Immigrant Integration in Los Angeles: Strategic Directions for Funders

Provides an overview of the immigrant population; their contributions and challenges; the need for leadership development and other efforts to support their economic mobility, civic participation, and integration; and strategies for funding such efforts

Making Change: How Social Movements Work and How to Support Them

Provides guidance for funders and activists on funding and sustaining a successful social movement. Details key elements of success, organizational capacities that need to be developed, areas for effective foundation investment, and issues to consider

DIF in the Spanish Version of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test Using Samples From Hispanics in the United States, Mexicans, and Spaniards

Aim: Before a test can be used in the target population, it is necessary to demonstrate that there is measurement equivalence. One way to do this is by studying differential item functioning (DIF). Objective: In this study, we used the Mantel–Haenszel procedure and logistic regression to analyze DIF in the Spanish version of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test between Spaniards, Mexicans, and Hispanics in the United States. Method: Three balanced samples, matched by age, education, and sex, were studied: Spaniards, Mexicans, and Hispanics [616 healthy participants from Spain (n = 211), Mexico (n = 201), and the United States (n = 205)]. A six-trial version of the Spanish version of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test was administered and scored according to standard procedures. Results: Statistical analysis showed some DIF between the samples of Spaniards, Mexicans, and Hispanics. A bootstrap validation of results confirmed that the item pollo showed DIF: the Mexicans and Hispanics outperformed the Spaniards, holding a total score constant. The item oído also showed DIF and was remembered in greater measure by the Spaniards. Conclusion: The Spanish version of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test can be used with Hispanic populations

The Economic Benefits of Immigrant Authorization in California

The USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) estimates that California would eventually benefit from Latino immigrant legalization by $16 billion annually. This would work towards fixing our budget crisis and restoring our safety net programs cut by the state last August. During this period of economic struggle and budget woes, California has a lot to gain from a national legalization policy. The report entitled "The Economic Benefits of Immigrant Authorization in California" measures the benefits that would accrue to the state and the nation if the currently unauthorized Latino workforce in California were legalized. CSII researchers used a conservative economic model that accounts for the wage "penalty" incurred by the undocumented, assumes a very slow increase in English skills and educational levels, and does not account for gains from future migration. Despite this conservative modeling, the report finds that significant immediate and long-term benefits would accrue not only to affected workers, but to the state and nation overall

Nuevas tendencias metodológicas en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras

La historia de la Enseñanza de lenguas ha estado marcada por los constantes cambios metodológicos derivados de la búsqueda del método de enseñanza ideal y de las distintas corrientes lingüísticas y psicológicas imperantes en el tiempo en que se producían. En los últimos años, destaca en este ámbito la enseñanza de lenguas basada en tareas, las cuales proporcionan las oportunidades idóneas para el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa y un aprendizaje eficaz en los estudiantes.Documento en PDF, 55 páginas

Cancer immunotherapy as a new treatment option

Cancer can coaptate the immune control of the immune system (IS), evade immunity and its destruction. So, could we say openly that immunotherapy is a viable treatment option for patients with advanced cancer? Yes, immunotherapy would give us great advances in the war against cancer. Therefore, the development of a new generation of immune modulators (which have been analyzed in the following article) is necessary. In addition, these will be more effective if we use them in combination, taking advantage of their synergy.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Generación de trayectorias y evaluación de desempeño de robots manipuladores

Actualmente, en los procesos de fabricación industrial los robots manipuladores son componentes esenciales, esto se debe a las diversas tareas que son capa es de realizar, tales como: ensamble, soldadura, manipulación de objetos, dispensación, entre otras. Sin embargo, di has aplicaciones son para escenarios geométricos limitados y simplificados, además la programación es compleja, por lo que se consume mucho tiempo en la programación. Entonces, cuando el volumen de producción es bajo o está en continuo cambio, sigue siendo necesaria la intervención de humanos expertos para realizar estas tareas. De acuerdo a lo anterior, en esta tesis se propone una metodología basada en sensores de unidad de medición inercial, en inglés Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), y fusión de sensores para la adquisición de las trayectorias realizadas por un humano, estimación de orientación en dos dimensiones y estimación de posición en 3 dimensiones. Además, se involucra el modelado de robots manipuladores, generación de trayectorias, control cinemático empleado en la programación del robot, y por último una evaluación de desempeño del movimiento del robot basado en índices de desempeño. Los resultados experimentales obtenidos muestran que la metodología aplicada es capaz de estimar la trayectoria (en posición y orientación) a partir de los datos adquiridos de la trayectoria realizada por un humano sin el uso de Sistemas de Visión Computacional (SVC). El propósito principal de esta investigación es el desarrollo de una metodología, en la cual los datos coordenados de las trayectorias realizadas por humanos expertos puedan ser emuladas lo más preciso posible por robots manipuladores, sin consumir demasiado tiempo en la programación manual de posición y movimiento del robot en cada punto de la trayectoria deseada

The Sabre in Spain through Fencing Treatises

The sabre was introduced to Spain and other Hispanic countries from abroad, leading to the establishment of a Spanish sabre school based on the principles of Destreza. Several types of fencing books can be found. There were books on sabre instruction for the army and navy with simple techniques but also more developed works designed both for officers’ fencing and duelling and or for civilian duelling, and later for sportive entertainment.There are a considerable number of extant treatises, mainly available in continental Spain but also in the Americas. Many of the authors were army or navy officers who were also teaching in military institutions. The evolution of sabre fencing is followed until the beginning of the twentieth century

