Self-assembly of physically crosslinked micelles of poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulphonic acid-co-isodecyl methacrylate)-copper(II) complexes

Metal complexes were prepared by the reaction of Cu(II) chloride with sodium salt of random copolymers of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid, AMPS, and isodecyl methacrylate, i-DMA. Composition was varied in the feed to obtain copolymers and their corresponding metal chelates with different content of i-DMA hydrophobic monomer. The copolymers and their metal chelates were characterized by Fourier transformed IR spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the polymers and their chelates were amorphous. Also, the stabilities of the copolymers and their metal chelates were investigated using thermal methods such as TGA and DSC analysis. Lower thermal stability was found for the polymer–metal complexes compared to that of the copolymers. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to further confirm the copolymers and their Cu(II) metal complexes self-aggregate in water. Critical micellar concentrations become lower by metal complexation. A synergistic effect in self-assembly behaviour in water solutions of Cu(II) polycomplexes is attributed to the interplay between hydrophilic–hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic forces with Cu²⁺ ions. Physical crosslinking of polymeric micelles obtained by metal complexation led to more stable micelles. Sodium salt copolymers led to secondary aggregation while ionic crosslinking provided lonely micelles distributed through the substrate as seen by SEM. These results point to a mechanism in which cation-assisted-polymer-modified water structure plays a central role in the phase separation behaviour.The authors would like to thank the Plan Nacional I+D+I (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia) for financial support (MAT2006-05979) as well as the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid for the funding through I+D Program (S0505/MAT-0227)

Synthesis and association properties in water solution of random copolymers of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid and isodecyl methacrylate—potential application as surfactants in micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration processes

Hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers have been prepared by copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and isodecyl methacrylate (iDMA) in N,N-dimethylformamide under nitrogen atmosphere, varying the composition feed. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to further confirm the copolymers self-aggregate in water. Critical concentration of the self-aggregate formation (CAC) decreased by increasing the molar fraction of iDMA in the AMPSco copolymers and varied between 1.20 and 0.04 g/L depending on the degree of hydrophobic modification. Hence, copolymer composition and charge density allowed tuning the pseudomicellar characteristics of these new amphiphilic copolymers. The addition of a salt or a low-molecular-weight surfactant was studied. Binding of CTAB to the AMPSco copolymers leads to a high decrease of CAC, i.e., 0.006 g/L. Effect of the composition in the viscosimetric behavior of the hydrophobically modified copolymers AMPSco was investigated. The removal of single metal ions, Cu²⁺, and m-cresol from aqueous solutions by ultrafiltration with the help of the copolymers was investigated. Equilibrium dialysis experiments demonstrate that the formation of hydrophobic microdomains can be used to control the sequestration of foulants, and thus these novel copolymers have potential application as polymeric surfactants in micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration processes for water purification

Ethics and Spanish journals of communication, education, and psychology: the publishers’ perception

El incremento de actividad en la publicación científica y su globalización están ocasionando una problemática relacionada con la ética de los procesos editoriales. Paralelamente, la presión que sufren los editores de revistas, motivada por los procesos de promoción académica y el contexto internacional de los autores, requieren una labor de aproximación consensuada en las formas de actuación ante los casos recurrentes de conductas poco éticas que se producen en la práctica. Este estudio tiene por objeto conocer la opinión de editores de revistas españolas de los ámbitos de Comunicación, Educación y Psicología sobre 16 tipos de mala praxis. Un 39,9% de los 203 editores encuestados respondieron al cuestionario online. Los datos permiten conocer el nivel de preocupación de los editores por aspectos éticos de la publicación científica: la frecuencia de cada mala praxis, la facilidad en su identificación, la gravedad percibida y su posible tendencia futura.The increased activity in scientific publishing and its globalization have led to a complex problem related to the ethics of the publishing process. At the same time, the pressure on journal publishers, due to academic promotion processes and the international background of authors, requires agreement on how to act against the recurrent cases of ethical misconduct that occur in practice. The aim of this study was to discover the opinion of Spanish journal publishers in the fields of Communication, Education and Psychology regarding 16 types of improper conduct. Of the 203 publishers surveyed, 39.9% answered the online survey. The quantitative data obtained provide an understanding of the publishers’ level of concern regarding ethical aspects of scientific publication: the frequency of misconduct, the ease of identifying it, its perceived gravity and possible future trends.Este estudio ha sido financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España, dentro del Plan Nacional de I+D+i (EDU2011-13034-E), acción complementaria: Observatorio de revistas científicas de ciencias sociales

