Footprints in the sand: What can globular clusters tell us about NGC 4753 past?

NGC 4753 is a bright (Mv~-22.3) lenticular galaxy. It is a very interesting target to test different theories of formation of lenticular galaxies, due to its low-density environment and complex structure. We perform the first comprehensive study of NGC4753 globular cluster system (GCS), using Gemini/GMOS and CTIO/MosaicII images. Our results indicate a rather poor GCS of ~1000 members. Its azimuthal distribution follows the shape of the galaxy bulge. The GC colour distribution is peculiar, presenting an intermediate subpopulation in addition to blue and red ones. This intermediate subgroup can be explained by a single stellar population with an age of 1.53 Gyr and 0.5 − 1 Zo. The GC specific frequency Sn = 1.3 +/- 0.15 is surprisingly low for a galaxy of its class. The GC luminosity function (GCLF) is also peculiar, with an excess of bright GCs compared to the expected gaussian distribution. The underlying galaxy body has significant substructure, with remnants of spiral arms, dust filaments, and isophote twisting. This, and the fact that NGC4753 hosted two type Ia SNe, support the possibility that the intermediate GC subpopulation may have originated during a recent merger, 1-3 Gyr ago.Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plat

Interculturalité et éducation : la pratique pédagogique des formateurs d’enseignants dans le cadre de la formation initiale autochtone de l’État de Michoacán au Mexique

Cette recherche doctorale porte sur les pratiques des formateurs d’enseignants dans le cadre de la formation initiale autochtone de l’État de Michoacán, au Mexique. Elle entend décrire, analyser et faire comprendre comment les écoles normales indigènes, par l’entremise de leurs programmes et pratiques pédagogiques, préparent actuellement les futurs enseignants autochtones à faire face à la diversité culturelle de la population scolaire. En étudiant plus particulièrement le cas de l’École Normale Indigène de l’État de Michoacán, au Mexique, nous avons centré notre attention sur la pratique des formateurs des enseignants autochtones. Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que la pratique enseignante autochtone se réalise dans un contexte de tensions non résolues, de dilemmes et de difficultés, non seulement en raison de la formation des enseignants autochtones et des ressources méthodologiques et matérielles sur lesquelles ils s’appuient, mais aussi en raison de leur rôle d’intermédiaires culturels entre les besoins et les aspirations des communautés autochtones et les politiques officielles des programmes d’études fédéraux et étatiques. Notre recherche s’appuie sur la méthodologie qualitative ainsi que sur l’analyse de la diversité culturelle tout en tenant compte de l’approche théorique de l’interculturalité critique et décolonisatrice. Les résultats auxquels cette recherche est parvenue confirment que, même si les formateurs d’enseignants autochtones ont conscience du rôle d’intermédiaire culturel qu’on leur fait jouer, ils ne disposent pas de moyens tant théoriques que pratiques et pédagogiques pour surmonter cette mission. Les données recueillies nous ont permis de faire apparaître comment ces contradictions provoquent en eux une sorte de scission intérieure difficile à franchir entre leurs valeurs et traditions provenant de leurs communautés; comme si en étant des formateurs d’enseignants et en se pliant au rôle que l’école leur fait jouer, ils tendaient à devenir « autres », partagés entre deux cultures aux valeurs et références différentes, voire antagoniques, en trouvant pour s’en sortir dans leurs pratiques d’enseignement des stratégies pédagogiques individuelles ou des solutions empiriques et ponctuelles. Sur la base de tels constats, cette recherche s’emploie à contre-proposer, en guise d’esquisses de pistes de solutions pratiques, une nouvelle définition du formateur enseignant, c’est-à-dire d’un formateur qui soit capable de retrouver le sens profond de ce que peut être « un enseignant » dans son appréhension la plus large et la plus noble : plus qu’un technicien de la pédagogie, plus qu’un spécialiste de compétences didactiques données, plus qu’un opérateur de prescriptions institutionnelles, il devrait d’abord et avant tout être considéré comme un « passeur de savoirs » : des savoirs théoriques et pratiques complexes; des savoirs enracinés dans le passé, mais aussi en lien avec les savoirs contemporains.This doctoral research focuses on the practices of teacher educators in the context of indigenous initial training in Michoacán State, Mexico. It aims to describe, analyse and promote understanding of how indigenous teacher training colleges, through their curricula and pedagogical practices, are currently preparing future indigenous teachers to deal with the cultural diversity of the school population. In studying the case of the Indigenous Teacher Training College in Michoacán State, Mexico, we focused our attention on the practice of indigenous teacher trainers. We have hypothesized that Aboriginal teaching practice occurs in a context of unresolved tensions, dilemmas and difficulties, not only because of the training of Aboriginal teachers and the methodological and material resources on which they rely, but also because of their role as cultural intermediaries between the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal communities and the formal policies of federal and state curricula. Our research is based on qualitative methodology as well as on the analysis of cultural diversity using the theoretical approach of critical and decolonizing interculturality. The results of this research confirm that, even though indigenous teacher educators are aware of their role as cultural intermediaries, they do not have the theoretical, practical and pedagogical means to overcome this mision. The data collected allowed us to reveal how these contradictions provoke in them a kind of inner division that is difficult to overcome between their values and traditions from their communities; as if by being teacher trainers and bending to the role that the school makes them play, they tended to become "other", to be finally shared between two cultures with different, even antagonistic values and references, finding only individual pedagogical strategies or empirical and ad hoc solutions to get by in their teaching practices. On the basis of such findings, this research seeks to counter-propose, as outlines of practical solutions, a new definition of the teacher trainer i.e. a trainer who is capable of rediscovering the profound meaning of what "a teacher" can mean in his broadest and most noble understanding: more than a pedagogical technician, more than a specialist in skills, more than an operator of institutional prescriptions, it should first and foremost be considered as a "knowledge broker": complex theoretical and practical knowledge; knowledge rooted in the past, but also in relation to contemporary knowledge

