Does TikTok allow quality debate? A case study on poverty

This study analyses temporary employees’ perceptions and This article analyzes whether the features of TikTok allow for meaningful debates and how they are conducted. To do so, we used a case study approach: user conversations about socially excluded individuals in a context marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis, which have exacerbated hardships in developing countries. A total of 100 videos published in Spain since 2020 on this topic, along with 38,462 comments, are examined. We performed a content analysis of the videos, considering their thematic, technical, and stylistic characteristics. Additionally, we conducted a textual analysis of the comments taking into account the authorial and conversational dimensions. The study concludes that the structure of TikTok does not enable high-quality debates in this case study. The videos provide an episodic view of the topics, and on average users participate only once expressing opinions based on personal experiences or existing biases. Moreover, the debate is muddled in this specific topic due to intergenerational conflicts. Judgmental attitudes lead to messages that are both cruel in the form of advice and expressions of humor. The analysis reveals a strong sentiment of aporophobia in the opinions expressed on this platform. Therefore, it is advisable to recommend the inclusion of this marginalized group among the protected groups in the community guidelines.Este artículo analiza si las características de TikTok permiten debates significativos y cómo se realizan. Para ello se utiliza un caso de estudio: las conversaciones de los usuarios sobre las personas en riesgo de exclusión social en un contexto, el de la pandemia y la crisis económica, en el que se han incrementado las privaciones en los países en desarrollo. Se examinan 100 vídeos publicados en España y producidos desde 2020 con este tema, así como 38.462 comentarios. Se aplica un análisis de contenido a los vídeos que incluye características temáticas, técnicas y de estilo; y un análisis textual a los comentarios en el que se tiene en cuenta la dimensión autoral y conversacional. Se concluye que la estructura de TikTok no permite un debate de calidad en este caso de estudio, porque los vídeos ofrecen una visión episódica de los temas, porque los usuarios intervienen, de media, una vez y lo hacen para expresar una opinión basada en experiencias propias o en prejuicios existentes, y porque el debate se enturbia, en este tema concreto, por la existencia de un enfrentamiento generacional. El enjuiciamiento conduce a posturas que generan mensajes crueles, tanto en forma de consejos como en expresiones de humor. El análisis permite afirmar que, en la opinión evidenciada en esta plataforma, existe un fuerte sentimiento de aporofobia. Conviene por ello recomendar la inclusión de este colectivo entre los grupos protegidos en las normas de esta comunidad

Electrical activity of crystal defects in multicrystalline Si

Producción CientíficaUpgraded metallurgical-grade silicon solar cells with different ranges of efficiencies have been characterized by light-beam-induced current (LBIC) measurements. The interaction between grain boundaries and metallic impurities is studied for cells fabricated on wafers from different solidification heights of the ingot. A tight relation is observed between the electrical activity of the grain boundaries and the position of the wafer in the ingot, which is related to the impurity contamination. The presence of a large amount of metallic impurities enhances the electrical activity of the grain boundaries. The main features of the LBIC images are discussed in relation to the presence of metallic impurities.Junta de Castilla y León (project VA283P18)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (project ENE2017-89561-C4-3-R

Estudio económico de la reutilización de paneles solares en pequeñas instalaciones fotovoltaicas

