From nuclear desert to evolutionary lab : The response of living organisms to Chernobyl's ionising radiation

The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused the worst human-caused release of radioactive material in history. Initial forecasts considered that the area affected by radioactive contamination would be devoid of life for millennia. Three decades later, the biodiversity of the area has completely recovered and all the large mammals of Eastern Europe, as well as over 200 bird species, now live in Chernobyl. The mechanisms that allow organisms to live in this area are still the subject of study and controversy. There is currently no scientific consensus on the medium- and long-term impact of radiation on the nature of the area. Thus, basic research is required in Chernobyl to understand the effects that radioactive contamination had on biodiversity there. The area is also an excellent natural laboratory for studying eco-evolutionary processes in response to human activity

Ключові питання та потенціал нанотехнологій

Accurate predictions regarding how climate change affects species and populations are crucial for the development of effective conservation measures. However, models forecasting the impact of climate change on natural environments do not often consider the geographic variation of an organism's life history. We examined variation in developmental plasticity to changing temperature in the pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) across its distribution by studying populations from central areas (Poland), edge populations (Latvia) and northern marginal populations (Sweden). Relative to central and edge populations, northern populations experience lower and less variable temperature and fewer episodes of warm weather during larval development. Plasticity in larval life-history traits was highest at the northern range margin: larvae from marginal populations shortened larval period and increased growth rate more than larvae from central and edge populations when reared at high temperature. Maintaining high growth and development under the scarce spells of warm weather is likely adaptive for high-latitude populations. The detection of high levels of developmental plasticity in isolated, marginal populations suggests that they may be better able to respond to the temperature regimes expected under climate change than often predicted, reflecting the need to incorporate geographic variation in life-history traits into models forecasting responses to environmental change

Review of the effectiveness of platelet rich plasma (PRP) infiltration in musculoskeletal pathology

RESUMEN: Introducción: El plasma rico en plaquetas (PRP) es un producto autólogo de la sangre, obtenido de su centrifugación, con una concentración de plaquetas superior a condiciones basales. Su composición biológica presenta factores de crecimiento y proteínas que participan en procesos de reparación y regeneración tisular. Por ello que es frecuentemente utilizado en el ámbito deportivo y traumatológico. Objetivo: Valorar la efectividad del uso de PRP como tratamiento en osteoartrosis de rodilla y cadera, tendinopatía aquílea, rotuliana, fascitis plantar y epicondilitis. De forma secundaria estudiar la existencia de una guía de práctica clínica. Material y Métodos: Se ha realizado una búsqueda sistemática entre Enero de 2015 y Noviembre de 2019, ambos meses inclusive, en PUBMED, Cochrane, PEDro y SciELO. Los criterios de inclusión fueron ensayos clínicos aleatorizados, en los últimos 5 años, en inglés o español, y con al menos 7 ítems en la escala PEDro. Los excluidos fueron aquellos con metodología incorrecta, con distintos objetivos, sin las palabras clave y/o estudios piloto. Resultados: 12 ensayos clínicos han sido incluidos en el análisis. Dos de ellos sobre tendinopatía aquílea, uno de tendinopatía rotuliana, dos de epicondilitis lateral, dos sobre fascitis plantar y cinco sobre osteoartrosis de rodilla. En función de los resultados aportados a partir de escalas y test (WOMAC, IKDC, DASH, EVA..) y los valores p, se han obtenido resultados clínicos significativos en su utilización en fascitis plantar y osteoartrosis de rodilla (p<0.05). Conclusión: El tratamiento con infiltraciones de PRP tiene efectividad en fascitis plantar refractaria y osteoartrosis de rodilla, pues producen mejoras en el dolor y la capacidad funcional. No existen guías de práctica clínica validadas.ABSTRACT: Introduction: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood product with higher than basal platelet concentrations, obtained by the centrifugation of the whole blood sample. It is biological composition presents higher than basal concentrations of growth factors and other proteins involved in the healing process and tissue repair. It is frequently used in sports and orthopedic medicine. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of PRP as a treatment option in the knee and hip osteoarthritis. Moreover, to study whether a clinical practice guideline could be established for this treatment. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature published between January 2015 and November 2019, both inclusive, was performed using different online scientific repositories, such as PUBMED, Cochrane, PEDro, and SciELO. The inclusion criteria were: randomized clinical trial, conducted in the last 5 years, in English or Spanish, and at least 7 items from the PEDro scale had to be reached by each study. The excluded ones were those with incorrect methodology, different objectives, without our keywords, and/or pilot studies. Results: 12 clinical trials have been included in this review. Two of them on Achilles tendinopathy, one on patellar tendinopathy, two on lateral epicondylitis, two on plantar fasciitis, and five on knee osteoarthritis. Based on the results provided from clinical scales and tests (WOMAC, IKDC, DASH, EVA..) and p values show significant results in plantar fasciitis and knee osteoarthritis (p<0.05). Conclusion: The treatment with PRP infiltrations is effective in refractory plantar fasciitis and knee osteoarthritis, as they produce improvements in pain and functional capacity. There are no validated clinical practice guidelines.Grado en Fisioterapi

