Characterization of organic compounds in weathered stones

3 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, 8 references. Trabajo presentado al citado Simposio, celebrado del 13-16, junio, 1989, en Bologna, Italia.Solvent extraction and pyrolysis of the black sulfated crusts obtained from the Custom House, a 18th century building located in Dublin, Ireland, revea1ed common products upon gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Both methods yielded aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and triterpanes. The differences were the presence of fatty acids and diterpenoids (as methyl esters) and dialkyl phthalates in the solvent extract. On the contrary, low molecular weight compounds were identified as pyrolysis products, as denoted by their absence in the solvent extract. The origin of the identified compounds to related to urban and industrial activities.This research has been supported by the C.E.C. through contract EV4V 0061 E and the C.I.Y.T., Spain.Peer reviewe

El buen entrenador como experto adaptativo que lidera al grupo.

This paper aims to evaluate the adaptability of expert basketball coaches and ascertain the type of impact this adaptability has on the coaching process, and in the event, the kinds of adjustments that take place to succeed as a coach. A qualitative methodology and the semi-structured interview technique were used to develop the research. The interviewees were sixteen expert basketball coaches, as defined in specific literature. The results indicate that the coaches highlighted the capacity to adapt to their contexts, which is a priority in achieving professional success. These coaches stressed that they do not give up their coaching models when they change context, but rather adapt them to different situations

Comparison of humic and fulvic acids from different soils by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry

7 pages, 3 figures, 11 references.[EN]: Several recent publications showed the usefulness of pyrolysis mass spectrometry for the characterization of the organic matter of total soil samples and of soil organic matter fractions. Soil humic and fulvic acidS were pyrolyzed by the Curiepoint pyrolysis technique and were analyzed with a fast scanning low voltage electron impact mass spectrometer. Humic acids from different soil types and geographical distribution were characterized by series of homologous compounds, which were derived from protein, polysaccharides, alkanes, and lignin phenols. Fulvic acids showed great similarities and few variations in the relative abundance of pyrolysis products, with major peaks arising from polysaccharides: Aromatics and phenols were scanty or hardly detected.[ES]: Publicaciones recientes han mostrado la utilidad de la pirólisis-espectrometría de masas para la caracterización de la materia orgánica del suelo y sus fracciones. Ácidos húmicos y fúlvicos fueron pirolizados usando la técnica de la pirólisis por punto de Curie y analizados con un espectrómetro de masas de impacto electrónico a bajo voltaje. Los ácidos húmicos de diferentes tipos de suelos y orígenes geográficos se caracterizaron por series de compuestos homólogos, encontrándose derivados de proteínas, polisacáridos, alcanos y fenoles procedentes de la lignina. Los ácidos fúlvicos se mostraron muy similares y con pocas variaciones en la abundancia relativa de productos de pirólisis, hallándose que los picos mayores procedían de la pirólisis, de polisacáridos, mientras que, por el contrario, los compuestos aromáticos y fenoles fueron escasos y difícilmente detectables.This work was made possible by research grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Dutcb Foundation Research on Matter (F.O.M) und the Dutch Ministry of Health and Environmental Hygiene.Peer reviewe

El desarrollo de la pericia en los entrenadores expertos de baloncesto : etapas en la formación del entrenador a partir del estudio de su itinerario vital