Las Tecnologías de la Información Geográfica como posibilitadora del análisis y el estudio del uso real y del uso formal del espacio urbano

La tecnología se presenta como uno de los principales factores de los actuales cambios sociales. El control sobre la naturaleza, las relaciones entre los individuos y la manera de considerar el mundo se han ampliado y han cambiado debido a la tecnología. El acceso a la información ha proporcionado ventajas de acción antes inexistentes, lo que ha producido mejoras en la calidad de vida y productividad en el trabajo de los individuos. Las Tecnologías de la Información Geográfica (TIG) forman parte del grupo que posibilita una gestión más eficaz y ágil de la información espacial, y su uso ayuda a comprender cuestiones acerca del espacio geográfico. Éstas también nos permiten desvelar contradicciones y desigualdades que la actual economía de mercado genera, pudiéndonos ayudar a identificar posibles soluciones. Estas tecnologías surgen para potenciar el trabajo y los estudios geográficos, donde el principal actor que realiza las interpretaciones y los análisis es el conocimiento generado por el individuo. El estudio del uso real y del uso formal del espacio urbano es una cuestión muy compleja que demanda la recopilación, el estudio y el análisis de una gran cantidad de información. Teniendo en cuenta todo lo anterior, se busca entender la importancia de las mismas en el análisis de dichos usos, ya que por medio de las TIG se puede obtener y/o producir información que representa algún aspecto o característica del espacio y de sus usos real o formal. Informaciones que podrán contribuir a una mejor gestión y un mejor planeamiento del territorio. El estudio de estas cuestiones urbanas a través de un formato digital lo hace aún más significativo y permite una mayor eficacia en la adquisición del conocimiento. Además permite revelar formas y patrones del espacio urbano y relaciones entre sus agentes productores, posibilitando simular y comprender unos fenómenos espaciales tan dinámicos. A partir de este contexto del uso de las TIG para el análisis del espacio urbano, especialmente para los casos relativos al uso real y al uso formal y sus aplicaciones, se podrá comprender la importancia de estas tecnologías como posibilitadoras de dichos estudios y análisis.Este trabajo contó con el apoyo de la Fundación de Amparo a la investigación del Estado de São Paulo (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP/Brasil – Procesos 2012/10897-5 y 2013/15786-0)

