Germline cognitive and moral enhancements : an exploration of their potential impact on distributive justice and a case for their incorporation into the Rawlsian political conception

PhD ThesisThe possibility of genetically intervening in the genome of future people has sparked fears about the potentially negative impact of such interventions on social justice. The risks of unequal access to these novel technologies, coupled with the dangers of the re-emergence of eugenic policies, have been thought to be too great to ignore. Should these fears become reality, we will be in danger of creating new social inequalities or of exacerbating those already prevalent in modern society. The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact on distributive justice of germline cognitive and moral enhancements, and to explore how these technologies can become part of the Rawlsian account of justice. From a biological perspective, we do not choose who we are. It is widely accepted that our genetic make-up is at least partly responsible for the kinds of people that we are and that it can have a marked influence on who we become and on our share of social primary goods. Because of this “genetic lottery”, inequalities in access to opportunities invariably exist. Recent scientific advances, however, may provide us with valuable enhancements, particularly to our cognitive and moral capacities, that could be used as tools to re-dress these inequalities. Indeed they might even help to promote the goals sought by the Rawlsian theory of justice. This thesis shows how the justice arguments usually presented against enhancement technologies can be addressed from within a society governed by the Rawlsian principles of justice. Furthermore, the enhancement of cognitive genetic traits, in particular those involved in the development of fluid intelligence, could broaden the range of opportunities open to citizens and increase the social product available for distribution under the dictums of the difference principle. The moral permissibility of germline enhancements designed to augment the capacities for empathy and a sense of fairness is supported by the contribution they make towards securing the stability of the Rawlsian society. If these technologies present no moral issues apart from distributional concerns, a society that is governed by the Rawlsian principles of justice would therefore benefit from allowing cognitive and moral enhancements of the human germline

Educational responses to immigrant students in Madrid

ArtículoDuring the last few years, changes in the Spanish educational system have had a far reaching impact. Several factors have been critical: (1) the progressive decentralization of education by the government, now a responsibility of regional governments; (2) the extension of compulsory education to the age of 16; and finally (3) the increase in the number of immigrant students, which has significantly added to the existing cultural diversity. The enrolment of immigrant students in Spanish schools is a relatively recent phenomenon (starting 15 years ago) when compared with other European countries. Madrid is the region in Spain with the largest number of students. As most of these students were born outside of Spain, we cannot yet speak of a second generation. The research described here investigated how the educational system in Madrid confronted the challenge of an increasing number of immigrant students. The institutional response was the Madrid Regional Government’s Compensatory Education Regional Plan. This encompasses several measures, which are described here. After a critical analysis of educational policies pertaining to immigrant pupils, the paper suggests ways of overcoming a purely compensatory approach. Intercultural education plays a key role is such considerations

Refining the neutral competition model to understand stem-cell mediated homeostasis in the Drosophila midgut

Summary Intestinal Stem Cells (ISCs) maintain intestinal tissue homeostasis in mammals and Drosophila by dividing and differentiating into various types to replenish cells in a tissue constantly facing challenges like mechanical abrasion or pH shifts. In Drosophila, tissue turnover involves the neutral competition of symmetrically dividing stem cells. ISCs compete for niche occupancy without inherent advantages, leading to stochastic expansion or loss of specific lineages. However, this model of neutral competition assumes that ISCs have uniform division rate, which is challenged by experimental observations. To address this, we proposed the quiescence-division switch model: two states for ISCs under homeostatic conditions, a static state with no division and a dynamic state where all ISCs in the same compartment divide at the same rate, so areas of fast and slow turnover can coexist. We proposed heat shock (HS) could trigger the switch from these states. Immunofluorescence analysis on cell cycle markers showed increased mitotic activity after HS, supporting this switch, with no increase in cell loss associated. We employed Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify gene clusters correlating with this response. Enterocytes demonstrated upregulated genes for DNA repair and downregulated genes for metabolism and growth. An unannotated cluster, likely related to progenitor cells, showed upregulation of cell cycle-related genes. Homeostasis also includes ISC differentiation. Next, we focused on basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, specifically Daughterless (Da) and Scute (Sc), which are essential for enteroendocrine (EE) cell differentiation. Our results support a 'Sc Threshold Scenario,' where a critical concentration of Da:Sc heterodimers initiates pre-EE cell differentiation. Finally, we proposed a novel gene expression system for studying the quiescence-division model, independent of temperature and compatible with Gal4-UAS, which makes use of trimethoprim (TMP) to induce gene expression. We studied TMP's safety and efficacy in the Drosophila midgut, which showed no harmful effects

