Els gabinets de premsa com a mediadors entre els científics i els mitjans

L'impacte diari de la ciència en la societat actual fa necessari, cada vegada més, un coneixement públic de la ciència. La percepció que la societat té dels investigadors i dels descobriments científics depèn sobretot de com es comunica la ciència, qui ho comunica i per què. L'article segueix el flux de la notícia científica des dels seus creadors, els científics, fins a la interacció d'aquests amb els mitjans de comunicació, i se centra específicament en el paper que els gabinets de premsa tenen com a mediadors i difusors de la informació.Science’s ever growing impact on today’s society imposes a public understanding of science. Society’s perception of scientists and science breakthroughs depend mainly on the way science is communicated, who communicates it and their intention underneath it. The article follows the path of science news, from the source-scientists-their interaction with the media, concentrating specifically on the role of Press Departments as mediators between scientist sources and journalists

Diagnòstic de dèficit de producció d'anticossos específics : eficàcia del tractament amb immunoglobulines en el control de l'afectació pulmonar /

Consultable des del TDXTítol obtingut de la portada digitalitzadaLa resposta d'anticossos a la vacuna conjugada de l'H.influenzae tipus b (Hib) es va estudiar en 59 voluntaris sans (edat mitjana: 32 anys) i en 22 pacients amb immunodeficiència humoralknown (edat mitjana: 32 anys) per determinar la seva utilitat en el diagnòstic de dèficit de producció d'anticossos. Vint dels sans i 9 dels pacients van ser també immunitzats amb la vacuna del pneumococ. La mesura dels anticossos específics sèrics es va realitzar per tècnica d'ELISA. to Hib capsular polysaccharideLa resposta a les vacunes es va definir utilitzant el límit inferior de l'interval de probabilitat del 90%, dues cues, dels nivells d'anticossos específics post-immunització de la població sana. El valor d'anticossos específics mínim a incrementar per considerar un individu responedor va ser de 2,28 g/ml per la vacuna de l'Hib i 395 U/ml per la del pneumococ. Amb aquest criteri el 85% (50/59) dels sans van respondre amb la IgG específica contra l'Hib i el 75% (15/20) amb la IgG contra el pneumococ. Tots els sans que van rebre les dues vacunes van respondre al menys a una d'elles. Cap dels pacients amb immunodeficiències no va respondre a cap d'elles. L'avaluació de la resposta d'anticossos contra la vacuna del pneumococ i l'Hib pot facilitar el diagnòstic d'immunodeficiències primàries de tipus humoral i la indicació de tractament amb immunoglobulines. Per investigar si el dèficit d'anticossos amb nivells d'IgG normal s'associa a bronquièctasis, es va estudiar la resposta d'anticossos contra la vacuna polisacàrida del pneumococ i la conjugada de l'Hib en pacients amb bronquièctasis d'etiologia no coneguda, valorats ambulatoriament durant un període de 7 anys. El dèficit de producció d'anticossos es va definir com la manca de resposta a les dues vacunes. 107 pacients van ser inclosos en l'estudi (edat mitjana: 46.3 anys). El dèficit de producció d'anticossos es va diagnosticar en 12 pacients (11%); aquests pacients van presentar una major incidència d'otitis mitjana, nivells baixos d'IgG2 i nivells basals d'anticossos contra S.pneumoniae i Hib inferiors. El dèficit de producció d'anticossos amb IgG normal pot associar-se a bronquièctasis i hauria de valorar-se en pacients amb bronquièctasis d'etiologia no coneguda, especialment en pacients amb antecedents d'otitis mitjana, nivells baixos d'IgG2 i nivells baixos d'anticossos específics. La progressió de l'afectació pulmonar és l'alteració més freqüent en pacients amb immunodeficiència comuna variable (ICV). La dosi més eficaç i els paràmetres per avaluar-ne l'eficàcia no han estat ben establerts. Es va estudiar l'evolució de l'afectació pulmonar de 24 pacients amb ICV que van iniciar tractament amb immunoglobulines intravenoses (IVIG) amb dosis necessàries per mantenir uns nivells estables d'IgG superiors a 600 mg/dl. La dosi d'IVIG, els nivells sèrics d'IgG, la incidència d'infeccions bacterianes, proves de funció respiratòria (PFR) i TACAR de tòrax es van monitoritzar durant 2 anys. Es va determinar la variabilitat de la dosi d'IVIG (205 - 372 mg/kg/21 dies) per obtenir els nivells d'IgG establerts. Els pacients amb malaltia pulmonar crònica (MPC) van requerir dosis superiors d'immunoglobulines (p = 0.045). Durant el tractament es va observar una disminució significativa del número