Effect of sodium dichloroacetate as single agent or in combination with cisplatin in normal and human cervical cancer cell lines

Purpose: To evaluate the synergistic cytotoxicity of sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) in combination with cisplatin (CIS) against human cervical cancer cell lines. Methods: Cervical cancer SiHa and HeLa cells and normal cells (Hek-293, Vero, peripheral blood mononuclear and human erythrocytes) were treated in vitro with DCA and CIS individually or their combination. Cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method while hemolytic activity was evaluated from the released hemoglobin. Halfmaximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DCA or CIS was obtained. Results: The combination of DCA + CIS decreased the cell viability of SiHa, Hek-293, Vero, and PBMC cells, but not of Hela cells (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the individual treatments alone or in combination did not cause significant hemolysis (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of DCA + CIS increases the damage caused by CIS alone on SiHa cells. It also decreases the cell viability of Hek-293 and Vero without affecting peripheral blood mononuclear and human erythrocyte integrity. The results suggest that the combination of DCA and CIS can induce synergistic antitumor effect in different types of cancer cell lines. However, further studies are required to determine the biological effects of the combination of DCA and CIS in vivo. Keywords: Cervical cancer, Sodium dichloroacetate, Cisplatin, Viability, Hemolysi

Programa de cirugía bariátrica laparoscápica en la clínica Universidad de Navarra-Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra: resultados a un año

The laparoscopic gastric bypass is an efficient technique for the long-term treatment of morbid obesity, with a scant number of complications, excellent weight loss and curing or improvement of the associated comorbidities in these patients

Precursores de la literatura hispanoafricana: libros de exploración y viaje a la Guinea Española (ss. XIX-XX)

Este trabajo tiene tres objetivos principales. El primero, explicar la literatura de viajes a la Guinea Española como un antecedente de la literatura hispanoafricana y reivindicar la importancia de esta última dentro de la literatura de lengua española. El segundo, averiguar si los libros de viaje a la colonia ayudan a entender la idiosincrasia del sistema colonial español en África Central y a descubrir cómo era la interacción con los nativos y con el entorno natural. El tercero, entender las motivaciones de los autores coloniales para escribir estos textos, descubrir sus temas de interés y medir el papel que juega en cada obra la autorrepresentación del yo viajero

Shells and humans: molluscs and other coastal resources from the earliest human occupations at the Mesolithic shell midden of El Mazo (Asturias, Northern Spain)

Human populations exploited coastal areas with intensity during the Mesolithic in Atlantic Europe, resulting in the accumulation of large shell middens. Northern Spain is one of the most prolific regions, and especially the so-called Asturian area. Large accumulations of shellfish led some scholars to propose the existence of intensification in the exploitation of coastal resources in the region during the Mesolithic. In this paper, shell remains (molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms) from stratigraphic units 114 and 115 (dated to the early Mesolithic c. 9 kys cal BP) at El Mazo cave (Asturias, northern Spain) were studied in order to establish resource exploitation patterns and environmental conditions. Species representation showed that limpets, top shells and sea urchins were preferentially exploited. One-millimetre mesh screens were crucial in establishing an accurate minimum number of individuals for sea urchins and to determine their importance in exploitation patterns. Environmental conditions deduced from shell assemblages indicated that temperate conditions prevailed at the time of the occupation and the morphology of the coastline was similar to today (rocky exposed shores). Information recovered relating to species representation, collection areas and shell biometry reflected some evidence of intensification (reduced shell size, collection in lower areas of exposed shores, no size selection in some units and species) in the exploitation of coastal resources through time. However, the results suggested the existence of changes in collection strategies and resource management, and periods of intense shell collection may have alternated with times of shell stock recovery throughout the Mesolithic.This research was performed as part of the project “The human response to the global climatic change in a littoral zone: the case of the transition to the Holocene in the Cantabrian coast (10,000–5000 cal BC) (HAR2010-22115-C02-01)” funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. AGE was funded by the University of Cantabria through a predoctoral grant and IGZ was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through a Juan de la Cierva grant. We also would like to thank the University of Cantabria and the IIIPC for providing support, David Cuenca-Solana, Alejandro García Moreno and Lucia Agudo Pérez for their help. We also thank Jennifer Jones for correcting the English. Comments from two anonymous reviewers helped to improve the paper