Ethical principles of publishers in the Spanish scientific journals on Communication, Education and Psychology

La responsabilidad ética de los editores de las revistas científicas se alza como asunto capital que, sobre todo, se hace visible en los casos de publicaciones fraudulentas. Se presenta un estudio exploratorio sobre la opinión que los editores de revistas científicas españolas de Comunicación, Educación y Psicología tienen sobre estas cuestiones. Se aplicó una metodología cuantitativa con un cuestionario electrónico enviado a 203 editores, compuesto de 19 items. Se observa que los editores dan una importancia esencial al rigor de la tarea de revisión, sustentado por pares ciegos. La mayoría de editores se consideran autodidactas y plantean la necesidad de profesionalizar el proceso editorial.The ethical responsibility of the editors of scientific journals is a cardinal issue, particularly following a series of fraudulent publications. This article presents the results of an exploratory study on the opinion of editors of Spanish scientific journals in the fields of Communication, Education and Psychology on these matters. The design of this research stems from a quantitative methodology and uses an electronic questionnaire that was submitted to 203 editors and had 19 items. The editors attach a great importance to the rigor of the reviewing process, carried out by blind peers. Most of the editors label themselves as autodidacts and raise the need to professionalize the editorial process.Estudio financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España, dentro del Plan Nacional de I+D+i (EDU2011-13034-E), acción complementaria: Observatorio de revistas científicas de ciencias sociales

Bioremediation of naphthalene in water by Sphingomonas paucimobilis using new biodegradable surfactants based on poly (ɛ-caprolactone)

New amphiphilic block surfactants ABA based on a central segment of polycaprolactone with different molecular composition were evaluated in the bioremediation of naphthalene in water by Sphingomonas paucimobilis and compared with sodium dodecyl sulphate as reference surfactant (SDS). Also the biodegradation of the new surfactants by bacteria, S. paucimobilis and a mixture of bacteria (Pseudomonas aureginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus megaterium) was studied by indirect impedance technique and carbon dioxide determination. All the bacteria biodegraded in solution and micellar phase the central segment of PCL with mineralization rates in the range of 0.024–0.036 mg of CO₂ per day. S. paucimobilis biodegraded naphthalene in the presence of the new surfactants and GC analysis demonstrated that conversion to products started immediately after inoculum. In all the experiments, except for SDS, at 140 h of incubation time, the remaining naphthalene concentration was about 10% of the initial concentration. In contrast, the production of CO₂ was delayed 4–7 days and values around 75% of naphthalene mineralization degree were achieved in three weeks. The addition of PCL-surfactants, in solution and in micellar phase, not interfered in the naphthalene mineralization. These results have shown promising potential of these biodegradable PCL-surfactants in surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER) technology for removing residual organics from contaminated groundwater and soils.The authors would like to thank the Plan Nacional I + D + I (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología) for financial support (MAT2006-05979)

Uso de la evaluación realista para evaluar las respuestas de los equipos de atención primaria a la violencia del compañero íntimo en España

