Understanding the pharmaceutical patent system in Spain and Europe: a perspective from the need to take its protection-access tradeoff seriously

As a result of the doctoral research developed by the main author (Vargas-Chaves, 2017), it was identified the evolution and perspectives of the pharmaceutical patent in the international trade system, as well as it future legal research needs in this topic, both immediate and long-term. Furthermore, a number of problems of public health were highlighted in which the patent-term-extension mechanisms have produced a lack of access to medicines

Validity and Reliability of an Inertial Device for Measuring Dynamic Weight-Bearing Ankle Dorsiflexion

A decrease in ankle dorsiflexion causes changes in biomechanics, and different instruments have been used for ankle dorsiflexion testing under static conditions. Consequently, the industry of inertial sensors has developed easy-to-use devices, which measure dynamic ankle dorsiflexion and provide additional parameters such as velocity, acceleration, or movement deviation. Therefore, the aims of this study were to analyze the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of an inertial device for measuring dynamic weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion. Sixteen participants were tested using an inertial device (WIMU) and a digital inclinometer. Ankle dorsiflexion from left and right ankle repetitions was used for validity analysis, whereas test-retest reliability was analyzed by comparing measurements from the first and second days. The standard error of the measurement (SEM) between the instruments was very low for both ankle measurements (SEM 0.05) even though a significant systematic bias (~1.77°) was found for the right ankle (d = 0.79). R2 was very close to 1 in the left and right ankles (R2 = 0.85–0.89) as well as the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC > 0.95). Test-retest reliability analysis showed that systematic bias was below 1° for both instruments, even though a systematic bias (~1.50°) with small effect size was found in the right ankle (d = 0.49) with WIMU. The ICC was very close to 1 and the coefficient of variation (CV) was lower than 4% in both instruments. Thus, WIMU is a valid and reliable inertial device for measuring dynamic weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion

Environmental stress and parasitism as drivers of population dynamics of Mesodesma donacium at its northern biogeographic range

Abstract Riascos, J. M., Heilmayer, O., Oliva, M. E., and Laudien, J. 2011. Environmental stress and parasitism as drivers of population dynamics of Mesodesma donacium at its northern biogeographic range. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 823–833. Mesodesma donacium is a commercially important bivalve in Chile and Peru. During strong El Niño events, populations at the northern end of its geographic distribution are wiped out, so to understand its threshold responses to biotic and abiotic factors, the population dynamics of one of the northernmost population remnants was analysed between 2005 and 2007. Strong interannual differences were found in abundance, body mass, growth rate, somatic production, and the prevalence of the parasite Polydora bioccipitalis. A Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that changes in beach slope, seemingly linked to repeated storm surges, negatively affected the clam's abundance and seemingly also affected growth, mortality, body mass somatic production, and parasite prevalence. Infestation by P. bioccipitalis was restricted to adult clams. Juvenile clams suffered high mortality because they inhabit the intertidal zone, where wave action is strong. Larger clams also showed high mortality, which seemed best explained by a synergistic effect of parasite load and environmental stress. This parasite-climate-driven mortality of larger clams had a strong impact on somatic production and implied a dramatic loss of fecundity (82%), which may significantly affect the ability of the species to recover its former abundance and distribution.</jats:p

Algunas reflexiones sobre las concepciones alternativas y el cambio conceptual

In this paper some recent contributions to the research of students conceptions in science are reviewed. The study analyses four principles that sustain a large part of the contributions emerged during the last years in this field: a) implicit structure, b) coexistence of ideas, c) limited homogeneity, and d) probability. Likewise, an analysis of possible processes that operate during the conceptual change is performed, by discussing on the effectiveness of the substitution of ideas and the conceptual conflict in order to achieve the conceptual change. On the base of these contributions, some implications for teaching and research in science education are pointed out

Distintos niveles de análisis para el estudio del cambio conceptual en el dominio de la mecánica

A quasi-experimental study on the conceptual change in mechanics, it has been accomplished following various levels of analysis. Eighty-five students of tenth grade of a public school completed two questionnaires on mechanics phenomena, before and after being taught. The obtained results showed the presence of qualitative and quantitative changes in the cognitive structure. These changes affected the specific ideas expressed through particular answers, as well as the most general frameworks on which those answers were based. From those results some implications for didactic interest and for the investigation are commented

El principio físico de la indeterminación en la novela contemporánea

Indexación: Revista UNA

Self-reducing copper nanocrystals : how surface chemistry affects sintering

Copper nanocrystals (Cu NC) are actively investigated as substitutes for costly silver nanocrystals in conductive inks. However, to be of any use for printed conductors, oxidation of Cu NCs to non-conductive copper oxides must be avoided. Here, we analyze the interplay between the Cu NC surface termination, oxidation suppression and bulk copper formation through thermal annealing using 3 nm Cu NCs synthesized via thermal decomposition of copper formate in oleylamine (OLA). By adapting the method introduced by Sun et al,1 we obtain stable Cu NC dispersions that do not oxidize when stored under inert atmosphere, while showing a rapid conversion into copper oxide when exposed to air or deposited to form a thin NC film. Using solution 1H NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrate that as-synthesized Cu NCs are capped by OLA. OLA is tightly bound at NMR time scales, yet slowly desorbes during storage of the Cu dispersions, a process that is accelerated by oxygen exposure. Addition of carboxylic acids leads to the displacement of OLA from the Cu NCs and the formation of a denser ligand shell, probably consisting of dissociated carboxylic acids. We demonstrate that carboxylic acid ligands make Cu NCs more oxidation proof and facilitate the conversion of films of oxidized Cu NCs into a dense copper film. This offers the prospects of using colloidal Cu NCs as main constituent in conductive, nano-copper inks for applications in printed electronics

Modelización y pensamiento analógico en el aprendizaje del cambio químico

Se analiza el desempeño del alumnado de tercer curso de secundaria obligatoria, en el manejo y construcción de analogías ante prácticas científicas de modelización sobre cambio químico. El diseño didáctico planteado usó analogías como instrumento recurrente, en un entorno de aprendizaje en el que se favorecía la iniciativa y participación de los estudiantes. La recogida de datos se realizó vía producciones del alumnado en el aula, complementada con entrevistas semiestructuradas y transcripciones del diario del profesor. En primer lugar se identificaron las destrezas y valores epistémicos movilizados a través de las analogías empleadas; en segundo lugar se evaluó el desempeño del alumnado en cada una de esas dimensiones, y finalmente se aportaron datos sobre la unidad de constructo del conjunto de ellas, en conexión con la competencia de modelización en química

Some precisions about the editorial line of the journal

El presente documento tiene como propósito precisar el perfil de la revista, un ejercicio de meta-reflexión que consideramos necesario y saludable para cualquier publicación, en aras de preservar sus señas de identidad, y una oportunidad para dotar de transparencia al proceso editorial de toma de decisionesThe purpose of this document is to specify the profile of the journal, a meta-reflection exercise that we consider necessary and healthy for any publication, in order to preserve its identity, and an opportunity to provide transparency to the editorial process of making decision