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The figure of the part-time assistant professor has been gaining presence in Spanish uni-versities since its inception in the 1980s, especially since 2010 with the economic crisis and the reduction in the replacement rate of university professors. Despite the growing rele-vance within the university faculty, the controversy that the use of this figure has generated, and the problems faced by this group of professors in their performance, there is a shortage of publications focused on questioning its role, how this figure is used and how its perfor-mance can be smoothed and favored. To contribute in this direction, and with the purpose of encouraging better management of this figure from the perspective of human resources and the quality of the service offered, this article addresses the use and improvement of the benefits of the part-time assistant professor in the Spanish university from a collaborative autoethnographic approach. In this sense, a series of aspects are identified and proposed to improve the framework and conditions in which part-time assistant professors carry out their activity, as well as their competences and attributions, in order to promote reflection and debate among teachers, scholars, government bodies and other actors with the ability to influence their performance according to the goals for which this figure was actually conceived, which ultimately would result in greater self-realization and personal satisfac-tion of these professors, and contribute to educational excellence, as well as a better quali-ty of service and superior competitiveness of universities.

Abstract A finite axion–nucleon coupling, nearly unavoidable for QCD axions, leads to the production of axions via the thermal excitation and subsequent de-excitation of $$^{57}$$ 57 Fe isotopes in the sun. We revise the solar bound on this flux adopting the up to date emission rate, and investigate the sensitivity of the proposed International Axion Observatory IAXO and its intermediate stage BabyIAXO to detect these axions. We compare different realistic experimental options and discuss the model dependence of the signal. Already BabyIAXO has sensitivity far beyond previous solar axion searches via the nucleon coupling and IAXO can improve on this by more than an order of magnitude.

Abstract Introduction The Swedish version of the patient-reported Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measures (CORE-OM) has demonstrated high reliability and acceptable convergent validity in explanatory factor analyses. However, the fundamental scale properties have not yet been validated according to item response theory. The aim of this study was to analyze the measurement properties of the Swedish CORE-OM in a cohort of psychiatric out-patients with depression and anxiety in a multicultural area and to explore combinations of items based on shorter versions of the scale (CORE-10, CORE-6D) to improve measurement properties. Methods Data from CORE-OM assessments of 337 patients were analyzed using Rasch analysis. The patients had a mean age of 30 ± 14 years, the majority were women (72%). Requirements for measurement properties were checked: overall model fit, item fit residuals, targeting, internal consistency, differential item functioning and thresholds. Sensitivity to change was also analyzed. Results The CORE-OM showed high internal consistency (person separation index = 0.947) and adequate targeting, but there was overall model misfit (item trait interaction χ2 = 917.53, p

This paper examines the perceptions of a group of students of a Postgraduate Master’s Degree in Cosmetics Industry at the Universitat de València, delivered with a blended learning modality, in relation to their experience in face-to-face learning and differentiating between those with or without a previous background in a remote online learning environment, with the added purpose of identifying strategies to enhance that experience, while offering further evidence for scholars, educators and institutions in this field. To this end, a survey with open questions devised ad hoc leaning on our literature review was submitted to a group of 114 students of the Master’s Degree in the period 2017-2020. Students were enquired about the pros and cons of their blended learning experience in relation to the traditional face-to-face learning, and which modality they would choose next time if both were offered, only considering the achievement, experience and satisfaction, regardless of the price. 77 students of our initial sample participated in the questionnaire, 38 of them without previous experience in blended or distance learning. The results show a certain predilection for face-to-face learning, especially in the group of newbies in blended or distance learning. They highlight how they miss a closer interaction with their peers and professors and the difficulties to assimilate certain content, while appraising the flexibility, autonomy, and the self-pace of the blended learning modality. Correspondingly, students with experience in remote online education settings generally show a better predisposal and find fewer disadvantages in blended learning. This suggests that the factor of experience and adaptation to new tools and methods improves student perception and confidence and shapes their preferences, with a foreseeable growing acceptance of blended learning in the future. Finally, the outcome allows us to define a series of strategies to improve the achievement, experience, and satisfaction of students in this learning context.

