Inteligencia Emocional y Comunicación: la conciencia corporal como recurso

Los cambios producidos en los procesos de enseñanza– aprendizaje requieren de los docentes formación competencial que motive a los alumnos para que sean capaces de desarrollarse como personas y realizar aprendizajes significativos a lo largo de toda su vida. En línea con este objetivo es necesaria una formación específica del profesorado que promueva el desarrollo de las competencias de tipo emocional. En el contexto educativo, una de las claves del éxito (la consecución de un proceso de enseñanza–aprendizaje efectivo y de calidad) se encuentra en el modo en el cual se establecen las dinámicas interpersonales. Un buen docente es aquel que no sólo “sabe”, sino que “es”. La presencia del docente en el aula, su cercanía al alumno, su capacidad para gestionar sus emociones, para comunicarse de modo eficaz y empatizar con él, son todos ellos aspectos que inciden sin lugar a dudas en el clima de trabajo, en el grado de motivación del alumno, en los resultados de aprendizaje, y claro está, en su desarrollo personal. Cuando hablamos de aspectos comunicativos, aquellos de tipo no verbal cobran una gran importancia. Los docentes apenas reciben formación de tipo experiencial sobre aspectos relacionados con la presencia del cuerpo y su expresión. El conocimiento enactivo a través de un programa de concienciación corporal y comunicación no –verbal posibilita el desarrollo de competencias intra e interpersonales. Se presentan en este trabajo los resultados preliminares de un programa de formación realizado en este ámbito con profesores universitarios de distintas áreas de conocimiento.

Depolarization of sperm membrane potential is a common feature of men with subfertility and is associated with low fertilization rate at IVF

STUDY QUESTION. Are significant abnormalities in outward (K+) conductance and resting membrane potential (Vm) present in the spermatozoa of patients undertaking IVF and ICSI and if so, what is their functional effect on fertilization success? SUMMARY ANSWER. Negligible outward conductance (≈5% of patients) or an enhanced inward conductance (≈4% of patients), both of which caused depolarization of Vm, were associated with a low rate of fertilization following IVF. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY. Sperm-specific potassium channel knockout mice are infertile with defects in sperm function, suggesting that these channels are essential for fertility. These observations suggest that malfunction of K+ channels in human spermatozoa might contribute significantly to the occurrence of subfertility in men. However, remarkably little is known of the nature of K+ channels in human spermatozoa or the incidence and functional consequences of K+ channel defects. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION. Spermatozoa were obtained from healthy volunteer research donors and subfertile IVF and ICSI patients attending a hospital assisted reproductive techniques clinic between May 2013 and December 2015. In total, 40 IVF patients, 41 ICSI patients and 26 normozoospermic donors took part in the study. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS. Samples were examined using electrophysiology (whole-cell patch clamping). Where abnormal electrophysiological characteristics were identified, spermatozoa were further examined for Ca2+ influx induced by progesterone and penetration into viscous media if sufficient sample was available. Full exome sequencing was performed to specifically evaluate potassium calcium-activated channel subfamily M α 1 (KCNMA1), potassium calcium-activated channel subfamily U member 1 (KCNU1) and leucine-rich repeat containing 52 (LRRC52) genes and others associated with K+ signalling. In IVF patients, comparison with fertilization rates was done to assess the functional significance of the electrophysiological abnormalities. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE. Patch clamp electrophysiology was used to assess outward (K+) conductance and resting membrane potential (Vm) and signalling/motility assays were used to assess functional characteristics of sperm from IVF and ICSI patient samples. The mean Vm and outward membrane conductance in sperm from IVF and ICSI patients were not significantly different from those of control (donor) sperm prepared under the same conditions, but variation between individuals was significantly greater (P< 0.02) with a large number of outliers (>25%). In particular, in ≈10% of patients (7/81), we observed either a negligible outward conductance (4 patients) or an enhanced inward current (3 patients), both of which caused depolarization of Vm. Analysis of clinical data from the IVF patients showed significant association of depolarized Vm (≥0 mV) with low fertilization rate (P= 0.012). Spermatozoa with electrophysiological abnormities (conductance and Vm) responded normally to progesterone with elevation of [Ca2+]i and penetration of viscous medium, indicating retention of cation channel of sperm (CatSper) channel function. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION. For practical, technical, ethical and logistical reasons, we could not obtain sufficient additional semen samples from men with conductance abnormalities to establish the cause of the conductance defects. Full exome sequencing was only available in two men with conductance defects. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS. These data add significantly to the understanding of the role of ion channels in human sperm function and its impact on male fertility. Impaired potassium channel conductance (Gm) and/or Vm regulation is both common and complex in human spermatozoa and importantly is associated with impaired fertilization capacity when the Vm of cells is completely depolarized.

Cobertura de la vacuna del virus del papiloma humano en la zona básica de Barañáin

El cáncer de cuello de útero o cáncer de cérvix es el segundo tumor más frecuente en las mujeres del mundo después del de mama y el quinto de todos los canceres. En España, es el sexto más frecuente, constituyendo el 4,8% de los canceres en la mujer. Este tipo de cáncer es el resultado final de una infección no resuelta por el virus del papiloma humano (VPH). Hoy en día, el VPH representa una de las infecciones de trasmisión sexual más común. El 70-80 % de hombres y mujeres sexualmente activos están o han estado expuestos al VPH. El cambio en la conducta sexual de las mujeres ha llevado a que las infecciones de trasmisión sexual sean ahora más frecuentes que en las generaciones anteriores. Hay un inicio más precoz de las primeras relaciones sexuales y un número más elevado de compañeros sexuales. Estos cambios han hecho aumentar la prevalencia del VPH en los últimos años en las mujeres jóvenes de España. La combinación de estrategias de prevención primaria (vacunación contra el VHP) y secundaria (cribado) permitiría reducir la incidencia y la mortalidad del cáncer de cuello de útero. Existen dos vacunas frente al VPH que son Gardasil ® y Cervarix ®. Al tratarse de dos vacunas nuevas, el éxito de la introducción dependerá de la comprensión apropiada de los riesgos y beneficios de la vacuna para prevenir la infección del VPH. Esto se consigue mediante programas efectivos de educación y formación sobre el VPH.

itmBench: Generalized API for Internet Traffic Managers

Internet Traffic Managers (ITMs) are special machines placed at strategic places in the Internet. itmBench is an interface that allows users (e.g. network managers, service providers, or experimental researchers) to register different traffic control functionalities to run on one ITM or an overlay of ITMs. Thus itmBench offers a tool that is extensible and powerful yet easy to maintain. ITM traffic control applications could be developed either using a kernel API so they run in kernel space, or using a user-space API so they run in user space. We demonstrate the flexibility of itmBench by showing the implementation of both a kernel module that provides a differentiated network service, and a user-space module that provides an overlay routing service. Our itmBench Linux-based prototype is free software and can be obtained from http://www.cs.bu.edu/groups/itm/.

Modeling power in multi-functionality sensor network applications

Rachit Agarwal, Rafael V. Martinez-Catala, Sean Harte, Cedric Segard, Brendan O'Flynn, "Modeling Power in Multi-functionality Sensor Network Applications," sensorcomm, pp.507-512, 2008 Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Sensor Technologies and Applications, August 25-August 31 2008, Cap Esterel, France

Energy-efficient reprogramming of heterogeneous wireless sensor networks

Science Foundation Ireland (CSET - Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology, grant 07/CE/I1147)