e-Social work and digital society: re-conceptualizing approaches, practices and technologies

Introduction The digitalisation of society is changing our behaviour, our institutions and the helping professions, among them social work. Adapting to this new environment is one of the main challenges facing social work as both a scientific discipline and a helping profession. This new technological environment is not only impacting on teaching methods in higher education, but also diagnostic and social intervention techniques. At the same time, processes of social exclusion are taking place in the digital domain that require social workers to become more specialised. In introducing this themed issue of the journal, we examine how social work can benefit from e-social work to adapt to the new demands and needs of today's digital society..

The development and first validation of the “Preterm social, cognitive, health and learning outcomes” (Pre-School) socioeconomics indicators inventory

Background: The consequences of preterm birth, to the individual and society at large, remain a major financial, emotional, social and personal burden in all countries. A complex infuence network between the family socioeconomic status, nutrition and infant social interactions determines early childhood environment. The socioeconomic characteristics of families and households define much of the starting conditions and the posible future development of any newborn. Aim: To develop a socioeconomics indicators inventory specifically focused on preterm children, in order to characterize their early childhood environment to evaluate potential social affordances of infants under 24 months of age. Methods: The process was divided into four phases: questionnaire development (items and domains generation), pilot testing, validation and exploratory analysis. The final version of the PRE-SCHOOL questionnaire consisted of 190 items, each related to one or more of eight domains (personal data, family situation, health status, economical situation, level of education, social network, leisure and residence conditions). For the exploratory and validation analysis, 52 children were recruited. The parent interview was conducted by two specially trained social workers when the child reached 24 months of age. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was high for all domains (Cronbach’s a coefficient of 0.964). Conclusions: The social and economic contexts define spaces of possibility that directly affect the evolution and life development of each newborn. The PRE-SCHOOL socioeconomics indicators inventory improves the anamnesis process in preterm infants at risk of cognitive impairement. We need to increased socioecnomical informations of the early childhood enviroment in order to propose focused family-centred cost-effective interventions to improve cognitive development

Magnetotelluric Characterization of the Alhama de Murcia Fault (Eastern Betics) - Preliminary Results

The Lorca Earthquake (11/5/2011, Mw 5.2) stands as the most destructive in Spain over the last 50 years. It was interpreted as having occurred in an intersegment zone of the strike-slip Alhama de Murcia Fault (AMF). Within the research project “Intergeosima”, a multi parametric characterization and monitoring of the fault structure is ongoing, with the aim of developing a future Near Fault Observatory (NFO) to improve the understanding of the seismic behaviour of the fault in the short and medium term. In this work we present the preliminary results of a magnetotelluric (MT) survey carried out along the rambla de la Torrecilla (SW of Lorca). A more resistivity area might correspond to the Quaternary units, whereas the conductive areas might delineate the extent of the fault gauge materials. Further analysis and inversion of the data are necessary to obtain a more detailed picture of the extension and geometry below the fault zone

An efficient method for enzyme immobilization evidenced by atomic force microscopy

Immobilization of proteins in a functionally active form and proper orientation is fundamental for effective surface-based protein analysis. A new method is presented for the controlled and oriented immobilization of ordered monolayers of enzymes whose interaction site had been protected using the protein ligand. The utility of this method was demonstrated by analyzing the interactions between the enzyme ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR) and its redox partner ferredoxin (Fd). The quality of the procedure was deeply evaluated through enzymatic assays and atomic force microscopy. Single-molecule force spectroscopy revealed that site-specifically targeted FNR samples increased the ratio of recognition events 4-fold with regard to the standard randomly modified FNR samples. The results were corroborated using the cytochrome c reductase activity that gave an increase on surface between 6 and 12 times for the site-specifically targeted FNR samples. The activity in solution for the enzyme labeled from the complex was similar to that exhibited by wild-type FNR while FNR randomly tagged showed a 3-fold decrease. This indicates that random targeting protocols affect not only the efficiency of immobilized proteins to recognize their ligands but also their general functionality. The present methodology is expected to find wide applications in surface-based protein–protein interactions biosensors, single-molecule analysis, bioelectronics or drug screening

Comparison of stresses in 3D v. 2D geomechanical modelling of salt structures in the Tarfaya Basin, West African coast

We predict stresses and strains in the Tarfaya salt basin on the West African coast using a 3D static geomechanical model and compare the results against a simplified 2D plane-strain model. Both models are based on present-day basin geometries, are drained, and use a poroelastic description for the sediments and visco-plastic description for salt. We focus on a salt diapir, where an exploratory well has been drilled crossing a major fault. The 3D model shows a significant horizontal stress reduction in sediments at the top of the diapir, validated with measured data later obtained from the well. The 2D model predicts comparable stress reduction in sediments at the crest of the diapir. However, it shows a broader area affected by the stress reduction, overestimating its magnitude by as much as 1.5 MPa. Both models predict a similar pattern of differential displacement in sediments along both sides of the major fault, above the diapir. These displacements are the main cause of horizontal stress reduction detected at the crest of the diapir. Sensitivity analysis in both models shows that the elastic parameters of the sediments have a minimal effect on the stress-strain behaviour. In addition, the 2D sensitivity analysis concludes that the main factors controlling stress and strain changes are the geometry of the salt and the difference in rock properties between encasing sediments and salt. Overall, our study demonstrates that carefully built 2D models at the exploration stage can provide stress information and useful insights comparable to those from more complex 3D geometrie

