Alginate electrodeposition onto three-dimensional porous Co-Ni films as drug delivery platforms

Three-dimensional porous Co–Ni films/alginate hybrid materials have been successfully prepared by electrodeposition to be used as a steerable magnetic device for drug delivery. Firstly, 3D porous Co–Ni films were prepared as substrates for the subsequent electrodeposition of the alginate biopolymer. Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic and potentiostatic studies were performed to establish the best conditions to obtain porous Co–Ni films. The electrochemical experiments were carried out in an electrolyte containing the metal salts and ammonium chloride at low pHs. In a second stage, the electrochemical deposition of alginate as a biocompatible polymer drug delivery carrier was performed. The characteristics of the alginate matrix were investigated in terms of electrochemical properties, morphology and drug release. The hybrid material obtained showed soft-magnetic behavior and drug release indicating its suitability to be used as a steerable magnetic drug delivery device.Postprint (author's final draft

Vascular co-option in brain metastasis.

Vascular co-option by brain metastasis-initiating cells has been demonstrated as a critical step in organ colonization. The physical interaction between the cancer cell and the endothelial cell is mediated by integrins and L1CAM and could be involved in aggressive growth but also latency and immune evasion. The key involvement of vascular co-option in brain metastasis has created an emerging field that aims to identify critical targets as well as effective inhibitors with the goal of preventing brain metastases.Research in the Brain Metastasis Group is supported by MINECO-Retos SAF2017-89643-R (M.V.), Bristol-Myers Squibb-Melanoma Research Alliance Young Investigator Award (498103) (M.V.), Beug Foundation's Prize for Metastasis Research (M.V.), Fundacion Ramon Areces (CIVP19S8163) (M. V.), Worldwide Cancer Research (19-0177) (M.V.), H2020-FETOPEN (828972) (M.V.), CLIP Award Cancer Research Institute (54545) (M.V.), and AECC Coordinated Translational Groups 2017 (GCTRA16015SEOA) (M.V.). P.G-G. is the recipient of La Caixa Foundation (ID100010434) and European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement (No. 713673) PhD Program Fellowship (LCF/BQ/IN17/11620028). M.V. is a Ramon y Cajal Investigator (RYC-2013-13365) and EMBO YIP (4053).N

Hand corer versus van Veen grab in harbour sediments: Efficiency estimation in the study of macrobenthic communities

Se compararon los resultados obtenidos con una draga van Veen de 0,05 m 2 de superficie operativa con los de un core manual de sección rectangular (10 x 17 x 35 cm) en muestreos de macrofauna de sedimentos del puerto de Ceuta. El número de especies obtenido por ambos procedimientos de muestreo fue similar. Sin embargo, las densidades de las especies numéricamente impor- tantes fueron significativamente superiores en las muestras extraídas con core, sobre todo en el caso de los poliquetos, lo que se tradujo en un descenso en los valores de diversidad y equitatividad. Al considerar los valores medios de las tres estaciones estudiadas, las densidades del molusco Paphia aurea y de los poliquetos Cirratulus cirratus , Exogone verugera y Platynereis dumerilii fueron significativamente superiores en las muestras tomadas con core manual. Los crustáceos tienen una clara preferencia por los estratos superficiales de la columna de sedimento, mientras que algunos moluscos y muchos poliquetos son capaces de penetrar alcanzando niveles más profundos. De ahí que sus abundancias queden subestimadas con la draga van Veen, que extrae un semici- lindro de sedimento en lugar de un prisma y tiene un grado de profundización dependiente del tipo de sedimento.A comparison of benthic macrofauna from sediments of the harbour of Ceuta collected with a van Veen grab (0.05 m 2 ) and a hand corer (10 x 17 x 35 cm) was conducted. The number of species collected with the two devices was similar. However, densities of numerically important species were higher with the hand core, especially for the polychaetes, resulting in a decrease of diversity and evenness indexes. Considering the mean values for the three stations selected, densities of the mollusc Paphia aurea and the polychaetes Cirratulus cirratus , Exogone verugera and Platynereis dumerilii were significantly higher with the core. The crustaceans show preference for superficial levels in the sediment column whereas some molluscs and many polychaetes are able to reach deeper levels. Therefore, densities of molluscs and polychaetes are underestimated with the van Veen grab, which takes out a semicylinder of sediment instead of a prism, and the degree of penetration into the sediment depends on the type of substrate

