Universidad de León

This executive summary and recommendations appears in the November 3, 1998, issue of Circulation. The guidelines in their entirety, including the ACC/AHA Class I, II, and III recommen

Sustainability through digital transformation is essential for contemporary businesses. Embracing sustainability, micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can gain a competitive advantage, attracting customers and investors who share these values. Moreover, incorporating sustainable practices empowers MSMEs to drive innovation, reduce costs, and enhance their reputation. This study aims to identify how owners or senior managers of MSMEs can initiate a sustainable digital transformation project. A systematic literature review was carried out, including 59 publications from 2019 to 2023. As a result, this research identifies the first steps owners of MSMEs can take to begin the transition by identifying critical organizational capabilities necessary for successful transformation, explores the technologies that can support MSMEs in their sustainability goals, and emphasizes the significance of stakeholders in achieving a successful digital transformation journey. Firstly, owners or senior managers should change the organizational culture to support decisions and strategies focus on sustainability. Secondly, the leading role of stakeholders is in the innovation process that allows businesses to be more competitive locally and globally. Finally, big data is the technology that can provide the most significant benefit to MSMEs because it will enable analyzing data of all kinds and contributes disruptively to decision-making.

It is by now well established that telecollaborative exchanges frequently end in “failed communication” and do not automatically bring about successful negotiation of meaning between the learners. Instead, the intended pedagogic and linguistic aims of online interaction are repeatedly missed, and projects may end in low levels of participation, indifference, tension between participants, or a negative evaluation of the partner group or their culture. The reasons offered in the literature are rather diverse in nature, and there has so far been no attempt to offer a comprehensive overview of such areas of dysfunction. Starting from a review of the existing body of research, this paper develops a structured inventory of factors which may lead to cases of failed communication in online exchanges. In sum, 10 different factors are suggested at four different levels: individual, classroom, socioinstitutional, and interaction. Examples of communication failure taken from two exchanges will be used to illustrate how these factors are interconnected and influence each other. It is concluded that a more discriminating perspective of such problem areas, both among the tutors and the students, can help to further increase intercultural awareness and lead to a better understanding of the dynamic nature of online communication.

La pandemia mundial de la COVID-19 ha llevado a la suspensión de la actividad docente en muchos países. En el ámbito universitario la transformación urgente de las clases presenciales a un formato online se ha llevado a cabo de una forma que se puede calificar como aceptable en términos generales, si bien las medidas tomadas se han ajustado a la urgencia y no a una planificación pensada a priori para impartir una asignatura con una metodología completamente online. Afrontar una evaluación online masiva es algo a lo que las universidades de corte presencial no se habían enfrentado nunca desde una perspectiva institucional. El profesorado y el estudiantado, por tanto, tienen que colaborar para dar una respuesta que integre decisiones metodológicas y tecnológicas, a la vez que garantice la equidad, la seguridad jurídica y la transparencia para todos los actores, internos y externos. El Grupo de Responsables de Docencia Online de las Universidades Públicas de Castilla y León ha elaborado una guía de recomendaciones para ayudar al profesorado y a las universidades en este proceso. La esencia de esta guía se presenta en este artículo para hacer llegar estas recomendaciones al gran número de docentes que comparten este problema en este momento excepcional en todo el planeta.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has led to the suspension of teaching activities in many countries. In the university environment, the urgent transformation of the face-to-face classes to an online format has been carried out in a way that can be described as generally acceptable, being aware that the measures taken have been due to the urgency and not to a priori planning to teach a subject entirely with an online methodology. However, having to face an online evaluation is something that the face-to-face universities, and most of the distances or online universities, had never faced from an institutional perspective. The teaching staff and students, therefore, have to give a response that integrates methodological and technological decisions, while ensuring equity, legal certainty and transparency for all actors, internal and external. The Group of Online Teaching Managers of the Public Universities of Castilla y León has prepared a guide with recommendations to help teachers and universities in this process. The essence of this guide is presented in this article to make these recommendations available to a higher number of teachers who share this problem at this time worldwide.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of cytogenetic findings in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia is unclear. Our purpose was to evaluate the independent prognostic impact of cytogenetic abnormalities in a large series of patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia included in the database of the Spanish Registry of Myelodysplastic Syndromes. DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 414 patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia according to WHO criteria and with a successful conventional cytogenetic analysis at diagnosis. Different patient and disease characteristics were examined by univariate and multivariate methods to establish their relationship with overall survival and evolution to acute myeloid leukemia. RESULTS: Patients with abnormal karyotype (110 patients, 27%) had poorer overall survival (P=0.001) and higher risk of acute myeloid leukemia evolution (P=0.010). Based on outcome analysis, three cytogenetic risk categories were identified: low risk (normal karyotype or loss of Y chromosome as a single anomaly), high risk (presence of trisomy 8 or abnormalities of chromosome 7, or complex karyotype), and intermediate risk (all other abnormalities). Overall survival at five years for patients in the low, intermediate, and high risk cytogenetic categories was 35%, 26%, and 4%, respectively (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that this new CMML-specific cytogenetic risk stratification was an independent prognostic variable for overall survival (P=0.001). Additionally, patients belonging to the high-risk cytogenetic category also had a higher risk of acute myeloid leukemia evolution on univariate (P=0.001) but not multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Cytogenetic findings have a strong prognostic impact in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Pseudomonas putida metabolizes Phe and Tyr through a peripheral pathway involving hydroxylation of Phe to Tyr (PhhAB), conversion of Tyr into 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (TyrB), and formation of homogentisate (Hpd) as the central intermediate. Homogentisate is then catabolized by a central catabolic pathway that involves three enzymes, homogentisate dioxygenase (HmgA), fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (HmgB), and maleylacetoacetate isomerase (HmgC), finally yielding fumarate and acetoacetate. Whereas the phh, tyr, and hpd genes are not linked in the P. putida genome, the hmgABC genes appear to form a single transcriptional unit. Gel retardation assays and lacZ translational fusion experiments have shown that hmgR encodes a specific repressor that controls the inducible expression of the divergently transcribed hmgABC catabolic genes, and homogentisate is the inducer molecule. Footprinting analysis revealed that HmgR protects a region in the Phmg promoter that spans a 17-bp palindromic motif and an external direct repetition from position -16 to position 29 with respect to the transcription start site. The HmgR protein is thus the first IclR-type regulator that acts as a repressor of an aromatic catabolic pathway. We engineered a broad-host-range mobilizable catabolic cassette harboring the hmgABC, hpd, and tyrB genes that allows heterologous bacteria to use Tyr as a unique carbon and energy source. Remarkably, we show here that the catabolism of 3-hydroxyphenylacetate in P. putida U funnels also into the homogentisate central pathway, revealing that the hmg cluster is a key catabolic trait for biodegradation of a small number of aromatic compounds.

