Pequeña rapsodia húngara. La confesión burguesa de Sándor Márai y otras narraciones de la vieja Europa

RESUMEN: En este artículo se aborda la confesión burguesa de Sándor Márai (1900-1989) para analizar la trayectoria de la historia contemporánea de Hungría. Vinculado al Imperio austríaco, el reino apostólico de Hungría fundado en torno al año 1000 selló el compromiso (Ausgleich) de 1867 con Austria, que comportó la doble capitalidad del imperio entre Viena y Budapest después del fracaso de la revolución de 1848. Además, aquel compromiso favoreció la participación de la burguesía en la construcción de la moderna Hungría, a través de un proyecto liberal que implicó el fomento de la magiarización. Ahora bien, después de la desaparición del Imperio austrohúngaro, se produjo la firma del tratado de Trianón (4 de junio de 1920) que redujo ostensiblemente la geografía húngara y sumió al país en la pobreza. Por último, y durante el período 1938-1948, se consumó el fin de la Hungría liberal, que fue asfixiada por el nazismo y el comunismo soviético.PALABRAS CLAVE: Hungría, Europa, Márai, burguesía, literatura, ideales de formación.Small Hungarian Rapsodia. The bourgeois confession of Sándor Márai and other narrations of the old EuropeABSTRACT: This article deals with the bourgeois confession of Sándor Márai (1900-1989) to analyze the trajectory of the contemporary history of Hungary. Linked to the Austrian Empire, the Hungarian Apostolic Kingdom founded around the year 1000 sealed the commitment (Ausgleich) of 1867 with Austria, which involved the double capital of the empire between Vienna and Budapest after the failure of the 1848 revolution. In addition, that commitment favored the participation of the bourgeoisie in the construction of modern Hungary, through a liberal project that involved the promotion of magyarization. However, after the disappearance of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, there was the signing of the Treaty of Trianon (June 4, 1920) that ostensibly reduced the Hungarian geography and plunged the country into poverty. Finally, and during the period 1938-1948, the end of liberal Hungary was consummated, which was suffocated by Nazism and Soviet communism.KEYWORDS: Hungary, Europe, Márai, bourgeoisie, literature, ideals of formation

Rússia, entre la tradició ortodoxa i la Revolució soviètica

En aquest article els autors revisen les grans etapes de la història russa que ha passat per diferents moments històrics, representats per Kíev, Moscou i Sant Petersburg, en un procés de llarga durada en què s?ha posat en relleu que la identitat russa oscil·la entre l?occidentalització i l?afirmació eslava. Altrament, aquesta dinàmica es va fer evident a partir de la invasió napoleònica (1812) i de la Guerra de Crimea (1854-56), que va comportar la derrota russa i una afirmació de la seva idiosincràsia, per la qual cosa es va potenciar el paper de la religió ortodoxa i la literatura, que va generar un renaixement espiritual (Soloviov, Berdiàiev). Amb tot, la Revolució que va esclatar el 1917 va comportar la irrupció d?una nova visió cultural i pedagògica que va quedar supeditada als principis soviètics que van limitar la capacitat d?acció d?una figura de referència com Anatoli Lunatxarski, comissari del Poble d?Instrucció Pública. Altrament, l?actual situació de Rússia s?il·lumina a través d?aquesta fenomenologia històrica en què la religió ortodoxa, l?espiritualitat messiànica i el nacionalisme configuren un univers mental que consolida la projecció del paneslavisme a l?Europa de l?est.In this article the authors review the great stages of Russian history that has gone through different historic moments, represented by Kiev, Moscow, and Saint Petersburg, in a long process in which it has been shown that Russian identity oscillates between westernisation and Slavic assertion. Besides, this dynamic became clear after the Napoleonic invasion (1812) and the Crimean War (1854-56), which led to Russian defeat and a bolstering of its idiosyncrasy, whereby the role of orthodox religion and literature was promoted which gave rise to a spiritual revival (Soloviov, Berdiàiev). All in all, the revolution that broke out in 1917 brought about the irruption of a new cultural and pedagogical vision that was subject to the Soviet principles that limited the capacity for action of such a figure of reference as was Anatoli Lunatxarski, the People?s Commissar of Public Instruction. Meanwhile, the current situation of Russia is illustrated through this historic phenomenology in which orthodox religion, messianic spirituality, and nationalism make up a mental universe that consolidates the projection of Pan-Slavism in Eastern Europe.En este artículo, los autores revisan las grandes etapas de la historia rusa que ha pasado por diferentes momentos históricos, representados por Kiev, Moscú y San Petersburgo, en un proceso de larga duración en el que se ha puesto de relieve que la identidad rusa oscila entre la occidentalización y la afirmación eslava. En realidad, esta dinámica se hizo evidente a partir de la invasión napoleónica (1812) y de la Guerra de Crimea (1854-56), que comportó la derrota rusa y una afirmación de su idiosincrasia, por lo que se potenció el papel de la religión ortodoxa y la literatura que generó un renacimiento espiritual (Soloviov, Berdiàiev). Con todo, la Revolución que estalló en 1917 supuso la irrupción de una nueva visión cultural y pedagógica que quedó supeditada a los principios soviéticos que limitaron la capacidad de acción de una figura de referencia como Anatoli Lunacharski, Comisario del Pueblo para la Instrucción Pública. Además, la actual situación de Rusia se ilumina a través de esta fenomenología histórica en la que la religión ortodoxa, la espiritualidad mesiánica y el nacionalismo configuran un universo mental que consolida la proyección del paneslavismo en la Europa del este

