Accessibility dynamics and regional cross-border cooperation (CBC) perspectives in the portuguese—spanish borderland

Accessibility plays a major role in achieving sustainable transport, and therefore urban and regional sustainability. The urban public transport system promotes mobility and realizes a large part of urban movements. Moreover, improving accessibility in order to promote sustainable transport requires the application of new concepts and indicators as a powerful tool in the process of creating a balanced urban transport system. In this regard, one of the main goals of this research is to present an overview of the relevant accessibility indicators and assessment of accessibility in regional Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) in order to transcendence challenges and obstacles for sustainable transportation in these regions along of Portuguese-Spanish border. This paper focuses on the accessibility of cross-border cooperation scenarios along the border regions of Alto Alentejo (Portugal) and Badajoz (Spain) where the Case Study Research Method (CSR) made it possible to recognize accessibility as a key factor in territorial success. Also, accessibility analysis can assess improvements as well as regional imbalances. In addition, this methodology can be used to identify missing links, which requires new investments enabling long-term sustainability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing high speed railway service areas in Spain mainland from a multi-method GIS approach

The high-speed railway stations are the only access point to enjoy this rail service. Thus, its location and spatial distribution, and the roads to access them, acquires great importance. For this reason, taking into account the population of the Spanish peninsular municipalities, the degree of coverage offered by the 36 existing operating stations is determined. A methodology based on the method of determining floating catchment areas in three steps, is developed using territorial accessibility measures which were obtained through the network analysis tool offered by a Geographical Information System. The results represented by thematic cartography allow identifying the municipalities with the highest high-speed rail coverage. The municipalities with less coverage are also identified, where the road access of the residents in these municipalities to high-speed rail stations should be improved.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing health resources equipped with hemodynamic rooms in the Portuguese-Spanish borderland: cross-border cooperation strategies as a possible solution

Portugal and Spain share one of the greatest European borderland areas. This fact has direct impacts on a large territory and consequently on the communities’ living in it. Still, even if the border areas represent an essential fraction of the territory, planning policies have not resulted in specific cooperation programs that could enable sharing general leisure and recreation assets and infrastructures and collaboration in critical domains—i.e., the case of the health sector. The present study aims to assess the territorial accessibility to the hemodynamic rooms by the potential population of the Spanish-Portuguese transition areas that may suffer an acute myocardial infarction. Contextually, this study employed a spatial interaction model based on the three-step floating catchment area method (method-3SFCA). By applying these methods, it was possible to develop a map of accessibility to health infrastructures equipped with hemodynamics rooms on both sides of the border that may answer the Spanish-Portuguese border populations’ needs. Besides, while granting valuable information for decision-makers regarding the need to develop new infrastructures to guarantee that even considering cross border cooperation, everyone gets access to a hemodynamics room within the critical intervention period.GR18052, GR18054, 018/RID/2018/19info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative analysis of ephemeral river ecosystem services in agricultural and natural landscapes in mediterranean environments. A practical approach to Caia River (Portugal)

Mediterranean landscapes present a large amount of biodiversity and ecosystems leading to their unique identity. In fact, it is increasingly acknowledged that these ecosystems provide a large range of benefits, not only for the area where they are located but also for their surroundings. Benefits that may vary from aesthetical values to socioeconomic aspects that might influence territorial development, including also the preservation of those ecosystems. The ephemeral and intermittent rivers provide several and pivotal ecosystem services within to the environment. However, these services differ a lot from agricultural to natural landscapes – e.g. agricultural landscapes structure ́ is susceptible to dramatic changes through the seasons and water cycles. Thus, a comparison study between agricultural and natural Mediterranean environments landscapes have been carried out – allowing to deeply understand ephemeral rivers ecosystems systems and their dynamics. Considering the purpose of the study - a comparison analysis between river ecosystem services in agricultural and natural landscapes in Mediterranean environments have been conducted. Therefore, a Cross-Border ephemeral river – Caia River (Portugal-Spain) have been selected as a case study. The comparison has covered cultural, aesthetic, functional and socio-economic ecosystem services; showing the relevance of the functions granted by the river