RESUMEN. Considerando que los entrenadores desempeñan un papel importante en todos los niveles del deporte; el estudio y análisis del entrenador y del desarrollo de su pericia representa un objetivo esencial en el entrenamiento de alto rendimiento para la búsqueda de la excelencia deportiva. Encontrar las claves para llegar a la excelencia debe constituir uno de los objetivos principales por parte de los investigadores en todos los campos, no sólo en el deporte. Por ello, con el presente estudio se pretende conocer como han desarrollado su pericia dieciséis entrenadores españoles, expertos, de élite y formación en baloncesto. Para ello, analizaremos las etapas evolutivas en el desarrollo de su pericia, así como estudiaremos los factores y medios de formación que han permitido a estos expertos sobresalir. Para la selección de los entrenadores se utilizaron los distintos estándares utilizados en la literatura especializada: i) tener al menos 10 años de experiencia como entrenador; ii) tener una formación académica relacionada con el baloncesto; iii) ser reconocido como un entrenador de prestigio; iv) haber ganado algún titulo con su equipo (todos los entrenadores entrevistados han cosechado éxitos como, entre otros, el Campeonato del Mundo y de Europa de baloncesto y la liga ACB); y v) haber entrenado equipos y jugadores internacionales. Así, los objetivos específicos de la investigación han sido los siguientes: a). Definir el concepto de entrenador experto en baloncesto. b). Establecer los factores asociados al desarrollo de la pericia de los entrenadores expertos en baloncesto. c). Conocer las etapas por las que han evolucionado los entrenadores hasta llegar a ser expertos en baloncesto. d). Conocer los medios de formación de los entrenadores en el desarrollo de su conocimiento específico sobre el baloncesto. Para alcanzar dichos objetivos, la investigación utilizada ha sido de tipo cualitativa, a través del método biográfico para analizar su proceso de formación, tratando de encontrar aquellas variables críticas o factores específicos que establezcan las diferencias entre los distintos rendimientos alcanzados por los entrenadores de baloncesto. Para ello, la técnica de recogida de datos fue mediante entrevistas individuales semiestructuradas que nos han permitido conocer el itinerario vital de los expertos. En el diseño de la investigación se han seguido las etapas planteadas por Pujadas (1992) para el desarrollo del método biográfico: i) elaboración del marco teórico y definición de los problemas a investigar, así como los criterios de selección y, el diseño de la entrevista biográfica; ii) trascripciones de las entrevistas correspondientes a los dieciséis entrenadores expertos; iii) análisis de datos cualitativos y elaboración de informes individuales; y iv) discusión y conclusiones finales. Los resultados en cuanto a la definición de entrenador experto nos indican que el intento de establecer una definición única es, en sí mismo, un error, ya que comprende muchas variables en función del contexto, de los jugadores y de la competición. No obstante, sí parece existir una característica común como es la capacidad de adaptarse a todas estas variables con mayor facilidad que los que no lo son. Por tanto, resulta importante diferenciar cada entrenador experto en función de estas variables. Los resultados en cuanto a los factores que llevan asociados los entrenadores en el desarrollo de su pericia se dividen en cinco grupos fundamentales: 1. Factores básicos. Serían aquellos que son comunes a todos y cada uno de los expertos en los diferentes dominios, bien sean músicos, científicos, abogados o entrenadores. Estos son el conocimiento específico, el trabajo deliberado y una profunda experiencia significativa acumulada a lo largo de los años como entrenadores. 2. Factores emocionales. Serían aquellos factores ligados hacia la satisfacción de realizar ese dominio como son la motivación hacia su trabajo, el compromiso hacia su trabajo, y la continua ilusión y pasión por, en este caso, el baloncesto. 3. Factores Específicos. Serían aquellos factores específicos del entrenador como son la capacidad de adaptación del experto, el liderazgo en la gestión de grupos y la capacidad de comunicación de los entrenadores. 4. Factores Contextuales. Serían aquellos factores relacionados con el contexto personal del entrenador cuando entran dentro del mundo del baloncesto como son la familia, y la pareja entre otros. Estos factores han favorecido a nuestros entrenadores entrevistados, si bien es cierto que también pueden ser un factor limitante. 5. Otros Factores. Se refiere a aquellos factores que están relacionados con la obtención de una oportunidad de ser entrenador de élite como son el representante, ser arriesgado, la suerte, … Todos los factores son relevantes, si bien es cierto que nuestros resultados confirman la adaptabilidad, y la implicación, la responsabilidad y el grado de compromiso de los futuros entrenadores en el desarrollo de su formación como factores clave en su pericia. Los resultados obtenidos en cuanto a las etapas, reflejan la aparición de cuatro estadios evolutivos. La primera etapa se identifica con una práctica imitativa, coincide con el abandono de la etapa como jugador y el modelo de entrenamiento consiste, por regla general, con la mera imitación de otros entrenadores. La etapa número dos se caracteriza por una práctica reflexiva en la dirección del equipo como primer entrenador, y está reforzada por un proceso de tutelaje (mentoring). En esta etapa, la experiencia como entrenador empieza a ser un factor importante. La etapa número tres o práctica autónoma, corresponde a los entrenadores que ya están en un equipo de élite o de mayor responsabilidad, que poseen una profunda autonomía como entrenadores y un gran control de modelos específicos de entrenamiento en función de la categoría, el contexto la competición,… Finalmente, la última etapa, etapa experta, corresponde a una minoría de entrenadores en la que se posee una gran “intuición” como entrenadores a la hora de tomar decisiones tanto en la dirección de grupos como en la dirección de partidos, desarrollada por una gran cantidad de conocimientos y experiencias acumuladas a lo largo de los años. Además, estos entrenadores han conseguido desarrollar un modelo de entrenamiento con el que obtienen resultados deportivos. Por último, los resultados obtenidos en relación a los medios formativos utilizados por los entrenadores, se dividen en medios formales, no formales e informales. En función de las experiencias previas de los entrenadores, unos tendrán más repercusión que otros en su formación. En nuestra investigación, los medios formativos informales son los más destacados, y entre ellos, el día a día en el proceso de entrenamiento (aprendizaje situado) junto con la reflexión práctica, la red informal de conocimiento y/o aprendizaje compartido (aprendizaje social), y el mentoring informal. Todos estos resultados dan lugar a la reflexión y al replanteamiento de cómo se deben formar los futuros entrenadores desde las instituciones, universidades y federaciones, ya que, según nuestros resultados, se debe crear en las organizaciones y buscar por parte