Propiedades prosódicas del foco informativo estrecho en el español del centro de México: Acentos tonales, pérdida de prominencia y fraseo

This paper investigates the different prosodic strategies used for the marking of information focus in Central Mexican Spanish. For this purpose, we carried out a study of the prosodic properties of information focus both in clause final position and in situ. Our results show important differences when compared to other varieties of Spanish. Specifically, we observe that the most frequent accent signaling information focus is a monotonal pitch accent (L* or !H*) and not L+H*. Furthermore, in many cases we observe that the pitch accent is not the only mechanism used to signal the focus: this is because we observe the presence of prosodic edges to the left of the focus, presumably functioning as an additional prosodic cue to identify it. Additionally, while we do not observe deaccenting of post-focal material, we do observe a sequence of non-rising forms (a flat pattern or “de-emphasis”) following the pitch accent that signals an in situ information focus forced by the test. With respect to phonological phrasing, our results confirm the analysis in Prieto (2006), where it is proposed that syntactic constituency is not the primary factor that regulates phrasing in Spanish.En este artículo se busca discutir los recursos prosódicos utilizados para la marcación del foco informativo en el español mexicano central. Para tal fin se elaboró un test diseñado para investigar las propiedades prosódicas del foco informativo en posición final e in situ. Nuestros resultados muestran algunas diferencias importantes entre este conjunto de datos y otras variedades del español. Específicamente, observamos que el acento tonal más frecuente se realiza con la forma monotonal (L* o !H*), y no L+H*. Más aún, en muchos casos observamos que el acento tonal no es el único mecanismo que se usa para marcar el foco. Concretamente, en nuestros resultados se observa la presencia de junturas y cesuras a la izquierda del constituyente focalizado, y que presumiblemente funcionan como una pista prosódica adicional para identificarlo. Por otra parte, no observamos desacentuación del material post-focal, sino una secuencia de formas no ascendentes (un patrón plano a modo de “pérdida de prominencia”) que siguen el acento tonal que marca un foco informativo in situ, forzado por la prueba. Respecto al fraseo fonológico, los resultados confirman el análisis de Prieto (2006), que propone que la estructura sintáctica no es el factor principal que regula el fraseo en español

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) between standard gypsum ceiling tile and polyurethane gypsum ceiling tile

In this paper, the LCA of two gypsum ceiling tiles is compared, the first one is a traditional gypsum tile and the second is a new eco ceiling tile in which polyurethane foam waste has been incorporated. Both tiles were made at one of the largest gypsum tile factories in Europe. The life cycle assessment has been considered from cradle to grave for which the corresponding production stages have been defined. This includes the extraction and transportation of raw materials, the manufacturing process, transportation to the client, the use of the product and the end of its useful life. The results show that the tile with polyurethane has a better environmental performance than the standard commercial ceiling tile. This is quantified as a 14% reduction in energy consumption, a 14% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 25% reduction in water consumption compared with the standard tile, all the while maintaining the technical performance. An analysis of the results suggests that the new eco product has a competitive advantage on the market thanks to its environmental improvements and good technical performance.This study was carried out within the framework of the LIFEREPOLYUSE Recovery of polyurethane for reuse in eco-efficient materials. LIFE 16 ENV/ES/000254 Project. LIFE 2016. Environment Life Programme. European Commission. The authors are also grateful to the BU070P20 Project funded by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) of the EU and the Junta de Castilla y León (Spain). In addition, the authors are grateful to the European Social Fund (European Union) and the Education Board of the Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) for funding the investigation

Brain and immune system-derived extracellular vesicles mediate regulation of complement system, extracellular matrix remodeling, brain repair and antigen tolerance in Multiple sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated central nervous system disease whose course is unpredictable. Finding biomarkers that help to better comprehend the disease's pathogenesis is crucial for supporting clinical decision-making. Blood extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound particles secreted by all cell types that contain information on the disease's pathological processes. Purpose: To identify the immune and nervous system-derived EV profile from blood that could have a specific role as biomarker in MS and assess its possible correlation with disease state. Results: Higher levels of T cell-derived EVs and smaller size of neuron-derived EVs were associated with clinical relapse. The smaller size of the oligodendrocyte-derived EVs was related with motor and cognitive impairment. The proteomic analysis identified mannose-binding lectin serine protease 1 and complement factor H from immune system cell-derived EVs as autoimmune disease-associated proteins. We observed hepatocyte growth factor-like protein in EVs from T cells and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 2 from neurons as white matter injury-related proteins. In patients with MS, a specific protein profile was found in the EVs, higher levels of alpha-1-microglobulin and fibrinogen β chain, lower levels of C1S and gelsolin in the immune system-released vesicles, and Talin-1 overexpression in oligodendrocyte EVs. These specific MS-associated proteins, as well as myelin basic protein in oligodendrocyte EVs, correlated with disease activity in the patients with MS. Conclusion: Neural-derived and immune-derived EVs found in blood appear to be good specific biomarkers in MS for reflecting the disease state.This work was sponsored by a grant from Miguel Servet (CP20/00024 to Laura Otero-Ortega), Miguel Servet (CPII20/00002 to María Gutiérrez-Fernández), a predoctoral fellowship (FI18/00026 to Fernando Laso-García), a Río-Hortega grant (CM22/00065 to Gabriel Torres Iglesias and CM20/00047 to Elisa Alonso-López) and by Research Project (PI21/00918) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and co-funded by the European Union and by a grant CA1/RSUE/2021-00753 to Dolores Piniella funded by Ministerio de Universidades, Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia y la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.S

