Análisis formántico de la abertura vocálica en el español hablado en la región de Murcia

Treballs Finals de Grau de Filologia Hispànica. Facultat de Filologia. Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2019-2020, Tutora: Paloma Arroyo Vega[spa] Este trabajo se propone investigar el número de alófonos vocálicos en posición de tonema que están presentes en el español hablado en la Región de Murcia, observar si estos alófonos están de algún modo determinados por el contexto en el que están insertos y definir unos valores formánticos de referencia para los alófonos abiertos presentes en esta variedad dialectal. El objetivo que se persigue es contribuir al estudio de la fonética murciana. Para ello, se establece, a partir de un marco teórico y dialectal, una aproximación a diferentes aspectos relacionados con el murciano. Posteriormente, el trabajo se centra en el análisis del corpus acústico, que se analizará prestando especial atención a los dos primeros formantes del fonema vocálico que es objeto de estudio y a los fonemas contiguos a este.[eng] The aim of this study is to research the number of vocalic allophones in the final inflection in Murcian Spanish, as well as to observe if these allophones are somehow determined by the context in which they are inserted/present and define standard formantic reference values for the open allophones that are present in this dialect. This will contribute to the development of research about Murcian Spanish’s phonetics. An approach to different aspects related to Murcian Spanish are established through a theoretical and dialectal framework. Subsequently, the analysis of the acoustic corpus focuses especially on the first two formants of the vocalic phoneme that is being studied as well as those phonemes adjacent to it

Las representaciones sociales de la enfermería: un círculo vicioso que la pandemia no pudo romper

Retomaremos el marco de comprensión que nos brinda la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales (TRS), de Moscovici, entendida como una teo- ría de la comprensión pública de la ciencia, para analizar los procesos que atraviesan y constituyen la enfermería, la ciencia y la tecnología del cuida- do. Nuestro objetivo es demostrar la prevalencia de un círculo vicioso de relaciones de poder, que perpetúan los procesos de desvalorización social de la profesión, aún en tiempos de pandemia. Sostenemos que, para que la imagen pública de la enfermería cambie, es necesario asumir la existen- cia de este círculo vicioso de RS sobre la profesión

Role of aak-2 in neuroprotective action in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease models in C. elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model organism as it shares genetic and physiological similarities with humans.. Age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, are caused by the progressive decline of proteostasis during the aging, characterized by the appearance of protein aggregates, which can cause cell function failure in addition to cell death (1).An increase in sulfated steroid hormones has been shown to extend lifespan and ameliorate diseases caused by aging. For this purpose, sul-2 mutants were generated. Sul-2 is a sulfatase of steroid hormones. When the sulfatase gene is deleted, the ability to remove sulfate from hormones is lost and there is an increase in sulfated steroid hormones in the organism, and a reduction in symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases and an increase in longevity. Treatment with the drug STX64, a specific inhibitor of the steroid sulfatase enzyme, in C. elegans and in murine models has been shown to produce the same beneficial effects (2).Recently in our laboratory, results obtained in a RNA seq show that sul-2 mutants share expression patterns with AMPK activation mutants. There are two AMPKα subunit homologs in C. elegans, aak-1 and aak-2. aak-2 is the homologous gene of AMPK in humans, a cellular fuel sensor that regulates cellular energy homeostasis and functions in stress resistance and to extend lifespan (3). The results of a research show that AMPK activation also has neuroprotective effects in Huntington's disease, its activation can preserve striatal neurons to combat the consequences of toxicity in murine models and protects C. elegans neurons from the dysfunction induced by human exon-1 huntingtin expression (4).To know if aak-2 has a role in the neuroprotective effects of sul-2 mutants, we have constructed aak-2 mutants in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models to check the effects of aak-2. The different strains are subjected to different assays, Alzheimer’s model show a paralysis phenotype when they are shifted to 25ºC and Parkinson’s models show slow movement in buffer, so we perform thrashing assays. In subsequent assays, an aak-2;sul-2 double mutant will be generated to test whether the neuroprotective action of sul-2 mutants is reversed. At the same time, we have started assays with STX64, another way of looking at the consequences of sul-2 deletion.The aim of the project is to understand the role of aak-2 in proteostasis and neurodegenerative diseases and in this way provide a better understanding of the mechanism of action of the drug STX64

Paternal Age Amplifies Cryopreservation-Induced Stress in Human Spermatozoa

The global fall in male fertility is a complicated process driven by a variety of factors, including environmental exposure, lifestyle, obesity, stress, and aging. The availability of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has allowed older couples to conceive, increasing the average paternal age at first childbirth. Advanced paternal age (APA), most often considered male age >= 40, has been described to impact several aspects of male reproductive physiology. In this prospective cohort study including 200 normozoospermic patients, 105 of whom were <= 35 years (non-APA), and 95 of whom were >= 42 years (APA), we assessed the impact of paternal age on different endpoints representative of sperm quality and cryopreservation tolerance. Non-APA patients had superior fresh semen quality; DNA fragmentation was notably increased in APA as compared to non-APA individuals (21.7% vs. 15.4%). Cryopreservation further increased the DNA fragmentation index in APA (26.7%) but not in non-APA patients. Additionally, APA was associated with increased mtDNAcn in both fresh and frozen/thawed sperm, which is indicative of poorer mitochondrial quality. Cryopreservation negatively impacted acrosome integrity in both age groups, as indicated by reduced incidences of unreacted acrosome in relation to fresh counterparts in non-APA (from 71.5% to 57.7%) and APA patients (from 75% to 63%). Finally, cryopreservation significantly reduced the phosphorylation status of proteins containing tyrosine residues in sperm from young males. Therefore, the present findings shed light on the effects of paternal age and cryopreservation on sperm quality and serve as valuable new parameters to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying sperm developmental competence that are under threat in current ART practice

Textbook outcome in urgent early cholecystectomy for acute calculous cholecystitis: results post hoc of the S.P.Ri.M.A.C.C study

Introduction: A textbook outcome patient is one in which the operative course passes uneventful, without complications, readmission or mortality. There is a lack of publications in terms of TO on acute cholecystitis. Objetive: The objective of this study is to analyze the achievement of TO in patients with urgent early cholecystectomy (UEC) for Acute Cholecystitis. and to identify which factors are related to achieving TO. Materials and methods: This is a post hoc study of the SPRiMACC study. It ́s a prospective multicenter observational study run by WSES. The criteria to define TO in urgent early cholecystectomy (TOUEC) were no 30-day mortality, no 30-day postoperative complications, no readmission within 30 days, and hospital stay ≤ 7 days (75th percentile), and full laparoscopic surgery. Patients who met all these conditions were taken as presenting a TOUEC. Outcomes: 1246 urgent early cholecystectomies for ACC were included. In all, 789 patients (63.3%) achieved all TOUEC parameters, while 457 (36.6%) failed to achieve one or more parameters and were considered non-TOUEC. The patients who achieved TOUEC were younger had significantly lower scores on all the risk scales analyzed. In the serological tests, TOUEC patients had lower values for in a lot of variables than non-TOUEC patients. The TOUEC group had lower rates of complicated cholecystitis. Considering operative time, a shorter duration was also associated with a higher probability of reaching TOUEC. Conclusion: Knowledge of the factors that influence the TOUEC can allow us to improve our results in terms of textbook outcome

Goodbye Hartmann trial: a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study on the current use of a surgical procedure developed a century ago

Background: Literature suggests colonic resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) instead of Hartmann's procedure (HP) for the treatment of left-sided colonic emergencies. We aim to evaluate the surgical options globally used to treat patients with acute left-sided colonic emergencies and the factors that leading to the choice of treatment, comparing HP and RPA. Methods: This is a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A total 1215 patients with left-sided colonic emergencies who required surgery were included from 204 centers during the period of March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. with a 1-year follow-up. Results: 564 patients (43.1%) were females. The mean age was 65.9 ± 15.6 years. HP was performed in 697 (57.3%) patients and RPA in 384 (31.6%) cases. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most common cause of left-sided colonic emergencies (40.2%), followed by colorectal malignancy (36.6%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b) were higher in the HP group (P < 0.001). 30-day mortality was higher in HP patients (13.7%), especially in case of bowel perforation and diffused peritonitis. 1-year follow-up showed no differences on ostomy reversal rate between HP and RPA. (P = 0.127). A backward likelihood logistic regression model showed that RPA was preferred in younger patients, having low ASA score (≤ 3), in case of large bowel obstruction, absence of colonic ischemia, longer time from admission to surgery, operating early at the day working hours, by a surgeon who performed more than 50 colorectal resections. Conclusions: After 100 years since the first Hartmann's procedure, HP remains the most common treatment for left-sided colorectal emergencies. Treatment's choice depends on patient characteristics, the time of surgery and the experience of the surgeon. RPA should be considered as the gold standard for surgery, with HP being an exception

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)