Objective: Few evaluations have assessed the factors triggering an adequate health care response to intimate partner violence. This article aimed to: 1) describe a realist evaluation carried out in Spain to ascertain why, how and under what circumstances primary health care teams respond to intimate partner violence, and 2) discuss the strengths and challenges of its application. Methods: We carried out a series of case studies in four steps. First, we developed an initial programme theory (PT1), based on interviews with managers. Second, we refined PT1 into PT2 by testing it in a primary healthcare team that was actively responding to violence. Third, we tested the refined PT2 by incorporating three other cases located in the same region. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and thick descriptions were produced and analysed using a retroduction approach. Fourth, we analysed a total of 15 cases, and identified combinations of contextual factors and mechanisms that triggered an adequate response to violence by using qualitative comparative analysis. Results: There were several key mechanisms —the teams’ self-efficacy, perceived preparation, women-centred care—, and contextual factors —an enabling team environment and managerial style, the presence of motivated professionals, the use of the protocol and accumulated experience in primary health care—that should be considered to develop adequate primary health-care responses to violence. Conclusion: The full application of this realist evaluation was demanding, but also well suited to explore a complex intervention reflecting the situation in natural settings.Objetivo: Hay pocas evaluaciones de los factores que generan una respuesta sanitaria adecuada a la violencia del compañero íntimo. Este artículo tiene como objetivo: 1) describir una evaluación realista para investigar por qué, en qué circunstancias y cómo los equipos de atención primaria en España responden a la violencia de pareja, y 2) discutir las fortalezas y los desafíos de su aplicación. Métodos: Se llevaron a cabo una serie de estudios de caso en cuatro pasos. Primero construimos una teoría del programa inicial (PT1), basada en entrevistas con profesionales del nivel gerencial. Segundo, refinamos la PT1 a PT2, a través del estudio de caso en un equipo de atención primaria que estaba respondiendo activamente a la violencia. Tercero, refinamos la PT2 incorporando al análisis otros tres casos situados en la misma región. Recogimos información cualitativa y cuantitativa, elaboramos descripciones extensas delos casos y los analizamos usando el enfoque de retroducción. Cuarto, analizamos 15 casos para identificarlas combinaciones de factores contextuales y mecanismos que desencadenaban una respuesta adecuada a la violencia, utilizando análisis cualitativo comparativo. Resultados: Hubo varios mecanismos clave –autoeficacia del equipo, preparación percibida, y atención centrada en las mujeres–, así como factores contextuales –ambiente de equipo y estilo de gestión, presencia de profesionales motivados, uso del protocolo y experiencia acumulada en atención primaria–,que deben considerarse para generar respuestas sanitarias adecuadas a la violencia. Conclusión: La aplicación de esta evaluación realista requirió tiempo, pero resultó apropiada para explorar una intervención compleja tal como se desarrolla en condiciones reales.This study has been funded through a COFAS grant (supported by COFUND action within the Marie Curie Action People, in the Seventh Framework programme and the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research/FAS-Forskningsradet för arbetsliv och socialvetenskap) through a competitive call

Developing a programme theory to explain how primary health care teams learn to respond to intimate partner violence: a realist case-study

Background: Despite the progress made on policies and programmes to strengthen primary health care teams’ response to Intimate Partner Violence, the literature shows that encounters between women exposed to IPV and health-care providers are not always satisfactory, and a number of barriers that prevent individual health-care providers from responding to IPV have been identified. We carried out a realist case study, for which we developed and tested a programme theory that seeks to explain how, why and under which circumstances a primary health care team in Spain learned to respond to IPV. Methods: A realist case study design was chosen to allow for an in-depth exploration of the linkages between context, intervention, mechanisms and outcomes as they happen in their natural setting. The first author collected data at the primary health care center La Virgen (pseudonym) through the review of documents, observation and interviews with health systems’ managers, team members, women patients, and members of external services. The quality of the IPV case management was assessed with the PREMIS tool. Results: This study found that the health care team at La Virgen has managed 1) to engage a number of staff members in actively responding to IPV, 2) to establish good coordination, mutual support and continuous learning processes related to IPV, 3) to establish adequate internal referrals within La Virgen, and 4) to establish good coordination and referral systems with other services. Team and individual level factors have triggered the capacity and interest in creating spaces for team leaning, team work and therapeutic responses to IPV in La Virgen, although individual motivation strongly affected this mechanism. Regional interventions did not trigger individual and/ or team responses but legitimated the workings of motivated professionals. Conclusions: The primary health care team of La Virgen is involved in a continuous learning process, even as participation in the process varies between professionals. This process has been supported, but not caused, by a favourable policy for integration of a health care response to IPV. Specific contextual factors of La Virgen facilitated the uptake of the policy. To some extent, the performance of La Virgen has the potential to shape the IPV learning processes of other primary health care teams in Murcia.This study protocol has been funded through a COFAS grant (supported by COFUND action within the Marie Curie Action People, in the Seventh Framework programme and the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research/FAS-Forskningsradet för arbetsliv och socialvetenskap) through a competitive call. This work was partly supported by the Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, funded by FAS, the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (Grant no. 2006-1512)