del entrenador, un entorno de aprendizaje específico donde a la vez de aprender, se reorganice este conocimiento, es decir, que se combinen situaciones de aprendizaje mediante la observación, charlas y aprendizaje situado en funciones de ayudantía, y a la vez, se deben poder poner en práctica estos aprendizajes. ABSTRACT. Considering that coaches carry out an important role at all levels of sport, it would stand to reason that in the world of high-level training, the study and analysis of the coach’s role and the development of the coach’s expertise is an essential objective in the quest for excellence in sport. Establishing the keys to excellence should be one of the main objectives of researchers in all fields, not only in sport. This is why this study aims at analysing how sixteen Spanish expert coaches have acquired their expertise in top-level basketball; emphasis is made on examining their stages of evolution as coaches as well as establishing the factors and educational resources that have led to their success. For the sample, different selection standards described in the literature were used: i) to have at least of ten years of experience as such; ii) to have an academic education related to basketball; iii) to be recognized as a prestigious coach; iii) to have won some professional basketball award (all of the coaches interviewed had won titles, including the World and European Basketball Championships and the ACB league title) ; and iv) to have coached professional international teams and players. The specific objectives of the study have been the following: a). To define the concept of an expert coach in basketball. b). To establish the factors linked to the development of expertise in expert coaches of in basketball. c). To establish the stages in the evolution of coaches who have become experts in basketball. d). To establish which have been the educational resources available to coaches in the building up of their specific insight and knowledge of basketball. In order to attain these objectives, a qualitative-type study using the biographical method was undertaken; this approach analyzed the education process and was aimed at establishing critical variables or specific factors that would generate the differences between the difference performance levels of basketball coaches. To this end, the datagathering technique was based on semi-structured interviews which allowed us to establish the professional pathways taken by the experts. In the design of the study, we adopted the stages proposed by Pujadas (1992) to carry out the biographical method: i) the elaboration of a theoretical framework and the definition of the problems to be researched, as well as the selection criteria and the design of the biographical interview; ii) transcriptions of the interviews of the sixteen coach experts; iii) analysis of the qualitative data and the making up of individual reports; and iv) the discussion and final conclusions. The results in relation to the definition of expert coach reflect that any attempt to create a sole definition is per se an error, since it involves many variables based on the context, the players and aspects of competition. Nonetheless, there seems to be a common characteristic such as the ability to adapt to all these variables with greater ease compared to those who encounter more difficulty. Hence it is important to differentiate each expert coach on the basis of these variables. The results concerning the factors associated with the development of coach expertise are divided into five basic groups: 1. Basic Factors. These are factors common to each and every expert in all disciplines, whether they be musicians, scientists, lawyers or coaches. These factors involve specific knowledge, deliberate work and a great deal of experience acquired over many years as coaches. 2. Emotional factors. These are factors linked to the satisfaction of attaining mastery and which involve work motivation, commitment to work and ongoing passion for the sport –in this case, basketball. 3. Specific factors. These are factors specific to the coach such as the expert’s ability to adapt, leadership skills in the management of groups and the coaches’ ability to communicate. 4. Contextual factors. These are factors related to the personal situation of the coach who has entered the world of basketball, such as family, partner and others. These factors have tended to be advantageous to the coaches interviewed but in some cases however, they have had a limiting effect. 5. Other Factors. These are concerned with obtaining an opportunity towards becoming an elite coach such as being a representative, accepting a degree of risk and sheer luck. All factors are relevant even though our results confirm that the key to attaining coach expertise involves the perceptions, the commitment and the sense of responsibility of future coaches while they are undergoing education. Moreover, adapted to the context appears as central factor to the expert coaches in basketball. The results obtained for the aspect of stage reflect the presence of four evolutionary periods. The first stage is identified by the praxis of imitation which coincides with leaving behind the player stage; the training model is generally based on the mere imitation of other coaches. Stage number two is characterised by an reflexive practice in the management of the team as first coach and is reinforced by a tutoring process (mentoring). In this stage, experience as a coach gains specific weight. Stage number three or autonomy practice corresponds to coaches who are in the elite group or who have greater responsibility; they have enormous autonomy as coaches and have a mastery of specific training models according to category and competitive situation. Finally, there is the expert stage which corresponds to a minority of coaches who have great “intuition” as coaches when decisions have to be made in terms of managing groups as well as managing matches; they possess enormous knowledge and many years of accumulated experience. Such coaches have furthermore developed a training model with which they obtain clear results in sport. Lastly, the results obtained in relation to the educational resources used by coaches can be divided into formal, nonformal and informal categories; the previous experience of coaches affects the repercussions of one or the other type of education undertaken. In our study, informal education modes seem to have played a bigger role; this includes the day-to-day praxis of coaching (situated learning) together with reflection on the praxis, informal knowledge networks and/or shared learning (social learning) and informal mentoring. All these results offer food for thought as to the reappraisal of how coaches should be educated at institutions, universities and federations. Our results point to the adequacy of creating a learning milieu which embraces not only learning but a reorganisation of this knowledge. In other words there should be a combination of learning techniques (such as observation, discussion with peers and situated learning carried out by coach assistant coaches) and the putting into practice of this newly acquired learning

