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Spain could be perfectly considered a leading power in underwater cultural heritage (UCH). Until very recently, Spain had not asserted its rights over Spanish UCH located in foreign or international waters. Paradoxically, the legal canvas offered by Spanish domestic legislation protecting UCH, both central and regional legislation, offers a high level of protection. Notwithstanding the inconclusive position adopted by Spain during the UNESCO negotiations, it is expected that the future attitude of the Spanish authorities regarding UCH, both political and legal, will change as a result of the ratification of the Convention by Spain on 6 June 2005. Keywords: domestic legislation; Spain; underwater cultural heritage (UCH); UNESCO Convention

Environmental damages caused by Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and its aftermath are to be assessed through the compensation system created by the UN Security Council. The UN Compensation Commission (‘UNCC’) has scheduled its first decision on environmental claims for the summer of 2001. These claims, however, deserve a particular treatment by the UNCC: problems related to the law applicable, the principle of due process, the principle of causal link, the assessment of damage, the identification of injured subjects, and the type of compensation are particularly addressed in the following pages. Keeping in mind the ‘precedent-setting procedure’ used by the UNCC, this article tries to explore previous applicable precedents, ordering them into a structured ‘legal’ framework and exposing existing gaps, if any.

Modified glass fibers with three different amino silanes—(1) 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), (2) 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (APDES), and (3) 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (APMES)—were labeled with 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonylchloride (DNS), and its fluorescence was followed as a function of curing time for two epoxide formulations (TRIEPOX-LM, Gairesa, Spain, and diglycidyl ester bisphenol A–ethylenediamine), as well as a function of water uptake. It was demonstrated that the fluorescence response from fluorophores directly attached to the coupling region in glass fibers/epoxy composites is a very sensible method for nondestructive and “in situ” monitoring of any changes that appear at the interphase (rigidity and solvent accessibility). In addition, fluorescence from a dansyl label shows more rigidity when APMES is used as the coupling agent. This suggests that the greater the cross-linking degree at the coupling region, the smaller the epoxy chain interdiffusion. Finally, the water uptake process in glass fiber/epoxy composites can be divided into two steps; the first step corresponds to the diffusion of water to the coupling region, and the second step corresponds to the hydrolysis of siloxane bonds in the interphase. Both steps are dependent on the surface treatment of the glass fibers. We would like to thank the European Commission for funding through the BRITE-EuRam Project (BE 97-4472) and to CAM (07N/0002/98).

Sexual pathogens, cell types and morphologic alterations of urethral epithelial cells were investigated by means of the Papanicolaou smear in 110 heterosexual men. Seventy-five patients with urethritis were included: 17 (22.6%) with gonococcal urethritis (GU) and 58 (77.3%) with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Thirty-five males without symptoms or signs of urethritis comprised the control group. An increase in epithelial cell dissociation was observed in patients with urethritis. Non-specific inflammatory changes were statistically more common in patients with urethritis than in controls, and more severe in GU (65%) than in NGU (15.5%). Nuclear atypia was a common finding (43.5%) in infections due to C. trachomatis. Mucus was associated with the presence of urethritis although no differences regarding etiology were found. No polimorphonuclear neutrophils were observed in the exudate of three patients (5%) with NGU. There was a statistically significant presence of lymphocytes in patients with urethritis, particularly in GU (45%), more frequent than in NGU (15.5%). Erythrocytes were also significantly more frequent in urethritis, with a greater proportion in GU (94%) than in NGU (64%). Plasma cells, eosinophils, and histiocytes were only observed in a few patients with urethritis. The Papanicolaou smear had a sensitivity of 47% and a specificity of 90% in Chlamydia trachomatis infections.

E-type glass fibers were coated with poly(γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane), treating them with a 1% (v/v) monomer aqueous solution. The fibers were labeled with a dansyl-sulfonamide conjugate by reaction of acetonitrile solutions of dansyl chloride with the amine groups immobilized on the glass fiber surface. Interactions of the labeled coating polymer with solvents of different polarities were estimated by measurements of the fluorescence band shifts of the label. It was found that for aprotic solvents, the solvent dipolar coupling relaxation mechanism is dominated by thermodynamic interactions of the solvent with the polymer matrix, while for protic solvents this mechanism is dominated by specific interactions between solvent molecules and the excited state of the chromophore. Different experimental excited-state dipole moments were obtained for nonpolar and polar solvents (μ* NP = 7.2 ± 1.6 D, μ* P = 11.9 ± 1.5 D). Using the AM1 method, excited-state dipole moments for the first and second singlets were calculated and it was concluded that μ* NP ≃ 〈μ*2 1〉1/2 and μ* P ≃ 〈μ*2 2〉1/2. Accordingly, neither the glass support nor the coating polar influence the excited-state properties of dansyl. The temperature dependence of dansyl emission allows the determination of the relaxation temperature of the coating polymer, which was estimated as 175 K for the coating used.

SummaryWe have investigated the ability of serum from uremic patients to modify the thrombogenic properties of the endothelium. The effects of uremic medium on the morphology of endothelial cells (ECs), and their resistance to flow was analyzed. The influence of uremic media on the reactivity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) generated by ECs towards normal platelets was evaluated in a parallel-plate perfusion chamber. Exposure of ECs to uremic medium resulted in abnormal cell morphology and signs of an accelerated growth. Detachment of ECs exposed to circulating blood was increased when cells had been grown with media supplemented with uremic serum (21% vs. 14% non exposed). Platelet deposition was significantly elevated on ECMs generated in the presence of uremic media (uremicECMs) (p

