La caracterización del urbanismo de Le Corbusier: Los planes urbanos para las ciudades costeras

La obra urbanística de Le Corbusier se suele abordar desde de una mirada parcial propiciada por el análisis generalmente individualizado de sus propuestas. Es igualmente frecuente recurrir a su etapa inicial, caracterizada principalmente por su modelo para la Ville Contemporaine de 1922 o el Plan Voisin para París de 1925, y, por ende, sin atender a la amplia casuística derivada de casi tres décadas de actividad profesional. En este sentido, el presente artículo busca poner de manifiesto que la producción de Le Corbusier acumula una mayor amplitud conceptual. Para ello, se caracterizan cualitativa y cuantitativamente las propuestas urbanísticas que realizó para el conjunto de ciudades localizadas en áreas costeras, entendiendo que comparten características por su localización. La investigación considera los siguientes parámetros urbanísticos: demografía y densidad de población (1), la proporción de usos (2), la superficie edificada (3), la movilidad peatonal frente a la rodada (4) y la superficie de espacio público propuesto por número de habitantes (5). El análisis comparado entre el conjunto de planes urbanos de la muestra permite demostrar la diversidad y riqueza presente en el urbanismo de Le Corbusier, así como una notable evolución conceptual a lo largo de toda su trayectoria. Además de completar y ratificar aspectos intuidos desde acercamientos cualitativos previos. Se concluye abogando por superar la visión parcial que habitualmente caracteriza la crítica de su obra.publicad

Female upper reproductive tract harbors endogenous microbial profiles

The vaginal milieu is known to have an active microbiome (>90% of Lactobacillus), but the microbial composition of the upper reproductive tract is not well established, especially in the Fallopian tubes. The first studies on the Fallopian tubes from women diagnosed with a benign disease or for prophylaxis suggest that this site supports an endogenous microbiome. However, today we lack the knowledge of the microbial composition in Fallopian tubes in the non-diseased conditions (as collecting samples from these sites may hamper the tissue and future fertility). Our study includes 24 fertile women with benign uterine pathology submitted to abdominal hysterectomy or tubal ligation at Hospital Universitario Virgen de Arrixaca Murcia, which endometrial and Fallopian tube samples were collected between January and July 2019. After DNA extraction, “Ion 16S Metagenomics Kit” (Ion S5™ System) was used to exploit the V5 to V9 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Primary data analysis was performed with Torrent Suite™ Software v5.12.1 and advanced analysis using Ion Reporter™ software v5.18.0.2. In our study, distinct microbial community profiles in the Fallopian tubes confirm that this genital tract site harbors an endogenous microbiome and in big part is shared with the endometrial microbial profile (69% of the detected taxa). Nevertheless, 17 bacterial taxa were exclusively detected in the Fallopian tubes that included Enhydrobacter, Granulicatella, Haemophilus, Rhizobium, Alistipes y Paracoccus, among others, while 10 were found only in the endometrium, including Klebsiella, Olsenella, Oscillibacter and Veillonella (FDR <0.05). Regarding the endometrium samples, our study shows that method collection has an influence in results, where there is a Lactobacillus-dominance in fertile women with samples obtained transcervically while Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Coprococcus, Methylobacterium, Prevotella, Roseburia, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus were less abundant in patients which samples are collected by methods with lower vaginal and cervical contamination. Although upper reproductive tract is a low microbial biomass site, our results suggest that this upper reproductive site supports an endogenous microbiome that could be characteristic of each individual

Growth of ferroelectric Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 epitaxial films by UV pulsed laser irradiation of chemical solution derived precursor layers

© 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. Highly crystalline epitaxial Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 (BST) thin-films are grown on (001)-oriented LaNiO3-buffered LaAlO3 substrates by pulsed laser irradiation of solution derived barium-zirconium-titanium precursor layers using a UV Nd:YAG laser source at atmospheric conditions. The structural analyses of the obtained films, studied by X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy, demonstrate that laser processing allows the growth of tens of nm-thick BST epitaxial films with crystalline structure similar to that of films obtained through conventional thermal annealing methods. However, the fast pulsed nature of the laser employed leads to crystallization kinetic evolution orders of magnitude faster than in thermal treatments. The combination of specific photothermal and photochemical mechanisms is the main responsible for the ultrafast epitaxial laser-induced crystallization. Piezoresponse microscopy measurements demonstrate equivalent ferroelectric behavior in laser and thermally annealed films, being the piezoelectric constant ∼25 pm V-1.This work was financed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the Project Nos. MAT2011-28874-C02-01, ENE2014-56109-C3-3-R, and MAT2014-51778-C2-1-R and Consolider Nanoselect CSD2007-00041 by Generalitat de Catalunya (2009 SGR 770, 2014 SGR 753 and Xarmae) and by the Spanish National Research Council under the Contract No. 200960I015. A.Q. and M.d.l.M. are also grateful for JAE-Predoc fellowship and European Social Fund program. Fruitful discussions with Dr. Susagna Ricart for solution synthesis are also acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Synthesis of Catechol Derived Rosamine Dyes and Their Reactivity toward Biogenic Amines

