Child justice and the little daily drops of physical violence: a case of troubled waters

This article addresses the debate on fuzzy cases concerning the so called ‘mild’ and sporadic instances of physical violence against children by caregivers. The end of violence toward children is a current goal in the international scenario. However, myths on the use of violence and the scope of parental rights still survive. Thus, I examine the main theoretical, ethical and political challenges regarding conceptual clear-cut boundaries and the burden of proof when justifying violence. Finally, I defend the role of a preventive approach on children’s wellbeing and family intervention as a fruitful way to surpass polarized debates on permissibility and criminalization

Soluble Semicarbazide Sensitive Amine Oxidase (SSAO) catalysis induces apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells

AbstractSemicarbazide sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) metabolizes oxidative deamination of primary aromatic and aliphatic amines. It is selectively expressed in vascular cells of blood vessels, but it is also circulating in blood plasma. SSAO activity in plasma is increased in some diseases associated with vascular complications and its catalytic products may cause tissue damage. We examined the effect of the oxidation of the SSAO substrate, methylamine, on cultured smooth muscle cells. Cell incubation with methylamine plus soluble SSAO, contained in bovine serum, resulted toxic to rat aorta A7r5 and human aortic smooth muscle cells, as measured by MTT reduction. This effect was completely reverted by specific SSAO inhibitors, indicating that the toxicity was mediated by the end products generated. Moreover, SSAO-mediated deamination of methylamine induced apoptosis in A7r5 cells, detected by chromatin condensation, Caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage and cytochrome c release to cytosol. Formaldehyde, rather than H2O2, resulted to be a strong apoptotic inducer to A7r5 cells. Taken together, the results suggest that increased plasma SSAO activity in pathological conditions, could contribute to apoptosis in smooth muscle cells, leading to vascular tissue damage

Determination of interproton distances from NOESY spectra in the active site of paramagnetic metalloenzymes: cyanide-inhibited horseradish peroxidase

Two dimensional (2D) nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) or NOESY experiments are performed on cyanide inhibited horseradish peroxidase in order to assess the prospects for obtaining quantitative interproton distances for the hyperfine shifted and paramagnetically relaxed active site signals in an intermediate sized (-44 kDa) paramagnetic metalloenzyme. This protein represents an ideal test case for such experiments because a series of structurally defined proton pairs on the heme and axial His 170 have been previously assigned. The relaxation properties of hyperfine shifted signals relevant to the experimental setup of 2D experiments and interpretation of both 1D and 2D NOE data are also investigated. NOESY spectra as a function of mixing time show that quantitative rise curves can be obtained that clearly differentiate between primary and secondary NOES even among the most strongly relaxed protons, but this requires very short mixing times in the range 0.5-3.0 ms. The sensitivity of the weak cross peaks at these short mixing times is improved by the relatively rapid pulse repetition rate and concommitant increase in the number of scans allowed by the rapid relaxation of active site protons. The paramagnetic relaxation influence, as well as the size of the protein, results in rise curves that are linear to only 1.5 ms for geminal protons and to only 3-5 ms for more weakly dipolar coupled proton pairs. However, the cross peak intensities in the linear region are shown to yield cross relaxation rates and internuclear distances for a series of assigned and orientationally invariant proton pairs that are in good agreement with their known distances. The patterns of NOESY rise curves are used both to determine the orientations of one propionate and both vinyl groups relative to the heme and to show that the axial His exhibits an orientation relative to its helix that is similar but not identical to that in crystallographically characterized cytochrome c peroxidase. Selective and nonselective 1D as well as 2D selective relaxation rate measurements for hyperfine shifted signals show that only selective or intrinsic relaxation rates can be used to optimize the setup of NOESY experiments and interpret 1D NOE data. The results of the study indicate that NOESY spectra can be expected to yield valuable quantitative structural information on the hyperfine shifted active site residues in a variety of cyanide-inhibited heme peroxidases

Longitudinal variability of size-fractionated N-2 fixation and DON release rates along 24.5 degrees N in the subtropical North Atlantic

Dinitrogen (N-2) fixation and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) release rates were measured on fractionated samples (\u3e10 mu m and m) along 24.5 degrees N in the subtropical North Atlantic. Net N-2 fixation rates (N-2 assimilation into biomass) ranged from 0.01 to 0.4 nmol N L-1 h(-1), and DON release rates ranged from 0.001 to 0.09 nmol N L-1 h(-1). DON release represented approximate to 14% and approximate to 23% of \u3e10 mu m and (assimilation into biomass plus DON release), respectively. This implies that by overlooking DON release, N-2 fixation rates are underestimated. Net N-2 fixation rates were higher in the east and decreased significantly toward the west (r(s)=-0.487, p=0.002, and r(s)=-0.496, p=0.001, for the \u3e10 mu m and fractions, respectively). The sum of both fractions correlated with aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD 550 nm) (r(s)=0.382, p=0.017) and phosphate (PO43-) concentrations (r(s)=0.453, p=0.018), suggesting an enhancement of diazotrophy as a response to aerosol inputs and phosphorus availability. In contrast, DON release was constant among size fractions and did not correlate with any of these variables. We also compared N-2 fixation rates obtained using the N-15(2) dissolved and bubble methods. The first gave average rates 50% (49% 39) higher than the latter, which supports the finding that previously published N-2 fixation rates are likely underestimated. We suggest that by combining N-2 fixation and DON release measurements using dissolved N-15(2), global N-2 fixation rates could increase enough to balance oceanic fixed nitrogen budget disequilibria

