Predicción de amputación mediante MESS (Mangled Extremity Severity Score) en pacientes con lesión traumática vascular grave

En este estudio retrospectivo y ciego se analizan las historias clínicas de 60 pacientes (63 miembros inferiores), que ingresaron en nuestro hospital desde 1978 a 1992 a causa de una lesión traumática vascular grave; en este grupo no se incluyeron los pacientes con traumatismo vascular localizado por encima de la cadera o debajo del tobillo. El objetivo del estudio ha sido investigar si el MESS (Mangled extremity severity score) es un sistema útil para decidir entre la amputación precoz o el intento de reconstrucción en este tipo de pacientes. De 36 miembros que terminaron en amputación, 34 tuvieron un MESS de 7 o más, demostrando una sensibilidad del test del 94,4%. De 27 miembros que se salvaron, 22 tuvieron un MESS de 6 o menos, demostrando una especificidad del 81,4%. Así pues, el MESS es un test útil para predecir la necesidad o no de amputar un miembro con lesión vascular traumática grave, pero no es absolutamente fiable. Parece más fiable cuando se aplica a pacientes con traumatismo vascular grave que cuando se aplica a pacientes con traumatismo, tengan o no lesión vascular.60 patients (63 limbs) suffering from a severe vascular injury of the lower extremities between 1978-1992 have been retrospectively reviewed. Those cases wherein vascular injury was located above the hip level or under the ankle level were not included. The aim of this study was to investígate whether the Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) is a useful test to decide between limb salvage or early amputation in this type of patients. Among 36 amputated limbs. 34 had a score equal or greater than 7, the rate of sensitivity of the test was 94,4%. Among 27 salvaged limbs, 22 had a score equal or lower than 6, showing a rate of specificity of 81,4%. The MESS seems to be a very useful test for prediction of limb salvage versus amputation with severe vascular injury, although it is not totally reliable. It seems better when applied to patients with vascular injury, rather than to those with mangled extremity, with or without vascular injury

Antiparasitic properties of cantharidin and the blister beetle berberomeloe majalis (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

Cantharidin (CTD) is a toxic monoterpene produced by blister beetles (Fam. Meloidae) as a chemical defense against predators. Although CTD is highly poisonous to many predator species, some have evolved the ability to feed on poisonous Meloidae, or otherwise beneficially use blister beetles. Great Bustards, Otis tarda, eat CTD-containing Berberomeloe majalis blister beetles, and it has been hypothesized that beetle consumption by these birds reduces parasite load (a case of self- medication). We examined this hypothesis by testing diverse organisms against CTD and extracts of B. majalis hemolymph and bodies. Our results show that all three preparations (CTD and extracts of B. majalis) were toxic to a protozoan (Trichomonas vaginalis), a nematode (Meloidogyne javanica), two insects (Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum padi) and a tick (Hyalomma lusitanicum). This not only supports the anti-parasitic hypothesis for beetle consumption, but suggests potential new roles for CTD, under certain conditions.This research was funded by MINECO/FEDER, Spain, Grant no. CTQ2015-64049-C3-1-R; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (MINECO/FEDER), Grant no. CGL2017-87206-

Adaptation of the colorimetric MTT assay for evaluating activity against Giardia duodenalis