Aqueous solutions of three silanes: 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APES), 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (APDES), and 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (APMES), were used to cover glass fibers. The pyrenesulfonyl chloride fluorescent moiety (PSC) was chemically attached to the silanized substrate via the sulfonamide formation when the sulfonyl group of the PSC reacts with the amino residues of the coatings. It was studied the silane layer hydrolytic degradation phenomenon (pH = 7) was studied as a function of: i) temperature, and ii) coating layer type. A hydrolysis reaction mechanism of the polysiloxane bonded onto the glass fibers has been proposed and, the enthalpy change of the process was obtained (3.5 kcal/ mol). In addition, it was observed that the greater the silane functionality the faster the hydrolytic degradation.Se silanizaron fibras de vidrio mediante la utilización de disoluciones acuosas de tres silanos: 3-aminopropiltrietoxisilano (APES), 3-aminopropilmetildietoxisilano (APDES) y 3-aminopropildimetiletoxisilano (APMES). Se injertó químicamente una molécula fluorescente (cloruro de pirenosulfonilo, PSC) mediante la formación de una sulfonamida por reacción del grupo sulfonilo del PSC con los grupos amino de los recubrimientos. Se estudió el fenómeno de degradación hidrolítica del recubrimiento silano a pH = 7 en función de: i) la temperatura y ii) el tipo de recubrimiento. Se ha propuesto un mecanismo para la reacción de hidrólisis del polisiloxano enlazado a las fibras de vidrio y se ha obtenido la entalpía del proceso, cuyo valor fue de 3.5 kcal/mol. También se ha observado que a medida que la funcionalidad del silano aumenta, la degradación hidrolítica es más rápida.

It was estimated the relaxation temperatures of polymeric coatings on glass fibers. In order to do this, it was carried out the fluorescent response study, as a function of temperature, of two dyes chemically bonded to the polymeric coating. The glass fibers were treated with aqueous solutions of 3-aminopropyltriethoxisilane (APES) and a 50 % mixture of APES and 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxisilane (APDES). The fluorescent labels, pyrene-1-sulfonyl chloride (PSC) and 1-dimethylamino-5- naphtalenesulfonyl chloride (DNS), were attached to the silanized glass fibers by the formation of a stable and highly fluorescent sulfonamide conjugate (PSA and DNSA respectively). Emission spectra were recorded as a function of temperature in the range (133, 413)K. The results shown thermal transitions at low temperatures, which reflect the high flexibility of the coupling region. In addition, that transition temperature clearly depends on the structure of the polymeric coating of the glass fibers.Se realizó una estimación de las temperaturas de relajación de recubrimientos poliméricos en fibras de vidrio. Para ello, se llevó a cabo el seguimiento de la respuesta fluorescente, en función de la temperatura, de dos fluoróforos químicamente enlazados al recubrimiento polimérico. Las fibras de vidrio fueron tratadas con una disolución acuosa de 3-aminopropiltrietoxisilano (APES), y una mezcla al 50 % de APES y de 3-aminopropilmetildietoxisilano (APDES). Los marcadores fluorescentes, cloruro de pireno-1-sulfonilo (PSC) y cloruro de 1-dimetilamino-5-naftalenosulfonilo (DNS), se anclaron a las fibras de vidrio silanizadas a través de la formación de un compuesto sulfonamida estable y fluorescente (PSA y DNSA respectivamente). Se realizaron sus espectros de emisión en función de la temperatura en el intervalo (133, 413)K. Los resultados mostraron transiciones térmicas a bajas temperaturas para las muestras estudiadas indicando la alta flexibilidad de la región de acoplamiento. Además, dicha temperatura de transición depende de forma clara de la estructura del polímero que recubre a las fibras.

Objetivo Conocer la prevalencia de disfuncion sexual (DS) y estudiar la actividad y grado de satisfaccion sexual en el paciente hipertenso tratado con farmacos en 56 centros de Atencion Primaria de la geografia espanola. Material y metodos Se realiza un estudio descriptivo transversal en pacientes hipertensos, seleccionados consecutivamente, que contestaron a un cuestionario autocumplimentado validado por los autores (cuestionario «busca-sintomas»). Mediciones y resultados principales El grupo de estudio estuvo formado por 126 mujeres (39 %) y 197 varones (61 %), con un rango de edad de 30 a 65 anos. La prevalencia global de DS fue del 30,7 % (IC del 95 %: 28,9-32,4). Se detecto DS en 99 pacientes (17 mujeres y 82 varones), lo que supone prevalencias de DS en cada sexo del 13,7 % (IC del 95 %: 8,8-18,5) y del 42,3% (IC del 95 %: 35,3-49,3), respectivamente. De las caracteristicas analizadas unicamente se relaciono el sexo y el tipo de tratamiento con la presencia de DS (p Conclusiones El grado de satisfaccion sexual fue relativamente bajo, con una actividad sexual reducida. Se detecta una prevalencia elevada de DS en los pacientes hipertensos estudiados, sobre todo en el sexo masculino. Los grupos farmacologicos que mas parecen influir en la actividad sexual son los ?-bloqueantes y los diureticos. Es importante que el medico de Atencion Primaria este formado adecuadamente para detectar DS de cara a optimizar el cumplimiento terapeutico y mejorar la calidad de vida.

We have investigated the potential use of perfusion techniques in the evaluation of the thrombogenic profile of factor IX concentrates. Blood from healthy donors was anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparin and incubated with one of the following: (a) diluent (DIL); (b) a prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC); (c) an intermediate-purity concentrate (FIX/X); or (d) a high-purity concentrate (HPFIX). The thrombogenic potential was assessed as: (1) fibrin formation on subendothelium (Baumgartner's perfusion) and (2) prothrombin activation fragment 1+2 (F1+2, nM) determination. The percentage of fibrin deposition on the subendothelium was only significantly increased after incubation with PCC (62.0+/-3.6% vs. DIL 35.0+/-6.1%;p0.05). None of the FIX concentrates modified platelet interaction versus control blood (DIL: 26.7+/-2.1%). F1+2 baseline values in anticoagulated blood were 0.6+/-0.1 nM. Preperfusion levels of F1+2 reached values of 4.4+/-0.1 nM for PCC and 5.4+/-0.1 nM for FIX/X. After perfusion, F1+2 values were 2.7+/-0.2 nM for DIL, 5.6+/-0.1 nM for PCC and FIX/X, and 3.3+/-0.2 nM for HPFIX. While measurement of F1+2 was influenced by residual contaminants present in the concentrates, the morphometric evaluation of fibrin deposition on perfused vascular surfaces could be more closely related to the net thrombogenic profile of each FIX preparation.

