A Business Figure In Crisis Time: Independent Financial Adviser

The figure of the Independent Financial Adviser (IAF) is becoming increasingly relevant in the field of business and finance. However, this figure is relatively new, poorly understood by most investors and uncommon in financial institutions. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors behind the willingness to pay for the services of an independent financial adviser, as well as the reasons that would lead investors to move from the traditional advisors to the independent ones. We have surveyed over 10,000 potential investors in Spain. Thus, the results are consistent from a statistical point of view

Evolution of Metastasis Study Models toward MetastasisOn-A-Chip: The Ultimate Model?

For decades, several attempts have been made to obtain a mimetic model for the study of metastasis, the reason of most of deaths caused by cancer, in order to solve the unknown phenomena surrounding this disease. To better understand this cellular dissemination process, more realistic models are needed that are capable of faithfully recreating the entire and essential tumor microenvironment (TME). Thus, new tools known as tumor-on-a-chip and metastasis-on-a-chip have been recently proposed. These tools incorporate microfluidic systems and small culture chambers where TME can be faithfully modeled thanks to 3D bioprinting. In this work, a literature review has been developed about the different phases of metastasis, the remaining unknowns and the use of new models to study this disease. The aim is to provide a global vision of the current panorama and the great potential that these systems have for in vitro translational research on the molecular basis of the pathology. In addition, these models will allow progress toward a personalized medicine, generating chips from patient samples that mimic the original tumor and the metastatic process to perform a precise pharmacological screening by establishing the most appropriate treatment protocol.Ministerio de Educacion y Formacion Profesional FPU19/02138 BOE-B-2019-44783Ph.D. program of Biomedicine of the University of GranadaConsejeria de Economia, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucia (FEDER Funds) P18-FR-2470 B-CTS-230-UGR18 SOMM17/6109/UGRInstituto de Salud Carlos III (FEDER Funds) PIE16-00045 DTS19/00145Junta de Andalucia PIN-0224-2019Chair "Doctors Galera-Requena in cancer stem cell research" CMC-CTS96

Towards Cellular Ultrastructural Characterization in Organ-on-a-Chip by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Organ-on-a-chip technology is a 3D cell culture breakthrough of the last decade. This rapidly developing field of bioengineering intertwined with microfluidics provides new insights into disease development and preclinical drug screening. So far, optical and fluorescence microscopy are the most widely used methods to monitor and extract information from these models. Meanwhile transmission electron microscopy (TEM), despite its wide use for the characterization of nanomaterials and biological samples, remains unexplored in this area. In our work we propose a TEM sample preparation method, that allows to process a microfluidic chip without its prior deconstruction, into TEM-compatible specimens. We demonstrated preparation of tumor blood vessel-on-a-chip model and consecutive steps to preserve the endothelial cells lining microfluidic channel, for the chip’s further transformation into ultrathin sections. This approach allowed us to obtain cross-sections of the microchannel with cells cultured inside, and to observe cell adaptation to the channel geometry, as well as the characteristic for endothelial cells tight junctions. The proposed sample preparation method facilitates the electron microscopy ultrastructural characterization of biological samples cultured in organ-on-a-chip device

Measurement Of Students Attitude Towards Statistics: A Mokken Scales Analysis Of Its Dimensions

 Nowadays, almost all curricula in the social sciences contain at least one course in statistics, given the importance of this discipline as a basic knowledge to understand the modern world. It’s necessary reflects on the student’s attitude to statistics, because it’s could be an obstacle or an advantage in their learning process. To measure the student’s attitude and incentives about statistics, we use a test (Bayot et al., 2005), related to other ones which exists in the specialized literature, that identifies the latent factors relating to students’ motivation and attitude towards statistics. This paper describes the formal and metric characteristics of the non-parametric model of item response theory for the latent factors using an extension of Mokken scales analysis

Adaptación al Español Europeo de la Evaluación Automatizada de la Memoria Operativa (Automated Working Memory Test Battery -AWMA).

