Consorci de Serveis Universitaris de Catalunya

Gaia is a cornerstone mission in the science programme of the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA). The spacecraft construction was approved in 2006, following a study in which the original interferometric concept was changed to a direct-imaging approach. Both the spacecraft and the payload were built by European industry. The involvement of the scientific community focusses on data processing for which the international Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) was selected in 2007. Gaia was launched on 19 December 2013 and arrived at its operating point, the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth-Moon system, a few weeks later. The commissioning of the spacecraft and payload was completed on 19 July 2014. The nominal five-year mission started with four weeks of special, ecliptic-pole scanning and subsequently transferred into full-sky scanning mode. We recall the scientific goals of Gaia and give a description of the as-built spacecraft that is currently (mid-2016) being operated to achieve these goals. We pay special attention to the payload module, the performance of which is closely related to the scientific performance of the mission. We provide a summary of the commissioning activities and findings, followed by a description of the routine operational mode. We summarise scientific performance estimates on the basis of in-orbit operations. Several intermediate Gaia data releases are planned and the data can be retrieved from the Gaia Archive, which is available through the Gaia home page.

Context. At about 1000 days after the launch of Gaia we present the first Gaia data release, Gaia DR1, consisting of astrometry and photometry for over 1 billion sources brighter than magnitude 20.7.
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\nAims. A summary of Gaia DR1 is presented along with illustrations of the scientific quality of the data, followed by a discussion of the limitations due to the preliminary nature of this release.
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\nMethods. The raw data collected by Gaia during the first 14 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into an astrometric and photometric catalogue.
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\nResults. Gaia DR1 consists of three components: a primary astrometric data set which contains the positions, parallaxes, and mean proper motions for about 2 million of the brightest stars in common with the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues – a realisation of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) – and a secondary astrometric data set containing the positions for an additional 1.1 billion sources. The second component is the photometric data set, consisting of mean G-band magnitudes for all sources. The G-band light curves and the characteristics of ~3000 Cepheid and RR Lyrae stars, observed at high cadence around the south ecliptic pole, form the third component. For the primary astrometric data set the typical uncertainty is about 0.3 mas for the positions and parallaxes, and about 1 mas yr-1 for the proper motions. A systematic component of ~0.3 mas should be added to the parallax uncertainties. For the subset of ~94 000 Hipparcos stars in the primary data set, the proper motions are much more precise at about 0.06 mas yr-1. For the secondary astrometric data set, the typical uncertainty of the positions is ~10 mas. The median uncertainties on the mean G-band magnitudes range from the mmag level to ~0.03 mag over the magnitude range 5 to 20.7.
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\nConclusions. Gaia DR1 is an important milestone ahead of the next Gaia data release, which will feature five-parameter astrometry for all sources. Extensive validation shows that Gaia DR1 represents a major advance in the mapping of the heavens and the availability of basic stellar data that underpin observational astrophysics. Nevertheless, the very preliminary nature of this first Gaia data release does lead to a number of important limitations to the data quality which should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from the data.

Abstract Among the ‘most wanted’ targets in cancer therapy is the oncogene MYC, which coordinates key transcriptional programs in tumor development and maintenance. It has, however, long been considered undruggable. OMO-103 is a MYC inhibitor consisting of a 91-amino acid miniprotein. Here we present results from a phase 1 study of OMO-103 in advanced solid tumors, established to examine safety and tolerability as primary outcomes and pharmacokinetics, recommended phase 2 dose and preliminary signs of activity as secondary ones. A classical 3 + 3 design was used for dose escalation of weekly intravenous, single-agent OMO-103 administration in 21-day cycles, encompassing six dose levels (DLs). A total of 22 patients were enrolled, with treatment maintained until disease progression. The most common adverse events were grade 1 infusion-related reactions, occurring in ten patients. One dose-limiting toxicity occurred at DL5. Pharmacokinetics showed nonlinearity, with tissue saturation signs at DL5 and a terminal half-life in serum of 40 h. Of the 19 patients evaluable for response, 12 reached the predefined 9-week time point for assessment of drug antitumor activity, eight of those showing stable disease by computed tomography. One patient defined as stable disease by response evaluation criteria in solid tumors showed a 49% reduction in total tumor volume at best response. Transcriptomic analysis supported target engagement in tumor biopsies. In addition, we identified soluble factors that are potential pharmacodynamic and predictive response markers. Based on all these data, the recommended phase 2 dose was determined as DL5 (6.48 mg kg −1 ). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04808362 .

