Síntesi litoestratigráfica del Paleógeno del borde oriental de la depresión del Ebro

En esta nota se estudian las unidades litoestratigráficas recientemente propuestas para el Paleógeno de la Cordillera Prelitoral Catalana y las correlaciones litológicas a lo largo de la rnisma con referencias de los nombres locales clásicamente empleados

Estratigrafía del Paleógeno en la zona de tránsito entre la Codillera prelitoral Catalana y el Prepirineo

El estudio de la serie eocénica de El Far-Puig del Moro (Gerona) y la subsiguiente comparación con el Eoceno de Vic (Barcelona), permite situar la estratigrafía del Eoceno inferior y medio en la zona de tránsito entre la Cordillera Prelitoral y el Prepirineo. A través de unidades litostratigráficas detalladamente descritas, así como de las atribuciones cronostratigráficas,se tiene una visión útil para las investigaciones posteriores ya iniciadas sobre el Eoceno pirenaico y subpirenaico

Isolation, selection, and characterization of highly ethanol-tolerant strains of Oenococcus oeni from south Catalonia

Twenty-one strains of Oenococcus oeni were isolated during the malolactic fermentation of wines from south Catalonia. Due to their high ethanol tolerance (14 %, or more), these strains may serve as promising starters. The strains were screened by assays in a wine-like medium and by their co-inoculation in wine, resulting in the selection of well-performing strains, subsequently shown not to produce the main biogenic amines and lacking the genes involved in their synthesis. The genetic diversity of the isolates was studied by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), in which seven housekeeping genes were sequenced. Although the concatenated allelic profi le of some strains was the same, the profi les obtained by random amplifi cation of polymorphic DNA together with the variable number of tandem repeats at several loci showed that none of the strains were identical. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on MLST with the seven genes and clearly showed two phylogroups, in accordance with previous studies. The best-performing strains occurred in members of both subgroups, suggesting that the grouping of housekeeping genes is not directly related to adaptation and ethanol tolerance. [Int Microbiol 2013; 16(2):113-123]Keywords: Oenococcus oeni; malolactic fermentation; wine production; multilocus sequence typing (MLST);strain selectio

Mediterranean diet pyramid today. Science and cultural updates

Objective: To present the Mediterranean diet (MD) pyramid: a lifestyle for today. Design: A new graphic representation has been conceived as a simplified main frame to be adapted to the different nutritional and socio-economic contexts of the Mediterranean region. This review gathers updated recommendations considering the lifestyle, dietary, sociocultural, environmental and health challenges that the current Mediterranean populations are facing. Setting and Subjects: Mediterranean region and its populations. Results: Many innovations have arisen since previous graphical representations of the MD. First, the concept of composition of the ‘main meals’ is introduced to reinforce the plant-based core of the dietary pattern. Second, frugality and moderation is emphasised because of the major public health challenge of obesity. Third, qualitative cultural and lifestyle elements are taken into account, such as conviviality, culinary activities, physical activity and adequate rest, along with proportion and frequency recommendations of food consumption. These innovations are made without omitting other items associated with the production, selection, processing and consumption of foods, such as seasonality, biodiversity, and traditional, local and eco-friendly products. Conclusions: Adopting a healthy lifestyle and preserving cultural elements should be considered in order to acquire all the benefits from the MD and preserve this cultural heritage. Considering the acknowledgment of the MD as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (2010), and taking into account its contribution to health and general well-being, we hope to contribute to a much better adherence to this healthy dietary pattern and its way of life with this new graphic representation.peer-reviewe

Comparación de costes de tres tratamientos del cáncer de próstata localizado en España : prostatectomía radical, braquiterapia prostática y radioterapia conformacional externa 3D

