The Learning of the subject Biology in a Master in Biomedical Physics

BIOLOGY is a dynamic and fascinating science. The study of this subject is an amazing trip for all the students that have a first contact with this subject. Here, we present the development of the study and learning experience of this subject belonging to an area of knowledge that is different to the training curriculum of students who have studied Physics during their degree period. We have taken a real example, the “Elements of Biology” subject, which is taught as part of the Official Biomedical Physics Master, at the Physics Faculty, of the Complutense University of Madrid, since the course 2006/07. Its main objective is to give to the student an understanding how the Physics can have numerous applications in the Biomedical Sciences area, giving the basic training to develop a professional, academic or research career. The results obtained when we use new virtual tools combined with the classical learning show that there is a clear increase in the number of persons that take and pass the final exam. On the other hand, this new learning strategy is well received by the students and this is translated to a higher participation and a decrease of the giving the subject u

Experimental and analytical study of cracks under biaxial fatigue

Most mechanical components experience multi-axial cyclic loading conditions during service. Experimental analysis of fatigue cracks under such conditions is not easy and most works tend to focus more on the simpler but less realistic case of uni-axial loading. Consequently, there are many uncertainties related to the load sequence effect that are now well known and are not normally incorporated into the growth models. The current work presents a new methodology for evaluating overload effect in biaxial fatigue cracks. The methodology includes evaluation of mixed-mode (KI and KII) stress intensity factor and the Crack Opening Displacement for samples with and without overload cycle under biaxial loading. The methodology is tested under a range of crack lengths. All crack-tip information is obtained with a hybrid methodology that combines experimental full-field digital image correlation data and Williams' elastic model describing the crack-tip field.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Revisión sistemática utilidad de asa y calcio con o sin vitamina d en la prevención de cáncer colorrectal y la recurrencia de pólipos adenomatosos en paciente con riesgo de padecer esta patología

Introducción: El cáncer colorrectal es una patología con alto impacto en la salud pública, debido a su prevalencia, incidencia, severidad, costo e impacto en la salud mental y física del individuo y la familia. Ensayos clínicos realizados en pacientes con antecedente de infarto al miocardio que consumían ácido acetil salicílico (asa), calcio con y sin vitamina D, mostraron asociación entre el consumo de estos medicamentos y disminución en la incidencia en cáncer colorrectal y pólipos adenomatosos. Objetivo: Evaluar la literatura sobre el uso de asa, calcio con y sin vitamina D con relación a su impacto en la prevención del cáncer colorrectal y pólipos adenomatosos. Métodos: Se realizó revisión sistemática buscando ensayos clínicos realizados en pacientes con factores de riesgo para cáncer colorrectal y pólipos adenomatosos que usaron asa, calcio con y sin vitamina D fueron incluidos. Resultados: se escogieron 105 para la revisión sistemática. Conclusiones: Es necesario desarrollar más estudios que lleven a evaluar el efecto protector de la aspirina, calcio y vitamina D. En los artículos revisados la aspirina a dosis de 81 a 325 mg día se correlaciona con reducción de riesgo de aparición de CRC aunque la dosis ideal, el tiempo de inicio y la duración de la ingesta continua no son claros. Hacen falta estudios que comparen poblaciones con ingesta de asa a diferentes dosis.Introduction: Colorectal cancer is a disease with high impact on public health, because of its prevalence, incidence, severity, cost and impact on mental and physical health of the individual and the family. Clinical trials in patients with a history of myocardial infarction who consumed acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), calcium with vitamin D without showed association between consumption of these drugs and decreased incidence in colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. Objective: To evaluate the literature on the use of ASA, calcium and vitamin D without regard to their impact on the prevention of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. Methods: A systematic review was conducted clinical trials looking at different databases in patients with risk factors for colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps that used asa, calcium and vitamin D were included. Exclusion criteria: were excluded from studies in people who have had colorectal cancer, Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, animal studies. literature was included from 1990 onwards. Results: After entering the terms Mesh and Desc, the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, qualify literature and eliminate duplicates, 105 were selected for the systematic review. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop more studies leading to evaluate the protective effect of aspirin, calcium and vitamin D. In the revised aspirin at doses of 81-325 mg daily items correlates with reduced risk of CRC although the dose ideal start time and duration of continuous intake are unclear. Studies are needed to compare populations with intake asa at different doses

