RCeveierwamide and ceramide 1-phosphate in health and disease

Sphingolipids are essential components of cell membranes, and many of them regulate vital cell functions. In particular, ceramide plays crucial roles in cell signaling processes. Two major actions of ceramides are the promotion of cell cycle arrest and the induction of apoptosis. Phosphorylation of ceramide produces ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P), which has opposite effects to ceramide. C1P is mitogenic and has prosurvival properties. In addition, C1P is an important mediator of inflammatory responses, an action that takes place through stimulation of cytosolic phospholipase A2, and the subsequent release of arachidonic acid and prostaglandin formation. All of the former actions are thought to be mediated by intracellularly generated C1P. However, the recent observation that C1P stimulates macrophage chemotaxis implicates specific plasma membrane receptors that are coupled to Gi proteins. Hence, it can be concluded that C1P has dual actions in cells, as it can act as an intracellular second messenger to promote cell survival, or as an extracellular receptor agonist to stimulate cell migration.

Bienestar subjetivo en el ámbito rural

El presente estudio se centra en el concepto de bienestar psicológico subjetivo, componente cualitativo de la calidad de vida y, por lo tanto, de especial relevancia en la intervención socioeducativa. El objetivo principal ha sido la valoración del bienestar subjetivo de la población en el medio rural. Se ha desarrollado en Matallana de Torio, un municipio de León de 1397 habitantes, participando en el mismo 318 personas adultas entre 18 y 86 años. Se analizó la literatura existente para valorar, por un lado, la importancia del concepto de bienestar subjetivo en relación con el de felicidad y con el de calidad de vida. Por otro lado, se exponen las concepciones sobre el medio rural para aproximarnos a una idea común acerca de este concepto tan cercano pero tan poco analizado desde este enfoque. Para llevar a cabo este análisis, se ha optado por una metodología cuantitativa, cuya naturaleza descriptiva, permite obtener resultados generalizables. Se han utilizado las escalas de Ryff, por constituir un instrumento de análisis del bienestar subjetivo contrastado y fiable. Los principales resultados derivados del análisis de datos indican niveles por debajo de la media en las dimensiones analizadas como: autoaceptación, relaciones positivas, autonomía, dominio del entorno, crecimiento personal y propósito en la vida. Este resultado puede estar relacionado con la variable cultural y las limitaciones derivadas de la escasez de servicios socioeducativos que se encuentran las personas en el ámbito rural.

Lehen Hezkuntzako ikasleen jarrerak matematikarekiko

Lan honetan Alonsotegiko ikastetxeko 6. mailako ikasleek matematikarekiko dituzten jarrerak aztertu izan dira; konkretuki antsietatea, konfiantza, motibazioa, matematikari esleitutako balioa eta gustua. Matematikarekiko jarrerak aztertu beharreko gaia direla uste dut, eremu afektiboaren osagai izanda eragin zuzena dutelako ikasleen eremu kognitiboan zein lortutako emaitzetan. Jarrerak neurtzeko ikerketa kuantitatiboa eta ikerketa kualitatiboa egin izan dira. Lehenengoa Likert motako 13 item-eko ikasleentzako galdetegiaren bidez egin da eta bigarrena irakaslearen iritzia jasotzera bideratutako galdetegi irekiaren bidez. Emaitzek matematikarekiko jarrera positiboak erakutsi dituzte. Generoaren araberako desberdintasunak daude eta mutilak dira matematikarekiko jarrera positiboagoak erakusten dituztenak.

Development of a new modelling framework to estimate the C footprint from Basque dairy farms

19 p.

Análisis de la evolución del patrimonio neto de empresas del sector energético a través del estado de cambios en el patrimonio neto.(Período 2011-2013)

Este trabajo trata de analizar el patrimonio neto de empresas del sector energético, a través del Estado de Cambios en el Patrimonio Neto. Se estructura en 4 partes, cada una corresponde a una empresa distinta. El análisis se basa fundamentalmente en dos puntos: - Estudio del Activo, Pasivo y Patrimonio Neto de la empresa a grandes rasgos con la ayuda de gráficos y ratios (ratio de inmovilización, fondo de maniobra y ratio de autonomía financiera), a fin de presentar los principales datos de cada entidad. - Análisis detallado de los cambios acontecidos en el Patrimonio Neto a través del Estado Total de Cambios en el Patrimonio Neto y del Estado de Ingresos y Gastos Reconocidos, en cada uno de los años objeto de estudio, haciendo especial énfasis en la política de aplicación de resultados. Para finalizar, he realizado las conclusiones en las cuales comparo las principales y más importantes magnitudes de cada empresa: total de Activo, Fondo de Maniobra, Autonomía Financiera, evolución del Patrimonio Neto, Resultado del ejercicio y distribución de dividendos.