Land valuation sustainable model of urban planning development: a case study in Badajoz, Spain

El proceso de desarrollo de la planificación urbana en los territorios urbanos tiene múltiples consecuencias, no solo en la estructura espacial sino también en los patrones de valoración de la tierra. El valor económico de la tierra incluida en la planificación municipal, que se asocia con un cierto uso urbanizado, aumenta a medida que los procesos de planificación evolucionan en estas tierras. Para que la valoración económica de la tierra cumpla con los parámetros requeridos del desarrollo sostenible urbano y territorial, es fundamental que en la determinación del valor de la tierra no existan expectativas de realizaciones difíciles o imposibles, para eliminar cualquier elemento especulativo de la valoración. El modelo de valoración de la tierra presentado en el presente estudio cumple con esta premisa, proponiendo un modelo de valoración de la tierra sostenible basado en la evolución del desarrollo de la planificación urbana, logrando el máximo valor cuando está completamente urbanizado. El objetivo principal del presente trabajo es analizar cómo aumenta el valor de la tierra a medida que se desarrolla la planificación municipal y sugerir un modelo de valoración sostenible para la tierra con uso urbano. Contextualmente, a través de un análisis de estudio de caso, el desarrollo de la planificación municipal se ha dividido con el tiempo en cuatro estados urbanos: (i) tierra sin planificación detallada; (ii) terrenos con planificación detallada; (iii) terrenos con re-parcelación; y (iv) tierra urbanizada. En este sentido, se ha determinado la evolución gradual del valor de la tierra que ha alcanzado diferentes estados a lo largo del tiempo, al igual que los escenarios donde el valor ha aumentado hasta el valor de la tierra urbanizada.The urban planning development process in urban territories has multiple consequences, not only in spatial structure but also in land valuation patterns. The economic value of land encompassed in municipal planning—which is associated with a certain urbanized use—increases as the planning processes evolve over these lands. For economic land valuation to comply with the required parameters of urban and territorial sustainable development, it is pivotal that in the determination of land value there are no expectations of difficult or impossible realizations, in order to eliminate any speculative element from the valuation. The land valuation model presented in the current study complies with this premise, proposing a sustainable land valuation model based on the evolution of urban planning development, achieving maximum value when it is fully urbanized. The main objective of the present work is to analyze how land value increases as municipal planning develops and to suggest a sustainable valuation model for land with urban use. Contextually, through a case study analysis, the development of municipal planning has been divided over time into four urban states: (i) land without detailed planning; (ii) land with detailed planning; (iii) land with re-parceling; and (iv) urbanized land. In this regard, the gradual evolution of land value which has reached different states over time has been determined, as has scenarios where the value has increased up to the value of urbanized land.• Junta de Extremadura y Fondos FEDER. Ayuda al Grupo de investigación ARAM — Recursos ambientales y al Grupo de Investigación de AnálisispeerReviewe

Unidades locais de Paisagem aplicadas à escala regional: área Alentejo, Centro e Extremadura

El presente artículo ofrece una visión general de los estudios realizados en la elaboración de las Unidades Locales de Paisaje (LLU) integrando los componentes de la litología, formas de relieve (TPI- Topographic Position Index) y ocupación/uso del suelo aplicada en el área OTALEX C. Los resultados indican que las LLUs más representativas son los "Cultivos temporales sobre Aluviales y coluviales en Llanura" (7,8%) y "Cultivos temporales sobre Pizarras en Llanura" (2,6%). Las "Zonas agroforestales - Dehesas sobre Pizarras en Llanura" y "Zonas agro-forestales - Dehesas sobre Aluviales y coluviales en Llanura" representan en conjunto el 8% de la superficie (748000 ha). También la zona de "Los Pastizales sobre Pizarras en Llanura", que representan el 2,6% y los matorrales densos en zonas de pendiente, valles aplanados y en zonas de llanura que ocupan aproximadamente el 14% de la superficie OTALEX C

imaxin|software: NLP applied to enhance multilingual communications for public organisms and companies

imaxin|software es una empresa creada en 1997 por cuatro titulados en ingeniería informática cuyo objetivo ha sido el de desarrollar videojuegos multimedia educativos y procesamiento del lenguaje natural multilingüe. 17 años más tarde, hemos desarrollado recursos, herramientas y aplicaciones multilingües de referencia para diferentes lenguas: Portugués (Galicia, Portugal, Brasil, etc.), Español (España, Argentina, México, etc.), Inglés, Catalán y Francés. En este artículo haremos una descripción de aquellos principales hitos en relación a la incorporación de estas tecnologías PLN al sector industrial e institucional.Imaxin|software is a company created in 1997 by four computer engineers with the aim of developing educational multimedia games and natural language processing tools. After 17 years imaxin|software has developed resources, tools and applications for different languages, specially for Portuguese (Galiza, Portugal, Brazil, etc.), Spanish (Spain, Argentina, Mexico, etc.), English, Catalan, French. In this article we will describe the main highlights of this technological and human challenge

Nuevos datos acerca del virus causante de la pandemia de gripe de 1918-19 y su relación con los de la gripe aviar. Datos recientes relativos a éstos (*)

The horrible influenza pandemic (erroneously named «Spanish influenza») resulted in more than 20 million deaths. Knowledge about the virus that caused this pandemic has improved remarkably in about the last twenty years due to two factors: 1. The availability of new analytical techniques, more sensitive and specific than previous procedures, that have been used to study human samples maintained in permafrost or kept in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks; 2. The occurrence in the last few years of influenza outbreaks in birds, caused by viruses with certain characteristics similar to those considered as typical of the 1918-19 influenza virus. The mutations of few aminoacids in the virus hemagglutinin active site could modify the binding specificity with receptors (N-acetylneuraminic acid terminal residues) of the host cell. Thus, certain avian viruses may have achieved the property of binding to cells of different species (pigs, humans) and may have become immune to previously formed antibodies. The genetic, structural, etc., characteristics of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase (= sialidase) of the 1918-19 virus seem to show their connection with both avian and porcine viruses, although some features should receive further study.La horrible pandemia de gripe o influenza de 1918-19 (impropiamente denominada «gripe española») originó una mortandad superior a los 20 millones. El conocimiento acerca del virus causante de la misma ha avanzado notablemente en la última veintena de años, por dos motivos: 1.º El hecho de disponerse de nuevas técnicas analíticas mucho más sensibles y específicas que las precedentes, las cuales han podido ser aplicadas al estudio de muestras humanas conservadas bajo tierra a temperaturas inferiores a 0º C o después de haber sido sometidas a tratamientos fijadores y mantenidas en bloques de parafina. 2.º La aparición en los últimos años de brotes epidémicos en aves, ocasionados por virus con algunas características similares a las que se ha deducido tuvo el virus de 1918, causante de dicha pandemia. Las mutaciones de algunos pocos aminoácidos del sitio activo de la hemaglutinina de aquél pudieron modificar la especifidad de la unión de ésta con los receptores de la célula hospedadora (constituidos por residuos terminales de ácido N-acetilneuramínico), adquiriendo algún virus de procedencia aviar la propiedad de unirse a células de otras especies (cerdo, seres humanos) y resultando inmune a los anticuerpos anteriormente formados. Las características (genéticas, estructurales, etc.) de la hemaglutinina y de la neuraminidasa (= sialidasa) de dicho virus humano de 1918 parecen indicar su vinculación con ambos orígenes (aviar y porcino), aunque aún faltan por ser precisados algunos aspectos

Glicoconjugados (estructura, funciones biológicas, actividad patológica, utilización terapéutica)

Mainly N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) exhibit very important peculiarities in certain biological (both physiological and pathological) processes. These acids are components of the glycoconjugates. Glycoconjugates are molecules resulting of the covalent link between carbohydrates and proteins or between carbohydrates and lipids. The disregulation of enzymes which catalyse the metabolic processess related to glycoconjugates produces anomalies in the chemical structure of these compounds which preclude their normal biological function, by abnormalities in the biosynthetic route (Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation) or abnormalities in the catabolic way (Lysosomal Storage Disorders). Fortunately, several agents related to glycoconjugates are now available to prevent or heal illness such as influenza, AIDS, cancer, etc. In this wiew, the research on immunological and genetic features of glycoconjugates with a therapeutic finality has been recently increased, as shown in this paper.Se conocen principalmente algunas peculiaridades funcionales, muy importantes, de los ácidos siálicos denominados N-acetilneuramínico (NeuAc) y N-glicolilneuramínico (NeuGc), por ser agentes que participan en actividades fisiológicas o en procesos patológicos cada vez más investigados en seres humanos. Dichos ácidos forman parte de los glicoconjugados. Los glicoconjugados son moléculas resultantes de la unión fuerte, covalente, entre glúcidos y proteínas o entre glúcidos y lípidos. La desregulación de la actividad de enzimas que catalizan procesos metabólicos vinculados a los glicoconjugados produce anomalías en la estructura química de estos compuestos que impiden el desarrollo normal de la correspondiente función biológica. Tales anomalías pueden afectar a las rutas biosintéticas (desórdenes congénitos de glicosilación) o a las rutas catabólicas (anomalías por almacenamiento causadas por enzimas lisosómicas). Por fortuna, actualmente se dispone de agentes que son glicoconjugados o están relacionados con ellos que facilitan la prevención o la curación de enfermedades como la gripe, el SIDA, el cáncer, etc. Últimamente se ha intensificado la investigación con finalidad terapéutica mediante nuevos enfoques inmunológicos o genéticos relativos a los glicoconjugados, según se indica en este artículo

El virus de la gripe aviar: nuevos aspectos relativos a su patogenicidad y a estrategias para combatirlo

Since Taubenberger´s team recreated each of the genes of influenza virus that caused the terrible pandemic of 1918-19 using the technique called reverse genetics and checked the infectious capacity of the newborn virus, it seems that its high pathogenicity may be due to disregulation of the innate immune mechanisms normally performed by the cytokines of host cell. Furthermore, the H5N1 subtype of avian influenza, which also causes a similar dysfunction, has higher pathogenicity than that of 1918-19 influenza virus. Assays to prevent the mild, moderate or severe risks of an eventual future pandemic affecting humans caused by the H5N1 subtype are now being carried out by preparing new vaccines and neuraminidase (= sialidase) inhibitors such as oseltamivir and zanamivir, as well as other agents that block the function of several components of the virus. Recently, has been debated whether it would be convenient to use modulators of the immune system, such as statins, against the secondary effects of the viral infection caused by the disregulation mechanisms of cytokines, to reinforce the above therapeutic measures. The low cost of statins offers additional justification for their use.Reconstruido por ingeniería genética el virus que causó la terrible pandemia de gripe de 1918-19 y comprobada su capacidad de infección, se ha deducido que la gran patogenicidad del mismo puede deberse a una desregulación de los mecanismos inmunitarios que ejercen normalmente citocinas de las células hospedadoras. Asimismo, el subtipo H5N1 del virus de la gripe aviar, por una desregulación análoga, posee una patogenicidad que es aún mayor que la del subtipo de virus de la gripe de 1918-19. Intentos para prevenir los riesgos (leves, moderados o muy graves) de la esperada pandemia que produciría en humanos el subtipo H5N1 -u otros subtipos peligrosos que puedan surgir- se están efectuando con la preparación de nuevas vacunas, así como mediante la interrupción del ciclo biológico del virus con inhibidores de la enzima vírica neuraminidasa (= sialidasa), tales como el oseltamivir y el zanamivir, o con diversos agentes que bloquean el funcionamiento de otros componentes de dicho virus. Últimamente, se está analizando si es o no conveniente tratar de reforzar estas medidas con el uso de moduladores de ciertas citocinas, tales como algunas estatinas u otros compuestos de acción e índole varias, cuyo reducido coste -por pertenecer al grupo de los “genéricos”- constituye un aliciente adicional