Erased identities: Marita Conlon’s The Magdalen (1999)

Following postmodernist and trauma studies discourses our aim here is to analyse Marita Colon’s novel in which she gives voice to a fictional character, Esther, as representative of those Irish women who were sent to a Magdalene Asylum after being displaced and rejected by their own society on the grounds of a doubted moral behaviour. Like Esther, thousands of women underwent physical and psychological abuses under the custody of members of the Church, a traumatic experience to which they responded in a repressed way keeping silence and even abandoning their home country. Consequently, as a result of the repression and violence they were subjected to, their identity became erased being psychologically wounded for their whole lives finding difficulties to adapt to normal life after their liberation even rejecting the male figure who may try to impose power over them.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) frente a Western Blot

We propose the SRM technology as a complementary method to the Western Blot for the detection and quantification of proteins in a sample. The technique Western Blot has its own limitations: i) only a protein-of-choice is detected, ignoring any non-relevant proteins, ii) the sensitivity of the technique depends on the specificity of the antibody and iii) Western Blot is expensive and time-consuming. The advantages of SRM with respect Western Blot are remarkable: i) you can detect up to hundreds of different proteins in a sample, ii) SRM is more sensitive, because just 50 copies of the target protein per cell are enough for the detection and iii) once it has been made an investment in the necessary machinery to develop this technique, the detection of proteins in a sample turns into a cheaper, faster, more specific and full-quantitative procedure, without the need of using antibodies. First of all, SRM requires the identification of little peptides, obtained by tryptic digestion, whose sequence must be unique for a single protein or isoform. There is software for that aim. Then, it’s necessary to create isotope-labeled peptides of that identified for acting as internal standards. That sample is introduced in a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer: it passes through a first quadrupole, which functions as a filter, where the fragments are selected, previously ionized, attending to the mass/charge (m/z) relation that correspond to that unique fragments of the protein of interest. In this first selection may be other peptides from other proteins, with the same m/z but with different sequence. To select those that are exclusive from the target protein, the fragments are moved to a second quadrupole, where they are fragmented again with a physical method, and so new smaller fragments are generated. All the new fragments are conduced to the third quadrupole, where just those which come from the protein of interest are selected, attending at their m/z again. The target peptide concentration is determined by measuring the observed signal response for the target peptide relative to that of the isotopic-labeled peptide, the concentration of which is calculated from a pre-determined calibration-response curve. Calibration curves have to be generated for each target peptide in the sample. Because SRM technology is increasing its use, there have been developed databases where the scientific community upload information about protocols and standards for each protein with the aim to facilitate the work to other researchers

El hallazgo del calamar diamante Thysanoteuthis rhombus en el Golfo de Tehuantepec, Pacífico tropical noreste

Background. The presence of Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857 in the eastern Pacific Ocean was estimated based on the geographic range of the species constructed from scattered locations of adults, juveniles, and egg masses. Goals. This note describes morphometric characteristics of the southernmost registry of the diamond squid T. rhombus in Mexican waters of the Gulf of Tehuantepec (16°N-95°W). Methods. In January 2015 we found a stranded adult female weighing a total of 12.5 kg, with a total length of 92 cm, and a mantle length of 45.5 cm. Results. This was a mature female, with oocytes inside the oviducts that averaged 1.2 mm in diameter, and seven attached spermatophores on the buccal membrane of the female, as evidence of mating. Conclusions. This late registry in the Gulf of Tehuantepec could simply be due to their relative scarcity in the eastern Pacific Ocean.  Antecedentes. La presencia de Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857 en el Océano Pacífico oriental se estimó en función del rango geográfico de las especies, construidas a partir de lugares de dispersión de adultos, juveniles y masas de huevos. Objetivos. La presente nota describe las características morfométricas del registro más sureño del calamar T rhombus en aguas mexicanas (Golfo de Tehuantepec, 16°N-95°W). Métodos. En enero de 2015 encontramos una hembra adulta de 12.5 kg de peso total, 92 cm de largo total y 45.5 cm de ancho del manto. Resultados. El espécimen correspondió a una hembra madura, con ovocitos dentro de los oviductos con un promedio de 1.2 mm de diámetro, además se registró siete espermatóforos adheridos en la membrana bucal de la hembra como evidencia de apareamiento. Conclusiones. Este registro tardío en el Golfo de Tehuantepec podría deberse simplemente a su relativa escasez en el Océano Pacífico oriental

