Search

In this article, I analyse the programme and pedagogy of "Karmelo Ikastola," a Basque immersion school that promotes parental involvement and language use within the family. The "Karmelo" case is noteworthy due to its success at effectively promoting the use of Basque among students inside and outside the school along with its promotion of curricular separation between L1 native speakers and L2 learners of Basque. With support from the EBETE language cooperative, "Karmelo" launched an innovative approach to increase parental involvement in 2008. The school considers distinct pedagogical frameworks for different profiles of parents: Basque-speaking parents, mixed families (in which only one of the parents speaks Basque), and Spanish-speaking parents. The "Karmelo" programme also fosters parental participation and engagement via curricular adaptations that differentiate the needs of L1 and L2 speakers. The focus group data offer insights into the programme's approach to language instruction and acquisition, highlighting the role that linguistic attitudes and socialisation play during the various stages of L2 acquisition.

How do university students understand the graphs that they read in their textbooks? How does their knowledge regarding the content and their statistical training influence this understanding? Does the kind of task demand also influence this understanding? To answer these questions, we asked a group of psychology students and a group of economics students to choose the most suitable graph for presenting the results of different psychological research studies (reports) (selection task) or to explain in words the results of the same reports shown by means of their graphic representations only (interpretation task). The results showed there were very few differences between groups. Most of the students were able to relate textual information to the adequate graph, but also revealed significant shortcomings and mistakes in their understanding of important syntactic aspects of graphs. They also interpreted the graphs correctly but their interpretation had different levels of complexity, which were not always optimal. We also identified significant differences regarding the difficulty of the reports and the kinds of misinterpretations of graphs. The two tasks thus revealed different pictures of students' skills in reading and interpreting graphs and, consequently, how the characteristics of task demands influence their performance.

The renaissance botanical garden of 'El Bosque' in Béjar (Salamanca, Spain) presents a pond bounded by a dam in its western part. The latter is formed by two masonry walls interconnected by buttresses. Cubic spaces in between are filled with a variable grain‐size material (silty sand) that allows limited water flow. In recent years, the southern part of the dam has experienced localized and random subsidence that jeopardizes the entrance to part of the garden. To regain access, a proper and reliable diagnosis of the origin, magnitude and relevance of the subsidence must be made. In this regard, we have undertaken a microgravity survey in the dam area to identify places with an anomalous distribution of the filling material in order to foresee further sinking or potential collapsing areas. The precise positioning (2 mm resolution) and accurate terrain correction needed in this kind of high‐resolution gravity surveys (points every 1.5 m) were achieved by creating a detailed digital terrain model (cm resolution) with a remotely piloted aircraft. In addition, we performed three electric resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles at different levels of the garden: (i) on the dam itself; (ii) right on the foot of the dam and parallel to it (5 m below and ∼17 m to the W); and (iii) a bit farther, but also parallel to the dam (8 m below and ∼27 m to the W). The ERT profiles identified high conductivity in water‐saturated areas and determined the paths that rainfall and pond's seepage water follow in the dam and its underground, formed by granites. The geophysical studies were paired with geotechnical analyses of the sunk materials. The study concluded that the thinnest fraction of the dam's filling material (i.e., silts) is being washed away, leaving behind sand with less density and stability, susceptible to collapse. Thus, the observed sinking is related to soil piping, that is to soil internal erosion and compaction issues that force the soil material to re‐adjust geometrically and volumetrically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way in which students and teachers conceive the nature of knowledge and its acquisition has been deeply investigated in recent decades since these conceptions underlie teaching and learning processes themselves. In this study, we analysed how woodwind students from different levels of expertise conceive the process of learning a musical piece. As in previous studies about learning processes in music, we divide it into three stages: the beginning (first sessions of study of the new piece), the middle of the process (the student continues practising) and the end (the sessions before the performance). Sixty-eight Spanish woodwind students from three different levels of instruction completed an open-ended questionnaire. A statistical analysis of textual data was applied to the responses, in order to identify lexical differences among groups of participants about their learning conceptions. Statistically significant lexical differences were found for the variable "Level", and three lexical groups were identified for each stage of learning, corresponding to the three levels. Elementary students held a conception of learning in which there is a linear relationship between conditions (amount of practice time, repetition) and outcomes (mainly related to notational elements), giving a small presence to the learner's agency. Intermediate students began to consider the internal structure of the piece and its expressive function, and they particularly emphasised mental processes involved in learning. Advanced students suggested activities requiring a greater degree of autonomy and reflection, considering the piece as an element for the performer's expression. Changes in goals and activities mentioned for the different stages of learning were also identified for each level. Results suggest that as level of instruction progress, it becomes more probable to find more sophisticated conceptions, which is consistent with previous research in several knowledge domains. Implications for education are discussed.

