La nova Ciutat Vella: intervencions contemporànies d'habitatges plurifamiliars al casc antic de Barcelona

Cada edifici forma part del context en el que es troba i pot, en gran mesura, millorar-lo o empitjorar-lo. Els edificis d’habitatge, no en són una excepció, i tot i el seu lligam amb la part més íntima de la vida de cada individu, intervenen directament sobre l’espai públic. Un dels contextos urbans on l’espai públic requereix especial atenció i on l’estratègia de projecte pot ser clau en la seva millora, és Ciutat Vella. Les limitacions d’aquesta part de la ciutat, han fet que el centre històric sigui incapaç de satisfer les necessitats dels seus habitants derivant en una despoblació accelerada. Aquest fenomen s’ha produït a moltes ciutats del món, plantejant molts dubtes sobre què fer al respecte. A Ciutat Vella es va apostar per un procés de regeneració basat en un model de centre històric residencial social amb l’objectiu de mantenir el caràcter de lloc d’acolliment i integració. Així doncs, el treball parteix d’entendre el projecte d’habitatge com un repte per a millorar el context existent i d’haver detectat el paper fonamental que aquest ha tingut i té a Ciutat Vella. A través de l’anàlisi de cinc projectes d’habitatge d’obra nova construïts a Ciutat Vella, es pretén investigar quines són les claus per inserir aquest tipus d’edifici al casc antic, resolent l’habitar al seu interior i l’habitar a la ciutat. El projecte d’habitatge pot esdevenir el motor per a fer que el casc antic no solament deixi de degradar-se sinó que en millori les condicions, revertint el procés de degradació i despoblació que estava experimentant?Cada edificio forma parte del contexto en el que se encuentra y puede, en gran medida, mejorarlo o empeorarlo. Los edificios de vivienda, no son una excepción, y a pesar de su estrecha relación con la parte más íntima de la vida de cada individuo, intervienen directamente sobre el espacio público. Uno de los contextos urbanos donde el espacio público requiere especial atención y donde la estrategia de proyecto puede ser clave en su mejora, es Ciutat Vella. Las limitaciones de esta parte de la ciudad, han hecho que el centro histórico sea incapaz de satisfacer las necesidades de sus habitantes derivando en una despoblación acelerada. Este fenómeno se ha producido en muchas ciudades del mundo, planteando muchas dudas sobre qué hacer al respecto. En Ciutat Vella se apostó por un proceso de regeneración basado en un modelo de centro histórico residencial social con el objetivo de mantener el carácter de lugar de acogida e integración. Así pues, el trabajo parte de entender el proyecto de vivienda como un reto para mejorar el contexto existente y de haber detectado el papel fundamental que este ha tenido y tiene en Ciutat Vella. A través del análisis de cinco proyectos de vivienda de obra nueva construidos en Ciutat Vella, se pretende investigar cuáles son las claves para insertar este tipo de edificio en el casco antiguo, resolviendo el habitar en su interior y el habitar en la ciudad. El proyecto de vivienda puede llegar a ser el motor para hacer que el casco antiguo no solo deje de degradarse sino que mejore las condiciones, revirtiendo el proceso de degradación y despoblación que estaba experimentando?Each building is part of the context in which it is located and can greatly improve or worsen it. Housing buildings are no exception, and despite their bond with the innermost part of each individual’s life, they intervene directly on the public space. One of the urban contexts where public space requires special attention and where project strategy can be key in its improvement is Ciutat Vella. The limitations of this part of the city have made the historic centre incapable of meeting the needs of its inhabitants, resulting in accelerated depopulation. This phenomenon has occurred in many cities around the world, raising many doubts about what to do about it. Ciutat Vella, opted for a regeneration process based on a model of the historic social residential centre with the aim of maintaining the status of a place of reception and integration. This investigation cames for two reasons: understanding the housing project as a challenge to improve the existing context and the detection of the fundamental role that it has played and has Ciutat Vella. Through the analysis of five new residential projects built in Ciutat Vella, it is intended to investigate the keys to insert this type of building into the old town, solving the living inside and the living in the city. Can the housing project become the engine to make the old town not only stop degrading but improve the conditions, reversing the process of degradation and depopulation it was experiencing

