Repression and torture. CIA influences on the dictatorial regimes of the Southern Cone

Partiendo del análisis de documentación primaria procedente de manuales de interrogatorios tanto de Estados Unidos como de los países del cono sur americano -Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay y Chile-, así como de comisiones de investigación emitidas por los distintos países, la intención del artículo es analizar las pautas comunes en el proceso de detención y tortura que sufrían los guerrilleros e insurgentes pertenecientes a organizaciones violentas. Así mismo, tratamos de poner de manifiesto la trascendencia del modelo inspirador estadounidense y las mutuas influencias entre las dictaduras que se desarrollaron en los citados países de América Latina en las décadas de 1960 y 1970 y trazar una línea comparativa en la metodología utilizada por las fuerzas policiales y militares.Based on the analysis of primary documentation from interrogation manuals from both the United States and the countries of the South American cone -Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile-, as well as reports issued by the different countries, the aim of the article is to analyze the common patterns in the detention and torture process suffered by guerrillas and insurgents belonging to violent organizations. We also seek to highlight the importance of the US model and the mutual influences between the dictatorships that developed in these Latin American countries in the 1960s and 1970s, and to draw a comparative line in the methodology used by the police and military forces

Manuals and instructions for the praxis of the perfect guerrilla. The MLN-Tupamaros

El movimiento de Liberación Nacional Tupamaros (MLN-T) fue una organización guerrillera orientada al ámbito urbano que desplegó una estrategia basada en la clandestinidad, pero al mismo tiempo se estructuró tomando aspectos propios del ejército. En el presente artículo, en base a documentos originales de archivo nos disponemos a trazar las directrices principales de este grupo y las instrucciones a sus militantes con el objetivo de mejorar las acciones de tipo insurgente.The Tupamaros National Liberation Movement (MLN-T) was an urban oriented guerrilla organization that implemented a strategy based on clandestineness, but at the same time was structured taking on aspects of the army. In this article, based on original file documents we set out to draw up the main guidelines of this group and the instructions to its militants with the aim of improving insurgent actions

Research and development of a gamma-ray imaging spectrometer in the MeV range in Barcelona

Copyright 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic electronic or print reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited.Gamma-ray astrophysics in the MeV energy range plays an important role for the understanding of cosmic explosions and acceleration mechanisms in a variety of galactic and extragalactic sources, e.g., Supernovae, Classical Novae, Supernova Remnants (SNRs), Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), Pulsars, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Through the development of focusing telescopes in the MeV energy range, it will be possible to reach unprecedented sensitivities, compared with those of the currently operating gamma ray telescopes. In order to achieve the needed performance, a detector with mm spatial resolution and very high peak efficiency is required. It will be also desirable that the detector could detect polarization of the source. Our research and development activities in Barcelona aim to study a gamma-ray imaging spectrometer in the MeV range suited for the focal plane of a gamma-ray telescope mission, based on CdTe pixel detectors arranged in multiple layers with increasing thicknesses, to enhance gamma-ray absorption in the Compton regime. We have developed an initial prototype based on several CdTe module detectors, with 11x11 pixels, a pixel pitch of 1mm and a thickness of 2mm. Each pixel is stud-bump bonded to a fanout board and routed to a readout ASIC to measure pixel position, pulse height and rise time information for each incident gamma-ray photon. We will report on the results of an optimization study based on simulations, to select the optimal thickness of each CdTe detector within the module to get the best energy resolution of the spectrometer.Peer reviewe

Effect of several antioxidants on thawed ram spermatozoa submitted to 37ºC up to four hours

Thawed ram spermatozoa were incubated at 37 ◦C in presence of dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), TEMPOL (TPL), N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and rutin (RUT), at 0.1 and 1 mM, in order to test their effects on sperm physiology. Cryopreserved spermatozoa from four rams were thawed, pooled, washed and incubated in TALP-Hepes with 1 mM or 0.1 mM of each antioxidant, performing a replicate with induced oxidative stress e2+/ascorbate). Motility (CASA), viability and mitochondrial membrane potential (flow cytometry) were analyzed at 2 and 4 h. Lipoperoxidation (MDA production), intracellular ROS and DNA status (TUNEL) were analyzed at 4 h. Antioxidants, except DHA 0.1 mM, decreased motility and kinematic parameters, but had little effect on viability or mitochondrial activity. Except 1 mM DHA, the antioxidants reduced ROS at 4 h. Moreover, NAC 1 mM, rutin and TEMPOL reduced ROS and DNA damage in presence of oxidative stress. NAC, rutin 1 mM and TEMPOL reduced lipoperoxidation in presence of oxidative stress. However, DHA did not affected lipoperoxidation. At 1 mM, DHA increased DNA damage in absence of oxidative stress. DHA effects could arise from spermatozoa having a low capacity for reducing it to ascorbic acid, and it may be tested in presence of other antioxidants or reducing power. Future research should focus in testing if the inhibition of motility observed for NAC, rutin and TEMPOL is reversible. These antioxidants might be useful at lower temperatures (refrigerated storage or cryopreservation) when their protective effects could be advantageou