This paper studies conceptions of woodwind students regarding learning and teaching music, within the framework of implicit theories. It analyzes whether there are differences related to participants' instruction level, and whether it is possible to identify profiles according to their conceptions. Sixty-eight students from three different levels at 14 Spanish conservatories took part voluntarily in this study. A multiple-choice questionnaire was used, which comprised 16 dilemmas on different situations typical of learning and teaching music. Three answers were presented for each dilemma, corresponding to the three implicit theories identified in recent years: direct, interpretative, and constructive. For each dilemma, participants were requested to choose the option they most agreed with and the one they least agreed with. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests of independence, multiple correspondence analysis, and ascending hierarchical classification. From the results obtained we can state that as students' age and level of instruction increase, so does the level of sophistication of their conceptions. Three conceptual profiles were identified: direct, direct-interpretative, and constructive, which are consistent with prior results on conceptions of teaching and learning in other domains. Implications for education are discussed.

Musical scores constitute a key element in the development of expertise in musicians from western tonal traditions, since they act as a mediator between the performer and the music itself. Our aim was to study the role of musical scores in instrumental performance practice by analysing the process of learning a new piece of music, as well as the frequency of activities related to that score, taking account of situations when studying alone and with a teacher. Sixteen flute students at two different education levels from conservatoires in Madrid participated in an individual semi-structured interview and completed a rating-scale questionnaire. Categorical analysis from interview data revealed differences between levels in relation to the activities they stated that they engaged in when learning new pieces. Results from the questionnaires showed that although students at both levels worked on playing the musical score correctly, higher-level students seemed to pay special attention to artistic issues. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research, as well as their implications for education.

There has been little research into the conceptions music performance teachers have about learning and instruction, by either psychological or educational researchers. The main aim of this study was to describe the conceptions of 45 Spanish piano teachers from music conservatories, by analysing their differences according to the variable "Years of teaching experience" (YTE). Three groups of 15 teachers were studied as follows: (1) highly experienced teachers (more than 15 YTE); (2) experienced teachers (between five and 15 YTE); and (3) novice teachers (less than five YTE). Data was collected using written open-ended questionnaires, and analysed by means of the lexicometrical method. Three different conceptions were identified between these groups: direct, interpretative and constructive. The findings suggested that the less experienced the teachers were, the more sophisticated, complex and adapted to music education their conceptions about learning and instruction were. Psychological, educative and curricular implications are discussed. (Contains 5 tables, 2 figures and 3 notes.)

Musical scores are some of the most important learning tools for musicians' acquisition of musical knowledge. However, despite their educational relevance, very little is known about how music students "conceive" of these cultural external representations. Given that these conceptions might act as mediators of students' learning approaches, the importance of knowing these conceptions seems evident in order to eventually change them. The general aim of this investigation was to study the conceptions of piano students at Spanish music conservatories by adopting a developmental-instructional perspective. The participants were 215 students at intermediate and tertiary degree levels, representing three levels of the collapsed variable age-level of instruction. Data were collected by means of a written open-ended task and analyzed by means of descriptive, parametric, and nonparametric statistical methods. The findings suggested that (a) students' conceptions were more sophisticated at higher age and education levels, (b) each developmental-instructional group typically focused on different musical aspects, which reflected an inclusive and hierarchical logic, and (c) five increasingly sophisticated conceptions could be identified among these students. (Contains 8 tables, 1 figure and 3 notes.)