Ab initio study of anharmonicity in high pressure Cmca-4 metallic hydrogen

Hydrogen is the only atom for which the Schr odinger equation is solvable. Consisting only of a proton and an electron, hydrogen is the lightest element and, nevertheless, is far from being simple. Under ambient conditions, it forms diatomic molecules H2 in gas phase, but di erent temperature and pressures lead to a complex phase diagram, which is not completely known yet. Solid hydrogen was rst documented in 1899 [1] and was found to be isolating. At higher pressures, however, hydrogen can be metallized. In 1935 Wigner and Huntington predicted that the metallization pressure would be 25 GPa [2], where molecules would disociate to form a monoatomic metal, as alkali metals that lie below hydrogen in the periodic table. The prediction of the metallization pressure turned out to be wrong: metallic hydrogen has not been found yet, even under a pressure as high as 320 GPa. Nevertheless, extrapolations based on optical measurements suggest that a metallic phase may be attained at 450 GPa [3]. The interest of material scientist in metallic hydrogen can be attributed, at least to a great extent, to Ashcroft, who in 1968 suggested that such a system could be a hightemperature superconductor [4]. The temperature at which this material would exhibit a transition from a superconducting to a non-superconducting state (Tc) was estimated to be around room temperature. The implications of such a statement are very interesting in the eld of astrophysics: in planets that contain a big quantity of hydrogen and whose temperature is below Tc, superconducting hydrogen may be found, specially at the center, where the gravitational pressure is high. This might be the case of Jupiter, whose proportion of hydrogen is about 90%. There are also speculations suggesting that the high magnetic eld of Jupiter is due to persistent currents related to the superconducting phase [5]. Metallization and superconductivity of hydrogen has puzzled scientists for decades, and the community is trying to answer several questions. For instance, what is the structure of hydrogen at very high pressures? Or a more general one: what is the maximum Tc a phonon-mediated superconductor can have [6]? A great experimental e ort has been carried out pursuing metallic hydrogen and trying to answer the questions above; however, the characterization of solid phases of hydrogen is a hard task. Achieving the high pressures needed to get the sought phases requires advanced technologies. Diamond anvil cells (DAC) are commonly used devices. These devices consist of two diamonds with a tip of small area; for this reason, when a force is applied, the pressure exerted is very big. This pressure is uniaxial, but it can be turned into hydrostatic pressure using transmitting media. Nowadays, this method makes it possible to reach pressures higher than 300 GPa, but even at this pressure hydrogen does not show metallic properties. A recently developed technique that is an improvement of DAC can reach pressures as high as 600 GPa [7], so it is a promising step forward in high pressure physics. Another drawback is that the electronic density of the structures is so low that X-ray di raction patterns have low resolution. For these reasons, ab initio studies are an important source of knowledge in this eld, within their limitations. When treating hydrogen, there are many subtleties in the calculations: as the atoms are so light, the ions forming the crystalline lattice have signi cant displacements even when temperatures are very low, and even at T=0 K, due to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Thus, the energy corresponding to this zero-point (ZP) motion is signi cant and has to be included in an accurate determination of the most stable phase. This has been done including ZP vibrational energies within the harmonic approximation for a range of pressures and at T=0 K, giving rise to a series of structures that are stable in their respective pressure ranges [8]. Very recently, a treatment of the phases of hydrogen that includes anharmonicity in ZP energies has suggested that relative stability of the phases may change with respect to the calculations within the harmonic approximation [9]. Many of the proposed structures for solid hydrogen have been investigated. Particularly, the Cmca-4 structure, which was found to be the stable one from 385-490 GPa [8], is metallic. Calculations for this structure, within the harmonic approximation for the ionic motion, predict a Tc up to 242 K at 450 GPa [10]. Nonetheless, due to the big ionic displacements, the harmonic approximation may not su ce to describe correctly the system. The aim of this work is to apply a recently developed method to treat anharmonicity, the stochastic self-consistent harmonic approximation (SSCHA) [11], to Cmca-4 metallic hydrogen. This way, we will be able to study the e ects of anharmonicity in the phonon spectrum and to try to understand the changes it may provoque in the value of Tc. The work is structured as follows. First we present the theoretical basis of the calculations: Density Functional Theory (DFT) for the electronic calculations, phonons in the harmonic approximation and the SSCHA. Then we apply these methods to Cmca-4 hydrogen and we discuss the results obtained. In the last chapter we draw some conclusions and propose possible future work.

