Metastasis Models: Thermodynamics and Complexity.

The thermodynamic formalism of nonequilibrium systems together with the theory of complex systems and systems biology offer an appropriate theoretical framework to explain the complexity observed at the macroscopic level in physiological phenomena. In turn, they allow the establishment of an appropriate conceptual and operational framework to address the study of phenomena such as the emergence and evolution of cancer.This chapter is organized as follows: In Subheading 1, an integrated vision of these disciplines is offered for the characterization of the emergence and evolution of cancer, seen as a nonlinear dynamic system, temporally and spatially self-organized out of thermodynamic equilibrium. The development of the various mathematical models and different techniques and approaches used in the characterization of cancer metastasis is presented in Subheading 2. Subheading 3 is devoted to the time course of cancer metastasis, with particular emphasis on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT henceforth) as well as chronotherapeutic treatments. In Subheading 4, models of the spatial evolution of cancer metastasis are presented. Finally, in Subheading 5, some conclusions and remarks are presented.

Expression and Characterization of Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Produced in SiHa Cells Transduced with Adenoviral Vector.

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential factor to pathologic angiogenesis. Disruption of VEGF/VEGF receptor interaction in cancer patients inhibits the development of new and pre-existing tumor blood vessels. Consequently, VEGF becomes an important therapeutic target for handling solid tumors. In this work, human VEGF was produced in the culture supernatant of SiHa cells transduced with a replication-defective adenoviral vector (pAdhVEGF121) encoding this molecule. The 35 kDa VEGF121 homodimer was obtained from clarified culture media as a glycosylated protein. VEGF121 expression levels were strictly dependent on the adenoviral viral load used. VEGF121 was produced with purity over 98% after a single step chromatography by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Additionally, VEGF121 binds Bevacizumab antibody with a KD of 7 nM. Biological characterization by mitogenic assay in HUVEC and ECV-304 cells showed that VEGF121 stimulates cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in both cells. Finally, the neovascularization activity of VEGF121 was demonstrated by vascular permeability assays in matrigel plug-bearing mice, showing significantly increased vasculature leakage after treatment with VEGF121. Consequently, transduction of SiHa cells with adenovirus is a suitable alternative for manufacture heterologous proteins of therapeutic interest.

Enfermedades neurológicas y problemas de atención / Neurological diseases and attention problems

La atención es la capacidad de seleccionar un estímulo particular del conjunto de una experiencia y enfocar y concentrar en él nuestro interés. Se clasifica en pasiva y activa. Sus componentes son: selectividad, concentración, límite y facilidad para desatender. Los trastornos de la atención son: distractibilidad, hipoprosexia, aprosexia, hiperprosexia y perseveración. El déficit de atención como síntoma forma parte de tres grupos de patologías: trastorno de déficit de atención con hiperactividad como trastorno primario y como fenotipo conductual en síndromes neurológicos de la infancia (Down, Tourette, etc.) y en asociación con patologías neuropediátricas diversas (epilepsia, encefalopatías etc.). En el tratamiento del déficit de atención con hiperactividad en niños con otras alteraciones neurológicas se utilizan los estimulantes del sistema nervioso central (metilfenidato) y los neurolépticos como la risperidona.

Comparative assessment of the effects of alfentanil, esmolol or clonidine when used as adjuvants during induction of general anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This randomized, double-blinded, prospective study compared the effects of clonidine, esmolol or alfentanil on the level of hypnosis and haemodynamic responses to intravenous induction of anaesthesia and endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Forty-five patients scheduled for elective surgery were allotted to one of three groups. They were given either alfentanil 3 microg kg(-1) min(-1) (n = 15); esmolol 1 mg kg(-1) min(-1) (n = 16) or clonidine 3 microg kg(-1) (n = 14) as a 10 min infusion. The infusions of alfentanil and esmolol, but not of clonidine, were maintained during endotracheal intubation. Anaesthesia was induced with midazolam (2 mg) and thiopental as required to suppress the eyelash reflex. Atracurium (0.5 mg kg(-1)) was given to produce neuromuscular block. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and bispectral index were recorded on arrival (baseline), after study drug infusion, after injecting midazolam and thiopental, as well as after endotracheal intubation. ANOVA and chi2-test were used for analysis. RESULTS: Blood pressure, heart rate and the bispectral index were unaltered by the study drugs, but thiopental requirements were reduced by alfentanil and clonidine (P < 0.014). Mean arterial pressure values (mean +/- standard error of mean) in the alfentanil, esmolol and clonidine groups were: baseline: 107.8 +/- 3.8; 106.6 +/- 3.9; 103.4 +/- 3.7 mmHg; after thiopental: 74.0 +/- 4.2; 85.6 +/- 4.3; 94.2 +/- 4.1 mmHg and after endotracheal intubation: 91.7 +/- 5.3; 114.1 +/- 6.9; 123.6 +/- 5.6 mmHg, respectively (two-way ANOVA, P < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure changed significantly after intubation from baseline (P < 0.001) after alfentanil (-15%) and clonidine (+20%) but not after esmolol (+7%), while the changes between pre- and postintubation values were similar in all groups (24-33% increase). The bispectral index indicated that all patients had an adequate level of hypnosis, but the variability was higher in the esmolol group (P < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: None of the study drugs blocked the increase in mean arterial pressure induced by endotracheal intubation, but esmolol provided better overall haemodynamic stability. All groups had an adequate level of hypnosis.

[Ephedrine shortens the onset of action of rocuronium but not atracurium]. / La efedrina acorta el inicio de acción del rocuronio pero no del atracurio.