Polychaete assemblages and sediment pollution in a harbour with two opposing entrances

The harbour at Ceuta is one of the most important harbours in the Strait of Gibraltar. The sediments are moderately polluted with organic matter and heavy metals but the harbour has two opposing entrances and a connecting channel which increases water renewal and dissolved oxygen across the harbour. For these special conditions, the value of the soft bottom polychaete community as a bioindicator, and possible advantages of the presence of two harbour entrances on biotic assemblages, were studied. Twenty-one stations were selected, and 27 variables were measured in the sediment of each station. The polychaete species richness and Shannon diversity values were similar inside and outside the harbour. Nevertheless, the Pielou evenness index was significantly higher in the external stations due to high densities of some species of polychaetes such as Pseudomalacoceros tridentata and Capitella capitata inside the harbour. The multivariate approach based on polychaete species composition was much more sensitive than univariate analyses at discriminating between internal and external stations. The pollution gradient and granulometric parameters were the main factors affecting polychaete distribution. Polychaete species richness and diversity in sediments inside Ceuta harbour were higher than in conventional harbours due to the positive effects of increased water renewal. These results should be taken into consideration in design, construction and remodelling of future harbours.Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España. FPU AP98/2861706

Methods for autonomous wristband placement with a search-and-rescue aerial manipulator

A new robotic system for Search And Rescue (SAR) operations based on the automatic wristband placement on the victims’ arm, which may provide identification, beaconing and remote sensor readings for continuous health monitoring. This paper focuses on the development of the automatic target localization and the device placement using an unmanned aerial manipulator. The automatic wrist detection and localization system uses an RGB-D camera and a convolutional neural network based on the region faster method (Faster R-CNN). A lightweight parallel delta manipulator with a large workspace has been built, and a new design of a wristband in the form of a passive detachable gripper, is presented, which under contact, automatically attaches to the human, while disengages from the manipulator. A new trajectory planning method has been used to minimize the torques caused by the external forces during contact, which cause attitude perturbations. Experiments have been done to evaluate the machine learning method for detection and location, and for the assessment of the performance of the trajectory planning method. The results show how the VGG-16 neural network provides a detection accuracy of 67.99%. Moreover, simulation experiments have been done to show that the new trajectories minimize the perturbations to the aerial platform.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

El consumo y el lenguaje del reguetón a debate entre los adolescentes

Music is not just a simple pastime, as it also contributes to the construction of identities, promotes cultural development or generates close affective ties between those who share the same musical preferences. In recent years, reggaeton has become very popular, a musical genre admired by youth and characterized by containing, in its lyrics, discriminatory messages towards women. In this sense, it is vitally important to question the impact exerted on adolescents, where it has penetrated with greater impetus, analyzing the possible consequences that it may have when building or reinforcing macho thoughts. A qualitative research is proposed that tries to examine the perceptions of adolescents. Through two focus groups, the opinions of young people enrolled in the educational stages of 2nd ESO and 3rd ESO from two secondary education institutes in the province of Huelva are debated and confronted. During the focus group sessions, the participants question the relationship between different variables that emerge from the properties of the language used in some reggaeton lyrics, such as machismo or gender violence. The analysis of the speeches derived from the work sessions has been developed through the Maxqda software. The results reveal a type of music that is expanding as a trend among adolescents, whose messages are not clearly discriminated or prosecuted and which tend to normalize certain discriminatory behaviors towards women and reinforce macho thinking among the male gender. For all these reasons, the educational system must promote the creation of a musical culture that invites adolescents to be aware of and critically judge the music they listen to daily.La música no es sólo un simple pasatiempo, pues también contribuye a la construcción de identidades, propicia el desarrollo cultural o genera estrechos lazos afectivos entre quienes comparten las mismas preferencias musicales. En los últimos años está adquiriendo una gran popularidad el reggaetón, un género musical admirado por la juventud y caracterizado por contener, en sus letras, mensajes discriminantes hacia la mujer. En este sentido, resulta de vital importancia cuestionar la repercusión ejercida en los/as adolescentes, donde ha calado con mayor ímpetu, analizando las posibles consecuencias que puede llegar a tener a la hora de construir o reforzar pensamientos machistas. Se plantea una investigación de corte cualitativo que trata de examinar las percepciones de los adolescentes. A través de dos grupos de discusión se debate y confrontan opiniones de jóvenes escolarizados en las etapas educativas de 2º de ESO y 3º de ESO de dos institutos de educación secundaria de la provincia de Huelva. Durante las sesiones de los grupos de discusión, los/as participantes ponen en tela de juicio la relación entre diferentes variables que emergen de las propiedades del lenguaje empleado en algunas letras del reggaetón, como son el machismo o la violencia de género. El análisis de los discursos derivados de las sesiones de trabajo se ha desarrollado a través del software Maxqda. Los resultados dejan entrever un tipo de música que se expande como una moda entre los adolescentes, cuyos mensajes no son claramente discriminados ni enjuiciados y que tienden a normalizar determinadas conductas discriminatorias hacia la mujer y a reforzar el pensamiento machista entre el género masculino. Por todo ello, desde el sistema educativo se ha de potenciar la creación de una cultura musical que invite a los adolescentes a ser conscientes y a enjuiciar críticamente la música que escuchan diariamente