Desarrollo de un sistema de medida del efecto magnetocalórico

Montaje y calibración de un sistema de medida del efecto magnetocalórico y estudio de una aleación con memoria de forma

Tipologia eta hizkuntzaren erritmoa: Stampe eta Doneganen ideien ingurua

[EUS] Patricia Donegan eta Daid Stamperen hizkuntz erritmoari buruzko lanetan erabiltzen diren kontzeptuak eta horien arteko loturak, euskararen prosodia hobeto ulertu ahal izateko azaltzen dira lan honetan.

Papel de E2F1 y E2F2 en la instauración de esteatosis inducida por dieta rica en grasa

Los factores de transcripción E2F son cruciales en la transición G1/S del ciclo celular. El factor de transcripción E2F1 regula el metabolismo oxidativo y su falta genera resistencia a obesidad. Se desconoce si E2F1 y E2F2 están implicados en la regulación de la homeostasis metabólica hepática. Por ello, el objetivo fue investigar el papel de E2F1 y E2F2 en la modulación del metabolismo lipídico hepático y su repercusión a nivel orgánico. Se utilizaron ratones macho de 3 meses E2F1-/-, E2F2-/- y sus controles que serán alimentados con dieta control o rica en grasa (HFD) durante 10 semanas. Se analizaron parámetros séricos en estado de alimento y tras 13 horas de ayuno. Se investigaron in vivo los flujos metabólicos hepáticos implicados en la disponibilidad de fosfolípidos, diglicéridos y triglicéridos (TG) tras administración de sustratos radiactivos.

Transformación martensítica en aleaciones metamagnéticas con memoria de forma.

Las aleaciones con memoria de forma, SMA , son materiales que presentan unas propiedades muy interesantes, como son el efecto de memoria de forma y la superlasticidad. El mecanismo responsable de estas propiedades es la transformación martensítica termo - elástica. Esta transformación , es una transformación sólido - sólido reversible de primer orden , la cual se da entre una fase de alta simetría y otra de menor simetría. La fase de mayor simetría se llama " fase austenita" y la de menor si metría " fase martensita". Las aleaciones metam agnéticas con memoria de forma, MSMA, son aleaciones que aúna n, las propiedades que confiere la transformación martensí tica y las propiedades magnétic as. La característica principal de estas aleaciones es que la fase martensita t iene un carácter magnético más débil que el de la fase austenita, y ello propicia que estas presenten efectos magnetocalóricos, efectos magnetocalóricos inversos y magnetorresistencia. En este Trabajo de Fin de Grado se han elaborado un a serie de seis MSMAs basad as en Mn - Ni - Sn, de composición: Mn 49 Ni 42 - x Sn 9 Fe x (x=0,2,3,4,5,6 en % atómico) en las que se ha sustituido Fe por Ni . Los objet ivo s fundamentales de este trabajo ha n sido , la caracterización de la tran sformación estructural, el estudio de la influencia del campo magnético tanto en la transformación estructural como magnética y por último el estudio de la influencia de la composición en la transformación martensítica y magnética. Para llevar a cabo esta labor se han usado varias técnicas experimentales como son la calorimetría diferencial de barr ido, DSC , la magneto metría de muestra vibrante , VSM , EDX para determinar la composición y Rayos - X para determinar la estructura cristalográfica. A tenor de los resultados obtenidos durante el trabajo, se concluye que , la composición juega un papel fundamental en las propiedades de estas aleaciones, pudiéndose distinguir dos grupos, las aleaciones con 4 % o menos de Fe y con más de 4 % de Fe. La aplicación de campo magnético desplaza la tra nsformación hacia temperaturas bajas, determinando sus diagramas de fase. Debido al estado de no equilibrio de los mismos no se puede determinar la variación l a de entrop í a en función del campo magnético. Por último, l a aparición del fenómeno de "kinetic ar rest" y la fase - son determinantes en el comportamiento de este tipo de aleaciones

Paisajes de transición y gradientes biogeográficos

Está a punto de cumplirse el 20 aniversario de la efemérides que supuso un hito de partida en la Biogeografía española de raigambre geográfica. En efecto, a principios de 1991 José Manuel Rubio Recio reunió en Sevilla a un reducido grupo de profesores universitarios con objeto de debatir y consensuar un marco programático para la asignatura de Biogeografía en los nuevos planes de estudio. Aquel que, un tanto solemnemente, denominamos “Pacto de Triana” manifestaba, además, la voluntad de poner en marcha unas jornadas de campo anuales en las que llevar a la práctica las bases teórico-metodológicas diseñadas en aquella ocasión para nuestra disciplina. Fue así como, en 1992, nacieron las Jornadas de Campo de Biogeografía, que se desarrollaron durante 4 años consecutivos en Sedano, aprovechando el ofrecimiento y apoyo logístico prestado por el recordado profesor García Fernández. Aquellas primigenias Jornadas de Sedano, dirigidas por el profesor Rubio Recio y coordinadas por algunos de los asistentes a la reunión de Sevilla, constituyeron un auténtico semillero de biogeógrafos. Eventualmente, se unían a ellas especialistas procedentes de otras ramas de la Geografía Física –y aún de la Geografía a secas– quienes, al tiempo de interesarse en los asuntos propiamente biogeográficos, aportaban una ayuda inestimable en la interpretación de los demás elementos del paisaje.

