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This article examines the determinants of traffic generated by Spain's port authorities, using data from 2003 to 2012. The interest of the study lies on examining the impact of recent legislative measures that have implied an increasing liberalization of port charges. We find that port charges influence the amount of traffic that a port is able to generate, while traffic is also affected by geographical attributes, economic wealth, the extent of industrial activity and population. Our main result is that we find evidence that the legislation of 2003 did not have a significant impact on traffic while the impact of the legislation of 2010 seems to have been stronger. Political conflicts associated to a lack of consensus on the approbation of the 2003 legislation plus a clear decline in tariff freedom wiped out the inter-port competition slightly promoted by earlier laws, versus the 2010 reform featured by a strong political agreement and a flexible port charges framework.

An increasing number of studies have addressed the impact of Audience Response Systems (ARS) on academic performance at all stages of education, although the evidence does not seem conclusive. With the aim of shedding light on the extent and diversity of the research outcomes, we conduct a meta-analysis of studies worldwide on this topic to assess whether the exam scores of students included in ARS experiments achieve better results than others taught using more conventional teaching tools. From an initial sample of 254 studies, data from 51 papers published between 2008 and 2012 (involving 14,963 participants) that set academic quality criteria, were extracted and analyzed following technical protocols for meta-analyses. Their high degree of heterogeneity shows that the effect of ARS on exam scores seems to be moderated by specific features. So, through a random-effects model, our results provide a positive, although moderated pooled effect of ARS on examination scores that is much greater in experiments performed in non-university contexts (Hedges' g?=?0.48; S.E.?=?.2665) than at the university level (Hedge's g?=?0.22, S.E.?=?.0434). Specifically, the categories of university disciplines in which ARS interventions are implemented seem to influence their usefulness for achieving better academic marks, being more effective when either Pure Soft Sciences or Applied Hard Sciences are considered. These findings might provide guidance for governments, researchers and educators into the effectiveness of learning based on the new interactive technologies. The prior literature offers no consensus on the effect of ARS on examination scores in education.Our research conducts a meta-analysis to synthesize all recent ARS evaluations worldwide.Our results suggest that there is a positive, although moderated effect of ARS on examination scores.The effect of ARS is greater in non-university education than at the university level.In university disciplines, ARS is more effective in Pure Soft and Applied Hard Sciences.

Seasonal data on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and chlorophyll, combined with meteorological and river discharge time series, were used to describe the oceanographic conditions of the Reloncaví fjord (41°35′ S, 72°20′ W). The winds in the fjord valley mainly blow down-fjord during the winter, reinforcing the upper layer outflow, whereas the winds blow predominantly up-fjord during the spring and summer, contrary to the upper layer outflow. The fjord, with a deep sill at the mouth, was well stratified year-round and featured a thin surface layer of brackish water with mean salinities between 10.4 ± 1.4 (spring) and 13.2 ± 2.5 (autumn). The depth of the upper layer changed slightly among the different studied seasons but remained at 4.5 m near the mouth. This upper layer presented a mean outflow (Q1) of 3185 ± 223 m3 s−1, which implies a flushing time of 3 days for this layer. The vertical salt flux was ∼ 37 tons of salt per second, similar to the horizontal salt flux observed in the upper layer. These estimates will contribute to better management of the aquaculture in this region.

Applying econometric techniques to EU28 panel data and controlling for explanatory variables such as road types, we find that increased truck load capacity does not necessarily aggravate road traffic safety. Specifically, heavy trucks do not seem to be linked with greater numbers of traffic fatalities/accidents, medium trucks appear to be the worst performers in terms of fatalities, and light trucks seem to be the worst for accidents. In summary, our results clarify the complex relationship between truck load capacity and road safety, pointing to the existence of a negative correlation for accidents per capita and an inverse U-shaped curve for fatalities per capita.

This paper reviews the way that air, rail, and toll motorways infrastructure have evolved in Spain since the beginning of the century, when all these types of transport have been subjected to a far-reaching economic crisis. Investments made in infrastructure during this time will also be analyzed in relative terms and compared to other countries in the European Union, as will the various policies applied to each of these modes of transport. The methodology applied in this paper is of the bottom-up type, in the sense that a thorough univariate–uniequational analysis is performed before proceeding to more complex, multivariate models. We found that the policy to drop fare prices for the HSR (AVE) has had an almost 14% positive effect on the number of passengers per kilometer for HS and long-distance trains, but it has also had a negative effect of as much as 16.7% on the number of domestic air passengers. The increase in airport taxes has not affected any of the endogenous variables, or major public investments in air terminals and new HSR lines, except for the Madrid–Barcelona AVE and Barcelona's T1. Domestic air transport has been seen to be more sensitive to the economic cycle than the other modes of transport. This paper contains a set of results that justify the need to use full and accurate “economic modeling” in the planning and management of what is generally very costly transport infrastructure.