Evaluating a training programe: European Health Information Training Programme - EHITP

Resumo da apresentação publicado em: Gac Sanit. 2023;37(S1):S177–S325. Disponível em: https://www.gacetasanitaria.org/es-pdf-X0213911123036410?local=trueBackground: The InfAct (Information for Action) is a Joint Action of the European Commission’s 3rd Health Programme with the main goal to build an infrastructure of a health information system for a stronger European Union and to strengthen its core elements. The InfAct Joint Action was developed along 36 months and structured in 10 work packages. Portugal co-led the Work Package 6 (WP6) of this project, which included the development of the proposal of a flagship capacity building programme - the European Health Information Training Programme - and its evaluation. The evaluation objectives included: to evaluate the adequacy of the training programme to the health information needs in the European Member States; to identify possible changes regarding the participants selection process, the training activities and the pedagogical project; and to contribute to the understanding of the potential of the programme to add to available offers in learning on the topics of Public Health information, on the capacity building and behavioural changes in Public Health activities which can be attributed to the course, and of the potential of the programme to contribute to the alignment of health information criteria and procedures between the European Member States. Methods: The evaluation process was developed using an observational descriptive study design using a mixed methodological approach with both document analysis and primary data collected by questionnaires and interviews analysis. Mixed quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and analysis were used. Results The proposal of the European Health Information Training Programme seemed adequate to the formative needs and capacities in line with the work performed by the InfAct project. In what concerns about its main thematic areas, it was also aligned with the areas identified in the previous formative needs and capacities mapping. The participants selection process proposed seemed, in general, adequate. The potential of the European Health Information Training Programme proposal to learning, capacity building and behavioral changes at work attributable to the course was considered positive, as well as the potential to the alignment of health information criteria and procedures between European Union Member States. Discussion In general, we found high consistency between the results obtained from data collected by the techniques used. However, different suggestions for improvement were outlined by the evaluation study population.Project '801553 InfAct' which has received funding from the European Union’s Health Programme (2014-2020). InfAct (Information for Action) is a JA on health information (HI). HI is essential to build up country specific and cross-country knowledge. HI is the basis to inform national health policies, to steer population health investment decisions, to assess the effectiveness of different approaches to enhance population health through promotion, prevention, treatments and care. Timely, up-to-date HI is also vital in framing EU wide programs and policies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of the European Health Information Training Programme (EHITP): results from InfAct Joint Action

Background: The InfAct (Information for Action) is a Joint Action of the European Commission’s 3rd Health Pro‑ gramme with the main goal to build an infrastructure of a health information system for a stronger European Union and to strengthen its core elements. The InfAct Joint Action was developed along 36months and structured in 10 work packages. Portugal co-led the Work Package 6 (WP6) of this project, which included the development of the proposal of a fagship capacity building programme - the European Health Information Training Programme - and its evaluation. The evaluation objectives included: to evaluate the adequacy of the training programme to the health information needs in the European Member States; to identify possible changes regarding the participants selection process, the training activities and the pedagogical project; and to contribute to the understanding of the potential of the programme to add to available ofers in learning on the topics of Public Health information, on the capacity building and behavioural changes in Public Health activities which can be attributed to the course, and of the potential of the programme to contribute to the alignment of health information criteria and procedures between the European Member States. Methods: The evaluation process was developed using an observational descriptive study design using a mixed methodological approach with both document analysis and primary data collected by questionnaires and interviews analysis. Mixed quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and analysis were used. Results: The proposal of the European Health Information Training Programme seemed adequate to the formative needs and capacities in line with the work performed by the InfAct project. In what concerns about its main the‑ matic areas, it was also aligned with the areas identifed in the previous formative needs and capacities mapping. The participants selection process proposed seemed, in general, adequate. The potential of the European Health Information Training Programme proposal to learning, capacity building and behavioral changes at work attributable to the course was considered positive, as well as the potential to the alignment of health information criteria and procedures between European Union Member States. Discussion: In general, we found high consistency between the results obtained from data collected by the techniques used. However, diferent suggestions for improvement were outlined by the evaluation study population.This manuscript is part of the “801553 InfAct” project, which has received fund‑ ing from the European Unions’s Health Programme (2014–2020)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Early-type galaxies in the Antlia Cluster: global properties