Cada vez es más común interactuar con productos que parecen “inteligentes”, aunque quizás la etiqueta “inteligencia artificial” haya sido sustituida por otros eufemismos. Desde noviembre de 2022, con la aparición de la herramienta ChatGPT, ha habido un aumento exponencial en el uso de la inteligencia artificial en todos los ámbitos. Aunque ChatGPT es solo una de las muchas tecnologías generativas de inteligencia artificial, su impacto en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje ha sido notable. Este artículo reflexiona sobre las ventajas, inconvenientes, potencialidades, límites y retos de las tecnologías generativas de inteligencia artificial en educación, con el objetivo de evitar los sesgos propios de las posiciones extremistas. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una revisión sistemática tanto de las herramientas como de la producción científica que ha surgido en los seis primeros meses desde la aparición de ChatGPT. La inteligencia artificial generativa es extremadamente potente y mejora a un ritmo acelerado, pero se basa en lenguajes de modelo de gran tamaño con una base probabilística, lo que significa que no tienen capacidad de razonamiento ni de comprensión y, por tanto, son susceptibles de contener fallos que necesitan ser contrastados. Por otro lado, muchos de los problemas asociados con estas tecnologías en contextos educativos ya existían antes de su aparición, pero ahora, debido a su potencia, no podemos ignorarlos solo queda asumir cuál será nuestra velocidad de respuesta para analizar e incorporar estas herramientas a nuestra práctica docente.

En investigació educativa és freqüent que es reculli informació sobre moltes variables en una mostra d’individus i es pretengui estudiar-les conjuntament. En aquests casos s’ha d’utilitzar una tècnica analítica multivariant. Hi ha dues grans tipologies d’anàlisi multivariant; els mètodes de la dependència (quan l’objectiu és explicar una o diverses variables –VD– en funció d’altres –VI–) i els mètodes de la interdependència (quan l’objectiu és analitzar les relacions que s’estableixen entre totes les variables al mateix nivell). L’anàlisi factorial exploratòria és un tipus d’anàlisi multivariant de la interdependència. Té com a objectiu descobrir un nombre més petit de dimensions latents (factors) no observables, que, perdent el mínim d’informació, expliquin les relacions que s’estableixen entre les variables observades, suficientment i de la manera més senzilla possible. En aquest article es descriu com dur a terme una anàlisi factorial amb SPSS i com interpretar els resultats que ens ofereix aquesta eina.

