University students’ views regarding gender in STEM studies: Design and validation of an instrument

[EN] Diferences in the representation of diversity in higher education, emphasising the gender gap in some areas, are issues addressed from diferent research domains. Socially, gender roles have been constructed and are also related to professions. In this context, the Social Cognitive Career Theory explores the possible causes of segregation. This segregation is evident in Europe and Spain, as indicated by the European Institute for Gender Equality. This paper describes the design and validation process of an instrument to fnd out what opinions university students have about higher education studies in science, technology,engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to gender. After drafting the questionnaire, it was piloted in a non-experimental quantitative design in Spain. Subsequently, a validity and reli ability study was applied to validate the items and construct their dimensionality. The process was implemented using Reliability Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis. Also, the dimensionality consists of fve scales: Gender Ideology, Perception and Self-perception, Expectations about Science, Attitudes and Interests. Based on the results, it is concluded that the opinion about STEM studies is conditioned by personal elements, such as motivations, educational background and family and social infuences, such as people who judged their decision, were their references or studied STEM programs. Finally, it is essential to pay socio-educational attention to the modulating components of decisions about which higher education studies to pursue. Awareness of the factors involved in the decision helps the educational community to establish mechanisms to prevent horizontal gender segregation. The instrument designed, validated and presented in this study provides a glimpse of possible causes for the gender gap in STEM higher education.Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

Multimedia Analysis of Spanish Female Role Models in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Horizontal segregation in the higher education framework is a problem that goes up in the work environment. Women are assuming traditional gender roles due to phenomena such as the threat of stereotyping, which prevents them from opting for higher studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This research work arises within the project W-STEM, “Building the Future of Latin America: Involving Women in STEM”. The research aims to investigate women’s academic and professional development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through their personal experience in making career-related decisions. The research was developed by applying a qualitative method. During the year 2020, video semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one women professionals in the STEM field. Of the twenty-one participants, six are linked to science, eight to technology, fifteen to engineering and one to mathematics. Due to their research lines, some of them are located in more than one STEM area, for example, in technology and engineering. These women were interviewed about their choice of studies and training, their jobs, professional achievements, family and social environment and their perspective on the gender gap in STEM. They all agree on horizontal segregation and consider it necessary to motivate girls and young women to study what they like. Furthermore, they all show passion for their work

The DNA damage response acts as a safeguardagainst harmful DNA–RNA hybrids ofdifferent origins

Despite playing physiological roles in specific situations, DNA–RNA hybrids threat genome integrity. To investigate how cells do counteract spontaneous DNA–RNA hybrids, here we screen an siRNA library covering 240 human DNA damage response (DDR) genes and select siRNAs causing DNA–RNA hybrid accumulation and a significant increase in hybrid‐dependent DNA breakage. We identify post‐replicative repair and DNA damage checkpoint factors, including those of the ATM/CHK2 and ATR/CHK1 pathways. Thus, spontaneous DNA–RNA hybrids are likely a major source of replication stress, but they can also accumulate and menace genome integrity as a consequence of unrepaired DSBs and post‐replicative ssDNA gaps in normal cells. We show that DNA–RNA hybrid accumulation correlates with increased DNA damage and chromatin compaction marks. Our results suggest that different mechanisms can lead to DNA–RNA hybrids with distinct consequences for replication and DNA dynamics at each cell cycle stage and support the conclusion that DNA–RNA hybrids are a common source of spontaneous DNA damage that remains unsolved under a deficient DDR.European Research Council (ERC2014AdG669898TARLOOP)Worldwide Cancer Research (WCR15-00098

Flavonoids and Related Compounds in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Therapy

P. 2991-3012Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, is one of the most common chronic liver diseases, which may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is characterized by the accumulation of lipids in the liver arising from multiple factors: increased fatty acid uptake, increased de novo lipogenesis, reduced fatty acid oxidation and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) secretion. Most therapeutic approaches for this disease are often directed at reducing body mass index and improving insulin resistance through lifestyle modifications, bariatric surgery and pharmacological treatments. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence that the use of natural compounds, as polyphenols, exert multiple benefits on the disorders associated with NAFLD. These molecules seem to be able to regulate the expression of genes mainly involved in de novo lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation, which contributes to their lipid-lowering effect in the liver. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifibrogenic and antilipogenic properties seem to confer on them a great potential as strategy for preventing NAFLD progression. In this review, we summarized the effects of these compounds, especially flavonoids, and their mechanisms of action, that have been reported in several studies carried out in in vitro and in vivo models of NAFL

Technology development as a tool towards circularity: a research agenda

New technological development enables to implement circular economy (CE) practices. This phenomenon is taking particular interest for the Academy. The aim of this study is to analyse the cognitive and intellectual structure of the relationship between CE and technology. The proposed research questions seek to answer how the evolution of the number of publications per year, the main authors, journals, institutions and countries in this field, and the most relevant topics and papers in the research area are. It is used a bibliometric approach of co-word analysis of 996 articles published on Web of Science. In addition, it is proposed a research agenda after reviewing the most cited articles and points the research trend topics. There is a need to include topics associated with the social sphere, since most of the research is focused on environmental aspects and economic effects. In recent years, research has been polarised towards the blockchain, Big Data and biorefinery technologies. Although these technologies are in demand, it should not ignore other emerging technologies that could be key to circularity, such as those related to product redesign or changes in production infrastructures

