Foreigner? Want to Study in Spain? The Integration Process at Universities

AbstractThe student exchange programs being carried out at universities for over 50 years, have led to changes in the institutions, which had to adapt to accommodate these students. Despite those changes, the integration of foreign students not coming from the aforementioned exchange programs that come to our country to study at the University has been neglected.These students face many barriers (language, cultural and origin customs mainly), so a clear and detailed information would be highly desirable in order to facilitate the necessary arrangements This study aims to show the deficiencies in the integration process and hosting programs faced by a foreign student at University.The study is performed by means of an analysis of statistical data from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Civil Engineering School over the last 12 school years (1999 - 2000 to 2010 - 2011), as well as surveys and interviews with some of these students.The study is enhanced with the analysis of the measures and integration methods of the various minorities, which had been implemented by the foremost public universities in Spain, as well as other public and private universities abroad.It illustrates the existing backlog at the Spanish universities with regards to supporting the integration of diversity among foreign students, providing data concerning the growth of such population and its impact at the university, and on the institutions in particular.In an increasingly globalized world, we must understand and facilitate the integration of minorities at University, supplying them, from the first day, and before the enrollment process, the essential elements that will allow their adequate adaptation to the educational process at University. It concludes by identifying the main subjects that need to be tackled to endorse such integration

Creación de rutas senderistas mediante análisis de redes y algoritmo multicriterio. Aplicación en el parque natural Sierra de las Nieves

En este trabajo se presenta una aplicación para la creación de rutas de senderismo personalizadas a cada senderista en función de criterios como dificultad, motivación y capacidad física. La aplicación ejecuta un sistema recomendador basado en el análisis de redes y en el algoritmo de búsqueda A* para calcular las rutas que cumplan con los criterios del usuario. Para implementar el sistema se han utilizado herramientas de software libre como postgreSQL (para la base de datos), postGIS (para la creación de la información geográfica) y pgrouting (para el análisis de redes). La base de datos está cargada con capas de información geográfica públicas a escala 1/10.000 que contienen la localización de la red de caminos y sendas. A partir de ella se extrae la información que necesita el buscador y se analizan los grafos que cumplen con las condiciones impuestas por el usuario. El recomendador se ejecuta en un entorno web y el resultado que se devuelve al usuario puede ser consultado en la misma web o exportado a otros formatos (jpg, gpx o kml), con lo que el recorrido propuesto para hacer senderismo puede ser visualizado en diversos dispositivos móviles (smartphones, tablets, navegadores). El geoportal implementado (http://analisisgeografico.uma.es/sierranieves/) cumple con los estándares del Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), de manera que la información generada es compatible con otras plataformas universales.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Evaluacion energetica y economica de una vivienda pasiva-sustentable construida con fardos de paja

181 p.La industria de la construcción utiliza grandes cantidades de materiales como el acero o el cemento, intensivos en el consumo de energía en su proceso de fabricación, siendo además responsable de un 40% del consumo energético mundial durante la operación de las edificaciones, por lo que aplicar criterios de eficiencia energética, ocupar materiales menos intensivos en el consumo de energía y más amigables con el medio ambiente, es una necesidad actual y una oportunidad de generar nuevas formas de construir hacia el futuro. La construcción sustentable se basa en cinco pilares: minimizar el uso de recursos naturales, promover el reciclaje, facilitar el uso de materiales disponibles localmente, entregar un ambiente de óptima calidad interior en las edificaciones y disminuir el uso de energía. En este trabajo se propone el diseño de una vivienda que cumpla criterios de sustentabilidad y el estándar pasivo, para ser comparada con una vivienda convencional en cuanto a sus respectivos consumos de energía en climatización. La vivienda propuesta tiene como material predominante fardos de paja de trigo, material que cumple con todos los criterios de sustentabilidad, junto a otras soluciones sustentables como el techo verde, estucos de barro, estructura soportante de madera y fundaciones de acero 100% reciclables. Comparadas ambas viviendas se logra un ahorro del 97% en la energía necesaria para mantener el confort térmico en la edificación, con un costo de la vivienda sustentable – pasiva igual al doble de la convencional, inversión adicional que se recupera en aproximadamente 5 años. Palabras clave: Construcción sustentable, fardos de paja, eficiencia energética, estándar pasivo./ ABSTRACT: The construction industry utilizes great amounts of materials such as steel or cement, which intensively consume energy in their manufacturing process, being also responsible for 40 percent of the world’s energy consumption during construction operations, therefore to put energy efficiency criteria in practice, to use less intensive and more eco friendly energy consumption materials, is a need in today’s world and an opportunity to generate new ways of building into the future. Sustainable building is based on five foundations: minimize the use of natural resources, promote recycling, facilitate the use of locally available materials, give an optimum quality inner environment in the constructions and diminish the energy use. In this paper the design of a home that meets these sustainability criteria and passive standards is proposed in order to be compared with conventional housing regarding their respective energy consumption for both heating and cooling. The proposed house has straw bale as the predominant material, which meets all the sustainability criteria together with other sustainable solutions such as green roof, clay plaster, wood baring structures and 100 percent recyclable steel foundations. After comparing both homes, 97 percent of the energy needed to maintain thermal confort is saved. Passive sustainable housing costs are double those of the conventional model, an investment which can be recouped in approximately 5 years. Key words: Sustainable building, straw bale, energy efficiency, passive standard