Thawing boar semen in the presence of seminal plasma improves motility, modifies subpopulation patterns and reduces chromatin alterations

P. 1576-1584Seminal plasma could have positive effects on boar semen after thawing. In the present study we investigated changes in the motility and chromatin structure in spermatozoa over 4 h incubation (37°C) of boar semen thawed in the presence of 0%, 10% or 50% seminal plasma from good-fertility boars. Cryopreserved doses were used from seven males, three of which were identified as susceptible to post-thawing chromatin alterations. Motility was analysed by computer-aided sperm analysis every hour, and data were used in a two-step clustering, yielding three subpopulations of spermatozoa (slow non-linear, fast non-linear, fast linear). Chromatin structure was analysed using a sperm chromatin structure assay and flow cytometry to determine the DNA fragmentation index (%DFI) as a percentage, the standard deviation of the DFI (SD-DFI) and the percentage of high DNA stainability (%HDS), indicating chromatin compaction. Thawing without seminal plasma resulted in a rapid loss of motility, whereas seminal plasma helped maintain motility throughout the incubation period and preserved the subpopulation comprising fast and linear spermatozoa. The incidence of chromatin alterations was very low in samples from non-susceptible males, whereas samples from males susceptible to post-thawing chromatin alterations exhibited marked alterations in %DFI and %HDS. Seminal plasma partly prevented these alterations in samples from susceptible males. Overall, 50% seminal plasma was the most efficient concentration to protect motility and chromatin. Some changes were concomitant with physiological events reported previously (e.g., semen thawed with 50% seminal plasma increased the production of reactive oxygen species and yielded higher fertility after AI). Thawing in the presence of seminal plasma could be particularly useful in the case of samples susceptible to post-thawing chromatin damage.S

Reduced glutathione and Trolox (Vitamin E) as extender supplements in cryopreservation of red deer epididymal spermatozoa.

The use of assisted reproductive techniques in cervids is increasing as the commercial use of these species increase. We have tested the suitability of the antioxidants Trolox and reduced glutathione (GSH) for freezing red deer epididymal spermatozoa, aiming at improving postthawing quality. Samples from 19 stags were frozen in a TES-Tris-fructose extender (20% egg yolk, 8% glycerol), with 1 or 5 mM of antioxidant. Motility (CASA), lipoperoxidation (malondialdehyde ?MDA? production), membrane status, mitochondrial activity, acrosomal status (flow cytometry) and chromatin status (SCSA: %DFI and %HDS; flow cytometry) were assessed after thawing and after 6 h at 39 #9702;C. There were few differences between treatments after thawing, with Trolox reducing MDA production in a dose?response manner. After the incubation, sperm quality decreased and %DFI increased moderately, with no change for MDA. GSH improved motility, kinematic parameters and mitochondrial status, with a slight increase in %HDS. GSH 5 mM also increased moderately MDA production and %DFI, possibly due to enhanced metabolic activity and reducing power. Trolox maintained MDA low, but was detrimental to sperm quality. Trolox might not be appropriate for the cryopreservation of red deer epididymal spermatozoa, at least at the millimolar range. GSH results are promising, especially regarding motility improvement after the post-thawing incubation, and should be selected for future fertility trials

Development and Characterization of a Tacrolimus/Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Eye Drop

Uveitis is a vision inflammatory disorder with a high prevalence in developing countries. Currently, marketed treatments remain limited and reformulation is usually performed to obtain a tacrolimus eye drop as a therapeutic alternative in corticosteroid-refractory eye disease. The aim of this work was to develop a mucoadhesive, non-toxic and stable topical ophthalmic formulation that can be safely prepared in hospital pharmacy departments. Four different ophthalmic formulations were prepared based on the tacrolimus/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) inclusion complexes’ formation. Phase solubility diagrams, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and molecular modeling studies showed the formation of 1:1 and 1:2 tacrolimus/HPβCD inclusion complexes, being possible to obtain a 0.02% (w/v) tacrolimus concentration by using 40% (w/v) HPβCD aqueous solutions. Formulations also showed good ophthalmic properties in terms of pH, osmolality and safety. Stability studies proved these formulations to be stable for at least 3 months in refrigeration. Ex vivo bioadhesion and in vivo ocular permanence showed good mucoadhesive properties with higher ocular permanence compared to the reference pharmacy compounding used in clinical settings (t1/2 of 86.2 min for the eyedrop elaborated with 40% (w/v) HPβCD and Liquifilm® versus 46.3 min for the reference formulation). Thus, these novel eye drops present high potential as a safe alternative for uveitis treatment, as well as a versatile composition to include new drugs intended for topical ophthalmic administrationThis research was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-099597-B-100), the ISCIII (PI17/00940, RETICS Oftared, RD16/0008/0003 and RD12/0034/0017) and by Xunta de Galicia, grant numbers GPC2013/015 and GRC2017/015S

