Basque radio networks: New sources in basque radio stations

The present article has two objectives: firstly, the author seeks to provide information on radio journalism in the small European country of Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) and, secondly, on news sources in radio network stations. The research affords the first overall view of the real and current situation of news gathering in all types of radio stations all over the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain). The author attempts to explore the continuing struggle over who sends and receives news in Basque radio stations and makes an effort to define the controversial news source concept by his own schema of the waterfall. He goes over the meaning this word has for some authors. The article provides intensive up to date information on the news gathering percentages that the author has obtained in Basque newsrooms during 1995 and the first months of 1996. Therefore, the last chapter is supported by empirically based data in order to identify the news sources which are the origin of the countless words pouring into Basque radio newsrooms every day

Purification and characterization of a protein-tyrosine kinase encoded by the Abelson murine leukemia virus

Sequences termed v-abl, which encode the protein-tyrosine kinase activity of Abelson murine leukemia virus, have been expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion product (ptabl50 kinase). This fusion protein contains 80 amino acids of SV40 small t and the 403 amino acid protein kinase domain of v-abl. We report here the purification and characterization of this kinase. The purified material contains two proteins (Mr = 59,800 and 57,200), both of which possess sequences derived from v-abl. Overall purification was 3,750-fold, with a 31% yield, such that 117 micrograms of kinase could be obtained from 40 g of E. coli within 6-7 days. The specific kinase activity is over 170 mumol of phosphate min-1 mumol-1, comparable to the most active protein- serine kinases. Kinase activity is insensitive to K+, Na+, Ca2+, Ca2+- calmodulin, cAMP, or cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. The Km for ATP is dependent on the concentration of the second substrate. GTP can also be used as a phosphate donor. The enzyme can phosphorylate peptides consisting of as few as two amino acids and, at a very low rate, free tyrosine. Incubation of the kinase with [gamma-32P]ATP results in incorporation of 1.0 mol of phosphate/mol of protein. This reaction, however, cannot be blocked by prior incubation with unlabeled ATP. Incubation of 32P-labeled kinase with either ADP or ATP results in the synthesis of [32P]ATP. This suggests the phosphotyrosine residue on the Abelson kinase contains a high energy phosphate bond

Unravelling the Bcl-2 Apoptosis Code with a Simple Model System

Using defined lipids and purified proteins, Billen et al. offer a new model to reconcile the two currently opposing models for how Bcl-2 family member interactions regulate cell death

Examining properties of arc sprayed nanostructured coatings

The article presents the results of examining properties of arc sprayed coating obtained with nano-alloy on the iron matrix with a high amount of fine carbide precipitates sprayed on non-alloyed steel plates intended for high temperature operation. Powder metal cored wire EnDOtec DO*390N 1,6 mm diameter, was used to produce, dense, very high abrasion and erosion resistant coatings approx. 1,0 mm thick. Nano-material coatings characterization was done to determine abrasion resistance, erosion resistance, adhesion strength, hardness as well as metallographic examinations. Results have proved high properties of arc sprayed nano-material coatings and have shown promising industrial applications

Optimal foraging strategies can be learned

The foraging behavior of animals is a paradigm of target search in nature. Understanding which foraging strategies are optimal and how animals learn them are central challenges in modeling animal foraging. While the question of optimality has wide-ranging implications across fields such as economy, physics, and ecology, the question of learnability is a topic of ongoing debate in evolutionary biology. Recognizing the interconnected nature of these challenges, this work addresses them simultaneously by exploring optimal foraging strategies through a reinforcement learning framework. To this end, we model foragers as learning agents. We first prove theoretically that maximizing rewards in our reinforcement learning model is equivalent to optimizing foraging efficiency. We then show with numerical experiments that, in the paradigmatic model of non-destructive search, our agents learn foraging strategies which outperform the efficiency of some of the best known strategies such as L\'evy walks. These findings highlight the potential of reinforcement learning as a versatile framework not only for optimizing search strategies but also to model the learning process, thus shedding light on the role of learning in natural optimization processes.Comment: 12 pages (6 main text) and 9 figures. Codes and tutorials available at: https://gorkamunoz.github.io/rl_opts