d'infeccions greus i lleus. No es van observar canvis en les PFR ni en la puntuació de la TACAR en pacients sense MPC, però van millorar en pacients amb MPC. Un increment de la puntuació de la TACAR es va detectar en dos pacients sense evidència d'alteració en l'estat clínic ni en les PFR. El mantenir nivells residuals d'IgG superiors a 600 mg/ml pot ajudar a evitar la progressió de l'afectació pulmonar en pacients amb ICV. Les manifestacions clíniques, les PFR i la TACAR de tòrax, al menys cada dos anys són aconsellables per detectar la progressió de l'afectació pulmonar.Antibody response to an H.influenzae type b (Hib) conjugated vaccine was studied in 59 healthy adults (mean age: 32 yr) and 22 patients with knownhumoral immunodeficiencies (mean age: 32 yr) to determine its usefulness in the diagnosis of defective antibody formation. Twenty of the healthy adults and 9 of the patients were also immunized withPNU-Immune 23 a pneumococcal vaccine. Serum specific antibodies were measured by ELISAto Hib capsular polysaccharide. Adequate response to both vaccines was defined using the lower limit of the two-tailed 90% probability interval of postimmunization specific IgG of the healthy adults. By using this cutoff, responders were considered to be those with an absolute increase in anti-Hib IgG titers higher than 2.28 g/ml, and in anti-S.pneumoniae IgG higher than 395 arbitrary units/ml. With these criteria, 85% (50/59) of the healthy adults responded with anti-Hib IgG and 75% (15/20) with anti-pneumococcal IgG. All healthy adults receiving both vaccines responded to at least one. None of the patients with humoral immunodeficiencies responded to either vaccine. Evaluation of the antibody response to both the Hib and pneumococcal vaccines may facilitate the diagnosis of humoral immunodeficiency and selection of patients to receive immunoglobulin therapy. To ascertain whether antibody production deficiency with normal IgG levels is associated with bronchiectasis, antibody response to a pneumococcal unconjugate vaccine and an Hib conjugate vaccine was studied in all adult patients with bronchiectasis of unknown etiology that were assessed in our chest outpatient clinic from January 1994 to October 2001. Antibody production deficiency was defined as a failure to respond to either vaccine. 107 patients were included in the study (mean age: 46.3 years). Antibody production deficiency was diagnosed in 12 patients (11%). A significantly higher incidence of otitis media, lower serum IgG2 subclass levels, and lower preimmunization antibody levels to S.pneumoniae and Hib were observed in patients with antibody production deficiency. Antibody production deficiency with normal IgG levels may be associated with bronchiectasis, making it advisable to evaluate the antibody response to both the H.influenzae and pneumococcal vaccines in patients with bronchiectasis of unknown etiology, particularly in those with a history of otitis media, low IgG2 subclass levels and low levels of baseline specific antibodies. Lung damage progression is the most frequent condition in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Appropriate immunoglobulin dose adjustments and follow-up guidelines to evaluate this have not been well established. To assess the evolution of lung damage once stable residual serum levels of IgG over 600 mg/dl had been achieved, a prospective study was conducted in 24 adult patients with CVID, with no previous intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. IVIG dose, total serum IgG level, bacterial infection rate, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax were monitored over two years. IVIG dose variability (205 - 372 mg/kg/21 days) to obtain the required serum IgG levels was determined. Patients with chronic pulmonary disease (CPD) needed higher doses than those without CPD (p = 0.045). A significant reduction in severe and mild infections/patient-year was observed during treatment. Overall, there were no changes in PFTs and HRCT scores in patients without CPD, but both improved in patients with CPD. An increase of over 15% in overall HRCT score was detected in two patients without evidence of impairment in either clinical status or PFT values. Residual levels of total IgG over 600 mg/dl may help prevent progression of lung damage in patients with CVID. Levels of IgG, clinical manifestations and PFTs seem sufficient for routine follow-up. HRCT of the thorax, at least biennially, may help to identify patients in whom lung injury is progressing even though they may remain symptom-free and with stable PFTs

