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Depto. de Estudios Ingleses: Lingüística y Literatura, Fac. de Filología, TRUE, pub

La plataforma Moodle del Campus Virtual de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) permite virtualizar asignaturas y disponer su organización en varios formatos. La elección de uno u otro formato, en ocasiones, responde al gusto personal del docente o a la mera intuición, sin saber si dicha opción facilita la búsqueda de contenidos a los estudiantes o de lo contrario la dificulta. Este proyecto estudia la carga cognitiva que los distintos formatos suponen para un estudiante a la hora de buscar materiales en el Campus Virtual. Para medir la carga de este proceso cognitivo se utiliza la técnica de seguimiento ocular (eye tracking), ya aplicada con éxito en el proyecto titulado El uso del seguimiento ocular (eye-tracking) para el estudio de la comprensión lectora en la enseñanza-aprendizaje del inglés como segunda lengua (ISL): aspectos lingüísticos y multimodales (INNOVA 251 de la convocatoria 2021-22). Esta técnica permite establecer el camino visual (“scan-path”) seguido por un sujeto para llegar localizar la información en un documento escrito o en una presentación como la que ofrece la interfaz de Moodle. En esta memoria se describen los objetivos y la metodología aplicada para la recopilación de un corpus de 300 pruebas de 50 estudiantes de las Facultades de Filología de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) y de la Escuela de Telecomunicaciones de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)., The Virtual Campus of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid allows for the virtualization of course subjects and the organization of their structure in different formats. The choice of one format over another sometimes depends on the personal preference of the professor or their mere intuition, without knowing whether such an option facilitates or hinders students' search for content. This project investigates the cognitive load that different formats impose on students when searching for materials on the Virtual Campus. To measure this cognitive process, the eye-tracking technique is used, successfully applied previously in the project titled "The use of eye-tracking for the study of reading comprehension in the teaching and learning of English as a second language (ESL): linguistic and multimodal aspects (INNOVA 251, 2021-22)." This technique allows for establishing the visual path ("scan-path") followed by a subject to locate information in a written document or in a presentation, such as that offered by the Moodle interface. This report describes the objectives and methodology applied for compiling a corpus of 300 trials from 50 students of the Faculties of Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and the School of Telecommunications at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM).

The transformation of media in the digital context opens a stage of journalistic convergence that reformulates its narrative and business models, as well as its relationship with an active and connected audience, capable of selecting and sharing information. A paradigm shift that fragments access and consumption in multiple media, channels and hyper-updated formats. As a result, the mediating role of journalists and editors in the information process is displaced, transferred to other users, platforms and social networks that act as content curators or non-professional gatekeepers and that lead to reformulate, in turn, the selection of the media agenda and its influence. In this context of increased content publication and media disintermediation, a digital ‘news gap’ is emerging, marked by the difference of interest shown between three spheres: the topics that the media select as relevant according to their journalistic criteria; what the audience prefers to read or click on the web; and what network users choose to viralize. The analysis and verification of this phenomenon constitutes the main object of study of this Doctoral Thesis, structured in two axes of deductive analysis: a meta-investigation of the concept and its evolution in scientific research (N=25); and the proposal and empirical verification of a theoretical-analytical model coined as Triple Information Gap. For this purpose, a content analysis method is applied to four international media from Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States (N=1646), based on 5 categories and 147 variables. The research provides its own tool for the phase of coding and analysis of results with the development of a software that automates part of the sample collection and digitalizes the analysis sheet, saving and interrelating its information in a database. The main results on the conceptualization and evolution of the news gap in the academic literature reflect an incipient production, with ba, La transformación de los medios de comunicación en el entorno digital abre una etapa de convergencia periodística que reformula sus modelos narrativos y de negocio, además de su relación con la audiencia, activa y conectada, capaz de seleccionar y compartir la información. Un cambio de paradigma que fragmenta el acceso y el consumo en múltiples soportes, canales y formatos hiperactualizados. Como consecuencia, el papel mediador de periodistas y editores en el proceso informativo se ve desplazado, trasladado a otros usuarios, plataformas y redes sociales que actúan como curadoras de contenido o gatekeepers no profesionales y que empujan a reformular, a su vez, la selección de la agenda mediática y su influencia. En este contexto de incremento en la publicación de contenidos en red y de desintermediación de los medios, se constata una ‘brecha informativa’ digital, o news gap, marcada por la diferencia de intereses entre tres esferas: los asuntos que los medios seleccionan como relevantes según sus criterios periodísticos; lo que prefiere leer o clicar la audiencia en la web; y lo que optan por viralizar los usuarios de redes. El análisis y comprobación de este fenómeno constituye el objeto de estudio principal de la presente Tesis Doctoral, con Mención Internacional, estructurada en dos ejes de análisis deductivo: una meta-investigación del concepto y su evolución en la investigación científica (N=25); y la proposición y comprobación empírica de un modelo teórico-analítico propio acuñado como Triple Brecha Informativa. Para ello, se desarrolla una metodología de análisis de contenido sobre cuatro medios internacionales de España, Portugal, Reino Unido y Estados Unidos (N=1646), basado en 5 categorías y 147 variables de estudio. La investigación aporta una herramienta propia en la fase de codificación y análisis de resultados con el desarrollo de un software que automatiza parte de la obtención de la muestra y digitaliza la ficha de análisis, guardando e in, Escuela de Doctorado, Doctorado en Español: Lingüística, Literatura y Comunicación