UPRmt activation improves pathological alterations in cellular models of mitochondrial diseases

Background: Mitochondrial diseases represent one of the most common groups of genetic diseases. With a prevalence greater than 1 in 5000 adults, such diseases still lack effective treatment. Current therapies are purely palliative and, in most cases, insufficient. Novel approaches to compensate and, if possible, revert mitochondrial dysfunction must be developed. Results: In this study, we tackled the issue using as a model fibroblasts from a patient bearing a mutation in the GFM1 gene, which is involved in mitochondrial protein synthesis. Mutant GFM1 fibroblasts could not survive in galactose restrictive medium for more than 3 days, making them the perfect screening platform to test several compounds. Tetracycline enabled mutant GFM1 fibroblasts survival under nutritional stress. Here we demonstrate that tetracycline upregulates the mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), a compensatory pathway regulating mitochondrial proteostasis. We additionally report that activation of UPR improves mutant GFM1 cellular bioenergetics and partially restores mitochondrial protein expression. Conclusions: Overall, we provide compelling evidence to propose the activation of intrinsic cellular compensatory mechanisms as promising therapeutic strategy for mitochondrial diseases.This work was supported by FIS PI16/00786 (2016) and FIS PI19/00377 (2019) grants, the Ministerio de Sanidad, Spain and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER Unión Europea), Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. This activity has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by the Regional Ministry of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities of the Junta de Andalucía, within the framework of the ERDF Andalusia operational program 2014–2020 Thematic objective "01—Reinforcement of research, technological development and innovation" through the reference research project CTS-5725 and PY18-850

Noninvasive monitoring of serial changes in pulmonary vascular resistance and acute vasodilator testing using cardiac magnetic resonance

Objectives The study sought to evaluate the ability of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to monitor acute and long-term changes in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) noninvasively. Background PVR monitoring during the follow-up of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the response to vasodilator testing require invasive right heart catheterization. Methods An experimental study in pigs was designed to evaluate the ability of CMR to monitor: 1) an acute increase in PVR generated by acute pulmonary embolization (n = 10); 2) serial changes in PVR in chronic PH (n = 22); and 3) changes in PVR during vasodilator testing in chronic PH (n = 10). CMR studies were performed with simultaneous hemodynamic assessment using a CMR-compatible Swan-Ganz catheter. Average flow velocity in the main pulmonary artery (PA) was quantified with phase contrast imaging. Pearson correlation and mixed model analysis were used to correlate changes in PVR with changes in CMR-quantified PA velocity. Additionally, PVR was estimated from CMR data (PA velocity and right ventricular ejection fraction) using a formula previously validated. Results Changes in PA velocity strongly and inversely correlated with acute increases in PVR induced by pulmonary embolization (r = –0.92), serial PVR fluctuations in chronic PH (r = –0.89), and acute reductions during vasodilator testing (r = –0.89, p ≤ 0.01 for all). CMR-estimated PVR showed adequate agreement with invasive PVR (mean bias –1.1 Wood units,; 95% confidence interval: –5.9 to 3.7) and changes in both indices correlated strongly (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). Conclusions CMR allows for noninvasive monitoring of acute and chronic changes in PVR in PH. This capability may be valuable in the evaluation and follow-up of patients with PH

Taking advantage of the use of supervised learning methods for characterization of sperm population structure related with freezability in the iberian red deer

Using Iberian red deer as model, this study presents a supervised learning method, the Support Vector Machines (SVM), to characterize sperm population structure related with freezability. Male freezability was assessed by evaluating motility, membrane status and mitochondrial membrane potential of sperm after a freezing-thawing procedure. The SVM model was generated using sperm motility information captured by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) from thawed semen, belonging to 6 stags with marked differences on their freezability. A total of 1369 sperm tracks were recorded for seven kinematic parameters and assigned to four motility patterns based on them: weak motile, progressive, transitional and hyperactivated-like. Then, this data were split in two sets: the training set, used to train the SVM model, and the testing set, used to examine how the SVM method and three other unsupervised methods, a non-hierarchical, a ierarchical and a multi-step clustering procedures, performed the sperm classification into subpopulations. The SVM was revealed as the most accurate method in the characterization of sperm subpopulations, showing all the sperm subpopulations obtained in this way high significant correlations with those sperm parameters used to characterize freezability of males. Given its superiority, the SVM method was used to characterize the sperm motile subpopulations in Iberian red deer. Sperm motile data from frozen thawed semen belonging to 25 stags were recorded and loaded into the SVM model. The sperm population structure revealed that those males showing por freezability were characterized by high percentages of sperm with a weak motility pattern. In opposite, males showing good freezability were characterized by higher percentages of sperm with a progressive and hyperactivated-like motility pattern and lower percentages of sperm with a weak motile pattern. We also identified a sperm subpopulation with a transitional motility pattern. This subpopulation increased as the freezability of males improved, and may be used as indicative of overall sperm motility