Top management support is one of the key aspects in the implementation of Industry 4.0 and business digitization, whereas communication is essential to aligning and driving an organization in this task. However, to date, no research has addressed this support from this perspective. To fill this gap, we take a sample of companies (N = 159) listed on the 5 main stock indices in the European Union, and we qualitatively examine the letters issued by chief executive officers and other top managers in their annual reports. We assess whether, to which extent and under which motivations and barriers, the senior management of these companies are supporting this implementation through their discourse. Among other relevant findings, our results show that barely half of the managers make explicit their strong support for this implementation, as a kind of widespread spatial myopia that serves as a meta-barrier in this implementation. In addition, the support given by top executives is mostly driven by business and customer motivations; in turn, they generally fail to present sustainability within their main motivations. Overall, this paper offers a series of relevant contributions and insights with managerial implications taken from a novel approach in this field.

This paper assesses whether and to which extent the COVID-19 pandemic, which represents a scenario of high moral intensity, is influencing the moral reasoning of top CEOs (chief executive officers) in the paradigmatic case of the automotive industry and how this moral reasoning relates to their CSR response to the crisis and their CSR plans in the long run. To this end, we took the CEO letters before and after the pandemic outbreak of the top 15 automotive companies, and applied Weber’s method to conduct a moral reasoning categorization, along with an examination of their CSR approach and initiatives. The results show a predominant moral paralysis among these CEOs, where positive reactions addressed are philanthropic in nature and more likely to be a transient response to the crisis, rather than a sustained long-term improvement of their CSR rooted in a significant moral approach enhancement. Furthermore, CEOs at the lowest stages of moral reasoning, primarily focused on their own business and immediate stakeholders, are less likely to highlight these philanthropic initiatives. The outcome evidences the convenience of addressing CSR from the lens of moral reasoning, and it further draws the attention of the scientific community, companies and their top management, stakeholders, and society to the relevance of investigating and considering the moral reasoning of top management in large corporations and its implications.

Uno de los factores que influyen en la actual crisis que padece el periodis- mo, como industria y como profesión, es su alejamiento de los intereses sociales: que haya dejado de ejercer de ‘cuarto poder’, en cuanto defensor de los intereses sociales –misión que, a lo largo de los siglos, la sociedad ha ido depositando en dicha actividad–, y se haya convertido en un sistema donde prima la obtención de beneficios por encima del cumplimiento del bien social. Proponemos algunas iniciativas que, especialmente en el caso de los profesionales, se deberían tener en cuenta para volver convertir al periodismo en un servicio social, ya que es lo demandado por la sociedad.

Urban configuration and food availability influence birds’ foraging behaviour and constitute key factors for understanding how they exploit cities. Here, we conducted a field survey in the city of Madrid (Spain) from winter 2021 to autumn 2022 to understand how the common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) exploits the food resources provided by urban parks and streets across different seasons. The proportion of observations away from parks increased during winter and spring, and the proportion of observations of wood pigeons eating on the ground was the greatest in summer. The common wood pigeon fed from 45 tree species, 60% of which were exotic ornamental species. Most tree species used as food sources coincided with those widely planted in parks, streets and avenues. The preferred trees varied throughout the year, with a greater incidence of exotic species in winter and spring. Our results show that the diversity of trees available in cities and the use of non-native plants with contrasting phenological patterns compared with the local flora are crucial elements in explaining the successful establishment of the common wood pigeon in the city.

Determining the factors that pre-adapt plant species to successfully establish and spread outside of their native ranges constitutes a powerful approach with great potential for management. While this source-area approach accounts for the bias associated with species’ regions of origin, it has been only implemented in pools of species known to be established elsewhere. We argue that, in regions with well-known introduction histories, such as the Mediterranean Biome, the consideration of co-dominant non-introduced species as a control group allows a better understanding of the invasion process. For this purpose, we used occurrence data from GBIF and trait data from previous studies to find predictors of establishment and invasion. We compare the frequency, climatic niche and functional traits of 149 co-dominant plant species in their native region in southern Spain, considering whether they have colonised other Mediterranean-climate regions or not and their level of invasion. We found that large native ranges and diverse climatic niches were the best predictors of species establishment abroad. Moreover, coloniser species had longer bloom periods, higher growth rates and greater resource acquisition, whereas coloniser species becoming invasive had also greater reproductive height and nitrogen use efficiency. This framework has the potential to improve prediction models and management practices to prevent the harmful impacts from species in invaded communities.