Susceptibility to erythromycin and clindamycin was determined in 860 consecutive clinical isolates of β-haemolytic streptococci belonging to groups A (GAS, n = 134), B (GBS, n = 689), C (GCS, n = 19) and G (GGS, n = 18). Erythromycin resistance was 26.1% in GAS, 15.7% in GBS, 5.3% in GCS and 33.3% in GGS. The highest rate of clindamycin resistance (33.3%) was in GGS, followed by GBS (15.8%), GCS (15.8%) and GAS (5.2%). The M phenotype was predominant in GAS (80%), the constitutive MLSB phenotype was predominant in GBS (75%), and all GGS isolates showed the inducible MLSB phenotype. The uncommon erythromycin-susceptible and clindamycin-resistant phenotype was found in four GBS and two GCS isolates.

Commercial glass fibers have been subjected to different activation treatments under neutral and acidic conditions to achieve different coating degrees when silanized with γ-aminopropyltriethoxisi lane (APES). A fluorescent sulfonamide (PSA) was formed between the amine residue and a fluorescent probe, pyrenesulfonyl chloride (PSC). Reflectance UV–Vis spectra of the pyrene-doped fibres show that pyrene is present in the form of preassociated dimers when the coating degree is low. Emission and excitation fluorescence spectra reveal the existence of a charge transfer ground-state complex with exciplex emission at 460–515 nm and absorption red-shifted with respect to the S0 → S1 transition. Lifetime measurements yield three lifetimes, which are assigned to dimer, exciplex, and monomer emission. From the photophysical data it is concluded that the fibers with the highest silane content have an open structure with the highest fraction of isolated fluorescent moieties.

Following extensive debate by the great theoreticians of public international law earlier in this century,1 it might seem that the completeness of the international legal order is now a banal issue, which should be remembered only as an academic dispute.2It might have been so had the International Court of Justice not intervened, perhaps unintentionally, in its advisory opinion of 8 July 1996 concerning the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons3 In her dissenting opinion, Judge Rosalyn Higgins argues that “the Court effectively pronounces a non liquet on the key issue on the grounds of uncertainty in the present state of law, and of facts”.4 In her view, the Court thus interrupted a line of case law which, in theory, had endorsed the idea of the completeness of international law and which, in practice, made it unthinkable that an international judge or arbitrator should actually pronounce a non liquet.5

This paper addresses the path planning problem for an hybrid wheeled–legged hexapod. In particular, the proposed procedure is aiming to identify optimal trajectories for a leg when it has to step over an obstacle. The proposed procedure is a combination of a quick random search algorithm together with an optimisation method. This combination is used to achieve a good compromise between computational costs and path planning performance. The optimization method is efficiently solved by using a genetic algorithm to achieve properly smooth leg movements. A case of study is numerically solved by referring to a built prototype of Cassino Hexapod at LARM in Cassino.

Von Willebrand factor (vWF) binds to platelets and mediates platelet adhesion to subendothelium to support haemostasis. Factor VIII concentrates containing vWF have been recommended for treatment of bleeding episodes in von Willebrand disease (vWD) types 2 and 3. Their clinical efficacy in normalizing FVIII coagulant levels, shortening the bleeding time, stopping or preventing clinical bleeding and safety have been tested. However, the basic mechanisms of their effects on haemostasis have not been fully characterized. We have analysed the ability of vWF present in an intermediate-purity factor VIII concentrate (Haemate-P, Centeon) to bind to platelets (ultrastructural studies) and to support platelet adhesion under flow conditions (perfusion studies). For this purpose, Haemate-P or cryoprecipitate was added to washed platelet suspensions, or to vWF-depleted reconstituted healthy anticoagulated blood. Immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) revealed vWF arrangements on platelet surfaces which have been exposed to mixtures of the vWF-rich concentrate plus ristocetin. vWF levels in perfusates were confirmed by determination of ristocetin co-factor and vWF-antigen. Baumgartner's perfusion method and computer-assisted morphometry were used to evaluate platelet adhesion of the perfusates onto everted rabbit aorta subendothelium under standardized conditions (shear rate, 800 s(-1) , 10 min, 37 °C). vWF-depleted perfusates showed 15.8% (SEM 1.7) total covered surface (CS) with platelets. An increase in CS resulted when 0.40 or 0.80 IU vWF mL(-1) from Haemate-P (30.1%, SEM 3.0, P

SYNOPSIS Glass fibers have been treated with y-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APES) through different silanizating procedures, which include APES aqueous solutions and APES vapor adsorption. Transmission Fourier transform IR (FTIR) measurements have been performed on the silanized samples to characterize the silanization reaction. Dansyl-sulfonamide conjugates have then been formed by reaction of dansyl chloride in dimethylformamide solution with the amine functionality's immobilized on the glass fiber surface. Steady-state and timeresolved fluorescence measurements have been performed on dansylated samples. A dependence of the fluorescence intensity and the wavelength of the maximum emission on the silanization procedure has been observed. Good fits of the fluorescence decays of dansyl labels are found when biexponential functions are used for deconvolution, whereas the decay of dansylamides in fluid solution is single exponential. A two-state model for the solid solvent relaxation seems to apply for this samples. Several surface structural changes produced by the different silanization methods have been proposed. FTIR results support the conclusions drawn from fluorescence measurements. C3 1996 .John Wiley 6; Sons, Inc.

