Cultural dynamism and business vitality in medium-sized cities—evidence and proposals for sustainable development

This work uses tools recently designed to conduct analyses and proposals around the cultural development of medium-sized cities. The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor model, or CCCM, is first applied to the 81 cities in Spain with between 50, 000 and 100, 000 inhabitants. We also refer to the UNESCO Culture/2030 Indicators, specifically indicator 8 (Cultural companies), to in-vestigate whether cultural dynamism is related to business vitality in those cities. Our observation of the 29 CCCM indicators and the C3 index, which synthesizes cultural performance, is explained, and these data are complemented with cultural business data (on assets, benefits, and jobs) from a sample of 13, 204 firms. The C3 index values reveal significant differences in the cultural and creative performance of the selected cities according to their location (metropolitan or non-metropolitan) and their administrative rank. Moreover, when comparing the C3 index with the indicators on business activity, evidence indicates a clear positive relationship between cultural dynamism and firm vitality. These results support the contribution of culture to the sustainable development of me-dium-sized Spanish cities and further establish the suitability of the tools used to assist cities in designing appropriate cultural policies

Uso educativo ubicuo de dispositivos digitales móviles. Un estudio general y comparativo en la Educación Superior de España y Latinoamérica

This study conducted a general and comparative analysis of how university students use mobile digital devices for educational purposes in various places and spaces both inside and outside university facilities in Spain and Latin America. It analyses a total sample of 886 students (442 Spanish and 444 Latin American) corresponding to five Spanish and five Latin American universities. The research methodology was based on factorial analysis and comparison between groups with parametric and nonparametric tests. The results show that educational use of mobile digital devices in the Hispanic world concentrates on the use of smartphones and tablets inside university facilities; primarily in college cafeterias, corridors, classrooms and libraries. Spanish and Latin American students used tablets in and out of University facilities for storing and retrieving information, and smartphones for sharing educational information and content.En este estudio, se realizó un análisis general y comparativo sobre cómo los estudiantes universitarios usan dispositivos digitales móviles con fines educativos en diversos lugares y espacios dentro y fuera de los establecimientos universitarios en España y América Latina. Se analiza una muestra total de 886 estudiantes (442 españoles y 444 latinoamericanos) correspondientes a cinco universidades españolas y cinco latinoamericanas. La metodología de investigación se basó en el análisis factorial y la comparación entre grupos con pruebas paramétricas y no paramétricas. Los resultados muestran que el uso educativo de dispositivos digitales móviles en el mundo hispano consiste en su mayor parte en el uso de teléfonos inteligentes y tabletas dentro de las instalaciones universitarias, principalmente en cafeterías, pasillos, aulas y bibliotecas universitarias. Los estudiantes españoles y latinoamericanos usaron tabletas dentro y fuera de las instalaciones universitarias para almacenar y recuperar información, y teléfonos inteligentes para compartir información y contenido educativo

Different Coordination Modes of a Tripod Phosphine in Gold(I) and Silver(I) Complexes

The following gold(I) and silver(I) complexes of the tritertiary phosphine 1,1,1- tris(diphenylphosphinomethyl)ethane, tripod , have been synthesised: Au3(tripod)X3 [X = Cl(1), Br(2), I(3)]; [Au3(tripod)2Cl2]Cl (4); Au(tripod)X [X = Br(5), I(6)]; Ag3(tripod) (NO3)4 (7), Ag(tripod)NO3 (8). They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (complexes 2, 3 and 4), 31P NMR spectroscopy, electrospray and FAB mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. Complexes 2 and 3 show a linear coordination geometry for Au(I), with relatively short Au-P bond distances. Complex 3 has a Au•••Au intramolecular distance of 3.326 A ° , while complex 2 had a short Au•••Au intermolecular interaction of 3.048 A ° . Complexes 4-6 were found by 31P NMR spectroscopy studies to contain a mixture of species in solution, one of which crystallised as [Au3(tripod|)2Cl2]Cl which was shown by X-ray diffraction to contain both tetrahedral and linear Au(I), the first example of a Au(I) complex containing such a mixture of geometries. The reaction of [Au3 (tripod)Cl3] (1) with tripod led successfully to the formation of [Au3(tripod|)2Cl2]+ and [Au3(tripod)2Cl3]+ and [Au3(tripod|)3Cl]2+. The silver(I) complexes, 7 and 8 appear to contain linear and tetrahedral Ag(I), respectively