Functional organic dyes play a key role in many fields, namely in biotechnology and medical diagnosis. Herein, we report two novel 2,3- and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl substituted rosamines (3 and 4, respectively) that were successfully synthesized through a microwave-assisted protocol. The best reaction yields were obtained for rosamine 4, which also showed the most interesting photophysical properties, specially toward biogenic amines (BAs). Several amines including n- and t-butylamine, cadaverine, and putrescine cause spectral changes of 4, in UV–Vis and fluorescence spectra, which are indicative of their potential application as an effective tool to detect amines in acetonitrile solutions. In the gas phase, the probe response is more expressive for spermine and putrescine. Additionally, we found that methanolic solutions of rosamine 4 and n-butylamine undergo a pink to yellow color change over time, which has been attributed to the formation of a new compound. The latter was isolated and identified as 5 (9−aminopyronin), whose solutions exhibit a remarkable increase in fluorescence intensity together with a shift toward more energetic wavelengths. Other 9-aminopyronins 6a, 6b, 7a, and 7b were obtained from methanolic solutions of 4 with putrescine and cadaverine, demonstrating the potential of this new xanthene entity to react with primary amines.Financial support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the project PTDC/QUI-QOR/29426/2017. The research team would like to thank the projects UIDB/50006/2020, PTDC/QUI-QIN/28142/2017 and Grant BU263P18 (from the Junta de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura y Fondo Social Europeo). F. M. -S. gratefully acknowledges FCT (Portugal’s Foundation for Science and Technology) within grant DFA/BD/9136/2020. A.M.G.S. and A.L. thank FCT for the program DL 57/2016 – Norma transitória

Matched cohort study on the efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with COVID-19

Background: Tocilizumab has been proposed as a treatment for the new disease COVID-19, however, there is not enough scientific evidence to support this treatment. The objective of this study is to analyze whether the use of tocilizumab is associated with respiratory improvement and a shorter time to discharge in patients with COVID-19 and lung involvement. Methods: Observational study on a cohort of 418 patients, admitted to three county hospitals in Catalonia (Spain). Patients admitted consecutively were included and followed until discharge or up to 30 days of admission. A sub-cohort of patients treated with tocilizumab and a sub-cohort of control patients were identified, matched by a large number of risk factors and clinical variables. Sub-cohorts were also matched by the number of other treatments for COVID-19 that patients received. Increment in SAFI (inspired oxygen fraction / saturation) 48 h after the start of treatment, and time to discharge, were the primary outcomes. Mortality, which was a secondary outcome, was analyzed in the total cohort, by using logistic regression models, adjusted by confounders. Results: There were 96 patients treated with tocilizumab. Of them, 22 patients could be matched with an equivalent number of control patients. The increment in SAFI from baseline to 48 h of treatment, was not significantly different between groups (tocilizumab: −0.04; control: 0.09; p = 0.636). Also, no difference in time to discharge was found between the two sub-cohorts (logrank test: p = 0.472). The logistic regression models, did not show an effect of tocilizumab on mortality (OR 0.99; p = 0.990). Conclusions: We did not find a clinical benefit associated with the use tocilizumab, in terms of respiratory function at 48 h of treatment, or time to discharge

Metodología para la creación y gestión de un sistema de seguimiento de egresados de la Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas y su aplicación en la mejora de los títulos

Fac. de Ciencias MatemáticasFALSEUCMsubmitte

Endometriosis umbilical.

La endometriosis umbilical es la forma clínica más común de endometriosis extrapélvica y el tipo más habitual de endometriosis cutánea. Puede ser primaria o secundaria. Las endometriosis umbilicales secundarias se producen sobre cicatrices de laparotomías o laparoscopias en las que ha habido exposición al tejido endometrial. La endometriosis umbilical es relativamente rara, pero se debe tener en cuenta al realizar el diagnóstico diferencial de lesiones de localización umbilical. Presentamos un caso de endometriosis umbilical en una mujer de 39 años sin antecedentes de cirugía abdominal previa.Umbilical endometriosis is the most common clinical form of extrapelvic and cutaneous endometriosis and can be primary or secondary. Secondary umbilical endometriosis is produced in surgical scars from laparotomy or laparoscopy with exposure to endometrial tissue. Umbilical endometriosis is a rare disease but must be considered in the differential diagnosis of an umbilical node. We report a case of umbilical endometriosis in a 39-year-old woman without previous abdominal surgery

Reference Values to Assess Hemodilution and Warn of Potential False-Negative Minimal Residual Disease Results in Myeloma

