La Democracia enferma

Curso de veran

Dispositivos móviles y Flipped Classroom. Una experiencia multidisciplinar del profesorado universitario.

Se presenta una experiencia multidisciplinar de innovación educativa y renovación metodológica cuyo objetivo ha sido la incorporación del enfoque pedagógico Flipped Classroom en el aula. La implementación de nuevas herramientas TIC durante el proceso educativo ha permitido garantizar el éxito de la experiencia. Se fundamenta en un proceso de investigación-acción en equipo docente interdisciplinar aplicado durante el curso 2015/16 sobre estudiantes de la Escuela de Ingeniería y Arquitectura y de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de Zaragoza. En las asignaturas se maneja diferente software y herramientas gratuitas mediante smartphones, tablets y ordenadores portátiles, analizando su repercusión. La actuación desarrollada resulta muy positiva para el alumnado, el profesorado y las asignaturas implicadas, siendo aplicables a diferentes contextos educativos

La metamorfosis de Europa ¿Triunfo de los mercados?

Curso de veran

Multi-pixel Ka-band radiometer for the QUIJOTE experiment (Phase II)

This paper presents the configuration of the Ka-band radiometer developed for the Phase II of the QUIJOTE radio astronomy experiment, as well as the design of the different subsystems involved in the instrument. The new configuration, consisting of around 30 modified receivers working in the 26 - 36 GHz band, avoids the need of a rotating polar modulator at cryogenic temperatures, which is a source of mechanical and thermal difficulties. Moreover, the larger number of receivers will increase the instrument sensitivity. These two aspects are a clear advantage over the receiver developed for the experiment Phase I. The present paper also gives detailed information of some designed subsystems such as the feedhorn, the polarizer, the orthomode transducer, the cryogenic low-noise amplifiers and the back-end module.This work has been funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) under Astronomy and Astrophysics research programme, reference AYA2010-21766-C03-03, and the FPI grant BES-2011-046199

The thirty gigahertz instrument receiver for the Q-U-I Joint Tenerife experiment: concept and experimental results

This paper presents the analysis, design, and characterization of the thirty gigahertz instrument receiver developed for the Q-U-I Joint Tenerife experiment. The receiver is aimed to obtain polarization data of the cosmic microwave background radiation from the sky, obtaining the Q,U, and I Stokes parameters of the incoming signal simultaneously. A comprehensive analysis of the theory behind the proposed receiver is presented for a linearly polarized input signal, and the functionality tests have demonstrated adequate results in terms of Stokes parameters, which validate the concept of the receiver based on electronic phase switching

Módulo posterior para la integración de polarímetros multi-pixel a 40 GHZ en radioastronomía

This work presents the design and future integration of the back-end module for the 40 GHz instrument of the QUIJOTE project, which is a project aimed to the measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background’s polarization. This contribution focuses on the importance of the concept of modularity in order to facilitate the integration tasks and to enable the assembly of a high number of receivers (pixels) in the instrument, which improves the overall sensitivity. Performance measurements of each individual subsystem are provided and the foreseen whole integration in a metallic rack is presented.Los desarrollos de este trabajo se han financiado con la ayuda del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Programa CONSOLIDER-Ingenio 2010 de referencia CSD2010-00064

Shorter telomere length is associated with COVID-19 hospitalization and with persistence of radiographic lung abnormalities

Background Age and comorbidity are the main determinants of COVID-19 outcome. Shorter leukocyte telomere length (TL), a hallmark of biological aging, has been associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. We sought to determine TL in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring hospitalization to analyze whether clinical outcomes and post-COVID-19 manifestations are associated with shorter TL. Results We analyzed 251 patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19, hospitalized in the first months of the pandemics. We determined TL in PBL at admission by quantitative-PCR (qPCR) analysis in patients. A healthy cohort from the same area with a similar age range (n = 169) was used to calculate TL Z-scores. After hospital discharge, 144 COVID-19 survivors were followed-up for persistent COVID-19 manifestations. A second TL determination was performed in a smaller group of 63 patients 1 year later and compared with baseline TL. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients had a decreased baseline age-adjusted TL Z-score compared to the reference group. No differences in Z-scores were observed in patients with different COVID-19 outcomes, classified as WHO ordinal scores. In 144 patients, followed for a median of 8 months, post-COVID manifestations were not associated to differences in TL. Persistence of lung radiographic abnormalities was associated with shorter baseline TL. In patients with a second TL determination, further telomere shortening (TS) was observed in 35% and telomere lengthening in 49%. Patients with further TS had suffered a more severe disease. Conclusion Shorter TL is associated with COVID-19 hospitalization but not with hospital clinical outcomes nor with persistent post-COVID-19 manifestations. Delayed resolution of radiographic lung abnormalities was also associated with shorter TL.This work was supported by a research grant from FOREUM Foundation for Research in Rheumatology. Authors also received financial support from Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI19/01129, COV20/00181, and RICOR RD21/0002) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). MR.Peer reviewe

