Managing Potable Water in Southeastern Spain, Los Angeles, and Sydney: Transcontinental Approaches to Overcome Water Scarcity

Abstract: Climate change and the increase of population pose challenges to ensuring suitable water supply in water-scarce regions. This work presents a comparative analysis of the water-supply approaches adopted in Los Angeles, Southeastern Spain, and Sydney. Results show a decrease in per-capita water use in the period 2000–2020, which reflects an improvement in water conservation. Social factors in the domain of hydropolitics and economic efficiency explain the divergence of water policies adopted. The adaptation to water scarcity and growing population in three regions of developed countries located in different continents sheds light on challenges facing the achievement of water security worldwide

El suministro hídrico al área metropolitana de Los Ángeles, California (EEUU)

La gran presión demográfica y un clima de rasgos semiáridos hacen que la disponibilidad de agua en el sur de California sea reducida. Diversos trasvases se han realizado con el objetivo de abastecer de agua a la aglomeración urbana de Los Ángeles. Recientemente, nuevas técnicas de desalación y reciclaje de aguas residuales son tomadas en consideración. El artículo realiza un recorrido histórico del suministro de agua a esta región y presenta un resumen de la situación actual

The inventories of the possessions of Amato Lusitano, Francisco Barbosa and Joseph Molcho fleeing the Inquisition in Ancona (1555)

Os autos-de-fé de Ancona, entre Abril e Junho de 1556, durante o pontificado de Paulo IV, constituíram um dos episódios mais trágicos da diáspora sefardita na Península Itálica, no qual foram martirizados cerca de três dezenas de judeus portugueses. Os comissários papais começaram por apreender, inventariar e avaliar os bens de inúmeros membros da comunidade judaico-portuguesa, entre os meses de Agosto e Novembro de 1555, pouco depois da ascensão do cardeal Carafa ao sólio pontifício. Entre aqueles que viram os seus bens arrolados (subsistem 48 inventários), encontram-se dois reputados médicos, Amato Lusitano e Francisco Barbosa, e um boticário, Joseph Molcho, um dos mártires dos autos-de-fé. Este trabalho pretende fazer a contextualização destes acontecimentos, centrada na situação particular vivida por estas três figuras da Nação Portuguesa, bem como proceder ao estudo circunstanciado dos inventários dos seus bens. Raros testemunhos documentais dos ambientes domésticos e profissionais construídos por estas figuras da comunidade judaico-portuguesa, permitem estes inventários um conhecimento intimista e um acesso privilegiado, mesmo que mera aproximação, às suas actividades e personalidades, pelo tipo de objectos que escolheram ou puderam reunir em torno de si ou dos seus núcleos familiares.The autos-de- fé which took place in Ancona, between April and June 1556, during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI, stand out as one of the most tragic episodes of the Sephardic Diaspora in the Italic Peninsula in which about three dozens of Portuguese Jews were slaughtered. The papal commissioners began by confiscating and drawing up an inventory and estimating the possessions of numerous members of the Jewish-Portuguese community, between August and November 1555, shortly after cardinal Carafa ascended to the pontifical solium. Among those whose possessions have been listed (there are 48 extant inventories) one finds the names of two prominent physicians, Amato Lusitano and Francisco Barbosa, and that of an apothecary, Joseph Molcho, one of the martyrs of the autos-de-fé. This study seeks to contextualize these events by focusing on the particular situation experienced by these three personalities of the Portuguese Nation, as well as to provide a thorough analysis of the inventories of their possessions. These inventories, which represent exceptional testimonies of the home and professional environments of these figures of the Jewish-Portuguese community, allow an intimate knowledge and a privileged access, even if by approximation, to their activities and personalities, through the type of objects they have chosen or were able to be surrounded by. Keywords: Amato Lusitano; Francisco Barbosa; Joseph Molcho; Portuguese Nation; Ancona; Inquisition; Inventories.Los autos de fe de Ancona que tuvieron lugar entre abril y junio del 1556, durante el pontificado de Pablo IV, supusieron uno de los episodios más trágicos de la diáspora sefardí en la Península Itálica; unos treinta judíos portugueses sufrieron en ellos martirio. Los comisarios papales empezaron por la aprehensión, inventario y evaluación de los bienes de numerosos miembros de la comunidad judía portuguesa entre los meses de agosto y noviembre de 1555, poco después de la ascensión del cardenal Carafa al solio pontificio. Entre los que tuvieron inscritos sus bienes (se conservan 48 inventarios) se encuentran dos prestigiosos médicos, Amato Lusitano y Francisco Barbosa, y un boticario, Joseph Molcho, uno de los mártires de los autos de fe. Este trabajo tiene por objetivo contextualizar estos acontecimientos centrándose en la situación particular vivida por estas tres figuras de la Nación Portuguesa, así como proceder al estudio detallado de los inventarios de sus bienes. Estos inventarios, raros testimonios documentales de los ambientes domésticos y profesionales creados por estas figuras de la comunidad judía portuguesa, permiten un acceso privilegiado (aun que simple aproximación) a sus actividades y personalidades, y por ello un íntimo conocimiento de ellas, a través del tipo de objetos que escogieron o pudieron reunir en su entorno o en el de sus núcleos familiares. Palabras clave: Amato Lusitano; Francisco Barbosa; Joseph Molcho; Nación Portuguesa; Ancona; Inquisición; Inventarios.Les autodafés d’Ancône, réalisés entre avril et juin 1556, pendant le pontificat de Paul IV, ont été un des épisodes les plus tragiques de la diaspora sephardite en péninsule italienne, puisqu’environ trois dizaines de juifs portugais y ont été martyrisés. Entre les mois d’août et de novembre 1555, peu de temps après l’ascension au pouvoir papal du cardinal Carafa, les commissaires papaux ont commencé par saisir, inventorier et évaluer les biens d’innombrables membres de la communauté judéo-chrétienne. Deux médecins réputés se trouvent parmi ceux qui ont vu leurs biens être saisis (il reste 48 inventaires), Amato Lusitano et Francisco Barbosa, et un apothicaire, Joseph Molcho, un des martyres des autodafés. Dans ce travail nous procédons à une contextualisation de ces événements, celle-ci étant essentiellement centrée sur la situation particulière de ces trois personnalités de la Nation Portugaise, et à l’étude détaillée des inventaires de leurs biens. Rares preuves documentaires écrits de les milieux domestiques et professionels crées par ces hommes appartenant à ca communauté judéo-portugaise, ces inventaires, en fonction du type d’objets choisis, ou ayant été réunis autour de leurs familles, de fournir une connaissance intimiste et de donner un accès privilégié à leurs activités et à leur personnalité. Mots-clé: Amato Lusitano; Francisco Barbosa; Joseph Molcho; Nation Portugaise; Ancône; Inquisition; Inventaires