Objective: \ud To determine the association between anxiety during critical illness and symptoms of anxiety and depression over 6 months after ICU discharge in survivors of intensive care treatment. \ud \ud Design: \ud Longitudinal study. \ud \ud Setting: \ud One closed mixed ICU in an adult tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Australia. \ud \ud Patients: \ud Participants (n = 141) were adults (≥ 8 yr), admitted to ICU for at least 24 hours, able to communicate either verbally or nonverbally, understand English, and open their eyes spontaneously or in response to voice. \ud \ud Interventions: None. \ud \ud Measurements and Main Results: \ud The outcomes of symptoms of anxiety and depression over 6 months after ICU discharge were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. The primary variable of interest was anxiety during critical illness. Two components of anxiety (state and trait) were assessed during critical illness using the Faces Anxiety Scale and the trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Perceived social support, cognitive functioning, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were also assessed using standardized instruments. Clinical and demographic data were obtained from patients and medical records. Participants were followed up in hospital wards and at 3 and 6 months after ICU discharge. During ICU treatment, 81 of the 141 participants (57%) reported moderate to severe levels of state anxiety. Of the 92 participants who completed the surveys at the 6-month follow-up, 26 participants (28%) reported symptoms of anxiety and 21 (23%) symptoms of depression. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were strongly correlated in this cohort of survivors. Trait anxiety was significantly associated with both anxiety and depression symptoms over time; however, state anxiety was not associated with either outcome. Participants who reported post-ICU memories of intra-ICU anxiety were significantly more anxious during recovery over 6 months. Cognitive functioning and posttraumatic stress symptoms were both significantly associated with anxiety and depression symptoms over time. \ud \ud Conclusion: \ud Symptoms of anxiety and depression are a significant issue for general ICU survivors. Trait anxiety was significantly associated with adverse emotional outcomes over 6 months after ICU discharge. There was also a significant relationship between post-ICU memories of intra-ICU anxiety and anxiety during recovery. Interventions to reduce anxiety during critical illness need to be considered and evaluated for their longer term benefits for survivors of critical illness.

Transport time scales are helpful to determine aquatic ecosystem health and sensitivity to pollution. Water age was studied in a Patagonian fjord in Chile with an unstructured three-dimensional hydrodynamic model (MIKE 3) coupled with a high-resolution atmospheric model (WRF). Water age is defined as the time a water parcel has remained since its entrance to a system. Water age is represented in the Puyuhuapi fjord and adjacent Jacaf channel with two tracers: i) freshwater from rivers and ii) ocean water. Hydrodynamic model results showed reasonable stratification structure in the fjord and response to wind forcing. The fjord had high water age values (300–400 days) during autumn-winter due to increased wind stress, which favored vertical mixing and entrainment of subpycnocline waters of higher age. Wind stress decreased during spring-summer, which favored stratification and decreased water age (~100 days). The change of water age at intermediate (50–100 m) and deep (>100 m) layers is asynchronous. Intermediate layers have their lowest annual water age (100 days) during autumn-winter, when deep waters, especially in the northern part of the Puyuhuapi fjord, have the highest annual water age (>600 days). Increased inflows of dense waters in spring-summer above a sill of the Puyuhuapi fjord (~100 m) renew the deep upstream basins, causing their lowest annual water age values (400 days) at a time when intermediate waters have their highest values.

There is growing evidence that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) modulates fear and extinction in humans and rodents through actions in corticolimbic circuits including the central amygdala (CeA). Prior studies have, however, been limited to subjects that exhibit intact basal extinction, rather than extinction-impaired populations that could potentially therapeutically benefit from viable OT-targeting treatments. Here, we assessed the effects of pre-extinction training infusion of OT into the CeA, or basolateral amygdala (BLA), on extinction in an inbred mouse strain (S1) model of impaired extinction. We found that intra-CeA OT, at a dose of 0.01 μg, enabled extinction memory formation, as evidenced by lesser freezing as compared to vehicle-infused controls on a drug-free retrieval test. Conversely, infusion of a higher, 1.0 μg OT dose, markedly reduced freezing and increased grooming during extinction training and produced elevated freezing on drug-free retrieval. Infusion of the 0.01 μg dose into the BLA was without behavioral effects. Together, our data show that OT acts in a dose-dependent manner within the CeA to promote extinction in otherwise extinction-deficient mice. These findings provide further support for the potential utility of OT as an adjunctive treatment to extinction-based therapies for trauma and anxiety disorders.

University libraries are adapting to the new study, learning, and research needs of the university communities that they serve. In an environment of economic tweaking, a trend toward the performance of investments, the progressive digitization of resources and services, and easy access to information in digital format, universities are compelled to show that they are still cost-efficient for the institutions that they serve; in this case, the University. This paper will use a robust methodology based on multiple indicators and a broad database that takes into consideration other control variables of a socio-demographic, economic, and academic nature to analyze the impact that the library circulation service can have on student academic performance. Our results show that there is a clear positive relationship between the number of library loans that a student takes out and the various academic performance indicators used. Furthermore, the more intense the use that students make of the system, both in terms of time and renewals, the greater the academic success that they attain. Lastly, measures are proposed to exploit this positive synergy and realize university excellence.

