Transnational Dissemination of Discourses on Non-normative Sexualities through Netflix: the Sex Education Case (2019-2020)

This paper analyzes the series Sex Education’s role in the transnational dissemination of discourses on non-normative sexualities, equality and LGBTIQ+ diversity. From a LGBTIQ+ Studies perspective, a mixed design with non-experimental ex-post-facto methodology has been applied through transmedia measurement instruments and the ILGA World and Global Attitudes reports. Netflix –through Sex Education– is confirmed to transnationally spread values of diversity and LGBTIQ+ equality in countries without full social and legal protection for such diversity, promoting the construction of alternative subjectivities

Numerical modelling of oocytes partially covered by magnetic nanoparticles in external magnetic fields

Nanorep® is a novel device based on the magnetic tweezer concept that has been developed for precise, fast, and non-aggressive oocytes and embryos manipulation. To operate the reproductive cells, they are first immersed in a standard host medium with ferrite containing nanoparticles. The magnetic particles are attached to the external matrix of the oocytes/embryos thanks to a linked protein making possible to control them by using external magnetic fields. Electron microscope photographs show magnetic particle aggregates around the oocyte. The total mass and distribution of the attached magnetic particles per oocyte show a wide range of variability, which strongly affects their magnetic response. Despite the uncertainties on the attachment of magnetic nanoparticles, the set formed by the oocyte and the nanoparticles can be caught and transported by using standard neodymium magnets. Here we present an initial study of the interaction between the set oocyte/nanoparticles and the external magnetic field in aqueous environment. We are going to discuss several relevant topics of the model such us the characterization of magnetic field produced by cylindrical neodymium magnets, the model of the ferrite magnetization as an effective spherical dipole or a magnetized spherical shell, the measurement processes to obtain the temporal evolution of the particle position and the different observed dynamic behaviours

Manipulation of bicarbonate concentration in sperm capacitation media improves in vitro fertilisation output in porcine species

BackgroundThe in vivo concentration of bicarbonate (HCO3-), one of the essential sperm capacitating effectors, varies greatly in the different environments sperm go through from cauda epididymis to the fertilisation site. On the contrary, porcine in vitro sperm capacitation and fertilisation media usually contains a standard concentration of 25mmol/L, and one of the main problems presented is the unacceptable high incidence of polyspermy. This work hypothesised that by modifying the HCO3- concentration of the medium, the output of in vitro sperm capacitation and fertilisation could be increased.ResultsOnce exposed to the capacitation medium, the intracellular pH (pH(i)) of spermatozoa increased immediately even at low concentrations of HCO3-, but only extracellular concentrations of and above 15mmol/L increased the substrates protein kinase A phosphorylation (pPKAs). Although with a significant delay, 15mmol/L of HCO3- stimulated sperm linear motility and increased other late events in capacitation such as tyrosine phosphorylation (Tyr-P) to levels similar to those obtained with 25mmol/L. This information allowed the establishment of a new in vitro fertilisation (IVF) system based on the optimization of HCO3- concentration to 15mmol/L, which led to a 25.3% increment of the viable zygotes (8.6% in the standard system vs. 33.9%).ConclusionsOptimising HCO3- concentrations allows for establishing an IVF method that significantly reduced porcine polyspermy and increased the production of viable zygotes. A concentration of 15mmol/L of HCO3- in the medium is sufficient to trigger the in vitro sperm capacitation and increase the fertilisation efficiency in porcine.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), Grants AGL2012-40180-C03-01-02 and AGL2015-66341-R), Fundacion Seneca (20040/GERM/16) and by a grant R01-HD-038082 (to P. E. V.) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA

Escritura creativa y neurociencia cognitiva

In recent decades, the development of neuroscience has allowed spectacular advances to be made regarding better knowledge of different human practices from the neurophysiological bases of brain functioning. Although we are still in the «prehistory» of decryption of the most complex organ known in the universe, it is an appropriate time to make an operational assessment, eradicating some falsehoods and taking advantage of some consolidated data to be applied to the teaching and praxis of creative writing. Synthetically, we address some keys to creativity, in general, to focus on aesthetic verbal creativity, both in its oral expression and through brain changes that operate in the process of learning to read. We reflect on the complexity of our mental representations linked, for example, with verbal poetic discourse, offer some indications about the importance of writing as an enhancer of our cognitive reserve, and end with some practical orientations to boost creativity in the experience of that same writing. We delve into the importance of attention as well as the interconnection between rational intelligence and emotional intelligence in the areas of writing and reading. And we conclude with an analysis of new reading and writing practices developed in the third environment (cybersociety), new narratives built on the new technological paradigm that have facilitated new creative fields for writing, emphasizing the concepts of ‘transmediality’, ‘digital literacy’, ‘hypertextuality’, and ‘multimodality’ and how they affect our brain activity.El desarrollo de la neurociencia ha permitido, en las últimas décadas, espectaculares avances en torno al mejor conocimiento de diferentes prácticas humanas desde las bases neurofisiológicas del funcionamiento cerebral. A pesar de que aún nos encontramos en la «prehistoria» del descifrado funcional del más complejo órgano que conocemos en el universo, es un momento adecuado para hacer un balance operativo, desterrando algunas falsedades y aprovechando algunos datos consolidados para su aplicación a la enseñanza y a la praxis de la escritura creativa. De manera sintética, abordaremos algunas claves sobre la creatividad en general, para centrarnos en la creatividad verbal estética, tanto en su expresión oral como a través de los cambios cerebrales que se operan en el proceso de aprendizaje de la lectura. Reflexionaremos acerca de la complejidad de nuestras representaciones mentales vinculadas, por ejemplo, con el discurso poético verbal, ofreceremos algunas indicaciones sobre la importancia de la escritura como potenciador de nuestra reserva cognitiva, destacando algunas orientaciones prácticas para potenciar la creatividad en la experiencia de esa misma escritura. Insistiremos en la importancia de la emoción y la atención, así como en la interconexión entre inteligencia racional e inteligencia emocional en los ámbitos de la escritura y la lectura. Finalizaremos con un análisis de las nuevas prácticas de lectura y escritura desarrolladas en el tercer entorno (cibersociedad), nuevas narrativas construidas en el nuevo paradigma tecnológico que han posibilitado nuevos ámbitos creativos para la escritura, insistiendo en los conceptos de ‘transmedialidad’, ‘literacidad digital’, ‘hipertextualidad’, ‘multimodalidad’ y su incidencia en nuestra actividad cerebral

Biphasic Role of Calcium in Mouse Sperm Capacitation Signaling Pathways

Mammalian sperm acquire fertilizing ability in the female tract in a process known as capacitation. At the molecular level, capacitation is associated with up-regulation of a cAMP-dependent pathway, changes in intracellular pH, intracellular Ca2+, and an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. How these signaling systems interact during capacitation is not well understood. Results presented in this study indicate that Ca2+ ions have a biphasic role in the regulation of cAMP-dependent signaling. Media without added Ca2+ salts (nominal zero Ca2+) still contain micromolar concentrations of this ion. Sperm incubated in this medium did not undergo PKA activation or the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation suggesting that these phosphorylation pathways require Ca2+. However, chelation of the extracellular Ca2+ traces by EGTA induced both cAMP-dependent phosphorylation and the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. The EGTA effect in nominal zero Ca2+ media was mimicked by two calmodulin antagonists, W7 and calmidazolium, and by the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine A. These results suggest that Ca2+ ions regulate sperm cAMP and tyrosine phosphorylation pathways in a biphasic manner and that some of its effects are mediated by calmodulin. Interestingly, contrary to wild-type mouse sperm, sperm from CatSper1 KO mice underwent PKA activation and an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation upon incubation in nominal zero Ca2+ media. Therefore, sperm lacking Catsper Ca2+ channels behave as wild-type sperm incubated in the presence of EGTA. This latter result suggests that Catsper transports the Ca2+ involved in the regulation of cAMP-dependent and tyrosine phosphorylation pathways required for sperm capacitation.Fil: Navarrete, Felipe A.. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: García Vázquez, Francisco A.. University of Massachusetts; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Murcia; EspañaFil: Alvau, Antonio. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Escoffier, Jessica. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Krapf, Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Cárdenas, Claudia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Salicioni, Ana M.. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Darszon, Alberto. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Visconti, Pablo E.. University of Massachusetts; Estados Unido

The NALP3/Cryopyrin-Inflammasome Complex is Expressed in LPS-Induced Ocular Inflammation

In the inflammosome complex, NALP3 or NALP1 binds to ASC and activates caspase-1 which induces IL-1β. In murine LPS-induced ocular inflammation, the production of IL-1β is increased. We suggest that NALP3- or NALP1-inflammasome complex can be participating in the LPS-induced ocular inflammation. In this work, eye, brain, testis, heart, spleen, and lung were obtained from C3H/HeN mice treated with LPS for 3 to 48 hours, and the expression of NALP1b, NALP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 was determined. Infiltrated leukocytes producing IL-1β in the anterior chamber were found at 12-hour posttreatment. A high upregulated expression of NALP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 was found at the same time when infiltrated leukocytes were observed. NALP1b was not detected in the eye of treated mice. NALP3 was also overexpressed in heart and lung. These results suggest that NALP3-, but not NALP1-inflammosome complex, is participating in the murine LPS-induced ocular inflammation

Automatic multiscale vascular image segmentation algorithm for coronary angiography