Evolución del comportamiento estratégico de las cooperativas versus empresas capitalistas: una aproximación descriptiva al efecto crisis

Desde el año 2008 la situación económica en España ha sufrido un proceso de deterioro que no se había conocido en otros periodos. La situación es tan compleja que es necesario abordar el estudio de numerosas cuestiones a nivel macroeconómico, microeconómico, del sector financiero y de la economía real para comprender y, especialmente, para reconocer qué factores están permitiendo sobrevivir a los proyectos empresariales. En este sentido, dos factores fundamentales para la supervivencia de las organizaciones económicas en la crisis actual son la capacidad de exportación y de innovación. El objetivo de la investigación es ambos fenómenos de las sociedades cooperativas de trabajo y las sociedades laborales en España, comparando su situación con las empresas capitalistas, con el fin de obtener una imagen real del posicionamiento de las Empresas de Economía Social en estos ámbitos. Los datos utilizados para realizar el estudio proceden de la Encuesta sobre Estrategias Empresariales (ESEE) para el periodo 2005-2010, y se realiza atendiendo especialmente a los sectores

Evolución del comportamiento estratégico de las cooperativas versus empresas capitalistas: una aproximación descriptiva al efecto crisis

Since 2008 the economic situation in Spain has undergone a process of deterioration. The situation is so complex that it is necessary to study it of numerous perspectives because it is very important to know the factors that are enabling firms survive. In this regard, two key factors in this topic are the ability to export and innovation. The aim of the paper it is to analyse both phenomena in Social Firms Spain, comparing their situation with capitalist enterprises, in order to get a picture of the position of Social Economy Enterprises in these areas. The data used for the study come from the Survey on Business Strategies (ESEE) for the period 2005-2010.Desde el año 2008 la situación económica en España ha sufrido un proceso de deterioro que no se había conocido en otros periodos. La situación es tan compleja que es necesario abordar el estudio de numerosas cuestiones a nivel macroeconómico, microeconómico, del sector financiero y de la economía real para comprender y, especialmente, para reconocer qué factores están permitiendo sobrevivir a los proyectos empresariales. En este sentido, dos factores fundamentales para la supervivencia de las organizaciones económicas en la crisis actual son la capacidad de exportación y de innovación. El objetivo de la investigación es ambos fenómenos de las sociedades cooperativas de trabajo y las sociedades laborales en España, comparando su situación con las empresas capitalistas, con el fin de obtener una imagen real del posicionamiento de las Empresas de Economía Social en estos ámbitos. Los datos utilizados para realizar el estudio proceden de la Encuesta sobre Estrategias Empresariales (ESEE) para el periodo 2005-2010, y se realiza atendiendo especialmente a los sectores

Architectural characterization of a delta-front reservoir analogue combining Ground Penetrating Radar and Electrical Resistivity Tomography : Roda Sandstone (Lower Eocene, Graus-Tremp basin, Spain)

Three-dimensional reconstruction of reservoir analogues can be improved combining data from different geophysical methods. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) data are valuable tools, since they provide subsurface information from internal architecture and facies distribution of sedimentary rock bodies, enabling the upgrading of depositional models and heterogeneity reconstruction. The Lower Eocene Roda Sandstone is a well-known deltaic complex widely studied as a reservoir analogue that displays a series of sandstone wedges with a general NE to SW progradational trend. To provide a better understanding of internal heterogeneity of a 10m-thick progradational delta-front sandstone unit, 3D GPR data were acquired. In addition, common midpoints (CMP) to measure the sandstone subsoil velocity, test profiles with different frequency antennas (25, 50 and 100MHz) and topographic data for subsequent correction in the geophysical data were also obtained. Three ERT profiles were also acquired to further constrain GPR analysis. These geophysical results illustrate the geometry of reservoir analogue heterogeneities both depositional and diagenetic in nature, improving and complementing previous outcrop-derived data. GPR interpretation using radar stratigraphy principles and attributes analysis provided: 1) tridimensional geometry of major stratigraphic surfaces that define four units in the GPR Prism, 2) image the internal architecture of the units and their statistical study of azimuth and dips, useful for a quick determination of paleocurrent directions. These results were used to define the depositional architecture of the progradational sandbody that shows an arrangement in very-high-frequency sequences characterized by clockwise paleocurrent variations and decrease of the sedimentary flow, similar to those observed at a greater scale in the same system. This high-frequency sequential arrangement has been attributed to the autocyclic dynamics of a supply-dominated delta-front where fluvial and tidal currents are in competition. The resistivity models enhanced the viewing of reservoir quality associated with cement distribution caused by depositional and early diagenetic processes related to the development of transgressive and regressive systems tracts in high-frequency sequences