Encouraging Undergraduate Marketing Students to Reflect on Critical Thinking and the Digital Gender Divide

In today’s society where there is an abundance of accessible, complex, and often false information, critical thinking (CT) is an essential skill so that citizens in general and students in particular can make complex decisions based on scientific evidence, rather than on prejudices, biases, and pre-established beliefs. In this context, the purpose of this study is to discover whether Active Learning (AL) methodology, using different technologies, contributes to improving the CT of the student body, applying it to the Digital Gender Divide (DGD). Three questionnaires were used to collect information, using both a quantitative and a qualitative approach. Open-ended questions are included for fuller answers, which are complemented by content analysis of the recordings and virtual presentations made. The results show that the AL methodology favours the development of CT in the DGD in a remarkable way. Likewise, the various technologies implemented in the methodology (e.g., the Google Applications Site, online round table discussions, role-plays, virtual presentations, and forms) are relevant to improving CT in DGD. It concludes by recommending the implementation of AL with CT as in the one carried out, to help prepare better professionals and raise awareness of how to reduce the DGD

Lope in Manhattan : Hyperreality, Space, and Violence in Julián Mesri's "Fuenteovejuna"

This analysis of Repertorio Español's 2013 production of Lope de Vega's Fuenteovejuna in New York City focuses on the elements of communication, space, and violence. In director Julián Mesri's staging, modern media or technology at times replace the human messengers of the original text, which has the double effect of distancing the audience emotionally from the events reported while calling attention to the mediums themselves and their agendas. In this contemporary urban world of simulacra, space seems compressed and violence appears conceptual. Mesri presents Fuenteovejuna as a Baudrillardian hyperreality, in which representations eclipse "reality." In doing so, however, he does not so much alter Lope's original as highlight, with modern touches, a dynamic that pervades the original play, Lope's corpus, and much of Spanish Golden Age drama. Mesri's vision may appear strikingly contemporary, yet the mode of representation it foregrounds is classic Lope.Este análisis de una producción de Fuenteovejuna en Nueva York en el año 2013 se enfoca en los elementos de la comunicación, el espacio y la violencia. En el montaje del director Julián Mesri, la tecnología y los medios modernos de comunicación a veces sustituyen a los mensajeros humanos del texto original, lo cual produce el doble efecto de distanciar al público emocionalmente de la noticia contada y de llamar la atención al medio en sí y sus motivos ulteriores. En este mundo urbano y contemporáneo estructurado a base de las simulaciones, los espacios quedan reducidos y la violencia parece conceptual. Si bien Mesri presenta al pueblo de Fuenteovejuna como una hiperrealidad baudrillardiana en que la representación eclipsa la realidad, su montaje no distorsiona el original de Lope, sino que pone de relieve, con toques modernos, una dinámica ya manifiesta en la obra, el corpus de Lope y buena parte del teatro aurisecular. Por más que la visión de Mesri parezca asombrosamente contemporánea, el modo de representación que destaca es, literalmente, "de Lope"

Signos radiológicos y ecográficos asociados al síndrome de hiperadrenocorticismo en perros

Aunque el diagnostico de hiperadrenocorticalismo se confirma habitualmente por test endocrinos, radiologia y ecografia aportan datos en los pacientes que permiten realizar una valoracion clinica mas concreta. Este articulo revisa los cambios radiográficos y ecográficos que pueden aparecer en perros con hiperadrenocorticalismo

Intra and inter-annual variation of functional structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean temporary ponds

Temporal variation of the functional structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean temporary ponds has been studied in Sardinia (Italy). Sixteen small and shallow ponds (less than 2 ha and less than 2 m deep) subject to low human pressure were sampled in different periods