Entre naps i cols : revitalització de l’EABT amb la creació d’un centre de formació i gestió agrària a Santa Susanna

El projecte sorgeix de la detecció del paper clau de l’agricultura en el context territorial de la Baixa Tordera. La superfície de conreu d’aquesta zona té un gran valor agrari i socioeconòmic, malauradament ha anat disminuïnt amb el temps degut a la pressió urbanística i la manca de relleu generacional i mà d’obra. Es detecten dues evidències d’aquesta transformació: l’elevat nombre de camps que han deixat de ser productius convertint-se en erms, i el canvi d’ús del sól, passant d’agrícola a urbanitzable. Els camps que ja no són productius suposen una excusa perfecte per a urbanitzar aquestes zones i treure’n profits econòmics. Per a revitalitzar el sector de l’agricultura en l’espai de la Baixa Tordera es proposa un centre de gestió i formació agrària a Santa Susanna. Aquest és el municipi de la Baixa Tordera que ha perdut més superfície agrícola amb el temps. És el cas del sector de Can Gelat, una discontinuïtat a la franja agrícola del municipi ja que es va urbanitzar l’any 2004 en quedar erms els camps que hi havien. Entenem aquest punt com una oportunitat per relligar la franja agrícola i retornar a la terra aquesta zona ara coberta de paviment i asfalt. El programa que es proposa, l’Escola Agrària, pretén impulsar i donar importància a l’ofici de l’agricultor com a persona clau per a garantir la rendibilitat de les explotacions agràries. Es complementa amb grans superfícies de cultiu per a l’escola que conviuen amb zones d’espai públic per al municipi, essent fonamental la recuperació del Torrentó de Can Gelat. A nivell territorial, contemplant tot l’Espai Agrari de la Baixa Tordera proposem actuar juntament amb les cooperatives agràries dels municipis per donar una nova vida als camps erms i mancomunar serveis per als pagesos.El proyecto surge de la detección del papel clave de la agricultura en el contexto territorial de la Baixa Tordera. La superficie de cultivo de esta zona tiene un gran valor agrario y socioeconómico, desgraciadamente ha ido disminuyendo con el tiempo debido a la presión urbanística y la carencia de relieve generacional y mano de obra. Se detectan dos evidencias de esta transformación: el elevado número de campos que han dejado de ser productivos convirtiéndose en baldíos, y el cambio de uso del suelo, pasando de agrícola a urbanizable. Los campos que ya no son productivos suponen una excusa perfecta para urbanizar estas zonas y sacar provecho económico. Para revitalizar el sector de la agricultura en el espacio de la Baixa Tordera se propone un centro de gestión y formación agraria en Santa Susanna. Éste es el municipio de la Baixa Tordera que ha perdido más superficie agrícola con el tiempo. Es el caso del sector de Can Gelat, una discontinuidad en la franja agrícola del municipio ya que se urbanizó en 2004 al quedar baldíos los campos que había. Entendemos este punto como una oportunidad para enlazar la franja agrícola y devolver a la tierra esta zona ahora cubierta de pavimento y asfalto. El programa que se propone, la Escola Agrària, pretende impulsar y dar importancia al oficio del agricultor como persona clave para garantizar la rentabilidad de las explotaciones agrarias. Se complementa con grandes superficies de cultivo para la escuela que conviven con zonas de espacio público para el municipio, siendo fundamental la recuperación del torrente de Can Gelat. A nivel territorial, contemplando todo el Espacio Agrario de la Baixa Tordera proponemos actuar junto con las cooperativas agrarias de los municipios para dar una nueva vida a los campos baldíos y mancomunar servicios para los campesinos.The project arises from the detection of the key role of agriculture in the territorial context of Baixa Tordera. The arable land in this area has great agricultural and socio-economic value, unfortunately it has been decreasing over time due to urban pressure and the lack of generational relief and manpower. Two evidences of this transformation can be detected: the high number of fields that have ceased to be productive, turning into wasteland, and the change in land use, going from agricultural to urban. The fields that are no longer productive are a perfect excuse to urbanize these areas and make economic profits from them. To revitalize the agricultural sector in the area of ​​Baixa Tordera, an agricultural management and training center is proposed in Santa Susanna. This is the municipality of Baixa Tordera that has lost the most agricultural land over time. This is the case of the sector of Can Gelat, a discontinuity in the agricultural area of ​​the municipality since it was urbanized in 2004 when the fields there were deserted. We understand this point as an opportunity to retie the agricultural strip and return to the earth this area now covered with pavement and asphalt. The proposed program, the Agricultural School, aims to promote and give importance to the profession of the farmer as a key person to guarantee the profitability of agricultural holdings. It is complemented by large areas of cultivation for the school that coexist with areas of public space for the municipality, the recovery of the Torrentó de Can Gelat being fundamental. At a territorial level, looking at the entire Agrarian Area of ​​the Baixa Tordera, we propose to act together with the agricultural cooperatives of the municipalities to give new life to the barren fields and pool services for the farmers

