Critical Assessment of the World Wide Web as an Information Resource in Higher Education: Benefits, Threats and Recommendations

Lozano-Nieto, A.; Guijarro Estelles, E.; Berjano, E. (2006). Critical Assessment of the World Wide Web as an Information Resource in Higher Education: Benefits, Threats and Recommendations. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT). 2(1):22-28. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/134322S22282

Quadrotor multibody modelling by vehiclesim: adaptive technique for oscillations in a PVA control system

The work presented here covers the detailed modelling and trajectory control for an elastic bladed quadrotor vehicle. The benefits of using VehicleSim modelling software are also discussed. The authors present a full elastic structural and dynamical model as well as two different aerodynamic models. These two aerodynamic models differ from each other on their level of complexity and therefore, accuracy. The control methodology employed to stabilize and guide the vehicle is PVA (ProportionalVelocity-Acceleration), derived and implemented by using Simulink. As it will be shown, it stabilises and provides satisfactory quadrotor trajectory tracking. Since the control methodology feeds back the acceleration of the vehicle, and this acceleration has an oscillating nature, an adaptive process has been designed and introduced into the vehicle’s model in order to avoid the oscillations’ transmission to the control system, showing how it reduces the amplitude of the control actions oscillations. Results of simulations and discussion on them are also provided at the end of this article

Study of the correlation between columnar aerosol burden, suspended matter at ground and chemical components in a background European environment

Although routinely monitored by ground based air quality networks, the particulate matter distribution could be eventually better described with remote sensing techniques. However, valid relationships between ground level and columnar ground based quantities should be known beforehand. In this study we have performed a comparison between particulate matter measurements at ground level at different cut sizes (10, 2.5 and 1.0 mm), and the aerosol optical depth obtained by means of a ground based sunphotometer during a multiinstrumental field campaign held in El Arenosillo (Huelva, Spain) from 28 June to 4 July 2006. All the PM fractions were very well correlated with AOD with correlation coefficients that ranged from 0.71 to 0.81 for PM10, PM2.5 and PM1. Furthermore, the influence of the mixing layer height in the correlations was explored. The improvement in the correlation when the vertical distribution is taken into account was significant for days with a homogeneous mixing layer. Moreover, the chemical analysis of the individual size fractions allowed us to study the origin of the particulate matter. Secondary components were the most abundant and also well correlated in the three size fractions; but for PM10 fraction, chemical species related to marine origin were best correlated. Finally, we obtained a relationship between MODIS L3 AOD from collection 5.1 and the three PM cut sizes. In spite of being a relatively clean environment, all the techniques were able to capture similar day to day variations during this field campaign.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

RNA localization is a key determinant of neurite-enriched proteome

Protein subcellular localization is fundamental to the establishment of the body axis, cell migration, synaptic plasticity, and a vast range of other biological processes. Protein localization occurs through three mechanisms: protein transport, mRNA localization, and local translation. However, the relative contribution of each process to neuronal polarity remains unknown. Using neurons differentiated from mouse embryonic stem cells, we analyze protein and RNA expression and translation rates in isolated cell bodies and neurites genome-wide. We quantify 7323 proteins and the entire transcriptome, and identify hundreds of neurite-localized proteins and locally translated mRNAs. Our results demonstrate that mRNA localization is the primary mechanism for protein localization in neurites that may account for half of the neurite-localized proteome. Moreover, we identify multiple neurite-targeted non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins with potential regulatory roles. These results provide further insight into the mechanisms underlying the establishment of neuronal polarity. Subcellular localization of RNAs and proteins is important for polarized cells such as neurons. Here the authors differentiate mouse embryonic stem cells into neurons, and analyze the local transcriptome, proteome, and translated transcriptome in their cell bodies and neurites, providing a unique resource for future studies on neuronal polarity

Agglomerations and firm performance: who benefits and how much?

[EN] Agglomerations and firm performance: who benefits and how much? Regional Studies. Agglomeration can generate gains. If it does, how does it work and how are those gains distributed across agglomerated firms? The paper examines the effect of localization externalities on innovation. Localization externalities are measured as industry specialization or a firm s colocation in a relatively high own-industry employment region. By analyzing a large dataset of 6697 firms integrated with another regional agglomeration-related dataset, results show that (1) co-location in an agglomeration has a positive influence on a firm s innovative performance; and (2) firms benefit heterogeneously from agglomerations, with benefits being distributed asymmetrically. Agglomeration gains exist but not all firms benefit equally.Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economics, Industry and Competitiveness [research grant ECO:2015-63645-R] (Mineco/Feder), Open Innovation in Clusters.Hervás Oliver, JL.; Sempere-Ripoll, F.; Rojas Alvarado, RJ.; Estelles Miguel, S. (2018). Agglomerations and firm performance: who benefits and how much?. Regional Studies. 52(3):338-349. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2017.1297895S33834952

Intercomparison of spectroradiometers and Sun photometers for the determination of the aerosol optical depth during the VELETA-2002 field campaign