Some experimental observations of crack-tip mechanics with displacement data

Estudio de la mecánica en el vértice de la grieta mediante datos de desplazamiento.In the past two decades, crack-tip mechanics has been increasingly studied with full-field techniques. Within these techniques, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) has been most widely used due to its many advantages, to extract important crack-tip information, including Stress Intensity Factor (SIF), Crack Opening Displacement, J-integral, T-stress, closure level, plastic zone size, etc. However, little information is given in the literature about the experimental setup that provides best estimations for the different parameters. The current work aims at understanding how the experimental conditions used in DIC influence the crack-tip information extracted experimentally. The influence of parameters such as magnification factor, size of the images, position of the images with respect the crack-tip and size of the subset used in the correlation is studied. The influence is studied in terms of SIF and T-stress by using Williams’ model. The concept of determination of the K-dominance zone from experimental data has also explored. In this regard, cyclic loading on a fatigue crack in a compact tension (CT) specimen, made of aluminium 2024-T351 alloy, has been applied and the surface deformation ahead of the crack tip has been examined. The comparison between theoretical and experimental values of KI showed that the effect of subset size on the measured KI is negligible compared to the effect of size of the image.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Substellar Objects in Nearby Young Clusters (SONYC) VIII: Substellar population in Lupus 3

SONYC -- Substellar Objects in Nearby Young Clusters -- is a survey program to investigate the frequency and properties of substellar objects in nearby star-forming regions. We present a new imaging and spectroscopic survey conducted in the young (~1 Myr), nearby (~200 pc) star-forming region Lupus 3. Deep optical and near-infrared images were obtained with MOSAIC-II and NEWFIRM at the CTIO-4m telescope, covering ~1.4 sqdeg on the sky. The i-band completeness limit of 20.3 mag is equivalent to 0.009-0.02 MSun, for Av \leq 5. Photometry and 11-12 yr baseline proper motions were used to select candidate low-mass members of Lupus 3. We performed spectroscopic follow-up of 123 candidates, using VIMOS at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and identify 7 probable members, among which 4 have spectral type later than M6.0 and Teff \leq 3000K, i.e. are probably substellar in nature. Two of the new probable members of Lupus 3 appear underluminous for their spectral class and exhibit emission line spectrum with strong Halpha or forbidden lines associated with active accretion. We derive a relation between the spectral type and effective temperature: Teff=(4120 +- 175) - (172 +- 26) x SpT, where SpT refers to the M spectral subtype between 1 and 9. Combining our results with the previous works on Lupus 3, we show that the spectral type distribution is consistent with that in other star forming regions, as well as is the derived star-to-BD ratio of 2.0-3.3. We compile a census of all spectroscopically confirmed low-mass members with spectral type M0 or later.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Journa

Análisis bioinformático de la secuencia del genoma de Rhizobium leguminosarum: identificación de sistemas génicos implicados en el transporte de metales

La asociación Rhizobium-leguminosa constituye una de las interacciones plantamicroorganismo más especÍficas y beneficiosas a nivel medioambiental debido a su capacidad promotora del crecimiento vegetal en condiciones de deficiencia de nitrógeno. Se sabe que la resistencia a las condiciones de stress del suelo es un factor clave para la competitividad y desarrollo de eficientes interacciones diazotróficas en bacterias endosimbióticas de leguminosas. La presencia de metales pesados en el suelo es una de estas condiciones de stress que más afecta a la eficiencia de la fijación de nitrógeno. Actualmente, se dispone de escasa información sobre los sistemas implicados en resistencia a metales pesados en estas bacterias. En este trabajo se ha analizado experimentalmente los niveles de resistencia a metales, como níquel y cobalto, en la colección de cepas de R. leguminosarum existente en el laboratorio y se ha realizado un estudio bioinformático de la secuencia del genoma de la bacteria endosimbiótica de leguminosas 3841 de Rhizobium leguminosarum con objeto de identificar sistemas génicos potencialmente implicados en el transporte y resistencia a metales pesado