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Methotrexate Resistance in Melanoma

Endocrinolog

Seguimiento continuado de un caso real de hundimiento de los bloques de hormigón de un dique sumergido

Para el diseño de obras marítimas construidas sobre fondos arenosos, suele hacerse una estimación del hundimiento de la misma para colocar un exceso de material que compense dicho efecto y permita mantener el francobordo de diseño. La gran repercusión económica de este fenómeno ha justificado el que se haya estudiado en ensayos de laboratorio la influencia de los procesos de socavación y/o licuefacción en el hundimiento de bloques o escolleras. Para un listado actualizado de los numerosos investigadores implicados y de sus respectivas publicaciones,puede acudirse a Sumer (2014). Sin embargo, debe destacarse que hay muy pocos datos sobre el hundimiento de bloques o escolleras en casos reales (una tabla recopilatoria puede consultarse en Muñoz-Perez et al., 2015). Más aún, que los autores conozcan, no se habían publicado hasta el momento datos continuados en el tiempo del descenso de bloques. El objetivode esta ponencia es la presentación de una metodología que permite el seguimiento continuado del hundimiento de bloques así como de los resultados obtenidos en el caso real de un dique sumergido

Percutaneous implants of bone conduction: 8-year evolution and results

Background: Percutaneous bone conduction implants are an alternative to alleviate unilateral transmission, mixed and neurosensory hearing loss in patients unable to carry conventional hearing aids. Through this study we analyzed the indications of the osseointegrated systems in the Lozano Blesa Hospital (Zaragoza, Spain), among other aspects. Method: An observational study was carried out based on medical records, including patients who had been implanted with a percutaneous osseointegrated system since 2010. The collected data included demographic information, clinical and analytical data concerning his hearing loss and post-implant complications, among others. Results: 59 percutaneous implants were analyzed; 44.1% Baha type and 55.9% Ponto type. Regarding the audiological indication of the implant, mixed hearing loss was the most frequent cause (64,40%). The most frequent clinical diagnosis was chronic otitis media (83%). The functional hearing gain of the implanted patients due to transmission hearing loss was 26,92 ± 7,65 dB. The most used surgical technique was the U flap carried out in 42.40% patients. It has been observed a tendency between the relationship in the number of complications and the fact of performing a reduction of subcutaneous tissue surrounding the implant (p = 0,051). Discussion and conclusions: Although no significant differences were found, the demographic results, as well as the indication of implantation, functional gain and complications are similar to the data found in the medical literature. However, future studies with a larger number of patients would be convenient.Introducción: Los implantes de conducción de vía ósea percutáneos son una alternativa a los audífonos convencionales en hipoacusias de transmisión, mixtas y neurosensoriales unilaterales, en pacientes con imposibilidad de usar los primeros. Mediante este estudio analizamos diferentes aspectos de los sistemas osteointegrados en el Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa de Zaragoza (España). Método: Se ha realizado un estudio observacional basado en historias clínicas, incluyendo a los pacientes que han sido implantados con un sistema osteointegrado de tipo percutáneo desde el año 2010. Entre los datos recogidos se valoraron datos demográficos, datos clínicos y analíticos referentes su hipoacusia y complicaciones post-implante entre otros. Resultados: Se han analizado 59 implantes percutáneos; un 44,1% tipo Baha y un 55,9 % tipo Ponto. La indicación audiológica mas frecuente fue la hipoacusia mixta (64,40%). El diagnóstico clínico más frecuente fue la otitis media crónica (83%). La ganancia auditiva funcional de los pacientes implantados debido a hipoacusia de transmisión fue de 26,92 ± 7,65 dB. La técnica quirúrgica más empleada fue el colgajo en U llevada a cabo en el 42,40% pacientes. Se ha objetivado cierta tendencia a la relación en el número de complicaciones y el hecho de realizar una reducción de tejido subcutáneo circundante al implante (p=0,051). Conclusiones: Aunque no se hayan encontrado diferencias significativas, los resultados tanto demográficos, como de indicación de la implantación, la ganancia funcional y las complicaciones son similares a los datos encontrados en la literatura médica