Uraemic patients suffer from haemorrhagic disorders and accelerated atherosclerosis. To evaluate the possible role of the vessel wall in these haemostatic alterations associated with uraemia, we investigated the effect of a uraemic milieu on human endothelial cell (EC) cultures and the reactivity of the extracellular matrices (ECM) generated by these cells towards platelets. EC cultures were exposed to a pool of sera (20% in the culture medium) obtained either from uraemic patients or from normal donors, and the following parameters were evaluated: (1) EC viability (trypan blue exclusion test); (2) von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels in supernatants and associated with ECM; (3) the reactivity of EC and EC-derived ECM towards platelets, measured 'ex vivo' under flow conditions (5 min, wall shear rate 800 s-1); and (4) ultrastructure of the ECM. The viability of EC cultured in the presence of uraemic sera was similar to controls. Platelet interaction with ECM generated by EC exposed to uraemic sera was significantly reduced (P0.05). This decrease was mainly related to a reduction in platelet adhesion (9.8 +/- 1.9% vs 16.7 +/- 1.8% in controls, P0.02). VWF levels in supernatants and associated with ECM were similar to controls. Ultrastructural analysis of the ECM generated by EC exposed to uraemic sera revealed a deficient matrix. An increased removal of EC was observed in experiments in which EC cultured in the presence of uraemic sera were perfused with citrated blood. These results indicate that a uraemic milieu induces quantitative and qualitative changes in the vascular subendothelium, characterized by a less intrincate network of fibrils, as well as a decreased attachment of EC and reduced thrombogenicity to the ECM. These changes may represent another mechanism which contributes to the haemostatic dysfunction observed in uraemic patients.

Modeling phase is fundamental both in the analysis process of a dynamic system and the design of a control system. If this phase is in-line is even more critical and the only information of the system comes from input/output data. Some adaptation algorithms for fuzzy system based on extended Kalman filter are presented in this paper, which allows obtaining accurate models without renounce the computational efficiency that characterizes the Kalman filter, and allows its implementation in-line with the process.

Trabajo presentado al XI International Symposium on the AHP celebrado en Nápoles (Italia) del 15 al 18 de Junio de 2011., Nowadays there is widespread consensus that the environment provides social and public welfare, though the market is not able to value the benefits that these areas bring to society. One of the basic parameters to demonstrate the importance of natural goods and resources is to calculate their monetary value. A common approach to valuate environmental goods and services is the multicriteria method AMUVAM (Analytic Multicriteria Valuation Method), based on the Analytic Hierarchy Method (AHP) and the Discount Cash Flow (DCF) method. AMUVAM analyzes the preferences of a group of experts who identify the variables that add value to the natural resources and assets to be valued. The experts assign priorities to the variables in order to obtain a weight based on the value they bring to the asset. This is done through AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). Finally the variables whose present income can be quantified are identified and used to estimate the monetary value of the asset. This paper presents the results obtained with this method in the valuation of the Natural Park of the Ebro River Delta located in Spain.

When we try to analyze and to control a system whose model was obtained only based on input/output data, accuracy is essential in the model. On the other hand, to make the procedure practical, the modeling stage must be computationally efficient. In this regard, this paper presents the application of extended Kalman filter for the parametric adaptation of a fuzzy model.

The evaluation of the research quality of individuals and institutions is essential for the appropriate use of resources, hiring of staff or the awarding of prizes and recognitions. Bibliometric indicators are especially used for this purpose. The most widely used among them is the impact factor. A new indicator has been introduced recently, the so-called h-index, which is growing in popularity for the evaluation of the quantity and quality of research using a single digit. However, although the h-index is useful, it has its limitations. In this paper, we refer specifically to these limits, stressing that, in our opinion, it is not completely suitable to assess the research quality of professionals who compete in any area. In this respect, we are proposing a new bibliographical index, which we have called the global index. Since it uses information from six bibliometric indicators, we consider that this index is more suitable for comparing the scientific quality of the researchers.

Presentamos un método reproducible y sencillo para valorar la calidad de las cicatrices desde un punto de vista estético. El empleo de fotografías digitales procesadas mediante programas informáticos, permite realizar mediciones colorimétricas en la cicatriz y en la piel sana adyacente. Los resultados pueden expresarse con fórmulas matemáticas capaces de cuantificar las diferencias cromáticas entre ambas superficies. Hemos comparado con este sistema los resultados obtenidos en 20 pacientes con cicatrices patológicas divididos en 2 series terapéuticas durante 9 meses. Diez pacientes recibieron tratamiento con gel de silicona frente a otros 10 que recibieron tratamiento fotoprotector. El análisis colorimétrico en el estudio independiente reveló que las diferencias estadísticamente significativas halladas entre la cicatriz y la piel sana circundante antes del tratamiento se mantenían en el grupo tratado con fotoprotector, mientras que no aparecían tras el tratamiento con gel de silicona. El estudio colorimétrico relativizado Scar-score (Puntuación de cicatriz), mostró una significativa recesión en ambos grupos, pero que era de mayor entidad en la serie tratada con gel de silicona. Tanto el análisis bivariante como el multivariante revelaron un beneficio terapéutico significativamente mayor en el grupo tratado con gel de silicona frente al grupo con tratamiento fotoprotector.

Grafting reactions of phenyl groups on silica substrates using as reagents various phenylsilanes with variable distances between the silicon atoms and the aromatic ring by 0, 1, and 2 methylene groups [≡Si−(CH2) n −C6H5] were studied. Two different silicates have been selected as source of silica: sepiolite and tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS). Sulfonic- and nitro-derivatives prepared from these phenyl compounds by electrophilic substitution reactions, have been obtained. The mechanism of these processes has been studied in relation to the number of methylene separating groups belonging to the starting reagents. The characterization of such systems has been achieved by XRD,29Si and13C NMR/MAS, IR, and laser microprobe mass spectrometry.