Revisión de la producción científica sobre webquest en los últimos 20 años: análisis bibliométrico en scopus y web of science

Tras la primera formulación en 1995 sobre qué es una Web Quest ¿cuál es el estado de su desarrollo en el campo de la educación? Esta pregunta exige muchas miradas y respuestas. Este trabajo busca ser parte de esta evaluación poniendo en evidencia el desarrollo de la producción científica sobre WebQuest en las dos principales bases de datos científicas: WOS (Web of Science) y Scopus desde su formulación hasta la actualidad (1995-2014). El método es el análisis bibliométrico en base a las siguientes variables: número de artículos publicados, número de citas recibidas, principales revistas citantes, promedio de citas por año, nombre y país de los autores más citados y palabras clave. Se ha procedido a la identificación del perfil y las características de las publicaciones científicas que lo tratan, sobre la conclusión de una evidente dispersión y atomización de resultados, destacando la existencia de una significativa comunidad científica sobre Webquest en Españ

Hierarchically organized micellization of thermoresponsive rod-coil copolymers based on poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate] and poly(ε-caprolactone)

A series of amphiphilic triblock copolymers, poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]x-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]x, POEGMACo(x), were synthesized. Formation of hydrophobic domains as cores of the micelles was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. The critical micelle concentrations in aqueous solution were found to be in the range of circa 10⁻⁶ M. A novel methodology by modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry was developed to determine critical micelle temperature. A significant concentration dependence of cmt was found. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed a bidispersed size distribution. The micelles showed reversible dispersion/aggregation in response to temperature cycles with lower critical solution temperature between 75 and 85 °C. The interplay of the two hydrophobic and one thermoresponsive macromolecular chains offers the chance to more complex morphologies.The authors are indebted to Francesç Catala, from Mettler-Toledo, for valuable discussions. The authors are grateful to LABMET, TEM Laboratory associated to the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid network and Mr. J. González-Casablanca for his cooperation with the TEM images. The authors would like to thank the Plan Nacional IþDþI (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación) for financial support (MAT2009-09671) as well as the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid for the funding through IþD Program (S0505/MAT-0227)

Morphological variation in a secondary contact between divergent lineages of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from the Iberian Peninsula

The aim of this study was to analyze the morphological variation of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in the Duero basin, an Atlantic river basin in the Iberian Peninsula, where a spatial segregation of two divergent lineages was previously reported, based on isozyme, microsatellite and mtDNA data. In these studies, two divergent pure regions (Pisuerga and Lower-course) and several hybrid populations between them were identified. Morphological variation was evaluated in 11 populations representative of the genetic differentiation previously observed in the Duero basin, using multivariate analysis on 12 morphometric and 4 meristic traits. A large differentiation between populations was observed (interpopulation component of variance: 41.8%), similar to that previously detected with allozymes and microsatellites. Morphometric differentiation was also reflected by the high classification success of pure and hybrid individuals to their respective populations, using multivariate discriminant functions (94.1% and 79.0%, respectively). All multivariate and clustering analyses performed demonstrated a strong differentiation between the pure regions. The hybrid populations, though showing large differentiation among them, evidenced an intermediate position between the pure samples. Head and body shape traits were the most discriminant among the morphometric characters, while pectoral rays and gillrakers were the most discriminant among the meristic traits. These results confirmed the high divergence of the brown trout from the Duero basin and suggest some traits on which selection could be acting to explain the spatial segregation observed.This study was supported by a Spanish Government grant (REN2001-3051) and by a contract with the Castilla-León Government (SC-132/02)S