Unravelling the mechanism of axonal degeneration in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia type 7

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease which affects mainly the upper motor neuron axons in the corticospinal tract. Due to mutations in any of the more than 80 genes that are known to cause the disease, these long axons get compromised and undergo a dying-back phenomenon, whereby the axonal distal part degenerates while the soma maintains its integrity. Mutations in SPG7 are among the most common causes of autosomal recessive HSP, yet the mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis are still not clear. SPG7 encodes for paraplegin, a protein that assembles in mouse with AFG3L2 and AFG3L1 to build up the m-AAA protease in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. These ATP-dependent proteases constitute a quality control system that ensures organellar homeostasis by degrading misfolded or damaged proteins and by processing specific substrates. In this thesis I aimed to decipher the function of paraplegin within the CNS and shed light on the mechanisms that lead to axonal degeneration in HSP. In order to investigate this, a new mouse model lacking both paraplegin and AFG3L1 was generated (DKO model). This model recapitulates closely the human SGP7-HSP condition, as it displayed early motor deficits, abnormal mitochondria in anterior spinal cord tracts, cerebellar axonal fibers and cerebellar granule cells, and a prominent axonal degeneration at 28 weeks of age. The ER compartment appeared also altered, in form of transverse, swollen structures in spinal cord tracts. Both astroglia and microglia displayed a reactive morphology in the affected areas indicating a contribution of neuroinflammation to the SPG7 pathology. Proteomic analysis at 16 weeks revealed the accumulation of certain inner-membrane mitochondrial proteins, such as UQCC2, suggesting a potential role of the paraplegin/AFG3L1 m-AAA proteases in their processing. Moreover, metabolite analysis revealed an increase of cADPR and a dysregulated NAD+/NADH ratio upon paraplegin/AFG3L1 loss. Indeed, deletion of the NADase SARM1 partially rescued the in vivo DKO phenotype, improving early weight and motor impairments up to 32 weeks of age. As opposed to most evidence, SARM1 absence did not improve the abnormal mitochondria nor the axonal degeneration observed in DKO spinal cord. However, it restored the mitochondrial phenotype of the granule cells and the loss of parallel fibers in the cerebellum. Proteomic analyses at 28 weeks revealed an alteration of a great amount of OXPHOS subunits and protein import components, as well as an alteration of the actin cytoskeleton, cell adhesion and synaptic transmission in DKO tissue. Interestingly, these protein changes were either not observed or showed an opposite direction in absence of SARM1. Moreover, this study reveals tissue-specific differences within the CNS of both paraplegin/AFG3L1 complexes and SARM1. The loss of SARM1 in absence of damage rewired the cellular proteome, particularly in the cerebellum, where proteomic analysis showed a substantial amount of OXPHOS subunits altered as well as proteins involved in cell adhesion, the immune system and neuronal morphogenesis

¿Qué atributos deben fomentarse desde la educación científico-matemática para la ciudadanía del siglo XXI?

Actualmente, los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje tienen como finalidad el desarrollo de las competencias clave. Para ello, es necesario tener una educación científico-matemática de calidad, que fomente la capacidad de tomar decisiones ante los problemas de la vida cotidiana, que permita desarrollar la autonomía del individuo desde tres perspectivas: intelectual, moral y social. En este trabajo se presenta una primera aproximación de un modelo de indicadores que permitirán la construcción de un instrumento para identificar si en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje de matemáticas y ciencias, se fomentan la adquisición de estas autonomías, y por tanto, gozan de un enfoque formativo. Para cada una de las autonomías se definieron los atributos que las caracterizan, y que fueron identificados a partir de un análisis cualitativo del currículo de Educación Secundaria, y de una exploración cualitativa de una selección bibliográfica. Los resultados de este análisis ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de impulsar la adquisición de atributos como ser personas observadoras, predictivas, críticas-reflexivas, entre otros, que permitan realizar acciones relacionadas con las prácticas científicas de modelización, indagación y argumentación. También, se desprenden otros más relacionados con habilidades y destrezas sociales y morales, como ser personas respetuosas, empáticas, conscientes de la igualdad de género, entre otros.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Mobile robot guidance