Understanding the processes that controlled rifting of the Tyrrhenian basin

[eng] This thesis is focused in the processes that took place in the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is a Neogene basin belonging to the Western Mediterranean realm. Its formation is related with the subduction system of the African plate below the European plate. The slab retreat causes a stretching of the overriding plate and triggered the opening of the Tyrrhenian basin. The sedimentary record described in the Tyrrhenian Basin spans from early-Miocene to the most recent Pleistocene deposits. The distribution of these sediments, their geometry and their relations with the tectonic structures reflects the basin evolution throughout the time. Oldest sediments consist in pre-Trotonian materials deposited at the Corsica and Sardinian Basins during their formation. Thus this region may have been opened previously to the Tortonian times. In fact, these basins formed as episutural basins during the early Miocene. The Tortonian unit has only been identified at the continental areas. The rifting onset took place during the Tortonian, as suggested by the sedimentary discontinuity described within this unit. Such discontinuity marks the base of the syn-rift wedges, and it is known at the literature as the "L" discontinuity. The Messinian deposit have been described at the continental and back-arc areas. Its presence at the Campania and Cornaglia Terraces (back-arc areas), where no Tortonian has been found suggest that they were formed in some moment during the early Messinian. But, in fact, Messinian strata show a clear post-rift character in these areas. Thus both terraces are provably formed during the Tortonian, concurrently to the rifting processes of the North Tyrrhenian. Thus, in the North Tyrrhenian extension occurred through rifting processes, leading to rotated blocks that can be well appreciated at the bathymetry. North-south trend of these blocks suggest that extension direction was mainly east-west. While at the same time, at the Cornagla and Campania Terraces, extensional processes become more complex. Continental extension took place in the southern Cornaglia, while at the center, at the north and at the Campania Terrace back-arc magmatic crustal accretion occurred. Instead, in the southern Cornaglia Terrace a limited amount of magmatic crustal accretion occurred. Finally, according to sedimentary syn-rift geometries, extension continued in all these areas during the Messinian, although extensional processes become attenuated. The Pliocene deposits are the first unit that can be found everywhere, including the deepest areas of the Vavilov and Magnaghi Basins. It has been divided into two sub-units and the discontinuity between them is known as the "X" discontinuity, and marks the end of this extensional stage. The Magnaghi Basin may have opened during the uppermost Messinian, as suggested by the pre-rift Messinian evaporites observed at the western half of this basin. Then, in a short time lapse, extensional locus continues its migration towards the east and the Vavilov basin opened at the lower Pliocene. Opening of these two basisn may have occurred during a short period as suggested by the absence of synrift deposits in the area. At the same time, extensional processes at the continental and back-arc regions ceased completely, as suggested by the intra-Pliocene unconformity. It implies that the former magmatic extensional regime changed to an essentially amagmatic extension. Finally, at the boundary between the Pliocene-Pleistocene a new jump in the extensional locus occurred. As in the former case, a new basin opened: the Marsili Basin. Concurrently, in a certain moment during the upper Pliocene, transpression- transtensional tectonics started along the Italian Margin region related with this trench migration towards the south-east, and reactivated the former extensional faults.[spa] Esta tesis está centrada en los procesos que tuvieron lugar en el mar Tirreno, el cual es una cuenca Neógena perteneciente al Dominio del Mediterraneo Occidental. Su formación está relacionada con el sistema de subducción de la placa Africana por debajo de la placa Europea. El retroceso del slab da lugar a un estiramiento en la placa superior provocando la apertura de la cuenca del Tirreno. El registro sedimentario descrito en el Tirreno abarca desde el Mioceno inferior hasta el Pleistoceno mas reciente. La distribución de estos sedimentos, su geometría y su relación con las estructuras tectónicas reflejan la evolución de formación de la cuenca a lo largo del tiempo. De acuerdo con la interpretación tectónica y la distribución de los depósitos sedimentarios, las sub-cuencas de Córcega y Cerdeña se formaron durante el Mioceno inferior como cuencas episuturales relacionada con el frente de subducción. Durante el Tortoniense la extensión migró hacia el este y los procesos extensivos empezaron en lo que sería el actual región del Tirreno Norte dando lugar a extensión continental. Mientras que en el sur los processos extensivos tomaron un carácter mas complejo que en el norte. En las zonas de Cornaglia Terrace y Campania Terrace tuvo lugar la formación de corteza oceánica nueva por acreción magmática, excepto en la parte mas meridional de la Cornaglia Terrace, donde tuvo lugar extensión continental con un pequeño aporte magmático. Durante el Messiniense, los procesos extensionales se atenuaron y en el Plioceno inferior cesaron casi por completo. Mientras que al mismo tiempo la extensión migró hacia la actual cuenca de Magnaghi y la cuenca de Vavilov, donde se dio ruptura cortical y exhumación del manto. Finalmente, en el límite Plioceno-Pleistoceno la extensión cesa en esta área y vuelve a migrar hacia la actual cuenca de Marsili