There is little information on cardiovascular longitudinal studies. In Spanish patients with hypertension (AHT)) and/or hypercholesterolemia (HC), with poor initial control of blood pressure (BP) and/or total cholesterol (TC), incidence rate (IR), cumulative incidence (CI), relative risks (RR), survival curves (SC), therapeutic compliance (TC) were quantified and the Framingham-Anderson scale (FAS) was adjusted to our patients.A total of 6,893 primary prevention patients with AHT and/or with HC were included in primary prevention, with an average of 1.22 years of follow-up. A total of 480 physicians participated. Incidence rate (IR), cumulative incidence (CIN), relative risks (RR), survival curves (SC) by Kaplan-Meier method, and therapeutic compliance (TCOM) by Haynes-Sackett self-reported questionnaire were calculated. The Framingham-Anderson scale (FAS) was validated with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and intraclass correlation index (ICI).CIN was 1.59% (1.31-1.90); the IR 1,321.6 cardiovascular events/ 100,000 patients/year (1,026.6-1,598.8). RRs with statistical significance were: age (p = 0.03). Blood pressure at the end of the study (p = 0.02), coronary background (p = 0.00), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (p = 0.00), microalbuminuria (p = 0.02), CT/= 250 mg/dl (p = 0.01), fasting glycemia (Gb)/= 126 mg/dl (p = 0.00), creatinine/= 1.2 mg/dl at the beginning (p = 0.00) and at the end of the study (p = 0.00), and poor compliance in HC patients (p = 0.00). SC have statistical significance (p0.05) for AHT background, fasting glucose/= 126 mg/dl, target organ damage, and high cardiovascular risk with FAS scale. The adjusted FAS formula for global cardiovascular risk was (0.415 x FAS Risk%) + 0.517%, r = 0.9962 (p = 0.00) and ICI = 0.9969 (p0.0001).The equation for the FAS scale was adjusted for Spanish AHT/HC patients. Prognostic factors and SC were calculated. Benefit between TC and decrease of CVR in HC patients was quantified.

Erythrocytes promoted platelet reactivity in a plasma medium, as demonstrated in an in vitro system that independently evaluated the biochemistry of platelet activation and recruitment. The prothrombotic erythrocyte effects were metabolically regulated, as evidenced by lack of activity of ATP-depleted or glutaraldehyde-fixed erythrocytes. They occurred in the absence of cell lysis as verified by lactate dehydrogenase assays, and had an absolute requirement for platelet activation. The presence of erythrocytes induced a twofold increase in platelet thromboxane B2 (TXB2) synthesis upon collagen stimulation, indicating that erythrocytes modulated platelet eicosanoid formation. Cell-free releasates from stimulated platelet-erythrocyte suspensions, which exhibited increased recruiting capacity, contained 6.9-fold more ADP and 4.9-fold more ATP than releasates from stimulated platelets alone. Following aspirin ingestion, TXB2 formation was blocked, but erythrocyte promotion of platelet reactivity persisted at those doses of collagen that reinduced platelet activation. Moreover, when platelet mixtures consisted of as little as 10% obtained before aspirin plus 90% obtained post-aspirin ingestion, significant erythrocyte enhancement of platelet reactivity occurred, even at low agonist concentrations. These erythrocyte effects would decrease the therapeutic potential of inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase by aspirin. The erythrocyte- induced modulation of platelet biochemistry and function emphasizes the importance of cell-cell interactions in stimulus-response coupling.

Rabbit abdominal aortas and human umbilical arteries are currently used as substrata for the study of platelet adhesion and aggregate formation under flow conditions. Using immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods, we have analyzed both vessel surfaces. The reactivity towards platelets of the subendothelium (SE) exposed on these vessels after mechanical or enzymatic digestion (α-chymotrypsin) was morphometrically quantified and the nature of the interaction studied in the electron microscope. After mechanical damage, the ultrastructural study of rabbit aortas showed a clearly defined internal elastic lamina (IEL). In contrast, umbilical vessels lacked a consistent IEL and masses of amorphous material often located deeper in the media were the main constitutents of the SE. Immunohistochemical labeling of the von Willebrand factor bound to both types of vessel differed considerably. Quantification of platelet interactions after perfusion of citrated blood showed qualitative differences between mechanically damaged rabbit or human vessels. Enzymatic digestion produced a more thrombogenic surface on rabbit aortas (p < 0.01 vs. nondigested), but decreased their reactivity towards platelets on umbilical arteries (p < 0.01 vs. nondigested). The ultrastructural study of the interacting platelets revealed that aggregates, when present, were found on the extracellular matrix underlying endothelial cells of rabbit aortas, but interacting with fibrillar structures probably derived from cell elements of the media in the case of umbilical arteries. These findings indicate that rabbit aortas and umbilical arteries possess structural characteristics that result in different thrombogenic properties with respect to circulating platelets.

El texto analiza la definición que en el artículo 1.1 de la Convención sobre la Protección del Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático 2001 de la UNESCO se da del concepto de patrimonio cultural subacuático y llama la atención especialmente sobre cuatro aspectos: el contenido mismo de la definición, evitando calificar el patrimonio cultural subacuático; el límite temporal establecido de 100 años y su periodificación; la referencia al contexto natural; y las cuestiones relativas al uso actual del patrimonio cultural subacuático. Para explicar el alcance jurídico de la citada enunciación, Mariano J. Aznar repasa en su artículo el uso del concepto en textos internacionales previos. Finaliza apuntando el error de dejar fuera del régimen de protección del Convenio artes de pesca todavía en uso pero históricamente empleadas y recuerda la potestad de los estados de establecer en sus respectivas legislaciones internas un criterio de protección mayor

L’energie libre de Gibbs standard de formation (ΔG°f ) des zeolithes est calculee a partir des energies de formation des oxydes constituants qui entrent clans leur composition. L'etude statistique des deviations entre les ΔG°f experimentaux et AG°f calcules donne une distribution normale avec une moyenne [math]=0.02 et un ecart type σn-1 =0.23. Le meme type de calcul a ete effectue pour les feldspaths et les feldspathoides avec une grande precision ([math]=0.01 et σn-1 =0.14).

Scarce information is available on the clinical characteristics and risk factors of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) attended in Primary Care (PC) setting. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of this population in PC.Multicenter, cross-sectional study in patients with CHF, consecutively recruited by 232 physicians in PC. The collected data included sociodemographic, etiologic, clinical and therapeutic variables.Eight hundred forty seven (847) patients were included (age 73.0 +/- 9.6 years; 50.5% men). Of these, 84.3% had arterial hypertension (AHT), 59.2% hypercholesterolemia and 34.9% diabetes mellitus. The most frequent associated clinical disorders were ischemic heart disease (40.1%) and peripheral artery disease (28.6%). In 69.6% of the patients the physicians knew the type of dysfunction (32.4% systolic, 37.2% diastolic). The main etiologies of CHF were the hypertensive cardiomyopathy (75.0%) and ischemic heart disease (40.1%); the most frequent trigger factor was atrial fibrillation (43.9%). Loop diuretics (72.3%) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (60.9%) were the treatments used most and 6.7% of the patients were receiving treatment with beta blockers.AHT appears to be primary cause of CHF in PC. Diastolic dysfunction is more frequent than the systolic one, and the PC physicians do not know the cause of the ventricular dysfunction in one third of the cases. Loop diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were the most frequently used in these patients; the use of beta blockers in CHF is very scarce in PC.

