On the search of a lost urban planning modernity: throughout the legacy of Lewis Mumford

Postprint (published version

Microglial cells in astroglial cultures: a cautionary note

Primary rodent astroglial-enriched cultures are the most popular model to study astroglial biology in vitro. From the original methods described in the 1970's a great number of minor modifications have been incorporated into these protocols by different laboratories. These protocols result in cultures in which the astrocyte is the predominant cell type, but astrocytes are never 100% of cells in these preparations. The aim of this review is to bring attention to the presence of microglia in astroglial cultures because, in my opinion, the proportion of and the role that microglial cells play in astroglial cultures are often underestimated. The main problem with ignoring microglia in these cultures is that relatively minor amounts of microglia can be responsible for effects observed on cultures in which the astrocyte is the most abundant cell type. If the relative contributions of astrocytes and microglia are not properly assessed an observed effect can be erroneously attributed to the astrocytes. In order to illustrate this point the case of NO production in activated astroglial-enriched cultures is examined. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces nitric oxide (NO) production in astroglial-enriched cultures and this effect is very often attributed to astrocytes. However, a careful review of the published data suggests that LPS-induced NO production in rodent astroglial-enriched cultures is likely to be mainly microglial in origin. This review considers cell culture protocol factors that can affect the proportion of microglial cells in astroglial cultures, strategies to minimize the proportion of microglia in these cultures, and specific markers that allow the determination of such microglial proportions

De l’educació de l’arquitecte a l’arquitectura de l’educació: el devenir de la recerca en l’arquitectura i l’urbanisme

Preprin

Los sindicatos ante la conciliación de la vida laboral y familiar-personal

En este artículo se analizan las posturas de los sindicatos ante la conciliación, a partir, tanto de documentos oficiales legislativos europeos y españoles, como de entrevistas realizadas a afiliados sindicales. Así, vemos como la postura sindical, la articulación de la conciliación como un derecho colectivo no conlleva una conciliación real entre la vida laboral, la familiar y la personal, dada su identificación como medida para mujeres trabajadoras, sin implicar una nueva organización del trabajo, tanto productivo como familiar, ni tampoco un aumento de servicios públicos asistenciales.Through both the exploitation of European and Spanish official documents, jointly with interview analysis carried out among Spanish labor unionists, the position of labor unions around work-life balance policies is explained. The analysis achieved in this article puts forward that the formulation of work-life balance as a collective right does not seem to imply a real balance among the productive, the domestic and the personal dimensions of working life. In all, its identification as a women-only policy does not promote a new organization of work, domestic as well as productive, or an increase of public aid services

La fitxa molecular: una eina d'autoaprenentatge i d'avaluació continuada de Biologia Molecular

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524Tradicionalment la principal font de nou coneixement en Biologia Molecular han estat els articles científics. Cada vegada més, però, una part important d’aquesta nova informació es troba dipositada en bases de dades. Amb l’objectiu de familiaritzar l’estudiant tant amb els articles científics com amb les bases de dades de Biologia Molecular hem dissenyat una activitat d’avaluació continuada, anomenada Fitxa Molecular, pels estudiants de “Biologia Molecular” del grau de Medicina i de “Bioquímica” del grau d’Enginyeria Biomèdica. El treball consisteix en trobar una sèrie de dades sobre DNA, mRNA, proteïna i funció d’un gen assignat. El treball progressa durant el curs paral·lelament als continguts de les classes teòriques mitjançant una sessió inicial de presentació, 4 sessions de seguiment i introducció de noves tasques i una sessió final d’avaluació. El treball es realitza en grups de 3-4 estudiants, la presentació es fa de forma oral i la qualificació obtinguda suposa un 20% de la nota final de l’assignatura. En l’activitat es treballen les bases de dades NCBI..

La sociología del espacio al encuentro de una arquitectura oculta en la educación

Background of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004. WP1: CompilationEste artículo pretende demostrar el lugar específico de la arquitectura y del urbanismo en la sociología de la cultura y en la sociología de la educación. Para ello, parte de treinta años de experiencias sobre la arquitectura y el urbanismo construidos por la infancia y la adolescencia dentro de las escuelas primarias en diversos países, realizadas por el arquitecto Josep Muntañola. Tomando estas experiencias como punto de partida y pensando, sobre todo, en el futuro de una sociología del espacio y de una arquitectura que responda a la vida social, en los distintos capítulos se intenta analizar los conceptos fundamentales que permiten comprender cómo se produce el "feedback" estructural entre la organización del espacio a través de la arquitectura y del urbanismo, de una parte, y el comportamiento social, tanto individual como colectivo, de otra parte. Para ello, nos sirven de referencia teórico-filosófica las ideas del filósofo francés Paul Ricoeur que se refirió a la importancia social y cultural de la arquitectura en sus últimas obras, alguna publicada póstumamente, y del pensador ruso Mijaíl Bajtín y sus teorías dialógicas. Como conclusión general, puede afirmarse que la sociología del espacio pone de manifiesto estructuras y prácticas sociales que afectan intensamente nuestra cultura científica, artística y política, desde la educación, la legislación y la arquitectura y el urbanismo, las cuales permanecen ocultas ante otras disciplinas, muy poco proclives a incluir la forma del espacio y su uso dentro de sus campos de estudio. La arquitectura y el urbanismo son, así, origen de unas peculiares "formas de entendimiento" (o de conflictos sociales y mentales), todavía muy poco estudiadas y, todavía menos, comprendidas