A three-dimensional printed customized bolus: adapting to the shape of the outer ear

Background: The skin-sparing effect of megavoltage-photon beams in radiotherapy (RT) reduces the target coverage of superficial tumours. Consequently, a bolus is widely used to enhance the target coverage for superficial targets. This study evaluates a three-dimensional (3D)-printed customized bolus for a very irregular surface, the outer ear. Materials and methods: We fabricated a bolus using a computed tomography (CT) scanner and evaluated its efficacy. The head of an Alderson Rando phantom was scanned with a CT scanner. Two 3D boluses of 5- and 10-mm thickness were designed to fit on the surface of the ear. They were printed by the Stratasys Objet260 Connex3 using the malleable “rubber-like” photopolymer Agilus. CT simulations of the Rando phantom with and without the 3D and commercial high density boluses were performed to evaluate the dosimetric properties of the 3D bolus. The prescription dose to the outer ear was 50 Gy at 2 Gy/fraction. Results: We observed that the target coverage was slightly better with the 3D bolus of 10 mm compared with the commercial one (D98% 98.2% vs. 97.6%).The maximum dose was reduced by 6.6% with the 3D bolus and the minimum dose increased by 5.2% when comparing with the commercial bolus. In addition, the homogeneity index was better for the 3D bolus (0.041 vs. 0.073). Conclusion: We successfully fabricated a customized 3D bolus for a very irregular surface. The target coverage and dosimetric parameters were at least comparable with a commercial bolus. Thus, the use of malleable materials can be considered for the fabrication of customized boluses in cases with complex anatomy

Differential analysis of genome-wide methylation and gene expression in mesenchymal stemcells of patients with fractures and osteoarthritis

Insufficient activity of the bone-forming osteoblasts leads to low bone mass and predisposes to fragility fractures. The functional capacity of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), the precursors of osteoblasts, may be compromised in elderly individuals, in relation with the epigenetic changes associated with aging. However, the role of hMSCs in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the genome-wide methylation and gene expression signatures and the differentiation capacity of hMSCs from patients with hip fractures. We obtained hMSCs from the femoral heads of women undergoing hip replacement due to hip fractures and controls with hip osteoarthritis. DNA methylation was explored with the Infinium 450K bead array. Transcriptome analysis was done by RNA sequencing. The genomic analyses revealed that most differentially methylated loci were situated in genomic regions with enhancer activity, distant from gene bodies and promoters. These regions were associated with differentially expressed genes enriched in pathways related to hMSC growth and osteoblast differentiation. hMSCs from patients with fractures showed enhanced proliferation and upregulation of the osteogenic drivers RUNX2/OSX. Also, they showed some signs of accelerated methylation aging. When cultured in osteogenic medium, hMSCs from patients with fractures showed an impaired differentiation capacity, with reduced alkaline phosphatase activity and poor accumulation of a mineralized matrix. Our results point to 2 areas of potential interest for discovering new therapeutic targets for low bone mass disorders and bone regeneration: the mechanisms stimulating MSCs proliferation after fracture and those impairing their terminal differentiation