Leiba et al 1 recently suggested that hyperlipidaemia, particularly hypertriglyceridaemia, may be a risk factor for thrombosis in Behcet’s disease. Published studies suggest an association between increased levels of plasma lipids and deep-vein thrombosis,2–4 although the pathogenic mechanism is controversial. In an ongoing study on the association between thrombophilic defects and thrombotic events in patients with Behcet’s disease, we have also evaluated the possible contribution of plasma lipids to the genesis of thrombotic events in these patients. We conducted a case–control study in patients with Behcet’s disease recruited from the records of the La Fe, General and Peset University Hospitals …

When there are pollution externalities the competitive equilibrium is not Pareto-optimal nor environmentally sustainable even if abatment activities are endogenously decided. In this paper we introduce the possibility of an ecological catastrophe like the one predicted by the global climate change, imposing the constraint of an upper-limit to the pollutants stock. We characterize this socially optimal soclution and study conditions for the sustainability of the balanced growth path. We find a trade-off between environmental quality and growth. The rate of growth depends negatively on the weight of environmental care in the utility function and positively on the population growth rate. We show that the emissions reduction recommended in the Kioto protocol is an appropriate policy to avoid the ecological catastrophe and ensure global efficiency and positive long-run growth.

In an endogenous growth model with pollution and abatement we characterize the socially optimal solution. We find that the rate of growth depends negatively on the weight of environmental care in utility and positively on the population growth rate. We also find a trade-off between growth and environmental quality beyond which an environmental Kuznets curve is derived in the long term. This one emerges from the implications of the demographic transition for the rate of population growth, and the accompanying variation in the willingness to pay for environmental quality as the economy develops.

We study the one sector model of growth when a linear production technology is combined with adjustment costs and a technology for capital maintenance. Agents are allowed to under-use the installed capital and to vary the depreciation rate. This economy decides endogenously how much resources devotes to the accumulation of new capital and how much to maintenance and repair activities. We find as striking results that the long-run depreciation and capital utilization rates are positively related to the population growth rate, and that both depend negatively on the intial conditions. The long-run growth rate appears positively correlated with the depreciation rate.

The fluorescence response of the dansyl chromophore has been used to study the kinetic of epoxy curing processes. With this new method, comparison between the curing at the interface of a glass fiber/epoxy and in the epoxy bulk of a composite material was studied. The effect of two glass fiber surface treatments was investigated. Commercial E-glass fibers were surface coated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (APDES). Fluorimetry (using fluorescent labels) and FT-NIR (Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy in the near range) techniques were used to monitor the curing process in these composite materials. From the analysis of the data obtained, different simple kinetic models were discussed and apparent activation energies were obtained. Furthermore, from those techniques the respective results were compared to obtain complementary information. Independently of the sample and the technique used for the kinetic analysis, no variation of the activation energy of the epoxy curing reaction was found, which suggests that there are no changes in the mechanism of the reaction along the process. Fluorescence from dansyl located at the glass fiber/epoxy interface reflected that the kind of reinforcement treatment clearly affects the epoxy curing process exactly in that region. However, when analytical response comes from the whole system the mechanism of the reaction does not seem to change with the silane coating used although is quite different in comparison with the process at the interface. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Contrato- Programa del III PRICIT de la CAM and the FIBRODONT (MAT2001-0677-P3) project for financial support.

Erythrocyte aggregability was determined by a laser backscattering light technique in 23 beta minor thalassemia carriers and in 36 age and sex matched controls. The aggregation time (Ta) was statistically higher in cases than in controls (2.8 +/- 1.0 vs 2.3 +/- 0.4, p0.05) and the aggregation index at 10 sec (AI10) was statistically lower (25.1 +/- 5.7 vs 28.2 +/- 3.8, p0.05), suggesting both parameters a statistically lower erythrocyte aggregability tendency. However, the total disaggregation threshold (gammaD) was statistically higher in cases than in controls (134.4 +/- 34.1 vs 105.1 +/- 33.1, p0.05), indicating that once aggregates are formed a higher shear rate is needed to break them up. No differences were observed in plasmatic factors, i.e., fibrinogen, total cholesterol and triglycerides, that could have influenced erythrocyte aggregation. A negative statistically significant correlation was found between erythrocyte indexes and the total disaggregation threshold. The lower erythrocyte aggregation found in minor thalassemia carriers could be attributed in part to the morphological alterations, although others mechanisms such as modifications in the membrane structure of the RBC can not be ruled out.

The analysis of the fluorescent response from the dansyl moiety as a function of temperature has been used to estimate the thermal transitions in silica particle/epoxy-based composite materials. Silica particles were surface-coated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (APDES). 5-Dimethylamino-1-naphtalenesulfonyl chloride (DNS) and 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-(2-aminoehyl)) sulfonamide (DNS-EDA) were selectively attached to the silanized silica particles and to the epoxy matrix respectively. The fluorescence results, interpreted in terms of the model of interpenetrating polymer networks, suggest that (i) independent of the silane coating, the interfacial region is slightly more rigid and heterogeneous than the epoxy bulk and (ii) the interface generated with APTES seems to be more flexible than that obtained with APDES. The authors gratefully acknowledge projects of Epoxil (MAT2000-0391-P4-02) and Fibrodont (MAT2001-0677-P3) for financial support.