Pro-inflammatory gene expression and neurotoxic effects of activated microglia are attenuated by absence of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β

Background. Microglia and astrocytes respond to homeostatic disturbances with profound changes of gene expression. This response, known as glial activation or neuroinflammation, can be detrimental to the surrounding tissue. The transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ß (C/EBPß) is an important regulator of gene expression in inflammation but little is known about its involvement in glial activation. To explore the functional role of C/EBPß in glial activation we have analyzed pro-inflammatory gene expression and neurotoxicity in murine wild type and C/EBPß-null glial cultures. Methods. Due to fertility and mortality problems associated with the C/EBPß-null genotype we developed a protocol to prepare mixed glial cultures from cerebral cortex of a single mouse embryo with high yield. Wild-type and C/EBPß-null glial cultures were compared in terms of total cell density by Hoechst-33258 staining; microglial content by CD11b immunocytochemistry; astroglial content by GFAP western blot; gene expression by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, immunocytochemistry and Griess reaction; and microglial neurotoxicity by estimating MAP2 content in neuronal/microglial cocultures. C/EBPß DNA binding activity was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation. Results. C/EBPß mRNA and protein levels, as well as DNA binding, were increased in glial cultures by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or LPS + interferon ¿ (IFN¿). Quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation showed binding of C/EBPß to pro-inflammatory gene promoters in glial activation in a stimulus- and gene-dependent manner. In agreement with these results, LPS and LPS+IFN¿ induced different transcriptional patterns between pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO synthase-2 genes. Furthermore, the expressions of IL-1ß and NO synthase-2, and consequent NO production, were reduced in the absence of C/EBPß. In addition, neurotoxicity elicited by LPS+IFN¿-treated microglia co-cultured with neurons was completely abolished by the absence of C/EBPß in microglia

On the search of a lost urban planning modernity: throughout the legacy of Lewis Mumford

Starting from the correspondence held by Mumford and Muntañola, the article follows a critical trace developed by the same Muntañola with Saura Carulla, pointing out some key issues faced by Mumford in his vast work. Such issues allow to highlight, among the rest, the very contemporary, innovative and critical strength of the message left by the American Regionalist movement, centered on an integrated and complex relationship among man, nature and technology and a multidisciplinary vision considering planning as a ‘civic’ practice, emphasizing its ‘education’ and communication dimensions. Using the metaphor of “The Egg of the Snake” for the basic theoretical and practical errors of urban planning, the article highlights how Mumford had carefully analyzed such ‘eggs’ over time - a critique of contemporary urban planning in relation to ecological balances and wrong social practices, an analysis of the role of technology in relation to social welfare and so on - and for this had been charged, to his regret, of retrograde attitude. This critical reading of the typical approach to urban project, especially revealed in his last years, shows perhaps a state of anxiety that, in Mumford, was about to flow into a trans-disciplinary approach.Strutturato a partire dalla corrispondenza tenuta da Mumford e Muntañola, l’articolo si sviluppa attraverso una traccia critica svolta dallo stesso Muntañola e da Saura Carulla, cogliendo alcune questioni chiave affrontate da Mumford nella sua vasta opera. I temi individuati consentono di evidenziare fra le altre cose l’attualissima forza innovativa e critica del messaggio del Movimento Regionalista americano, incentrata su di un approccio integrato e complesso della relazione uomo-natura-tecnologia e su una visione multidisciplinare che vede la pianificazione come pratica ‘civica’, sottolineandone la dimensione ‘educativa’ e comunicativa. Utilizzando la metafora dell’“uovo del serpente” per i fondamentali errori teorici e pratici della pianificazione urbana, nell’articolo si evidenzia come Mumford abbia nel tempo analizzato con molta cura queste ‘uova’ - la critica della pianificazione urbana contemporanea in relazione agli equilibri ecologici e a pratiche sociali sbagliate, l’analisi sul ruolo della tecnologia in relazione al benessere sociale ecc. - e sia stato per questo accusato, con suo sommo rammarico, di atteggiamento retrogrado. Questa lettura critica, manifestata soprattutto negli ultimi anni, del modo in cui ci si avvicinava al progetto della città mostra forse uno stato di inquietudine che in Mumford stava sfociando in un approccio interdisciplinare

Taula rodona: «Poder (polític, econòmic) i comunicació»

Aquesta taula rodona respon a l'interès i la preocupació amb què seguim els canvis que la nova estructura empresarial del món de la comunicació està produint en la pràctica comunicativa. També ens interessa esbrinar com tot plegat està afectant el desenvolupament de les nostres societats democràtiques.This round table is a response to our interest and concern regarding the structure of the new global communication industry and its effect on communication practice and, by extension, on the development of democratic societies