Teacher reactions to the use of blogs in the classroom.

En este artículo presentamos un estudio exploratorio cualitativo cuyo objetivo fue co - no cer la percepción que una muestra de 25 profesores de enseñanza primaria, secundaria y uni versitaria, que utilizan habitualmente los blogs en sus aulas, sobre las posibilidades edu cativas que, en su opinión, tiene este recurso en rendimiento y comportamiento de los alum nos. Se realizó una investigación cualitativa mediante la técnica de relatos. La extracción de la información contenida en los relatos fue llevada a cabo mediante Análisis de Con - tin gencias utilizando software experimental como GestMagister y GOLUCA, para elaborar una representación gráfica en forma de Red Asociativas Pathfinder de las categorías más im portantes encontradas. Según estas categorías y sus relaciones identificamos las princi pa les posibilidades educativas del uso de los blogs, en opinión de los participantes.In this article we present a cualitative study whose objective was to find out the perception of 25 teachers of primary, high school and university who usually use blogs for their lessons, regarding the educational posibilities which, in their opionions, this resource has in the performance and behaviour of the pupils. A qualitative investigation was made using the story telling technique. The extraction of information of the tales was made using Risk Analysis, helped by experimental software, in the form of GestMagister and GOLUCA, to make a graphical representation in the shape of an Pathfinder Asociative Network of the most important categories found. With these categories and their relations we identify the main educational posibilities of the use of blogs in the opinion of the participants.peerReviewe

Finite element approximation of nematic liquid crystal flows using a saddle-point structure

In this work, we propose finite element schemes for the numerical approximation of nematic liquid crystal flows, based on a saddle-point formulation of the director vector sub-problem. It introduces a Lagrange multiplier that allows to enforce the sphere condition. In this setting, we can consider the limit problem (without penalty) and the penalized problem (using a Ginzburg-Landau penalty function) in a unified way. Further, the resulting schemes have an stable behavior with respect to the value of the penalty parameter, a key difference with respect to the existing schemes. Two different methods have been considered for the time integration. First, we have considered an implicit algorithm that is unconditionally stable and energy preserving. The linearization of the problem at every time step value can be performed using a quasi-Newton method that allows to decouple fluid velocity and director vector computations for every tangent problem. Then, we have designed a linear semi-implicit algorithm (i.e. it does not involve nonlinear iterations) and proved that it is unconditionally stable, verifying a discrete energy inequality. Finally, some numerical simulations are provided

An overview on numerical analyses of nematic liquid crystal flows

The purpose of this work is to provide an overview of the most recent numerical developments in the field of nematic liquid crystals. The Ericksen-Leslie equations govern the motion of a nematic liquid crystal. This system, in its simplest form, consists of the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with an extra anisotropic stress tensor, which represents the effect of the nematic liquid crystal on the fluid, and a convective harmonic map equation. The sphere constraint must be enforced almost everywhere in order to obtain an energy estimate. Since an almost everywhere satisfaction of this restriction is not appropriate at a numerical level, two alternative approaches have been introduced: a penalty method and a saddle-point method. These approaches are suitable for their numerical approximation by finite elements, since a discrete version of the restriction is enough to prove the desired energy estimate. The Ginzburg-Landau penalty function is usually used to enforce the sphere constraint. Finite element methods of mixed type will play an important role when designing numerical approximations for the penalty method in order to preserve the intrinsic energy estimate. The inf-sup condition that makes the saddle-point method well-posed is not clear yet. The only inf-sup condition for the Lagrange multiplier is obtained in the dual space of H1(Ω). But such an inf-sup condition requires more regularity for the director vector than the one provided by the energy estimate. Herein, we will present an alternative inf-sup condition whose proof for its discrete counterpart with finite elements is still open.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovació

Statistical power maps for SPM analysis of PET scans

[Abstract] The 10th International Conference on Functional Mapping of the Human Brain, June 13-17, 2004, Budapest, HungaryThis work presents an alternative method for reporting negative results in statistical parametric maps, consisting in estimating the maximum effect size that the test would not detect as significant with a certain probabilityPublicad

Characterization and radioactive evaluation of the concretefrom a radiotherapy bunker