We study a two-sector endogenous growth model where a single consumption good is obtained using a renewable resource in combination with physical capital. Both inputs are essential for production and technical substitutes. In this context we analyze the issues of sustainability, long-run and short-run growth as well as convergence, associated with the competitive equilibrium solution trajectories. We show that efficiency, long-run growth and sustainability are both compatible in a natural resource based production economy.

In this paper we show a method for solving in closed form a particular family of four-dimension non-linear modified Hamiltonian dynamic systems, with two states and two co-states and two co-states, which arises from a two-sector endogenous growth model where the physical capital stock is combined with a renewable natural capital stock as essential inputs for production

The susceptibility phenotypes of 964 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were studied over a 7-year period in Seville, Spain. Thirty-eight (3.9%) strains were rifampin (RMP) resistant, 79 (8.2%) were isoniazid (INH) resistant and 22 (2.3%) were resistant to at least both antimicrobials (multidrug-resistant, MDR). We studied the mechanisms of resistance to these drugs in 94 resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis using three molecular methods: 1) PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, 2) RFLP analysis using B1/B2 primers, and 3) sequence analysis. Five different mutations were detected in the rpoB gene: Ser531--Leu (72.3%), His526--Asp (12.8%), Asn518--Ser (2.1%), Gln513--Leu (2.1%) and a nine-nucleotide deletion (2.1%). In the case of resistance to INH, four different mutations in the katG gene were detected, Ser315--Thr (58.0%), Ser315--Leu (2.9%), partial deletion (5.8%) and Ile304--Val (1.4%), while in the inhA regulatory region the only mutation was the nucleotide substitution C209T (4.3%). No mutation was found in the ahpC promoter.

Sexual pathogens, cell types and morphologic alterations of urethral epithelial cells were investigated by means of the Papanicolaou smear in 110 heterosexual men. Seventy-five patients with urethritis were included: 17 (22.6%) with gonococcal urethritis (GU) and 58 (77.3%) with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Thirty-five males without symptoms or signs of urethritis comprised the control group. An increase in epithelial cell dissociation was observed in patients with urethritis. Non-specific inflammatory changes were statistically more common in patients with urethritis than in controls, and more severe in GU (65%) than in NGU (15.5%). Nuclear atypia was a common finding (43.5%) in infections due to C. trachomatis. Mucus was associated with the presence of urethritis although no differences regarding etiology were found. No polimorphonuclear neutrophils were observed in the exudate of three patients (5%) with NGU. There was a statistically significant presence of lymphocytes in patients with urethritis, particularly in GU (45%), more frequent than in NGU (15.5%). Erythrocytes were also significantly more frequent in urethritis, with a greater proportion in GU (94%) than in NGU (64%). Plasma cells, eosinophils, and histiocytes were only observed in a few patients with urethritis. The Papanicolaou smear had a sensitivity of 47% and a specificity of 90% in Chlamydia trachomatis infections.

To study the influence of finasteride treatment on the molecular forms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Total PSA, free PSA and PSA complexed to alpha1-antichymotrypsin (PSA-alpha1ACT) were measured in plasma and serum from 40 men with BPH and a total PSA of20 ng/mL, using in-house and commercial immunoassays, before and during treatment with finasteride (30 men) or placebo (10 men).The baseline values were not significantly different between the groups, with mean (sd) total plasma PSA levels of 3.6 (4.3) and 4.8 (5.9) ng/mL in the finasteride and placebo groups, respectively. Finasteride, but not placebo, induced a significant reduction in total PSA, free PSA and PSA-alpha1ACT levels in plasma and serum (P0.001). However, complexed-to-total (c/t) and free-to-total (f/t) PSA ratios remained constant in both groups, both in plasma and serum, during the follow-up.The decrease in total PSA after finasteride treatment results from a proportional reduction in its two major molecular forms, free PSA and PSA-alpha1ACT, which explains why the c/t and f/tPSA ratios do not change significantly despite treatment. This suggests that routine analysis of molecular forms of PSA could improve the utility of the change in total PSA associated with finasteride for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. It also suggests that any subsequent change in both ratios, particularly an increase in c/tPSA or a decrease in f/tPSA ratio, could be considered an early sign of neoplastic degeneration rather than a therapeutic consequence.

Sizing glass fibers with silane coupling agents enhances the adhesion and the durability of the fiber/polymer matrix interface in composite materials. There are several tests to determine the interfacial strength between a fiber and resin, but all of them present difficulties in interpreting the results and/or sample preparation. In this study, we observed the influence of different aminosilanes fiber coatings on the resistance of epoxy-based composite materials using a very easy fractographic test. In addition, we tried a new fluorescence method to get information on a molecular level precisely at the interface. Strength was taken into account from two standpoints: (i) mechanical strength and (ii) the resistance to hydrolysis of the interface in oriented glass-reinforced epoxy-based composites. Three silanes: gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, gamma-Aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane, and gamma-Aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane were used to obtain different molecular structures at the interface. It was concluded that: (i) the more accessible amine groups are, the higher the interface rigidity is; (ii) an interpenetrating network mechanism seems to be the most important for adhesion and therefore to the interfacial strength; and (iii) the higher the degree of crosslinking in the silane coupling layer is, the higher the hydrolytic damage rate is. The authors thank the Comunidad Auto´noma de Madrid (CAM: the Madrid regional government) for funding through Project (07N/0002/98).

We study an extended version of the one-sector AK growth model introducing adjustment and maintenance costs. Agents are allowed to under-use the installed capital and to vary the depreciation rate. The model is analyzed using particular functional forms and is solved in closed-form. We find that adjustment and maintenance costs (e?- ciency) reduce (increases) investment, depreciation, capital utilization and the rate of growth; impatience reduces the rate of growth but increases depreciation and utilization, which are also negatively related to the rate of population growth; the rate of growth appears positively correlated with the depreciation rate and the rate of capital utilization.

