A model for predicting dropouts from physical activity interventions in leisure centres

[Abstract]: Leisure centres are one of the main places where people exercise. This study investigated the behaviour of these users for a year to analyse the plausible difference in behaviour between users dropping out and those who do not. In addition, it is also intended to identify the behavioural variables to establish the probability of dropping out from a leisure centre. Monthly data related to the current behaviour of 14,522 adult members of three different leisure centres in Spain (one from Tudela, two from Zaragoza) were recorded from January to December of 2014 by the management software. A logistic regression model was implemented to predict dropping outs considering the different variables that explained the behaviour of the users (dropping out or not)

Audio subtitling : voicing strategies and their effect on film enjoyment

Media Accessibility, understood as a branch of Audiovisual Translation studies devoted to the study of access services to media, has experienced a growth in research in recent years. Even if some of the techniques in this field have produced a great number of works, others are still underresearched. This article reports on a pilot study carried out within the NEA Project1. The aim of the study is to compare different AST delivery styles in an experiment during which data will be gathered through subjective and objective measures. This article reports on the results of a pilot study in which the research procedure was set up and tested. Our main findings show that both subjective and objective assessment methods are valid to evaluate emotional experience induced by film

A prediction model of retention in a Spanish fitness centre

[Abstract]: Studies on customer loyalty commonly use future behavioural intentions, even though these do not always correspond to actual behaviour. This study aimed to create a model for predicting dropouts at a sport centre based solely on actual customer behaviour. Monthly data corresponding to the actual behaviour of 1977 members at a sport centre in Spain were recorded over the course of one year; these data represented the historical behaviour of the participants. The variables selected to develop the model have been used by other authors to study behavioural loyalty, although in this study users were not surveyed. A dropout prediction model was created by means of logistic regression based on real and common records in the management of users at sports centres. The predictive model was formed by: age of the subjects, number of attendances to the sport centre and their duration, their link to the centre (length of membership and ex-members) and economic aspects. The model’s goodness of fit was considerably high showing more than 70% of effectiveness. These results suggest that the recording of historical behaviour from sport centres costumers can be a useful tool to predict the chance of dropping out

Total synthesis of entecavir

Entecavir (BMS-200475) was synthesized from 4-trimethylsilyl-3-butyn-2-one and acrolein. The key features of its preparation are: (i) a stereoselective boron-aldol reaction to afford the acyclic carbon skeleton of the methylenecylopentane moiety; (ii) its cyclization by a Cp2TiCl-catalyzed intramolecular radical addition of an epoxide to an alkyne; and (iii) the coupling with a purine derivative by a Mitsunobu reaction

Influence of organic matter transformations on the bioavailability of heavy metals in a sludge based compost

[EN] The agricultural use of anaerobically digested sewage sludge (ADSS) as stable, mature compost implies knowing its total content in heavy metals and their bioavailability. This depends not only on the initial characteristics of the composted substrates but also on the organic matter transformations during composting which may influence the chemical form of the metals and their bioavailability. The objective of this work was to examine the relationships between the changes in the organic matter content and humus fractions, and the bioavailability of heavy metals. A detailed sampling at 0, 14, 84, and 140 days of the composting process was performed to measure C contents in humic acids (HAs), fulvic acids, (FAs) and humin, the total content of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cd, and also their distribution into mobile and mobilisable (MB), and low bioavailability (LB) forms. Significant changes of C contents in HA. FA, and Humin, and in the FA/HA, HA/Humin and C-humus/TOC ratios were observed during composting. The MB and LB fractions of each metal also varied significantly during composting. The MB fraction increased for Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd, and the LB fraction increased for Pb. Stepwise linear regressions and quadratic curve estimation conducted on the MB and LB fractions of each metal as dependent on the measured organic variables suggested that Zn bioavailability was mainly associated to percentage of C in FAs. Bioavailability of Cu, Ni and Cd during composting was associated to humin and HAs. Pb concentration increased in the LB form, and its variations followed a quadratic function with the C-humus/TOC ratio. Our results suggest that the composting process renders the metals in more available forms. The main forms of metal binding in the sludge and their availability in the final compost may be better described when metal fractionation obtained in sequential extraction and humus fractionation during composting are considered together. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This work was part of the Generalitat Valenciana projects IIARCO2004-A-196, IIARCO2004-A-212, and IIARCO/2004/213, and the national project 135/2004/3 (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente). We thank FACSA Sewage Treatment Plant (Castellon, Spain), and University Jaume I of Castellon (Spain) for providing materials and technical assistance. We thank the two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on the manuscript.Ingelmo Sánchez, F.; Molina, MJ.; Soriano Soto, MD.; Gallardo, A.; Lapeña, L. (2012). Influence of organic matter transformations on the bioavailability of heavy metals in a sludge based compost. Journal of Environmental Management. 95(Suplemento):104-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.04.015S10410995Suplement

Electrodermal activity as a measure of emotions in media accessibility research : methodological considerations

This article proposes electrodermal activity (EDA) as a new objective measure for experimental studies in media accessibility. It first presents a theoretical framework in which the concept of emotion and its categorisation are presented. It then explains how EDA can be used to measure emotional reaction: the article reports on experimental design, participant selection, stimuli preparation, data collection devices, experimental procedure and data analysis. It also discusses briefly how EDA can be combined with other measures. Overall, the article provides a general methodological framework for the implementation of electrodermal activity as a measure of emotions in media accessibility researc

Aeromonas spp. and Traveler’s Diarrhea: Clinical Features and Antimicrobial Resistance

Traveler’s diarrhea is the most common health problem of international travelers. We determined the prevalence of Aeromonas spp. associated with traveler’s diarrhea and analyzed the geographic distribution, clinical features, and antimicrobial susceptibility. Aeromonas spp. were isolated as a cause of traveler’s diarrhea in 18 (2%) of 863 patients. A. veronii biotype sobria was isolated in nine patients, A. caviae in seven patients, and A. jandai and A. hydrophila in one patient each. Aeromonas spp. were isolated with a similar prevalence in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Watery and persistent diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps were common complaints. All strains were resistant to ampicillin; showed variable resistance to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and cotrimoxazole; and were susceptible to cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid. The persistence of symptoms made antimicrobial treatment necessary