El conteo en alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales : principios de equivalencia, ordenación y transitividad

El presente trabajo pretende conocer los mecanismos utilizados por participantes con discapacidad intelectual en el proceso de conteo, en el que están implicadas las relaciones de equivalencia, ordenación y transitividad que determinan la adquisición de número. Es un estudio comparativo con niños de 4 y 5 años evolutivos entre dos poblaciones de alumnado: un grupo de participantes con discapacidad intelectual (D.I.) (con edades cronológicas de entre 8 y 12 años, cuya edad evolutiva de 4 y 5 años fue determinada a través de la evaluación con el Método Dimensional Cambrodí), escolarizados en un centro específico, y alumnado sin discapacidad intelectual (sin D.I.), escolarizados en centro ordinario.El present treball pretén conèixer els mecanismes utilitzats pels participants amb discapacitat intel·lectual en el procés de «conteo», en el qual estan implicades les relacions d'equivalència, ordenació i transitivitat que determinen l'adquisició de número. És un estudi comparatiu amb nens de 4 i 5 anys evolutius entre dues poblacions d'alumnat: un grup de participants amb discapacitat intel·lectual (D.I.) (amb edats cronològiques d'entre 8 i 12 anys, l'edat evolutiva dels quals de 4 i 5 anys va ser determinada a través de l'avaluació amb el Mètode Dimensional Cambrodí), escolaritzats en un centre específic, i alumnat sense discapacitat intel·lectual (sense D.I.), escolaritzats en centre ordinari.The current study strives to clarify the mechanisms used by mentally retarded children in the counting process which involves the equivalence, ordering and transitivity relationships that determines the number acquisition. It's a comparative study with 4 and 5 years old composed of two groups: one group are mentally retarded children (between 8 and 12 chronological years old and 4 and 5 years-old, developmental age, tested by Métode Dimensional Cambrodí) educated in a special school; and the other group are not mentally retarded children educated in a mainstream school

Evidence of Inhaled Tobramycin in Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

There is currently less experience with inhaled tobramycin in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis than in cystic fibrosis (CF). Intravenous formulation and solution for inhalation (TSI) have been studied in non-CF bronchiectasis patients with chronic P. aeruginosa bronchial infection. An improvement in clinical parameters and a reduction in bacterial density have been shown with both inhaled solutions in these patients. However, further trials are needed to determine the most effective dose and administration protocol in these patients. Based on the current evidence, recommendations cannot be made regarding the use of TSI to treat exacerbations. Although no systemic toxicity has been reported in studies specifically investigating this treatment, patients with known kidney disease or ear disorders should be treated with caution. Adverse respiratory effects are reported to be more common in non-CF patients than in CF patients, who tend to be non-smokers and younger. Research is being conducted into the possibility of combining tobramycin with other antibiotics to increase its antibacterial activity. In this review we will present and discuss the published evidence regarding the use of inhaled tobramycin in non-CF bronchiectasis