Genetic Study of SARS-CoV-2 Non Structural Protein 12 in COVID-19 Patients Non Responders to Remdesivir

Remdesivir (RDV) was the first antiviral drug approved by the FDA to treat severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. RDV inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication by stalling the non structural protein 12 (nsp12) subunit of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). No evidence of global widespread RDV-resistance mutations has been reported, however, defining genetic pathways to RDV resistance and determining emergent mutations prior and subsequent antiviral therapy in clinical settings is necessary. This study identified 57/149 (38.3%) patients who did not respond to one course (5-days) (n = 36/111, 32.4%) or prolonged (5 to 20 days) (n = 21/38, 55.3%) RDV therapy by subgenomic RNA detection. Genetic variants in the nsp12 gene were detected in 29/49 (59.2%) non responder patients by Illumina sequencing, including the de novo E83D mutation that emerged in an immunosuppressed patient after receiving 10 + 8 days of RDV, and the L838I detected at baseline and/or after prolonged RDV treatment in 9/49 (18.4%) non responder subjects. Although 3D protein modeling predicted no interference with RDV, the amino acid substitutions detected in the nsp12 involved changes on the electrostatic outer surface and in secondary structures that may alter antiviral response. It is important for health surveillance to study potential mutations associated with drug resistance as well as the benefit of RDV retreatment, especially in immunosuppressed patients and in those with persistent replication. IMPORTANCE This study provides clinical and microbiologic data of an extended population of hospitalized patients for COVID-19 pneumonia who experienced treatment failure, detected by the presence of subgenomic RNA (sgRNA). The genetic variants found in the nsp12 pharmacological target of RDV bring into focus the importance of monitoring emergent mutations, one of the objectives of the World Health Organization (WHO) for health surveillance. These mutations become even more crucial as RDV keeps being prescribed and new molecules are being repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19. The present article offers new perspectives for the clinical management of non responder patients treated and retreated with RDV and emphasizes the need of further research of the benefit of combinatorial therapies and RDV retreatment, especially in immunosuppressed patients with persistent replication after therapy.This work was financed by a Gilead Sciences grant (IN-ES-540-6089) and CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España (CB21/13/00081). This work was financed by ad hoc patronage funds for research on COVID-19 from donations from citizens and organizations to the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona-Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica.S

Colloidal processing of fully stabilized zirconia laminates comprising graphene oxide-enriched layers

Multilayer materials have demonstrated to provide an efficient mechanism for toughening by deflection of a propagating crack by weak interlayers. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the colloidal processing of 8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) based laminates by intercalating thin layers of graphene enriched with 8YSZ, and to evaluate the advantages of such multilayered structure in the propagation of cracks induced by indentation. Green tapes of 8YSZ and graphene-oxide with YSZ were obtained by aqueous tape casting and sintered in one-step by spark plasma sintering at 1400 degrees C. Microindentation results showed that the indentation cracks propagate within the horizontal direction within the ceramic layer, but in the cross-sectional direction the presence of the GO-rich layers stops the cracks without deflection or bifurcation. The hardness and elastic modulus values were higher than 17.6 GPa and 230 GPa, respectively, and similar for all layers.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project MAT2015-67586-C3-R) and the Generalitat Valenciana by the financial support for the GV/2014/009 project. M.D. Salvador thanks to CAPES-Programa Ciencias sem Fronteiras (Brazil) for the concession of a PVE project No. A086/2013. A. Borrell, acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for her Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion contract (IJCI-2014-19839).Rincón, A.; Moreno, R.; Gutierrez González, FC.; Sainz, R.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Borrell Tomás, MA. (2016). Colloidal processing of fully stabilized zirconia laminates comprising graphene oxide-enriched layers. Journal of the European Ceramic Society. 36(7):1797-1804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2016.01.035S1797180436

El fenómeno del dopaje desde la perspectiva de las Ciencias Sociales Odile

En este libro se recoge una selección de las comunicaciones presentadas en el IV Congreso Internacional ‘Deporte, Dopaje y Sociedad’ que se celebró en Madrid del 26 de febrero al 1 de marzo de 2014 y que fue organizado conjuntamente por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid y la Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte. Los textos están escritos en español, francés e inglés y abordan el estudio del fenómeno del dopaje desde el ámbito especifico de las Ciencias Humanas y Sociales a través de disciplinas como Historia, Derecho, Sociología, Psicología, Economía, Ciencias de la Información y otras disciplinas relacionadas

Endothelial dysfunction in pregnancy metabolic disorders

In recent years, the vascular endothelium has gained attention as a key player in the initiation and development of pregnancy disorders. Endothelium acts as an endocrine organ that preserves the homeostatic balance by responding to changes in metabolic status. However, in metabolic disorders, endothelial cells adopt a dysfunctional function, losing their normal responsiveness. During pregnancy, several metabolic changes occur, in which endothelial function decisively participates. Similarly, when pregnancy metabolic disorders occur, endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in pathogenesis. This review outlines the main findings regarding endothelial dysfunction in three main metabolic pathological conditions observed during pregnancy: gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and obesity and hyperlipidemia. Organ, histological and cellular characteristics were thoroughly described. Also, we focused in discussing the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the cellular signaling pathways that mediate responses in these pathological conditions

Lugar(es)

Catálogo de la exposición colectiva celebrada en la sala de exposiciones de la Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid entre el 14 y el 30 de enero de 201

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years, 65 to 80 years, and = 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. Results: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 = 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients =80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%, 65 years; 20.5%, 65-79 years; 31.3%, =80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%, <65 years;30.1%, 65-79 years;34.7%, =80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%, =80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age = 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI = 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88), and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared, the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age = 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI), and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group