Top-Down proteomic analysis of CSF proteins from ALS patients

Comunicaciones a congreso

Iris color evaluation through multispectral systems

Postprint (published version

Effect of crowding by dextrans on the hydrolysis of N-Succinyl-L-phenyl-Ala-p-nitroanilide catalyzed by α-chymotrypsin

Traditionally, studies on the diffusion-controlled reaction of biological macromolecules have been carried out in dilute solutions (in vitro). However, in an intracellular environment (in vivo), there is a high concentration of macromolecules, which results in nonspecific interactions (macromolecular crowding). This affects the kinetics and thermodynamics of the reactions that occur in these systems. In this paper, we study the crowding effect of large macromolecules on the reaction rates of the hydrolysis of N-succinyl-L-phenyl-Ala-p-nitroanilide catalyzed by R-chymo- trypsin, by adding dextrans of various molecular weights to the reaction solutions. The results indicate that the volume occupied by the crowding agent, but not its size, plays an important role in the rate of this reaction. A vmax decay and a Km increase were obtained when the dextran concentration in the sample was increased. The increase in Km can be attributed to the slowing of protein diffusion, due to the presence of crowding. Whereas the decrease in vmax could be explained by the effect of mixed inhibition by product, which is enhanced in crowded media. As far as we know, this is the first reported experiment on the crowding effect in an enzymatic reaction with a mixed inhibition by product

Diffusion of alpha-Chymotrypsin in solution-crowded media. A fluorescence recovery after photobleaching study

Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching (FRAP) is one of the most powerful and used techniques to study diffusion processes of macromolecules in membranes or in bulk. Here, we study the diffusion of alpha-chymotrypsin in different crowded (Dextran) in vitro solutions using a confocal laser scanning microscope. In the considered experimental conditions, confocal FRAP images could be analyzed applying the uniform circular disc approximation described for a nonscanning microscope generalized to take into account anomalous diffusion. Considering the slow diffusion of macromolecules in crowded media, we compare the fitting of confocal FRAP curves analyzed with the equations provided by the Gaussian and the uniform circular disc profile models for nonscanning microscopes. As the fitted parameter variation with the size and concentration of crowders is qualitatively similar for both models, the use of the uniform circular disc or the Gaussian model is justified for these experiments. Moreover, in our experimental conditions, alpha-chymotrypsin shows anomalous diffusion (a < 1), depending on the size and concentration of Dextran molecules, until a high concentration and high size of crowding agent are achieved. This result indicates a range of validity of the idealized fitting expressions used, beyond of which other physical phenomena must be considered