Is there a subgroup of long-term evolution among patients with advanced lung cancer?: Hints from the analysis of survival curves from cancer registry data

Background: Recently, with the access of low toxicity biological and targeted therapies, evidence of the existence of a long-term survival subpopulation of cancer patients is appearing. We have studied an unselected population with advanced lung cancer to look for evidence of multimodality in survival distribution, and estimate the proportion of long-term survivors. Methods: We used survival data of 4944 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stages IIIb-IV at diagnostic, registered in the National Cancer Registry of Cuba (NCRC) between January 1998 and December 2006. We fitted one-component survival model and two-component mixture models to identify short-and long-term survivors. Bayesian information criterion was used for model selection. Results: For all of the selected parametric distributions the two components model presented the best fit. The population with short-term survival (almost 4 months median survival) represented 64% of patients. The population of long-term survival included 35% of patients, and showed a median survival around 12 months. None of the patients of short-term survival was still alive at month 24, while 10% of the patients of long-term survival died afterwards. Conclusions: There is a subgroup showing long-term evolution among patients with advanced lung cancer. As survival rates continue to improve with the new generation of therapies, prognostic models considering short-and long-term survival subpopulations should be considered in clinical research.

Integrated treatment of first episode psychosis with online training (e-learning): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: The integrated treatment of first episode psychosis has been shown to improve functionality and negative symptoms in previous studies. In this paper, we describe a study of integrated treatment (individual psychoeducation complementary to pharmacotherapy) versus treatment as usual, comparing results at baseline with those at 6-month re-assessment (at the end of the study) for these patients, and online training of professionals to provide this complementary treatment, with the following objectives: 1) to compare the efficacy of individual psychoeducation as add-on treatment versus treatment as usual in improving psychotic and mood symptoms; 2) to compare adherence to medication, functioning, insight, social response, quality of life, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, between both groups; and 3) to analyse the efficacy of online training of psychotherapists. Methods/design: This is a single-blind randomised clinical trial including patients with first episode psychosis from hospitals across Spain, randomly assigned to either a control group with pharmacotherapy and regular sessions with their psychiatrist (treatment as usual) or an intervention group with integrated care including treatment as usual plus a psychoeducational intervention (14 sessions). Training for professionals involved at each participating centre was provided by the coordinating centre (University Hospital of Alava) through video conferences. Patients are evaluated with an extensive battery of tests assessing clinical and sociodemographic characteristics (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorders, Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale, Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, Morisky Green Adherence Scale, Functioning Assessment Short Test, World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument WHOQOL-BREF (an abbreviated version of the WHOQOL-100), and EuroQoL questionnaire), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are measured in peripheral blood at baseline and at 6 months. The statistical analysis, including bivariate analysis, linear and logistic regression models, will be performed using SPSS. Discussion: This is an innovative study that includes the assessment of an integrated intervention for patients with first episode psychosis provided by professionals who are trained online, potentially making it possible to offer the intervention to more patients.

Complexity and Uniqueness of the Aromatic Profile of Smoked and Unsmoked Herreno Cheese

In this work, the volatile fraction of unsmoked and smoked Herreno cheese, a type of soft cheese from the Canary Islands, has been characterized for the first time. In order to evaluate if the position in the smokehouse could influence the volatile profile of the smoked variety, cheeses smoked at two different heights were studied. The volatile components were extracted by Solid Phase Microextraction using a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber, followed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. In total, 228 components were detected. The most numerous groups of components in the unsmoked Herreno cheese were hydrocarbons, followed by terpenes and sesquiterpenes, whereas acids and ketones were the most abundant. It is worth noticing the high number of aldehydes and ketones, and the low number of alcohols and esters in this cheese in relation to others, as well as the presence of some specific unsaturated hydrocarbons, terpenes, sesquiterpenes and nitrogenated derivatives. The smoking process enriches the volatile profile of Herreno cheese with ketones and diketones, methyl esters, aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, hydrocarbons, terpenes, nitrogenated compounds, and especially with ethers and phenolic derivatives. Among these, methylindanones or certain terpenes like a-terpinolene, have not been detected previously in other types of smoked cheese. Lastly, the results obtained suggest a slightly higher smoking degree in the cheeses smoked at a greater height.

El desempleo en la UE: una perspectiva de género

El presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado describe la evolución del desempleo en la Unión Europea desde una perspectiva de género.