Spain Country Study

human development, climate change

An approach from fission yeast to study mammalian meiosis

Motivation: Nowadays, the major cause of human infertility is woman age-related infertility. The genetic quality of female gametes drastically decreases with age due to the increase of aneuploidy, result of a deficient meiosis, which severely impairs embryo development and most frequently leads to miscarriage. Because studying human meiosis is hampered by technical, biological and ethical constraints, research is mainly carried out in various model organisms. Among these, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has served it well, but species-specific differences keep it distant from the human case. Here, a novel fission yeast model whose meiosis approaches to that of mammals, is used to study this process aiming to obtain more representative results that can be better extrapolated to human.Methods: Strains are generated via cross and tetrad analysis and cultured according to standard protocols. Meiosis is monitored via live timelapse fluorescence microscopy, using fluorescently tagged proteins to follow subcellular structures.Results: In this model, virtually all meiotic cells show severe defects in chromosome segregation in both meiosis I and II, leading to disruption of the whole gametogenesis. However, although nuclear divisions are not effective, DNA masses experiment poleward segregating movements, unveiling an insufficient but maintained functionality in this aberrant meiosis.Conclusions: Despite meiosis progression is disrupted in this model, there exists a conservation of certain functionality. Interpreting this meiosis as a hybrid between yeast and mammal cases, these findings reflex the discrepancies between higher and lower eukaryotes meiosis, probably being these mismatches responsible for the observed defects. Also, this scenario opens up the possibility of studying the minimal, basic principles of meiosis in this model to later extrapolate them up to mammals and even humans

Recognizing and Anticipating Stress Related Complacent Behavior in Manufacturing Industries

Numerous safety studies suggest that stress complacency related accidents in manufacturing industries continue to cause injuries or fatalities because of the absence of emotional resources for leaders, who are unable to prevent accidents when these conditions exist. Leaders of the manufactory industries may not have the appropriate emotional measures which are significant to recognize employees\u27 underlying complacent behavior. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to evaluate the relationship between leaders\u27 emotional intelligence resources and their ability to manage to prevent injuries and fatalities in the workplace. The research questions address key traits of emotional intelligence regarding emotional perceptions and control which are needed to make the leaders more effective at recognizing and responding to stress complacency related incidents. Specifically, this study includes a method of inquiry in the form of a survey designed to measure 140 leaders\u27 emotional intelligence competencies in 3 Western Virginia food and beverage manufactories. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the multivariate relationships among leaders\u27 skills and safety prevention. Leaders\u27 emotional intelligence results indicated a negative effect on stress identification in either upper or middle leadership groups preventing them from exercising safe prevention error with their employees. Promoting leaders\u27 emotional intelligence engagement may potentially contribute to social change helping the food and beverage organizations to protect their employees from getting hurt, promoting strong safety cultures, maintaining a positive impact on families and workers and thereby, increasing community resilienc

The phenomenological sense of poetic language in the second Heidegger

Este trabajo busca mostrar que el peculiar estilo poético que Heidegger emplea en sus obras ontohistóricas no es arbitrario ni responde a un mero afán de excentricidad. Al contrario, el filósofo vio en el lenguaje poético una manera de ser más fiel a su concepción de la fenomenología. La tesis propuesta consiste en que la fenomenología practicada en Sein und Zeit no alcanzó a dar cuenta del estado de arrojado (Geworfenheit) del Dasein ni de la esencia de la verdad entendida como rehúso. Para ello sería necesaria una fenomenología igualmente arrojada, acontecida, que encuentra su modelo rector en la poesía.This paper seeks to show that the odd poetic style used by Heidegger within his ontohistorical works is not arbitrary, nor responds to a mere desire of eccentricity. Unlike this, the philosopher found poetic language as a way to be more faithful to his conception of phenomenology. The proposed thesis is that the phenomenology practiced in Sein und Zeit failed to account for the condition of thrown (Geworfenheit) of Dasein and for the essence of truth, understood as rejection. To do so, it would be necessary a phenomenology that is equally thrown, happened, which finds its guiding model in poetry