Giardia duodenalis es un parásito protozoario flagelado cosmopolita con un amplio rango de hospedadores, incluyendo tanto animales domésticos como salvajes, así como al ser humano. Se reproduce en el intestino delgado ocasionando giardiosis, enfermedad caracterizada por producir diarrea, cólicos abdominales, pérdida de peso y malabsorción. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo la estandarización del método colorimétrico del MTT (bromuro de 3-(4,5- dimetiltiazol-2-ilo)-2,5-difeniltetrazol) para la realización de ensayos de actividad in vitro frente a trofozoítos de G. duodenalis. El MTT ha demostrado ser útil en la determinación de productos activos frente a diversos biomodelos y un buen sustituto del recuento microscópico en la determinación de la viabilidad de los parásitos. Para adaptar este método a G. duodenalis se realizaron una serie de ensayos a fin de optimizar la prueba, empezando con la realización de curvas de crecimiento para observar el comportamiento de los cultivos de este protozoario. Además, se realizaron otros ensayos modificando ciertas variables como el inóculo inicial, la fase del cultivo o las concentraciones de reactivos, dando como resultado un protocolo efectivo estandarizado. Los resultados de este estudio pueden ser de gran utilidad para identificar compuestos con actividad frente a G. duodenalis.dengue, pero ¿cómo explicar la desatención de esa virosis por el conocimiento público en 2023?Giardia duodenalis is a cosmopolitan flagellated protozoan parasite with a wide range of hosts, including both domestic and wild animals, as well as humans. It reproduces in the small intestine causing giardiosis, a disease characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, weight loss, and malabsorption. The aim of this study is to standardize the colorimetric MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method for in vitro assays against G. duodenalis trophozoites. The MTT has been shown to be useful in determining active products against various biomodels and a good substitute for microscopic counting in determining parasite viability. To adapt this method to G. duodenalis, a series of assays were performed to optimize the test, starting with growth curves to observe the behavior of the protozoan cultures. Multiple assays were then performed, modifying certain variables such as initial inoculum, culture phase, or reagent concentrations, resulting in an effective standardized protocol. The results of this study can be of great utility in identifying compounds with activity against G. duodenalis.Asociación Parasitológica Argentin

Auge y colapso de la demanda de viviendas en España : factores determinantes

En este artículo se presenta un modelo de demanda de viviendas que permite analizar las causas que motivaron el boom inmobiliario protagonizado por la economía española, así como su posterior colapso. Según nuestro modelo, el boom tuvo su origen en el alza especulativa de precios, que produjo un doble efecto. Por un lado, el aumento de la riqueza inmobiliaria incrementó la capacidad financiera familiar, induciendo una mayor propensión al endeudamiento y a la inversión residencial. Por otro, el hecho de que la revalorización de la vivienda superara por momentos la cuota hipotecaria indujo un incremento adicional de la demanda de aquéllas. Sin embargo, estas fuerzas comenzaron a jugar en sentido contrario tras la explosión de la burbuja, provocando un brusco desplome de las compraventas. El modelo pone de relieve que la secular preferencia de los españoles por la vivienda en propiedad tenía un fundamento económico que ahora ha desaparecidoThis article presents a model for the demand for housing which allows one to analyze the determinants of the housing boom and bust experienced by the Spanish economy. According to this model, the boom was caused by a speculative increase in prices, which yielded two effects: on the one hand, the rise in wealth associated with the value of real estate increased households’ financial capacity, leading to a higher propensity to engage in debt and to invest in real estate. On the other hand, the fact that the appreciation in the value of housing was larger at certain times than the value of the mortgage to be paid, led to an even larger increase in the demand for housing. However, these forces began to act in the opposite direction after the bust of the housing bubble, causing an abrupt reduction in the demand for real estate. The model shows that the long term preference of Spaniards for house ownership rested on economic foundations which have now disappeare

Auge y colapso de la demanda de viviendas en España : factores determinantes

En este artículo se presenta un modelo de demanda de viviendas que permite analizar las causas que motivaron el boom inmobiliario protagonizado por la economía española, así como su posterior colapso. Según nuestro modelo, el boom tuvo su origen en el alza especulativa de precios, que produjo un doble efecto. Por un lado, el aumento de la riqueza inmobiliaria incrementó la capacidad financiera familiar, induciendo una mayor propensión al endeudamiento y a la inversión residencial. Por otro, el hecho de que la revalorización de la vivienda superara por momentos la cuota hipotecaria indujo un incremento adicional de la demanda de aquéllas. Sin embargo, estas fuerzas comenzaron a jugar en sentido contrario tras la explosión de la burbuja, provocando un brusco desplome de las compraventas. El modelo pone de relieve que la secular preferencia de los españoles por la vivienda en propiedad tenía un fundamento económico que ahora ha desaparecidoThis article presents a model for the demand for housing which allows one to analyze the determinants of the housing boom and bust experienced by the Spanish economy. According to this model, the boom was caused by a speculative increase in prices, which yielded two effects: on the one hand, the rise in wealth associated with the value of real estate increased households’ financial capacity, leading to a higher propensity to engage in debt and to invest in real estate. On the other hand, the fact that the appreciation in the value of housing was larger at certain times than the value of the mortgage to be paid, led to an even larger increase in the demand for housing. However, these forces began to act in the opposite direction after the bust of the housing bubble, causing an abrupt reduction in the demand for real estate. The model shows that the long term preference of Spaniards for house ownership rested on economic foundations which have now disappeare