In vitro Evaluation of Phthalimide Derivatives Against Cancer Cell lines

Los cánceres de pulmón, próstata e hígado se encuentran entre los más prevalentes en los hombres. El cáncer de mama, de cuello uterino y de tiroides se encuentran entre los más prevalentes en mujeres (OMS, 2019). El tratamiento del cáncer generalmente incluye quimioterapia y radioterapia; sin embargo, los medicamentos contra el cáncer disponibles tienen una selectividad baja y causan efectos adversos graves, como nefrotoxicidad, neurotoxicidad y mielosupresión (Matsuo et al., 2010). Por tanto, el diseño y desarrollo de compuestos como nuevos agentes anticancerígenos frente a los tipos de cáncer de mayor incidencia son de vital importancia en el campo de la salud. Los derivados de ftalimida son compuestos prometedores para el desarrollo de nuevos agentes anticancerígenos (Li et al., 2011; Grigalius y Petrikaite, 2017; Kamal et al., 2002). Basado en lo anterior, Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar la actividad antiproliferativa de 43 derivados de ftalimida contra una línea celular de cáncer principal en hombres (HepG2) y dos líneas celulares de cáncer principales en mujeres (HeLa y 4T1). Además, se determinó la citotoxicidad de los compuestos contra una línea celular de fibroblasto murino normal (3T3). Los resultados mostraron que los compuestos C16, E11 y E16 presentaron la mejor actividad antiproliferativa contra las líneas celulares HeLa y 4T1. El compuesto H16 solo disminuyó la proliferación celular en un 32% contra la línea celular HepG2. Los compuestos H5, H16, E2, E16 y C1 no afectaron a la proliferación de la línea celular 3T3. Demostrando que sería importante continuar con el análisis de este tipo de compuestos frente a diferentes cánceres para encontrar nuevos compuestos con mejor actividad que los actualmente disponibles en el mercado

Intubación con fibroscopio en paciente con estenosis traqueal severa

Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 80 años que acude al servicio de urgencias en abril de 2016 refiriendo disnea. En agosto de 2014 se describe en TAC bocio con componente endotorácico a expensas de crecimiento de lóbulo tiroideo izquierdo que se introduce en el tórax y desciende hasta situarse a la altura del cayado aórtico. Produce desplazamiento de la luz traqueal con estenosis y desplazamiento de luz esofágica. En ese momento la paciente fue valorada por Cirugía General que concluyó que al no presentar clínica que comprometiera actividades de la vida diaria y debido al riesgo quirúrgico, no era candidata a cirugía

Producción de espacios de conservación en Veracruz, México / Production of conservation spaces in Veracruz, Mexico

Este trabajo examina la producción de espacios concebidos para la conservación, analizando la forma en que se legitiman espacios de verdor, mientras que se generan discursos vacíos de relaciones histórico-sociales. Bajo el modelo del conservacionismo neoliberal, la producción de espacios para la conservación está interconectada con el suministro de agua para la ciudad. Esta generación de espacios existe por sus representaciones, legitimadas con elementos como: mandato de la conservación, espectáculo de la naturaleza, intervención planeada, construcción de identidades y cogestión integral. Estos componentes materializan el espacio verde, proveedor de servicios ambientales para la sociedad urbana en crisis. En este contexto, las resistencias campesinas quedan desactivadas mediante proyectos de desarrollo, haciendo invisible el flujo de los pobladores, quienes quedan inmersos en nuevos cercamientos y despojos verdes y azules. De manera encubierta, las familias reconfiguran sus tiempos y espacios, nostálgica y silenciosamente, en los intersticios de los lugares que antes habitaron.

Mg/Ca profiles within archaeological mollusc (Patella vulgata) shells: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy compared to Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Biogenic carbonate mollusc shells have the unique property of being a durable material found in many archaeological and geological sites, recording in their shell chemical composition the ambient environmental conditions during the mollusc's lifespan. In particular, mollusc shell Mg/Ca ratios have been suggested to be related to seawater temperature, although such a relationship is controversial and appears to be species- and even location-specific. This study investigates the use of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for the rapid measurement of Mg/Ca profiles within Patella vulgata shells, via comparison with one established analytical technique that is most often used for this purpose, ICP-OES. LIBS offers some advantages over other spectrometric techniques, including ICP-OES, the latter requiring initial micromilling of sample powders. LIBS offers faster measurement, reduced sample preparation, easier automation and less complex and lower cost instrumentation. A high correlation is evident between LIBS and ICP-OES Mg/Ca profiles within four archaeological P. vulgata shells, as well as strong similarities between LIBS measurements made in two different areas of each P. vulgata shell (i.e. the apex and a more conventional transect along the axis of shell growth). Validation of the LIBS technique for determination of Mg/Ca profiles within P. vulgata shells has implications for archaeological studies, because a greater number of shell specimens sampled from each archaeological site and chronological level can be measured, thereby improving the statistical robustness of data interpretation and conclusions. One example archaeological application that would benefit from application of the LIBS technique is identification of the season-of-capture of marine molluscs as a food resource for prehistoric societies

Identifying component modules

A computer-based system for modelling component dependencies and identifying component modules is presented. A variation of the Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM) representation was used to model component dependencies. The system utilises a two-stage approach towards facilitating the identification of a hierarchical modular structure. The first stage calculates a value for a clustering criterion that may be used to group component dependencies together. A Genetic Algorithm is described to optimise the order of the components within the DSM with the focus of minimising the value of the clustering criterion to identify the most significant component groupings (modules) within the product structure. The second stage utilises a 'Module Strength Indicator' (MSI) function to determine a value representative of the degree of modularity of the component groupings. The application of this function to the DSM produces a 'Module Structure Matrix' (MSM) depicting the relative modularity of available component groupings within it. The approach enabled the identification of hierarchical modularity in the product structure without the requirement for any additional domain specific knowledge within the system. The system supports design by providing mechanisms to explicitly represent and utilise component and dependency knowledge to facilitate the nontrivial task of determining near-optimal component modules and representing product modularity