Sleepwalker : um jogo feito em casa para dispositivos móveis

Tese de mestrado. Multimédia. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

Experiencias y percepciones de los donantes de sangre sobre la donación en un hospital público de Perú

Objetivo: Conocer las experiencias y percepciones de donantes de sangre en un hospital público. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo con orientación fenomenológica en un hospital público de Lima. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a profundidad y notas de campo basadas en observaciones a los participantes. Resultados: Se entrevistó a doce donantes, los cuales manifestaron no haber tenido mucha información sobre la donación y el banco de sangre. Sin embargo, luego de su experiencia de donar se identificó aspectos positivos como la atención de calidad, rápida y minuciosa. Los participantes valoran el trato cordial del personal a la hora de brindar información, el reducido tiempo de espera y la compañía durante el proceso de extracción de la sangre. Los aspectos negativos fueron la falta de publicidad y difusión de la donación voluntaria de sangre. A pesar de ello la mayoría de entrevistados manifestaron su intención de retornar debido a la calidad del servicio. En resumen, la percepción de los participantes fue favorable a la donación, al recibir una atención de calidad, con información oportuna en el tiempo adecuado. Conclusiones: Los entrevistados no tenían mayor información sobre la posibilidad de hacer donaciones voluntarias de sangre en el hospital. Posterior a su experiencia, la percepción sobre la donación fue favorable, indicando su intención de participar en futuras donaciones

El diseño : su historia y sus fuentes

1 archivo PDF (200 páginas)En este libro se pretende generar conocimiento a través de las fuentes para el estudio de la historia del diseño. A lo largo de sus apartados, el texto nos da una visión de la historia del diseño desde distintas perspectivas

Educating Professionals to Develop Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as Infrastructure for Water Pollution Control: A Course Proposal