OBJECTIVE: To compare inequalities in self-perceived health in the population older than 50 years, in 2004, using Wright's social class dimensions, in nine European countries grouped in three political traditions (Social democracy, Christian democracy and Late democracies). METHODS: Cross-sectional design, including data of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Sweden, Denmark, Austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Greece). The population aged from 50 to 74 years was included. Absolute and relative social class dimension inequalities in poor self-reported health and long-term illness were determined for each sex and political tradition. Relative inequalities were assessed by fitting Poisson regression models with robust variance estimators. RESULTS: Absolute and relative health inequalities by social class dimensions are found in the three political traditions, but these differences are more marked in Late democracies and mainly among women. For example the prevalence ratio of poor self-perceived health comparing poorly educated women with highly educated women, was 1.75 (95% CI: 1.39-2.21) in Late democracies and 1.36 (95% CI: 1.21-1.52) in Social democracies. The prevalence differences were 24.2 and 13.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study is one of the first to show the impact of different political traditions on social class inequalities in health. These results emphasize the need to evaluate the impact of the implementation of public policies.

Context. The first data release from the Gaia mission contains accurate positions and magnitudes for more than a billion sources, and proper motions and parallaxes for the majority of the 2.5 million Hipparcos and Tycho-2 stars.

Context. Parallaxes for 331 classical Cepheids, 31 Type II Cepheids, and 364 RR Lyrae stars in common between Gaia and the H ipparcos and Tycho -2 catalogues are published in Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1) as part of the Tycho - Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS). Aims. In order to test these first parallax measurements of the primary standard candles of the cosmological distance ladder, which involve astrometry collected by Gaia during the initial 14 months of science operation, we compared them with literature estimates and derived new period-luminosity ( PL ), period-Wesenheit ( PW ) relations for classical and Type II Cepheids and infrared PL , PL -metallicity ( PLZ ), and optical luminosity-metallicity ( M V -[Fe/H]) relations for the RR Lyrae stars, with zero points based on TGAS. Methods. Classical Cepheids were carefully selected in order to discard known or suspected binary systems. The final sample comprises 102 fundamental mode pulsators with periods ranging from 1.68 to 51.66 days (of which 33 with σ ϖ / ϖ < 0.5). The Type II Cepheids include a total of 26 W Virginis and BL Herculis stars spanning the period range from 1.16 to 30.00 days (of which only 7 with σ ϖ / ϖ < 0.5). The RR Lyrae stars include 200 sources with pulsation period ranging from 0.27 to 0.80 days (of which 112 with σ ϖ / ϖ < 0.5). The new relations were computed using multi-band ( V,I,J, K s ) photometry and spectroscopic metal abundances available in the literature, and by applying three alternative approaches: (i) linear least-squares fitting of the absolute magnitudes inferred from direct transformation of the TGAS parallaxes; (ii) adopting astrometry-based luminosities; and (iii) using a Bayesian fitting approach. The last two methods work in parallax space where parallaxes are used directly, thus maintaining symmetrical errors and allowing negative parallaxes to be used. The TGAS-based PL,PW,PLZ , and M V − [Fe/H] relations are discussed by comparing the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud provided by different types of pulsating stars and alternative fitting methods. Results. Good agreement is found from direct comparison of the parallaxes of RR Lyrae stars for which both TGAS and HST measurements are available. Similarly, very good agreement is found between the TGAS values and the parallaxes inferred from the absolute magnitudes of Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars analysed with the Baade-Wesselink method. TGAS values also compare favourably with the parallaxes inferred by theoretical model fitting of the multi-band light curves for two of the three classical Cepheids and one RR Lyrae star, which were analysed with this technique in our samples. The K -band PL relations show the significant improvement of the TGAS parallaxes for Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars with respect to the H ipparcos measurements. This is particularly true for the RR Lyrae stars for which improvement in quality and statistics is impressive. Conclusions. TGAS parallaxes bring a significant added value to the previous H ipparcos estimates. The relations presented in this paper represent the first Gaia -calibrated relations and form a work-in-progress milestone report in the wait for Gaia -only parallaxes of which a first solution will become available with Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) in 2018.