Assistive robotics is an increasingly growing field that has many applications. In an assisted living setting, there may be instances in which patients experience compromised mobility, and are therefore left either temporarily or permanently restricted to wheelchairs or beds. The utilization of assistive robotics in these settings could revolutionize treatment for immobile individuals by promoting effective patient-environment interaction and increase the independence and overall morale of affected individuals.Currently, there are two primary classes of assistive robots: service robots, and social robots. Service robots assist with tasks that individuals would normally complete themselves, but are unable to complete due to impairment or temporary restriction. Assistive social robots include companion robots, which stimulate mental activity and, intellectually engages its users. Current service robots may have depth sensors and visual recognition software integrated into one self-contained unit. The depth sensors are used for obstacle avoidance. Vision systems may be used for many applications including obstacle avoidance, gesture recognition, or object recognition. Gestures may be used by the unit as commands to move in the indicated direction.Assistive mobile robots have included devices such as laser pointers or vision systems to determine a user's object of interest and where it is located. Others have used video cameras for gesture recognition as stated above. Approaches to mobile robot guidance involving these devices may be difficult for individuals with impaired manual dexterity to use. If the individual is immobile, it would be difficult to operate the mentioned devices.The objective of this research was to integrate a method that allowed the user to command a robotic agent to traverse to an object of interest by utilizing eye gaze. This approach allowed the individual to command the robot with eyesight through the use of a head-worn gaze tracking device. Once the object was recognized, the robot was given the coordinates retrieved from the gaze tracker. The unit then proceeded to the object of interest by utilizing multiple sensors to avoid obstacles.In this research, the participant was asked to don an eye gaze tracker head worn device. The device gathered multiple points in the x, y, and z coordinate planes. MATLAB was used to determine the accuracy of the collected data, as well as the means to determine a set of x, y, and z coordinates needed as input for the mobile robot. After analyzing the results, it was determined that the eye gaze tracker could provide x and y coordinates that could be utilized as inputs for the mobile robot to get the object of interest. The z coordinate was determined to be unreliable as it would either be too short or overshoot from the object of interest

El daño moral en el despido injustificado en el Perú

En la legislación laboral en el Perú, no existe norma expresa que le otorgue al trabajador la posibilidad de reclamar una indemnización por concepto de daño moral en un proceso laboral, dado el caso de que hubiese sido despedido de forma injustificada por parte del patrono. Sin embargo, ello no significa que dicho daño no pueda generarse. Las normas laborales y la Constitución Política del Estado Peruano, regulan en mayor parte todo lo concerniente a las relaciones de trabajo. Pero debe recalcarse que la relación laboral es cambiante y dinámica, difícilmente se mantiene estática por varios años. Por ende, las normas, muchas veces, si bien fueron creadas para regular una situación determinada bajo un contexto también determinado, no se siempre se adecuan a la realidad en que se vive. La figura del daño moral en sede laboral ha sido uno de esos casos, ya que, actualmente, su aplicación ha generado una gran discusión, tanto doctrinal como judicial, Ya que Los recientes pronunciamientos emitidos por la Corte Suprema sobre el pago de una indemnización por daño moral derivado de un despido injustificado o arbitrario, ha causado alarma en el sector empresarial. Sin duda alguna, esto no resulta ser atractivo tanto para incentivar a la inversión privada.Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesiona

Las tics en la enseñanza universitaria : blogs digitales

This study is an innovative educational experience to analyse to what extent the use of blogs contributes to the acquisition of specific skills of a subject in Early Childhood Education Degree, and assess the level of learning that students considered achieved. A quantitative methodological approach based on the analysis of a closed questionnaire and on assessment rubric was used. The results allowed to verify that the use of blogs in the university is very useful to promote the active role of the student through a critical, reflective and collaborative learning, which allows you to get a high level of professional skills acquisition. Keywords: Blogs, collaborative learning, higher education, educational innovation, web technologies 2.0

Viviendas colectivas: Una herramienta para la cohesión social y el reconocimiento del patrimonio cultural y natural de Villa de Leyva

Artículo de InvestigaciónEn la actualidad Villa de Leyva es reconocido por su patrimonio arquitectónico y su atractivo ambiente rural. Sin embargo, esto mismo ha generado problemas como crecimiento disperso y la sub urbanización de zonas productivas para el campo, que ponen en conflicto conflicto los aspectos socioeconómicos y ambientales del municipio. Por ello proyectar el crecimiento responsable del municipio implicó planificar viviendas colectivas que sean coherentes con la conservación natural y cultural, implementado variedad de usos que respondan a estas necesidades y aquellas que requieran los usuarios de las unidades habitacionales.1. INTRODUCCIÓN 2. METODOLOGÍA 3. RESULTADOS 4. DISCUSIONES 5. CONCLUSIONES REFERENCIAS ANEXOSPregradoArquitect

¿Utilizaría el profesorado de primaria en formación inicial la perspectiva STEM para trabajar cuestiones de género en el aula de ciencias?