[Abstract] Cardiovascular diseases, particularly severe stenosis, are the main cause of death in the western world. The primary method of diagnosis, considered to be the standard in the detection and quantification of stenotic lesions, is a coronary angiography. This article proposes a new automatic multiscale segmentation algorithm for the study of coronary trees that offers results comparable to the best existing semi-automatic method. According to the state-of-the-art, a representative number of coronary angiography images that ensures the generalisation capacity of the algorithm has been used. All these images were selected by clinics from an Haemodynamics Unit. An exhaustive statistical analysis was performed in terms of sensitivity, specificity and Jaccard. Algorithm improvements imply that the clinician can perform tests on the patient and, bypassing the images through the system, can verify, in that moment, the intervention of existing differences in a coronary tree from a previous test, in such a way that it could change its clinical intra-intervention criteria.Galicia. Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; GRC2014/049Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TIN2015-70648-

Un análisis transversal del ecoturismo: Arte místico y riesgo alternativo

En el marco de promoción del emprendimiento local para el desarrollo regional sustentable, los estudios del turismo se han centrado en el análisis de la experiencia vital como antecedente de la satisfacción turística y el retorno vacacional, pero sin considerarlos como parte de un ciclo de recreación y esparcimiento que podría ser explicado desde las representaciones sociales. En tal sentido, se llevó a cabo un trabajo exploratorio, transversal y cualitativo con una selección de informantes, considerando sus recorridos a un museo natural surrealista del centro de México. Las interpretaciones en torno a las respuestas a preguntas derivadas de las categorías de núcleo de esparcimiento, periferia recreativa y experiencia vacacional muestran similitudes en cuanto a la búsqueda de un significado del recorrido y el escenario, pero también diferencias en cuanto a la integración con el escenario, orientando futuras líneas de investigación hacia las diferencias entre generacione

Evolution of substrate specificity in a retained enzyme driven by gene loss.

The connection between gene loss and the functional adaptation of retained proteins is still poorly understood. We apply phylogenomics and metabolic modeling to detect bacterial species that are evolving by gene loss, with the finding that Actinomycetaceae genomes from human cavities are undergoing sizable reductions, including loss of L-histidine and L-tryptophan biosynthesis. We observe that the dual-substrate phosphoribosyl isomerase A or priA gene, at which these pathways converge, appears to coevolve with the occurrence of trp and his genes. Characterization of a dozen PriA homologs shows that these enzymes adapt from bifunctionality in the largest genomes, to a monofunctional, yet not necessarily specialized, inefficient form in genomes undergoing reduction. These functional changes are accomplished via mutations, which result from relaxation of purifying selection, in residues structurally mapped after sequence and X-ray structural analyses. Our results show how gene loss can drive the evolution of substrate specificity from retained enzymes

Uso del simulador informático PhysioEX en la asignatura de Fisiología Veterinaria: valoración del alumnado

[SPA]El empleo de animales, material biológico y otros materiales/reactivos de laboratorio conlleva, en muchos casos, ciertas dificultades y un coste elevado, por lo que cada día se hace más extenso el uso de diferentes métodos como alternativas docentes. Entre ellas se encuentran los simuladores informáticos, que permiten de una forma sencilla y económica extrapolar la metodología del laboratorio a un ordenador, con las ventajas que ello supone en cuanto a tiempo de uso, posibilidad de repetición de los ejercicios o acceso ilimitado. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue conocer la opinión de los alumnos (planes de estudio de Licenciatura y Grado en Veterinaria ) sobre el uso del simulador informático PhysioEx en la asignatura de Fisiología Veterinariacomo complemento a los contenidos teóricos y prácticos. Para ello, los alumnos contestaron tras realizar la práctica una breve encuesta de 6 preguntas. En total se analizaron 249 encuestas. Los resultados obtenidos fueron muy positivos ya que aproximadamente el 90% de los alumnos consideraron satisfactorio o muy satisfactorio el uso de estos simuladores en la impartición de la asignatura de Fisiología. [ENG]The use of animals, biological material and other laboratory materials/reagents causes, in many cases, certain difficulties and a high cost. Nowadays the widespread use of different teaching methods as alternatives is increasing. These methods include computer simulators, which allow a simple and affordable method for computer usage as an alternative to laboratory methodologies. The benefits of this usage are the possibility of repeating the exercises as often as students like and unlimited access and use of the program. The aim of our study was to determine students´ point of view on the use of computer simulation “PhysioEx” on Physiology teaching as a complement to the theoretical and laboratory sessions. To this end, students were asked to complete a survey made up of 6 questions. In total 249 surveys were analyzed. The results were very positive since approximately 90% of students considered good or very good the use of these simulators in the teaching of Physiology.Campus Mare Nostrum, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Universidad de Murcia, Región de Murci