Abstract Transformative agreements, also known as ‘offsetting’, ‘read and publish’, or ‘publish and read’ agreements, have shifted the focus of scholarly journal licensing from cost containment towards open access publication. An analysis of 36 full‐text transformative agreements recorded in the ESAC registry shows that ‘transformative agreement’ is an umbrella term that encompasses different kinds of contracts. We differentiate between pre‐transformative, partially transformative, and fully transformative agreements. Pre‐transformative agreements are traditional subscription licences that grant article processing charge (APC) discounts or vouchers for open access publication of a limited number of articles. Partially transformative agreements differentiate between a read fee and a publish fee to cover the processing charges of a certain number of articles. Fully transformative agreements allow unlimited open access publication of the scholarly output of the subscribing institution. In all three categories, some agreements restrict open access publication to hybrid journals, whereas others allow publication in both hybrid and gold journals. Transformative agreements are more transparent than traditional journal licences, allow authors to retain copyright, and make provisions to facilitate the management of open access workflows. It is hard to assess whether these agreements are just a temporary phase in the transition towards open access or will perpetuate the current structure of the scholarly communication system and its associated high costs.

Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in dissociated rat cerebellar neurons was measured using rhodamine 123 (Rh 123) as fluorescent dye, and flow cytometry. Dye distribution was studied by confocal scanning microscopy. Propidium iodide (PI)-marked cells (dead cells) were not stained by Rh 123, while the green fluorescence of living cells was restricted to mitochondria. Incubation of cells with different ionophores resulted in a maximal inhibition of Rh 123 fluorescence of 27.0 +/- 5.9% (valinomycin), 55.6 +/- 7.2% (ionomycin), and 37.3 +/- 5.1% (gramicidin). Ionophores decreased cell viability at high concentrations, measured as the number of propidium iodide-marked cells. Exposure of cell suspensions to the mitochondrial specific uncoupling agent CCCP caused a decrease in Rh 123 fluorescence (40 +/- 6.1%). Conversely, oxidative stress induced by H2O2 did not affect Rh 123 fluorescence. Impairment of glucose bioavailability reduced Rh 123 fluorescence. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose decreased the MMP with a maximal inhibition of 24.0 +/- 4.4%. Lack of glucose in the incubation medium also resulted in a decrease in MMP. Moreover, application of L-glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) (the excitatory amino acids) decreased Rh 123 uptake in a dose-dependent manner, which suggests that the measurement of MMP in dissociated cerebellar neurons by flow cytometry is a suitable method to detect the activity of drugs acting on glutamate receptors.

RAS and MYC rank amongst the most commonly altered oncogenes in cancer, with RAS being the most frequently mutated and MYC the most amplified. The cooperative interplay between RAS and MYC constitutes a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, profoundly influencing tumor development. Together and individually, these two oncogenes regulate most, if not all, hallmarks of cancer, including cell death escape, replicative immortality, tumor-associated angiogenesis, cell invasion and metastasis, metabolic adaptation, and immune evasion. Due to their frequent alteration and role in tumorigenesis, MYC and RAS emerge as highly appealing targets in cancer therapy. However, due to their complex nature, both oncogenes have been long considered "undruggable" and, until recently, no drugs directly targeting them had reached the clinic. This review aims to shed light on their complex partnership, with special attention to their active collaboration in fostering an immunosuppressive milieu and driving immunotherapeutic resistance in cancer. Within this review, we also present an update on the different inhibitors targeting RAS and MYC currently undergoing clinical trials, along with their clinical outcomes and the different combination strategies being explored to overcome drug resistance. This recent clinical development suggests a paradigm shift in the long-standing belief of RAS and MYC "undruggability", hinting at a new era in their therapeutic targeting.

Purpose – This study aims to investigate how the transition from print to electronic scholarly communication has affected faculty’s information behaviour and their perception of academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was distributed among academics affiliated to the member universities of the Consortium of University Services of Catalonia. A total of 2,230 replies were received. Findings – Journal articles are the most relevant information resource used for research and teaching purposes. Databases are the preferred starting point for bibliographic searches, although a significant proportion of scholars rely on Internet search engines. The main source for gaining access to documents is libraries, followed by free materials available online. Scholarly journals are the preferred channel for disseminating research outputs, with the open access being a factor of marginal interest when deciding where to publish. Originality/value – The results of this study should be useful to guide policies regarding scientific information and research and, more specifically, policies regarding academic libraries.