La educación científica debe adoptar un enfoque de enseñanza que sea a su vez interdisciplinar y social-formativo desde una perspectiva de género. Este hecho exige que se dé formación inicial al futuro profesorado en este sentido. En el trabajo que aquí se presenta, y como paso inicial para el diseño de una intervención didáctica, se ha indagado sobre las creencias iniciales de futuro profesorado de Educación Primaria en torno a incorporar o no la perspectiva de género en el aula de ciencias, y sobre las estrategias que utilizarían para fomentar este enfoque en el aula. El análisis de datos cualitativo a dos preguntas abiertas muestra cómo el futuro profesorado en formación inicial posee muy poca conciencia acerca de la importancia en la enseñanza de las ciencias de adoptar un enfoque social desde la perspectiva de género, y un gran desconocimiento en cuanto a las estrategias a utilizar para implementar dicho enfoque.Este trabajo forma parte del proyecto “Desarrollando competencias profesionales docentes mediante el estudio de mujeres científicas a través del aula invertida.” (PIE17-026) financiado por la Universidad de Málaga en la convocatoria de 2017-2019. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Evolución de conocimientos sobre el concepto de ecosistema en maestros de Primaria en formación inicial a través de la indagación

En este trabajo hemos analizado las concepciones de futuros maestros de Educación Primaria sobre el concepto de ecosistema y la evolución que éstas experimentan cuando realizan actividades de diseño y desarrollo de procesos de indagación. El estudio pone de manifiesto que este tipo de actividades favorece la progresión de conocimientos relacionados con distintos aspectos del concepto de ecosistema. Especialmente, los resultados muestran una evolución positiva en el reconocimiento del rol del ser humano dentro del ecosistema, mientras que se manifiestan dificultades de progreso en aspectos como la identificación de especies en el ecositema acuático y la discriminación entre componentes bióticos y abióticos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Factors to consider from education to promote an image of science and technology with a gender perspective

The image of science influences on the decision of girls when opting for studies related to STEM disciplines, since in many cases they are perceived as masculine, due to the image promoted from different areas of society, including the education system. Consequently, women do not feel identified with these disciplines, and prejudices and beliefs are generated that promote the well-known gender gap that exists in these areas. Therefore, this article sets out the considerations to be taken into account from science and technology education to avoid showing an image of science as individual, stereotyped and elitist, among other aspects, and, ultimately, to promote an image of science and technology with a gender perspective. It is necessary to transform curricular content and teacher training following these considerations, so that students perceive a realistic image of science and technology. This will have a positive influence by minimising the Pygmalion effect that occurs in girls and helping to combat social inequality that generates the under-representation of women in scientific-technological fields.This work was supported by Ministery of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain Goverment [PGC2018-094114-A-I00]. // Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Research and Development of Environmental Awareness about Water in Primary Education Students through Their Drawings

Drinking water is a scarce resource and the problems associated with its poor management and conservation are generating significant imbalances in the well-being of society, human health, and the environment. This research paper aims to determine the level of environmental awareness of primary school students in Spain (n = 95) of the management, use, and sustainable care of water, before and after applying a training program that allows working on the contents of water, from the different dimensions and shortcomings of environmental awareness identified in the paper. The study was undertaken from a mixed Research and Development approach (R&D), with an exploratory sequential design [QUAL(quan) → QUAL(quan)], in which, initially, a qualitative content analysis of the students’ drawings was carried out, to subsequently apply a number of complementary quantitative analyses. The qualitative phase involved the elaboration of a mixed category (deductive-inductive) system that allowed for the organization and interpretation of the information obtained. The results of this work reveal low levels of knowledge about the integral water cycle. Primary school students also show a low degree of responsibility towards water issues. The conclusions of this study point to the need to address content related to water care and conservation in the educational curriculum from a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach, in order to understand the origin and impact of water problems.Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag