Improving the 14c dating of marine shells from the Canary Islands for constructing more reliable and accurate chronologies

Radiocarbon dating of closely associated marine mollusk shells and terrestrial material (charred wood or bone) collected from archaeological contexts on Tenerife and Fuerteventura islands allowed us to quantify the marine C-14 reservoir effect (Delta R) around the Canary Archipelago. Coastal Fuerteventura has a positive weighted mean Delta R value of +185 +/- 30 C-14 yr, while for Tenerife a range of negative and positive values was obtained, resulting in a Delta R weighted mean value of 0 +/- 35 C-14 yr. These values are in accordance with the hydrodynamic system present off the Canary Islands characterized by a coastal upwelling regime that affects the eastern islands (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) but not the other islands of the archipelago, namely Tenerife. Because of this oceanographic pattern, we recommend the extrapolation of these results to the remaining islands of the archipelago, i.e. the first value must be used for the eastern islands, while for the central and western islands the acceptable Delta R value is 0 +/- 35 C-14 yr

Social capital and health: a structural interaction area

Nos últimos anos têm-se vindo, progressivamente, a constatar que o capital social se encontra, inequivocamente, relacionado com a edificação de estruturas comunitárias que promovam estratégias de empoderamento e desenvolvimento sustentado, fomentando melhorias na qualidade de vida dos indivíduos, influenciando o surgimento de benefícios globais ao nível da saúde coletiva, pelo contributo facultado na identificação e satisfação das necessidades de diferentes populações-alvo. Alguns estudos empíricos apontam a existência de uma relação entre as diferentes formas de capital social e os ganhos em saúde, individuais e coletivos, ao nível da saúde física, da saúde mental e dos comportamentos e atitudes relacionados com estilos de vida saudável, facto que leva a poder encarar a conexão estabelecida entre capital social e saúde como uma eventual estratégia de dimensão global, sustentada e sustentável de promoção da saúde e de desenvolvimento sociocomunitário. Neste domínio, a mobilização das diferentes estruturas comunitárias, alicerçada na concertação da participação coletiva e no estabelecimento de relações em que impera a confiança mútua, representa uma verdadeira representação de vitalidade, que possibilita concetualizar a saúde como um fenómeno que associa a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos, grupos e comunidades às principais dimensões que emergem do conceito de capital social

Seizing the present, consolidating the future: educational technology in health

A tecnologia educativa possibilita a utilização de metodologias operativas dinâmicas, com a principal finalidade de fomentar a eficácia dos processos de formação, oferecendo uma gama de conhecimentos, coerentes e sólidos, sobre a forma de organizar os processos de ensinoaprendizagem, planear e elaborar ambientes e processos educativos, com o intuito de atingir os objectivos pedagógicos previamente definidos, aspectos que se podem aplicar na educação para a saúde, nomeadamente na saúde escolar. As políticas internacionais de promoção de saúde e a configuração dos próprios sistemas de saúde, tornam importante a análise das concepções subjacentes à tecnologia educativa, convergindo para a reflexão dos seus impactos na actualidade, enquanto peças centrais de dimensionamento das estratégias desenvolvidas no âmbito da saúde. Ampliando as possibilidades do acesso à informação, a sua utilização permite desenvolver estratégias que facultem não só o desenvolvimento de conhecimentos e competências, como a actualização e a capacitação dos indivíduos, englobando-o num processo de aprendizagem ao longo da vida, afirmando-se desta forma como uma importante linha de investigação a considera

El Obispo Don Jaime Sarroca, consejero y gran privado del Rey Don Jaime el Conquistador. [Documentos]

Conté l'apendix documental del treball presentat en el fascicle 66 d'aquest mateix volum (21 documents

Detectors could spot plagiarism in research proposals

Having all been involved in proposal evaluation, we believe the studies indicate that a text matching analysis of research proposals could reduce plagiarism in subsequent publications. For instance, when European Commission evaluators have met in the past to evaluate research proposals, they received printed copies which had to be returned before the panel members left, and had no computer access during deliberations. A plagiarism detector using text-mining methods could be used instead of the current security measures. Such a system could, in principle, detect similarities to previous submissions and uncited sources using advanced document segmentation. Only official agencies have access to confidential proposals and the funds to experiment with automated plagiarism-detectors. It is important that they should investigate these approaches to reducing the possibility of scientific misconduct

Exploring sizable triple Higgs couplings in the 2HDM

An important task at future colliders is the measurement of the triple Higgs coupling. Depending on its size relative to the Standard Model (SM) value, certain collider options result in a higher experimental accuracy. Within the framework of Two Higgs Doublet Models (2HDM) type I and II we investigate the allowed ranges for all triple Higgs couplings involving at least one light, SM-like Higgs boson. We take into account theoretical constraints (unitarity, stability), experimental constraints from direct Higgs-boson searches, measurements of the SM-like Higgs-boson properties, flavor observables and electroweak precision data. We find that the SM-type triple Higgs coupling w.r.t. its SM value, $\lambda_{hhh}/\lambda_{\rm SM}$, can range between $\sim -0.5$ and $\sim 1.5$. Depending on which value is realized, the HL-LHC can compete with, or is clearly inferior to the ILC. We find the coupling $\lambda_{hhH}$ between $\sim -1.5$ and $\sim 1.5$. Triple Higgs couplings involving two heavy Higgs bosons, $\lambda_{hHH}$, $\lambda_{hAA}$ and $\lambda_{hH^+H^-}$ can reach values up to ${\cal O}(10)$, roughly independent of the 2HDM type. This can lead to potentially strongly enhanced production of two Higgs-bosons at the HL-LHC or high-energy $e^+e^-$ colliders.Comment: 44 pages, 16 figure

Viscous pumping inspired by flexible propulsion

Fluid-suspended microorganisms have evolved different swimming and feeding strategies in order to cope with an environment dominated by viscous effects. For instance ciliated organisms rely on the collective motion of flexible appendices to move and feed. By performing a non-reciprocal motion, flexible filaments can produce a net propulsive force, or pump fluid, in the absence of inertia. Inspired by such fundamental concept, we propose a strategy to produce macroscopic pumping and mixing in creeping flow. We measure experimentally the net motion of a Newtonian viscous fluid induced by the reciprocal motion of a flapper. When the flapper is rigid no net motion is induced. In contrast, when the flapper is made of a flexible material, a net fluid pumping is measured. We quantify the effectiveness of this pumping strategy and show that optimal pumping is achieved when the length of the flapper is on the same order as the elasto-hydrodynamic penetration length. We finally discuss the possible applications of flexible impellers in mixing operations at low Reynolds numbers