This paper explores the potential of elections to change our emotions and modify the relevance that voters assign to self-interest and group-identity issues. We examine this question by analyzing the 1998–2016 period of the Catalan and Basque regional elections. The analysis exploits that Basques pushed to leave Spain in the early 2000s, and Catalans pursued independence about fifteen years later. When the separatist goal emerges, two issues gain relevance. First, there is a significant rise of identity politics, associated with the territory's culture and language, to the detriment of other issues that traditionally explain vote choice, such as the left-right ideology, the degree of regional autonomy, or the economic discontent. Second, the territory becomes more divisive, big cities align against dominant separatist parties, and rural areas align with independentists. We conclude that material self-interests dilute and group-identity factors emerge to determine vote decisions in times of national dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic induced an accelerated transition to digital teaching in all countries. We ask ourselves whether this massive use of digital resources promoted student–centred, dialogical, and multimodal teaching, as shown in some experimental studies, or whether, on the contrary, these resources were used only as a substitute for the teacher's voice, maintaining content-centred teaching. We analysed 269 activities carried out during the lockdown by teachers in Spain through the System of Analysis of Teaching Activities. This analysis system considered the resources used and the learning they promoted within activities. In general, the activities were content-centred independently of the resource used. However, in a few cases, activities were student–centred. The greatest systematic difference between the two types of activities was related to who managed these resources. Only when the student managed the digital resources were the activities student-centred. Conversely, when the tasks were content-centred, teachers managed the resources. These results indicate the need to achieve proven ICT integration in education, which in turn requires a boost in teacher training aimed at both familiarising teachers with the use of digital resources and, above all, promoting a change in teachers' conceptions about their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient conservation of vulnerable ecosystems in the face of global change requires a complete understanding of how plant communities respond to various environmental factors. We aim to demonstrate that a combined use of different approaches, traits, and indices representing each of the taxonomic and functional characteristics of plant communities will give complementary information on the factors driving vegetation assembly patterns. We analyzed variation across an environmental gradient in taxonomic and functional composition, richness, and diversity of the herb-layer of a temperate beech-oak forest that was located in northern Spain. We measured species cover and four functional traits: leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf size, and plant height. We found that light is the most limiting resource influencing herb-layer vegetation. Taxonomic changes in richness are followed by equivalent functional changes in the diversity of leaf size but by opposite responses in the richness of SLA. Each functional index is related to different environmental factors even within a single trait (particularly for LDMC and leaf size). To conclude, each characteristic of a plant community is influenced by different and even contrasting factors or processes. Combining different approaches, traits, and indices simultaneously will help us understand how plant communities work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Root traits of annual plants are known to vary across environmentally manipulated conditions in controlled settings. Roots absorb nutrients and water, essential for individual function and survival. Yet how ruderal plant populations respond belowground to spatial and temporal variation in field conditions is largely unknown. The present study examines the natural variation of root traits and survival among populations of the annual Arabidopsis thaliana across gardens along a fertility gradient. Methodology. We established common gardens in field settings and in raised beds in the plant's native and nonnative ranges using populations of A. thaliana from western/central Spain. Survival through the growing season and root traits were investigated for garden and population influences and for the relationship between survival and root biomass. Pivotal results. We demonstrate differences in survival among gardens, populations, and years. Survival was highest in the higher-fertility gardens in the native and nonnative ranges. We detected plasticity (among gardens and between years) of root length, lateral root production, primary root length, and biomass. Roots were substantially larger when grown in the more fertile gardens, where water and nutrients were consistently available. Yet lateral root production was also high in a low-fertility field garden. We detected substantial among-population variation in root traits in the higher-fertility gardens. Conclusions. This study demonstrates among-population variation in root traits in field gardens and substantial root plasticity measured across locations. Evidence of local adaptation was indicated by native local populations showing the highest survival and root growth in the home native garden. Such differences in survival and root functional trait responses inform how plants respond to dramatic changes in environmental conditions, particularly in novel sites. We advocate for additional studies of belowground traits to further uncover the extent of natural variation in root phenotypic responses in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The closure of schools as a result of COVID-19 has been a critical global incident from which to rethink how education works in all our countries. Among the many changes generated by this crisis, all teaching became mediated by digital technologies. This paper intends to analyze the activities carried out during this time through digital technologies and the conceptions of