Segones jornades d’educació per a la pau

Les segones jornades d’educació per a la pau celebrades a la Universitat Rovira i Virgili els dies 9, 10 i 11 de novembre del 1993, van ser organitzades pel Seminari d'Educació per a la Pau del Tarragonès, dins les activitats del Pla de Formació Permanent del Professorat. Obertes a tothom, pretenien ser, com les primeres (celebrades fa dos anys), un element més d'ajut per als educadors i educadores, en general, en la difícil tasca de fomentar valors de cooperació, respecte i solidaritat. A més a més, aquest cop es feia una crida especial als pares i mares, tot i emfasitzant llur indispensable tasca pel que fa a l'Educació per a la Pau dels infants i dels joves dels nostres dies

Nano-photocatalysts in microfluidics, energy conversion and environmental applications

Extensive studies have been carried out on photocatalytic materials in recent years as photocatalytic reactions offer a promising solution for solar energy conversion and environmental remediation. Currently available commercial photocatalysts still lack efficiency and thus are economically not viable for replacing traditional sources of energy. This article focuses on recent developments in novel nano-photocatalyst materials to enhance photocatalytic activity. Recent reports on optofluidic systems, new synthesis of photocatalytic composite materials and motile photocatalysts are discussed in this article.Postprint (published version

Understanding school teachers’ perceptions of expertise: Impact on Initial Teacher Education programmes

In 2015-16, for the first time, school-centred Initial Teacher Education (ITE) recruited more student teachers than universities did. It seems that schools and teachers are gaining more power to decide the future of ITE and to shape teachers’ practice. Eliciting teachers’ perceptions of Newly Qualified Teachers’ (NQT) readiness and their own understandings of teaching could raise awareness among schoolcentred programmes and teachers about their teaching positions and potential areas of improvement, and also help universities to reposition themselves as providers and ITE, particularly in school-university partnerships. This study aims to explore teachers’ perceptions of NQTs’ preparedness for two reasons: First, to explore the perceived level of preparedness among colleagues, and second, to gain understanding of teachers’ conceptions of expertise

Differential β-arrestin2 requirements for constitutive and agonist-induced internalization of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor

CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) undergoes both constitutive and agonist-induced internalization, but the underlying mechanisms of these processes and the role of beta-arrestins in the regulation of CB1R function are not completely understood. In this study, we followed CB1R internalization using confocal microscopy and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer measurements in HeLa and Neuro-2a cells. We found that upon activation CB1R binds beta-arrestin2 (beta-arr2), but not beta-arrestin1. Furthermore, both the expression of dominant-negative beta-arr2 (beta-arr2-V54D) and siRNA-mediated knock-down of beta-arr2 impaired the agonist-induced internalization of CB1R. In contrast, neither beta-arr2-V54D nor beta-arr2-specific siRNA had a significant effect on the constitutive internalization of CB1R. However, both constitutive and agonist-induced internalization of CB1R were impaired by siRNA-mediated depletion of clathrin heavy chain. We conclude that although clathrin is required for both constitutive and agonist-stimulated internalization of CB1R, beta-arr2 binding is only required for agonist-induced internalization of the receptor suggesting that the molecular mechanisms underlying constitutive and agonist-induced internalization of CB1R are different

Novel mechanisms of G-protein-coupled receptors functions: AT1 angiotensin receptor acts as a signaling hub and focal point of receptor cross-talk

AT1 angiotensin receptor (AT1R), a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is the main receptor, which mediates the effects of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). AT1R plays a crucial role in the regulation of blood pressure and salt-water homeostasis, and in the development of pathological conditions, such as hypertension, heart failure, cardiovascular remodeling, renal fibrosis, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. Stimulation of AT1R leads to pleiotropic signal transduction pathways generating arrays of complex cellular responses. Growing amount of evidence shows that AT1R is a versatile GPCR, which has multiple unique faces with distinct conformations and signaling properties providing new opportunities for functionally selective pharmacological targeting of the receptor. Biased ligands of AT1R have been developed to selectively activate the β-arrestin pathway, which may have therapeutic benefits compared to the conventional angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. In this review, we provide a summary about the most recent findings and novel aspects of the AT1R function, signaling, regulation, dimerization or oligomerization and its cross-talk with other receptors, including epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, adrenergic receptors and CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Better understanding of the mechanisms and structural aspects of AT1R activation and cross-talk can lead to the development of novel type of drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases. © 201