La sociología herramienta vital para la alta gerencia del III milenio

Durante toda el texto el lector encontratará una manera sencilla de entender las disciplinas de la sociología y la manera simple de emplearlas en la administración del personal. Lograr entender al hombre y darle la importancia que merece dentro de la organización es la base para lograr hacer de él el recurso más productivo y más valiosos de la organización, debe ser el objetivo que se tracen todos aquellos que tienen la misión de influenciar a otros. En este III milenio donde se ha descubierto que la piedra angular de la administración está en el capital humano no pueden existir gerentes que desconozcan la importancia del estudio del hombre en pro de un cambio hacia el mejoramiento continuo

Advanced Augmentative and Alternative Communication System Based in Physiological Control

Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (DCP) is mainly characterized by alterations in muscle tone and involuntary movements. Therefore, these people present with difficulties in coordination and movement control, which makes walking difficult and affects their posture when seated. Additionally, their cognitive performance varies between being completely normal and severe mental retardation. People with DCP were selected as the objective of this thesis due to their multiple and complex limitations (speech problems and motor control) and because their capabilities have a great margin for improvement thanks to physiological control systems. Given their communication difficulties, some people with DCP have good motor con-trol and can communicate with written language. However, most have difficulty using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. People with DCP gen-erally use concept boards to indicate the idea they want to communicate. However, most communication solutions available today are based on proprietary software that makes it difficult to customize the concept board and this type of control system. This is the motivation behind this thesis, with the aim of creating an interface with characteristics, able to be adapted to the user needs and limitations. Thus, this thesis proposes an Augmentative and Alternative Communication System for people with DCP based on physiological control. In addition, an innovative system for direct con-trol of concept boards with EMG is proposed. This control system is based on a physi-cal model that reproduces the muscular mechanical response (stiffness, inertia and viscosity). It allows for a selection of elements thanks to small pulses of EMG signal with sensors on a muscle with motor control. Its main advantage is the possibility of correcting errors during selection associated with uncontrolled muscle impulses, avoid-ing sustained muscle effort and thus reduced fatigue.La Parálisis Cerebral de tipo Discinésica (DCP) se caracteriza principalmente por las alteraciones del tono muscular y los movimientos involuntarios. Por ello, estos pacientes presentan dificultades en la coordinación y en el control de movimientos, lo cual les dificulta el caminar y afecta su postura cuando están sentados. Cabe resaltar que la capacidad cognitiva de las personas con DCP puede variar desde completamente normal, hasta un retraso mental severo. Las personas con DCP han sido seleccionadas como objetivo de esta tesis ya el margen de mejora de sus capacidades es amplio gracias a sistemas de control fisiológico, debido a sus múltiples y complejas limitaciones (problemas de habla y control motor). Debido a sus dificultades de comunicación, algunas personas con DCP se pueden comunicar con lenguaje escrito, siempre y cuando tenga un buen control motor. Sin embargo, la mayoría tienen dificultades para usar sistemas de Comunicación Aumentativos y Alternativos (AAC). De hecho, las personas con DCP utilizan generalmente tableros de conceptos para indicar la idea que quieren transmitir. Sin embargo, la mayoría las soluciones de comunicación disponibles en la actualidad están basadas en software propietario que hacen difícil la personalización del tablero de conceptos y el tipo de sistema de control. Es aquí donde surge esta tesis, con el objetivo de crear una interfaz con esas características, capaz de adaptarse a las necesidades y limitaciones del usuario. De esta forma, esta tesis propone un sistema de comunicación aumentativo y alternativo para personas con DCP basado en control fisiológico. Además, se propone un Sistema innovador de control directo sobre tableros de conceptos basado en EMG. Este Sistema de control se basa en un modelo físico que reproduce la respuesta mecánica muscular (basado en parámetros como Rigidez, Inercia y Viscosidad), permitiendo la selección de elementos gracias a pequeños pulsos de señal EMG con sensores sobre un músculo con control motor. Sus principales ventajas son la posibilidad de corregir errores durante la selección asociado a los impulsos musculares no controlados, evitar el esfuerzo muscular mantenido para alcanzar un nivel y reducir la fatiga.La Paràlisi Cerebral de tipus Discinèsica (DCP) es caracteritza principalment per les alteracions del to muscular i els moviments involuntaris. Per açò, aquests pacients presenten dificultats en la coordinació i en el control de moviments, la qual cosa els dificulta el caminar i afecta la seua postura quan estan asseguts. Cal ressaltar que la capacitat cognitiva de les persones amb DCP pot variar des de completament normal, fins a un retard mental sever. Les persones amb DCP han sigut seleccionades com a objectiu d'aquesta tesi ja el marge de millora de les seues capacitats és ampli gràcies a sistemes de control fisiològic, a causa dels seus múltiples i complexes limitacions (problemes de parla i control motor). A causa de les seues dificultats de comunicació, algunes persones amb DCP es poden comunicar amb llenguatge escrit, sempre que tinga un bon control motor. No obstant açò, la majoria tenen dificultats per a usar sistemes de Comunicació Augmentatius i Alternatius (AAC). De fet, les persones amb DCP utilitzen generalment taulers de conceptes per a indicar la idea que volen transmetre. No obstant açò, la majoria les solucions de comunicació disponibles en l'actualitat estan basades en programari propietari que fan difícil la personalització del tauler de conceptes i el tipus de sistema de control. És ací on sorgeix aquesta tesi, amb l'objectiu de crear una interfície amb aqueixes característiques, capaç d'adaptar-se a les necessitats i limitacions de l'usuari. D'aquesta forma, aquesta tesi proposa un sistema de comunicació augmentatiu i alternatiu per a persones amb DCP basat en control fisiològic. A més, es proposa un sistema innovador de control directe sobre taulers de conceptes basat en EMG. Aquest sistema de control es basa en un model físic que reprodueix la resposta mecànica muscular (basat en paràmetres com a Rigidesa, Inèrcia i Viscositat), permetent la selecció d'elements gràcies a xicotets polsos de senyal EMG amb sensors sobre un múscul amb control motor. Els seus principals avantatges són la possibilitat de corregir errors durant la selecció associat als impulsos musculars no controlats, evitar l'esforç muscular mantingut per a aconseguir un nivell i reduir la fatiga.Díaz Pineda, JA. (2017). Advanced Augmentative and Alternative Communication System Based in Physiological Control [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/90418TESI