Pyrolysis-gass chromatography-mass spectrometry of soil humic fractions: II. The high boiling point compounds

4 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, 16 references.-- Publicado en el apartado: Division S-3-Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry.Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry studies of soil fulvic and humic acids were made. The high boiling point compounds produced by pyrolysis were separated in a column packed with Chromosorb AW DMCS 80-100 mesh coated with 10% FFAP. Humic acids with a high nitrogen content yielded a complex variety of protein derivatives, such as alkylpyridines, alkylpyrroles, alkylbenzonitriles, indoles, piperidines, pyrazines, and pyrrolidones. Humic acids with low N content yielded a smaller number of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. Lignin derivatives were also identified, but the amount varied in different samples. Furanes were not as prominent as protein and lignin fragments. Acid hydrolysis released proteins, polysaccharides, and lignins, which could be considered as companion materials of a humic "core". The majority of the pyrolysis compounds from the residue after hydrolysis were identified as alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, phenols, benzofuranes, indenes, and fluorenes. Alkanes and alkenes were noted in trace amounts. Pyrolysis behavior of fulvic acids differed from that of humic acids. They produced poorly resolved pyrograms with smaller number and a lower intensity of peaks, from which only furfurals, phenols, benzofuranes, and naphthalenes could be identified.Peer reviewe