A comparison of the early life history traits of two small pelagic fish species occurring in nearshore waters of central Chile was carried out based on the analysis of sagittal otolith microstructure. Plankton samples were collected in a shallow embayment at weekly scale, during six nights of austral spring 2015. Mixed schools of larval common sardine Strangomera benticki and anchoveta Engraulis ringens were studied, where the former was two to three-times more abundant than the latter. Anchoveta larvae grew faster (0.738 mm day−1) than larval sardine (0.639 mm day−1) but hatched at smaller size (2.62 vs. 4.85 mm, respectively); larval mortality rates was higher for sardines than anchovetas (ZSb = -0.164 day−1; ZEr = -0.136 day−1). Back-calculated hatch dates indicate that both species were temporally coupled, excepting during early November 2015, when a large hatch event of anchoveta occurred. Both species showed similar growth trajectories during early ontogeny; however, the residuals of the micro-increment width in sagittal otoliths were negatively correlated between species. A regional warming event (SST > 15 °C) of coastal waters during late October 2015, negatively affected the recent growth rates of larval anchoveta, but not for sardines. Therefore, during spring, larvae of small epipelagic species display different responses to the same environmental forcing in the nearshore.

The recent economic crisis has required the bailout of some European States by the so-called Troika, with capital injections accompanied by financial austerity. This paper analyzes econometrically the impact of this support programme on road safety for an original panel data (1995–2015). The findings also corroborate the Kuznets curve hypothesis for traffic accidents in the long term. Regarding the impact of intervention in the short term, despite reductions in safety policy budgets due to austerity, financial support, and related austerity measures might have led to an improvement in road safety, reducing both the number of accidents and fatalities. Therefore, it seems that our result is more linked to the austerity measures than to the financial support given by the Troika.

Aim Early detection and intervention (EDI) is a main challenge in psychosis research. The Chilean schizophrenia (SZ) national program has universal support and treatment by law for all SZ patients, but this does not yet extend to earlier stages of illness. Therefore, we have piloted an ultra-high risk (UHR) program to demonstrate the utility and feasibility of this public health approach in Chile. Methods We introduce "The University of Chile High-risk Intervention Program," which is the first national EDI program for UHR youths. Longitudinal follow-up included clinical and cognitive assessments, and monitoring of physiological sensory and cognitive indices, through electroencephalographic techniques. Results We recruited 27 UHR youths over 2 years. About 92.6% met criteria for attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS). Mean Scale of Psychosis-Risk Symptoms (SOPS) ratings in the cohort were 6.9 (SD 4.6) for positive, 9.1 (SD 8.3) for negative, 5.4 (SD 5.3) for disorganized and 6.3 (SD 4.1) for general symptoms. About 14.8% met criteria for comorbid anxiety disorders and 44.4% for mood disorders. Most participants received cognitive behavioural therapy (62.9%) and were prescribed low dose antipsychotics (85.2%). The transition rate to psychosis was 22% within 2 years. Conclusions We describe our experience in establishing the first EDI program for UHR subjects in Chile. Our cohort is similar in profile and risk to those identified in higher-income countries. We will extend our work to further optimize psychosocial and preventive interventions, to promote its inclusion in the Chilean SZ national program and to establish a South American collaboration network for SZ research.

Introduction Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are frequently used in hospitals. However, PIVC complications are common, with failures leading to treatment delays, additional procedures, patient pain and discomfort, increased clinician workload and substantially increased healthcare costs. Recent evidence suggests integrated PIVC systems may be more effective than traditional non-integrated PIVC systems in reducing phlebitis, infiltration and costs and increasing functional dwell time. The study aim is to determine the efficacy, cost–utility and acceptability to patients and professionals of an integrated PIVC system compared with a non-integrated PIVC system. Methods and analysis Two-arm, multicentre, randomised controlled superiority trial of integrated versus non-integrated PIVC systems to compare effectiveness on clinical and economic outcomes. Recruitment of 1560 patients over 2 years, with randomisation by a centralised service ensuring allocation concealment. Primary outcomes: catheter failure (composite endpoint) for reasons of: occlusion, infiltration/extravasation, phlebitis/thrombophlebitis, dislodgement, localised or catheter-associated bloodstream infections. Secondary outcomes: first time insertion success, types of PIVC failure, device colonisation, insertion pain, functional dwell time, adverse events, mortality, cost–utility and consumer acceptability. One PIVC per patient will be included, with intention-to-treat analysis. Baseline group comparisons will be made for potentially clinically important confounders. The proportional hazards assumption will be checked, and Cox regression will test the effect of group, patient, device and clinical variables on failure. An as-treated analysis will assess the effect of protocol violations. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank tests will compare failure by group over time. Secondary endpoints will be compared between groups using parametric/non-parametric techniques. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/16/QRBW/527), Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref No. 2017/002) and the South Metropolitan Health Services Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref No. 2016–239). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number ACTRN12617000089336.