The construction of concrete structures for radiological protection in sanitaryfacilities requires a series of constructive conditions that guarantee safety. Theinfluence of the correct bunkers design, wall thicknesses and the type of mate-rials used is essential to ensure effective protection. The use of barite aggregateconcrete is a common resource to improve the radiation attenuation capacityof concrete walls. The present study analyses the structure of a bunker duringa renovation work, studying the construction characteristics of the chamber,the state of its elements, the characterization of materials, the identification ofthe emissions of the possible isotopes present, beta radioactive contaminationand the measurement of equivalent dose rates at different points in the con-crete. The results made it possible to determine the use of conventional con-crete and barite concrete, the latter presenting a BaO content of around 40%and particularly low resistance values, not observing alteration processes inthe material

A DNA hypermethylation profile reveals new potential biomarkers for the evaluation of prognosis in urothelial bladder cancer

DNA hypermethylation has emerged as a molecular biomarker for the evaluation of cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We define a methylation signature of bladder cancer and evaluate whether this profile assesses prognosis of patients. Genome-wide methylation analysis was performed on 70 tumor and 10 normal bladder samples. Hypermethylation status of 1505 CpGs present in the promoter region of 807 genes was studied. Thirty-three genes were significantly hypermethylated in >= 10% of the tumors. Three clusters of patients were characterized by their DNA methylation profile, one at higher risk of dead of disease (p = 0.0012). Association between cluster distribution and stage (p = 0.02) or grade (p = 0.02) was demonstrated. Hypermethylation of JAK3 and absence of hypermethylation of EYA4, GAT6, and SOX1 were associated with low-grade non-invasive disease. On the other hand, in high-grade invasive disease hypermethylation of CSPG2, HOXA11, HOXA9, HS3ST2, SOX1, and TWIST1 was associated with muscle invasiveness. A panel of hypermethylated genes including APC, CSPG2, EPHA5, EYA4, HOXA9, IPF1, ISL1, JAK3, PITX2, SOX1, and TWIST1 predicted cancer-specific survival and SOX1 (HR = 3.46), PITX2 (HR = 4.17), CSPG2 (HR = 5.35), and JAK3 hypermethylation (HR = 0.19) did so independently. Silencing of genes by hypermethylation is a common event in bladder cancer and could be used to develop diagnostic and prognostic markers. Combined hypermethylation of SOX1, PITX2, or CSPG2 signals patients at higher risk of death from bladder cancer

Co-planar PET/CT for small animal imaging

Proceeding of: 2005 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record, Puerto Rico, October 23 - 29, 2005A small animal PET/CT system based on a common rotating gantry is proposed. The PET detection subsystem is composed of two detector modules based on MLS arrays and four flat panel type PS PMT. The CT subsystem consists in a micro focus X ray tube and a semiconductor X ray detector. Space for opposed PET detectors and the CT scanner have been allocated on the same plane in such a way that the trans axial and axial centers are common for both systems. Shielding elements have been placed around the detectors to avoid cross modality contamination. The gantry can rotate 370 degrees to provide complete data sets for the CT image reconstruction algorithm that is based on the cone beam geometry. PET image reconstruction is implemented using FBP (2D and 3D) and OSEM. Sequential acquisition protocols minimize the scan duration, and CT information can be used to implement PET imaging corrections. The coplanar configuration of this system provides intrinsically co registered data sets, and it is not necessary to reposition the animal to perform any modality imaging, avoiding undesired animal or additional accessories movements. An additional advantage is the compactness of the system that saves space and allows a direct visual monitoring of the animal during the scanPart of this work is founded by the IM3 network (G03/185 Ministerio de Sanidad), with grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, project TEC2004-07052-C02-01, and Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio project FIT-330101-2004-3. J.J. Vaquero has support from the “Ramón y Cajal” Program, Ministerio de Educación y Cienci

Increased hypothalamic anti‐inflammatory mediators in non‐diabetic insulin receptor substrate 2‐deficient mice