Effectiveness of telephone monitoring in primary care to detect pneumonia and associated risk factors in patients with SARS-CoV-2

Improved technology facilitates the acceptance of telemedicine. The aim was to analyze the effectiveness of telephone follow-up to detect severe SARS-CoV-2 cases that progressed to pneumonia. A prospective cohort study with 2-week telephone follow-up was carried out March 1 to May 4, 2020, in a primary healthcare center in Barcelona. Individuals aged =15 years with symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 were included. Outpatients with non-severe disease were called on days 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 after diagnosis; patients with risk factors for pneumonia received daily calls through day 5 and then the regularly scheduled calls. Patients hospitalized due to pneumonia received calls on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-discharge. Of the 453 included patients, 435 (96%) were first attended to at a primary healthcare center. The 14-day follow-up was completed in 430 patients (99%), with 1798 calls performed. Of the 99 cases of pneumonia detected (incidence rate 20.8%), one-third appeared 7 to 10 days after onset of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. Ten deaths due to pneumonia were recorded. Telephone follow-up by a primary healthcare center was effective to detect SARS-CoV-2 pneumonias and to monitor related complications. Thus, telephone appointments between a patient and their health care practitioner benefit both health outcomes and convenience. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The extent of protein hydration dictates the preference for heterogeneous or homogeneous nucleation generating either parallel or antiparallel ß-sheet a-synuclein aggregates

a-Synuclein amyloid self-assembly is the hallmark of a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson 's disease, although there is still very limited understanding about the factors and mechanisms that trigger this process. Primary nucleation has been observed to be initiated in vitro at hydrophobic/hydrophilic interfaces by heterogeneous nucleation generating parallel ß-sheet aggregates, although no such interfaces have yet been identified in vivo. In this work, we have discovered that a-synuclein can self-assemble into amyloid aggregates by homogeneous nucleation, without the need of an active surface, and with a preference for an antiparallel ß-sheet arrangement. This particular structure has been previously proposed to be distinctive of stable toxic oligomers and we here demonstrate that it indeed represents the most stable structure of the preferred amyloid pathway triggered by homogeneous nucleation under limited hydration conditions, including those encountered inside a-synuclein droplets generated by liquid-liquid phase separation. In addition, our results highlight the key role that water plays not only in modulating the transition free energy of amyloid nucleation, and thus governing the initiation of the process, but also in dictating the type of preferred primary nucleation and the type of amyloid polymorph generated depending on the extent of protein hydration. These findings are particularly relevant in the context of in vivo a-synuclein aggregation where the protein can encounter a variety of hydration conditions in different cellular microenvironments, including the vicinity of lipid membranes or the interior of membraneless compartments, which could lead to the formation of remarkably different amyloid polymorphs by either heterogeneous or homogeneous nucleation

Structure and immunogenicity of a peptide vaccine, including the complete HIV-1 gp41 2F5 epitope: implications for antibody recognition mechanism and immunogen design.

The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of gp41 harbors the epitope recognized by the broadly neutralizing anti-HIV 2F5 antibody, a research focus in HIV-1 vaccine development. In this work, we analyze the structure and immunogenic properties of MPERp, a peptide vaccine that includes the following: (i) the complete sequence protected from proteolysis by the 2F5 paratope; (ii) downstream residues postulated to establish weak contacts with the CDR-H3 loop of the antibody, which are believed to be crucial for neutralization; and (iii) an aromatic rich anchor to the membrane interface. MPERp structures solved in dodecylphosphocholine micelles and 25% 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (v/v) confirmed folding of the complete 2F5 epitope within continuous kinked helices. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) measurements demonstrated the retention of main helical conformations in immunogenic formulations based on alum, Freund's adjuvant, or two different types of liposomes. Binding to membrane-inserted MPERp, IR, molecular dynamics simulations, and characterization of the immune responses further suggested that packed helical bundles partially inserted into the lipid bilayer, rather than monomeric helices adsorbed to the membrane interface, could encompass effective MPER peptide vaccines. Together, our data constitute a proof-of-concept to support MPER-based peptides in combination with liposomes as stand-alone immunogens and suggest new approaches for structure-aided MPER vaccine development