HYPOTHESIS: Ephedrine increases blood flow to muscles and may shorten the onset of action of rocuronium and atracurium. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study of 80 ASA I-III patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia and randomized to 4 groups: ephedrine-rocuronium, placebo-rocuronium, ephedrine-atracurium and placebo-atracurium. Atracurium or rocuronium was administered at a dose of 0.04 mg.Kg-1. We monitored neuromuscular function by acceleromyography, ECG and pulse oxymetry, arterial blood pressure (ABP) using an intra-arterial catheter (AT), heart rate (HR) and carbon dioxide pressure. Patient characteristics, time to onset, duration and recovery from the neuromuscular block were recorded. HR and ABP were measured at baseline, 3 minutes after ephedrine dosing, 1 minute after induction, immediately after intubation and 5, 10 and 20 minutes after intubation. RESULTS: Patient characteristics were similar in all groups. The time to onset of neuromuscular block was significantly shorter in the rocuronium and rocuronium-ephedrine groups than in the atracurium groups. Duration and recovery were similar in all groups. Patients premedicated with ephedrine experienced a significant increase in HR for 20 minutes. The only complications were 2 cases of self-limiting sinus tachycardia of less than 130 beats.min-1 in the ephedrine group. CONCLUSIONS: Premeditation with 10 mg of ephedrine decreases the time until onset of action of rocuronium but does not affect the timing of atracurium.

La efedrina acorta el inicio de acción del rocuronio pero no del atracurio / Ephedrine shortens the onset of action of rocuronium but not of atracurium

HIPÓTESIS: El aumento del flujo sanguíneo muscular provocado por la efedrina puede acortar el inicio de acción de rocuronio y atracurio .MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo y aleatorio en 80 pacientes, ASA I-III, intervenidos bajo anestesia general, distribuidos aleatoriamente en 4 grupos: efedrina - rocuronio, placebo - rocuronio, efedrina-atracurio y placebo-atracurio. Se administró 0,04 mg-Kg- 1 de midazolam y 10 mg de efedrina o suero fisiológico de forma aleatoria 5 minutos antes de la inducción con 2 mg - K g- 1 de propofol, 3 mg-Kg- 1 de fentanilo y 0,6 mg-Kg- 1 de atracurio o rocuronio. Monitorizamos la función neuro muscular con acelerometría, el ECG, la pulsioximetría, la tensión arterial incruenta (TA), la frecuencia cardíaca (FC) y capnografía. Se valoraron los datos demográficos de los pacientes, el tiempo de inicio, duración y recuperación del bloqueo neuromuscular. Se recogió la FC y TA basal, a los 3 minutos post-efedrina , al minuto post-indución, post-intubación y a los 5, 10 y 20 minutos después de ésta. RESULTADOS: No hallamos diferencias significativas en los datos demográficos. El tiempo de inicio del bloqueo neuromuscular fue significativamente menor en los grupos rocuronio y rocuronio-efedrina respecto a los de atracurio. La duración y recuperación clínica fueron similares entre los grupos. Los pacientes premedicados con efedrina tuvieron un aumento significativo de la FC hasta los 20 minutos. No hubo complicaciones, excepto 2 casos de taquicardia sinusal autolimitada inferior a 130 latidos. min- 1 en los pacientes del grupo efedrina .CONCLUSIONES: La premedicación con 10 mg de efedrina disminuye un 27 por ciento el tiempo de inicio de rocuronio, pero no afecta al del atracurio (AU)

¿Es recomendable un estudio electrofisiológico preoperatorio en pacientes con bloqueo bifascicular? / Is preoperative electrophysiological assessment advisable for patients with bifascicular block?

No disponible

Algorithmic complexity in the minority game

In this paper, we present our approach for the study of the complexity of Minority Game using tools from thermodynamics and statistical physics. Previous attempts were based on the behavior of volatility, an observable of the financial markets. Our approach focuses on some properties of the binary stream of outcomes of the game. Physical complexity, a magnitude rooted in Kolmogorov-Chaitin theory, allows us to explain some properties of collective behavior of the agents. Mutual information function, a measure related to Shannon's information entropy, was useful to observe a kind of phase transition when applied to the binary string of the whole history of the game.

Estudio de las cimentaciones de un edificio sobre suelo cohesivo saturado

El trabajo que se presenta abarca el tema de los cimientos, tras un analisis de las condiciones del suelo y los datos de exploracion y muestreo disponibles para determinar el tipo de cimentacion mas adecuado. Para este proposito se sigue el temario del proyecto: Cap. 1: Principios de mecanica de suelos necesarios para el proyecto de cimentacion, suelo, volumen y relaciones de densidad. Limites de Atterberg. Densidad relativa. Clasificacion de los suelos. Resistencia al corte. Caracteristicas de comprension. Sensibilidad. Conceptos basicos necesarios. Cap. 2: Exploracion del suelo y muestreo, importancia de una exploracion. Metodos de exploracion. Planeamiento de un programa de exploracion. Perforacion del suelo. Toma de muestras. Ensayos de penetracion normal. Otros métodos. Cap. 3: Plateas, consideraciones sobre plateas. Capacidad de carga. Efecto de la napa freatica en la capacidad de carga. Transmision de cargas verticales y cálculo de asentamientos. Cap 4: Pilotes, pilotes de hormigon. Algunos aspectos generales sobre los pilotes. Segunda parte: Aplicacion práctica para el caso de un edificio sobre el terreno del palacio de comunicaciones. Cap. 5: Suelo, sistema de exploracion del suelo. Muestreo. Cap 7: Analisis de pilotes, calculo estatico. Calculo dinamico. Cap. 8: Conclusiones, utilizacion de pilotes. Colocado de pilotes. Hinca de pilotes.Diseno estructural de los pilotes vaciados in situ.