En este trabajo se examina la primera institución asistencial, con carácter civil, fundada en Yucatán en las últimas décadas del siglo XVIII como parte de la modernización administrativa impulsada por los monarcas españoles de la nueva casa reinante. El análisis de las razones de su fundación y funcionamiento en sus primeros años parte de la idea de que el hospicio borbónico fue proyectado como una institución que persiguió un doble propósito: por un lado, formó parte de la red institucional asistencial promovida por el Estado borbónico para disminuir el papel de la Iglesia en la beneficencia; por el otro, el hospicio se convirtió en el primer experimento institucional secular en el que se pusieron en práctica las ideas de la utilidad y la corrección de los pobres a través de la instrucción para el trabajo.

First release of the R code used in the "Genie: An interactive real-time simulation for teaching genetic drift" paper. Submitted to Evolution, Education and Outreach journal (EEO).

First release of the R code used in the "Genie: An interactive real-time simulation for teaching genetic drift" paper. Submitted to Evolution, Education and Outreach journal (EEO).

Ponencia de la conferencia "2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference - Emerging Trends and Challenges of Engineering Education, EDUCON 2018; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands; Spain; 17 April 2018 through 20 April 2018" Conceptual understanding of the management of real situations and heterogeneous problems in manufacturing and engineering in general is one important competence in industrial organization. This paper describes a series of practical experiments conducted to determine how online discussion forums make an influence in the behavior of the students, enhance the quality of the discourse and improve the learning performance of industrial organization.

The past decade’s trend toward super-sized cruise ships has enriched the experience for cruise passengers. Unlike a small number of mega cruises that have chosen to press on in a luxury–classic style, the vast majority are rapidly converging on a Las Vegas resorts-style tourism model. Aside from the traditional factor that Las Vegas and cruises have in common, that is, the casino, this article analyzes other aspects of this increasingly mimetic relationship, with the following standing out: the greater importance given to entertainment; the greater variety and quality of Food and Beverage (F&B) and shopping choices; an informal dress code; a complex, dynamic management as to both prices and extracting monopoly rents from passengers; the expansion of both models outside their original locations, Las Vegas and the Caribbean; and, lastly, in response to previous trends, an oligopoly market.

En Geología Estructural, tradicionalmente la descripción de pliegues se ha hecho utilizando el modelo de pliegues cilíndricos. En consecuencia, la información geométrica fundamental se reduce a 2D. Lo anterior se debe a que en el modelo cilíndrico, todas las secciones transversales perpendiculares a los ejes de los pliegues son idénticas. Alternativamente, la creciente utilización de datos tridimensionales, tales como los colectados mediante GPS, sensores remotos, sísmica tridimensional de reflexión, etc. han permitido el uso de la geometría diferencial para la descripción minuciosa de estructuras geológicas plegadas. Consecuentemente, la geometría diferencial, constituye una herramienta novedosa e imprescindible para cuantificar rigurosamente la geometría medida y modelada de estructuras geológicas. En el presente trabajo, se hace referencia al concepto de curvatura geológica para la descripción de estructuras plegadas a través del método de la geometría diferencial. Adicionalmente, se sugiere la aplicación de este método para describir otros tipos de estructuras, ya que proporciona un marco de referencia para la descripción cuantitativa de superficies curvas y planas. Así mismo, se presenta un ejemplo de aplicación para el análisis y cuantificación de pliegues geológicos, a través de representaciones gráficas generadas mediante la compilación de códigos en MATLAB®. Se hace una comparación ilustrada entre el método de la geometría diferencial y el método convencional, tomando en cuenta las bondades, eficacia y versatilidad de cada uno para la descripción de estructuras geológicas. Finalmente, se presenta la ejemplificación sobre el uso del método de la geometría diferencial para el modelado de estructuras plegadas. Esto último se hace considerando que el modelado es parte fundamental y crítica de la Geología Estructural y de la exploración actual, e. g. por hidrocarburos, minería, etc.

Despite the success achieved by Public Bicycle Sharing Systems (PBSS) across the world, several researchers provide evidence on their limitations and constraints in a medium-long term, and bicycle ownership may be considered as a complementary tool to promote a ’bicycle-culture’. This paper aims to cover the gap about the interaction between both systems (public bicycle/private bicycle) and which are the key aspects to explain the bicycle-buying decision. After a fieldwork based on surveys conducted in Seville (Spain), one of the cities currently acknowledged worldwide for its successful policy of promoting cycling, we apply a Discrete Choice Model. Our findings show that among the socio-demographic factors that favor the move from the PBSS to the private bicycle are: having a higher level of education, being more progressive ideologically-speaking, and being a resident of the city itself; while age and gender do not appear to be conclusive. Experienced users, for whom the bicycle is a part of his/her healthy lifestyle, state a greater willingness to buy a bicycle. And the main obstacles to make the jump from the PBSS to the private bicycle, and that any action plan to support private bicycle usage should take into account, are: the lack of proper parking at the origin/destination, and fear of theft.