La influencia de la riqueza financiera sobre el consumo privado : análisis de la experiencia española durante la “Gran Recesión”

En línea con la teoría dominante del consumo agregado, los estudios llevados a cabo en España sobre el comportamiento del consumo privado han confirmado el papel determinante de la renta real disponible y la riqueza real en la explicación de la evolución de este componente fundamental de la demanda global. Sin embargo, un análisis de las fluctuaciones que ha registrado el consumo privado en nuestro país durante la llamada Gran Recesión, si bien ratifica la relevancia explicativa de las variables señaladas, pone también de relieve que la riqueza total no parece el complemento idóneo para explicar las fluctuaciones recientes de esta variable. En contraste con los resultados de los últimos modelos del Banco de España, y en consonancia con los obtenidos por otros autores, nuestro análisis confirma, en efecto, que, junto con la renta real disponible, la evolución de la riqueza financiera resulta decisiva para explicar la evolución del consumo privado en España durante la última crisis, lo cual revaloriza el papel de las teorías que otorgan a las magnitudes financieras una influencia determinante en la generación de las fluctuaciones económicas. Esta conclusión es relevante para la política económica española, ya que la mejora que está experimentando la riqueza financiera en España, como consecuencia entre otras cosas de la reducción de la prima de riesgo, abre una válvula de escape, adicional a la de las exportaciones, en el círculo vicioso conformado por la secuencia “bajo consumo - bajo empleo – baja renta disponible – bajo consumo” que según el diagnóstico tradicional estaría cercenando cualquier posibilidad de recuperación autónoma por parte de nuestra economíaIn line with the main core of the theory of aggregate consumption, different studies undertaken in Spain confirm the leading role of real disposable income and real wealth in explaining the evolution of this important component of aggregate demand. However, an in-depth analysis of the fluctuations experienced by private consumption during the Great Recession shows that, while these variables are indeed very relevant when trying to explain the evolution of such consumption, it also shows that total wealth is not the most adequate complement to explain the most recent fluctuations of this variable. In contrast with the results of the latest models of the Bank of Spain and in line with what has been suggested by other authors, our analysis confirms that the evolution of financial wealth is, together with real disposable income, a decisive variable for explaining the evolution of private consumption during Spain’s last long crisis. This finding lends credit to the theories which attribute to financial variables a determining influence on the generation of economic cycles. This conclusion is relevant for Spanish economic policy, since the great expansion that financial wealth is experiencing as a results, among other things, from the reduction of the risk spread, opens a safety valve, along with exports, within the vicious cycle formed by the sequence “low consumption-low employment-low disposable income-low consumption” which, according to traditional diagnoses, would hinder any possibility for the autonomous recovery of our econom

Simultaneous Determination of Refractive Index and Thickness of Submicron Optical Polymer Films from Transmission Spectra

High-transparency polymers, called optical polymers (OPs), are used in many thin-film devices, for which the knowledge of film thickness (h) and refractive index (n) is generally required. Spectrophotometry is a cost-effective, simple and fast non-destructive method often used to determine these parameters simultaneously, but its application is limited to films where h > 500 nm. Here, a simple spectrophotometric method is reported to obtain simultaneously the n and h of a sub-micron OP film (down to values of a few tenths of a nm) from its transmission spectrum. The method is valid for any OP where the n dispersion curve follows a two-coefficient Cauchy function and complies with a certain equation involving n at two different wavelengths. Remarkably, such an equation is determined through the analysis of n data for a wide set of commercial OPs, and its general validity is demonstrated. Films of various OPs (pristine or doped with fluorescent compounds), typically used in applications such as thin-film organic lasers, are prepared, and n and h are simultaneously determined with the proposed procedure. The success of the method is confirmed with variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (MINECO) and European Community (FEDER) through grant no. MAT2015-66586-R