COLONIZATION PROCESS IN NEW CREATION MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL LAGOONS

The colonization process in new creation Mediterranean salt marsh lagoons is influenced by hydrological fluctuations characterised by flooding-confinement periods. This pattern has direct effects on water characteristics (such as nutrient concentration), but it also effects the connectivity structure between lagoons impacting main metacommunity dynamics. Unfortunately, these ecosystems have suffered transformations due to urbanization process that has contributed to its degradation. This is the case of La Pletera salt marshes, located in the NE of Catalonia, in where a recovery and restoration European LIFE project (LIFE13 NAT/ES/001001) that included the restoration of existing lagoons and the creation of new ones has been done. In this study, we analysed the structure of aquatic macrofauna community of these new created lagoons just after its creation and five years after its creation with the aim of assessing the colonization assembly process. Our results showed a fast colonization of the species with active dispersion since they dominated the communities right after lagoon creation (Diptera). In contrast, species with passive dispersion (Gastropoda and Amphipoda) that have a lower dispersive capacity were dominant at the last sampling survey, 5 years after creation. This could be explained by flooding periods that connect all wetland waterbodies favouring the arrival of both, active and passive dispersers. Moreover, we observed an increase in the abundance and biomass of taxa with lower dispersion capacity but without affecting the overall community richness values

Integrated test environment for a part of the LHCb calorimeter - TWEPP09

An integrated test environment for the data acquisition electronics of the Scintillator Pad Detector (SPD) from the calorimeter of the LHCb experiment is presented. It allows to test separately every single board or to perform global system tests, while being able to emulate every part of the system and debug it. This environment is foreseen to test the production of spare electronic boards and help the maintenance of the SPD electronics along the life of the detector. The heart of the system is an Altera Stratix II FPGA while the main board can be controlled over USB, Ethernet or WiFi

Is ecosystem size more important than locality in determining the environmental characteristics of temporary ponds?.

Ecosystem size plays a key role in determining ecosystem functioning, affecting community stability and structure at both trophic and taxonomic levels. However, less is known about the influence of ecosystem size on environmental characteristics; for example, do larger ecosystems have higher nutrient availability? The nature of this relationship is important for gaining a better understanding of whether the effects of ecosystem size on community functioning are direct or indirect. Indirect effects may exist when the environmental characteristics of larger ecosystems are different from those of smaller ones, and thus the different functioning of communities observed along the ecosystem-size gradient may respond to, for instance, different levels of nutrient availability, and not uniquely to different ecosystemsizes. Here,we tested whether the environmental characteristics (i.e., the physical, chemical and biological characteristics) of temporary ponds of various sizes differed. We chose temporary ponds because they are abiotic controlled systems in which abiotic factors have a strong influence on aquatic communities. However, temporary ponds are usually spatially clustered; consequently, pond locality might also be important in determining the environmental characteristics of a pond (i.e., ponds close to one anothermay share similar features).We therefore examined whether pond locality is a more important factor than size in determining the environmental characteristics of a pond. To do so, we sampled environmental characteristics (chlorophyll-A, nutrient concentrations, macrophyte biomass, water temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and total organic and inorganic carbon) of ponds in 5 different localities. A cluster of ponds (10 to 12) was sampled in each locality. Ponds encompassing a wide range of sizes were selected for sampling within each locality. We also performed a meta-Analysis (including data from 27 temporary pond localities) to investigate whether the environmental characteristics of the ponds sampled in this study were representative of Mediterranean temporary ponds, and thus if such characteristics could be used to distinguish between Mediterranean temporary ponds from temporary ponds located outside of the Mediterranean region. Our results showed that locality had a strong effect on the environmental characteristics of temporary ponds, whereas size had only a weak influence; only chlorophyll-A and pond depth showed a robust relationship with size, as both increased with pond size independently of locality. Moreover, our results suggest that the typology of the temporary pond (i.e., if they were mountain temporary ponds, salt marsh ponds or lowland ponds) had a larger influence on several environmental characteristics than did regional location (i.e., Mediterranean). El tamaño de los sistemas juega un papel clave en el funcionamiento de los mismos, afectando la estabilidad de las comunidades y su estructura, tanto a nivel funcional como taxonómico. Sin embargo poco se conoce de la relación del tamaño del sistema sobre las características ambientales. Por ejemplo, ¿tienen los ecosistemas de mayor tamaño una mayor disponibilidad de nutrientes? Esta relación es relevante para entender si el efecto del tamaño es directo o indirecto. Efectos indirectos se dan si ecosistemas de mayor tamaño presentan características ambientales distintas a los de menor tamaño. En ese caso, las diferencias observadas en el funcionamiento de las comunidades a lo largo del gradiente de tamaños podrían responder, por ejemplo, a distinta disponibilidad de nutrientes, y no únicamente a la diferencia de tamaño de los sistemas. En este estudio se analiza si lagunas temporales de distinto tamaño tienen distintas características ambientales. Sin embargo, las lagunas temporales suelen encontrarse agrupadas, compartiendo unas mismas características locales (p.e. la geología, paisaje, la altitud, microclima, etc.), que pueden también afectar a sus características ambientales. De ahí que sea necesario considerar el efecto localidad. Este estudio analiza el efecto del tamaño y el de la localidad, sobre las características ambientales de las lagunas temporales (nutrientes y clorofila-a, biomasa de macrófitos, temperatura del agua, conductividad, pH, oxígeno disuelto, y carbono orgánico e inorgánico total). Para ello, se han considerado 5 sistemas de lagunas temporales. En cada sistema (i.e. localidad) se muestrearon entre 10 y 12 lagunas, seleccionadas para obtener el mayor rango de tamaños posible. Para identificar si las características ambientales de las lagunas estudiadas eran representativas de lagunas temporales mediterráneas y si se podían discriminar de las observadas en lagunas temporales fuera de esta región, se ha realizado un meta-análisis (incluyendo 27 grupos de lagunas temporales). Nuestros resultados indican que la localidad es más determinante que el tamaño por lo que a características ambientales se refiere. Sólo la clorofila-a y la profundidad se relacionaron con el tamaño de manera robusta (mostrando la misma relación independientemente de la localidad). Además, algunas de las características ambientales de las lagunas temporales se ven más influenciadas por la tipología de laguna (es decir, si se encuentran en zonas montañosas, de marisma, o en tierras bajas) que por el hecho de que la laguna se encuentre dentro de la región mediterránea