Grape seed Proanthocyanidins target the Enteroendocrine system in cafeteria‐diet‐fed rats

Scope The effects on the enteroendocrine system of three different grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) treatments are analyzed in rats on a cafeteria diet for 17 weeks. Methods and results GSPE is administered in a corrective manner (15 last days of the cafeteria diet) at two doses, 100 and 500 mg GSPE per kg bw. A third, longer treatment in which GSPE (500 mg kg–1 bw) is administered daily every other week during the 17 weeks of the cafeteria diet is also tested. Most GSPE treatments lead to ghrelin accumulation in the stomach, limited CCK secretion in the duodenum, and increased GLP‐1 and PYY mRNA in colon. GSPE also increases cecal hypertrophy and reduces butyrate content. When the treatment is administered daily every other week during 17 weeks, there is also an increase in colon size. These effects are accompanied by a reduced food intake at the end of the experiment when GSPE is administered at 500 mg GSPE kg–1 during the last 15 days, but not on the other treatments, despite an observed reduction in body weight in the longer treatment. Conclusion GSPE modulates the enteroendocrine system in models in which it also reduces food intake or body weight.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Differential effects of a cafeteria diet and GSPE preventive treatments on the enterohormone secretions of aged vs. young female rats

Grape seed derived procyanidins (GSPE) have been shown to effectively prevent intestinal disarrangements induced by a cafeteria diet in young rats. However, little is known about the effects of procyanidins and cafeteria diet on enterohormone secretion in aged rats, as the ageing processes modify these effects. To study these effects in aged rats, we subjected 21-month-old and young 2-month-old female rats to two sub-chronic preventive GSPE treatments. After three months of cafeteria diet administration, we analysed the basal and stimulated secretion and mRNA expression of CCK, PYY and GLP-1, caecal SCFA and intestinal sizes. We found that the effects of a cafeteria diet on the basal duodenal CCK secretion are age dependent. GLP-1 in the ileum was not modified regardless of the rat's age, and GSPE preventive effects differed in the two age groups. GSPE pre-treatment reduced GLP-1, PYY and ChgA in mRNA in aged ileum tissue, while the cafeteria diet increased these in aged colon. The GSPE treatments only modified low-abundance SCFAs. The cafeteria diet in aged rats increases the caecum size differently from that in young rats and GSPE pre-treatment prevents this increase. Therefore, ageing modifies nutrient sensing, and the cafeteria diet acts mainly on the duodenum and colon, while procyanidins have a larger effect on the ileum.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reduced circulating sTWEAK levels are associated with metabolic syndrome in elderly individuals at high cardiovascular risk

BACKGROUND: The circulating soluble TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (sTWEAK) is a cytokine that modulates inflammatory and atherogenic reactions related to cardiometabolic risk. We investigated the association between sTWEAK levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in older subjects at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 452 non-diabetic individuals (men and women aged 55-80 years) at high cardiovascular risk. MetS was defined by AHA/NHLBI and IDF criteria. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for MetS and its components by tertiles of serum sTWEAK concentrations measured by ELISA. RESULTS: sTWEAK concentrations were lower in subjects with MetS than in those without. In gender- and age-adjusted analyses, subjects in the lowest sTWEAK tertile had higher ORs for overall MetS [1.71 (95% CI, 1.07-2.72)] and its components abdominal obesity [2.01 (1.15-3.52)], hyperglycemia [1.94 (1.20-3.11)], and hypertriglyceridemia [1.73 (1.05-2.82)] than those in the upper tertile. These associations persisted after controlling for family history of diabetes and premature coronary heart disease, lifestyle, kidney function and other MetS components. sTWEAK concentrations decreased as the number of MetS components increased. Individuals in the lowest vs the upper sTWEAK tertile had an increased risk of disclosing greater number of MetS features. Adjusted ORs for individuals with 2 vs ≤1, 3 vs ≤1, and ≥4 vs ≤ 1 MetS components were 2.60 (1.09-6.22), 2.83 (1.16-6.87) and 6.39 (2.42-16.85), respectively. CONCLUSION: In older subjects at high cardiovascular risk, reduced sTWEAK levels are associated with MetS: abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia are the main contributors to this association