Composite material with enhanced ultraviolet performance stability for photovoltaic modules

The present work aims encapsulating photovoltaic cells in glass reinforced epoxy composite by vacuum resin infusion, incorporating additives directed to enhance the performance stability of the manufactured photovoltaic modules under ultraviolet (UV) exposure. UV absorber (UVA) and hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) additives were incorporated in the resin system in different content. Photovoltaic performance and stability under UV radiation exposure were studied through external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra, chromatic coordinates and short-circuit current values. Decrease in current values and increase in yellowness were observed in the presence of UVA and HALS. However, an enhanced performance stability was observed when additives are incorporated, improving the stability when increasing the additive amount. The most stable module, with cells embedded in 2% additive containing composite, showed a 2.7% short-circuit current loss after UV aging exposure.This work was supported by the Basque Government Elkartek 2018Programme (Grant Agreement KK-2018/00040). The authors thank toBASF company for supplying UVA and HALS components

Sobre el modelo MOOC: filosofía, costo y estructura

In an increasingly complex of jobs that are constantly evolving, and with prospects, according to the McKinsey Global Institute, that by 2020 there will be about 85 millions killed jobs (Shen, 2014), all motivated by the rapid change generates technology, training is an important turning point. With universities preparing students for encyclopedic knowledge, skills and human values, many are wondering how it will change the method of learning the coming years, in order to adapt ourselves to new challenging technologies. Some people saw the MOOC as a pana­cea for achieving in disruption of learning environments, but it is true that we have seen that this disruption is not such from a methodological point of view. There are MOOC that do not generate the change as expected in the learning mode based on the receiver of teaching. The director of a major MOOC european platforms call FutureLearn has made statements about the MOOCs are not going to trans­form Education. In any case, the so-called «digital natives» demand new ways of learning and today the MOOC are the advance with which it is experienced in new ways learning with an education based on new technologies.En un complejo panorama de puestos de trabajo que evolucionan constantemente y con la perspectiva, según el McKinsey Global Institute 2 , de que para el año 2020 habrá unos 85.000.000 de trabajos especializados (Shen,2014), motivado todo ello por el rápido cambio que genera la tecnología, la formación está en un punto de inflexión importante. Con las universidades preparando a sus estudiantes en conocimiento enciclopédico, en competencias profesionales y en valores humanos, muchos son los que se preguntan cómo va a cambiar el método de aprendizaje en los próximos años, para así adaptarnos a los retos que nos plantean las nuevas tecnologías. Haciendo esa reflexión, algunos vieron a los MOOC como la panacea para lograr la disrupción en los entornos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, pero es verdad que se ha visto que esa disrupción no es tal desde el punto de vista metodológico. Aún se ven cursos MOOC que no generan el cambio tan esperado en el modo de aprendizaje basado en el receptor de la enseñanza, y hasta el propio director de una de las principales plataformas europeas de MOOC, llamada FutureLearn, ha realizado declaraciones comentando que los MOOC realmente no van a transformar la educación. Sea como sea, los llamados «nativos digitales» demandan nuevas formas de aprendizaje y hoy en día son los MOOC la avanzadilla con la que se está experimentando en nuevas formas de aprender con una educación basada en las nuevas tecnologías

Presentación de la revista

Presentación de la Revista por Gorka J. Palacio Ark

Radiologic features of small pulmonary nodules detected in initially negative screening CT examinations: a step towards personalized screening strategies?

Results of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) have invigorated the discussion around performing lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) of the chest. The NLST trial demonstrated a clear benefit of LDCT screening in reducing lung cancer and all-cause mortality, by showing reduced lung cancer mortality in high-risk individuals by about 20%, and allcause mortality by 6.7%, compared to a control group of subjects receiving chest radiographs