Acerca de los tipos de dos Veronica rifeñas.

Hace unos años, se publicó en esta misma sección una nota sobre Veronica rosea (Soriano, 1996), en la que se anticipaba el tratamiento de este taxón en la checklist de la fl ora del norte de Marruecos (Valdés & al. 2002; Soriano, 2002). Entre otras cosas, se formalizaba en ella la descripción de V. rosea subsp. atlantica var. macrantha, propuesta por Pau como V. rosea var. macrantha y distribuida por Font Quer en el Iter maroccanum de 1930, aunque sin la diagnosis correspondiente.

Review of the concept of digital literacy and its implications on the study of the gender digital divide

El concepte d'alfabetització digital ha evolucionat per diverses vies al llarg del temps pel que fa a l'enfocament teòric emprat per a investigar les seves implicacions en l'estudi de la divisió digital de gènere en diversos contextos de la vida real. L'objectiu principal d'aquest document consisteix a fer servir un enfocament interdisciplinari per a analitzar algunes de les llacunes teòriques i empíriques presents en l'estudi de la divisió digital de gènere. S'analitzen alguns dels estudis empírics existents sobre aquesta qüestió i es proposen futures línies de recerca, amb l'objectiu de cobrir algunes de les llacunes en la recerca relacionada amb les implicacions de l'alfabetització digital en l'anàlisi de la divisió digital de gènere.

Error en el consentimiento: swaps y preferentes

La problemàtica jurídica-social que ha sorgit aquests darrers anys amb les permutes financeres i les participacions preferents ha fet plantejar si s'ha produït un error en el consentiment contractual amb aquest tipus de productes financers. A partir del contingut del Codi Civil espanyol i la doctrina, s'han analitzat els elements essencials del contracte, així com, la legislació aplicable als instruments financers. Amb l’ ajuda de la jurisprudència s'ha pogut comprovar que en la majoria de casos portats als tribunals en relació a aquests contractes, en els quals, es demana l'anul·labilitat contractual, el fonament principal es basa en la vulneració de les entitats de crèdit dels seus deures legals . En el present treball queda palesa la importància d'enllaçar l'element contractual del consentiment amb l'obligació que tenen les entitats de crèdit d'informar els seus clients. Així, la incorrecta formació sobre la realitat contractual que els clients manifesten amb el consentiment, passa sense cap dubte per la necessitat d'obtenir tota la informació rellevant del contracte. L’obligació d’informació està estretament lligada al deure de classificar als clients, totes dues són un compromís legal que tenen les entitats en la seva funció de lleialtat empresària. Les entitats financeres deuen per tant classificar els seus clients i proporcionals la informació, amb més rigor si cap , en el cas de clients minoristes. Per tot això, veiem que en aquells casos de clients minoristes en els quals no s'ha pogut demostrar per part de les entitats de crèdit que es va proporcionar tota la informació necessària, s'ha produït un error en el consentiment. Els clients no coneixien l’autèntic abast de la vinculació ni els costos als quals s'havia obligat , no hi ha dubte que en molts dels casos d'haver conegut la realitat, no haguessin contractat.

Análisis y desarrollo de métodos para la detección de apneas en electrocardiograma

El proyecto nace de la necesidad de ofrecer un método de análisis de apneas por somnolencia que pueda ser utilizado con señales biológicas adquiridas sin contacto, como por ejemplo el ECG. Obtener señales biológicas con sensores sin contacto es muy importante en la monitorización de conductores, ya que la somnolencia al volante es una de las causas de accidente de tráfico más frecuentes, según el último estudio de la DGT. La apnea es un indicador de que el usuario tiene síntomas de cansancio y por ello, en este proyecto, se hace un estudio de variabilidad de señales derivadas del ECG para detectar zonas de fatiga y después caracterización morfológica de la apnea para localizarlas en las regiones de fatiga.

Parametrización de kB-1 para estimar el flujo de calor sensible con imágenes AVHRR

La necesidad de evaluar la evapotranspiración a escala regional para la gestión de regadíos ha hecho que sean innumerables los intentos por aplicar imágenes AVHRR-NOAA en la determinación el flujo de calor sensible. La principal limitación de estos métodos es la estimación de la resistencia aerodinámica. El parámetro crítico en la expresión de la resistencia aerodinámica es kB-1. La parametrización de kB-1 ha sido infructuosa a escala regional por no disponer hasta ahora de medidas de flujo de calor sensible a escala del píxel AVHRR en superficies heterogéneas y durante toda una temporada de riegos. Para resolver esta medida de flujo se ha desarrollado el cintilómetro. En la primera parte de este trabajo se estudia la representatividad espacial de las medidas del cintilómetro. El núcleo de esta aportación consiste en la correlación entre el parámetro kB-1, el NDVI y la altura solar. Los buenos resultados obtenidos (r2=0.81) ofrecen una nueva metodología para determinar el flujo de calor sensible. La estimación de kB-1, las imágenes AVHRR y los datos meteorológicos permiten calcular el flujo de calor sensible durante toda la temporada de riegos con errores inferiores al 20%.

Análisis Malmquist y DEA intertermporal de las agriculturas de la Unión Europea

En este trabajo se realiza un análisis comparado de dos métodos no paramétricos de medida de productividad total de los factores con datos de panel basados en programación: índices de Malmquist y un modelo DEA intertemporal que permite acotar las medidas de eficiencia y progreso técnico, suponiendo cambio técnico no regresivo. La aplicación se realiza sobre las agriculturas de los países de la Unión Europea, encontrándose algunas diferencias importantes entre ambos enfoques. Los resultados sugieren menor crecimiento de productividad agraria y, sobre todo, una ordenación distinta de países en relación con dichos crecimientos que los encontrados en otros trabajos.

Early adversity and 5-HTT-BDNF genes: new evidences of gene-environment interactions on depressive symptoms in a general population

Adverse childhood experiences have been described as one of the major environmental risk factors for depressive disorder. Likewise, the deleterious impact of early traumatic experiences on depression seems to be moderated by individual genetic variability. Serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) seem to modulate the effect of childhood adversity on adult depression, although inconsistencies across studies have been found. Moreover, the GxE interaction concerning the different types of childhood adversity remains poorly understood. The aim of this study is to analyse the putative interaction between the 5-HTT gene (5-HTTLPR polymorphism), BDNF gene (Val66Met polymorphism) and childhood adversity in accounting for adult depressive symptoms.

Spanish adaptation of the Expectancy Questionnaire (EQ) about alcohol effects in adolescents

Background: Alcohol-related expectancies are especially relevant in relation to alcohol consumption during adolescence. The main aim of this study was to adapt and translate into Spanish (Castilian) the Expectancy Questionnaire (EQ), and to study its psychometric properties in adolescents. Method: The sample was composed of 514 adolescents (57.20% female, mean age = 15.21; SD = .63) who completed the EQ and the alcohol consumption questionnaire AIS-UJI. Results: Confi rmatory factor analysis indicated that an eight-factor model, grouped into two general factors of positive and negative expectancies, had acceptable fi t indices. Cronbach’s alphas ranged from .75 to .96. Finally, the structural equation model showed that positive expectancies were positively related to alcohol use, whereas negative expectancies were negatively related to drinking. Conclusions: Results showed that the Spanish version of the EQ for adolescents is a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure expectancies about alcohol effects.

Adaptación para adolescentes de la versión española del NEO PI-R (JS NEO)

Este artículo presenta los primeros datos del desarrollo de la versión española para adolescentes, entre 12 y 17 años, del NEO PI-R (JS NEO). Noventa y dos de los 240 ítems fueron modificados con el fin de adaptar el vocabulario de los mismos a este grupo de edad. Las propiedades psicométricas del JS NEO han sido investigadas en una muestra de 2.505 adolescentes. Los resultados muestran cómo la estructura factorial encontrada con el NEO PI-R para adultos se replica en la versión junior. Las fiabilidades de consistencia interna y estabilidad temporal de las escalas fueron adecuadas en la mayor parte de los casos. Además, la correlación entre las escalas de las versiones para adultos (NEO PI-R) y adolescentes (JS NEO) muestran que la versión para adolescentes presenta una validez de constructo adecuada.

L'herbari Bernades a l'Institut Botanic de Barcelona

The Bernades herbarium in the Botanic Institute of Barcelona (BC).- The BC-Bernades herbarium is one of the oldest collections conserved in the Botanical Institute of Barcelona. It contains part of the field collections of Miquel Bernades i Mainader and Miquel Bernades i Clarís, doctors of medicine and botanists of Catalonian origin living in Madrid in the 18th century. The collection consists of 817 sheets, the complete list provided in the annexe. We also present information concerning the localities of certain specifi c recollections, the taxonomic groups and families, as well as a list of sheets of special interest. This list contains witness of cornfi eld weed now very rare or extinct in Iberian lands, such as Hymenocarpos circinatus (L.) Savi or Securigera securidaca (L.) Degen & Dörfl , and also some of the first witness known from Spain of introduced plants, such as Aster cordifolius L. or Bidens bipinnata L.

A simple halide-to-anion exchange method for heteroaromatic salts and ionic liquids

A broad and simple method permitted halide ions in quaternary heteroaromatic and ammonium salts to be exchanged for a variety of anions using an anion exchange resin (A− form) in non-aqueous media. The anion loading of the AER (OH− form) was examined using two different anion sources, acids or ammonium salts, and changing the polarity of the solvents. The AER (A− form) method in organic solvents was then applied to several quaternary heteroaromatic salts and ILs, and the anion exchange proceeded in excellent to quantitative yields, concomitantly removing halide impurities. Relying on the hydrophobicity of the targeted ion pair for the counteranion swap, organic solvents with variable polarity were used, such as CH3OH, CH3CN and the dipolar nonhydroxylic solvent mixture CH3CN:CH2Cl2 (3:7) and the anion exchange was equally successful with both lipophilic cations and anions.

Coexistence of protease sensitive and resistant prion protein in 129VV homozygous sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a case report

Introduction: The coexistence of different molecular types of classical protease-resistant prion protein in the same individual have been described, however, the simultaneous finding of these with the recently described protease-sensitive variant or variably protease-sensitive prionopathy has, to the best of our knowledge, not yet been reported. Case presentation: A 74-year-old Caucasian woman showed a sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease clinical phenotype with reactive depression, followed by cognitive impairment, akinetic-rigid Parkinsonism with pseudobulbar syndrome and gait impairment with motor apraxia, visuospatial disorientation, and evident frontal dysfunction features such as grasping, palmomental reflex and brisk perioral reflexes. She died at age 77. Neuropathological findings showed: spongiform change in the patient"s cerebral cortex, striatum, thalamus and molecular layer of the cerebellum with proteinase K-sensitive synaptic-like, dot-like or target-like prion protein deposition in the cortex, thalamus and striatum; proteinase K-resistant prion protein in the same regions; and elongated plaque-like proteinase K-resistant prion protein in the molecular layer of the cerebellum. Molecular analysis of prion protein after proteinase K digestion revealed decreased signal intensity in immunoblot, a ladder-like protein pattern, and a 71% reduction of PrPSc signal relative to non-digested material. Her cerebellum showed a 2A prion protein type largely resistant to proteinase K. Genotype of polymorphism at codon 129 was valine homozygous. Conclusion: Molecular typing of prion protein along with clinical and neuropathological data revealed, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of the coexistence of different protease-sensitive prion proteins in the same patient in a rare case that did not fulfill the current clinical diagnostic criteria for either probable or possible sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This highlights the importance of molecular analyses of several brain regions in order to correctly diagnose rare and atypical prionopathies

Nolz1 promotes striatal neurogenesis through the regulation of retinoic acid signaling