Chess A'board!: ajedrez VR de fantasía

Chess A’board! Ajedrez VR de Fantasía, es una propuesta visual que busca satisfacer la demanda de los usuarios de realidad virtual, que además sean amantes de los juegos de mesa, de tener un catálogo más amplio de juegos de ajedrez VR para Oculus Quest 2. Este proyecto, realizado por Lara Orizaola Altimiras y dirigido por Marc Ripoll Tarré, suple dicha necesidad con el diseño y el modelado de 6 personajes para representar dos sets de piezas del juego, y un entorno que cumple la función de tablero, listos para utilizar dentro de un motor de videojuegos y desarrollar la propuesta de un ajedrez virtual con temática fantástica, simulando luchas entre Piratas y Marina, dos facciones clásicamente rivalizadas como héroes y villanos. Apoyándose en una estética visualmente atractiva, esta proposición resuelve los retos visuales de cada pieza, vigilando aspectos importantes como la identificación inequívoca de cada personaje con la pieza que representan así como un color predominante para poder diferenciar claramente cada bando: blancas y negras. Además, al tratarse de un juego de estrategia donde es preferible una vista aérea para controlar mejor el juego, las piezas contarán con una peana dibujada en la casilla en que se encuentren, con la forma clásica de la figura que facilitará su reconocimiento desde todos los ángulos. Para crear una conexión entre el jugador y las piezas y darle un añadido de credibilidad, cada personaje contará con una historia personal única. Así mismo, la ambientación del entorno será absorbente y épica alrededor del tablero, pues este seguirá siendo inequívocamente una cuadrícula de 32X32 que alterna casillas de un color oscuro y otro claro. Todos estos detalles se tendrán en cuenta dado que dentro del propio juego, los colores de tanto las piezas como el tablero deciden quien empieza y como se colocan las piezas; así como es necesario para el jugador saber cómo se mueve cada figura con un simple vistazo. Además de esta parte de carácter práctico, el proyecto también explora conceptos teóricos como la historia de la realidad virtual, así como su uso para juegos tradicionales como el ajedrez; y detalla el proceso de creación de personajes y assets desde su conceptualización hasta su introducción dentro del motor de videojuego

Adolescentes con episodios conflictivos con la ley penal: Restituir derechos y construir ciudadanía. Reflexiones a partir del Programa Propiciar de La Matanza.

This article proposes some reflections aboutTo the possibilities of intervening in problematicThrough social policies with aOf rights from a municipality of the conurbanoBuenos Aires Province. In a context where some actorsPromote the lowering of the age of punishment fromOf the stereotype of the youth of popular sectorsAs dangerous, it seems relevant and timelyAnalyze the management of the ProgramIn La Matanza with non-punishable adolescents. ThereWe emphasize: (re) definition of the problem to notContinue a punitive sense of intervention;The proposal for a territorial approach based onrights; Some tensions in implementation;The limits and limits related to the particularitiesOf territories marked by inequality andExclusion and the deficit of public policies ofscale; Finally, it is argued that this type ofApproaches may be a reference toWhat can and should be done in terms ofsocial politics.Este artículo propone algunas reflexiones en tornoa las posibilidades de intervenir en problemáticascomplejas a través de políticas sociales con enfoquede derechos desde un municipio del conurbanobonaerense. En un contexto donde algunos actorespromueven la baja de la edad de punibilidad a partirdel estereotipo de los jóvenes de sectores popularescomo peligrosos, nos parece relevante y oportunoanalizar la gestión del Programa Propiciaren La Matanza con adolescentes no punibles. Allídestacamos: la (re)definición del problema para nocontinuar un sentido punitivo en la intervención;la propuesta de un abordaje territorial basado enderechos; algunas tensiones en la implementación;los alcances y límites vinculados a las particularidadesde territorios signados por la desigualdad y laexclusión y al déficit de políticas públicas de mayorescala; finalmente, se argumenta que este tipo deabordajes pueden resultar una referencia con respectoa qué se puede y se debe hacer en materia depolíticas sociales

Ionizing radiation and melanism in Chornobyl tree frogs

Human actions are altering ecosystems worldwide. Among human-released pollutants, ionizing radiation arises as a rare but potentially devastating threat to natural systems. The Chornobyl accident (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. Our aim was to examine how exposure to radiation from the Chornobyl accident influences dorsal skin coloration of Eastern tree frog (Hyla orientalis) males sampled across a wide gradient of radioactive contamination in northern Ukraine. We assessed the relationship between skin frog coloration (which can act as a protective mechanism against ionizing radiation), radiation conditions and oxidative stress levels. Skin coloration was darker in localities closest to areas with high radiation levels at the time of the accident, whereas current radiation levels seemed not to influence skin coloration in Chornobyl tree frogs. Tree frogs living within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone had a remarkably darker dorsal skin coloration than frogs from outside the Zone. The maintenance of dark skin coloration was not linked to physiological costs in terms of frog body condition or oxidative status, and we did not detect short-term changes in frog coloration. Dark coloration is known to protect against different sources of radiation by neutralizing free radicals and reducing DNA damage, and, particularly melanin pigmentation has been proposed as a buffering mechanism against ionizing radiation. Our results suggest that exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, likely at the time of the accident, may have been selected for darker coloration in Chornobyl tree frogs. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of the patterns found here