CIES2020 - XVII Congresso Ibérico e XIII Congresso Ibero-americano de Energia SolarRESUMEN: La generación eléctrica a partir de energía solar es limpia, asequible y renovable. Por estos motivos, su aprovechamiento ha sufrido un importante crecimiento en los últimos años y se ha situado como la tercera fuente de generación de energía renovable con más peso en España. Las plantas de generación de energía fotovoltaica son cada vez de mayor tamaño y emplean decenas de miles de módulos en su construcción. Estos módulos sufren, desde el comienzo de su actividad, una degradación continua de sus células que hace disminuir su rendimiento y a menudo son desechados por las grandes empresas aunque no hayan alcanzado el final de su vida útil. Este proyecto estudia de forma técnica y económica la rentabilidad de la reutilización de los paneles fotovoltaicos de Silicio, con el fin reducir la inversión inicial de las instalaciones de autoconsumo fotovoltaico y de ofrecer una segunda vida a los módulos que resultan aptos para continuar produciendo energía.ABSTRACT: Electricity generation from solar energy is clean, affordable and renewable. For this reason, it has grown a lot during the last years and has become the third source of renewable energy generation in Spain. Photovoltaic power generation plants are getting larger and using tens of thousands of modules in their construction. These modules suffer continuous degradation of their, which reduces their performance. For this reason, they are discarded by large companies even though they have not reached the end of their useful life. This project studies in a technical and economic way the reuse of Silicon photovoltaic panels, as they are the most used at present, in order to reduce the initial investment of photovoltaic self-consumption installations and to offer a second life to the modules that are suitable for continuing to produce energy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Residual Strain and Electrical Activity of Defects in Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Producción CientíficaThe growth process by casting methods of multi-crystalline Si results in a crystalline material with, among other defects, a high density of dislocations and grain boundaries. Impurity incorporation and their gathering around grain boundaries and dislocations seem to be the main factor determining the electrical activity of those defects, which limit the minority carrier lifetime. In this work, we analyze multi-crystalline Si samples by combining etching processes to reveal the defects, Raman spectroscopy for strain measurements, and light beam induced current measurements for the localization of electrically active defects. In particular, we have explored the etching routes capable to reveal the main defects (grain boundaries and dislocation lines), while their electrical activity is studied by the light beam induced current technique. We further analyze the strain levels around these defects by Raman micro-spectroscopy, aiming to obtain a more general picture of the correlation between residual stress and electrical activity of the extended defects. The higher stress levels are observed around intra-grain defects associated with dislocation lines, rather than around the grain boundaries. On the other hand, the intra-grain defects are also observed to give dark light beam induced current contrast associated with a higher electrical activity of these defects as compared to the grain boundariesJunta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. A166A11-2)Ministerio de Ciencia e innovación (IPT-420000-2010- -022 INNPACTO program

Differential methylation of TCF7L2 promoter in peripheral blood DNA in newly diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes

TCF7L2 is the susceptibility gene for Type 2 diabetes (T2D) with the largest effect on disease risk that has been discovered to date. However, the mechanisms by which TCF7L2 contributes to the disease remain largely elusive. In addition, epigenetic mechanisms, such as changes in DNA methylation patterns, might have a role in the pathophysiology of T2D. This study aimed to investigate the differences in terms of DNA methylation profile of TCF7L2 promoter gene between type 2 diabetic patients and age- and Body Mass Index (BMI)- matched controls. We included 93 type 2 diabetic patients that were recently diagnosed for T2D and exclusively on diet (without any pharmacological treatment). DNA was extracted from whole blood and DNA methylation was assessed using the Sequenom EpiTYPER system. Type 2 diabetic patients were more insulin resistant than their matched controls (mean HOMA IR 2.6 vs 1.8 in controls, P<0.001) and had a poorer beta-cell function (mean HOMA B 75.7 vs. 113.6 in controls, P<0.001). Results showed that 59% of the CpGs analyzed in TCF7L2 promoter had significant differences between type 2 diabetic patients and matched controls. In addition, fasting glucose, HOMA-B, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol correlated with methylation in specific CpG sites of TCF7L2 promoter. After adjustment by age, BMI, gender, physical inactivity, waist circumference, smoking status and diabetes status uniquely fasting glucose, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol remained significant. Taken together, newly diagnosed, drug-naïve type 2 diabetic patients display specific epigenetic changes at the TCF7L2 promoter as compared to age- and BMI-matched controls. Methylation in TCF7L2 promoter is further correlated with fasting glucose in peripheral blood DNA, which sheds new light on the role of epigenetic regulation of TCF7L2 in T2D

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor methylation in newly diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes: a case-control study

GIP action in type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients is altered. We hypothesized that methylation changes could be present in GIP receptor of T2D patients. This study aimed to assess the differences in DNA methylation profile of GIPR promoter between T2D patients and age- and Body Mass Index (BMI)-matched controls. We included 93 T2D patients (cases) that were uniquely on diet (without any anti-diabetic pharmacological treatment). We matched one control (with oral glucose tolerance test negative, non diabetic), by age and BMI, for every case. Cytokines and hormones were determined by ELISA. DNA was extracted from whole blood and DNA methylation was assessed using the Sequenom EpiTYPER system. Our results showed that T2D patients were more insulin resistant and had a poorer β cell function than their controls. Fasting adiponectin was lower in T2D patients as compared to controls (7.0±3.8 µgr/mL vs. 10.0±4.2 µgr/mL). Levels of IL 12 in serum were almost double in T2D patients (52.8±58.3 pg/mL vs. 29.7±37.4 pg/mL). We found that GIPR promoter was hypomethylated in T2D patients as compared to controls. In addition, HOMA-IR and fasting glucose correlated negatively with mean methylation of GIPR promoter, especially in T2D patients. This case-control study confirms that newly diagnosed, drug-naïve T2D patients are more insulin resistant and have worse β cell function than age- and BMI-matched controls, which is partly related to changes in the insulin-sensitizing metabolites (adiponectin), in the proinflammatory profile (IL12) and we suggest in the methylation pattern of GIPR. Our study provides novel findings on GIPR promoter methylation profile which may improve our ability to understand type 2 diabetes pathogenesis