IntroductionFunctional trait-based approaches are extensively applied to the study of mechanisms governing community assembly along environmental gradients. These approaches have been classically based on studying differences in mean values among species, but there is increasing recognition that alternative metrics of trait distributions should be considered to decipher the mechanisms determining community assembly and species coexistence. Under this framework, the main aim of this study is to unravel the effects of environmental conditions as drivers of plant community assembly in sub-Mediterranean ecotones.MethodsWe set 60 plots in six plant communities of a sub-Mediterranean forest in Central Spain, and measured key above- and belowground functional traits in 411 individuals belonging to 19 species, along with abiotic variables. We calculated community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) of three plant dimensions, and used maximum likelihood techniques to analyze how variation in these functional community traits was driven by abiotic factors. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variability and species turnover to variation in CWM.Results and discussionThe first three axes of variation of the principal component analyses were related to three main plant ecological dimensions: Leaf Economics Spectrum, Root Economics Spectrum and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. Type of community was the most important factor determining differences in the functional structure among communities, as compared to the role of abiotic variables. We found strong differences among communities in their CWMs in line with their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean), while differences in CWS and CWK indicate different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Moreover, changes in functional composition were primarily due to intraspecific variability.ConclusionWe observed a high number of strategies in the forest with the different communities spreading along the acquisitive-conservative axis of resource-use, partly matching their Eurosiberian-Mediterranean nature, respectively. Intraspecific trait variability, rather than species turnover, stood as the most relevant factor when analyzing functional changes and assembly patterns among communities. Altogether, our data support the notion that ecotones are ecosystems where relatively minor environmental shifts may result in changes in plant and functional composition.

IntroductionOver the last few years, novel anthropometric indices have been developed as an alternative to body mass index (BMI) and other traditional anthropometric measurements to enhance the estimate of fat proportion and its relationship to a future cardiovascular event. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) estimated by Doppler ultrasound with current anthropometric indices (traditional and novel).MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 789 Spanish patients. Traditional (BMI, WHR, and WHtR) and new (WWI, AVI, ABSI, BRI, BAI, CUN-BAE, and CI) anthropometric indices were determined, and carotid Doppler ultrasound was performed to evaluate c-IMT (≥0.90 mm).ResultsMost of the anthropometric indices analyzed were significantly higher among patients with pathological c-IMT, except for BMI, BAI, and CUN-BAE. In multiple linear regression analysis, c-IMT was positively related to ABSI, AVI, BRI, CI, and WWI but not to CUN-BAE, BAI, or traditional anthropometric indices. Similarly, in univariate analysis, all indices were associated with a c-IMT of ≥0.90 mm (p < 0.05), except BMI, BAI, and CUN-BAE; however, only ABSI (adjusted OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.08–2.40; p = 0.017), CI (adjusted OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.15–2.60; p = 0.008), and WWI (adjusted OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.14–2.64; p = 0.009) were significantly associated in multivariate analysis. Finally, CI, ABSI, and WWI provided the largest AUC, and BMI and CUN-BAE showed the lowest AUC.ConclusionABSI, CI, and WWI were positively associated with pathological c-IMT (≥0.90 mm), independent of other confounders.