El propósito del presente es analizar las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario Brief COPE en población española, analizando la estructura y dimensiones básicas del cuestionario, llamando COPE-28 a la versión española del mismo. La muestra fue de 260 adultos. Para analizar la estructura factorial, se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio con el método de componentes principales y rotación varimax. Posteriormente se realizó un análisis factorial de segundo orden con las subescales que forman el COPE-28. El resultado de la prueba KMO pone en duda la factibilidad de realizar un análisis factorial; el análisis no confirma la estructura factorial original del instrumento. Con base en los resultados obtenidos se afirma que la validez del COPE-28 no es concluyente.

The aims of this study were to assess changes in muscle architecture, isometric and dynamic strength of the leg extensor muscles, resulting from dynamic resistance training, and the relationships between strength and muscle architecture variables. The participants (n = 30) were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The training group (n = 16; age 21.8 +/- 2.3 years, body mass 74.8 +/- 9.2 kg, height 1.75 +/- 0.08 m) performed dynamic resistance training for 13 weeks. The control group (n = 14; age 19.9 +/- 1.5 years, body mass 74.0 +/- 8.5 kg, height 1.76 +/- 0.05 m) did not perform any resistance training. Maximal dynamic and isometric strength were tested in both groups, before and after the training period. The members of the training group used the free-weight squat lift (90 degrees ) as their training exercise. The concentric phase of the squat was performed explosively. Skeletal muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis was visualized using ultrasonography. At the end of the study, significant increases in vastus lateralis muscle thickness (+6.9%, P < 0.001), fascicle length (+10.3%, P < 0.05), one-repetition maximum (+8.2%, P < 0.05), rate of force development (+23.8%, P < 0.05) and average force produced in the first 500 ms (+11.7%, P < 0.05) were seen only in the training group. Adaptations to the muscle architecture in the training group limited the loss of fibre force, and improved the capacity for developing higher velocities of contraction. The architectural changes in the training group were similar to those seen in studies where high-speed training was performed. In conclusion, dynamic resistance training with light loads leads to increases in muscle thickness and fascicle length, which might be related to a more efficient transmission of fibre force to the tendon.

In this paper I argue that online intercultural interaction and exchange remains a relatively peripheral ‘add-on’ activity in most foreign language classrooms. In its current state, it is yet to be considered an integral part of curricular activity and it does not yet form a significant part of high stakes assessment procedures. Against this background, it is becoming increasingly difficult for educators to justify to learners the value of their online work. I present here an overview of what online intercultural exchange involves and discuss what have been its contributions to foreign language education. I then present findings from a survey of telecollaborative practices and discuss why this activity has yet to become a ‘normalised’ part of foreign language learning.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family which has been used to treat biliary disorders, anorexia, cough, rheumatism, cancer, sinusitis, hepatic disorders, hyperglycemia, obesity, and diabetes in both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Suggested mechanisms of action include the modulation of signal transduction cascades and effects on gene expression, however they remain to be elucidated. In this study, the expression of some proteins responsible for transcription factors, inflammation, and metabolic control were evaluated by western blot in 15-week-old db/db mice livers treated with curcumin 0.75% mixed in their diet for 8 weeks. In addition, nitrosative stress was evaluated. Curcumin increased the expression of AMPK and PPARγ, and diminished NF-κB protein in db/db mice. However, it did not modify the expression of PGC-1α or SIRT1. Nitrosative stress present in db/db mice livers was determined by a unique nitrotyrosylated protein band (75 kDa) and was not reverted with curcumin. In conclusion, curcumin regulates the expression of AMPK, PPARγ, and NF-κB; suggesting a beneficial effect for treatment of T2DM complications. In order to observe best beneficial effects it is desirable to administer curcumin in the earlier states of T2DM.

The large number of sensors and actuators that make up the Internet of Things obliges these systems to use diverse technologies and protocols. This means that IoT networks are more heterogeneous than traditional networks. This gives rise to new challenges in cybersecurity to protect these systems and devices which are characterized by being connected continuously to the Internet. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) are used to protect IoT systems from the various anomalies and attacks at the network level. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) can be improved through machine learning techniques. Our work focuses on creating classification models that can feed an IDS using a dataset containing frames under attacks of an IoT system that uses the MQTT protocol. We have addressed two types of method for classifying the attacks, ensemble methods and deep learning models, more specifically recurrent networks with very satisfactory results.

Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy is a powerful and rapid technique for analysing cell wall components and putative cross-links, which is able to non-destructively recognize polymers and functional groups and provide abundant information about their in muro organization. FTIR spectroscopy has been reported to be a useful tool for monitoring cell wall changes occurring in muro as a result of various factors, such as growth and development processes, mutations or biotic and abiotic stresses. This mini-review examines the use of FTIR spectroscopy in conjunction with multivariate analyses to monitor cell wall changes related to (1) the exposure of diverse plant materials to cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors (CBIs), and (2) the habituation/dehabituation of plant cell cultures to this kind of herbicides. The spectra analyses show differences not only regarding the inhibitor, but also regarding how long cells have been growing in its presence.

[ES]Crónica de legislación. Derecho administrativo

Colloidal liquids interacting with short range attraction and long range repulsion, such as proposed for some protein solutions, have been found to exhibit novel states consisting of equilibrium particle clusters. Monte Carlo simulations are performed for two physically meaningful inter-particle potentials across a broad range of interaction parameters, temperatures and volume fractions to locate the conditions where clustered states are found. A corresponding states phase behavior is identified when normalized by the critical point of an appropriately selected reference attractive fluid. Clustered fluid states and cluster percolated states are found exclusively within the two phase region of the state diagram for a reference attractive fluid, confirming the underlying intrinsic relation between clustered states and bulk phase separation. Clustered and cluster percolated states consistently exhibit an intermediate range order peak in their structure factors with a magnitude above 2.7, leading to a semi-empirical rule for identifying clustered fluids in scattering experiments.

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease caused by obligate intramacrophage protozoa, threatens 350 million people in 98 countries around the world. There are already 12 million infected people worldwide and two million new cases occur annually. Leishmaniasis has three main clinical presentations: cutaneous (CL), mucosal (ML), and visceral (VL). It is considered an opportunistic, infectious disease and the HIV-leishmaniasis correlation is well known. Antimonial compounds are used as first-line treatment drugs, but their toxicity, which can be extremely high, leads to a number of undesirable side effects and resultant failure of the patients to adhere to treatment. There is also a reported increase in Leishmania sp. resistance to these drugs. Nanotechnology has emerged as an attractive alternative because of its improved bioavailability and lower toxicity, and other characteristics that help to relieve the burden of this disease. In this review we will present some of the recent advances in the nanotechnological research regarding the treatment of leishmaniasis. The preclinical results regarding the approaches for a biomedical treatment of the disease have been encouraging, but further efforts will still be necessary for this therapy to have greater clinical applicability in humans.

The aim of this paper is to make a descriptive analysis of Problematic Internet Use in college students, evaluating the possible association with health problems and addictive behaviors, as well as gender differences in user types. A total of 2,780 students participated in the study between 2011 and 2014, 29% of them being males (age 20.8 ± 5.1 years) and 71% females (age 20.3 ± 4.4 years). The prevalence of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) assessed by the Internet Addiction Test was 6.08%. Being under 21 years of age and studying for degrees in subjects other than the health sciences were associated factors with a higher frequency of this problem, no differences by gender or type of address were found. The results show a significant association with some health problems (migraines, back pain, excess weight or obesity, insufficient rest), psychological aspects (risk of eating disorders, risk of mental disorder, depression), family problems and discrimination; with no associations with substance use (alcohol, cannabis or tobacco) being found. Concerning the time of Internet use, weekly hours were significantly higher in women than in men, both the total time as for leisure. The analysis of the profile use in problematic users revealed that males are related to aspects of entertainment such as games or shopping online and females are related to aspects of socialization, such as chats and social networks.

Corynebacterium glutamicum contains four serine/threonine protein kinases (STPKs) named PknA, PknB, PknG, and PknL. Here we present the first biochemical and comparative analysis of all four C. glutamicum STPKs and investigate their potential role in cell shape control and peptidoglycan synthesis during cell division. In vitro assays demonstrated that, except for PknG, all STPKs exhibited autokinase activity. We provide evidence that activation of PknG is part of a phosphorylation cascade mechanism that relies on PknA activity. Following phosphorylation by PknA, PknG could transphosphorylate its specific substrate OdhI in vitro. A mass spectrometry profiling approach was also used to identify the phosphoresidues in all four STPKs. The results indicate that the nature, number, and localization of the phosphoacceptors varies from one kinase to the other. Disruption of either pknL or pknG in C. glutamicum resulted in viable mutants presenting a typical cell morphology and growth rate. In contrast, we failed to obtain null mutants of pknA or pknB, supporting the notion that these genes are essential. Conditional mutants of pknA or pknB were therefore created, leading to partial depletion of PknA or PknB. This resulted in elongated cells, indicative of a cell division defect. Moreover, overexpression of PknA or PknB in C. glutamicum resulted in a lack of apical growth and therefore a coccoid-like morphology. These findings indicate that pknA and pknB are key players in signal transduction pathways for the regulation of the cell shape and both are essential for sustaining corynebacterial growth.