Altres ajuts: AATM/086/24/2000Objetivo: comparar los costes de los tratamientos más establecidos para el cáncer de próstata localizado según grupos de riesgo, edad y comorbilidad, desde la perspectiva del proveedor asistencial. Métodos: comparación de costes en pacientes reclutados consecutivamente entre 2003 y 2005 en una unidad funcional de tratamiento del cáncer de próstata. La utilización de servicios hasta 6 meses después del inicio del tratamiento se obtuvo de las bases de datos hospitalarias, y los costes directos se estimaron mediante cálculo microcoste. La información sobre las características clínicas de los pacientes y los tratamientos recogió prospectivamente. Los costes se compararon mediante tests no paramétricos de comparación de medianas (Kruskall-Wallis) y un modelo semilogarítmico de regresión múltiple. Resultados: la diferencia de costes fue estadísticamente significativa: medianas de 3229.10D, 5369.00Dy 6265.60D para los pacientes tratados con radioterapia conformacional externa 3D, braquiterapia, y prostatectomía radical retro pública, respectivamente (p <0,001). En el análisis multivariado (R2 ajustada=0,8), los costes medios de la braquiterapia y de la radioterapia externa fueron significativamente menores que los de la prostatectomía (coeficiente -0,212 y -0,729, respectivamente). Conclusiones: la prostatectomía radical resultó ser la opción terapéutica de mayor coste. En general, los costes estimados en nuestro estudio son inferiores a los publicados en otros ámbitos. La opción terapéutica explica gran parte de los costes, y tanto la comorbilidad como el grupo de riesgo no mostraron efecto independiente del tratamiento sobre los costes totales.Objective: To compare the initial costs of the three most established treatments for clinically localized prostate cancer according to risk, age and comorbidity groups, from the healthcare provider's perspective. Methods: We carried out a cost comparison study in a sample of patients consecutively recruited between 2003 and 2005 from a functional unit for prostate cancer treatment in Catalonia (Spain). The use of services up to 6 months after the treatment start date was obtained from hospital databases and direct costs were estimated by micro-cost calculation. Information on the clinical characteristics of patients and treatments was collected prospectively. Costs were compared by using nonparametric tests comparing medians (Kruskall-Wallis) and a semi-logarithmic multiple regression model. Results: Among the 398 patients included, the cost difference among treatments was statistically significant: medians were €3,229.10, €5,369.00 and €6,265.60, respectively, for the groups of patients treated with external 3D conformal radiotherapy, brachytherapy and radical retropublic prostatectomy, (p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis (adjusted R=0.8), the average costs of brachytherapy and external radiotherapy were significantly lower than that of prostatectomy (coefficient -0.212 and -0.729, respectively). Conclusions: Radical prostatectomy proved to be the most expensive treatment option. Overall, the estimated costs in our study were lower than those published elsewhere. Most of the costs were explained by the therapeutic option and neither comorbidity nor risk groups showed an effect on total costs independent of treatment

Lysine-Specific Histone Demethylases Contribute to Cellular Differentiation and Carcinogenesis

Histone modifications regulate chromatin structure, gene transcription, and other nuclear processes. Among the histone modifications, methylation has been considered to be a stable, irreversible process due to the slow turnover of methyl groups in chromatin. However, the discovery of three different classes of lysine-specific demethylases—KDM1, Jumonji domain-containing demethylases, and lysyl oxidase-like 2 protein—has drastically changed this view, suggesting a role for dynamic histone methylation in different biological process. In this review, we describe the different mechanisms that these enzymes use to remove lysine histone methylation and discuss their role during physiological (cell differentiation) and pathological (carcinogenesis) processes

Isolation, selection, and characterization of highly ethanol-tolerant strains of Oenococcus oeni from south Catalonia

Twenty-one strains of Oenococcus oeni were isolated during the malolactic fermentation of wines from south Catalonia. Due to their high ethanol tolerance (14 %, or more), these strains may serve as promising starters. The strains were screened by assays in a wine-like medium and by their co-inoculation in wine, resulting in the selection of well-performing strains, subsequently shown not to produce the main biogenic amines and lacking the genes involved in their synthesis. The genetic diversity of the isolates was studied by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), in which seven housekeeping genes were sequenced. Although the concatenated allelic profile of some strains was the same, the profiles obtained by random amplification of polymorphic DNA together with the variable number of tandem repeats at several loci showed that none of the strains were identical. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on MLST with the seven genes and clearly showed two phylogroups, in accordance with previous studies. The best-performing strains occurred in members of both subgroups, suggesting that the grouping of housekeeping genes is not directly related to adaptation and ethanol tolerance