Effects of switching between production systems in dairy farming

The recent trend in the intensification of dairy farming in Europe has sparked an interest in studying the economic consequences of this process. However, classifying empirically farms as extensive or intensive is not a straightforward task. In recent papers, Latent Class Models (LCM) have been used to avoid an ad-hoc split of the sample into intensive and extensive dairy farms. A limitation of current specifications of LCM is that they do not allow farms to switch between different productive systems over time. This feature of the model is at odds with the process of intensification of the European dairy industry in past decades. We estimate a single LCM that allows for changes of production system over time by estimating a single LCM model but splitting the original panel into two periods and find that the probability of using the intensive technology increases over time. Our estimation proposal opens up the possibility of studying the effects of intensification not only across farms but also over time. Key words: Dairy farms, intensification, latent class model, panel dat

A selection of relevant issues in applied stochastic frontier analysis

[EN] This paper provides a concise review of a broad set of concepts, models and estimation issues in the field of stochastic frontier analysis. The goal is to provide practitioners with a quick guide to some key ideas. The review is restricted to single-output models estimated by econometric methods. Among the conceptual issues are the interpretation and the paths to reduce inefficiency. The modelling and estimation parts deal with topics such as explaining inefficiency, time-varying inefficiency and firm heterogeneity.S

A construción da cidadanía democrática en Galicia (1965-1982): procesos comunitarios e de educación social e popular

A través da presente investigación, conformada como Tese de Doutoramento, pretendemos analizar aqueles procesos de educación social e popular e de desenvolvemento comunitario, que foron encabezados por certos sectores da Igrexa galega dende a fin do concilio Vaticano II ata principio dos anos oitenta do século XX. Estes procesos pretendían espertar una conciencia crítica nas propias comunidades onde tiveron lugar. Estas experiencias educativas aconteceron ao longo de toda a xeografía galega, tanto en contextos rurais coma vilegos, mariñeiros ou urbanos

PANTOTHENIC ACID: AN OVERVIEW FOCUSED ON MEDICAL ASPECTS

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin. It is of biologic importance because of its incorporation into coenzyme A and acyl carrier protein. Coenzyme A is an indispensable cofactor in all living organisms, where it functions in over 70 enzymatic pathways. Most bacteria, plants, and fungi synthesizes pantothenic acid; thus, the vitamin is found virtually everywhere in nature. Therefore, a naturally occurring vitamin deficiency in humans does not occur. Several clinical trials have been undertaken in humans using pantothenic acid supplementation in various medical fields. Unfortunately, firm conclusions regarding therapeutic effectiveness cannot be drawn from many of these studies. However, it has been suggested that there is a beneficial effect of pantethine on hyperlipidemia. Cysteamine treatment, a metabolite of the degradation of coenzyme A, has dramatically changed the course of the cystinosis; and clinical trials of this compound are underway in other medical fields. In the last few decades, several studies have pointed out the great interest of the inhibition of the coenzyme A metabolic pathway as an attractive target in developing new antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, recent research on coenzyme A metabolic enzymes has led to the discovery of uniquely nonmetabolic roles for both enzymes and their metabolites, thus opening an exciting field of investigation. In the present mini-review, we describe the current understanding of the pantothenic acid medical aspects and provide an overview on future potential therapeutic indications for this vitamin and its metabolic byproducts

La transfixión percutánea cúbito-carpiana en las fracturas inestables de la extremidad distal del radio

Se expone una alternativa terapéutica para las fracturas inestables de la extremidad distal del radio, consistente en estabilizar la reducción mediante una aguja de Kirschner que atravesando oblícuamente la extremidad distal del cúbito se ancla en el carpo. Se precisan los detalles de la técnica que, en una valoración inicial sobre más de cien casos, aporta resultados constantemente satisfactorios. Se hace énfasis en la sencillez del procedimiento, que al propiciar una ejecución muy rápida, cobra ventaja frente a otras modalidades (fijador externo, osteosíntesis abierta, etc.) y especialmente ante traumatismos asociados del mismo miembro.A therapeutic alternative for the unstable fractures of the distal extremity of the radius is presented. The technique consists in stabilizing the fracture reduction by means of one Kirschner's wire that crosses obliquely the distal extremity of the ulnar and anchors in the carpus. The details of this technique are described. This technique has constantly provided satisfactory results in an initial evaluation on more than one hundred cases. Emphasis is made upon the simplicity of the procedure which surpasses other technical procedures (external fixation, open osteosynthesis, etc.) due to the fact that it propitiates a quicker execution, and it surpasses other technical procedures specially with associated injuries in the same limb

Characterization of amino acid changes in visual pigment evolution and interaction with associated proteins

Visual opsins are G protein-coupled receptors that function as light photoreceptors in the vertebrate retina. Rhodopsin is the visual pigment located in the rod photoreceptor cells specialized in scotopic vision. Bovine and mouse rhodopsins have been thoroughly used as in vitro and in vivo models for physiological and biochemical characterization. In the last years, different lines of evidence point to significant functional differences among rhodopsins of different species. In this thesis bovine, murine and human rhodopsins were immunopurified and biochemically characterized, revealing differences in their thermal stabilities and retinal release rates. Besides, the Y102H RP-like rhodopsin mutation was introduced in the human and bovine backgrounds to bring up potential phenotypic differences. Therefore, keeping in mind that a large body of studies on human genetic retinal degenerative diseases related with opsins (e.g. retinitis pigmentosa) have used these models, our results suggest that using human rhodopsin for future studies would be advised. The most important biochemical differences were observed between the diurnal (human and bovine) versus nocturnal (mouse) species, especially in their retinal release rates. In addition, we also found a novel relevant amino acid position that appears to be significantly correlated with rhodopsin molecular adaptation to the nocturnal (L290) and the diurnal (I290) niches throughout terrestrial therian mammals. Previous studies suggested that L290 is present in the inferred therian ancestor rhodopsin in agreement with mammalian “nocturnal bottleneck” theories. Thus, the L290I substitution could have an important role in mammal rhodopsin molecular evolution and adaptation as it is likely to be the result of independent analogous changes, a fact that can be well-appreciated in the primate and rodent orders. This hypothesis was experimentally confirmed by the L290I mutation in murine rhodopsin that resulted in a Meta II decay rate similar to that of bovine rhodopsin. These results provide support for a role of the Meta II decay rate in rhodopsin evolution, beyond the well-studied ¿max spectral shift used by animal species to adapt to different light environments. Moreover, a novel mechanism is proposed involving a compromise between improving rod protection under bright light in nocturnal species by means of a stabilized Meta II conformation, and a faster dark adaption that occurs under dim-light conditions in diurnal species by means of a faster retinal reléase. Our statistical analysis found three new candidate positions for positive selection in the mammal therian branch. The reverse mutations (F13M, Q225R and A346S) were introduced into bovine rhodopsin and the expressed proteins were immunopurified to functionally and biochemically characterize the consequences of these ancestral changes. Position 225 appears to be important for the function of the protein affecting the G-protein activation process, and position 346 would also regulate functionality of the receptor by enhancing G-protein activation and presumably affecting protein phosphorylation by rhodopsin kinase. Position 13 was shown to be very important for the proper folding and glycosylation of rhodopsin as only in the engineered thermally stable double Cys mutant (N2C/N282C) background was able to be regenerated with 11-cis-retinal. Similarly a double Cys mutation (W90C/A169C) previously proposed for the green cone opsin was biochemically analyzed confirming the formation (at least partially) of this bond. Finally, a recently detected interaction between the membrane protein peripherin-2 and rhodopsin was functionally studied, showing reduced G-protein activation, by rhodopsin, in presence of peripherin-2 when the two proteins were in a partially solubilised system. These results could have physiological implications in the desensitization process involving rhodopsin on the rim of discs of photoreceptor cells.Los opsinas visuales son receptores acoplados a proteína G que funcionan como fotoreceptores en retinas de vertebrados. La rodopsina es el pigmento visual de los bastones, células fotoreceptoras especializadas en la visión escotópica. Las rodopsinas bovina y murina han sido ampliamente usadas como modelos para caracterización bioquímica y fisiológica. En esta tesis, las rodopsinas bovina, murina y humana fueron inmunopurificadas y caracterizadas bioquímicamente, revelando diferencias en su estabilidad térmica y en la tasa de salida de retinal. Además, la mutación tipo RP Y102H se introdujo en las rodopsinas humana y bovina para revelar potenciales diferencias fenotípicas. Teniendo en cuenta que una gran parte de estudios en enfermedades genéticas degenerativas de la retina humana relacionadas con opsinas (Ej. Retinitis Pigmentosa) han usado estos modelos, los resultados sugieren que el uso de rodopsinas humanas en estudios futuros sería aconsejable. Las mayores diferencias bioquímicas fueron observadas entre especies diurnas (humano y vaca) en comparación con la nocturna (ratón), especialmente en las tasas de salida de retinal. Además, se encontró una nueva y relevante posición aminoacídica que parece estar significativamente correlacionada con la adaptación molecular de la rodopsina a la nocturnidad (L290) y a la diurnidad (I290) a lo largo de los mamíferos terios terrestres. Estudios previos sugieren que L290 estaba presente en la rodopsina ancestrales inferidas, en concordancia con las teorías del ?cuello de botella nocturno?en mamíferos. La substitución L290I podría haber tenido un importante papel en la adaptación y la evolución molecular de las rodopsina de mamíferos al ser probablemente el resultado de cambios análogos independientes, hecho que puede ser apreciado en los órdenes de primates y roedores. Esta hipótesis fue confirmada experimentalmente mediante la mutación L290I en rodopsina murina que resultó en una tasa de decaimiento del Meta II similar al de rodopsina bovina. Estos resultados dan apoyo al papel de la tasa de decaimiento del Meta II en la evolución de la rodopsina, más allá del bien estudiado desplazamiento espectral de ¿max relacionado con la adaptación a diferentes niveles de luz ambiental. Además, se propone un nuevo mecanismo que implica un compromiso entre la protección en bastones ante luz brillantes en especies nocturnas mediante una estabilización de la conformación Meta II, y una adaptación a la oscuridad más rápida bajo condiciones de luz tenue en especies diurnas mediante una salida de retinal más rápida. Análisis estadístico encontraron tres nuevas posiciones candidatas a haber sido positivamente seleccionadas en la rama de los mamíferos terios. Las mutaciones reversas (F13M, Q225R y A346S) se introdujeron en la rodopsina bovina y se inmunopurificaron para caracterizar estos cambios ancestrales. 225 aparenta ser importante para la funcionalidad de la proteína afectando el proceso de activación de la proteína G, y 346 regularía también la funcionalidad mediante la mejora de la activación de la proteína G y presumiblemente afectando la fosforilación por parte de la rodopsina kinasa. La posición 13 es muy importante para el correcto plegamiento y glicosilación de la rodopsina al solo poder ser regenerada con 11-cis-retinal al insertar la doble mutación de Cys (N2C/N282C) termalmente estable. De manera similar una doble mutación de Cys (W90C/A169C) previamente propuesta para la opsina verde de conos fue analizada bioquímicamente confirmando la formación (al menos parcialmente) de este enlace. Finalmente, la interacción entre la periferina-2 y la rodopsina se estudió funcionalmente. Se detectó una reducción en la activación de la proteína G por la rodopsina, cuando las dos proteínas están en un sistema parcialmente solubilizado. Estos resultados podrían tener implicaciones fisiológicas en el proceso de desensibilización que implica la rodopsina en el borde de los discos de las células fotorreceptoras.Postprint (published version