Estágios em empresas dos estudantes de Jornalismo na Espanha: diferenças entre meios de comunicação e gabinetes de comunicação

En todo el mundo, la formación universitaria en Periodismo suele incorporar prácticas curriculares o extracurriculares como vía prioritaria de socialización profesional de los futuros egresados. A través de ellas, los alumnos adquieren destrezas y conocimientos que aplicarán a lo largo de toda su carrera. En esta investigación se analiza la experiencia de los estudiantes de Periodismo que realizan prácticas en medios y en gabinetes de comunicación, contraponiendo ambos sectores en cuanto a condiciones de trabajo, rutinas profesionales y nivel de satisfacción de los alumnos. El trabajo de campo se basa en un cuestionario realizado a estudiantes de las universidades españolas de Málaga y Complutense de Madrid (n=208) que habían realizado prácticas durante el último año. Los resultados muestran que las prácticas en gabinetes suelen caracterizarse por una mayor remuneración, jornadas más reducidas y menor número de tareas diarias, entre otras constataciones. Asimismo, son más frecuentes en los departamentos de comunicación los contactos con el tutor de empresa y las correcciones de textos, en tanto que no resultan tan habituales los dilemas éticos ni las presiones por parte de superiores, instituciones o anunciantes. De ahí que el nivel de satisfacción de los alumnos resulte mayor en este sector que en el de los medios, pese a lo cual son pocos los que muestran la determinación de dedicarse en el futuro al ámbito de la comunicación corporativa.All over the world, journalism programs have steadily incorporated internships as a priority route for the professional socialization of future graduates. Via this learning stays, students acquire the skills and knowledge that they will apply throughout their career. This paper analyzes the experience of journalism students doing their internships in media outlets and those in PR companies, comparing both groups in terms of working conditions, professional routines, and satisfaction levels. The fieldwork is based on a questionnaire sent to Spanish undergraduates who had conducted their internships in the universities of Málaga and Complutense of Madrid (n=208). The results show that PR company internships tend to be characterized by a higher remuneration, reduced working hours, fewer news pieces produced per day and a greater time availability to develop each of them, among other findings. Furthermore, contacts with the company’s tutor and supervision of texts are both more frequent in PR companies, while ethical dilemmas and pressures from the higher-ups and advertisers are less common. Hence, the level of satisfaction is higher than in media outlets, in spite of the fact that only a few students show real interest to pursue a career in the field of corporate communications.Em todo o mundo, a formação universitária em Jornalismo tende a incorporar práticas curriculares ou extracurriculares como forma prioritária de socialização profissional para futuros graduados. Por meio delas, os alunos adquirem habilidades e conhecimentos que aplicarão ao longo de sua carreira. Este artigo analisa a experiência de estudantes de Jornalismo que realizam estágios na mídia e nos gabinetes de comunicação, contrastando ambos setores com respeito a condições de trabalho, rotinas profissionais e nível de satisfação dos alunos. O trabalho de campo é baseado em um questionário realizado para estudantes das universidades espanholas de Málaga e Complutense de Madrid (n=208) que concluíram estágios no último ano. Os resultados mostram que os estágios em gabinetes geralmente são caracterizados por uma maior remuneração, jornadas mais curtas e menos tarefas por dia, entre outras constatações. Além disso, são mais frequentes nos departamentos de comunicação os contatos com o tutor da empresa e as correções de texto, enquanto pressões exercidas pelos superiores, instituições ou anunciantes e dilemas éticos não são tão comuns. Portanto, o nível de satisfação do aluno é maior neste setor do que na mídia, apesar de poucos mostrarem a determinação de se dedicar no futuro ao campo da comunicação corporativa