[EN] The objective of this study was to design a university-level course focused on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for water pollution control. The work unfolded in three phases: the initial planning, course delivery, and assessment of learning outcomes. In the planning phase, a set of competencies was outlined using the Developing a Curriculum Method (DACUM), resulting in defined learning outcomes and a structured course outline. Subsequently, the course was conducted over a two-week period, employing a hybrid format including both online and in-person sessions. The assessments of the learning outcomes included one test, an assignment, a satisfaction survey, and the post-course feedback. As a result of the planning phase, four competencies, seven learning outcomes and four course units were defined. The participant cohort encompassed a diverse group of 50 individuals, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, professionals working in industry and institutions, and professors. The assessment of the learning outcomes showed good results. However, issues regarding the mathematical calculations and field-trip experience were noted, suggesting areas for course enhancement. The participants expressed high satisfaction levels across the various course components. Notably, 70% of the participants indicated the application of the acquired knowledge in their professional endeavors. These findings underscore the successful implementation of the course, establishing it as a pioneering university-level program in NBS for water pollution control.This research was funded by the AGENCIA NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO (ANID) (CHILE), with the grant number ANID/FOVI220019, and the Centre for Development Cooperation (CCD), Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain), with grants from the ADSIDEO Program 2022, VENTUS Scholarship 2023, and Meridies Program 2023. The APC was funded by the VRIP/Universidad Catolica del Maule and ADSIDEO Program 2022/Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.Vera-Puerto, I.; Valdés, H.; Laurens-Arredondo, L.; López-Cortés, X.; Quiroz, M.; Hernández Crespo, C.; Belmonte, M.... (2024). Educating Professionals to Develop Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as Infrastructure for Water Pollution Control: A Course Proposal. Sustainability. 16(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167199161

Prevalence estimation of significant fibrosis because of NASH in Spain combining transient elastography and histology

Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICBackground & Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health problem, but the prevalence of fibrosis associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is largely unknown in the general population. This study aimed to provide an updated estimation of the prevalence of NASH fibrosis in Spain. Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study with merged data from two Spanish datasets: a large (N = 12 246) population-based cohort (ETHON), including transient elastography (TE) data, and a contemporary multi-centric biopsy-proven NASH cohort with paired TE data from tertiary centres (N = 501). Prevalence for each NASH fibrosis stage was estimated by crossing TE data from ETHON dataset with histology data from the biopsy-proven cohort. Results: From the patients with valid TE in ETHON dataset (N = 11 440), 5.61% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.53-11.97) had a liver stiffness measurement (LSM) ≥ 8 kPa. The proportion attributable to NAFLD (using clinical variables and Controlled Attenuation Parameter) was 57.3% and thus, the estimated prevalence of population with LSM ≥ 8 kPa because of NAFLD was 3.21% (95% CI 1.13-8.75). In the biopsy-proven NASH cohort, 389 patients had LSM ≥ 8 kPa. Among these, 37% did not have significant fibrosis (F2-4). The estimated prevalence of NASH F2-3 and cirrhosis in Spain's adult population were 1.33% (95% CI 0.29-5.98) and 0.70% (95% CI 0.10-4.95) respectively. Conclusions: These estimations provide an accurate picture of the current prevalence of NASH-related fibrosis in Spain and can serve as reference point for dimensioning the therapeutic efforts that will be required as NASH therapies become available

Climate, conflict and forced migration

Despite the lack of robust empirical evidence, a growing number of media reports attempt to link climate change to the ongoing violent conflicts in Syria and other parts of the world, as well as to the migration crisis in Europe. Exploiting bilateral data on asylum seeking applications for 157 countries over the period 2006–2015, we assess the determinants of refugee flows using a gravity model which accounts for endogenous selection in order to examine the causal link between climate, conflict and forced migration. Our results indicate that climatic conditions, by affecting drought severity and the likelihood of armed conflict, played a significant role as an explanatory factor for asylum seeking in the period 2011–2015. The effect of climate on conflict occurrence is particularly relevant for countries in Western Asia in the period 2010–2012 during when many countries were undergoing political transformation. This finding suggests that the impact of climate on conflict and asylum seeking flows is limited to specific time period and contexts

Hepatitis D double reflex testing of all hepatitis B carriers in low-HBV- and high-HBV/HDV-prevalence countries

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, and mortality compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) monoinfection. Reliable estimates of the prevalence of HDV infection and disease burden are essential to formulate strategies to find coinfected individuals more effectively and efficiently. The global prevalence of HBV infections was estimated to be 262,240,000 in 2021. Only 1,994,000 of the HBV infections were newly diagnosed in 2021, with more than half of the new diagnoses made in China. Our initial estimates indicated a much lower prevalence of HDV antibody (anti-HDV) and HDV RNA positivity than previously reported in published studies. Accurate estimates of HDV prevalence are needed. The most effective method to generate estimates of the prevalence of anti-HDV and HDV RNA positivity and to find undiagnosed individuals at the national level is to implement double reflex testing. This requires anti-HDV testing of all hepatitis B surface antigen-positive individuals and HDV RNA testing of all anti-HDV-positive individuals. This strategy is manageable for healthcare systems since the number of newly diagnosed HBV cases is low. At the global level, a comprehensive HDV screening strategy would require only 1,994,000 HDV antibody tests and less than 89,000 HDV PCR tests. Double reflex testing is the preferred strategy in countries with a low prevalence of HBV and those with a high prevalence of both HBV and HDV. For example, in the European Union and North America only 35,000 and 22,000 cases, respectively, will require anti-HDV testing annually