Abstract Spermatogenesis is a complex, multistep process during which spermatogonia give rise to spermatozoa. Transcription Factor Like 5 (TCFL5) is a transcription factor that has been described expressed during spermatogenesis. In order to decipher the role of TCFL5 during in vivo spermatogenesis, we generated two mouse models. Ubiquitous removal of TCFL5 generated by breeding TCFL5fl/fl with SOX2-Cre mice resulted in sterile males being unable to produce spermatozoa due to a dramatic alteration of the testis architecture presenting meiosis arrest and lack of spermatids. SYCP3, SYCP1 and H1T expression analysis showed that TCFL5 deficiency causes alterations during pachytene/diplotene transition resulting in a meiotic arrest in a diplotene-like stage. Even more, TCFL5 deficient pachytene showed alterations in the number of MLH1 foci and the condensation of the sexual body. In addition, tamoxifen-inducible TCFL5 knockout mice showed, besides meiosis phenotype, alterations in the spermatids elongation process resulting in aberrant spermatids. Furthermore, TCFL5 deficiency increased spermatogonia maintenance genes (Dalz, Sox2, and Dmrt1) but also increased meiosis genes (Syce1, Stag3, and Morc2a) suggesting that the synaptonemal complex forms well, but cannot separate and meiosis does not proceed. TCFL5 is able to bind to the promoter of Syce1, Stag3, Dmrt1, and Syce1 suggesting a direct control of their expression. In conclusion, TCFL5 plays an essential role in spermatogenesis progression being indispensable for meiosis resolution and spermatids maturation.

El objetivo es evaluar si los precios del frijol presentan volatilidad y si tiene implicaciones en la seguridad alimentaria de la población. Se aplicaron modelos simétricos y asimétricos de la familia ARCH a tres variedades de frijol en ocho mercados mexicanos. Los resultados mostraron una alta persistencia de volatilidad en frijol pinto y negro, la cual es mayor en los mercados locales que en los que tienen diferente punto de origen y destino. Por lo que dicha volatilidad impacta sobre las decisiones de consumo de la población más pobre.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a very common life‐threatening malignancy. Transcription factor‐like 5 (TCFL5) has been suggested to be involved in CRC. Here, we describe the expression of four alternative transcripts of TCFL5 and their relevance in CRC. Complete deletion of all isoforms drastically decreased pro‐tumoural properties such as spheroids formation and in vivo tumour growth, although increased migration in CRC cell lines. Overexpression of the two main isoforms, TCFL5_E8 and CHA, had opposite effects: TCFL5_E8 reduced proliferation and spheroids formation, while CHA increased them. TCFL5_E8 reduced in vivo tumour formation, while CHA had no effect. In addition, TCFL5_E8 and CHA have different roles in the regulation of the pluripotency‐related genes SOX2 and KLF4. Both isoforms bind directly to their promoters; however, TCFL5_E8 induced SOX2 and reduced KLF4 mRNA levels, whereas CHA did the opposite. Together, our results show that TCFL5 plays an important role in the development of CRC, being however isoform‐specific. This work also points to the need to analyse separately TCFL5 isoforms in cancer, due to their different and opposite functions.

Extensive research efforts are devoted to understand fine root trait variation and to confirm the existence of a belowground root economics spectrum (RES) from acquisitive to conservative root strategies that is analogous to the leaf economics spectrum (LES). The economics spectrum implies a trade-off between maximizing resource acquisition and productivity or maximizing resource conservation and longevity; however, this theoretical framework still remains controversial for roots. We compiled a database of 320 Mediterranean woody and herbaceous species to critically assess if the classic economics spectrum theory can be broadly extended to roots. Fine roots displayed a wide diversity of forms and properties in Mediterranean vegetation, resulting in a multidimensional trait space. The main trend of variation in this multidimensional root space is analogous to the main axis of LES, while the second trend of variation is partially determined by an anatomical trade-off between tissue density and diameter. Specific root area (SRA) is the main trait explaining species distribution along the RES, regardless of the selected traits. We advocate for the need to unify and standardize the criteria and approaches used within the economics framework between leaves and roots, for the sake of theoretical consistency.