Plankton accumulation and transport in propagating nonlinear internal fronts

Author Posting. © Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 2007. This article is posted here by permission of Sears Foundation for Marine Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Marine Research 65 (2007): 117-145, doi:10.1357/002224007780388702.Accumulation and transport of plankton in fronts propagating across-shore is a process of considerable ecological importance for many inhabitants of the littoral zone, since it links the offshore larval pool with the juvenile and adult inshore habitat. Several field studies have shown that larval plankton accumulates in fronts, but have failed to give a conclusive proof that effective Lagrangian transport takes place. A few process-oriented numerical studies have lent support to the idea, but the scope of their results is limited by the two-dimensional nature of the flows considered and by the simple model used to account for the behavior of plankton. In this paper, we relax both constraints. We solve the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation to compute the time dependent velocity field, and we use an empirically based model for the behavior of plankton. Our results show that accumulation and transport is possible, even for larvae characterized by sustained swimming speeds that are small compared with the speed of propagation of the front. We introduce a simple model to characterize the accumulation along the front, which includes both entrainment and detrainment. The model accurately represents accumulation calculated from the numerical runs, and provide a simple tool to estimate transport under a variety of circumstances. We also investigate the spatial distribution of plankton along and across the front and show that it is very patchy and dependent on the swimming speed of plankton, with important implications for interpreting results from field experiments

Observation of very large and steep internal waves of elevation near the Massachusetts coast

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2004. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Research Letters 31 (2004): L22307, doi:10.1029/2004GL021052.We report on near-bottom waves of elevation with amplitude nearly half the 25 m water column, very steep, and propagating into a sheared turbulent wave-guide. The waves contained trapped cores transporting parcels of water shoreward. These large waves depart strongly from weakly-nonlinear and weakly-nonhydrostatic conditions and challenge established paradigms. They can also represent an important factor in the across-shore transport of plankton and contaminants.Funding provided by ONR, grants N00014-01-1-0172 and N00014-03-1-0553