© 2021 by the authors.Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) 2 is a key mediator of insulin signaling and IRS-2 knockout (IRS2−/−) mice are a preclinical model to study the development of diabetes, as they develop peripheral insulin resistance and beta-cell failure. The differential inflammatory profile and insulin signaling in the hypothalamus of non-diabetic (ND) and diabetic (D) IRS2−/− mice might be implicated in the onset of diabetes. Because the lipid profile is related to changes in inflammation and insulin sensitivity, we analyzed whether ND IRS2−/− mice presented a different hypothalamic fatty acid metabolism and lipid pattern than D IRS2−/− mice and the relationship with inflammation and markers of insulin sensitivity. ND IRS2−/− mice showed elevated hypothalamic anti-inflammatory cytokines, while D IRS2−/− mice displayed a proinflammatory profile. The increased activity of enzymes related to the pentose-phosphate route and lipid anabolism and elevated polyunsaturated fatty acid levels were found in the hypothalamus of ND IRS2−/− mice. Conversely, D IRS2−/− mice have no changes in fatty acid composition, but hypothalamic energy balance and markers related to anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties were reduced. The data suggest that the concurrence of an anti-inflammatory profile, increased insulin sensitivity and polyunsaturated fatty acids content in the hypothalamus may slow down or delay the onset of diabetes.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation with the help of European FEDER funding (grant numbers FIS PI19/00166, BFU 2017-82565-C2-1-R, and RTI2018-094052-B-100), Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (S2017/BMD-3684) and the Network Center for Biomedical Research on Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) and Diabetes (CIBERDEM) Instituto Carlos III. S.C. was supported by CIBEROBN and A.G.M. by Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús

Ubiquitous Computing for Mobile Environments

The increasing role and importance of ubiquitous computing and mobile environments in our daily lives implies the need for new solutions. The characteristics of agents and multi-agent systems make them very appropriate for constructing ubiquitous and mobile systems. This chapter presents some of the advances in practical and theoretical applications of multi-agent systems in the fields of ubiquitous computing and mobile environments carried out by several AgentCities.ES research groups

Statistical downscaling with the downscaleR package (v3.1.0): contribution to the VALUE intercomparison experiment

The increasing demand for high-resolution climate information has attracted growing attention to statistical downscaling (SDS) methods, due in part to their relative advantages and merits as compared to dynamical approaches (based on regional climate model simulations), such as their much lower computational cost and their fitness for purpose for many local-scale applications. As a result, a plethora of SDS methods is nowadays available to climate scientists, which has motivated recent efforts for their comprehensive evaluation, like the VALUE initiative (http://www.value-cost.eu, last access: 29 March 2020). The systematic intercomparison of a large number of SDS techniques undertaken in VALUE, many of them independently developed by different authors and modeling centers in a variety of languages/environments, has shown a compelling need for new tools allowing for their application within an integrated framework. In this regard, downscaleR is an R package for statistical downscaling of climate information which covers the most popular approaches (model output statistics ? including the so-called ?bias correction? methods ? and perfect prognosis) and state-of-the-art techniques. It has been conceived to work primarily with daily data and can be used in the framework of both seasonal forecasting and climate change studies. Its full integration within the climate4R framework (Iturbide et al., 2019) makes possible the development of end-to-end downscaling applications, from data retrieval to model building, validation, and prediction, bringing to climate scientists and practitioners a unique comprehensive framework for SDS model development. In this article the main features of downscaleR are showcased through the replication of some of the results obtained in VALUE, placing an emphasis on the most technically complex stages of perfect-prognosis model calibration (predictor screening, cross-validation, and model selection) that are accomplished through simple commands allowing for extremely flexible model tuning, tailored to the needs of users requiring an easy interface for different levels of experimental complexity. As part of the open-source climate4R framework, downscaleR is freely available and the necessary data and R scripts to fully replicate the experiments included in this paper are also provided as a companion notebook.We thank the European Union Cooperation in Science and Technology (EU COST) Action ES1102 VALUE (http://www.value-cost.eu) for making publicly available the data used in this article and the tools implementing the comprehensive set of validation measures and indices. We also thank the THREDDS Data Server (TDS) software developed by UCAR/Unidata (https://doi.org/10.5065/D6N014KG, Unidata, 2006) and all R developers and their supporting community for providing free software facilitating open science. We acknowledge the World Climate Research Program’s Working Group on Coupled Modelling, which is responsible for CMIP, and we thank the EC-EARTH Consortium for producing and making available their model output used in this paper. For CMIP the U.S. Department of Energy’s Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison provides coordinating support and led the development of software infrastructure in partnership with the Global Organization for Earth System Science Portals. We are very grateful to the two anonymous referees participating in the interactive discussion for their insightful comments, helping us to considerably improve the original paper. Financial support. The authors acknowledge partial funding from the MULTI-SDM project (MINECO/FEDER, CGL2015-66583-R) and from the project INDECIS, part of the European Research Area for Climate Services Consortium (ERA4CS) with co-funding by the uropean Union (grant no. 690462)