Este documento analiza cómo la volatilidad en los precios de los granos básicos, arroz, maíz y trigo, influyen sobre la seguridad alimentaria. Para esto, se estudió el mercado de estos productos mediante los modelos de varianza condicional heterocedástica: simétricos y asimétricos. Entre los resultados, se encontró evidencia que, ante un escenario internacional volátil, los precios de granos básicos a nivel doméstico se elevarán, repercutiendo de manera negativa a toda la cadena de transformación mediante el incremento en los precios finales de los productos procesados. A nivel social, este escenario genera un efecto restricción sobre la población al reducir el acceso de los alimentos a menor precio.

This research paper applies a holistic solution to successfully cope with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) needs in a traditional university in Colombia. The suggested methodology follows a humanistic approach and strategically identifies and prioritizes available opportunities for this university within a territory, considering it is present in several regions. The most important conclusion of this work is that the proposed methodology presents an efficient way to design a CSR strategy for a private higher education institution; although we assume it can be easily replicated in other organizations. In consequence, this proposal contributes to the achievement of human development objectives in a specific geographical area. This is important in the Colombian context because of the current efforts to achieve peace and development for the country.

Dark matter searches have been ongoing for three decades; the lack of a positive discovery of the main candidate, the WIMP, after dedicated efforts, has put axions and axion-like particles in the spotlight. The three main techniques employed to search for them complement each other well in covering a wide range in the parameter space defined by the axion decay constant and the axion mass. The International AXion Observatory (IAXO) is an international collaboration planning to build the fourth generation axion helioscope, with an unparalleled expected sensitivity and discovery potential. The distinguishing characteristic of IAXO is that it will feature a magnet that is designed to maximise the relevant parameters in sensitivity and which will be equipped with X-ray focusing devices and detectors that have been developed for axion physics. In this paper, we review aspects that motivate IAXO and its prototype, BabyIAXO, in the axion, and ALPs landscape. As part of this Special Issue, some emphasis is given on Spanish participation in the project, of which CAPA (Centro de Astropartículas y Física de Altas Energías of the Universidad de Zaragoza) is a strong promoter.

The introduction of exotic species to new regions offers opportunities to test fundamental questions in ecology, such as the context-dependency of community structure and assembly. Annual grasslands provide a model system of a major unidirectional introduction of plant species from Europe to North America. We compared the community structure of grasslands in two Mediterranean regions by surveying plots in Spain and in California with similar environmental and management conditions. All species found in Spanish grasslands were native to Spain, and over half of them (74 of 139 species) are known to have colonized California. In contrast, in California, over half of the species (52 of 95 species) were exotic species, all of them native to Spain. Nineteen species were found in multiple plots in both regions (i.e., shared species). The abundance of shared species in California was either similar to (13 species) or greater than (6 species) in Spain. In California, plants considered pests were more likely than non-pest species to have higher abundance. Co-occurring shared species tended to maintain their relative abundance in native and introduced communities, which indicates that pools of exotic species might assemble similarly at home and away. These findings provide interesting insights into community assembly in novel ecosystems. They also highlight an example of startling global and local floristic homogenization.

The influence of the media in electoral processes and decisions of citizens has motivated numerous studies since the mid-twentieth century. However, there are specific stereotypes such as the direct correlation between consumption of newspapers and electoral participation. This article shows through autonomous communities that in Spain there is not a direct subordination and very different situations are given. It highlights that Castilla-La Mancha is the region with a higher overall rate of participation, and yet with the lowest percentage of voters who buy a newspaper. The study underlines as well other issues, such as the weight of ideological factors when voting. In any case, there is increasingly difficulties to establish a relationship of influence of the media in the decision of the voters, because of the general increase in information sources.

En este trabajo se utiliza la metodología de Vectores Autorregresivos Estructurales (VARE) a fin de examinar la política monetaria de Banco de México en el marco de los supuestos estándar de la ortodoxia neoclásica para los años 2000-2011. Se muestra evidencia empírica de que la autoridad monetaria mexicana reaccionó, en el corto plazo, ante la crisis de manera anticíclica, estimulando la actividad económica mediante una expansión monetaria acompañada de una reacción lenta de los precios; mientras que en el largo plazo la dinámica de los precios elevó la tasa de interés, menguando con ello el ritmo de la actividad económica.