This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatment.[Simple Summary] Although the majority of patients with myeloma who achieve undetectable minimal residual disease show prolonged survival, some of them relapse shortly afterwards. False-negative results due to hemodiluted bone marrow samples could explain this inconsistency, but there is no guidance on how to evaluate them. We analyzed three cell populations normally absent in peripheral blood in 1404 aspirates obtained in numerous disease settings and in 85 healthy adults. Pairwise comparisons according to age and treatment showed significant variability, thus suggesting that hemodilution should be preferably evaluated with references obtained after receiving identical regimens. Leveraging the minimal residual disease results from 118 patients, we showed that a comparison with age-matched healthy adults could also inform on potential hemodilution. Our study supports the routine assessment of bone marrow cellularity to evaluate hemodilution, using as reference values either treatment-specific or from healthy adults if the former are unavailable.[Abstract] Background: Whereas, in most patients with multiple myeloma (MM), achieving undetectable MRD anticipates a favorable outcome, some others relapse shortly afterwards. Although one obvious explanation for this inconsistency is the use of nonrepresentative marrow samples due to hemodilution, there is no guidance on how to evaluate this issue. Methods: Since B-cell precursors, mast cells and nucleated red blood cells are normally absent in peripheral blood, we analyzed them in 1404 bone marrow (BM) aspirates obtained in numerous disease settings and in 85 healthy adults (HA). Results: First, we confirmed the systematic detection of the three populations in HA, as well as the nonreduced numbers with aging. Pairwise comparisons between HA and MM patients grouped according to age and treatment showed significant variability, suggesting that hemodilution should be preferably evaluated with references obtained from patients treated with identical regimens. Leveraging the MRD results from 118 patients, we showed that a comparison with HA of similar age could also inform on potential hemodilution. Conclusions: Our study supports the routine assessment of BM cellularity to evaluate hemodilution, since reduced BM-specific cell types as compared to reference values (either treatment-specific or from HA if the former are unavailable) could indicate hemodilution and a false-negative MRD result.This study was supported by grants from the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red—Área de Oncología—del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERONC; CB16/12/00369, CB16/12/00400, CB16/12/00233 and CB16/12/00284); Instituto de Salud Carlos III/Subdirección General de Investigación Sanitaria and co-financed by FEDER funds (FIS No. PI15/01956, PI15/02049, PI15/02062, PI18/01709, PI18/01673 and PI19/01451); the Cancer Research UK (C355/A26819), FCAECC and AIRC under the Accelerator Award Programme (EDITOR); the Black Swan Research Initiative of the International Myeloma Foundation and the European Research Council (ERC) 2015 Starting Grant (Contract 680200 MYELOMANEXT). This study was supported by the Riney Family Multiple Myeloma Research Program Fund

Unravelling the Encapsulation of DNA and Other Biomolecules in HAp Microcalcifications of Human Breast Cancer Tissues by Raman Imaging

Microcalcifications are detected through mammography screening and, depending on their morphology and distribution (BI-RADS classification), they can be considered one of the first indicators of suspicious cancer lesions. However, the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) calcifications and their relationship with malignancy remains unknown. In this work, we report the most detailed three-dimensional biochemical analysis of breast cancer microcalcifications to date, combining 3D Raman spectroscopy imaging and advanced multivariate analysis in order to investigate in depth the molecular composition of HAp calcifications found in 26 breast cancer tissue biopsies. We demonstrate that DNA has been naturally adsorbed and encapsulated inside HAp microcalcifications. Furthermore, we also show the encapsulation of other relevant biomolecules in HAp calcifications, such as lipids, proteins, cytochrome C and polysaccharides. The demonstration of natural DNA biomineralization, particularly in the tumor microenvironment, represents an unprecedented advance in the field, as it can pave the way to understanding the role of HAp in malignant tissues

Impact of measurable residual disease by decentralized flow cytometry: a PETHEMA real-world study in 1076 patients with acute myeloid leukemia

The role of decentralized assessment of measurable residual disease (MRD) for risk stratification in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains largely unknown, and so it does which methodological aspects are critical to empower the evaluation of MRD with prognostic significance, particularly if using multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC). We analyzed 1076 AML patients in first remission after induction chemotherapy, in whom MRD was evaluated by MFC in local laboratories of 60 Hospitals participating in the PETHEMA registry. We also conducted a survey on technical aspects of MRD testing to determine the impact of methodological heterogeneity in the prognostic value of MFC. Our results confirmed the recommended cutoff of 0.1% to discriminate patients with significantly different cumulative-incidence of relapse (-CIR- HR:0.71, P < 0.001) and overall survival (HR: 0.73, P = 0.001), but uncovered the limited prognostic value of MFC based MRD in multivariate and recursive partitioning models including other clinical, genetic and treatment related factors. Virtually all aspects related with methodological, interpretation, and reporting of MFC based MRD testing impacted in its ability to discriminate patients with different CIR. Thus, this study demonstrated that “real-world” assessment of MRD using MFC is prognostic in patients at first remission, and urges greater standardization for improved risk-stratification toward clinical decisions in AML.This study was supported by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red – Área de Oncología - del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERONC; CB16/12/00369, CB16/12/00233, CB16/12/00284 and CB16/12/00400), Instituto de Salud Carlos III/Subdirección General de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS No. PI16/01661, PI16/00517 and PI18/01946), Gerencia Regional de Salud de CyL (GRS 1346/A/16) and the Plan de Investigación de la Universidad de Navarra (PIUNA 2014-18). This study was supported internationally by the Cancer Research UK, FCAECC and AIRC under the Accelerator Award Program EDITOR