Fuzzy Decision-Support System for Safeguarding Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage

In the current world economic situation, the maintenance of built heritage has been limited due to a lack of funds and accurate tools for proper management and implementation of these actions. However, in specific local areas, the maintenance and conservation of historical and cultural heritage have become an investment opportunity. In this sense, in this study, a new tool is proposed, for the estimation of the functional service life of heritage buildings in a local region (city of Seville, South Spain). This tool is developed in Art-Risk research project and consists of a free software to evaluate decisions in regional policies, planning and management of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, considering physical, environmental, economic and social resources. This tool provides a ranking of priority of intervention among case studies belonging to a particular urban context. This information is particularly relevant for the stakeholders responsible for the management of maintenance plans in built heritage

A Platinum molecular complex immobilised on the surface of graphene as active catalyst in alkyne hydrosilylation

Abstract A platinum complex bearing a N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand functionalised with a pyrene‐tag is immobilised onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The hybrid material composed of an organometallic complex and a graphene derivative is ready available in a single‐step process under mild reaction conditions. This methodology preserves the inherent properties of the active catalytic centre and the support. The platinum hybrid material is an efficient catalyst in hydrosilylation of alkynes and can be recycled and reused for ten runs without significant loss of activity due to its high stability. Interestingly, the catalytic properties of the platinum complex are enhanced after immobilisation onto graphene. The influence of graphene in hydrosilylation of alkynes is discussed

Rethinking Ephemeral Architecture. Advanced Geometry for Citizen-Managed Spaces

In recent years there have been a high amount of citizen initiatives that address the complex problems of the contemporary city. There are empty or disused spaces that have been reused for urban gardens, for social use, to encourage integration and civic activities activation, etc. Traditional architectural processes do not provide realistic solutions to these initiatives that, along with limited financial resources, have led to the emergence of architectures and self-constructed facilities, almost as an emergency mode, without necessary planning, media and constructive knowledge. The democratization of technology, thanks to laboratories of digital production, combined with knowledge of the properties of different surfaces through the CAD-CAM tools, offers new opportunities for the development of a lightweight, flexible and low impact architecture, very according to the needs of citizens' initiatives that naturally arise in our cities. The new existing scenario contemplates the figure of the architect, or engineer, not only as an agent of the market, but as a professional able to propose efficient solutions to problems from within, bringing their specific knowledge and serving as bridges between the new technological solutions and the challenges of society

Vascular Smooth Muscle-Specific Progerin Expression Accelerates Atherosclerosis and Death in a Mouse Model of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome

Background: Progerin, an aberrant protein that accumulates with age, causes the rare genetic disease Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). Patients who have HGPS exhibit ubiquitous progerin expression, accelerated aging and atherosclerosis, and die in their early teens, mainly of myocardial infarction or stroke. The mechanisms underlying progerin-induced atherosclerosis remain unexplored, in part, because of the lack of appropriate animal models. Methods: We generated an atherosclerosis-prone model of HGPS by crossing apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe(-/-)) mice with Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice ubiquitously expressing progerin. To induce progerin expression specifically in macrophages or vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), we crossed Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS) mice with LysMCre and SM22Cre mice, respectively. Progerin expression was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. Cardiovascular alterations were determined by immunofluorescence and histology in male mice fed normal chow or a high-fat diet. In vivo low-density lipoprotein retention was assessed by intravenous injection of fluorescently labeled human low-density lipoprotein. Cardiac electric defects were evaluated by electrocardiography. Results:Apoe(-/-)Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice with ubiquitous progerin expression exhibited a premature aging phenotype that included failure to thrive and shortened survival. In addition, high-fat diet-fed Apoe(-/-)Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice developed a severe vascular pathology, including medial VSMC loss and lipid retention, adventitial fibrosis, and accelerated atherosclerosis, thus resembling most aspects of cardiovascular disease observed in patients with HGPS. The same vascular alterations were also observed in Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)SM22Cre mice expressing progerin specifically in VSMCs, but not in Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)LysMCre mice with macrophage-specific progerin expression. Moreover, Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)SM22Cre mice had a shortened lifespan despite the lack of any overt aging phenotype. Aortas of ubiquitously and VSMC-specific progerin-expressing mice exhibited increased retention of fluorescently labeled human low-density lipoprotein, and atheromata in both models showed vulnerable plaque features. Immunohistopathological examination indicated that Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)SM22Cre mice, unlike Apoe(-/-)Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice, die of atherosclerosis-related causes. Conclusions: We have generated the first mouse model of progerin-induced atherosclerosis acceleration, and demonstrate that restricting progerin expression to VSMCs is sufficient to accelerate atherosclerosis, trigger plaque vulnerability, and reduce lifespan. Our results identify progerin-induced VSMC death as a major factor triggering atherosclerosis and premature death in HGPS.Work in Dr Andres' laboratory is supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MEIC) (SAF2016-79490-R) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (AC16/00091, AC17/00067) with co-funding from the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, ``Una manera de hacer Europa´´), the Progeria Research Foundation (Established Investigator Award 2014-52), and the Fundacio Marato TV3 (122/C/2015). The MEIC supported Dr Hamczyk (´´Formacion de Personal Investigador´´ predoctoral contract BES-2011-043938) and Dr Villa-Bellosta (´´Juan de la Cierva´´ JCI-2011-09663 postdoctoral contract). The Instituto Universitario de Oncologia is supported by Obra Social Cajastur. The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) is supported by the MEIC and the Pro-CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (award SEV-2015-0505).S