We presentan extension of our previous research on the early-type galaxy population ofthe Antlia cluster (d ~ 35 Mpc), achieving a total coverage of ~ 2.6 deg x degand performing surface photometry for ~300 galaxies, 130 of which are newuncatalogued ones. Such new galaxies mainly fall in the low surface brightness(LSB) regime, but there are also some lenticulars (S0) which support theexistence of unique functions that connect bright and dwarf galaxies in thescaling relations. We analyse the projected spatial distribution of galaxies upto a distance of ~800 kpc from NGC 3268, the adopted centre, as well as theradial velocity distribution and the correlation between galaxy colour andeffective radius with the projected spatial distribution. We also obtain theluminosity function of the early-type galaxies and the distribution of stellarmasses using the T1-band magnitudes and adopted mass-luminosity ratios.Additionally, we correlate the central galaxy distribution with an X-rayemission map from the literature. Based on the analysis of the radialvelocities and galaxy colour distributions, we find that galaxies redder thanthe colour-magnitude relation (CMR) have a velocity distribution stronglyconcentrated towards the values of the dominant galaxies and are homogeneouslydistributed throughout the cluster. Those bluer than the CMR, in turn, have amuch more extended radial velocity distribution and are concentrated towardsthe centre of the cluster. We also identify 12 candidates to ultra diffuse galaxies(UDG), that seem to be split into two families, and speculate about theirorigins in the context of the cluster structure.Fil: Calderón, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Bassino, Lilia Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cellone, Sergio Aldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Matias. Departamento de Astronomia; ChileFil: Caso, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; Argentin

Surface and mechanical properties of adhesives with calcium phosphates challenged to different storage media

To evaluate the behavior of experimental dental adhesives with hydroxyapatite (HAp), alpha-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) or octacalcium phosphate (OCP) after storing them in three different media: dry storage, distilled water, or lactic acid. Methods: An experimental adhesive resin was formulated with bisphenol A glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and photoiniciator/co-initiator system. HAp (GHAp), α-TCP (Gα-TCP), or OCP (GOCP) were added to the adhesive resin at 2 wt.%, and one group remained without calcium phosphates to be used as a control (GCtrl). The adhesives were evaluated for surface roughness, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) after storing in distilled water (pH=5.8), lactic acid (pH=4) or dry medium. Results: The initial surface roughness was not different among groups (p>0.05). GHAp showed increased values after immersion in water (p<0.05) or lactic acid (p<0.05). SEM analysis showed a surface variation of the filled adhesives, mainly for Gα-TCP and GHAp. GHAp showed the highest UTS in dry medium (p<0.05), and its value decreased after lactic acid storage (p<0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that HAp, OCP, and α-TCP affected the physical behavior of the experimental adhesive resins in different ways. HAp was the calcium phosphate that most adversely affected the surface roughness and the mechanical property of the material, mainly when exposed to an acid mediu

New injectable two-step forming hydrogel for delivery of bioactive substances in tissue regeneration

