Voice quality after endoscopic laser surgery and radiotherapy for early glottic cancer: objective measurements emphasizing the Voice Handicap Index

We analyzed the functional outcome and self-evaluation of the voice of patients with T1 glottic carcinoma treated with endoscopic laser surgery and radiotherapy. We performed an objective voice evaluation, as well as a physical, emotional and functional well being assessment of 19 patients treated with laser surgery and 18 patients treated with radiotherapy. Voice quality is affected both by surgery and radiotherapy. Voice parameters only show differences in the maximum phonation time between both treatments. Results in the Voice Handicap Index show that radiotherapy has less effect on patient voice quality perception. There is a reduced impact on the patient’s perception of voice quality after radiotherapy, despite there being no significant differences in vocal quality between radiotherapy and laser cordectomy

Tumor Expression of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 (Cdk5) Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Predicts Outcome of Oxaliplatin-Treated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that elevated expression of cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk5) contributes to the oncogenic initiation and progression of many types of cancers. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of Cdk5 in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and in a large number of tumor samples in order to evaluate its relevance in this pathogenesis and possible use as a prognostic marker. We found that Cdk5 is highly expressed and activated in CRC cell lines and that silencing of the kinase decreases their migration ability. In tumor tissues, Cdk5 is overexpressed compared to normal tissues due to a copy number gain. In patients with localized disease, we found that high Cdk5 levels correlate with poor prognosis, while in the metastatic setting, this was only the case for patients receiving an oxaliplatin-based treatment. When exploring the Cdk5 levels in the consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), we found the lowest levels in subtype 1, where high Cdk5 again was associated with a poorer prognosis. In conclusion, we confirm that Cdk5 is involved in CRC and disease progression and that it could serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in this disease

Recent advances in the application of stable isotopes as nutritional tools in aquaculture

From an ecological point of view, aquaculture systems consist of simple food webs having a limited number of nutritional sources. These characteristics facilitate the application of stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) to assess the flow of dietary components. Due to rapid and measurable bioaccumulation of the heavier stable isotopes, such isotopic shifts can be tracked at different times and at each trophic step to provide an indicator of what dietary components are being incorporated into animal tissue and how fast. The present manuscript presents results from recent, controlled nutritional experiments designed to quantify the relative contribution of dietary carbon and nitrogen supplied by different dietary items. Stable isotopes ratios were measured in a range of food sources and experimental animals. In a first experiment, juvenile shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were reared on co-feeding regimes having different proportions of live biomass of the green macroalgae Ulva clathrata and inert feed in order to identify nutritional contributions to tissue growth using dual stable isotope analysis. In another trial, nitrogen stable isotopes were measured to explore the relative dietary nitrogen contributions from fish meal and pea meal (Pisum sativum) to the growth of white shrimp postlarvae fed low protein diets having different proportions of both ingredients. In a third, multidisciplinary experiment, Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae were used as a model to evaluate the effect of different larval feeding regimes on (1) trypsinogen gene expression (ssetryp1), (2) trypsin and chymotrypsin activities and (3) changes in stable isotope composition to estimate the assimilation of dietary carbon from the larval diets

Enfrentando los riesgos socionaturales

El objetivo del libro es comprender la magnitud de los Riesgos Socionaturales en México y Latinoamérica, para comprender el peligro que existe por algún tipo de desastre, ya sea inundaciones, sismos, remoción en masa, entre otros, además conocer qué medidas preventivas, correctivas y de contingencias existen para estar atentos ante alguna señal que la naturaleza esté enviando y así evitar alguna catástrofe. El libro se enfoca en los aspectos básicos de análisis de los peligros, escenarios de riesgo, vulnerabilidad y resiliencia, importantes para la gestión prospectiva o preventiva

Casos de estudio en México y Latinoamérica

Ante la presencia de conflictos sociales y territoriales, las comunidades organizadas buscan estrategias de solución y confrontación. Es el estudio de dichos movimientos, lo que motiva a la publicación de éste libro: Respuestas comunitarias ante conflictos ambientales. Casos de estudio en México y Latinoamérica, reúne catorce textos que analizan las respuestas sociales y documentan la acción colectiva de comunidades que se han organizado para autogestionar soluciones ante conflictos territoriales, económicos y ambientales, en su propio entorno. Las aportaciones de investigadores y activistas, desde enfoques teóricos y metodológicos particulares, exponen casos de estudio sobre organizaciones formales e informales que se han conformado para afrontar los retos que representan proyectos productivos como fábricas cementeras, mineras, puertos, productores de energía, entre otros. Los enfoques analíticos tocan también temas nodales en el estudio de la acción colectiva como la ética, el despojo, los derechos humanos y las estrategias de comunicación y visibilización. Este material, que reúne estudios hechos en distintos lugares de México y Latinoamérica, es un compendio de métodos de investigación y un acercamiento al estudio de los movimientos sociales.UAEMEX, CONACyT, SE

Implementación en la UCM del Grado en Estudios Europeos / Bachelor in European Studies en el marco de la alianza europea de universidades UNA EUROPA

El presente proyecto de innovación ha tenido por objetivo la implementación en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid del Nuevo Grado en Estudios Europeos / Bachelor of European Studies (BAES) creado en el marco de la nueva alianza europea de universidades UNA EUROPA integrada por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, la Universidad de la Sorbona (París – I), Universidad Libre de Berlín, Universidad de Bolonia, Universidad Jaguelónica de Cracovia, Universidad de Helsinki, Universidad Católica de Lovaina, y Universidad de Edimburgo

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Puesta en marcha del Doble Grado Internacional en Derecho UCM - Sorbona en el marco de la alianza europea de universidades UNA EUROPA

Implementación de mejoras que potencien el Doble Grado Internacional en Derecho impartido conjuntamente entre la UCM y la Universidad de la Sorbona y que esta doble titulación internacional refuerce el papel de la UCM en la alianza europea UNA EUROP