La política de gestión de documentos electrónicos, otra vuelta de tuerca

Es reflexiona sobre la gestió dels documents electrònics en el context universitari espanyol de cooperació i es resumeix l'experiència de l'Àrea de Tecnologia i Comunicacions i l'Arxiu de la Universitat de Castilla-La Mancha en el desenvolupa-ment de la política de gestió documental institucional en els últims anys.This paper reflects on electronics records management in the Spanish university context and the recent experience of the IT Department and the Archives of University of Castilla-La Mancha developing a corporative records management policy.Se reflexiona sobre la gestión de los documentos electrónicos en el contexto universitario español de cooperación y se resume la experiencia del Área de Tecnología y Comunicaciones y el Archivo de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha en el desarrollo de la política de gestión documental institucional en los últimos años

Developing students’ reading habits and skills in the Primary EFL classroom: ‘Super Reading Improvers’ proposal for extensive reading

In the recent years, there has been a growing tendency towards the use of innovative and active methodologies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in order to develop all students’ skills, and therefore, their communicative competence. This dissertation shows the process developed to plan, design, create and evaluate an extensive reading proposal for an EFL Primary classroom whose main purpose is to develop student’s L2 reading habits and skills so that their communicative competence increases. All tasks and resources have been carried out on the bases of the Communicative Laguage Teaching (CLT) approach, in line with the Aragonese curriculum, and complemented by some innovative teaching methods and approaches such as Task-Based learning (TBL) and gamification. The proposal is aimed to improve the instructional effectiveness of the extensive reading program by using active and communicative methodologies. These will positively affect the development of the student’s reading skills and communicative competence. Although it must be proven in a future implementation, the developed proposal may foster the students’ L2 reading motivation. This dissertation shows that this extensive reading project is an effective teaching resource to be incorporated in the 21st century EFL Primary classrooms in order to develop the learners’ reading habit.<br /

Función educativa de la actividad física y deportiva: aspectos diferenciales

La evolución de la Actividad Física y Deportiva en la cultura contemporánea nos ha llevado a considerar diversos aspectos de marcado interés como: La naturaleza multiforme del concepto deporte y la importancia de fomentar el resurgimiento social de ciertas formas tradicionales del mismo, centrandonos en la perspectiva del Deporte para todos, y su relación con el deporte de élite; así como, en el resurgimiento de las nuevas manifestaciones sociales del deporte contemporáneo.También hemos querido subrayar determinados aspectos de tratamiento diferencial en la práctica deportiva, con respecto a los grupos poblacionales de más edad y con respecto al géneroThe sports and physical education evolution in the contemporary culture has led us to consider some interesting different aspects of it such as: The multiform nature of the sports concept and the importance of encouraging the social resurgence of some traditional ways of it, placing ourselves on «The sport for everyone» perspective and its relation with the competition sport, and the new social manifestation of the contemporary sports revival. We have also wanted to emphasize certain aspects of differential treatment in the sports practice refering to the elderly population groups and to the gende

Past, present and future global influence and technological applications of iron-bearing metastable nanominerals

Iron-bearing nanominerals such as ferrihydrite, schwertmannite, and green rust behave as metastable precursors leading to the formation of more thermodynamically stable iron mineral phases (e.g., jarosite, goethite, hematite, and magnetite). However, this transformation may last from days to tens or even hundreds of years, making them the most predominant iron-bearing minerals at environmental conditions and at the human time scale. The present review characterizes ferrihydrite, schwertmannite, and green rust nanominerals according to their main physical and chemical properties, and at both nano- and mesoscales. It also presents a comprehensive review of the multiple past and present Earth environments where these nanominerals have played, and still play, a pivotal role in the geochemistry, mineralogy and environmental nanogeosciences of these environments. Finally, the present and future technological applications of these nanominerals as well as their role in the generation of a more sustainable human- Earth relationship is discussed, with a special emphasis on their use in new circular economies and green based technologies.Advanced Mining Technology Center (AMTC) from Universidad de ChileNational Agency for Research and Development, ANIDMinistry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish Government AFB180004European Union's Horizon 2020 MarieSklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network RYC2019-026496-IHelmholtz Recruiting Initiative 675219Junta de AndaluciaUniversidad de Huelva / CBU