The authors would like to thank Dr Alberto Fernández-Medarde (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, CSIC-USAL) for proofreading the article. Moreover, the help and the advice in the interpretation on FTIR spectra given by Dr Jose Adrián Gavin (Organic Chemistry Department, ULL) and Dr Antonio Manuel Hernández-Daranas (Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC) is appreciated.A hydrogel based on chitosan, collagen, hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin and polyethylene glycol was developed and characterized. The incorporation of nano-hydroxyapatite and pre-encapsulated hydrophobic/hydrophilic model drugs diminished the porosity of hydrogel from 81.62 ± 2.25% to 69.98 ± 3.07%. Interactions between components of hydrogel, demonstrated by FTIR spectroscopy and rheology, generated a network that was able to trap bioactive components and delay the burst delivery. The thixotropic behavior of hydrogel provided adaptability to facilitate its implantation in a minimally invasive way. Release profiles from microspheres included or not in hydrogel revealed a two-phase behavior with a burst- and a controlled-release period. The same release rate for microspheres included or not in the hydrogel in the controlled-release period demonstrated that mass transfer process was controlled by internal diffusion. Effective diffusion coefficients, Deff, that describe internal diffusion inside microspheres, and mass transfer coefficients, h, i.e. the contribution of hydrogel to mass transfer, were determined using ‘genetic algorithms’, obtaining values between 2.64·10−15 and 6.67·10−15 m2/s for Deff and 8.50·10−10 to 3.04·10−9 m/s for h. The proposed model fits experimental data, obtaining an R2-value ranged between 95.41 and 98.87%. In vitro culture of mesenchymal stem cells in hydrogel showed no manifestations of intolerance or toxicity, observing an intense proliferation of the cells after 7 days, being most of the scaffold surface occupied by living cells.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Spain (MAT2014-55657-R)

Assessment of Time and Frequency Domain Entropies to Detect Sleep Apnoea in Heart Rate Variability Recordings from Men and Women

Producción CientíficaHeart rate variability (HRV) provides useful information about heart dynamics both under healthy and pathological conditions. Entropy measures have shown their utility to characterize these dynamics. In this paper, we assess the ability of spectral entropy (SE) and multiscale entropy (MsE) to characterize the sleep apnoea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) in HRV recordings from 188 subjects. Additionally, we evaluate eventual differences in these analyses depending on the gender. We found that the SE computed from the very low frequency band and the low frequency band showed ability to characterize SAHS regardless the gender; and that MsE features may be able to distinguish gender specificities. SE and MsE showed complementarity to detect SAHS, since several features from both analyses were automatically selected by the forward-selection backward-elimination algorithm. Finally, SAHS was modelled through logistic regression (LR) by using optimum sets of selected features. Modelling SAHS by genders reached significant higher performance than doing it in a jointly way. The highest diagnostic ability was reached by modelling SAHS in women. The LR classifier achieved 85.2% accuracy (Acc) and 0.951 area under the ROC curve (AROC). LR for men reached 77.6% Acc and 0.895 AROC, whereas LR for the whole set reached 72.3% Acc and 0.885 AROC. Our results show the usefulness of the SE and MsE analyses of HRV to detect SAHS, as well as suggest that, when using HRV, SAHS may be more accurately modelled if data are separated by gender.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (TEC2011-22987)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA059U13

Prevalence of Low Back Pain and Associated Risks in School-Age Children

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent in children and adolescents, while psychosocial, anthropometric, developmental, and lifestyle factors have been associated. However, the evidence is in- consistent from a biological point of view, so identifying predictors of LBP in the 6–12 years children through physical examination should be appropriate. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of LBP and associated factors in schoolchildren in a Brazilian population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Three schools in Botucatu, Brazil. Participants/Subjects: 377 students from 6-12 years. Methods: Data collection consisted of questions regarding personal history, socioeconomic and anthropo- metric information, kinesiologic evaluation with anthropometry, lumbar biophotogrammetry, and back- pack weight and use. Descriptive analyses were performed, and simple and multiple logistic regression models were used for risk factors. Results: The prevalence of LBP was 27.32% (confidence interval [CI] 95% = 23.07-32.03). The mean age was 8.85 years ( ±1.83) in the group with LBP and 8 years ( ±1.76) in the group without LBP ( p = .006). Variables such as backpack weight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, CI 95% = 1.018-2.064) and exceeding 3 hours per day in front of the television (OR = 7.97, CI 95% = 1.957-32.515) increased the chance of LBP in these students. Conclusion: LBP is prevalent in younger schoolchildren, and the factors associated with this outcome can be effectively addressed through the promotion of health measures. LBP in schoolchildren is a muscu- loskeletal discomfort that negatively affects the quality of life of these individuals and persists in adult- hood