teaching and learning that they reflect. We designed a Likert-type online questionnaire to measure the frequency of teaching activities. It was answered by 1,403 teachers from Spain (734 primary and 669 secondary education teachers). The proposed activities varied depending on the learning promoted (reproductive or constructive), the learning outcomes (verbal, procedural, or attitudinal), the type of assessment to which the activities were directed, and the presence of cooperative activities. The major result of this study was that teachers used reproductive activities more frequently than constructive ones. We also found that most activities were those favoring verbal and attitudinal learning. The cooperative activities were the least frequent. Finally, through a cluster analysis, we identified four teaching profiles depending on the frequency and type of digital technologies use: Passive, Active, Reproductive, and Interpretative. The variable that produced the most consistent differences was previous digital technologies use These results show that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) uses are reproductive rather than constructive, which impedes effective digital technologies integration into the curriculum so that students gain 21st-century competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Spain has been one of the most affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic, being among the countries with worse numbers, including the death rate. However, most patients are asymptomatic, although they are very contagious. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence in oncological patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 that are asymptomatic for COVID-19 and at home and that undergo PET/CT for oncologic indications, nonrelated to COVID-19, finding in the PET/CT lung alterations that are suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: During the period of maximum incidence of the global pandemic in one of the most affected regions of Spain, there were 145 patients that met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the study. Imaging findings previously described such as ground-glass opacities with low [18F]-FDG uptake were considered images suspicious for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients with these findings were referred to RT-PCR testing and close follow-up to confirm the presence or absence of COVID-19. Results: Suspicious lung imaging findings were present in 7 of 145 patients (4.8%). Five of these 7 patients were confirmed as presenting SARS-CoV-2 infection, this is, COVID-19. In the remaining two, it was not possible to confirm the presence of COVID-19 with RT-PCR, although in one of them, PET/CT allowed an early diagnosis of a lung infection related to a bacterial pneumonic infection that was promptly and adequately treated with antibiotics. Conclusion: These results confirm that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is higher than suspected and that there are asymptomatic patients that are attending imaging departments to be explored for their baseline oncologic processes. In these patients, PET/CT allows an early diagnosis of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The debate on human environmental impact has often been locked into cause–effect reasoning, aiming at factoring human impact on top of climatic variability. Here we use evidence from Minorca and the Mediterranean region to show the potential for amplified environmental change emerging from complex feedbacks between climatic and historical events. Alluvial sediments collected in a gully reveal a 14‐ to 27‐fold increase in sediment accumulation rates, leading to the rapid aggradation of the valley floor from approximately ad 1300 onwards. These environmental changes coincided with the Feudal conquest of Minorca ( ad 1287) and with the climatic shift from the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, c. ad 900–1300) to the Little Ice Age (LIA, c. ad 1300–1850). This evidence of unprecedented sediment mobilisation, in context with climatic and historical events marking the Mediterranean region, highlights the implications for environmental vulnerability emerging from positive feedbacks between climate and land‐use. Understanding such interactions in historical contexts is paramount to increase our capacity for anticipatory learning in the face of rapid climatic, economical, and ecological transformations today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Population aging and the increased number of chronic diseases push the healthcare systems to design and implement new strategies to improve the quality of services. These strategies require investment in ICT tools, promotion of patient empowerment in the management of their disease and a better integration of health and social care services. Osakidetza Basque Health Services has implemented and scale-up the structured and standard corporate KronikON programme, target for individual empowerment of the multimorbid patient and their caregivers. Aims, Objectives, Theory or Methods: The aim of this structured and standard corporate, on and offline, programme is together with the patient and/or caregiver to explore the latter's knowledge of the pathologies that mulktimorbid patient suffers from, and detect which are the areas that need to be improved. This program has incorporated recently a session target to informal caregivers, oriented to education and empowerment in care and self-care. It seeks to improve their health through, self assessment, the acquisition of information, skills and tools necessary for proper selfmanagement and early detection of situations that require support resources. Highlights or Results or Key Findings: In Kronik ON programme informal caregivers new session, is focused to explaine what it is to be a caregiver, signs and symptoms of caregiver overload, will be shared self-care recommendations, detected the needs and make awareness of existing services and/or resources for caregiver support. Throughout the session, the following contents will be addressed: (i) what it is to be a caregiver; (ii) information on overload, how it manifests itself, what causes it, recommendations for prevention; (iii) recommendations on life habits for selfcare; (iv) symptoms and warning signs to take into