Research Trends in Disability and Work: A Bibliometric Analysis

The aim of this study is to analyze the status, trends and future research potential areas in the literature about "disability and work". We delve into the content of the papers focused on disability and work published in any journal of a large number of interdisciplinary categories of the Social Science Citation Index during the 1991–2016 period. Bibliometric methods are used to describe the evolution of publication activity, the most representative contributors, the methodologies applied, and the content of the articles in order to explore the main themes researched. For this purpose, an innovative co-word analysis was used, using the technique applied by VOSviewer software, which allows creating knowledge maps based on data from a bibliographic nature to visualize scientific information on a specific research topic. These analyses enable the identification of potential venues for future research that could be meaningful to advance in the consolidation of the discipline.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Improved Adhesion of the DLC Coating Using HiPIMS with Positive Pulses and Plasma Immersion Pretreatment

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are used due to their extraordinary tribomechanical properties, great hardness, high elastic modulus, high wear resistance, low friction coefficient and chemical inertness, which provide them with biocompatibility. Compared to other physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings of transition nitrides and carbonitrides, DLC has limited adhesion, so it is necessary to develop new techniques to overcome this limitation. This work reports the results of scratch testing for the measurement of adhesion and of tests for wear resistance and nanoindentation in AISI 316L stainless steel coated with a WC:C coating, produced using novel high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology with positive pulses. In addition, the use of a preceding surface modification technique, specifically plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII), was studied with the aim of optimizing the adhesion of the coating. The results show how the coating improved the tribomechanical properties through the use of positive pulse HiPIMS compared to conventional HiPIMS, with an adhesion result that reached critical load values of 48.5 N and a wear coefficient of 3.96 × 10−7 mm3/n

The dilemmas of educational services to newly arrived immigrant students. A comparative study of Andalusia (ATAL) and Madrid (bridge classrooms) models

ArtículoEn este trabajo comparamos las Aulas Temporales de Adaptación Lingüística (ATAL) andaluzas y las Aulas de Enlace (AE) madrileñas. Ambas medidas se han puesto en marcha para dar respuesta a las necesidades de los alumnos extranjeros recién llegados que no tienen un suficiente dominio del español. No obstante la coincidencia de sus objetivos, las diferencias organizativas y de funcionamiento suscitan el análisis que presentamos, basando nuestras reflexiones en los resultados arrojados por las investigaciones que los autores hemos llevado a cabo en ambas comunidades autónomas. En concreto, centramos nuestro análisis en cuatro puntos que a nuestro parecer constituyen los dilemas básicos en el planteamiento de este tipo de aulas, con el objetivo de contribuir a la mejora de las medidas de apoyo lingüístico a los alumnos extranjeros recién llegados: a) El número de horas que los alumnos extranjeros asisten al aula lingüística, es decir, cuánto tiempo están separados del resto de alumnos de su curso.a) El tipo de apoyo que reciben, dentro o fuera del aula ordinaria. b) El currículum propio de estas aulas. En qué medida se centra sólo en lo lingüístico o se trabajan también contenidos de las asignaturas ordinarias. c) El papel que ocupan las culturas y lenguas de origen del alumnado, si se tienen en cuenta y se toman como soporte y apoyo o se obvian

Failure of early non-invasive ventilation in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome in current care practice in Spanish level-III neonatal intensive care units – a prospective observational study

Non-invasive respiratory ventilation; Preterm infant; Respiratory distress syndromeVentilación respiratoria no invasiva; Bebé prematuro; Síndrome de dificultad respiratoriaVentilació respiratòria no invasiva; Nadó prematur; Síndrome de dificultat respiratòriaIntroduction: Despite advances in respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) management over the past decade, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) failure is frequent and associated with adverse outcomes. There are insufficient data on the failure of different NIV strategies currently used in clinical practice in preterm infants. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, observational study of very preterm infants [gestational age (GA) <32 weeks] admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for RDS that required NIV from the first 30 min after birth. The primary outcome was the incidence of NIV failure, defined as the need for mechanical ventilation for <72 h of life. Secondary outcomes were risk factors associated with NIV failure and complication rates. Results: The study included 173 preterm infants with a median GA of 28 (IQR 27–30) weeks and a median birth weight of 1,100 (IQR 800–1,333) g. The incidence of NIV failure was 15.6%. In the multivariate analysis, lower GA (OR, 0.728; 95% CI, 0.576–0.920) independently increased the risk of NIV failure. Compared to NIV success, NIV failure was associated with higher rates of unfavorable outcomes, including pneumothorax, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, pulmonary hemorrhage, and a combined outcome of moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death. Conclusion: NIV failure occurred in 15.6% of the preterm neonates and was associated with adverse outcomes. The use of LISA and newer NIV modalities most likely accounts for the reduced failure rate. Gestational age remains the best predictor of NIV failure and is more reliable than the fraction of inspired oxygen during the first hour of life.This study was supported by Chiesi España, S.A.U., Barcelona, Spain. Chiesi España and S.A.U. were not involved in the collection and interpretation of the data or in the writing of the manuscript