Clostridioides difficile infection in a long-term convalescence hospital: A real tale of pitfalls and outdated therapy

Objective. The aim of the study was to know the char-acteristics and risk factors of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in a long-term hospital is key to improve its manage-ment. Material and methods. Retrospective study with 37 pa-tients, along 43 months. We describe demographic variables, clinical data, time to diagnosis, treatment, and evolution. Results. Analysis of 46 episodes (37 patients, mean age=82.2 years). 77.8% were absolutely dependent, 41.7% had chronic kidney disease, 64.9% had received antibiotics in the previous three months, 40.5% received antibiotics at diagnosis. It was the first episode in 78.4%, and first recurrence in 21.6%. Therapy was started in the first 24 hours after diagnosis in 89.2%, mostly metronidazole. 83.3% recovered, 3 patients died from CDI, diagnosis was registered in the discharge report in 91.1%. Conclusions. Previous antibiotic therapy, high grade of dependency and renal failure were the main risk factors. There is room for improvement in CDI management at our hospital. Objective. The aim of the study was to know the characteristics and risk factors of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in a long-term hospital is key to improve its management. Material and methods. Retrospective study with 37 patients, along 43 months. We describe demographic variables, clinical data, time to diagnosis, treatment, and evolution. Results. Analysis of 46 episodes (37 patients, mean age=82.2 years). 77.8% were absolutely dependent, 41.7% had chronic kidney disease, 64.9% had received antibiotics in the previous three months, 40.5% received antibiotics at diagnosis. It was the first episode in 78.4%, and first recurrence in 21.6%. Therapy was started in the first 24 hours after diagnosis in 89.2%, mostly metronidazole. 83.3% recovered, 3 patients died from CDI, diagnosis was registered in the discharge report in 91.1%. Conclusions. Previous antibiotic therapy, high grade of dependency and renal failure were the main risk factors. There is room for improvement in CDI management at our hospital