A new approach for operating powered wheelchairs by people with severe impairments

This paper discusses the introduction of mechanisms to adapt commercial powered wheelchairs in order to facilitate its driving by people with severe impairments. Several models of operation are proposed and the most promising, at the moment, called legacy adapted mode, is detailed. A part of the formal operation model is presented. The model is then used in the STAGE simulator, not only for its valuation, but also to tune operational parameters that will be specific of each patient and to train the patients without a real wheelchair

¿Es óptimo el uso de los factores productivos en México? Una respuesta a través del análisis de fronteras estocásticas

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la eficiencia técnica para las entidades federativas de México y determinar si se está haciendo un uso óptimo de los factores de la producción. La metodología a emplear es el análisis de fronteras estocásticas. Entre los principales resultados se encuentran que la eficiencia técnica promedio es de 72% en términos reales, lo que muestra el potencial que aún tienen estas economías de mejorar en el uso de los factores. El indicador de eficiencia revela que los estados que hacen mejor uso de sus factores productivos son el Distrito Federal, el Estado de México y Guanajuato, quienes han reducido de manera importante las ineficiencias en su uso

Relación y visitas entre los menores acogidos y sus familias biológicas desde la perspectiva de estudiantes universitarios

Inmerso en el acogimiento familiar se considera de primordial importancia el mantenimiento de los vínculos entre los acogidos y sus padres biológicos. Este trabajo reflexiona sobre la necesidad de estudiar el papel y la intervención con las familias biológicas en el acogimiento familiar. Además de una aproximación a esta temática, se exponen algunos resultados derivados de una investigación, realizada en el curso 2013/14, que aborda la visión de 460 estudiantes de la Universidad de Málaga, mediante un cuestionario, sobre las familias biológicas y las visitas en el acogimiento familiar. Además, un grupo reducido ha respondido a una entrevista con preguntas abiertas, sobre aspectos planteados en el cuestionario inicial.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Estimation of muscular forces from SSA smoothed sEMG signals calibrated by inverse dynamics-based physiological static optimization

The estimation of muscular forces is useful in several areas such as biomedical or rehabilitation engineering. As muscular forces cannot be measured in vivo non-invasively they must be estimated by using indirect measurements such as surface electromyography (sEMG) signals or by means of inverse dynamic (ID) analyses. This paper proposes an approach to estimate muscular forces based on both of them. The main idea is to tune a gain matrix so as to compute muscular forces from sEMG signals. To do so, a curve fitting process based on least-squares is carried out. The input is the sEMG signal filtered using singular spectrum analysis technique. The output corresponds to the muscular force estimated by the ID analysis of the recorded task, a dumbbell weightlifting. Once the model parameters are tuned, it is possible to obtain an estimation of muscular forces based on sEMG signal. This procedure might be used to predict muscular forces in vivo outside the space limitations of the gait analysis laboratory.Postprint (published version

Validación experimental de un modelo de músculo activado de forma artificial

Postprint (published version

Design of a patient-tailored active knee-ankle-foot orthosis to assist the gait of spinal cord injured subjects

—This paper presents the main design steps in the development of an active knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) conceived to assist the gait of incomplete spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects. The design approach is based on the idea of modifying the available passive orthoses by adding adaptable mechatronic modules at the joints. This approach has resulted in a prototype that has been tested on SCI patients. The design and control problems found and their adopted solutions are thoroughly described.Postprint (published version