La ciencia abierta es un cambio de modelo en la manera de hacer ciencia que supone realizar con una visión “abierta” (open) todas las etapas o fases de la investigación científica (diseño, recolección de datos, revisión, publicación, etc.). El objetivo de nuestro texto es analizar la evolución del concepto y de la denominación de ciencia abierta desde sus inicios previos hasta el empuje que le ha dado la Unión Europea (e-ciencia, ciencia interconectada, ciencia 2.0, ciencia abierta). También se quiere determinar cuáles son los elementos fundamentales que componen la ciencia abierta. Para ello, se han seleccionado y analizado los principales textos teóricos que han tratado sobre la cuestión, que han sido localizados a partir de consultas bibliográficas en las bases de datos Scopus y GoogleScholar. Como resultados, se pone de manifiesto que las denominaciones han sufrido más variaciones que propiamente el concepto y, en lo que respecta a los componentes, la ciencia abierta partió de cuatro elementos básicos (acceso abierto, datos abiertos, software libre, reproducibilidad) que se han ido ampliando hasta los ocho que constituyen el modelo propuesto por las recomendaciones de OSPP, que se están adoptando de manera amplia. Open science represents a paradigm shift in the way science is conducted that involves performing all stages of scientific research (design, data collection, review, publication, etc.) with an “open” vision. Our aim is to analyze the evolution of the denomination and the concept of open science from its beginnings (e-science, interconnected science, science 2.0, open science). We also want to determine which are the fundamental elements that make up open science. This is a theoretical research based on the selection and analysis of the most important conceptual documents about open science, which have been found in the Scopus and GoogleScholar databases. As a result, it is shown that the denominations have undergone more variations than the concept itself. Regarding the components, open science started with four basic elements (open access, open data, open software, reproducibility) that have been extended to the eight that are considered in the model proposed by OSPP recommendations.

The transition from print to digital information has transformed the role of academic libraries, which have had to redefine themselves as intermediaries and partners in the learning and research processes. This study analyzes the evolution and current provision of research support services in Spanish academic libraries through an analysis of the three strategic plans published by the Spanish association of academic libraries (REBIUN) and a survey administered to the library directors. Results show that academic libraries are firmly embedded within universities’ research activities, and that most of them depend on vice-rectorates for research or scientific policy. There is a relationship between the size of the library and its provision of research support services, although no correlation is observed between the size of the library and the staff devoted to research support. Library directors stress the value of institutional repositories, a vision also reflected in the importance assigned to open access in the strategic plans. Other current hot topics, such as data management, do not seem to be among the priorities of Spanish library directors as yet.

An overview of the evolution of open access (OA) to scientific publications over the last 20 years is presented. This retrospective look allows us to make two observations that seem to overlap: on the one hand, how close the initial objective seems to be to what initially seemed utopian and, on the other, the unanticipated and solid obstacles that open access has encountered along the way, as well as the unexpected and diverse solutions that are emerging to overcome them. The overall assessment of OA is positive, and it underscores that open access is (or is becoming) possible, that it is good, and that it is necessary. However, this overall positive evolution has come up against two major obstacles that are slowing its progress: the double payments generated by hybrid journals (subscription and article processing charges [APCs]) and the unchecked growth in APCs. In addition, this intensive use of APCs is creating a publishing gap between publishers that charge fees to authors and those that do not, and ultimately, it is causing dissension regarding the (previously shared) strategy toward open access. There are no immediate, one-off solutions to overcome the aforementioned dysfunctions, although three actions that, in the medium term, can remedy them can be mentioned: changing the approach to the evaluation of science, adopting measures to regulate APCs, and promoting alternative publication models. Finally, it should be noted that OA has acted as the vanguard and spearhead of a broader movement: that of open science.

El modelo de Estado constitucional y democrático de Derecho se soporta en la teoría neoconstitucionalista y desarrolla elementos particulares y característicos que proponen innovadoras ideas frente a la estructura estatal, entre ellos, la supremacía constitucional, el control de constitucionalidad, la protección y garantía de los derechos y el papel activo del juez como creador de Derecho. En el contexto colombiano, no ha alcanzado sus pretensiones, ya que este modelo fue trasplantado de Europa y, por lo tanto, la realidad sociojurídica es diferente; esto deriva consecuencias negativas en su implementación. En este artículo también se reflexionará sobre las propuestas teóricas que se han desarrollado como crítica a los postulados del neoconstitucionalismo: el constitucionalismo popular como una propuesta teórica proveniente de Estados Unidos y el nuevo constitucionalismo que está consolidándose en América Latina. Estas dos propuestas tienen como eje un mayor activismo por parte de los sectores sociales y el control de constitucionalidad ejercido por la ciudadanía.

It is argued that despite the many changes being experienced by research and specialized libraries, and documentation centers, which cause them doubts about their future, there are some certainties that allow these centers to properly address their activities. It is proposed to distinguish between minor and profound changes and it is affirmed that, for information centers, the fundamental change has been to go from a situation in which information was scarce and the time to look for it abundant, to another in which time to look for information is scarce and information is abundant. This should help redirect the activities of the information centers -following M. Buckland- to stop focusing on the ‘information- as-an-object’ to concentrate on the ‘information-as-a-process’. Two consolidated movements should help them to guide their future: the Open Science and the Digital Humanities. Some information products that reflect a change in the ways people approach and use information are examined: Museo del Prado’s The Collection, Transcribe Bentham, eBird and Mapa Literari Català. Finally, the author recommends to documentation centers, and specialized and research libraries to guide their services to digitize their heritage collections in an enriched manner, to promote citizen participation, and to create and strengthen communities.