Characterization of p38α signaling networks in cancer cells using quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics

p38α (encoded by MAPK14) is a protein kinase that regulates cellular responses to almost all types of environmental and intracellular stresses. Upon activation, p38α phosphorylates many substrates both in the cytoplasm and nucleus, allowing this pathway to regulate a wide variety of cellular processes. While the role of p38α in the stress response has been widely investigated, its implication in cell homeostasis is less understood. To investigate the signaling networks regulated by p38α in proliferating cancer cells, we performed quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses in breast cancer cells in which this pathway had been either genetically targeted or chemically inhibited. Our study identified with high confidence 35 proteins and 82 phosphoproteins (114 phosphosites) that are modulated by p38α, and highlighted the implication of various protein kinases, including MK2 and mTOR, in the p38α-regulated signaling networks. Moreover, functional analyses revealed an important contribution of p38α to the regulation of cell adhesion, DNA replication and RNA metabolism. Indeed, we provide experimental evidence supporting that p38α facilitates cancer cell adhesion, and showed that this p38α function is likely mediated by the modulation of the adaptor protein ArgBP2. Collectively, our results illustrate the complexity of the p38α regulated signaling networks, provide valuable information on p38α-dependent phosphorylation events in cancer cells, and document a mechanism by which p38α can regulate cell adhesion.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Structure of the Homodimeric androgen receptor ligand-binding domain

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role in normal physiology, development and metabolism as well as in the aetiology and treatment of diverse pathologies such as androgen insensitivity syndromes (AIS), male infertility and prostate cancer (PCa). Here we show that dimerization of AR ligand-binding domain (LBD) is induced by receptor agonists but not by antagonists. The 2.15-Å crystal structure of homodimeric, agonist- and coactivator peptide-bound AR-LBD unveils a 1,000-Å2 large dimerization surface, which harbours over 40 previously unexplained AIS- and PCa-associated point mutations. An AIS mutation in the self-association interface (P767A) disrupts dimer formation in vivo, and has a detrimental effect on the transactivating properties of full-length AR, despite retained hormone-binding capacity. The conservation of essential residues suggests that the unveiled dimerization mechanism might be shared by other nuclear receptors. Our work defines AR-LBD homodimerization as an essential step in the proper functioning of this important transcription factor

Paramagnetic spherical nanoparticles by the self-assembly of persistent trityl radicals

Spherical nanoparticles and fibres observable by cryo-electron microscopy are spontaneously formed by the Finland trityl radical at concentrations above 15 mM. These species represent a new class of paramagnetic, metal-free, nanoscale supramolecular materials. Self-association was observed under a variety of experimental conditions, including aqueous solution at room temperature, low temperature frozen glasses and the gas phase. Oligomers formed by at least 5 Finland radicals were detected by ion-mobility mass spectrometry. Magnetic susceptibility data as well as low temperature EPR spectra show coupling between electronic spins in the self-assembled species. Quantum chemical calculations show stacking along the C3 symmetry axis. Nanoparticle formation requires additional lateral packing that can be provided by bydrogen bonding involving the triangular array of carboxylic acid groups leading to the assembly of geodesic spheres

Needs and Supports of people with Intellectual disability and their families in Catalonia

Background: The study assesses the support needs of individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) and their families in Catalonia. We examine Family Quality of life (FQoL), identify the individual services required, and assess families' perceptions of the extent to which their family member with ID and they themselves receive the services they need. Materials and Methods: The N&S questionnaire (Needs and Supports for people with ID and their families) was administered to 2,160 families with a member with ID aged under 70 in Catalonia (Spain). Results: Overall mean FQoL was quite high. FQoL was associated with family income, education, employment and percentage level of disability. Neither people with ID nor their families receive the specific support they need. Conclusions: Besides providing specific support for individuals with ID, local policy-makers and practitioners should apply a family-centered approach to the provision of support for families in order to improve FQoL