Towards a cloud‑based automated surveillance system using wireless technologies

Cloud Computing can bring multiple benefits for Smart Cities. It permits the easy creation of centralized knowledge bases, thus straightforwardly enabling that multiple embedded systems (such as sensor or control devices) can have a collaborative, shared intelligence. In addition to this, thanks to its vast computing power, complex tasks can be done over low-spec devices just by offloading computation to the cloud, with the additional advantage of saving energy. In this work, cloud’s capabilities are exploited to implement and test a cloud-based surveillance system. Using a shared, 3D symbolic world model, different devices have a complete knowledge of all the elements, people and intruders in a certain open area or inside a building. The implementation of a volumetric, 3D, object-oriented, cloud-based world model (including semantic information) is novel as far as we know. Very simple devices (orange Pi) can send RGBD streams (using kinect cameras) to the cloud, where all the processing is distributed and done thanks to its inherent scalability. A proof-of-concept experiment is done in this paper in a testing lab with multiple cameras connected to the cloud with 802.11ac wireless technology. Our results show that this kind of surveillance system is possible currently, and that trends indicate that it can be improved at a short term to produce high performance vigilance system using low-speed devices. In addition, this proof-of-concept claims that many interesting opportunities and challenges arise, for example, when mobile watch robots and fixed cameras would act as a team for carrying out complex collaborative surveillance strategies.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2016-77785-PJunta de Andalucía P12-TIC-130

Surface modified Eu:GdVO4 nanocrystals for optical and MRI imaging

A facile solvothermal route has been developed for the preparation of europium doped gadolinium orthovanadate nanoparticles (∼70 nm) with tetragonal structure, based on a homogenous precipitation reaction at 120 °C from rare earth precursors (yttrium nitrate and europium nitrate) and sodium orthovanadate solutions using an ethylene glycol-water mixture as the solvent. The effects of the doping level on the luminescence properties were evaluated in order to find the optimum nanophosphors. These nanocrystals were successfully functionalized with amino (two step process) and carboxylate (one-pot process) groups provided by amino-dextran polymers (AMD) and polyacrylic acid (PAA), respectively. It was found that while the luminescent properties of both kinds of functionalized systems were similar, the colloidal stability of the PAA-modified sample was higher, because of which, it was selected to study their cytotoxicity and magnetic properties (relaxivity and phantom analyses) to assess their potentiality as multifunctional probes for both >in vitro> optical biolabels and negative contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.Peer Reviewe

Use of metalloproteomics to access environmental stress in the free-living mice mus spretus

Comunicaciones a congreso

The PARP inhibitor olaparib enhances the sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma to trabectedin

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.-- et al.Recent preclinical evidence has suggested that Ewing Sarcoma (ES) bearing EWSR1-ETS fusions could be particularly sensitive to PARP inhibitors (PARPinh) in combination with DNA damage repair (DDR) agents. Trabectedin is an antitumoral agent that modulates EWSR1-FLI1 transcriptional functions, causing DNA damage. Interestingly, PARP1 is also a transcriptional regulator of EWSR1-FLI1, and PARPinh disrupts the DDR machinery. Thus, given the impact and apparent specificity of both agents with regard to the DNA damage/DDR system and EWSR1-FLI1 activity in ES, we decided to explore the activity of combining PARPinh and Trabectedin in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The combination of Olaparib and Trabectedin was found to be highly synergistic, inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and the accumulation of G2/M. The drug combination also enhanced γH2AX intranuclear accumulation as a result of DNA damage induction, DNA fragmentation and global DDR deregulation, while EWSR1-FLI1 target expression remained unaffected. The effect of the drug combination was corroborated in a mouse xenograft model of ES and, more importantly, in two ES patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models in which the tumors showed complete regression. In conclusion, the combination of the two agents leads to a biologically significant deregulation of the DDR machinery that elicits relevant antitumor activity in preclinical models and might represent a promising therapeutic tool that should be further explored for translation to the clinical setting.Enrique de Álava’s lab is supported by the AECC (Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer), the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain-FEDER (PI081828, RD06/0020/0059 RD12/0036/0017, PT13/0010/0056, PI110018, ISCIII Sara Borrell postdoc grant CD06/00001), the European Project EuroSARC (FP7-HEALTH-2011- two-stage, Project ID 278742 EUROSARC), Fundación Memoria de D. Manuel Solorzano Barruso, Fundación Cris contra el cancer, and Fundación María García Estrada. JLO was sponsored by the CSIC and the European Social Fund (post-doctoral grant JAE DOC) and is at present funded by the AECC. ATA is sponsored by the Fundaçao para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (fellowship SFRH/BD/69318/2010). OMT is funded by Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias-ISCIII (CES12/021) and the AECC. DHM is funded by the AECC. Work supported by the Xarxa de Bancs de Tumors de Catalunya (XBTC) sponsored by Pla Director d’Oncologia de Catalunya. AMC acknowledges funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under a Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant (PIRG-08- GA-2010-276998) and ISCIII-FEDER (CP13/00189).Peer Reviewe

Enhanced In Vivo Activity of Cefditoren in Pre-Immunized Mice against Penicillin-Resistant S. pneumoniae (Serotypes 6B, 19F and 23F) in a Sepsis Model

