Technical Versus Institutional Innovation in Andalusian Olive Tree Orchards: An Adoption Modelling Analysis

A survey carried out among olive tree growers in different districts of southern Spain allows the identification and analysis of factors related with adoption of several technical and institutional innovations. At that respect, a composite numerical index has been performed including all innovations considered, among then the following: changes in orchard structure, non or reduced tillage, use of tree vibrators for harvesting, non conventional methods for fighting pests and diseases, keeping an accounting systems, annual farm planning, level of information and awareness of the European CMO in relation to olive oils, etc. Structural and managerial variables of the orchard and personal characteristics of the grower, related to the composite innovation index, have been identified. In a second step, two similar separate analysis have been made for both technical and institutional innovations, and several conclusions have, finally, been drawn concerning factors that should enhance both types of innovations adoption in Spanish olive orchards.Innovation adoption, institutional and technological innovations, olive tree growers, Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Social ex-post evaluation of local development programs: application of a contingent valuation approach to the Guadix-Marquesado LEADER area (Spain)

As part of the evaluation of the activity of a district’s local development group (LAG), valuation by local society could be a potential element of interest. In this paper we present a social valuation of the LAG activity in the Guadix-Marquesado district (south-eastern Spain), where the contingent valuation method is one of the analytical elements used. A number of results show how the LAG has now become part the institutional network closest to local society, which values the increased welfare that its activity generates slightly more than its actual annual operating expenses. This somehow socially legitimizes the public funding it receives. Other results pertaining to change perception, familiarity with LAG activities and the scalar valuation of its social impact are also included.Social evaluation, Rural development, Contingent valuation method, Willingness to pay., Agricultural and Food Policy, O43, R11,

Food Labeling Use and Differentiated Consumers Behavior: A Survey Analysis in Spanish Food Market

Research on consumer’s use of food labels have been heavily increasing in the last 20 years from some pioneering works in the eighties. Different analytical approaches to the subject may be identified in the scientific literature, among them, the analysis of the use of different types of information often labeled in food markets, and its relationship with some consumer characteristics. The paper fall into the scope of this type of approach. From a survey to 1500 Spanish consumers, stratified by regions (zone) and type of habitat (rural, urban and metropolitan), a composite index, made by aggregating reading frequencies of nine different types of information (calories, ingredients, expiry date, nutritional composition, etc.) has been calculated, and both an OLS and a ordered multinomial Probit models have been estimated trying to find out the relationship between the intensity of using food labels and some characteristics and features of consumers. From this analysis some conclusions have, finally, been drawn.food labels, aggregate use index, consumer behavior, Consumer/Household Economics,

Methodology for automated generation of multiple choice questions in self assessment

Current trends in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) are moving towards the continuous evaluation of the students in substitution of the traditional evaluation based on a single test or exam. This fact and the increase in the number of students during last years in Engineering Schools, requires to modify evaluation procedures making them compatible with the educational and research activities. This work presents a methodology for the automatic generation of questions. These questions can be used as self assessment questions by the student and/or as queries by the teacher. The proposed approach is based on the utilization of parametric questions, formulated as multiple choice questions and generated and supported by the utilization of common programs of data sheets and word processors. Through this approach, every teacher can apply the proposed methodology without the use of programs or tools different from those normally used in his/her daily activit

A combinatorial toolbox to explore the usage of sesquiterpene synthases: structure - function studies, substrate promiscuity and directed evolution

Terpenoids have a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, perfume, pigment and biofuel industries. The generation of novel terpenoids and increased understanding of the mechanisms of their formation would be of great value in both academic and industrial settings. Terpene synthases catalyse the metal-dependent conversion of linear isoprenyl diphosphates into a myriad of cyclic or acyclic structures through a series of complex reaction cascades involving high-energy carbocationic intermediates. The final intermediate is quenched through proton loss or nucleophilic attack of water to generate pure hydrocarbon or alcohol compounds. The ability of terpene synthases to generate hydroxylated products through regio- and stereoselective ‘water capture’ represents a potential short-cut to the manufacture of oxidised terpenes, which is yet to be fully explored. The first part of this project focused on two sesquiterpene synthases, (-)-germacradien-4-ol synthase (GdolS) and (+)-epicubenol synthase, which catalyse water quench to generate hydroxylated products. These enzymes were characterised, and their water management mechanisms explored through the use of site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) and product formation analysis of the obtained mutants. This work has revealed a delicate structural task for A176 in GdolS that governs product selection, among other studies. The second part of this project describes the synthesis of substrate analogues for their use with a selection of sesquiterpene synthases. These analogues were designed to intercept reaction pathways or trap alternative products. The insertion of a C6-fluorine atom can electronically influence the neighbouring carbocation after 1,6-cyclisation. C6-methyl group incorporation affect the enzyme-substrate complex geometry through steric effected and conformational changes. The absence of a methyl group at C7 gives novel insights into the requirement needed for catalysis in sesquiterpene synthases because it is a potentially more flexible substrate and reduces the stability of the forming carbocation intermediate after 1,6-cyclisation. Thiirane analogues were also synthesised to explore their acceptance by the sesquiterpene synthases. The last section describes the developmental work for a directed evolution approach to increase the catalytic performance of sesquiterpene synthases. This method combines the use of error-prone PCR to diversify the sesquiterpene synthases encoding genes and a colorimetric assay to screen sesquiterpene synthase activities

