Projecte campus multimodal: pilotatge del suport de veu en lectura. Memòria final

El projecte va ser acceptat a la convocatòria PID 2011-2012Memòria final del projecte d'innovació docent "Campus multimodal" en el què es va experimentar amb dues eines de suport de veu en la lectura en una assignatura de Tècniques de Treball en diverses carreres associades amb Dret. Les eines van ser ClaroRead, un programari de PC que llegeix en veu alta tot el contingut de l'ordinador ressaltant la paraula llegida i amb altres utilitats de resum i creació de mapes conceptuals; i ReadSpeaker, una eina instal.lada al campus virtual que llegeix en veu alta el contingut web i contingut dels fitxers PDF. S'explica l'experiència i els resultats. Es conclou amb la necessitat de facilitar eines de suport a la lectura per als alumnes amb necessitats especials.ReadSpeaker, Integrate

Finite Theories and the SUSY Flavor Problem

We study a finite SU(5) grand unified model based on the non-Abelian discrete symmetry A_4. This model leads to the democratic structure of the mass matrices for the quarks and leptons. In the soft supersymmetry breaking sector, the scalar trilinear couplings are aligned and the soft scalar masses are degenerate, thus solving the SUSY flavor problem.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX, 1 figur

Potent Antioxidant and Genoprotective Effects of Boeravinone G, a Rotenoid Isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa

Background and Aims: Free radicals are implicated in the aetiology of some gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcer, colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. In the present study we investigated the antioxidant and genoprotective activity of some rotenoids (i.e. boeravinones) isolated from the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa, a plant used in the Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Methods/Principal Findings: Antioxidant activity has been evaluated using both chemical (Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy, ESR) and Caco-2 cells-based (TBARS and ROS) assays. DNA damage was evaluated by Comet assay, while pERK 1/2 and phospho-NF-kB p65 levels were estimated by western blot. Boeravinones G, D and H significantly reduced the signal intensity of ESR induced by hydroxyl radicals, suggesting a scavenging activity. Among rotenoids tested, boeravinone G exerted the most potent effect. Boeravinone G inhibited both TBARS and ROS formation induced by Fenton's reagent, increased SOD activity and reduced H 2O 2-induced DNA damage. Finally, boeravinone G reduced the levels of pERK 1 and phospho-NF-kB p65 (but not of pERK 2) increased by Fenton's reagent. Conclusions: It is concluded that boeravinone G exhibits an extraordinary potent antioxidant activity (significant effect in the nanomolar range). The MAP kinase and NF-kB pathways seem to be involved in the antioxidant effect of boeravinone G. Boeravinone G might be considered as lead compound for the development of drugs potentially useful against those pathologies whose aetiology is related to ROS-mediated injuries

Intensive enteral nutrition is ineffective for individuals with severe alcoholic hepatitis treated with corticosteroids.

peer reviewedBACKGROUND & AIMS: Severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a lifethreatening disease for which adequate oral nutritional support is recommended. We performed a randomized controlled trial to determine whether the combination of corticosteroid and intensive enteral nutrition therapy is more effective than corticosteroid therapy alone in patients with severe AH. METHODS: We enrolled 136 heavy consumers of alcohol (age, 18–75 y) with recent onset of jaundice and biopsy-proven severe AH in our study, performed at 18 hospitals in Belgium and 2 in France, from February 2010 through February 2013. Subjects were assigned randomly (1:1) to groups that received either intensive enteral nutrition plus methylprednisolone or conventional nutrition plus methylprednisolone (controls). In the intensive enteral nutrition group, enteral nutrition was given via feeding tube for 14 days. The primary end point was patient survival for 6 months. RESULTS: In an intention-to-treat analysis, we found no significant difference between groups in 6-month cumulative mortality: 44.4% of patients died in the intensive enteral nutrition group (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.2%–55.9%) and 52.1% of controls died (95% CI, 39.4%– 63.4%) (P ¼ .406). The enteral feeding tube was withdrawn prematurely from 48.5% of patients, and serious adverse events considered to be related to enteral nutrition occurred in 5 patients. Regardless of group, a greater proportion of patients with a daily calorie intake less than 21.5 kcal/kg/day died (65.8%; 95% CI, 48.8–78.4) than patients with a higher intake of calories (33.1%; 95% CI, 23.1%–43.4%) (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In a randomized trial of patients with severe AH treated with corticosteroids, we found that intensive enteral nutrition was difficult to implement and did not increase survival. However, low daily energy intake was associated with greater mortality, so adequate nutritional intake should be a main goal for treatment

Early nutritional intervention in oropharyngeal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Nutritional interventions are not routine in patients undergoing oropharyngeal radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of early nutritional intervention. Forty-five outpatients undergoing radiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer were prospectively managed by nutritionists (intervention group). In this group, a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) was inserted before radiotherapy in any patient in whom at least one of the following applied: weight loss &gt;10%; BMI &lt;20 kg/m(2); age &gt;70 years. Data were compared with those recorded in an historical control group of 45 paired patients. A PEG was inserted in 33 (74%) of the 45 patients in the intervention group, as against 5 (11%) of the 45 in the control group ( P&lt;0.001). The mean weight loss and the frequency of hospital admission for dehydration were lower in the intervention group than in the control group ( P&lt;0.01). In conclusion, early nutritional intervention, including PEG insertion, is feasible and efficient in preventing dehydration in oropharyngeal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. It may improve quality of life by decreasing the frequency of hospital admissions

Impact of intensive enteral nutrition in association with corticosteroïds in the treatment of severe alcoholic hepatitis: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Intensive enteral nutrition by feeding tube does not improve 6-month survival in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis. However, adequate nutritional support is associated with a better short-term prognosis. Adequate nutritional intake should be targeted in alcoholic hepatitis patients treated with corticosteroids