De la opresión al bienestar. Explorando poder, opresión y bienestar entre inmigrantes marroquíes en España

Durante las últimas décadas, millones de personas han llegado a países de la Unión Europea para mejorar su calidad de vida y la de sus familiares. Las diferentes culturas, mercados y servicios que encuentran en Europa, fomentan en estos nuevos ciudadanos de la Unión Europea expectativas de satisfacción de sus necesidades, reconocimiento justo de sus aportaciones. Sin embargo, frecuentemente los inmigrantes se incorporan a un mercado laboral precario, que les obliga a asentarse en barrios sin acceso a servicios y recursos sociales, fomentando actitudes de rechazo en los vecinos nativos. La incorporación de los inmigrantes se realiza, por tanto, en condiciones asimétricas, que dificultan sus posibilidades para desarrollar su proyecto migratorio. En este contexto, la adaptación de la comunidad inmigrante se configura como uno de los principales desafíos para el presente y futuro de la Unión Europea

Physical Activity and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students

[EN] Most research support positive relationships between physical activity and mental health. However, possible moderating variables of these relationships have also been identified, such as age, gender, level of physical activity, and the scope of physical activity. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between physical activity and mental health levels in undergraduate students, assessing whether these associations can change depending on the level of physical activity (low, medium, or high) and the setting (occupational, commuting, or leisure time physical activity) in which it was performed. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample comprised 847 undergraduate students. Physical activity and mental health were measured by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQv2) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We found relationships between students’ physical activity level and their mental health status. The higher the total physical activity, the better their mental health scores. High levels of commuting and leisure time physical activity is also associated with better mental health, while only moderate levels of occupational physical activity are associated with better mental health status. Regarding the possible associations between physical activity and vulnerability to mental health problems, with the fully adjusted regression model, leisure time and occupational physical activity remain protective of a poor state of mental health. Leisure time physical activity, performed at a high level, and moderate occupational physical activity seems to be the best combination of physical activity to reduce students’ vulnerability to potential mental health problems.SIUniversidad Francisco de Vitori

Neddylation inhibits CtIP-mediated resection and regulates DNA double strand break repair pathway choice

DNA double strand breaks are the most cytotoxic lesions that can occur on the DNA. They can be repaired by different mechanisms and optimal survival requires a tight control between them. Here we uncover protein deneddylation as a major controller of repair pathway choice. Neddylation inhibition changes the normal repair profile toward an increase on homologous recombination. Indeed, RNF111/UBE2M-mediated neddylation acts as an inhibitor of BRCA1 and CtIP-mediated DNA end resection, a key process in repair pathway choice. By controlling the length of ssDNA produced during DNA resection, protein neddylation not only affects the choice between NHEJ and homologous recombination but also controls the balance between different recombination subpathways. Thus, protein neddylation status has a great impact in the way cells respond to DNA breaks.España , Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad SAF2010-1487

Strategies to reduce Burnout syndrome in personnel working in Health Institutions in Barranquilla

El presente estudio se orientó a determinar estrategias de intervención para disminuir el síndrome de Burnout en personal que labora en Instituciones de salud en Barranquilla. La metodología fue de tipo descriptiva, de campo, la población fue de (26) sujetos. Se aplicó el instrumento de Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) constituido por 22 cuya confiabilidad es cercana al 0,9. Se verificó que los profesionales de la salud son irrumpidos por el Síndrome de Burnout, por el régimen de trabajo estricto, se encontró que la mayoría del personal muestra un alto grado de cansancio emocional. Quienes tendrían mayor riesgo de contraer el Síndrome y por ende estar más insatisfechos laboralmente, son aquellos que tengan más de 30 años de edad, del sexo femenino.The present study was aimed at determining intervention strategies to reduce the Burnout syndrome in personnel working in health institutions in Barranquilla. The methodology was of descriptive type, of field, the population was of (26) subjects. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) instrument was applied, consisting of 22 whose reliability is close to 0.9. It was verified that health professionals are broken by the Burnout Syndrome, because of the strict work regime, it was found that most of the staff shows a high degree of emotional fatigue. Those who would have a higher risk of contracting the Syndrome and therefore being more dissatisfied at work, are those who are over 30 years of age, female

Matrix cracking evolution in open-hole laminates subjected to thermo-mechanical loads

In this work, a constitutive model is developed and used to predict matrix cracking and fiber damage evolution in all the plies of symmetric laminates when both mechanic and thermal loads are applied. A model previously developed is modified to take into account the thermal stresses that appear in each ply when the temperature is reduced below the Stress Free Temperature. Data of matrix damage initiation and evolution due to thermomechanical loads for four materials and six laminate lay-ups taken from the scientific literature are used to validate the model. A good correlation between the predictions and the experimental results is found. The model is used to analyze the thermomechanical damage in laminates containing a centered hole subjected to in-plane tensile loads. It is observed that the thermal load alone does not produce a stress concentration around the hole but the thermal residual stress accelerates damage accumulation during mechanical load. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors are indebted for the financial support of this work to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Spain (project DPI2013-42240-R)