Anti-Trichomonas gallinae activity of essential oils and main compounds from Lamiaceae and Asteraceae plants

Trichomonas gallinae is a flagellated protozoan that parasitizes the upper digestive tract of various bird species and causes avian trichomonosis. The emergence of resistant strains to the standard treatment, based on nitroimidazoles, increases the need to find alternative therapies. In this study, 36 essential oils (EOs) from Lamiaceae and Asteraceae plant families were tested against T. gallinae trophozoites using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-)-2,5-dipheniltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. Among them, EOs from distinct species of Lamiaceae, including the genera Lavandula, Salvia, Thymus, Origanum, and Satureja were the ones reporting better anti-trichomonal activity, and were selected for further analysis, including chemical composition and in vitro assays. The chemical composition of the selected EOs was determined by gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry and 19 pure compounds were tested against the protozoa, according to their higher abundance in the active EOs. Pure compounds which displayed the highest activity against T. gallinae trophozoites, ordered by highest to lowest activity, were α and β-thujones, camphene, β-pinene, linalyl acetate, thymol, 4-terpineol, γ-terpinene, α-pinene, p-cymene, D-fenchone and β-caryophyllene. A dose dependent effect was observed in most of the EOs and pure compounds tested. The toxicity test conducted in eukaryotic cell cultures with the anti-trichomonal active pure compounds showed that β-caryophyllene, camphene, α-pinene, and β-pinene were slightly toxic for Vero cells, and the selectivity index was calculated. Based on the anti-trichomonal activity and the absence of cytotoxicity results, natural products from Lamiaceae plants could be useful as alternative therapy against avian trichomonosis, mainly those containing linalyl acetate, thymol, 4-terpinenol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene and D-fenchone.Publishe

Zileuton™ loaded in polymer micelles effectively reduce breast cancer circulating tumor cells and intratumoral cancer stem cells

Tumor recurrence, metastatic spread and progressive gain of chemo-resistance of advanced cancers are sustained by the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) within the tumor. Targeted therapies with the aim to eradicate these cells are thus highly regarded. However, often the use of new anti-cancer therapies is hampered by pharmacokinetic demands. Drug delivery through nanoparticles has great potential to increase efficacy and reduce toxicity and adverse effects. However, its production has to be based on intelligent design. Likewise, we developed polymeric nanoparticles loaded with Zileuton™, a potent inhibitor of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which was chosen based on high throughput screening. Its great potential for CSCs treatment was subsequently demonstrated in in vitro and in in vivo CSC fluorescent models. Encapsulated Zileuton™ reduces amount of CSCs within the tumor and effectively blocks the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood stream and metastatic spread

Understanding the first Neolithic occupation of Cova d’En Pardo (Planes, Alicante): preliminary results of the multidisciplinary analysis of levels VIII and VIIIb

Se presentan los resultados de las excavaciones llevadas a cabo en la Cova d’En Pardo (Planes, Alicante), concretamente los niveles VIII y VIIIb. El desarrollo de un proyecto multidisciplinar ha permitido caracterizar la ocupación de una pequeña cavidad por parte de las primeras comunidades campesinas asociadas al inicio del proceso de neolitización del levante de la península Ibérica.We present the results of excavations carried out in the Cova d’En Pardo (Planes, Alicante), specifically the levels VIII and VIIIb. The development of a multidisciplinary project has allowed characterize the occupation of a small cavity by the first farming communities associated with the Neolithization process of the Levant of Iberian Peninsula.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto Origins and Spread of Agriculture in the western Mediterranean región (ERC-2008-AdG 230561)