[ 1] In July 2002 the VELETA-2002 field campaign was held in Sierra Nevada ( Granada) in the south of Spain. The main objectives of this field campaign were the study of the influence of elevation and atmospheric aerosols on measured UV radiation. In the first stage of the field campaign, a common calibration and intercomparison between Licor-1800 spectroradiometers and Cimel-318 Sun photometers was performed in order to assess the quality of the measurements from the whole campaign. The intercomparison of the Licor spectroradiometers showed, for both direct and global irradiances, that when the comparisons were restricted to the visible part of the spectrum the deviations were within the instruments' nominal accuracies which allows us to rely on these instruments for measuring physical properties of aerosols at the different measurement stations. A simultaneous calibration on AOD data was performed for the Cimel-318 Sun photometers. When a common calibration and methodology was applied, the deviation was lowered to much less than 0.01 for AOD. At the same time an intercomparison has been made between the AOD values given by the spectroradiometers and the Sun photometers, with deviations obtained from 0.01 to 0.03 for the AOD in the visible range, depending on the channel. In the UVA range, the AOD uncertainty was estimated to be around 0.02 and 0.05 for Cimel and Licor respectively. In general the experimental differences were in agreement with this uncertainty estimation. In the UVB range the AOD measurements should not be used due to maximum instrumental uncertainties

Monoclonal anti-β1-adrenergic receptor antibodies activate G protein signaling in the absence of β-arrestin recruitment

Thermostabilized G protein-coupled receptors used as antigens for in vivo immunization have resulted in the generation of functional agonistic anti-β1-adrenergic (β1AR) receptor monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The focus of this study was to examine the pharmacology of these antibodies to evaluate their mechanistic activity at β1AR. Immunization with the β1AR stabilized receptor yielded five stable hybridoma clones, four of which expressed functional IgG, as determined in cell-based assays used to evaluate cAMP stimulation. The antibodies bind diverse epitopes associated with low nanomolar agonist activity at β1AR, and they appeared to show some degree of biased signaling as they were inactive in an assay measuring signaling through β-arrestin. In vitro characterization also verified different antibody-receptor interactions reflecting the different epitopes on the extracellular surface of β1AR to which the mAbs bind. The anti-β1AR mAbs only demonstrated agonist activity when in dimeric antibody format, but not as the monomeric Fab format, suggesting that agonist activation may be mediated through promoting receptor dimerization. Finally, we have also shown that at least one of these antibodies exhibits in vivo functional activity at a therapeutically-relevant dose producing an increase in heart rate consistent with β1AR agonism

Hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation of a poly(å-caprolactone) network

“NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Polymer Degradation and Stability. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Polymer Degradation and Stability, [Volume 97, Issue 8, August 2012, Pages 1241–1248] DOI 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.05.038Long-term hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation profiles of poly(å-caprolactone) (PCL) networks were obtained. The hydrolytic degradation studies were performed in water and phosphate buffer solution (PBS) for 65 weeks. In this case, the degradation rate of PCL networks was faster than previous results in the literature on linear PCL, reaching a weight loss of around 20% in 60 weeks after immersing the samples either in water or in PBS conditions. The enzymatic degradation rate in Pseudomonas Lipase for 14 weeks was also studied, with the conclusion that the degradation profile of PCL networks is lower than for linear PCL, also reaching a 20% weight loss. The weight lost, degree of swelling, and calorimetric and mechanical properties were obtained as a function of degradation time. Furthermore, the morphological changes in the samples were studied carefully through electron microscopy and crystal size through X-ray diffraction. The changes in some properties over the degradation period such as crystallinity, crystal size and Young¿s modulus were smaller in the case of enzymatic studies, highlighting differences in the degradation mechanism in the two studies, hydrolytic and enzymatic.The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education through the DPI2010-20399-004-03 project. JM Meseguer-Duenas and A Vidaurre also would like to acknowledge the support of the CIBER-BBN, an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. The translation of this paper was funded by the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, SpainCastilla Cortázar, MIC.; Más Estellés, J.; Meseguer Dueñas, JM.; Escobar Ivirico, JL.; Marí Soucase, B.; Vidaurre, A. (2012). Hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation of a poly(å-caprolactone) network. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 97(8):1241-1248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.05.038S1241124897

Protection from the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza by an Antibody from Combinatorial Survivor-Based Libraries

Influenza viruses elude immune responses and antiviral chemotherapeutics through genetic drift and reassortment. As a result, the development of new strategies that attack a highly conserved viral function to prevent and/or treat influenza infection is being pursued. Such novel broadly acting antiviral therapies would be less susceptible to virus escape and provide a long lasting solution to the evolving virus challenge. Here we report the in vitro and in vivo activity of a human monoclonal antibody (A06) against two isolates of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus. This antibody, which was obtained from a combinatorial library derived from a survivor of highly pathogenic H5N1 infection, neutralizes H5N1, seasonal H1N1 and 2009 “Swine” H1N1 pandemic influenza in vitro with similar potency and is capable of preventing and treating 2009 H1N1 influenza infection in murine models of disease. These results demonstrate broad activity of the A06 antibody and its utility as an anti-influenza treatment option, even against newly evolved influenza strains to which there is limited immunity in the general population