This paper presents the development of a conductive gel that can be used to measure the electrical potential differences on its surface, and has enough consistency to plot equipotential lines. It has a gelation time of less than 10 min, and is suitable for implementing learning experiences in a physics teaching laboratory in a 90 min session. To evaluate the gel, voltage measurements were made on its surface by applying an alternating electric current with frequencies of 60 and 1000 Hz and an amplitude of 200 mV using iron steel electrodes with several geometrics. Some equipotential lines were also identified using a water soluble marker.

This paper outlines details of tritium-related work currently being carried out at AECL. AECL’s capabilities, in combination with the capabilities of its industrial and academic collaborators, offer great opportunities to the international tritium community to address issues related to tritium handling and use.

A description of the work performed to set up an apparatus to measure permeation rates of hydrogen and tritium in 304L stainless steel is presented. This is in preparation for future work to find a...

Tritium Facility staff at Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) have successfully prepared highly tritiated water for use in radiation resistance of PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane-based)electrolyser membrane. The goal of System A was to convert a known amount of elemental tritium (HT) into tritiated water vapour using a copper(II) oxide bed, and to condense the tritiated water vapour into a known amount of chilled heavy water (D{sub 2}O). The conversion and capture of tritium using this system is close to 100%. The goal of System B was to transfer tritiated water from the containment vessel to an exposure vessel (experiment) in a controlled and safe manner. System B is based on the pushing of D{sub 2}0 with low-pressure argon carrier gas to a calibrated volume and then to the exposure vessel. A method for delivering a known and controlled amount of tritiated water has been successfully demonstrated at CRL. Using both systems Tritium Facility staff have made and distributed highly tritiated water in a safe and controlled manner. This paper focuses on how the tritiated water was produced and dispensed to the experiment.

We examine the impact on the traffic accident rate of the interaction between trucks and cars on Europe's roads using a panel data set that covers the period 1999-2010. We find that rising motorization rates for trucks lead to higher traffic fatalities, while rising motorization rates for cars do not. Empirically, the model we build predicts the positive impact of stricter speed limit legislation for trucks in the reduction of road fatalities. These findings lend support to European strategies and aimed at promoting alternative modes of freight transport, including rail and maritime transport.

Recently, AECL developed a novel method to reduce tritium emissions (to groundwater) and personnel doses at the NRU (National Research Universal) reactor irradiated fuel storage bay (also known as rod or spent fuel bay) through a water swap process. The light water in the fuel bay had built up tritium that had been transferred from the heavy water moderator through normal fuel transfers. A demonstration of the method was done that involved Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of the swap process and a test program that showed excellent agreement with model prediction for the effective removal of almost all the tritium with a minimal water volume. Building on the successful demonstration, AECL fabricated, installed, commissioned and operated a full-scale system to perform a water swap. This paper describes the results of the successful full-scale water swap operation, which achieved a tritium removal efficiency of ~96%

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) type electrolysis cells have a potential use for tritium removal and heavy water upgrading. AECL is currently exposing various commercial PEM materials to both gamma (Cobalt-60 source) and beta (tritiated water) radiation to study the effects of radiation on these materials. This paper summarizes the testing methods and results that have been collected to date. The PEM materials that are or have been exposed to radiation are: Nafion 112, 212, 117 and 1110. Membrane characterization pre- and post- exposure consists of non-destructive inspection (FTIR, SEM/XPS), mechanical (tensile strength, percentage elongation, and modulus), electrical (resistance), or chemical (ion-exchange capacity - IEC). It has appeared that the best characterization techniques to compare exposed versus unexposed membranes were IEC, ultimate tensile strength and percent elongation. These testing techniques are easy and cheap to perform. The non-destructive tests, such as SEM and FTIR did not provide particularly useful information on radiation-induced degradation. Where changes in material properties were measured after radiation exposure, they would be expected to result in poorer cell performance. However, for modest γ-radiation exposure, all membranes showed a slight decrease in cell voltage (better performance). In contrast, the one β-radiation exposed membrane did show the expected increasemore » in cell voltage. The counterintuitive trend for γ-radiation exposed membranes is not yet understood. Based on these preliminary results, it appears that γ- and β-radiation exposures have different effects.« less

There is a potential interest at CRL to detritiate moderately tritiated light water and to reclaim tritiated, downgraded heavy water. With only a few limitations, a single CECE process configuratio...

The aim of this paper was to evaluate how audience response system ( ARS) technology may increase improvements in academic performance in higher education, using the first year of the Administration and Business Management degree course at the University of Seville ( Spain) as a case study. The experiment assesses whether the use of ARSs increases the likelihood that students will pass the final examinations in the subject of Principles of Economics. An econometric model is applied to a sample of 119 students in an intervention group, with a control group of 322. The statistically significant results show that at the very least, ARSs improve performance in the theoretical examination, albeit with certain limitations. It is concluded that ARSs should be used frequently to optimize outcomes, not just as a sporadic event during the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The connection between crime and road safety is a relatively recent topic in academic research, although most studies have focused on the link between criminal behavior and traffic offenses, and only a few authors discuss the possible relationship with traffic accident fatalities. Evidence worldwide shows that people who commit other offenses characteristic of antisocial attitudes are more likely to have road traffic accidents and infringe traffic laws. We examine the records of the 28 current member states of the European Union over the 1999-2010 period. Our aim is to test the hypothesis that crime rates (and specifically, motor vehicle-related crimes) can be considered as predictors of fatal road traffic accidents. If they can be, this could be prima facie justification, at least, of the trend in several countries to consider traffic offenses as crimes in their penal codes and to toughen the punishment imposed on those who commit them. The effect of the severity of the legal system applied to traffic offenses is also analyzed. From a geographical point of view, our results reveal that road traffic fatality rates are higher in countries where the behavior of the inhabitants is more aggressive, while the rates are lower in countries with more severe penal systems. Language: en