Kadick´s Resolution: Using procedural design for the development of a Web Game

Treball final de Grau en Disseny i Desenvolupament de Videojocs. Codi: VJ1241. Curs acadèmic: 2018/2019This document presents the end-of-degree project for the Bachelor’s Degree in Design and Development of Video Games. The main idea for this project is to develop a videogame for internet browsers. Kadick’s Resolution is a Roguelike game imbued with cyberpunk style in 2D top perspective. Its scenario is generated using automatic generation through procedural design. This game uses Javascript as the main programming language including the Phaser framework to improve and ease the development process. This game is fully localized in English, Spanish and Valencian

Single molecule electrochemical studies of photosynthetic complexes

[eng] In this thesis manuscript entitled “Single molecule electrochemical studies of photosynthetic complexes” I study the Photosystem I (PSI) protein complex to characterize fundamental processes of the PSI function. PSI is a light harvesting complex located in the thylakoid membrane of algae and plants that pumps electrons throughout this membrane. Upon irradiation, PSI oxidizes plastocyanin (Pc) and reduces ferredoxin (Fd), that is, PSI is a light-driven oxidoreductase. In this dissertation, experimental results are presented regarding: i) The protein electron transfer and protein electron transport within the complex ii) The interprotein electron transfer with plastocyanin iii) The binding with plastocyanin and the influence of photosystem and plastocyanin redox state on their association iv) The excitonic-energy transfer within the light harvesting antenna of the photosystem. The novelty of the results presented here lies on the experimental approach. For this thesis, I have developed single protein techniques allowing to study single PSI, and single PSI-Pc pairs making use of nanoprobes techniques, electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy (EC- STM and EC-TS) and atomic force microscopy and single molecule force spectroscopy (AFM, SMFS). This have been achieved optimizing the binding of PSI and Pc to gold electrodes and nanoprobes allowing to orient and face the interacting complexes. In particular I have studied the charge exchange distance of PSI and PSI-Pc complexes by tunnel current distance decay spectroscopy. I have observed, in line with previous results of the group, that proteins pairs are able to exchange charge up to several nanometers distance. I have also studied the conductance of the PSI-Pc complex. For both experiments, we have observed that Pc devoid of its Cu redox center is able to transfer charge at longer distances and with higher conductances with respect to the holo form incorporating Cu2+. I have also observed that the binding probability of the PSI-Pc complex is modulated by the redox state of the proteins. In collaboration with my colleagues we have developed a methodology to control orthogonally the redox state of PSI (with light) and Pc (with specific reducing agent). We have observed that the binding probability is enhanced when at least one of the complex is in an ET ready (PSI oxidized, Pc reduced) state. To study the excitonic energy transfer in PSI antennae, we have developed in collaboration with the institute of photonic sciences a novel photocurrent detected spectroscopic technique. We measure the electrochemical current signal, proportional to the population of charge separated states as the sample is exposed to pulsed-laser irradiation. The optical set-up consists on a fully collinear, action detected (photocurrent) two-dimensional spectroscopy. In addition, making use of PSI functionalized electrodes, I have explored the feasibility of a photocurrent-based herbicide biosensor. The photocurrent output and kinetics were systematically studied and modelled. Altogether, I hope that the works presented in this manuscript contribute to the understanding of the electron transfer in proteins and in particular for the photosystem I complex.[spa] En esta tesis estudio la transferencia de electrones entre proteínas usando como modelos el fotosistema I y su pareja donadora de electrones en la fotosíntesis, la plastocianina. He medido dos etapas del proceso de transferencia electrónica, la asociación/disociación del complejo que forman y el intercambio de electrones entre el par. He caracterizado estos procesos en proteínas individuales empleando nano-microscopia y espectroscopía de sonda próxima, en concreto microscopía de fuerza atómica para el estudio de la asociación/disociación y microscopía scanner de efecto túnel en medio electroquímico en los experimentos de intercambio electrónico. Para ambos estudios, he expresado mutantes de plastocianina y he desarrollado péptidos de anclaje al fotosistema I para orientar al par de proteínas sobre electrodos de oro. Los experimentos de espectroscopía de fuerza revelan que la probabilidad de asociación entre el par de proteínas está modulada por su estado redox. En concreto, he observado que, si al menos una de las dos proteínas esté preparada para intercambiar carga, es decir si el fotosistema está oxidado o la plastocianina reducida, la probabilidad de asociación es mayor que la que observamos en el sistema fotosistema reducido y plastocianina oxidada. En el caso del intercambio electrónico, he estudiado el fotosistema I aislado, así como el par fotosistema plastocianina. En ambos casos observamos que el fotosistema es capaz de intercambiar electrones a varios nanómetros de distancia a través del electrolito con la sonda desnuda y con la sonda decorada con plastocianina respectivamente. También he estudiado el efecto del centro redox de cobre de la plastocianina en la conductancia y distancia de intercambio electrónico. Paralelamente, he explotado la fotocorriente que produce el fotosistema en dos pruebas de concepto, de carácter fundamental y aplicado, aprovechando las herramientas empleadas para medir la transferencia electrónica en el fotosistema I. Por un lado, hemos desarrollado junto con el Instituto de Ciencias Fotónicas y la universidad de Padova, un sistema de detección de fotocorriente electroquímica como observable en experimentos de espectroscopía electrónica de dos dimensiones. En la vertiente aplicada, hemos empleado la fotocorriente para determinar la concentración de un herbicida (paraquat)