CO oxidation and COPrOx over preformed Au nanoparticles supported over nanoshaped CeO2

Au/CeO2 (0.25% wt. Au) catalysts were prepared by anchoring preformed Au nanoparticles over ceria polycrystals, cubes and rods and tested in the oxidation of CO and COPrOx. The use of preformed Au nanoparticles assured a constant Au particle size (ca. 5 nm by HRTEM) for all samples, which allowed to a precise assessment of the effect of the morphology of nanoshaped ceria on catalytic activity. The catalytic performance of the Au/CeO2-rods was much better than that of the Au/CeO2-polycrystals and Au/CeO2-cubes both in the oxidation of CO and COPrOx reactions. The Au/CeO2-rods exhibited the highest amount of oxidized Au and Ce(III) species by XPS, whereas in the Au/CeO2-cubes gold was totally metallic and the amount of Ce(III) was minimum. An intermediate situation was encountered in the Au/CeO2-polycrystals. Considering the differences in the oxidation states ofAu and Ce and the factthat all samples were prepared with preformed metallic Au nanoparticles of the same size, the results indicate that the intrinsic nature of the different ceria surfaces exerts a prominent role in the gold-ceria interaction and in the electron density transfer from Au to Ce, which in turn has a strong effect on catalytic activity. Gold nanoparticles strongly interact with CeO2-{1 1 0} surfaces with respect to CeO2-{1 1 1} and CeO2-{1 0 0}, even when Au nanoparticles are prepared separately and simply deposited by impregnation.Postprint (author's final draft

Transforming a compact disk into a simple and cheap photocatalytic nanoreactor

A commercial compact disk has been converted into an effective photocatalytic nanoreactor by depositing a catalyst layer inside the nanochannels by means of an electrophoretic method. The resultant device has been tested for water splitting, obtaining a high yield of hydrogen at an unbeatable low cost.Postprint (published version

High Resolution Chronostratigraphy from an Ice-Dammed Palaeo-Lake in Andorra: MIS 2 Atlantic and Mediterranean Palaeo-Climate Inferences over the SE Pyrenees

This work is close beyond the common applicability of the sequence stratigraphy principles. Nevertheless one aim is to demonstrate its validity for a small ice-dammed palaeo-lake. Since base-level variability is smoothly related with an oscillatory motion, the chronostratigraphy chart emerges as a crucial tool to produce enough quantitative data for a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis, even if this chronostratigraphy is based on local stratigraphic constraints. The exposed case is related to sixth order stratigraphic cycles, even higher, related to high-frequency global events occurring at the end of the Pleistocene. The glacio-lacustrine record was controlled by an intermittent ice-damming from the main glacier located in Andorra. Tributary glacier tongues advance and retreat accordingly to the main glacier, however asynchronously. The system Tract evolution and the related unconformities reflect the glacier motion imprint. The glacier advances produce an unconformable subglacial till, but also a repeated TST-HST sedimentary evolution over it and their related conformable surfaces. The long-term base-level evolution was leaded by axial tilt cycle, however precession did not appear at the FFT analysis, indicating a strong high latitude climatic influence on the palaeo-lake’s evolution. The sub-orbital periodicities have been observed in the range of the Heinrich events, but also in the range of the Mediterranean salinity anomalies (periodicity of 3–5 ky)

Geografía de la unión libre en América Latina y el Caribe a comienzos del siglo XXI

La unión libre ha formado parte de los sistemas nupciales de América Latina desde tiempos coloniales aunque su práctica ha estado históricamente más extendida en unas regiones que en otras. La mayoría de trabajos que aportan datos sobre las características de este tipo de unión en América Latina lo hacen a escala nacional y son pocos los que han abordado esta cuestión a una escala más detallada. Este estudio moviliza más de 550 millones de registros individuales procedentes de los últimos datos censales publicados de 38 países de América Latina y el Caribe (2001-2012). En total se analizan los datos correspondientes a 17.000 unidades administrativas. El trabajo hace uso intensivo de los sistemas de información geográfica para gestionar la información, examinar la consistencia de los indicadores en áreas pequeñas, e identificar las áreas de influencia territorial de la unión libre y examinar la homogeneidad interna de los países