Use of an interactomics pipeline to assess the potential of new antivirals against SARS-CoV-2

(Póster 80) Background: In late 2019 SARS-CoV-2 infection appeared in China, becoming a pandemic in 2020. The scientific community reacted rapidly, characterizing the viral genome and its encoded proteins, aiming at interfering with viral spreading with vaccines and antivirals. The receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike (S) protein plays a key role in cell entry of the virus. It interacts with the cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2, the membrane-bound human Angiotensin Converting Ectoenzyme 2 (ACE2). With the goal of monitoring interference with this interaction by potential antiviral drugs, we have set up at the Institute for Biomedicine of Valencia (IBV-CSIC) an interactomics pipeline targeting the initial step of viral entry. Methods: For the production part of the pipeline (pure RBD/Spike variants and soluble ACE2), see parallel poster. These proteins allowed monitoring of the RBD/Spike-ACE2 interaction in presence or absence of potential inhibitors. Thermal shift assays (thermofluor) were used for initial detection of compound binding at different ligand/protein ratios and media conditions (pH, buffers, chaotropic agents). Next, binding affinity and on/off kinetics were characterized using Biolayer interferometry (BLI), Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Microscale Thermophoresis (MST) and/or Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). For protein-protein interactions, we mostly used BLI or SPR, whereas for proteinsmall compound analysis MST was generally best. Protein aggregation-dissociation was monitored by size exclusion chromatography with multiangle light scattering (SEC-MALS). Results: Candidates proven by thermal shift assays to bind to RBD/spike protein without affecting the integrity of these proteins were subjected to quantitative affinity measurements. We successfully demonstrated that BLI, SPR and MST can be used to follow the interactions between SARS-CoV- 2 proteins and the putative drug candidates, as well as to monitor the interference with Spike-Ace2 binding of potential drug candidates. While BLI and SPR displayed reproducible results in the measurement of protein-protein interaction (applied to soluble ACE2 used as a decoy), they were less suitable for measuring the binding of small molecules. The fact that most small compounds were only soluble in organic solvents made difficult to obtain a low signal/noise while using BLI, necessary for the assessment of the binding. We overcame that problem by using MST. After dilution of the compounds to the final experimental concentrations, the technique could detect a significant binding signal enough to calculate binding parameters. MST also allowed to measure the degree of interference that each compound was having on RBD/Spike-ACE2 interaction. The pipeline has been customized and validated with compounds of very different nature provided by different groups belonging to the PTI and other external laboratories, as well as with different Ace2 decoys designed at the IBV. Conclusions: The interactomics platform at the IBV has been used to successfully develop two different antiviral approaches in order to fight COVID-19. It has allowed technical specialization of the staff as well as the development, in a very short period of time, of two ambitious projects. We have demonstrated that we can perform interactomic characterization for challenging projects as well as provide information about binding of antivirals to potential new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Relevance of gastrointestinal manifestations in a large Spanish cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: what do we know?

SLE can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. GI symptoms are reported to occur in >50% of SLE patients. To describe the GI manifestations of SLE in the RELESSER (Registry of SLE Patients of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology) cohort and to determine whether these are associated with a more severe disease, damage accrual and a worse prognosis. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide, retrospective, multicentre, cross-sectional cohort study of 3658 SLE patients who fulfil =4 ACR-97 criteria. Data on demographics, disease characteristics, activity (SLEDAI-2K or BILAG), damage (SLICC/ACR/DI) and therapies were collected. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between lupus patients with and without GI damage to establish whether GI damage is associated with a more severe disease. RESULTS: From 3654 lupus patients, 3.7% developed GI damage. Patients in this group (group 1) were older, they had longer disease duration, and were more likely to have vasculitis, renal disease and serositis than patients without GI damage (group 2). Hospitalizations and mortality were significantly higher in group 1. Patients in group 1 had higher modified SDI (SLICC Damage Index). The presence of oral ulcers reduced the risk of developing damage in 33% of patients. CONCLUSION: Having GI damage is associated with a worse prognosis. Patients on a high dose of glucocorticoids are at higher risk of developing GI damage which reinforces the strategy of minimizing glucocorticoids. Oral ulcers appear to decrease the risk of GI damage. © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology