After the Cartel Party: ‘Extra-Party’ and ‘Intra-Party’ Techno-Populism

This article reads the restructuring of European party systems in the 2010s as a transition from cartel to techno-populist parties, with a specific focus on left-populist challengers. Adopting a historical-institutionalist perspective, it demonstrates how a long-term cartelization and particular mode of crisis management after 2008 drove the gradual replacement of the party cartel with a cohabitation of populism and technocratic politics: techno-populism. Although this techno-populist template has been deployed for parties such as Five Star Movement and some right-wing populist outfits, it has usually been left aside for left-wing variants. This article investigates two techno-populist subtypes from the left: Corbynism in the United Kingdom and Podemos in Spain. The former took place within a cartel party (‘intra-party’), while the latter occurred from outside the party cartel (‘extra-party’). Although such party cartelization cuts across cases, the rise of Corbynism and Podemos took place under different institutional conditions: different electoral systems, different European Union membership and different dynamics of party competition on the left. The article concludes with the observation that rather than an anomaly, the presence of techno-populist tropes in and outside of parties and across institutional settings indicates the pervasiveness of these logics in contemporary European party politics

The Inclusionary Populist Communication Style on Facebook: The Case of Ada Colau in Barcelona

Communication is one of the core elements of populism, especially in social media. Through such digital platforms, political leaders can communicate directly with citizens and build both their discourse and their political leadership. Although the literature has so far identified the existence of a populist political communication style, the expansion of populism and its connection with social media are extending and diversifying the concept, as well as adding new repertoires. In order to analyse this, we propose a study of the communication strategy of the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau who, with a background of citizen activism, became mayor of the city in 2015 thanks to a political organisation situated as left populist. The methodology is based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of the content of Colau’s Facebook profile. A total of 226 posts between 2015 and 2017 are analysed. The results make it possible to identify a new specific modality within the populist style of political communication, namely the inclusionary populist type. This focuses on issues related to defense of the rights of the weakest social groups and works within a framework of social justice and solidarity with others. Likewise, the study confirms how Facebook is configured as a preferred platform for the construction of political leadership

Transplant of GABAergic Precursors Restores Hippocampal Inhibitory Function in a Mouse Model of Seizure Susceptibility

Defects in GABAergic function can cause epilepsy. in the last years, cell-based therapies have attempted to correct these defects with disparate success on animal models of epilepsy. Recently, we demonstrated that medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-derived cells grafted into the neonatal normal brain migrate and differentiate into functional mature GABAergic interneurons. These cells are able to modulate the local level of GABA-mediated synaptic inhibition, which suggests their suitability for cell-based therapies. However, it is unclear whether they can integrate in the host circuitry and rescue the loss of inhibition in pathological conditions. Thus, as proof of principle, we grafted MGE-derived cells into a mouse model of seizure susceptibility caused by specific elimination of GABAergic interneuron subpopulations in the mouse hippocampus after injection of the neurotoxic saporin conjugated to substance P (SSP-Sap). This ablation was associated with significant decrease in inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSC) on CA1 pyramidal cells and increased seizure susceptibility induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Grafting of GFP(+) MGE-derived cells in SSP-Sap-treated mice repopulates the hippocampal ablated zone with cells expressing molecular markers of mature interneurons. Interestingly, IPSC kinetics on CA1 pyramidal cells of ablated hippocampus significantly increased after transplantation, reaching levels similar to the normal mice. More importantly, this was associated with reduction in seizure severity and decrease in postseizure mortality induced by PTZ. Our data show that MGE-derived cells fulfill most of the requirements for an appropriate cell-based therapy, and indicate their suitability for neurological conditions where a modulation of synaptic inhibition is needed, such as epilepsy.Spanish Ministry of Science and InnovationCIPFCarlos III Institute (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation)Generalitat ValencianaAndalusian Ctr Mol Biol & Regenerat Med CABIMER, Dept Cell Therapy & Regenerat Med, Seville, SpainCIPF, Valencia, SpainUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilSpanish Ministry of Science and Innovation: SAF 07/61880Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation: FIS 07/0079Web of Scienc