Seville is a city of 700,000 inhabitants in the south of Spain. It is currently the administrative capital of the region of Andalusia. However, Seville was once the most important city in the Spanish Empire, and a global metropolis when it monopolized trade with ‘the Indies’. Its historical past, its subsequent decline and its traditions (many of them religious) generate a range of perceptions among local society as to what the city should be. After being transformed in the wake of the two World Expositions that were staged in the city in the 20th century, at the beginning of the 21st century a change was proposed to Seville’s planning model that would not clash with its past. This profile seeks to analyze this period and interpret whether these changes and transformations to the city are part of a consciously created city model and to consider any inconsistencies and internal contradictions. The conclusions show that in periods of large-scale change in the city, the starting-point has to be an agreed city model that enables tradition and modernity to exist side by side, and that is based on greater public participation. The city profile of Seville is significant and useful as an exemplary case of a historic city being capable of renewing the relationship between urban space and the citizen.

The main objective of this paper is to estimate the impact that the expansion of the HSR network has had on air transport in Spain by estimating the substitution effect between the two types of transportation. This paper considers the way that the HSR network has grown and how this growth could have affected air transport dynamically. The findings show that a dynamic vision of this substitution rate should be adopted, as opposed to assuming that the rate is constant, as has been the case in previous references. Although the rate varies significantly over the study period, only 13.9% of HSR passenger demand was found to have come from air travel during the 1999–2012 period, meaning that HSR and airlines would seem to offer more independent services than at first it might appear. This confirms the hypothesis as to the HSR’s great ability to generate its own demand. The substitution rate between the two transport modes seems to be closely linked to the way that any new stations are incorporated into the HSR network. Convergence between the seasonality of HSR and air transport has also been examined. The results show that it is difficult to talk of a real HSR transport network in Spain.

Liver preconditioning (PC) against ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury is attained by iron (Fe) or thyroid hormone (T3) administration. This study aimed to evaluate the PC effects of a combined Fe plus T3 protocol, characterized by a reduced period of Fe treatment and low T3 dosage, against ischemia (1 h)–reperfusion (20 h) injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given Fe (two doses of 50 mg kg−1 at days 0 and 2), T3 (0.05 mg kg−1 at day 5), and subjected to a sham operation or IR at day 7. At this time, blood and liver samples were taken for analysis of serum aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferases and hepatic histology, glutathione (GSH), protein carbonyl, and 8-isoprostane contents, protein levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) (western blot), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) DNA binding (ELISA), and mRNA expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase-c (GCLC) and haptoglobin (real-time quantitative PCR). IR enhanced serum AST and ALT levels with drastic changes in liver morphology, significant enhancement in protein carbonyl/GSH ratios and 8-isoprostane content, diminution in nuclear Nrf2 content and in NF-κB DNA binding, without changes in GCLC and haptoglobin mRNA expression. These IR-induced changes were not modified by an individual Fe or T3 pre-treatment, but suppressed by the combined Fe plus T3 protocol with increased GCLC and haptoglobin expression. In conclusion, a combined Fe plus T3 protocol suppresses IR liver injury, a novel PC strategy that is related to normalization of the oxidative stress status, Nrf2 and NF-κB activation, and associated GCLC and haptoglobin upregulation.

Malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) are a diverse group found in many species of vertebrate hosts. These parasites invade red blood cells in a complex process comprising several proteins, many encoded by multigene families, one of which is merozoite surface protein-7 (msp7). In the case of Plasmodium vivax, the most geographically widespread human-infecting species, differences in the number of paralogs within multigene families have been previously explained, at least in part, as potential adaptations to the human host. To investigate this in msp7, we studied its orthologs in closely related nonhuman primate parasites; investigating both paralog evolutionary history and genetic polymorphism. The emerging patterns were then compared with the human parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We found that the evolution of the msp7 family is consistent with a birth-and-death model, where duplications, pseudogenizations, and gene loss events are common. However, all paralogs in P. vivax and P. falciparum had orthologs in their closely related species in non-human primates indicating that the ancestors of those paralogs precede the events leading to their origins as human parasites. Thus, the number of paralogs cannot be explained as an adaptation to human hosts. Although there is no functional information for msp7 in P. vivax, we found evidence for purifying selection in the genetic polymorphism of some of its paralogs as well as their orthologs in closely related non-human primate parasites. We also found evidence indicating that a few of P. vivax’s paralogs may have diverged from their orthologs in non-human primates by episodic positive selection. Hence, they may had been under selection when the lineage leading to P. vivax diverged from the Asian non-human primates and switched into Homininae. All these lines of evidence suggest that msp7 is functionally important in P. vivax.