Parent-child reading to improve language development and school readiness: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Final report)

Item also deposited in University of Newcastle repository (21 July 2018) at: https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/246226Executive Summary: What we know already - For a number of years now population studies have shown us that parental book reading is an important feature of what is sometimes called the child’s Home Learning Environment (HLE). Evidence suggests that the more parents read to their children and the more books there are in the child’s home, the better a child will perform in terms of their later academic and social performance. This then raises the question of whether it is possible to provide interventions that promote early reading and whether those effects last. There have been a number of reviews of the intervention literature, but these have included a mixture of different types of studies and ages of children and have a variety of different foci. In this report we carry out a narrowly constrained systematic review focusing specifically on book reading interventions carried out specifically by parents and carers with preschool children (up to the age of five years) and looking primarily at the impact of parent child reading interventions on expressive language (use of language to convey meaning to others) and receptive language (understanding the words and language of others) and pre-reading skills.This is the final published version of a report and research snapshot (summary) published in its final definitive form by Newcastle University and Queen Margaret University, 2018.Report for the Nuffield Foundation.Research project funded by the Nuffield Foundation.pubpu

CD44 Modulates Cell Migration and Invasion in Ewing Sarcoma Cells

The chimeric EWSR1::FLI1 transcription factor is the main oncogenic event in Ewing sarcoma. Recently, it has been proposed that EWSR1::FLI1 levels can fluctuate in Ewing sarcoma cells, giving rise to two cell populations. EWSR1::FLI1low cells present a migratory and invasive phenotype, while EWSR1::FLI1high cells are more proliferative. In this work, we described how the CD44 standard isoform (CD44s), a transmembrane protein involved in cell adhesion and migration, is overexpressed in the EWSR1::FLI1low phenotype. The functional characterization of CD44s (proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, and invasion ability) was performed in three doxycycline-inducible Ewing sarcoma cell models (A673, MHH-ES1, and CADO-ES1). As a result, CD44s expression reduced cell proliferation in all the cell lines tested without affecting clonogenicity. Additionally, CD44s increased cell migration in A673 and MHH-ES1, without effects in CADO-ES1. As hyaluronan is the main ligand of CD44s, its effect on migration ability was also assessed, showing that high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) blocked cell migration while low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) increased it. Invasion ability was correlated with CD44 expression in A673 and MHH-ES1 cell lines. CD44s, upregulated upon EWSR1::FLI1 knockdown, regulates cell migration and invasion in Ewing sarcoma cells.This project was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, grant numbers PI20CIII/00020, DTS18CIII/00005, Asociación Pablo Ugarte, grant numbers TRPV205/18; Asociación Candela Riera, Asociación Todos Somos Iván & Fundación Sonrisa de Alex, grant numbers TVP333-19, TVP-1324/15; ASION, grant number TVP141/17. Enrique Fernández-Tabanera is supported by Asociación Candela Riera, Asociación Todos Somos Iván & Fundación Sonrisa de Alex, Saint T. Cervera is supported by Asociación Pablo Ugarte and Raquel M. Melero is supported by a CIBERER contract.S

Severe COVID-19 during pregnancy and the subsequent premature delivery

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Part prematurCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Parto prematuroCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Premature deliveryCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic in January 2020. Although most of the cases in pregnant women are mild, there are reports of increasing severe infection in pregnancy. Only a few case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in preterm neonates delivered by mothers with COVID-19 have been reported till date. The possibility of in utero transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is highly controversial.1,2 While SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in several neonates by reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal swabs collected in the early hours or days of life,3,4 the reliability of these swabs is under scrutiny, as there is a chance of contamination by coronavirus-infected maternal body fluids