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In the last years, the scientific community and funding bodies have paid attention to collected, generated or used data throughout different research activities. The dissemination of these data becomes one of the constituent elements of Open Science. For this reason, many funders are requiring or promoting the development of Data Management Plans, and depositing open data following the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). Libraries and research offices of Catalan universities –which coordinately work within the Open Science Area of CSUC– offer support services to research data management. The different works carried out at the Consortium level will be presented, as well the implementation of the service in each university.

Some professions have lower social weight than others, with strength and power below their demographic representation or the use of their services by the population. These can be referred to as minority professions. Archivists, librarians, documentalists, and (perhaps) museologists represent one such example. Some causes of minoritization are general to the profession (e.g., civil servants, auxiliary positions, or work mostly carried out by women). This article does not deal with these, but rather the circumstances in Spain that exacerbate this effect. Two indicators of minority professions are: (1) the absence of the profession from forums where problems and solutions in the world of information are debated, and (2) a low degree of attractiveness of such studies to young people. This article attempts to define the value that a profession contributes to society and analyzes the three elements of such minorization that have been considered particularly Spanish: the secondaryization of studies, the depolitization of professional associations, and the fragmentation of the collective. For each of these, approaches to facilitate the reversal of this professional decline are presented. The work ends with a final reflection on the negative impacts of not reversing this effect. Resumen Algunas profesiones tienen un peso social menor que otras. Su fuerza y poder están por debajo de su peso demográfico o del uso de sus servicios por parte de la población. Nos podemos referir a estas profesiones como profesiones minorizadas. La formada por archiveros, bibliotecas, documentalistas y (quizá) museólogos lo es. Algunas causas de la minorización son generales a la profesión (trabajo funcionarial, auxiliar y mayoritariamente femenino). El artículo no trata éstas, sino las circunstancias que se dan en España que agudizan esta minorización profesional. Dos indicadores de la minorización son: 1) ausencia de la profesión en los foros donde se debaten problemas y soluciones del mundo de la información, y 2) bajo grado de atracción de los estudios entre los jóvenes. En este artículo se intenta definir en qué consiste el valor que aporta la profesión a la sociedad y se analizan los que se han considerado los tres elementos propiamente españoles de minorización, a saber: la secundarización de los estudios, la apolitización de las asociaciones profesionales, y la fragmentación del colectivo. Para cada uno de ellos se dan vías que facilitarían la reversión de esta disminución profesional. Se termina con una reflexión final sobre los impactos negativos de no revertirla.

Electronic commerce, very important part of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), is one of the most common business terms in use in 21st century. Developed countries are more popular because of their rapid growth of ICT, e-commerce and online transaction. But in developing or under develop countries the scenario is different. Technical laggings, dearth of infrastructure, infeasibility of the existing frameworks and people apathy are the main reasons behind this. There are several alternative ways of e-commerce and online transaction. Mobile payment, a way of online transaction, may be beneficial way of payment for developing countries because of its mobile network infrastructure. In this paper, a model of electronic payment system for M-Commerce has been proposed and analyzed the security for the system. This proposal may be suitable for developing countries where mobile phones are available but other e-payment tools like debit and credit cards are not much available. It also identifies what Islam has to say about our current use of M-Commerce and the way Islam can offer guidance for its use in the future. The paper also touches on the conditions and criteria that must be met in order to make an M-Commerce transaction acceptable under Islamic perspective. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/iiucs.v7i0.12257 IIUC Studies Vol.7 2011: 37-48

España y tres otros países de nuestro entorno más próximo (Alemania, Austria y Portugal) han sufrido modificaciones drásticas muy recientes en el régimen jurídico aplicable a la eutanasia y el suicidio asistido. Su pertenencia a una familia común facilita un análisis de Derecho Comparado, especialmente pertinente si tenemos en cuenta que, pese a la aparente similitud inicial de las soluciones adoptadas, un análisis más profundo revela importantes diferencias entre ellas. Estas diferencias permiten además apuntar algunos problemas constitucionales más amplios que subyacen a la cuestión central abordada, esbozados en el presente artículo pendientes de discusión futura.