Augmenting reality and formality of informal and non-formal settings to enhance blended learning

Visits to museums and city tours have been part of higher and secondary education curriculum activities for many years. However these activities are typically considered "less formal" when compared to those carried out in the classroom, mainly because they take place in informal or non-formal settings. Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and smartphones can transform such informal and non-formal settings into digitally augmented learning settings by superimposing "digital" layers of information over physical objects or spaces. At the same time, the formality of these settings increases when connected to formal settings through these digital layers. The right combination of AR and mobile technologies with computer-based educational tools such as Learning Management Systems (LMSs) drives this digital connection, leading to articulated blended learning activities across formal, non-formal and informal settings. This paper contributes to the TEL field with: (1) three blended learning activities illustrating the idea of augmented informal/non-formal settings; (2) results from the cross-analysis of these activities that evidence the impact of technology to enhance blended learning; and (3) a set of lessons learned about the possibilities of NFC/GPS AR technologies and LMSs for blended learning. This work provides insights for the design and implementation of similar technology-enhanced blended learning activities. © 2008-2011 IEEE

Survival Bias and Crosstalk between Chronological and Behavioral Age: Age- and Genotype-Sensitivity Tests Define Behavioral Signatures in Middle-Aged, Old, and Long-Lived Mice with Normal and AD-Associated Aging

Malaltia d'Alzheimer; Envelliment; SupervivènciaAlzheimer’s disease; Aging; SurvivalEnfermedad de Alzheimer; Envejecimiento; SupervivenciaNew evidence refers to a high degree of heterogeneity in normal but also Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical and temporal patterns, increased mortality, and the need to find specific end-of-life prognosticators. This heterogeneity is scarcely explored in very old male AD mice models due to their reduced survival. In the present work, using 915 (432 APP23 and 483 C57BL/6 littermates) mice, we confirmed the better survival curves in male than female APP23 mice and respective wildtypes, providing the chance to characterize behavioral signatures in middle-aged, old, and long-lived male animals. The sensitivity of a battery of seven paradigms for comprehensive screening of motor (activity and gait analysis), neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms was analyzed using a cohort of 56 animals, composed of 12-, 18- and 24-month-old male APP23 mice and wildtype littermates. Most variables analyzed detected age-related differences. However, variables related to coping with stress, thigmotaxis, frailty, gait, and poor cognition better discriminated the behavioral phenotype of male APP23 mice through the three old ages compared with controls. Most importantly, non-linear age- and genotype-dependent behavioral signatures were found in long-lived animals, suggesting crosstalk between chronological and biological/behavioral ages useful to study underlying mechanisms and distinct compensations through physiological and AD-associated aging.This work was funded by the BrightFocus Foundation, US (A2017243S). The Neurovascular Research Laboratory is part of the INVICTUS+network, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain [RD16/0019/0021], co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund FEDER. P.M. held a predoctoral fellowship from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute

Thickness dependent magnetic anisotropy of ultrathin LCMO epitaxial thin films

The magnetic properties of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) manganite thin films were studied with magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance as a function of film thickness. They maintain the colossal magnetoresistance behavior with a pronounced metal-insulator transition around 150-200 K, except for the very thinnest films studied (3 nm). Nevertheless, LCMO films as thin as 3 nm remain ferromagnetic, without a decrease in saturation magnetization, indicating an absence of dead-layers, although below approx. 6 nm the films remain insulating at low temperature. Magnetization hysteresis loops reveal that the magnetic easy axes lie in the plane of the film for thicknesses in the range of 4-15 nm. Ferromagnetic resonance studies confirm that the easy axes are in-plane, and find a biaxial symmetry in-plane with two, perpendicular easy axes. The directions of the easy axes with respect to the crystallographic directions of the cubic SrTiO3 substrate differ by 45 degrees in 4 nm and 15 nm thick LCMO films.Comment: Presented at Intermag conference (Madrid, 2008). Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Magnetic

DisTecD, a journal for the dissemination of design and technology for development

DisTecD is a scientific journal ealing with design and technology for human development. Its principal objective is the dissemination of topics related to design and industrial and civil engineering that contribute in any sense to human development. Special emphasis is given to social technology. Every article published in this electronic journal is reviewed by at least two editors. The journal is freely accessible via the POLI-RED platform of the University Politechnic of Madrid

Una contribución a la cooperación al desarrollo desde la universidad en agua y saneamiento

El creciente sector de las tecnologías aplicadas al desarrollo humano (a menudo llamadas tecnologías sociales), necesita de la colaboración entre los distintos actores y agentes implicados en el mismo, entre ellos la comunidad universitaria. Este universo cooperativo cambiante, se ha ido adaptando progresivamente, desde hace varias décadas, hasta haber alcanzado un apreciable grado de madurez, caracterizado por un buen número de evidencias de intervención y sus correspondientes indicadores. En este trabajo se presentan algunas de estas actividades, su integración en las distintas facetas de la actividad académica y parte de las evoluciones experimentadas. El estudio se centra en los trabajos en el sector agua y saneamiento para el desarrollo, en la actual Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ETSIDI, antes EUITI), aunque el alcance de intervenciones en red va mucho más allá de los límites del centro, incluso de la propia Universidad Politécnica de Madrid