Aquesta tesi tracta de la capacitat humana de pensar, simbolitzar, significar i interpretar el món que ens envolta i posar en paraules les nostres experiències de forma narrada adreçades a una altra persona. Recordar les nostres vivències de forma reflexiva ens permet copsar i establir ponts entre el passat i el present i per a projectar-nos cap el futur forma part de la nostra humanitat en tant que ens permet atorgar sentit a la nostra vida. Les persones estem fetes d’històries. Els relats ens expliquen i representen a nosaltres mateixos i “mostren” una part de la nostra humanitat als altres ja que contenen la nostra manera singular de percebre, significar, afrontar els esdeveniments i exercir el nostre marge de llibertat i d’autonomia personal. Els relats estan embolcallats de les nostres conviccions, els nostres valors, les nostres emocions. Tal vegada la narració és sempre una relectura i una reinterpretació del passat a la llum del present. En la segona meitat de la vida, a mesura que percebem el pas del temps i ens adonem que el temps viscut és més llarg què el temps que ens queda per viure, ens qüestionem quin és el sentit que ha tingut la nostra vida passada i futura. Per alguns autors (Erikson, 1985; Fernández Ferman, 2007; Salvarezza, 2002), aquest qüestionament guarda relació amb un increment de la interioritat davant la percepció de la pròpia finitud i esdevé una forma pròpia, singular i única de plantejar la transcendència. Al mateix temps, les pèrdues, reals o simbòliques, que es produeixen durant els processos d’envelliment, fa que la reminiscència tingui una especial rellevància durant aquesta etapa. En la pràctica gerontològica, l’enfocament biogràfic, mitjançant els relats, ens permeten una mirada més global i més comprensiva de la persona singular atès que té en compte el seu recorregut vital. En el marc d’una relació interpersonal basada en el respecte i la confiança, explicar la pròpia vida va més enllà d’un valor estrictament descriptiu tant per la persona que narra com per aquella que escolta donat que mobilitza les subjectivitats implicades en la interacció. Des fa molts anys, el meu interès acadèmic i professional en el camp de la Gerontologia des d’una perspectiva subjectivista s’ha centrat en la reminiscència i l’enfocament biogràfic amb la finalitat de fer una aproximació més comprensiva de la persona. A partir de diferents experiències tant en la comunitat com en residències, he pogut observar els efectes benèfics que produeixen aquest tipus d’enfocament, tant en les persones narradores com en els professionals que en tenien cura d’elles. Així doncs, quan vaig decidir fer la tesi no vaig tenir cap dubte que volia centrar-me en els relats de vida tot i que el camí que havia de recórrer per a concretar el projecte i el disseny de la recerca encara havia de ser llarg.

L’autor proposa de tenir en compte el context litúrgic en el que es llegeixen i comenten les perícopesjoàniques com a clau hermenèutica necessària per a l’actualització del text bíblic. Proposa l’exemplede la perícope de la Samaritana, i analitza el seu ús litúrgic en la litúrgia romana actual, i en les litúrgies ambrosiana, hispànica i bizantina. Mostra l’autor com aquesta perícope agafa connotacions diverses en el context de les altres perícopes joàniques dels temps litúrgics de quaresma i pasqua. El context litúrgic no anul·la l’aproximació exegètica als textos bíblics, sinó que la recolza i la complementa. L’autor proposa de tenir en compte el context litúrgic en el que es llegeixen i comenten les perícopes joàniques com a clau hermenèutica necessària per a l’actualització del text bíblic. Proposa l’exemple de la perícope de la Samaritana, i analitza el seu ús litúrgic en la litúrgia romana actual, i en les litúrgies ambrosiana, hispànica i bizantina. Mostra l’autor com aquesta perícope agafa connotacions diverses en el context de les altres perícopes joàniques dels temps litúrgics de quaresma i pasqua. El context litúrgic no anul·la l’aproximació exegètica als textos bíblics, sinó que la recolza i la complementa.

Some similarities can be seen in the drink driving policies of European Union (EU) countries but there are also some major differences. Although all member States are aware of the need to address the problem, there are considerable differences in aspects such as blood alcohol limits, alcohol prices and the enforcement of alcohol control laws. Considering that these policies are in place in specific economic and cultural contexts, we evaluate the effectiveness of the set of control policies implemented in the EU in terms of traffic fatality rates following the recent enlargement process. For this, we use a panel during the period 1999–2012 controlling for several explanatory economic, demographic and geographical attributes. We find that policies that may be effective for reducing alcohol consumption among young drivers may lead to improvements in road safety. Our results also show that zero approach maximum alcohol concentration rates do not seem to be a panacea for this problem, since the countries with the strictest limits do not achieve better road safety outcomes. Finally, the influence of alcohol consumption on traffic fatalities seems to be particularly relevant for the male population.