Background Specific antibodies are likely to be present before S. pneumoniae infection. We explored cefditoren (CDN) total and free values of serum concentrations exceeding the MIC (t>MIC) related to efficacy in a mice sepsis model, and the effect of specific gammaglobulins on in-vitro phagocytosis and in-vivo efficacy. Methodology/Principal Findings We used three pneumococcal isolates (serotype, MIC of CDN): Strain 1 (6B, 1 µg/ml), Strain 2 (19F, 2 µg/ml) and Strain 3 (23F, 4 µg/ml). Hyperimmune serum (HS) was obtained from mice immunized with heat-inactivated strains. In-vitro, phagocytosis by HS diluted 1/10 in presence/absence of sub-inhibitory concentrations was measured by flow cytometry including fluorescent bacteria and a neutrophil cell line. In-vivo dose-ranging experiments with HS (dilutions 1/2–1/16) and CDN (6.25 mg/kg–100 mg/kg tid for 48 h) were performed to determine the minimal protective dilution/dose (highest survival) and the non-protective highest dilution/dose (highest mortality: HS-np dilution and CDN-np dose) over 7 days. Efficacy of CDN-np in animals pre-immunized with HS-np (combined strategy) was explored and blood bacterial clearance determined. The CDN measured protein binding was 86.9%. In-vitro, CDN significantly increased phagocytosis (vs. HS 1/10). In non pre-immunized animals, t>MIC values for CDN of ≈35% (total) and ≈19% (free) were associated with 100% survival. Significant differences in survival were found between HS-np alone (≤20%) or CDN-np alone (≤20%) vs. the combined strategy (90%, 60% and 60% for Stains 1, 2 and 3), with t>MIC (total/free) of 22.8%/14.3%, 26.8%/16.0%, and 22.4%/12.7% for Strains 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Prior to the second dose (8 h), median bacterial counts were significantly lower in animals surviving vs. dead at day 7. Conclusions/Significance In mice (CDN protein binding similar to humans) total t>MIC values of ≈35% (≈19% free) were efficacious, with a decrease in the required values in pre-immunized animals. This reinforces that immunoprotection to overcome resistance may provide lifesaving strategies.This study was supported by an unrestricted grant from Tedec-Meiji Farma S.A., Madrid, Spain. Tedec-Meiji Farma S.A. had a role in providing reagents, materials and analysis toolsPeer reviewe

β-Lactam Effects on Mixed Cultures of Common Respiratory Isolates as an Approach to Treatment Effects on Nasopharyngeal Bacterial Population Dynamics

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes and Haemophilus influenzae are bacteria present in the nasopharynx as part of normal flora. The ecological equilibrium in the nasopharynx can be disrupted by the presence of antibiotics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A computerized two-compartment pharmacodynamic model was used to explore beta-lactam effects on the evolution over time of a bacterial load containing common pharyngeal isolates by simulating free serum concentrations obtained with amoxicillin (AMX) 875 mg tid, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC) 875/125 mg tid and cefditoren (CDN) 400 mg bid regimens over 24 h. Strains and MICs (microg/ml) of AMX, AMC and CDN were: S. pyogenes (0.03, 0.03 and 0.015), S. pneumoniae (2, 2 and 0.25), a beta-lactamase positive H. influenzae (BL(+); >16, 2 and 0.06) and a beta-lactamase positive AMC-resistant H. influenzae (BLPACR, >16, 8 and 0.06). Mixture of identical 1:1:1:1 volumes of each bacterial suspension were prepared yielding an inocula of approximately 4 x 10(6) cfu/ml. Antibiotic concentrations were measured both in bacterial and in bacteria-free antibiotic simulations. beta-lactamase production decreased AMX concentrations and fT(>MIC) against S. pneumoniae (from 43.2% to 17.7%) or S. pyogenes (from 99.9% to 24.9%), and eradication was precluded. The presence of clavulanic acid countered this effect of co-pathogenicity, and S. pyogenes (but not BL(+) and S. pneumoniae) was eradicated. Resistance of CDN to TEM beta-lactamase avoided this co-pathogenicity effect, and CDN eradicated S. pyogenes and H. influenzae strains (fT(>MIC) >58%), and reduced in 94% S. pneumoniae counts (fT(>MIC) approximately 25%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Co-pathogenicity seems to be gradual since clavulanic acid countered this effect for strains very susceptible to AMX as S. pyogenes but not for strains with AMX MIC values in the limit of susceptibility as S. pneumoniae. There is a potential therapeutic advantage for beta-lactamase resistant cephalosporins with high activity against streptococci

Synthesis and functionalization of biocompatible Tb:CePO4 nanophosphors with spindle-like shape

Monoclinic Tb:CePO4 nanophosphors with a spindle-like morphology and tailored size (in the nanometer and micrometer range) have been prepared through a very simple procedure, which consists of aging, at low temperature (120 C), ethylene glycol solutions containing only cerium and terbium acetylacetonates and phosphoric acid, not requiring the addition of surfactants or capping agents. The influence of the heating mode (conventional convection oven or microwave oven) and the Tb doping level on the luminescent, structural and morphological features of the precipitated nanoparticles have also been analyzed. This study showed that microwave-assisted heating resulted in an important beneficial effect on the luminescent properties of these nanophosphors. Finally, a procedure for the functionalization of the Tb:CePO4 nanoparticles with asparticdextran is also reported. The functionalized nanospindles presented negligible toxicity for Verocells, which along with theirs excellent luminescent properties, make them suitable for biomedical applications.Peer Reviewe