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of humic and fulvic acids after acid hydrolysis

Two soil humic acids (HA), a marine sediment HA, and a soil fulvic acid (FA), were fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of denaturing agents before and after 6N HCl hydrolysis. After acid hydrolysis, the intensity of the high molecular size (MS) fraction decreased considerably in all HAs. On the other hand, a new high-MS fraction appeared in the FA after hydrolysis. The electrophoretic data indicate that acid hydrolysis produced a transformation in the humic macromolecule, inducing either depolymerization or condensation, depending on the nature of the humic fraction. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of using acid hydrolysis should be carefully considered before this treatment is carried out.Peer Reviewe

Protocol to desensitize human and murine mast cells after polyclonal IgE sensitization.

In this protocol, we provide detailed instructions to desensitize human and murine mast cells (MCs) after polyclonal IgE sensitization. Moreover, we specify the steps for MC degranulation assessment after desensitization, measuring CD63 and CD107a expression by flow cytometry and b-hexosaminidase activity. Desensitized MCs can be used directly for co-culture with other cell types, immunofluorescence, live imaging, and omics approaches.post-print3350 K

The Seville Cathedral altarpiece: A microbiological and chemical survey of the dust

4 pages, 4 figures, 5 references.-- Proceedings of the International Congress on Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, held 2-5 october, Santiago de Compostela, España.The altarpiece of the Seville Cathedral was built between 1481 and 1565 and has a total perimeter of 20.10 m and 23.41 m height, which makes this altarpiece the largest in the world. The last restoration was performed in 1977, centered on ensuring its structural stability and consolidation of wood structures and polychromy. A new intervention to appraise the state of conservation is currently in progress. Our study is centered on the assessment of the dust accumulated on the surface including a survey of significant alterations from biological origin. The approach carried out combined molecular biology methods and analytical procedures. The composition of the dust samples is very heterogeneous, comprising mineral particles resulting from the deterioration of the building materials, fragments of decorative elements particularly gold leaf from the gilded wood, products from air pollution (soot), as well as biological fragments of insects, arachnids and bird droppings, in addition to bacteria and fungal spores.The Cabildo Catedral de Sevilla supported this research through Agora S.L. The postdoctoral fellowship granted by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia to A.Z.M. (SFRH/BPD/63836/2009) is acknowledged. CEPGIST work was supported by PTDC/EATEAT/ 116700/2010 and PEst-OE/CTE/UI0098/2011.Peer reviewe

Local inflammation enables a basophil-neuronal circuITCH in atopic dermatitis.

post-print1573 K

Las comunidades de práctica como medio potencial de aprendizaje en entrenadores

La noción de comunidad de práctica (en adelante CoP) es una herramienta de análisis del aprendizaje, a la vez que concepto central del aprendizaje situado (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Según Wenger, McDermott, y Snyder (2002, 4), una CoP es “un grupo de personas (entrenadores en este caso) que comparten un objetivo común, un conjunto de problemas, o una pasión en torno a un tópico, y que profundizan en su conocimiento y experiencia a partir de la interacción”