THE VOICE AND THE SONG FRO A GLOBAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH INPRIMARY EDUCATION

Through the voice and song we can find the right tools to work in an interdisciplinary, globalized and changing learning environment. This approach is about creating new strategies for working with different competencies required in the acquisition of knowledge, promoting active and collaborative methodologies and in consideration of diversity. During this process students involved Teacher Education and teachers from different knowledge areas of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). The song will apply its power to stimulate emotions, develop sensitivity, memory and imagination. Our principal objective is to use the voice and the song as an interdisciplinary tool for students taking a Master Degree in Primary Education (6-12 years) in the acquisition of different competencies. The results take into consideration the potential lack of a musical background that students may have, an emphasis has been placed on the selection of the material used and the change in attitude of participants during the process, in assessing the experience positively

Corporate social responsibility in emerging markets:case studies of Spanish MNCs in Latin America

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in emerging markets (EMs) from developed countries-based multinational companies (MNCs). Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on eight case studies with data collected through in-depth interviews with senior managers of the companies representing 85 per cent of the Spanish foreign investments in Latin America. Findings – The findings tend to indicate that instrumental theories of CSR seem to apply for Western MNCs operating in EMs. CSR initiatives from these companies seem to be guided by instrumental theories, as they use these initiatives as a strategic tool to achieve economic objectives, seek a positive relation between them and their financial performance and use them to strengthen their reputation. Research limitations/implications – The results of this article resulted from an in-depth analysis of case studies with data collected from a carefully selected theoretical sample with data analysed by following well-established methods like coding, triangulation and pattern matching. This combination was designed to minimise possible concerns in these areas, and as a consequence to strengthen the research design and, therefore, the conclusions of the paper. Measures were taken to minimise possible concerns in this area. The companies were selected for theoretical, not statistical, reasons with the aim to replicate or extend emergent theories, which is one of the main objectives of the research. Practical implications – Companies are using CSR in EMs as a strategic tool to achieve economic objectives (the main principle behind instrumental theories). MNCs seek a positive relation between CSR initiatives in EMs and their financial performance (also a key principle within instrumental theories). Companies in the sample develop CSR initiatives, including those in EMs, to increase their legitimacy as part of their global reputation rather to deal with host country challenges. Finally, MNCs actively manage stakeholders to strengthen their local reputation as a means to improve financial performance. Social implications – Instrumental theories of CSR seem to apply for Western MNCs operating in EMs. These findings highlight the need to continue the study of CSR from Western MNCs in Ems, as the vast majority of academic literature relates to the characteristics of social responsibility initiatives in developed economies. Originality/value – Instrumental theories apply in a global market for MNCs; in this case, Spanish companies operating in more than 30 countries with a global strategy in CSR and similar objectives. </jats:sec

Situacion de los estudiantes de la Diversidad Sexual y la Percepcion que se tiene de la comunidad universitaria de la carrrera Trabajo Social, turno Matutino UNAN-FAREM Matagalpa, I

La experiencia de investigación que aquí se presenta está orientada específicamente a la situación de la diversidad sexual y la percepción de la comunidad universitaria. El estudio se llevó a cabo en la FAREM Matagalpa, durante el primer semestre del año 2017 con el objetivo de analizar la situación de la diversidad sexual y la percepción de la comunidad universitaria. Se realizó a partir de un enfoque metodológico cualitativo, con técnicas de recolección de información como las entrevistas a profundidad y grupos focales, la información obtenida se analizó en función de los objetivos formulados y según su naturaleza cualitativa, haciendo procedimientos para el análisis de los mismos. Los análisis fueron sustentados por los relatos de los y las estudiantes muestra, estudiantes compañeros de clase y docentes de los mismos, dado que la diversidad sexual está influenciada por mitos, prejuicios así como estereotipos que la misma sociedad impone hacia las personas de la diversidad sexual. El estudio demostró que los estudiantes de la diversidad sexual necesitan más apoyo, y que el resto de la comunidad universitaria requiere de más información sobre el tema, puesto que en algunas de las respuestas de entrevistas aportaban que hacía falta información por parte de la universidad. Finalmente se concluye que la comunidad universitaria debe brindar el apoyo necesario e información a estudiantes sobre diversidad sexual, para mejorar y lograr la aceptación de la comunidad LGBT, para que estos se encuentren seguros y puedan relacionarse libremente en su entorno social Palabras claves: Estudiantes, diversidad sexual, percepción, comunidad universitari