Assessment of exposure to ionizing radiation in Chernobyl tree frogs (Hyla orientalis)

Ionizing radiation can damage organic molecules, causing detrimental effects on human and wildlife health. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. An accurate estimation of the current exposure to radiation in wildlife, often reduced to ambient dose rate assessments, is crucial to understand the long-term impact of radiation on living organisms. Here, we present an evaluation of the sources and variation of current exposure to radiation in breeding Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis) males living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Total absorbed dose rates in H. orientalis were highly variable, although generally below widely used thresholds considered harmful for animal health. Internal exposure was the main source of absorbed dose rate (81% on average), with 90Sr being the main contributor (78% of total dose rate, on average). These results highlight the importance of assessing both internal and external exposure levels in order to perform a robust evaluation of the exposure to radiation in wildlife. Further studies incorporating life-history, ecological, and evolutionary traits are needed to fully evaluate the effects that these exposure levels can have in amphibians and other taxa inhabiting radio-contaminated environments

Using fuzzy logic in selecting people and ideas to participate in public programs of support to business start-ups

[ES] Se propone en este trabajo un modelo de control borroso que ayude a filtrar y seleccionar las solicitudes de subvención que pueda recibir una institución pública en un programa de fomento para la creación y desarrollo de nuevas iniciativas empresariales. Creemos que la utilización de la lógica borrosa presenta ventajas sobre los procedimientos ordinarios ya que nos movemos en un escenario de actuación complejo y vago. El control borroso introduce el conocimiento de los expertos de un modo muy natural mediante variables lingüísticas y procesos de inferencia propios del lenguaje ordinario, lo que facilita la toma de decisiones en situaciones complejas. Nuestro modelo considera por un lado la idea empresarial y por otro la persona . Los indicadores y criterios que los expertos consideran relevantes para la evaluación de la subvención son modelados mediante variables lingüísticas y tratados como antecedentes y consecuentes de un motor de inferencia borroso, cuya salida nos proporciona la valoración final de la solicitud. Al final de nuestro trabajo resolvemos un caso práctico sencillo para aclarar el procedimiento.[EN] In this paper we propose a fuzzy control model that can help to choose and filter the application for grants in business start-up programs run by public institutions. We think that using fuzzy logic has advantages over regular procedures since we move into a complex and vague stage of performance. Fuzzy control introduces expert knowledge in a very natural way, it uses linguistic variables and inference processes that are characteristic of ordinary language, which facilitates decision-making in complex situations. Our model considers on the one hand the business idea and on the other the person as entrepreneur. Indicators and criteria that experts consider relevant to the evaluation of the grant are modeled as linguistic variables and treated as antecedent and consequent of a fuzzy inference engine, whose output provides the final assessment of the application. At the end of our paper we solve a simple case study to clarify the procedure.Mariano Jiménez desea agradecer la ayuda recibida del Ministerio de Educación del Gobierno de España a través del proyecto de investigación. ECO2011-26499

Very early Guillain-Barré syndrome: A clinical-electrophysiological and ultrasonographic study

Objectives: Using recent optimized electrodiagnostic criteria sets, we primarily aimed at verifying the accuracy of the initial electrophysiological test in very early Guillain-Barré syndrome (VEGBS), ?4 days of onset, compared with the results of serial electrophysiology. Our secondary objective was to correlate early electrophysiological results with sonographic nerve changes. Methods: This is a retrospective study based on consecutive VEGBS patients admitted to the hospital. Each patient had serial nerve conduction studies (NCS) in at least 4 nerves. Initial NCS were done within 4 days after onset, and serial ones from the second week onwards. Electrophysiological recordings of each case were re-evaluated, GBS subtype being established accordingly. Nerve ultrasonography was almost always performed within 2 weeks after onset. Results: Fifteen adult VEGBS patients were identified with a mean age of 57.8 years. At first NCS, VEGBS sub-typing was only possible in 3 (20%) cases that showed an axonal pattern, the remaining patterns being mixed (combining axonal and demyelinating features) in 6 (40%), equivocal in 5 (33.3%), and normal in 1 (6.7%). Upon serial NCS, 7 (46.7%) cases were categorized as acute demyelinating polyneuropathy, 7 (46.7%) as axonal GBS, and 1 (6.6%) as unclassified syndrome. Antiganglioside reactivity was detected in 5 out of the 7 axonal cases. Nerve US showed that lesions mainly involved the ventral rami of scanned cervical nerves. Conclusions: Serial electrophysiological evaluation is necessary for accurate VEGBS subtype classification. Ultrasonography helps delineate the topography of nerve changes. Significance: We provide new VEGBS pathophysiological insights into nerve conduction alterations within the first 4 days of the clinical course.Acknowledgement: This paper was supported by IDIVAL (ID APG/11) and CIBERNED. The authors are most grateful to Mrs Marta de la Fuente for secretarial assistance