This book is a welcome and timely contribution to the CLIL context as the outburst of diverse variants of the CLIL approach continue to expand around the world and investigation on this phenomenon is still much needed. The volume brings together solid empirical contributions with the aim of providing new insights into language policy issues and pedagogical practices, and offering an integrating vision of these two aspects. However, the book does not limit itself to that issue, and actually shows evidence of the need for general guidelines and national policies, on the one hand, and grassroots initiatives, on the other, which need to go hand in hand to make successful teaching and learning processes come to life. Reflecting the variety of the field, the nine chapters that give form to this book provide thorough and comprehensible accounts of CLIL realities, showing a smooth transition from policy-level to classroom-based evidence and investigation, thus tying these two key aspects together and underscoring the importance of their interweaving., Depto. de Estudios Ingleses: Lingüística y Literatura, Fac. de Filología, pub

An estimated 60% of melanoma patients develop melanoma brain metastases(MBMs). However, the molecular factors that govern the growth of MBMs are still unknown. The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate has been shown to control the proliferation of various types of cancer cells within the brain parenchyma, but the cellular sources and molecular mechanisms involved in this process remain unclear. By their well-known role in inhibiting synaptic glutamate release, cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) located on glutamatergic nerve terminals are conceivably well-positioned to control the growth of MBMs. In silico data mining in cancer-genome atlases and in vitro studies with melanoma cell lines supported that a glutamate-NMDA receptor axis drives melanoma cell proliferation. Strikingly, grafting melanoma cells into the brain of mice lacking CB1Rs selectively in glutamatergic neurons increased tumour size and concomitantly activated NMDA receptors on tumour cells. Altogether, our findings reveal an unprecedented role of neuronal CB1Rs in controlling MBMs., Depto. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Fac. de Ciencias Biológicas, TRUE, pub

The G protein-coupled receptors CB2 (CB2R) and GPR55 are overexpressed in cancer cells and human tumors. Because a modulation of GPR55 activity by cannabinoids has been suggested, we analyzed whether this receptor participates in cannabinoid effects on cancer cells. Here we show that CB2R and GPR55 form heteromers in cancer cells, that these structures possess unique signaling properties, and that modulation of these heteromers can modify the antitumoral activity of cannabinoids in vivo. These findings unveil the existence of previously unknown signaling platforms that help explain the complex behavior of cannabinoids and may constitute new targets for therapeutic intervention in oncology., Depto. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Medicina, TRUE, pub

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Mitogen-activated protein kinase-interacting kinases (MNKs) promote the expression of several oncogenic proteins and are overexpressed in several types of cancer. In human cells, there are four isoforms of MNKs. The truncated isoform MNK1b, first described in our laboratory, has a higher basal activity and is constitutively active. Aptamers are emerging in recent years as potential therapeutic agents that show significant advantages over drugs of other nature. We have previously obtained and characterized a highly specific aptamer against MNK1b, named apMNK2F, with a dissociation constant in the nanomolar range, which produces significant inhibition of proliferation, migration, and colony formation in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, its sequence analysis predicted two G-quadruplex structures. In this work, we show the optimization process of the aptamer to reduce its size, improving its stability. The obtained aptamer, named apMNKQ2, is able to inhibit proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in breast cancer cells. In murine models of breast cancer, apMNKQ2 has demonstrated its efficacy in reducing tumor volume and the number of metastases. In conclusion, apMNKQ2 could be used as an anti-tumor drug in the future., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN) / AEI /10.13039/501100011033, Comunidad de Madrid, Depto. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Ciencias Biológicas, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, TRUE, pub

Different activation and N-doping treatments were used to produce biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) with increased N concentration and slow N release. Pristine biochars were produced by pyrolysis of olive tree pruning feedstock at low and high temperatures (400 and 800 °C). These biochars were activated either by ultrasonication, or oxidation with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or nitric acid (HNO3) to increase their N retention potential. Subsequently biochars were enriched with N with either urea or ammonium sulfate. The activation of low-temperature biochars with HNO3 was the most effective treatment leading to new surface carboxylic groups that facilitated the later enrichment with N. When treated with urea, BBFs reached 7.0 N%, whereas the H2O2 activation only allowed an increase up to 2.0 N%. The use of urea as the external N source was the most efficient for incorporating N. Urea treated biochars had a water-soluble fraction that represented up to 14.5 % of the total N. The hydrolyzable N fraction, composed by amides and simple N heterocycles originated by the N-doping treatments, and nitro groups generated from HNO3 activation, represented up to 60 % of the total N. This study relates the N chemical forms in the new BBFs to potential N availability in soil. The presence of water-soluble, hydrolyzable and non-hydrolyzable N implied that these BBFs may supply N that would be progressively available for plants, acting as slow-release fertilizers