. Estos episodios se alternan con fases de estabilidad en el medio en el que la tasa de sedimentación detrítica es menor o casi inexistente y es reemplazada por los aportes procedentes de las actividades de estabulación localizados in situ durante el Neolítico epicardial y postcardial inicial; aunque ya se constaten evidencias desde el Neolítico antiguo cardial. Asociados a estos contextos, los procesos hidromórficos se acentúan dando lugar a la formación de vivianita, fosfato de hierro, propia de lugares reductores con un gran contenido orgánico.[eng] Depositional and anthropic processes in the Holocene record of the Can Sadurní cave (Begues, Barcelona, Spain): microstratigraphic contributions ABSTRACT The geoarchaeological and microstratigraphic study of the Can Sadurní cave sequence (Begues, Barcelona) reveals the presence of detrital and anthropogenic depositional processes, alternating at certain stages. These influenced the location of the diagenetic processes. The cultural sequence of the site ranges from Epipaleolithic to Late Roman Empire, with some chronocultural interruptions. During the Epipaleolithic and Mesolithic, solifluction processes were responsible for sedimentation. From the Neolithic, mass wasting and colluvial processes were dominant. Dense flows are distinguished mainly during the Cardial Early Neolithic and Early Postcardial. This type of contribution is also present to a lesser extent during the Postcardial Middle Neolithic, Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age. Non-laminated colluvial inputs appear in the rest of the sequence. These episodes alternate with periods of stability, in which the rate of detrital sedimentation is lower or almost non-existent. This is replaced by the presence of in situ stabling areas during the Epicardial and Early Postcardial Neolithic, although evidence is detected from the Cardial Early Neolithic. Associated with these contexts, hydromorphic processes are accentuated leading to the formation of vivianite -an iron phosphate mineral- typical of a reducing medium with high organic matter

El Tractament de manteniment per a la dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna i per a la dependència de cocaïna