Small vessel microembolization and acute glomerulonephritis following infection of aesthetic filler implants

Background: The systemic consequences of esthetic filler injections are poorly understood. Case presentation: We report a patient with a past history of subcutaneous injection of aesthetic filler material in the lower legs, who presented with post-infectious glomerulonephritis following necrotic leg ulcers at the injection site. Kidney biopsy revealed the presence of translucent, non-birefringent microspherical bodies compatible with polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) microspheres in some capillary lumens. This had not previously been described. PMMA is a biphasic aesthetical filler composed of polymethylmetacrylate microspheres suspended in a biodegradable bovine collagen carrier. The solid phase (PMMA microspheres) persists in tissues for years. Although PMMA was thought to not disseminate systemically, tissue necrosis may have favored systemic dissemination of the microspheres, although entry in the circulation and microembolization at the time of administration cannot be ruled out. Conclusions: In conclusion, aesthetic filler implants may cause microembolization into small vessels. Recognition of the characteristic morphology may expedite diagnosis and avoid unnecessary further testing.AO and CMC were supported by ISCIII and FEDER funds PI13/00047, REDinREN RD012/0021, Comunidad de Madrid CIFRA S2010/BMD-2378 and Programa Intensificación Actividad Investigadora. BFF by ISCIII Joan Rodes

Correlations between atazanavir Ctrough and hyperbilirubinemia: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Hyperbilirubinemia is a common side effect of the antiretroviral agent atazanavir but is generally reversible upon discontinuation of treatment. We used therapeutic drug monitoring to investigate the occurrence of hyperbilirubinemia in a 49-year-old Hispanic man infected with HIV, following an overdose of ritonavir in ritonavir-boosted atazanavir therapy.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 49-year-old Hispanic man with HIV who had received several highly active antiretroviral therapy regimens over a number of years including atazanavir-containing regimens, was diagnosed with hyperbilirubinemia. An inappropriate doubling of ritonavir boosting resulted in a high atazanavir C_troughand an initial rise in bilirubin plasma levels. Bilirubin levels later decreased, probably as a consequence of enzyme induction, while atazanavir plasma concentrations remained elevated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This article describes an occurrence of hyperbilirubinemia in a man infected with HIV and supports the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring in investigations of hyperbilirubinemia among patients receiving antiretroviral agents. That the patient tolerated exceptionally high atazanavir levels further strengthens the tolerability profile of this drug.</p

TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ONSHORE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY IN TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

The expansion of renewable energy has not changed, nor the fundamentals which they are ruled with, and their share in world electricity generation reached almost 27% in 2019; currently, solar PV and onshore wind are already the cheapest way to incorporate new electricity generating plants in most countries. Disruptions to the renewable energy supply chain, caused by the COVID-19 crisis, slowed the progress of any project globally during the first six months of 2020, however, plants construction and manufacturing activity intensified again starting in the second half of the year and logistical challenges were mostly resolved with the easing of cross-border restrictions. The purpose of this article is to carry out an analysis of the development of the energy market of the second renewable source with the highest installed capacity in Mexico and the first with highest installed capacity in Tamaulipas: onshore wind and its trends that predominate globally

HIFI spectroscopy of low-level water transitions in M82

We present observations of the rotational ortho-water ground transition, the two lowest para-water transitions, and the ground transition of ionised ortho-water in the archetypal starburst galaxy M82, performed with the HIFI instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory. These observations are the first detections of the para-H2O(111-000) (1113\,GHz) and ortho-H2O+(111-000) (1115\,GHz) lines in an extragalactic source. All three water lines show different spectral line profiles, underlining the need for high spectral resolution in interpreting line formation processes. Using the line shape of the para-H2O(111-000) and ortho-H2O+(111-000) absorption profile in conjunction with high spatial resolution CO observations, we show that the (ionised) water absorption arises from a ~2000 pc^2 region within the HIFI beam located about ~50 pc east of the dynamical centre of the galaxy. This region does not coincide with any of the known line emission peaks that have been identified in other molecular tracers, with the exception of HCO. Our data suggest that water and ionised water within this region have high (up to 75%) area-covering factors of the underlying continuum. This indicates that water is not associated with small, dense cores within the ISM of M82 but arises from a more widespread diffuse gas component.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Revisión bibliográfica: detección temprana del Cáncer de cuello uterino

El cáncer de cuello uterino es una de las principales neoplasias que afectan a la población femenina generando devastadoras repercusiones en su salud llevando no solamente al impacto psico social de la mujer que padece la enfermedad sino también costándole la vida en estadios avanzados de la misma, su principal agente etiológico ya identificado hace muchos años atrás es el virus del papiloma humano en su variante 16 y 18, e el mismo que gracias al esfuerzo de la humanidad ha desarrollado una vacuna que permite que aquella mujer que ha accedido a inocularse con esta evite las formas más agresivas de la enfermedad. Por estas razones la prevención y la promoción de la salud en torno a esta patología sigue siendo la principal herramienta diagnóstica que tenemos los profesionales de la salud, en este artículo presentamos la bibliografía más importante recabada con la finalidad de definir con certeza las principales herramientas preventivas para el desarrollo de esta enfermedad