The (in)visibility of women in the press specializing in literature: an analysis of the presence of women writers in Spanish cultural supplements

This paper aims to dissect the presence of female writers in the main four cultural supplements of Spanish reference press: Babelia (El país), Cultura|s (La vanguardia), El cultural (El mundo) and ABC cultural (ABC). For this, we analyzed the “books of the year” recommended between 2010 and 2021 (n = 1,286), as well as the juries in charge of elaborating these ranks. The results show the subsidiary role reserved for women in this sphere of cultural informtion: they barely author 25.3% of the selected books, although some degree is progress is observed in the historical series, after going from 4.8% in 2011 to 37.8% in 2020. The increase in the presence of women in the juries has contributed to this phenomenon –the correlation between ratio of women in both lists being statiscally significant (rs = 0.647, p < 0.001)–, together with the commitment of supplement such as Babelia and Cultura|s to literature written by women. On the contrary, there still seem to be pockets of exclusion in El cultural and ABC cultural, which reduce the visibility of work of female writers in Spain. According to our findings, women authors stand out for their youth (they are between 8 and 20 years younger than men, depending on the indicator), cosmopolitism (there are more foreign female writers, especially American, than Spanish) and origin (mainly, Madrid and Barcelona). This article evinces the collective imaginary, settled for centuries, by which literature was considered a men’s affair, and reflects on the role of cultural journalism and its prescriptive function when it comes to breaking down gender stereotype –a task that, in view of the data provided in this paper, is still far from been completed

The generational digital gap within dual vocational education and training teachers

In our current society, Digital Competence is an essential and basic competence for teachers. The students need trained teachers who know how to use Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and develop them into pedagogy. However, some of them do not know how. This phenomena is called “The generational digital divide”, which occurs when teachers do not have sufficient digital or technological skills or do not adapt to them. This article aims to determine whether the age of teachers has an influence on their knowledge about Information and Communication Technologies. The objective is to detect if there really exists a digital gap between generations, specifically in Dual Vocational Education Training, a kind of education which has been growing in the recent years. To do so, a study with a quantitative and descriptive method has been carried out, with the participation of 1.568 teachers of this training modality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. The data were extracted by means of a questionnaire to measure the level of digital teaching competence in Dual Vocational Education and Training schools. The results showed that the level of digital competence shown was medium to low across all dimensions. With regard to the age factor, only the problem-solving dimension was found to be age-dependent.This study has been financed by the "Study and analysis of technological resources and innovation in teacher training in the field of Higher Education and its applicability to the development of the Santander Region (Colombia)", in the Framework Cooperation Agreement for the strengthening of research and education, signed between the Corporacion Escuela Tecnologica del Oriente, the Secretariat of Education of Santander and the AREA (HUM/672) Research Group of the University of Granada. Code: ISPRS-2017-7202. Period: 2017 to 2021

Gender and Digital Teaching Competence in Dual Vocational Education and Training

In recent decades, technological advances have been revolutionizing all areas of society, including the teaching resources and methodologies used in the world of education. Teachers are in the process of adapting to develop the digital skills they need for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), a process that must be permanent and in which there are still knowledge gaps undermining its application. This study aims to determine whether this lack of digital skills is influenced by the gender of teachers, for example, whether there is a gender gap in ICT application in teaching, specifically Dual Vocational Education and Training, which is a teaching area that has been growing exponentially in recent years. A descriptive quantitative method has been used for this study with a sample of 1568 teachers of Dual Vocational Education and Training from the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, with data collected through a questionnaire. The results show that while the level of knowledge of ICT resources is medium among this group and is therefore improvable, there are no significant gender differences between teachers with respect to the application of e-skills by teaching professionals, despite the existence in other contexts of a large digital gender gap in new technology professionals