Background: Nolz1 is a zinc finger transcription factor whose expression is enriched in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE), although its function is still unknown. Results: Here we analyze the role of Nolz1 during LGE development. We show that Nolz1 expression is high in proliferating neural progenitor cells (NPCs) of the LGE subventricular zone. In addition, low levels of Nolz1 are detected in the mantle zone, as well as in the adult striatum. Similarly, Nolz1 is highly expressed in proliferating LGE-derived NPC cultures, but its levels rapidly decrease upon cell differentiation, pointing to a role of Nolz1 in the control of NPC proliferation and/or differentiation. In agreement with this hypothesis, we find that Nolz1 over-expression promotes cell cycle exit of NPCs in neurosphere cultures and negatively regulates proliferation in telencephalic organotypic cultures. Within LGE primary cultures, Nolz1 over-expression promotes the acquisition of a neuronal phenotype, since it increases the number of β-III tubulin (Tuj1)- and microtubule-associated protein (MAP)2-positive neurons, and inhibits astrocyte generation and/or differentiation. Retinoic acid (RA) is one of the most important morphogens involved in striatal neurogenesis, and regulates Nolz1 expression in different systems. Here we show that Nolz1 also responds to this morphogen in E12.5 LGE-derived cell cultures. However, Nolz1 expression is not regulated by RA in E14.5 LGE-derived cell cultures, nor is it affected during LGE development in mouse models that present decreased RA levels. Interestingly, we find that Gsx2, which is necessary for normal RA signaling during LGE development, is also required for Nolz1 expression, which is lost in Gsx2 knockout mice. These findings suggest that Nolz1 might act downstream of Gsx2 to regulate RA-induced neurogenesis. Keeping with this hypothesis, we show that Nolz1 induces the selective expression of the RA receptor (RAR)β without altering RARα or RARγ. In addition, Nozl1 over-expression increases RA signaling since it stimulates the RA response element. This RA signaling is essential for Nolz1-induced neurogenesis, which is impaired in a RA-free environment or in the presence of a RAR inverse agonist. It has been proposed that Drosophila Gsx2 and Nolz1 homologues could cooperate with the transcriptional co-repressors Groucho-TLE to regulate cell proliferation. In agreement with this view, we show that Nolz1 could act in collaboration with TLE-4, as they are expressed at the same time in NPC cultures and during mouse development. Conclusions: Nolz1 promotes RA signaling in the LGE, contributing to the striatal neurogenesis during development.

Nolz1 promotes striatal neurogenesis through the regulation of retinoic acid signaling

Background: Nolz1 is a zinc finger transcription factor whose expression is enriched in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE), although its function is still unknown. Results: Here we analyze the role of Nolz1 during LGE development. We show that Nolz1 expression is high in proliferating neural progenitor cells (NPCs) of the LGE subventricular zone. In addition, low levels of Nolz1 are detected in the mantle zone, as well as in the adult striatum. Similarly, Nolz1 is highly expressed in proliferating LGE-derived NPC cultures, but its levels rapidly decrease upon cell differentiation, pointing to a role of Nolz1 in the control of NPC proliferation and/or differentiation. In agreement with this hypothesis, we find that Nolz1 over-expression promotes cell cycle exit of NPCs in neurosphere cultures and negatively regulates proliferation in telencephalic organotypic cultures. Within LGE primary cultures, Nolz1 over-expression promotes the acquisition of a neuronal phenotype, since it increases the number of β-III tubulin (Tuj1)- and microtubule-associated protein (MAP)2-positive neurons, and inhibits astrocyte generation and/or differentiation. Retinoic acid (RA) is one of the most important morphogens involved in striatal neurogenesis, and regulates Nolz1 expression in different systems. Here we show that Nolz1 also responds to this morphogen in E12.5 LGE-derived cell cultures. However, Nolz1 expression is not regulated by RA in E14.5 LGE-derived cell cultures, nor is it affected during LGE development in mouse models that present decreased RA levels. Interestingly, we find that Gsx2, which is necessary for normal RA signaling during LGE development, is also required for Nolz1 expression, which is lost in Gsx2 knockout mice. These findings suggest that Nolz1 might act downstream of Gsx2 to regulate RA-induced neurogenesis. Keeping with this hypothesis, we show that Nolz1 induces the selective expression of the RA receptor (RAR)β without altering RARα or RARγ. In addition, Nozl1 over-expression increases RA signaling since it stimulates the RA response element. This RA signaling is essential for Nolz1-induced neurogenesis, which is impaired in a RA-free environment or in the presence of a RAR inverse agonist. It has been proposed that Drosophila Gsx2 and Nolz1 homologues could cooperate with the transcriptional co-repressors Groucho-TLE to regulate cell proliferation. In agreement with this view, we show that Nolz1 could act in collaboration with TLE-4, as they are expressed at the same time in NPC cultures and during mouse development. Conclusions: Nolz1 promotes RA signaling in the LGE, contributing to the striatal neurogenesis during development.

Acerca de los tipos de dos Veronica rifeñas.

Hace unos años, se publicó en esta misma sección una nota sobre Veronica rosea (Soriano, 1996), en la que se anticipaba el tratamiento de este taxón en la checklist de la fl ora del norte de Marruecos (Valdés & al. 2002; Soriano, 2002). Entre otras cosas, se formalizaba en ella la descripción de V. rosea subsp. atlantica var. macrantha, propuesta por Pau como V. rosea var. macrantha y distribuida por Font Quer en el Iter maroccanum de 1930, aunque sin la diagnosis correspondiente.