Prevalence of hepatic steatosis as assessed by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in subjects with metabolic risk factors in primary care. A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Primary care is the ideal setting for early identification of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is a potentially progressive disease that may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer but is frequently underrecognized because subjects at risk are often not evaluated. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a reliable method for non-invasive quantification of liver fat. It has the advantage of simultaneous measurement of liver stiffness (LS), an estimate of liver fibrosis. There is no information on CAP in subjects with risk factors from primary care. AIM: To investigate the prevalence of hepatic steatosis, as estimated by CAP, in subjects from the community with metabolic risk factors and correlate findings with clinical and biochemical characteristics and LS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Population-based study of 215 subjects with metabolic risk factors without known liver disease identified randomly from a primary care center. A control group of 80 subjects matched by age and sex without metabolic risk factors was also studied. CAP and LS were assessed using Fibroscan. RESULTS: Subjects with risk factors had CAP values higher than those of control group (268±64 vs 243±49dB/m,p 280dB/m) in subjects with risk factors was 43%. In multivariate analysis, fatty liver index (FLI) and HOMA were independent predictive factors of severe steatosis. There was a direct correlation between CAP and FLI values (r = 0.52,p<0.001). Interestingly, prevalence of increased LS was 12.6% in the risk group vs 0% in the control group (p<0.001). Increased LS occurred predominantly in subjects with high CAP values. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of subjects with metabolic risk factors seen in primary care have severe steatosis. FLI could be used as a surrogate of CAP. Increased LS was found in a significant proportion of subjects with risk factors but not in control subjects

Prevalence of hepatic steatosis as assessed by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in subjects with metabolic risk factors in primary care. A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Primary care is the ideal setting for early identification of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is a potentially progressive disease that may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer but is frequently underrecognized because subjects at risk are often not evaluated. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a reliable method for non-invasive quantification of liver fat. It has the advantage of simultaneous measurement of liver stiffness (LS), an estimate of liver fibrosis. There is no information on CAP in subjects with risk factors from primary care. AIM: To investigate the prevalence of hepatic steatosis, as estimated by CAP, in subjects from the community with metabolic risk factors and correlate findings with clinical and biochemical characteristics and LS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Population-based study of 215 subjects with metabolic risk factors without known liver disease identified randomly from a primary care center. A control group of 80 subjects matched by age and sex without metabolic risk factors was also studied. CAP and LS were assessed using Fibroscan. RESULTS: Subjects with risk factors had CAP values higher than those of control group (268±64 vs 243±49dB/m,p 280dB/m) in subjects with risk factors was 43%. In multivariate analysis, fatty liver index (FLI) and HOMA were independent predictive factors of severe steatosis. There was a direct correlation between CAP and FLI values (r = 0.52,p<0.001). Interestingly, prevalence of increased LS was 12.6% in the risk group vs 0% in the control group (p<0.001). Increased LS occurred predominantly in subjects with high CAP values. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of subjects with metabolic risk factors seen in primary care have severe steatosis. FLI could be used as a surrogate of CAP. Increased LS was found in a significant proportion of subjects with risk factors but not in control subjects

Immunisation with foamy virus Bet fusion proteins as novel strategy for HIV-1 epitope delivery

The induction of 2F5- and 4E10-like antibodies broadly neutralising HIV-1 and targeting the membrane external proximal region (MPER) of the transmembrane envelope protein gp41 would be a major advancement for the development of a preventive HIV-1 vaccine, but successful attempts remain rare. Recent studies demonstrated that broadly reactive antibodies develop relatively late during infection and after intensive affinity maturation. Therefore, a prolonged antigen delivery might be beneficial to induce them. Replicating foamy viruses which are characterised by apathogenic but persistent infection could represent suitable carrier viruses for this purpose. In order to develop such a system, we modified the accessory foamy virus Bet protein to contain the MPER of gp41, or the MPER linked to the stabilising fusion peptide proximal region of gp41 and analysed here the antigenic and immunogenic properties of such hybrid proteins. The antigens, expressed and purified to homogeneity, were recognised by the monoclonal antibodies 2F5 and 4E10 with nanomolar affinities and induced high levels of antibodies specific to gp41 after immunisation of rats. The antisera also bound to virus particles attached to infected cells, and peptide-based epitope mapping showed that they recognised the 2F5 epitope. Although no HIV-1 neutralising activity was observed, the presented data demonstrate that using the foamy virus Bet for HIV-1 epitope delivery is successfully applicable. Together with the attractive potential for sustained antigen expression after transfer to replicating virus, these results should therefore provide a first basis for the development of chimeric foamy viruses as novel HIV-1 vaccine vectors