Abnormally high levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF) have been described as a response to physiologic and chronic alterations. It is therefore of great interest to have sensitive, accurate, fast and easy to use assays to quantify VWF. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance characteristics of the immunoturbidimetric assay IL Test VWF:Ag and the use of this determination in the study of vascular dysfunction.The reproducibility, accuracy and linearity of the method were determined. A method comparison study was performed using an ELISA as the reference test. The assay reference range and its age-dependence were established. To evaluate the utility of the assay in vascular dysfunction, a cohort of 30 type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients were analyzed, 11 of whom showed microvascular complications.The linearity range found was 10-150 IU/dL. Reported values above 150 IU/dL should be diluted and reanalyzed, expanding the range up to 600 IU/dL. The coefficients of variation were below 5% and inaccuracies below +/-15% within the linearity range. The comparison with the reference ELISA showed a good correlation coefficient (r = 0.985, VWF values from 5-680 IU/dl). The reference range was found to be 40.8 - 158.1 IU/dL. Significant differences between the DM type 1 patients with microvascular complications and a sex-age matched control group were observed. This difference was not observed for the DM patients not showing vascular alterations.The method is reproducible, accurate and linear. The assay correlates well with the reference ELISA. There is a relationship between patients showing microvascular diabetic complications and high levels of VWF:Ag. The assay is easy to perform, fully automated, and suitable for analyzing a small number of samples.

An association between an increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and obesity, and also between elevated levels of PAI-1 and the presence of PAI-1 promoter 4G allele has been described in adults and can contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It has also been suggested that in adults a decrease in adiposity has beneficial effects on the haemostatic system. However, less information is available regarding adiposity and fibrinolysis in children. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of weight loss and the influence of the PAI-1 promoter 4G/5G genotype on the fibrinolytic system and lipid parameters in obese children. The clinical groups included 102 obese children and 105 controls of similar age and sex distribution. A significant decrease in fibrinolytic activity due to a significant increase in PAI-1 antigen and activity levels was observed in the obese children in comparison with the control group. In obese children, no significant differences in PAI-1 levels between the PAI-1 4G/5G genotypes were obtained. A significant correlation was observed between PAI-1 antigenic and functional levels and body mass index (BMI), as well as between PAI-1 levels and both triglyceride and insulin levels. No correlation between PAI-1 levels and either cholesterol or glucose levels was observed. After a three-month period of treatment to reduce weight, an increase in fibrinolytic activity due to a decrease in PAI- levels was observed in the obese children who had reduced their BMI in comparison with the group of obese children who did not show a decrease in their BMI. No significant differences between the two groups with respect to the variations in tissue type plasminogen activator and fibrinogen levels were obtained after three months of intervention to reduce weight. A significant correlation was observed between variations in BMI and variations in PAI-1 levels, and a significant inverse correlation was also observed between previous PAI-1 levels and variation in PAI-1 levels. Therefore, the largest decrease in PAI-1 levels was observed in the obese children with the highest previous PAI-1 levels. In conclusion, a decrease in BMI in obese children shows a favourable effect on the fibrinolytic system due to a decrease in PAI-1 levels. However, no influence of 4G/5G genotype on PAI-1 levels was observed.

To evaluate the influence of several factors, including age, prostate volume, total PSA (PSA-T), clinical stage and Gleason on the PSA:alpha 1ACT/PSA-T (C/T) ratio.Using in-house assays, we measured plasma levels of PSA-T and PSA:alpha 1ACT complex in 622 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) (455 with hystological confirmation and 167 with clinical evidence of absence of malignance) and in 255 patients with prostate cancer (CaP), and determined the correlation between different parameters.In BPH patients, PSA-T and PSA:alpha 1ACT significantly increased with age. There was a positive correlation between age and PSA-T (r = 0.161, p0.0001) and PSA:alpha 1ACT (r = 0.141, p = 0.001). In contrast, the C/T ratio remained constant and below 70% in all decades. Similar results were obtained in CaP patients. In BPH patients, there was a positive correlation between prostate volume and PSA-T and PSA:alpha 1ACT, but not with the C/T ratio. In CaP patients, however, there was a negative correlation between prostate volume and the C/T ratio. An excellent correlation was found between PSA-T and PSA:alpha 1ACT, and a good correlation between PSA-T and the C/T ratio and between PSA:alpha 1ACT and C/T ratio. A multiple regression analysis showed that, in HBP and CaP patients, PSA-T and PSA:alpha 1ACT complex were the only parameters that significantly and independently influenced the C/T ratio.The C/T ratio is independent of age, prostate volume, Gleason and clinical stage. Therefore, these factors need not to be considered when using the C/T ratio.

To evaluate the usefulness of the ratio PSA:alpha-1-antichymotrypsin/total PSA (C/T) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in the range of total PSA between 4 and 10 ng/mL.By using home-made ELISAs we have determined plasmatic concentrations of total PSA and complex PSA:alpha-1-ACT in 300 patients with total PSA between 4-10 ng/mL. All samples were obtained before any manipulation that could interfere the PSA levels.By prostatic biopsy 85 patients (28.3%) were diagnosed of prostate cancer (CaP) and 215 (71.6%) of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The mean values of the complex PSA:alpha-1-ACT (4.2 ng/mL in the BPH patients vs 5.0 ng/mL in the CaP patients) and of the C/T ratio (0.70 vs 0.82, respectively) showed significant differences between both groups (p =0.0001). The total PSA did not show differences (6.1 ng/mL vs 6.0 ng/mL; p = 0.79). From all three parameter evaluated, the ratio C/T had the biggest area under the ROC (0.884) and statistically significant differences in comparison with total PSA (0.490; p =0.001) and the complex PSA:alpha-1-ACT (0.696: p =0.001). Therefore, by using a ratio C/T0.62 to decide the performance of a biopsy, 27% of the patients with BPH could have avoided this procedure with a 100% sensitivity. Increasing the ratio to 0.68 the specificity is 47% and the sensitivity is 95.2%. Rectal examination did not have influence on the cut-off, sensitivity, specificity and area under the ROC of the ratio C/T.Our results confirm that the ratio C/T improve the diagnostic capacity of the total PSA between 4-10 ng/ml. Moreover, the rectal examination does not influence the selection of ratio C/T cut-off suggestives of CaP neither the diagnostic efficacy.