Pedestrianizing areas that are generally in the old part of town has been widely used in recent years in both developed and developing countries as a way to improve urban quality in cities traditionally designed for intensive vehicle use. This paper applies discrete demand models to examine the satisfaction of citizens or frequent visitors with these schemes in two streets that are not part of the urban center of the city of Seville (Spain) and the conclusions that are drawn can be easily extrapolated to other cities, irrespective of the country that they are in. These two pedestrianizations outside the traditional inner city are clearly positively valued by citizens, especially by people living in the vicinity of the pedestrianized streets and by the collectives that have more available free time or more flexible schedules. They have also been especially welcomed by citizens who are more aware of the need for environmental protection and calling for a more a more sustainable city. The results show that both pedestrianizations have resulted in significant changes in citizens' shopping and consumption habits in establishments located in the pedestrian zones, which have been turned into open air malls with improvements to their lively ambience. These findings are repeated in countries at different levels of development. These results are in stark contrast to the strong social rejection that existed during the period that the road works to pedestrianize the zones were being planned and executed. In fact, the results show the importance of the time variable, as the more time that has passed since the works were finalized, the better the variables that measure satisfaction with the pedestrianizations have become, and the less negative the perception of the negative externalities associated with the road works.

This article examines the trends in road traffic fatality rates in a sample of European States over the 1970–2010 period. Taking into account that previous research seems to find that the Europeanization process has had a favorable impact on national road safety performance, our main contribution is to test whether the same mechanism might lead to the convergence of Member States as a whole as a possible outcome. Based on typical convergence methodology for Economic Growth Theory, our findings reveal evidence of the full convergence of road fatality rates across a sample of EU countries during said time period. Compared to the uncertain results obtained by the literature on macroeconomic convergence, we do not find support for the convergence of sub-groups of countries, but a one-speed-convergence for all EU countries. This fact shows that convergence is achievable in certain EU areas even beyond economic convergence through successful efforts made jointly at national and community levels.

This paper uses a large database of approximately 37,000 passengers and three different estimates to analyse the characteristics of the frequent flyer and the differences between frequent flyers and occasional flyers. The results show that frequent flyers are middle-aged men with a high level of education who take domestic flights for business reasons at both hub and regional airports, where they make a purchase and/or consume F&B. Frequent flyers fly on both low-cost and traditional airlines, are more likely to stay overnight at a relative's or friend's home and travel to the airport by private or rented car.

We study the determinants that affect the capacity of ports to attract cruise ships in Spain. The conclusion is that the likelihood of having cruise traffic is linked to ports located in populous areas and close to large airports, ports not specialized in container traffic but sharing facilities with ferries traffic and ports having a minimum depth of water. The amount of cruise traffic that a port can generate is also related to the population and the air connections, along with the tourist appeal and the facilities shared with other types of port traffic, namely roll-on roll-off and ferries.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of extinction when the reinforcer was present versus absent. These effects were examined with 2 human operant procedures (i.e., a computer program and a mechanical apparatus) with college students as participants. Discriminable properties of the apparatus appeared to influence responding during extinction. In general, responding during extinction was less likely with the mechanical apparatus when the reinforcer was absent and more likely with the computer program.

This article focuses on analysing the perception that the tourism sector itself has of its impact in cities at which cruises call. We use a sample of 371 managers of tourism establishments in the hinterlands of two Spanish cruise ports. The conclusions confirm the good public image that cruise traffic has traditionally enjoyed. However, the vision that the managers have is not uniform but depends on the characteristics of the tourist establishment and its own experience. Managers also advocate the direct intervention of the public administrations, even with economic aid, to favour the implementation of cruise tourism in their cities.

Some features of the low-cost carrier (LCC) management model, such as quick turnaround times, the use of uncrowded airports and expediting check-in processes should have a favourable knock-on effect on their passengers’ waiting times at the airport. This article seeks to quantify these possible savings in the low-cost model compared to traditional companies using a database of 37 226 passengers and methodology based on statistical causal inference and the generalized ordered logit model. The results show that LCC passengers are less likely to experience delays of 2 hours or less, although the likelihood that they will have to endure long delays of over 3 hours increases by almost 7.5%. Compared to the greater efficiency of LCCs in the daily movement of passengers averting the most common delays of up to 2 hours, the intensive use of their airplanes results in their lesser ability to respond to unforeseen eventualities with no on-the-spot solution. The little cover that LCCs provide for delays is a strong ...

Nowadays, speeding is one of the most relevant problems for traffic safety and most resistant to change in motorized countries. The key instruments in Speed Management Policy are speed limits. This road safety strategy is often established or changed, in order to save fuel during periods of rising prices. However, the relationship between speed limits and traffic accidents, is a topic widely discussed by researchers, and there seems to be some consensus about “speed kills.” By applying advanced time series models of unobserved components, our study investigates the impact of a temporary reduction of maximum speed limits, implemented in Spain in 2011, in terms of fuel consumption and fatalities. Our analysis shows that this measure caused a positive effect, although with a limited statistical significance, on fuel consumption and a discrete reduction in road mortality.