account to control the situation and what not to forget, (v) information on health and social resources and support services available for caregivers and (vi) the self-assessment tool for identifing the overload. All the materials developed are available in Osakidetza health systema and online for all the citizen in the School of Health of Osakidetza (""Osasun Eskola"") website. https://www.osakidetza.euskadi.eus/kronikon-programa/-/persona-cuidadora/Conclusions: Kronik ON programme offers attention to both conditions: patient and caregiver, empowering the self-management of the health of both, sharing tools, knowledge and skills to take care of themselves. Care that directed to caregiver is fundamental for the prevention and improvement of the caregiver's and dependent person's state of health. Implications for applicability/transferability, sustainability, and limitations: The structured Kronik ON Program is a corporative program of Osakidetza Basque Health Service system multimorbid patient pathway focused to empower multimorbid patient. The new session developed by a multidisciplinary team composed specially by nurses from seven Integrated Healthcare Organizations (OSIs) of Osakidetza, will be offered to caregivers of these multimorbid patients from the Basque Health System. Educational materials are available in the health system as well as a trainee course for all healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andalusi hydraulic systems of the Iberian Peninsula, constructed by Arabs and Berbers between A.D. 711 and the feudal conquest of Al-Andalus (11-15th centuries A.D.), are today among the most productive agricultural areas in Europe. Their current extension is the result of several enlargements made to the original Andalusi design, irrigating lands initially rejected by the first builders. Understanding the reasons that led Arabs and Berbers to select or reject lands for irrigation is essential for documenting the formation processes of these agricultural areas. Here the topic is approached using the hydraulic system of Ricote (Murcia, Spain) as a case study. Through hydraulic archaeology, excavations, and GIS, it is shown that deep, flat, well-insolated (i.e., exposed to sunlight), slightly saline, colluvial soils were preferred for irrigation while slopes, shady areas, floodplains, and highly saline soils were rejected. Optimizing the water supply for irrigation was not a top priority. The results highlight the need to consider topographical features when studying how past agrarian societies introduced irrigated agriculture to new environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Irrigated terraces in the Iberian Peninsula are associated with al-Andalus; the name with which the region was known following the migration of Arabic–Berber tribes across the Strait of Gibraltar, starting from 711 AD. Several of these agricultural areas have remained in use in the west Mediterranean to the present day. Historical texts usually refer to later extensions of the original Andalusi irrigated terrace fields, yet little is known about their foundation period. In this study we examined the micromorphology and undertook physico-chemical analyses and radiocarbon dating of a buried soil found in Ricote (Murcia, Spain) to provide relevant information to understand the initial stages of terrace building within al-Andalus. Results of our study show that: (1) Andalusi peasants selected a saline Hipercalcic Calcisol developed on colluvial materials on which to build the first irrigated terraces, (2) The soil was probably cleared of bushes by fire prior to terrace construction, (3) The shifting of sediments implied in the building of terraces seems to have entailed the inversion of the original soil stratigraphy, (4) Radiocarbon dating of submillimetric fragments of charred wood embedded in the top horizon of the buried Hipercalcic Calcisol (2σ 647–778 AD) suggests the original irrigated terraces of Ricote were built shortly after the arrival of Arabic and Berber tribes in the Iberian Peninsula. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, I examine how the program ¡Vaya Semanita! (“What a week!”), a sketch-comedy program produced in Spain, illustrates the positions taken by different speakers toward the process of “Basquization” or Euskaldunization. More concretely, I focus on the figures of the “euskaldunberri” (the new-Basque speaker) who has learned Basque through instruction as opposed to the “euskaldunzaharra” (the old Basque speaker), whose native tongue is Basque. I argue that by way of social and political satire, the program represents stances and postures that do not tend to enter the public discourse on revitalization in the Basque Country. It is also through humor that Vaya Semanita helps viewers reflect on the social fields contributing to ethnolinguistic processes by cultivating a space where divergent identity orientations may be proposed, interpreted, contested, and consumed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An energy and environmental analysis of post-consumer wood and forest residues gasification in metropolitan areas is carried out to determine the most critical stages of their life cycle. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methodology is used to identify the environmental load of three defined scenarios: (1) Post-consumer wood from recycling points; (2) Post-consumer wood from bulky wastes; and (3) Forest residues. The stages considered are biomass pre-treatment, transport and gasification. Biomass pre-treatment comprise different steps: separation, chipping, sifting, post-chipping for all the scenarios; except for the drying step which is only entailed to Scenario 3. The midpoint impact categories taken into account are: abiotic depletion (AD), global warming (GW), ozone layer depletion (ODP), human toxicity (HT), acidification (A) and eutrophication (E). Results show that, due to the high physical requirements for biomass gasification, the most appropriate biomass is that of Scenario 1, since forest residues require a drying stage, which involves high energy consumption and high environmental impact. Energy consumption in biomass pre-treatment and transport stages is low compared to the energy obtained from gasification, which represents the 5% in Scenario 1; 7% in Scenario 2; and 13% in Scenario 3. Biomass pre-treatment is associated to an important contribution in AD and ODP impact categories, calculated as 71% and 98% of the overall impact. The transport stage is of no significant influence either in the scenarios or in the impact categories (less than 24% of the overall impact). Finally, gasification represents an impact of 3–78% of the different impact categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Urdaibai estuary is a UNESCO biosphere reserve impacted by recreational, agricultural and industrial activities. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major pollutants in Urdaibai, and their control and the identification of their sources is central on the preservation of the area. Chemical analysis by GC–MS showed a significant pollution by PAHs in Urdaibai sediment samples, mainly from pyrolytic sources, with minor contributions from oil spills. Measurement of the dioxin-like activity using a yeast-based bioassay showed an excess of biological activity in sediment samples from the inner part of the estuary. Analysis of PAH metabolites in bile of thicklip grey mullet (Chelon labrosus) showed a large excess of 2-naphthol over 1-naphthol or 1-pyrenol, suggesting a specific contamination in the inner Urdaibai estuary by some industrial process. Therefore, the combination of these three techniques defined different PAH pollution sources in Urdaibai: a major pyrolytic origin, occasional oil spills, and specific industrial activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper applies and adapts the methodology of integrated assessment focus groups (IA-FGs) in order to understand and analyse the enhancing factors, as well as the constraints which drive or limit the take-off and development of sustainable forest biomass energy systems in a selected large forested area of the Mediterranean basin. Our study provides both quantitative and qualitative data from Catalonia, Northeast Spain. We provide historical trends in forest expansion; an assessment of technological, socio-economic and ecological options of forest management; and plausible scenarios of its future evolution. Results show that while the opportunities and stakes are high, in Mediterranean countries, specific socio-ecologic factors need to be taken into account if forest biomass is to contribute decisively to securing renewable sources of energy in Europe, integrating landscape planning with resource policies or mitigating climate change. Among these key factors identified are property regimes, low productivity of Mediterranean forests and weak institutional capacity. Other elements such as logistics and supply difficulties and the lack of economic profitability of forest products constitute limitations identified in the implementation of bioenergy systems. Technological solutions alone, while important, are insufficient to ensure a prominent role of Southern Europe forest biomass management in the climate, landscape and sustainability energy policy challenge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To evaluate the economic efficiency of influenza vaccination using both dynamic and static modelling approaches. Setting: The Spanish National Health System. Design and methods: We modelled the progress of an influenza epidemic in Spain according to the epidemiological pattern of susceptible→infective→resistant, employing a non-linear system of ordinary differential equations that enables the measurement of epidemiological effects of an anti-influenza vaccination. We used a decision tree to represent the repercussion on healthcare resources use and on financial resources. The same analyses were conducted using a static approach, and the results were compared. Healthcare costs were valued in €, year 2005 values. Results: For the base case, the impact of the healthcare intervention (vaccination) was not efficient from the perspective of the healthcare payer when using a static approach (return rate 0.28 per € invested in vaccination). Nevertheless, it was efficient when employing a dynamic approach (return rate 1.22 per €). Furthermore, a considerable freeing of healthcare resources would have been produced over the entire influenza season. Conclusions: The indirect effect of vaccination on the non-vaccinated individuals (the 'herd immunity effect') can be greater than the direct effect on individuals vaccinated. This implies that the herd immunity effect needs to be taken into consideration in the economic evaluations of prophylactic measures employed against infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Lugo gneiss dome, in the NW Iberian Massif (Spain) is a Variscan structure developed during late stages of orogenic collapse. Crustal extension was mainly accomplished by two kilometre-scale conjugate extensional shear zones and by the late development of the dome and a huge normal fault. These structures overprint previous contractional recumbent folds and a thrust fault. The Lugo dome and its southward continuation, the Sanabria dome, are the site of the conspicuous Eastern Galicia Magnetic Anomaly (EGMA), a N–S band, 50 km wide and 190 km long, with a maximum amplitude of 190 nT. Integrated potential field modelling of the EGMA and its corresponding gravity signature have been carried out aided by constraints provided by the measurement of c. 900 magnetic susceptibilities and by previous geophysical data, mainly seismic refraction and reflection profiles. Results suggest that a large volume of low-density migmatites and associated inhomogeneous granites are the main source of the magnetic anomaly. Small massifs of basic and ultrabasic rocks inside the migmatites and high-susceptibility iron ore bodies sparsely distributed in low-grade Middle Ordovician slates are also thought to contribute to the anomaly but to a minor extent. Although otherwise similar to other gneiss domes, the Lugo dome is accompanied by a striking magnetic anomaly whose origin is discussed in terms of the tectonic evolution of this structure and the provenance of the magnetite-bearing migmatites and inhomogeneous granites that core it. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the seismic design of the Variscan crust in the hinterland of Spain. Contribution of the Variscan orogeny in the Paleozoic era; Seismic feature of the line; Description of the European Variscides.

Abstract: Urdaibai was declared a Biosphere’s Reserve by UNESCO in 1984. Because we observed a high prevalence of hermaphroditism in mussels sampled in Urdaibai in March 2004, we started the present research work in order to determine the presence of endocrine disruptors (EDs) in sediments and to study possible EDs effects on mussels and oysters using gonad index and vitellogenin (VTG)-like protein levels as biomarkers. Samples were collected at five localities in April 2007 and 2008, and in October 2007. Estrogenic hormones were not detected in sediments and levels of bisphenol A and organotin compounds were very low. Alkylphenols were found at moderate levels and showed a time-dependent decrease. Phthalates were found at levels up to 8000ng/g. High prevalence of oocyte atresia and necrosis occurred in mussels sampled in April. Retarded gametogenesis was observed in an oyster population from a shipyard. Hermaphrodites or alterations in VTG-like protein levels were not found but the high prevalence of histopathological alterations in oocytes is of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structure of the Ciudad Rodrigo area (Iberian Massif, Central Iberian Zone) has been revisited in order to integrate new geological data with recent models of the evolution of the Iberian Massif. Detailed mapping of fold structures along with a compilation of field data have been used to constrain the geometry and relative timing of ductile deformation events in this section of the hinterland of the Variscan belt. The structural evolution shows, in the first place, the development of a regional train of overturned folds with associated axial planar foliation (D1). Towards the lower structural levels, the deflection of the fold limbs and a subhorizontal crenulation cleavage depict the upper structural boundary of a superimposed low angle shear zone (D2), which extends at least to the deepest parts of the basement exposed in the study area. The amplification and rotation of D1 folds about a horizontal axis also occurred within this shear zone. The flat-lying character of the D2 structures accounts for the attenuation of the previously thickened crust, which developed following gravity gradients during thermal re-equilibration. Subsequent deformation led to the formation of two orthogonal sets of upright folds (D3), representing a new shift between crustal thinning and crustal thickening in the region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the present study was to understand the effect of reservoir configurations on sediment pesticide fate. Two dams were selected on the River Garonne, in southwest France: Carbonne and Golfech, both with reservoirs subject to accumulation of herbicide-contaminated sediment. They are situated upstream and downstream respectively of an agricultural and urban area: the Mid-Garonne. The results presented include pesticide concentrations and C/N ratios in the smaller sediment particles (<2 mm) and values of oxygenation and herbicide concentrations in the water. The dynamic behaviour of sediment in the reservoirs is discussed. The present study shows that the theoretical lifespan (weak remanence in vitro) and the results actually observed in the sediment are conflicting. Pesticide contamination in Carbonne indicates conservation, even accumulation, of herbicide molecules while in Golfech transformation processes clearly dominate. The hydromorphological position of Golfech reservoir, i.e. located at the junction of two rivers with contrasting hydrological regimes and very different oxygenation conditions, leads to accelerated pesticide desorption or degradation. Unfortunately, this configuration is rare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Erythropoietic protoporphyria is a hereditary disorder of porphyrin metabolism caused by mutations in the ferrochelatase gene. Ferrochelatase catalyzes the chelation of ferrous iron into protoporphyrin IX to form heme. Mutation analysis was performed in four Spanish erythropoietic protoporphyria families resulting in the identification of four different mutations in the ferrochelatase gene. Two of them were novel mutations, a missense mutation (1157 A→C, H386P) and a frameshift mutation (843delC) found in two Spanish families, respectively. The third and the forth Spanish patients carried already published ferrochelatase gene mutations, a nonsense mutation (343C→T, R115X) and a missense mutation (557T→C, I186T), respectively. The newly described frameshift mutation (843delC) predicted formation of an abrupt mRNA. The deleterious effect of His386 to Pro substitution as a