The current study presents the adaptation of Automated Working Memory Assessment into European Spanish, considering the need of calibration for accent and linguistic issues not supported by the version available. For this purpose, verbal material was carefully and properly selected, considering specificities of the European Spanish, in order to control possible effects of psycholinguistic factors, such as word length or lexical frequency, and technical aspects such as stimuli presentation speed and sound quality were also tuned. An exploratory sample of 81 children from 7- to 9-year-old was assessed to confirm that the adaptation is suitable for further use, besides, their scores were contrasted with the Argentinean children. The data showed proper validity and reliability scores, which characterize this version as a useful instrument for research purposes, and its usage in further studies should be encourage to gather normative data for Spaniards.En el presente estudio se presenta la adaptación al idioma Es-pañol Europeo de la Evaluación Automatizada de la Memoria Operativa, habiéndose tenido en cuenta la necesidad de calibración para cuestiones de acento y lingüística que no son compatibles con la versión disponible. Con este propósito, el material verbal fue seleccionado cuidadosa y apropiada-mente, teniendo en cuenta las especificidades del Español Europeo y con el fin de controlar los posibles efectos de los factores psicolingüísticos, tales como la longitud de las palabras o la frecuencia léxica, y aspectos técnicos, como la velocidad de presentación de los estímulos y la calidad de sonido también fueron controlados. Una muestra exploratoria de 81 niños de 7 a 9 años de edad se evaluó para confirmar que la adaptación es adecuada para su empleo posterior. Además las puntuaciones obtenidas se contrastaron con las de niños argentinos. Los datos mostraron una validez adecuada y una puntuación fiable, lo que permite considerar a esta versión como un instrumento útil para fines de investigación, y su empleo en futuros estu-dios debería incentivar la recopilación de datos normativos para españoles.This research was supported mainly by two grants from the Fundacion Seneca, Murcia Regional Government Agency for Science and Technology (visiting research grant 2010 to Flavia Heloisa Dos Santos and research grant 19463/PI/14), and by a grant from the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation (research grant PSI2008-03481/PSIC)

Bioactive compounds from leaf vegetables as preservatives

Trends toward a healthier diet are increasing attention to clean-label products. This has led to the search for new ingredients that avoid the use of chemical additives. Food industries are responding to these demands by incorporating natural preservatives into their products, which consumers perceive as healthy. Leafy vegetables would fit this strategy since they are common components of the diet and are associated with beneficial health effects. The objective of this chapter is to offer an overview of the large number of bioactive compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, glucosinolates, and sulfur compounds) present in these plants, which would be responsible for their activity as potential preservatives. Its incorporation into food would improve the quality and extend the shelf life by reducing oxidative processes and inhibiting or retarding the microbial growth that occurs during processing and storage without reducing the organoleptic characteristics of the product.Axencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607A2019/01CYTED | Ref. 119RT0568Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. IJC2020-043358-

How might we help someone to gain perspective on school dropouts: Research compiled using design thinking and liberatory design

Spain school dropout rate is bad, but... really how bad? why is it happening? and how we're going to help our audience become more culturally responsive teachers. (Author abstract)Botella, B.L., Bowie, E., Cummings, K., Sacanell, G., and Petrillo, M. (2021). How might we help someone to gain perspective on school dropouts: Research compiled using design thinking and liberatory design. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.ed

Insight into Non Linearly Shaped Superconducting Whiskers via Synchrotron Nanoprobe

We managed to synthesize non-linear YBa2Cu3Ox whiskers, i.e. half loops or kinked shapes, which are promising candidates for solid-state devices based on the intrinsic Josephson effect and with improved electrical connections. We report on a complete characterization of their structural properties via synchrotron nanoprobe as well as laboratory single-crystal diffraction techniques. This investigation allowed us to fully disclose the growth mechanism, which leads to the formation of curved whiskers. The superconducting properties are evaluated in comparison with the straight counterpart, revealing a strong functional analogy and confirming their potential applicability in superconducting electronic devices.Comment: 10 page

Microspheres-prime/rMVA-boost vaccination enhances humoral and cellular immune response in IFNAR(−/−) mice conferring protection against serotypes 1 and 4 of bluetongue virus

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent of bluetongue disease (BT), which affects domestic and wild ruminants. At the present, 27 different serotypes have been documented. Vaccination has been demonstrated as one of the most effective methods to avoid viral dissemination. To overcome the drawbacks associated with the use of inactivated and attenuated vaccines we engineered a new recombinant BTV vaccine candidate based on proteins VP2, VP7, and NS1 of BTV-4 that were incorporated into avian reovirus muNS-Mi microspheres (MS-VP2/VP7/NS1) and recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA). The combination of these two antigen delivery systems in a heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy generated significant levels of neutralizing antibodies in IFNAR(−/−) mice. Furthermore, this immunization strategy increased the ratio of IgG2a/IgG1 in sera, indicating an induction of a Th1 response, and elicited a CD8 T cell response. Immunized mice were protected against lethal challenges with the homologous serotype 4 and the heterologous serotype 1 of BTV. All these results support the strategy based on microspheres in combination with rMVAs as a promising multiserotype vaccine candidate against BTVThis work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2011-23506, AGL-2014-57430-R and BFU2013-43513-R). Financial support from the Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria (Centro singular de investigación de Galicia accreditation 2016–2019, ED431G/09) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is also gratefully acknowledgedS