Oncostatin m impairs brown adipose tissue thermogenic function and the browning of subcutaneous white adipose tissue

© 2016 The Obesity Society Objective: Since oncostatin m (OSM) is elevated in adipose tissue in conditions of obesity and type 2 diabetes in mice and humans, the aim of this study was to determine whether this cytokine plays a crucial role in the impairment of brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity and browning capacity that has been observed in people with obesity. Methods: C57BL/6J mice rendered obese by high-fat diet, their lean controls, and C57BL/6J mice fed a standard diet and implanted subcutaneously with a mini pump through a surgical procedure to deliver OSM or placebo were used. Preadipocytes or fully differentiated brown adipocytes were treated with OSM or vehicle with or without norepinephrine before harvesting. RNA was extracted and processed for qPCR analysis. Media from mature adipocytes was also collected to measure glycerol levels. Results: Studies demonstrated that OSM gene expression was increased in BAT of mice fed a high-fat diet. In addition, exogenous OSM impaired BAT activity and the browning capacity of white adipose tissue in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Overall, the results reveal a negative role for OSM on BAT and on the browning of white adipose tissue. Therefore, further studies are necessary to demonstrate whether OSM inhibition is a potential treatment for metabolic disorders

Hematoma epidural cervical tras latigazo cervical

Se describe un hematoma epidural a nivel cervical en un varón de 43 años, tras un traumatismo menor tipo latigazo cervical. Su sintomatología inicial obligó a descartar patología cardiaca llegándose al diagnóstico tras estudio mediante resonancia nuclear magnética. El cuadro clínico parcial y no progresivo desaconsejó la cirugía, observándose su reabsorción con nuevo control de resonancia. Se realza una revisión de la bibliografía, señalándose las principales características de esta entidad poco frecuente.We repor a case of cervical epidural hematoma in a 43 year-old man, after soft-tissue cervical spine strain (known as a “whiplast”). At the beginnig, because previous presumptive cardiac pain in this patient, we need to discart cardiac cause. We made the diagnostic of cervical epidural hematoma with the use of magnetic resonance imaging. The incomplete, not severe and nonprogressing defficits led us to conservative treatment; and the hematoma resolved spontaneously, as documented with a new magnetic resonance imaging. The medical literature relating to this uncommon entity has been reviewe

Eficacia y fitotoxicidad a corto y largo plazo del fosfuro de aluminio contra el picudo rojo de las palmeras sobre ejemplares de palmeras canarias vivas

El picudo rojo de las palmeras, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, es un curculiónido nativo del sureste asiático que se ha extendido por todo el mundo debido, principalmente, al movimiento no intencionado de plantas infestadas. Como resultado, esta especie se ha convertido en la plaga más destructiva de palmeras a nivel mundial. La enorme dificultad que conlleva detectar los primeros síntomas de infestación debido a los hábitos crípticos de esta plaga, ha provocado que muchos paises pongan en práctica estrictas normas cuarentenarias en la pre y post entrada de palmeras con el fin de evitar su propagación. Sin embargo, aún no existen protocolos cuarentenarios que permitan asegurar que las palmeras no estén infestadas por este insecto. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la eficacia del fosfuro de aluminio, comno tratamiento cuarentenario seguro, contra diferentes estados de desarrollo de R. ferrugineus y comprobar los posibles efectos fitotóxicos producidos por este gas en palmeras canarias vivas. Nuestros resultados confirman que una dosis de 1,14 g metro/cúbico durante 2 días es suficiente para eliminar todos los estados de desarrollo del picudo en palmeras canarias vivas, no observando efectos fitotóxicos sobre las mismas durante un año después del tratamiento. Este procedimiento, se podría aplicar fácilmente en contenedores cerrados utilizados para la exportación de palmeras, pudiendo reducir drásticamente los riesgos asociados al tránsito de palmeras en todo el mundo

Esterification of levulinic acid with butanol over ion exchange resins

Alkyl levulinates are biobased chemicals with a great number of applications and great biofuel potential for blending to conventional diesel or gasoline. The present work focuses on the liquid-phase synthesis of butyl levulinate (BL) by esterification of levulinic acid (LA) with 1-butanol (BuOH) using a set of acidic ion-exchange resins. Experiments were performed at 80 °C and 2.5 MPa in a batch reactor by using an initial molar ratio AL/BuOH of 1/3 and a catalyst loading of 0.8%. It has been found that BL could be successfully obtained over ion-exchange resins with a selectivity higher than 99.5%. LA conversions ranged from 64% (Amberlyst 46, macroreticular, surface sulfonated) to 94% (Dowex 50Wx2, gel-type resin, conventionally sulfonated) at 8 h reaction time. By comparing their catalytic behavior, it was seen that resins morphology plays a very important role in the synthesis of BL making easier the access of reactants to acid sites. Accessibility of LA and BuOH to acid centers was high over highly swollen and low polymer density resins. Thus, gel-type resins with low divinylbenzene (DVB) content have been found as the most suitable to produce BL, e.g. Dowex 50Wx2, Dowex 50Wx4 and Purolite® CT224. Among them, Dowex 50Wx2 (2% DVB) is the most efficient catalyst tested

Quantum equilibration of the double-proton transfer in a model system porphine

There is a renewed interest in the derivation of statistical mechanics from the dynamics of closed quantum systems. A central part of this program is to understand how closed quantum systems, i.e., in the absence of a thermal bath, initialized far-from-equilibrium can share a dynamics that is typical to the relaxation towards thermal equilibrium. Equilibration dynamics has been traditionally studied with a focus on the so-called quenches of large-scale many-body systems. We consider here the equilibration of a two-dimensional molecular model system describing the double proton transfer reaction in porphine. Using numerical simulations, we show that equilibration indeed takes place very rapidly (∼200 fs) for initial states induced by pump–dump laser pulse control with energies well above the synchronous barrier. The resulting equilibration state is characterized by a strong delocalization of the probability density of the protons that can be explained, mechanistically, as the result of (i) an initial state consisting of a large superposition of vibrational states, and (ii) the presence of a very effective dephasing mechanism

Complications of laparoscopic lymphadenectomy for gynecologic malignancies. Experience of 372 patients

Evaluation of lymph nodes is an integral part in the management of women with gynecologic cancers, which is why the pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomy is widely used as a staging and/ or prognostic procedure in such malignancies. The purpose of this study was to describe our experience with pelvic and aortic laparoscopic lymphadenectomy and evaluate the safety and feasibility of this procedure for gynecologic malignancies. From January 2004 to December 2015, a laparoscopic pelvic and/or aortic lymphadenectomy was performed in 372 women at the Department of Gynecology Oncology of the University General Hospital of Castellon and at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Sant Pau and Santa Tecla Tarragona Hospitals. Out of the 372 cases, 240 combined pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomies were performed, while 108 and 24 patients underwent pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomy respectively. The mean operative times were 40 min (20-89) in order to perform a complete pelvic lymphadenectomy, 62 min (21-151) for transperitoneal aortic lymphadenectomy and 45 min (35-65) for a retroperitoneal approach. A conversion to laparotomy was needed in 1.6% of patients. Twenty-three (6.1%) complications were encountered in 372 patients undergoing laparoscopic lymphadenectomy. Nine (2.4%) major complications occurred intraoperatively while fourteen (3.7%) appeared postoperatively. The most frequent intraoperatory complication was vascular injury (1.3%). Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy can be considered a safe and achievable procedure, and could be considered the golden standard procedure for staging gynecologic malignancies

Effects of the comminution rate and microbial contamination of particles in the rumen on accuracy of in situ estimates of digestion of protein and amino acids of dehydrated sugar beet pulp

[EN] Effects of the correction of microbial contamination (using N-15 techniques) and of considering the comminution rate (k (c)) of particles in the rumen on effective estimates of the ruminally undegraded (RU) fraction and its intestinal effective digestibility (IED) were examined in a sample of dehydrated sugar beet pulp (DBP) generating composite samples (from rumen-incubated residues) representative of the chemical composition of RU. Tested fractions were dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM, tested only for RU), crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA). The study was performed on three rumen and duodenum cannulated wethers fed with a 2:1 (fresh weight basis) chopped oat hay-to-concentrate diet supplied at 40g DM/kg BW0 center dot 75 in six equal meals per day. The DBP showed sigmoid degradation kinetics: the fractional degradation rate increased by 5 center dot 8 times as time (h) increased from 0 to infinity. The k (c) rate (measured in the diet concentrate) represented 5 center dot 74% of the total rumen retention time of particles. As a result, the RU of DM was over-evaluated by 6 center dot 53% when k (c) was not considered. Microbial contamination of RU was high as in DM as in CP. Therefore, the overestimation of RU of DM was increased to 12 center dot 2% when this contamination was not corrected. The lack of this correction also led to large over-evaluations of RU and IED of CP and AA. As a result, the overestimation of the intestinal digested fraction was 40 center dot 9% for CP and 45 center dot 0% for total analysed AA. This overestimation varied largely among AA (from 18 center dot 9 to 88 center dot 7%). Corrected proportions of RU and IED were also variable among AA. Hypotheses on the causes of this variability are given. Resultant changes in the AA profile of the intestinal digested protein had some negative impact on the supply of essential AA and cysteine without affecting lysine. This problem is limited because the microbial protein synthesized from DBP fermentation in the rumen is largely predominant in the AA supply to the host.This work was supported by the CICYT-funded Project AGL 2006-08300. Analyses of 15N isotope ratios were performed at the Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigacion, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. Spain.González, J.; Arroyo, JM.; Guevara González, JA.; Moubi, R.; Piquer Querol, O.; Moya, V. (2014). Effects of the comminution rate and microbial contamination of particles in the rumen on accuracy of in situ estimates of digestion of protein and amino acids of dehydrated sugar beet pulp. Journal of Agricultural Science. 1(152):166-174. doi:10.1017/S0021859613000233S1661741152Milgen, J. V., & Baumont, R. (1995). 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Rate of passage studies. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 31(7), 625-632. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740310702Barrie, A., Brookes, S. T., Prosser, S. J., & Debney, S. (1995). High productivity analysis of15N and13C in soil/plant research. Fertilizer Research, 42(1-3), 43-59. doi:10.1007/bf00750499Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B., & Lewis, B. A. (1991). Methods for Dietary Fiber, Neutral Detergent Fiber, and Nonstarch Polysaccharides in Relation to Animal Nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science, 74(10), 3583-3597. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(91)78551-2Dhanoa, M. S., Siddons, R. C., France, J., & Gale, D. L. (1985). A multicompartmental model to describe marker excretion patterns in ruminant faeces. British Journal of Nutrition, 53(3), 663-671. doi:10.1079/bjn19850076Showalter, A. M. (1993). Structure and function of plant cell wall proteins. The Plant Cell, 5(1), 9-23. doi:10.1105/tpc.5.1.9BERNARD, L., MARVALIN, O., YANG, W. Z., & PONCET, C. (1988). Colonisation bactérienne de différents types d’aliments incubés in sacco dans le rumen ; conséquences pour l’estimation de la dégradabilité de l’azote. Reproduction Nutrition Développement, 28(Suppl. 1), 105-106. doi:10.1051/rnd:19881127González, J., Ouarti, M., Rodríguez, C. A., & Centeno, C. (2009). A simplified management of thein situevaluation of feedstuffs in ruminants: Application to the study of the digestive availability of protein and amino acids corrected for the ruminal microbial contamination. Archives of Animal Nutrition, 63(4), 304-320. doi:10.1080/17450390903020463Van Milgen, J., Murphy, M. R., & Berger, L. L. (1991). A Compartmental Model to Analyze Ruminal Digestion. Journal of Dairy Science, 74(8), 2515-2529. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(91)78429-