EL PACIENTE HIPERTENSO EN LA CONSULTA DE ENFERMERÍA.

Among the daily tasks of the common nurse, we can point out the monitoring and control of the hypertensive patient. It is well known that a high control of the blood pressure numbers reduce the morbi-mortality of these patients. Nursing professionals dedicate all their efforts to get this aim. This activity usually takes place at the nurse’s consult. There, the nurse, together with the doctor must take part throughout the whole process. Once the doctor gets the diagnosis, the nurse has to do a whole evaluation which comprises anamnesis and a physical check-up. Based on these data and taking into account the individual circumstances of each patient, the guidelines which nurses must follow are set up. These must include as main aspects health education (diet, exercise and medication), blood pressure control and the most necessary guidelines of intervention required.Dentro de las labores cotidianas de la enfermera comunitaria cabe destacar, entre otras, el seguimiento y control del paciente hipertenso. Es sabido que un buen control de las cifras de PA reduce la morbi-mortalidad de estos pacientes, y en esa dirección se encaminan los esfuerzos del profesional enfermero. Esta actividad se lleva usualmente en la consulta enfermera. En ella, la enfermera debe participar en el proceso de despistaje junto con el médico. Una vez que el médico ha procedido al diagnóstico, es función enfermera realizar una valoración integral, que comprenda anamnesis y exploración física. Sobre la base de estos datos e individualmente con cada paciente y sus circunstancias, se establecen las pautas de actuación enfermeras que deben comprender, como aspectos fundamentales, la educación sanitaria (en cuanto a dieta, ejercicio y medicación), el control de las cifras de PA y la información que pueda demandar como pautas de actuación más necesarias

Marcadores predictivos de agresividad y supervivencia en tumores neuroendocrinos gastroenteropancreáticos

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Medicina. Fecha de lectura: 7-09-201

Analysis of the rear leg rotation movement during the fencing lunge

The most relevant aulhois of fencing agree on the extension of the rear leg's knee from the on guard position, which is the ona thai provides ihe real speed to the lunge, and the extension of the arm only serves to drive the points towards the target. All the authors coincide thai it is important to keep the whole sole of the rear Foot supported on the Boor, keeping the same direction and without sliding it during the movernent, being the only one support that assures a really fast and balanced lunge, allowing the return to the on guard position or to continue towards ahead. Nevertheless, in a competition it may be observed that there are just a few fencers that keep the position of the feet in 90° angle during the lunge, as proposed in the fencing books. From this situation, we try to know if the rotation movement of the rear leg improve the speed of the Mass Centre and the weapon