result of mutation 1157 A→C on the ferrochelatase activity was investigated by expressing the mutant ferrochelatase in Escherichia coli. The mutant ferrochelatase exhibited only 0.8% of the wild‐type ferrochelatase activity. Prediction of the secondary structure of ferrochelatase suggested that the H386P mutation disrupted the original α‐helical structure by way of introducing a turn, a rather drastic structural change of the enzyme sufficient to cause activity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fair and sustainable production of raw materials is one of the main challenges faced by our society. Through its RawMaterials Programme, the European Institute of Technology (EIT) encourages research and innovation solutions for mineral exploration to make them safer, sustainable and cost-effective. The SIT4ME project, funded by EIT, addresses these objectives by undertaking seismic mineral exploration methods in crystalline tectonic settings, at a reduced cost. Active seismic imaging is a powerful method for deep imaging but considered an expensive prospecting tool, making it conventionally restricted to the hydrocarbon industry. Contrarily, innovative passive seismic imaging methods use ambient noise as source, showing promising results at a much lower cost, but with lower resolution. In this work, we will analyse the efficiency of passive seismic methods (i.e. ambient noise interferometry) for subsurface imaging, by comparing active- and passive-source datasets in mining areas.A multi-method seismic dataset was acquired in the Sotiel-Coronada mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain) to image a pyrite-rich massive sulphide orebody interbedded with felsic volcanic rocks and shales at a depth of 300-500 m. The acquired data comprises 2D/3D and 3C components and will be processed by active (e.g. reflection imaging techniques) and passive (e.g. ambient noise interferometry) seismic methods. This special combination of acquisition and processing approaches allows us to address the imaging problem from different innovative perspectives.The acquisition employed 647 seismic receivers, distributed in a 3D mesh around the target and along six 2D crooked lines sampling the study area. The source employed was a 32 t vibroseis truck, operating at c. 900 points in the pathways along the 2D profiles. Each vibration point was used three times, with frequency sweeps of 10-100 Hz. Here we describe the preliminary processing applied to the 3D seismic data and present the initial imaging results. This complex dataset will be integrated with information from borehole data in order to obtain a robust model of the subsurface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heterogeneity in the treatment of a disease is a marker of suboptimal quality of care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the heterogeneity in the treatment used and the outcomes for Crohn's disease (CD) in Catalonia., Methods: All patients with CD included in the Catalan Health Surveillance System (data on more than seven million individuals from 2011 to 2017) were identified. The different Catalonian health areas were grouped into 19 district groups (DG). Treatments used rates (systemic corticosteroids, non-biological and biological immunosuppressant) and outcomes rates (hospitalization and surgery) were calculated., Results: The use of systemic corticosteroids presented a decreasing trend over the study period, with an average rate of use in the different territories between 11% and 17%. The use of non-biological immunosuppressant treatment has remained stable, with an average rate of use ranging from 22% to 40% per year depending on the DG. The use of biological immunosuppressant treatment increased with an average rate of use in the different territories ranging from 10 to 23%.Hospitalizations for any reason showed an increasing trend between 2011 and 2017 with an average rate of between 23% and 32% per year depending on the area. Hospitalizations for CD presented a decreasing trend, with an average rate of between 5% and 11% per year. Surgical treatment remained stable over time, rates per year were between 0.5% and 2%., Conclusion: A remarkable geographical heterogeneity in the use of different treatments and in outcomes of CD was observed between different geographical areas of Catalonia. KEY MESSAGEThere is a notable geographical heterogeneity in the administration of biological and immunosuppressive treatments to Crohn's disease patients in Catalonia.There is also a geographical heterogeneity in their rates of hospitalization and surgical intervention.