Que los medios de comunicación están crisis, que la propia actividad periodística está en crisis, que los propios fundamentos del periodismo están crisis, es algo más que evidente y ha sido puesto de manifiesto, desde distintos puntos de vista, por diversos autores, tanto académicos, como profesionales del periodismo, llegando a un consenso más o menos explícito de que esta crisis no es coyuntural, una más de la que han padecido los medios a lo largo de su historia, sino estructural y que puede llevar a la desaparición de la propia profesión, al menos tal y como la conocemos hasta ahora. La intensidad de dicha crisis, los motivos que la han generado y, en especial, las posibles soluciones a la misma es en lo que ya no existe un tan amplio consenso. En este artículo pretendemos analizar los orígenes y razones de dicha crisis, definir un diagnóstico y, en la medida de lo posible, aportar soluciones a la misma o, al menos, abrir algunas puertas para la esperanza y recuperación de una actividad esencial para la convivencia social.

¿Cuál es el futuro de la población? ¿Qué espera a los hombres en estos veinte años que nos separan del año 2000? ¿Qué nos depararán los próximos veinte años? Es muy posible que todas las predicciones fallen y se vean superadas con exceso por los acontecimientos. El futuro, aunque esté tan cerca, tiene siempre mucho de imprevisible. Cabe, desde luego, la posibilidad de una hecatombe nuclear con cientos de millones de muertos. El mundo vive desde hace treinta y cinco años bajo el miedo a esta amenaza. Pero, aunque esto ocurra, la población del mundo repondrá sus efectivos con una desconcertante rapidez

Este trabalho é um recorte de pesquisa de Mestrado realizada no âmbito do Programa de Pós-graduação em Letras da Universidade Federal do Amazonas, baseado em investigação bibliográfica e documental de cunho quali-quantitativo, que tem como corpora o Edital de Convocação para o Processo de Inscrição e Avaliação para o PNLD 2018 LEM Espanhol e a coleção Cercanía Joven. Para este artigo, apresentamos resultados sobre a abordagem destinada às Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação (TIC) nos documentos que compõem a pesquisa, justificada pelo fato de a BNCC para o ensino médio, aprovada em 2018, colocar em evidência as Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação – TIC, recomendando sua aplicação no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, além da relação entre as TIC e o cotidiano da sala de aula. Os principais investigadores que embasam este trabalho são Mantovani (2009), Galan e Teixeira (2012), Galan (2016), Teixeira (2017 e 2018), e Barros, Marins-Costa e Freitas (2018). Os resultados preliminares apontam que o edital PNLD 2018 apresenta alguns critérios que podem ser efetivados por meio das TIC, apesar de não mencionar explicitamente o uso desses recursos tecnológicos e que, além disso, na coleção avaliada, há pouca variedade nas propostas de utilização dos recursos tecnológicos, predominância de práticas orientadas a serem realizadas fora de sala de aula, progressão nos níveis de dificuldade das propostas por meio das TIC e, também, a predominância de atividades que utilizam CD.

O presente artigo apresenta pesquisa sobre a abordagem destinada às Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação (TIC) em livro didático para o ensino de Espanhol aprovado no âmbito do Programa Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD) 2018. Trata-se de um recorte de investigação de Mestrado desenvolvida no Amazonas, baseada em pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, que tem como corpora o livro didático e o Edital de Convocação para o Processo de Inscrição e Avaliação para o PNLD 2018. Os principais teóricos que embasam a pesquisa e este artigo são AUTOR (2010, 2018), Moran, Masseto e Behrens (2012) e Guimarães e Freitas (2018). Os resultados preliminares apontam que o Edital PNLD 2018 apresenta critérios que podem ser efetivados por meio das TIC, apesar de não mencionarem explicitamente o uso desses recursos tecnológicos e, além disso, pouca variedade nas propostas didático-pedagógicas no livro didático investigado, com predominância para TIC que amparam atividades de compreensão auditiva. Constatamos, também, uma preocupante perspectiva sobre a manutenção do componente de Língua Espanhola no âmbito do PNLD.