Smart ICTs for the enhancement of traffic logistics in the Port of Seville

Las ponencias del congreso pueden descargarse desde: http://www.pianc.org.ar/_stage/papers_in.phpThis paper focuses in the optimization of intermodal transport by the development of a freight geolocation and telecontrol platform for intermodal transport. This system, Cooperative Unitized Tracking System (CUTS), is being developed under the project TECNOPORT2025, which is an initiative of the Port Authority of Seville (PAS), co-funded by the European Commission by means of the ERDF (European Region Development Funds), under the Pre-commercial Public Procurement model aiming the “Port of Future”

Heritability of Body Mass Index: A comparison between the Netherlands and Spain.

A high body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as an index of overweight and obesity. There is persistent evidence of high heritability for variation in BMI, but the effects of common environment appear inconsistent across different European countries. Our objective was to compare genetic and environmental effects on BMI in a sample of twins from two different European countries with distinct population and cultural backgrounds. We analysed data of adult female twins from the Netherlands Twin Register (222 monozygotic [MZ] and 103 dizygotic [DZ] pairs) and the Murcia Twin Register (Spain; 202 MZ and 235 DZ pairs). BMI was based on self-reported weight and height. Dutch women were taller and heavier, but Spanish women had a significantly higher mean BMI. The age related weight increase was significantly stronger in the Spanish sample. Genetic analyses showed that genetic factors are the main contributors to variation in height, weight, and BMI, within both countries. For height and weight, estimates of genetic variances did not differ, but for height, the estimate for the environmental variance was significantly larger in Spanish women. For BMI, both the genetic and the environmental variance components were larger in Spanish than in Dutch women

Smart Navigation System for the Port of Seville

Las ponencias del congreso pueden descargarse desde: http://www.pianc.org.ar/_stage/papers_in.phpThis paper focuses in the development of an information platform for rivers and integrated navigation aid system in waterways. The proposed system will not only offer vessel traffic services (VTS) and other RIS basic services but also those advanced and customized services of interest for the Port of Seville. This system, eRIO, is being developed under the project TECNOPORT2025 which is initiative of the Port Authority of Seville, co-funded by the European Commission by means of the European Region Development Funds, under the Pre-commercial Public Procurement model aiming the “Port of Future”

Tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]Pyrimidine-3-Carboxamide and N-Benzyl-6′,7′-Dihydrospiro[Piperidine-4,4′-Thieno[3,2-c]Pyran] analogues with bactericidal efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis targeting MmpL3

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major human pathogen and the causative agent for the pulmonary disease, tuberculosis (TB). Current treatment programs to combat TB are under threat due to the emergence of multi-drug and extensively-drug resistant TB. As part of our efforts towards the discovery of new anti-tubercular leads, a number of potent tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-ca​rboxamide(THPP) and N-benzyl-6′,7′-dihydrospiro[piperidine-4,​4′-thieno[3,2-c]pyran](Spiro) analogues were recently identified against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG through a high-throughput whole-cell screening campaign. Herein, we describe the attractive in vitro and in vivo anti-tubercular profiles of both lead series. The generation of M. tuberculosis spontaneous mutants and subsequent whole genome sequencing of several resistant mutants identified single mutations in the essential mmpL3 gene. This ‘genetic phenotype’ was further confirmed by a ‘chemical phenotype’, whereby M. bovis BCG treated with both the THPP and Spiro series resulted in the accumulation of trehalose monomycolate. In vivo efficacy evaluation of two optimized THPP and Spiro leads showed how the compounds were able to reduce >2 logs bacterial cfu counts in the lungs of infected mice