Objectiu: Estudiar les evidències científiques disponibles sobre l'eficàcia del tractament de manteniment per a la dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna i per a la dependència de cocaïna. Mètodes: Revisió sistemàtica d'assaigs clínics aleatoritzats (ACA) de grups paral·lels. Es va recollir l'abstinència d'heroïna, cocaïna i la retenció a l'estudi. Es van combinar els resultats obtinguts mitjançant tècniques metanalítiques. Resultats: Tres ACA (456 pacients) van comparar l'eficàcia de dosis altes d'opiacis vs dosis baixes en pacients amb dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna. Les dosis altes d'opiacis van ser més eficaces que les dosis baixes per a retenir els pacients en el tractament i disminuir el consum d'heroïna, però no van millorar el consum de cocaïna. Quatre ACA (329 pacients) van comparar l'eficàcia de la metadona (un agonista opioid complet) respecte de la buprenorfina (un agonista parcial) en pacients amb una dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna. L'abstinència d'heroïna i cocaïna i la retenció al tractament van ser superiors entre els pacients tractats amb metadona que entre els que van rebre buprenorfina. Disset ACA (1.555 pacients) van investigar l'eficàcia de fàrmacs psicoestimulants respecte el placebo en pacients amb dependència de cocaïna. El tractament de manteniment amb psicoestimulants va ser eficaç per a disminuir el consum de cocaïna però no va millorar la retenció al tractament. Cinc ACA (403 pacients) van comparar l'eficàcia del tractament de manteniment doble amb opioids i psicoestimulants respecte del tractament de manteniment amb opioids en pacients amb dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna. El tractament de manteniment doble va aconseguir una disminució més gran del consum d'heroïna i cocaïna però no va augmentar la retenció al tractament. Cap dels ACA inclosos es va considerar lliure de biaix, fonamentalment perquè els intensos efectes conductuals dels medicaments investigats fan difícil l'emmascarament de les intervencions estudiades. A més, en molts ACA la taxa d'abandonament va ser alta, fet que pot provocar biax de desgast. Discussió: El manteniment amb opioids sembla eficaç per al tractament de la dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna, particularment quan s'empra metadona. El tractament de manteniment amb psicoestimulants a pacients amb dependència de cocaïna augmenta l'abstinència de cocaïna però no millora la retenció en l'estudi. El tractament de manteniment doble amb psicoestimulants i opiacis a pacients amb dependència dual d'heroïna i cocaïna augmenta l'abstinència d'ambdues substàncies respecte del tractament de manteniment amb opiacis. La confiança que generen els resultats d'aquestes RSMA és, en general, modesta, fonamentalment degut a l'existència de biaixos per la dificultat d'emmascarar les intervencions farmacològiques i per la baixa retenció en l'estudi que es va observar en la majoria d'ACA inclosos. Així mateix, molts dels resultats tenen un grau d'indirectesa elevat i són poc precisos degut al baix nombre de pacients inclosos i d'esdeveniments observats. La retenció en l'estudi és, probablement, la variable que proporciona una informació de més qualitat sobre l'eficàcia de les intervencions investigades en pacients amb dependència de substàncies.Objective: To study the available scientific evidence on the effectiveness of maintenance treatment for dual heroin and cocaine dependence and for cocaine dependence. Methods: A systematic review of parallel-group, randomized, controlled clinical trials (RCCTs) was performed. Heroin and cocaine abstinence and study retention were the main study endpoints. Data were pooled together by means of meta-analysis. Results: Three RCCTs (456 patients) compared the efficacy of high versus low dose of opioids in patients with dual heroin and cocaine dependence. Higher doses were more efficacious than lower ones for retaining patients in treatment and reducing the consumption of heroin but not to improve cocaine use. Four RCCTs (329 patients) compared the efficacy of methadone (a full opioid agonist) than buprenorphine (a partial agonist) in patients with a dual dependence on heroin and cocaine. Heroin and cocaine abstinence and treatment retention was higher among patients treated with methadone than among those receiving buprenorphine. Seventeen RCCTs (1,555 patients) investigated the efficacy of psychostimulant drugs compared to placebo in patients with cocaine dependence. Maintenance treatment with psychostimulants was efficacious in reducing cocaine use but did not improve retention in treatment. Five RCCTs (403 patients) compared the efficacy of double maintenance therapy with opioids and psychostimulants against opioid maintenance treatment in patients with dual heroin and cocaine dependence. Double maintenance treatment was more efficacious in reducing heroin and cocaine use but did not improve treatment retention. None of the included RCCTs was considered free of bias, fundamentally due to the fact that the intense behavioural effects of the drugs investigated may reveal the assigned intervention. In addition, the dropout rate was high in many trials, which can lead to attrition bias. Discussion: Opioid maintenance treatment appears effective for dual heroin and cocaine dependence, being methadone more efficacious than buprenorphine. Maintenance treatment with psychostimulants increases cocaine abstinence but does not improve study retention in patients with cocaine dependence. Double maintenance treatment with psychostimulants and opioids in patients with dual heroin and cocaine dependency increases the abstinence of both substances compared to opioid maintenance treatment. The confidence of the results of this systematic review is modest, because bias may arise from the difficulty of masking the pharmacological interventions investigated and the low study retention observed in most RCCTs. Furthermore, the results are rather indirect and imprecise because both the sample size and observed event rate were low for most comparisons. Study retention is probably the study endpoint that provides the information of the highest about the efficacy of interventions investigated in patients with substance dependence

Reconstruction of Endometrium from Human Endometrial Side Population Cell Lines

Endometrial regeneration is mediated, at least in part, by the existence of a specialized somatic stem cell (SSC) population recently identified by several groups using the side population (SP) technique. We previously demonstrated that endometrial SP displays genotypic, phenotypic and the functional capability to develop human endometrium after subcutaneous injection in NOD-SCID mice. We have now established seven human endometrial SP (hESP) cell lines (ICE 1–7): four from the epithelial and three from the stromal fraction, respectively. SP cell lines were generated under hypoxic conditions based on their cloning efficiency ability, cultured for 12–15 passages (20 weeks) and cryopreserved. Cell lines displayed normal 46XX karyotype, intermediate telomerase activity pattern and expressed mRNAs encoding proteins that are considered characteristic of undifferentiated cells (Oct-4, GDF3, DNMT3B, Nanog, GABR3) and those of mesodermal origin (WT1, Cardiac Actin, Enolase, Globin, REN). Phenotype analysis corroborated their epithelial (CD9+) or stromal (vimentin+) cell origin and mesenchymal (CD90+, CD73+ and CD45−) attributes. Markers considered characteristic of ectoderm or endoderm were not detected. Cells did not express either estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) or progesterone receptor (PR). The hESP cell lines were able to differentiate in vitro into adipocytes and osteocytes, which confirmed their mesenchymal origin. Finally, we demonstrated their ability to generate human endometrium when transplanted beneath the renal capsule of NOD-SCID mice. These findings confirm that SP cells exhibit key features of human endometrial SSC and open up new possibilities for the understanding of gynecological disorders such as endometriosis or Asherman syndrome. Our cell lines can be a valuable model to investigate new targets for endometrium proliferation in endometriosis