Desarrollo Económico de la Comarca de Cartagena 2016

El presente informe tiene la finalidad de servir como una herramienta de diagnóstico de la situación económica del tejido empresarial de la Comarca de Cartagena, promoviendo medidas que contribuyen al desarrollo estratégico de la Comarca. A partir del estudio y análisis del contexto socioeconómico sectorial que han realizado los investigadores especialistas en cada uno de los sectores de actividad, así como del análisis por parte de los paneles de expertos consultados, se incluye a continuación un estudio por sectores de actividad de las actuaciones que deberían considerarse para establecer las líneas estratégicas de contenido económico en la Comarca de Cartagena en los próximos años. Las políticas que permitan desarrollar dichas actuaciones asegurarán la competitividad de las pequeñas y medianas empresas en general y el adecuado progreso económico de la Comarca en particular. Los principales pilares de competitividad sobre los que deberían asentarse las actuaciones estratégicas para la comarca se han clasificado por sectores de actividad atendiendo a las infraestructuras, el conocimiento (formación y cualificación), el desarrollo de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, la innovación, la financiación y la eficiencia de las Administraciones Públicas. El informe se estructura en una primera aproximación a la situación macroeconómica de la Comarca en su contexto Regional y Nacional desde el punto de vista de la oferta y la demanda, así como un detalle prospectivo de la economía para los próximos meses. A continuación se detalla el análisis sectorial dividido en los sectores: turismo, comercio, industria, agroalimentación y tecnológico. Adicionalmente, se incluye un análisis y diagnóstico económicofinanciero a nivel microeconómico de las pymes de la Comarca. Por último, se incluyen a modo de resumen las principales conclusiones y recomendaciones derivadas del estudi

Ischemic stroke incidence in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (ISISCOG), Spain. A community-based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Spain, stroke is one of the major causes of death and the main cause of severe disability in people over 65 years. We analyzed the incidence of ischemic stroke, stroke subtypes, case fatality and disability at 90 days after the event in a Spanish population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective community-based register of ischemic strokes was established in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) [116,220 inhabitants of all ages, according to the municipal census of December 31,2001], from January 1 to December 31, 2003.</p> <p>Standard definitions and case finding methods were used to identify all cases in all age groups. Every patient underwent a complete clinical evaluation and systematic tests including neuroimaging (CT/MRI) and vascular studies (carotid duplex ultrasound intra and extracranial and MR angiography).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over a one year period, 196 ischemic strokes were registered [107 men; median age = 76 years (range 39–98)], being the first event in 159 patients (81.1%) and a recurrent stroke in 37 (18.9%). After age-adjustment to the European population, the incidence of ischemic stroke per 100,000 inhabitants was 172 (95% CI, 148–196); 219 (176–261) in men and 133 (105–160) in women, with an annual incidence for first ischemic stroke of 139 (118–161); 165 (128–201) in men and 115 (89–140) in women. The incidence of stroke increased with age.</p> <p>Stroke subtypes (TOAST classification criteria) were lacunar in 28.8%, atherothrombotic in 18.6%, cardioembolic in 26.6% and undetermined in 26.0% of patients. At 90 days, the case-fatality was 12%, and among survivors, moderate-to-severe disability was present in 45 % at 3 months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This prospective community-based study shows one of the lowest incidences of stroke in Europe, as well as one of the lowest case fatality and disability rates at 90 days after stroke.</p

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality