Socio-Cultural Differences in Social Exclusion

Received 28 April 2018. Accepted 30 May 2018. Published online 1 July 2018.The main object of this research is to describe social exclusion in a comparative world perspective. Social exclusion is a main concern worldwide. Non-desirable social groups as neighbours are used as a proxy measure to answer three questions: who are the most excluded social groups, who are the excluders, and what are the main explanatory variables of social exclusion. Social exclusion, as a multidimensional phenomenon, is defined in relation to concepts such as stigma, discrimination, and prejudice. Social, economic, political and ideological-religious attitudes are used to construct the profile of the excluder. Social exclusion has been measured through three indexes of social exclusion, personal, group and total exclusion, since a main component analysis demonstrated that the degree of social exclusion varied depending on whether the excluded group was more or less based on personal decisions on one’s behaviour taken by the individual. Based on theory and previous research, four main variables have been tested to explain social exclusion: social position, exposure to information, post-materialist values and perception of security. But other explanatory variables were also added to the analysis. EVS and WVS databases (from 1981 to 2014) have been used, though most of the analysis has been based on the last WVS- 6th wave on 59 countries with a total of more than 85,000 interviews

L’assentament humà des de la prehistòria fins al baix Imperi

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Association between preoperative levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and hospital-acquired infections after hepatobiliary surgery: A prospective study in a third-level hospital

Introduction Evidence implicates vitamin D deficiency in poorer outcomes and increased susceptibility to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). This study examined the association between serum vitamin D levels and HAIs in a population of hepatobiliary surgery patients. Methods Participants in this prospective analytical observational study were patients who underwent hepatobiliary surgery in a tertiary hospital in Aragon, Spain, between February 2018 and March 2019. Vitamin D concentrations were measured at admission and all nosocomial infections during hospitalization and after discharge were recorded. Results The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of the study population (n = 301) was 38.56 nmol/L, which corresponds to vitamin D deficiency. Higher vitamin D concentrations were associated with a decreased likelihood of developing a HAI in general (p = 0.014), and in particularly surgical site infection (p = 0.026). The risk of HAI decreased by 34% with each 26.2-nmol/L increase in serum vitamin D levels. Conclusions Vitamin D levels may constitute a modifiable risk factor for postoperative nosocomial infections in hepatobiliary surgery patients

Composition of marsupial zona pellucida: a molecular and phylogenetic approach

©2017. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Reproduction, Fertility and Development. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1071/RD16519The zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular matrix that surrounds mammalian oocytes. In eutherians it is formed from three or four proteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, ZP4). In the few marsupials that have been studied, however, only three of these have been characterised (ZP2, ZP3, ZP4). Nevertheless, the composition in marsupials may be more complex, since a duplication of the ZP3 gene was recently described in one species. The aim of this work was to elucidate the ZP composition in marsupials and relate it to the evolution of the ZP gene family. For that, an in silico and molecular analysis was undertaken, focusing on two South American species (gray short-tailed opossum and common opossum) and five Australian species (brushtail possum, koala, Bennett’s wallaby, Tammar wallaby and Tasmanian devil). This analysis identified the presence of ZP1 mRNA and mRNA from two or three paralogues of ZP3 in marsupials. Furthermore, evidence for ZP1 and ZP4 pseudogenes in the South American subfamily Didelphinae and for ZP3 pseudogenes in two marsupials is provided. In conclusion, two different composition models are proposed for marsupials: a model with four proteins (ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3 (two copies)) for the South American species and a model with six proteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 (three copies) and ZP4) for the Australasian specie

The effect of refeeding after starvation on the growth of sharpsnout seabream Diplodus puntazzo (Cetti, 1777)

Compensatory growth is rapid growth induced by hyperphagic behaviour after starvation. The present paper studies this phenomenon in sharpsnout seabream Diplodus puntazzo (Cetti, 1777). We used control groups (LC) feeding ad libitum and starvation-refeeding ad libitum groups (AR). AR growth was double that of LC after the refeeding period, and food intake was also higher. Although AR did not reach LC final weight, condition index K was achieved. These results suggest the need to test this hypothesis over longer starvation and refeeding periods which could lead to hyperphagic behavior.El crecimiento compensatorio se define como un crecimiento rápido provocado por un comportamiento hiperfágico después de un periodo de ayuno. El objetivo del trabajo es poner de manifiesto la existencia de estos fenómenos en Diplodus puntazzo (Cetti, 1777). Para ello se mantuvieron lotes de control alimentados a saciedad (LC) y lotes en ayuno y realimentados posteriormente a saciedad (AR). Se comprobó que la tasa de crecimiento se duplicó en el periodo de realimentación para los lotes AR con respecto a los lotes LC, siendo mayor, también, la tasa de alimentación de los lotes AR; sin embargo, estos lotes no alcanzan el peso de los lotes control, aunque sí recuperaron el factor de condición (K). Estos resultados sugieren la necesidad de comprobar este comportamiento para periodos de ayuno más prolongados que pudieran provocar una mayor respuesta hiperfágica.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Proxima Centauri b is not a transiting exoplanet

We report Spitzer Space Telescope observations during predicted transits of the exoplanet Proxima Centauri b. As the nearest terrestrial habitable-zone planet we will ever discover, any potential transit of Proxima b would place strong constraints on its radius, bulk density, and atmosphere. Subsequent transmission spectroscopy and secondary-eclipse measurements could then probe the atmospheric chemistry, physical processes, and orbit, including a search for biosignatures. However, our photometric results rule out planetary transits at the 200~ppm level at 4.5$~{\mu}m$, yielding a 3$\sigma$ upper radius limit of 0.4~R_\rm{\oplus} (Earth radii). Previous claims of possible transits from optical ground- and space-based photometry were likely correlated noise in the data from Proxima Centauri's frequent flaring. Follow-up observations should focus on planetary radio emission, phase curves, and direct imaging. Our study indicates dramatically reduced stellar activity at near-to-mid infrared wavelengths, compared to the optical. Proxima b is an ideal target for space-based infrared telescopes, if their instruments can be configured to handle Proxima's brightness.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

The Adoption of Mobile Games in China: An Empirical Study

Part 6: Decision Making and Knowledge ManagementInternational audienceMobile games have become very popular in recent years in China. This research aims to investigate the potential factors that influence users’ intention to play mobile games. Through the employment of structural equation modeling technology, a research model by extending technology acceptance model (TAM) with flow experience and social norms was proposed. This research model was empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 388 users about their perceptions of mobile games. Eleven research hypotheses were proposed in the study. Eight research hypotheses were positively significant supported, while three research hypotheses were rejected in this study. The result indicates that attitude and flow experience explain about 75% of uses’ intention to playing mobile games. It was found that social norms do not have direct effect on the intention to play a mobile game. But it affects the attitude directly. In addition, flow experience, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness all have direct effects on users’ attitude toward playing a mobile game, and the effect from flow experience is quite strong. Flow experience plays an important role in the adoption of mobile games according to the analytical results of our study

Infección del sitio quirúrgico en cirugía hepatobiliopancreática y su relación con la concentración sérica de vitamina D

Introducción La relación entre las infecciones nosocomiales en pacientes quirúrgicos y la vitamina D ha sido estudiada por algunos autores. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha no existe ningún estudio realizado sobre pacientes de cirugía hepatobiliar. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es estudiar la infección del sitio quirúrgico (ISQ) en la unidad de cirugía hepatobiliar, y valorar su relación con la concentración sérica de vitamina D. Métodos Se llevó a cabo un estudio analítico observacional de pacientes sucesivos intervenidos en la unidad de cirugía hepatobiliar de nuestro centro durante un año. Se incluyeron las intervenciones relativas a enfermedad biliar, pancreática y hepática. Se determinaron los niveles de vitamina D al ingreso, así como las ISQ de tipo superficial, profunda y órgano-cavitaria diagnosticadas durante el estudio. El seguimiento del paciente se realizó durante al menos un mes tras la cirugía, dependiendo de la enfermedad. La estadística se realizó mediante el programa estadístico R v.3.1.3. Resultados La muestra quedó constituida por 321 pacientes, de los cuales el 25, 8% presentó ISQ a expensas fundamentalmente de las infecciones órgano-cavitarias que presentaron una incidencia del 24, 3%. Concentraciones séricas superiores a 33, 5 nmol/l demostraron reducir en un 50% el riesgo de ISQ. Conclusiones Las concentraciones elevadas de vitamina D en sangre demostraron ser un factor protector frente a las ISQ (OR: 0, 99). Nuestros resultados sugieren una relación directa entre la concentración sérica de vitamina D y la ISQ, justificando la realización de nuevos estudios prospectivos. Introduction: While several studies have examined the correlation between vitamin D concentrations and post-surgical nosocomial infections, this relationship has yet to be characterized in hepatobiliary surgery patients. We investigated the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients in our hepatobiliary surgery unit. Methods: Participants in this observational study were 321 successive patients who underwent the following types of interventions in the hepatobiliary surgery unit of our center over a 1-year period: cholecystectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, total pancreatectomy, segmentectomy, hepatectomy, hepaticojejunostomy and exploratory laparotomy. Serum vitamin D levels were measured upon admission and patients were followed up for 1 month. Mean group values were compared using a Student's T-test or Chi-squared test. Statistical analyses were performed using the Student's T-test, the Chi-squared test, or logistic regression models. Results: Serum concentrations >33.5 nmol/l reduced the risk of SSI by 50%. Out of the 321 patients analyzed, 25.8% developed SSI, mainly due to organ-cavity infections (incidence, 24.3%). Serum concentrations of over 33.5 nmol/l reduced the risk of SSI by 50%. Conclusions: High serum levels of vitamin D are a protective factor against SSI (OR, 0.99). Our results suggest a direct relationship between serum vitamin D concentrations and SSI, underscoring the need for prospective studies to assess the potential benefits of vitamin D in SSI prevention

MEGARA-GTC stellar spectral library: I

MEGARA (Multi Espectrografo en GTC de Alta Resolucion para Astronomia) is an optical (3650-9750 Å), fibre-fed, medium-high spectral resolution (R = 6000, 12 000 and 20 000) instrument for the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC) 10.4-m telescope, commissioned in the summer of 2017, and currently in operation. The scientific exploitation of MEGARA requires a stellar spectra library to interpret galaxy data and to estimate the contribution of the stellar populations. In this paper, we introduce the MEGARA-GTC spectral library, detailing the rationale behind the building of this catalogue. We present the spectra of 97 stars (21 individual stars and 56 members of the globular cluster M15, which are both subsamples taken during the commissioning runs, and 20 stars from our ongoing GTC Open-Time programme). The spectra have R = 20 000 in the HR-R and HR-I set-ups, centred at 6563 and 8633 Å, respectively. We describe the procedures to reduce and analyse the data. Then, we determine the best-fitting theoretical models to each spectrum through a χ^(2) minimization technique, to derive the stellar physical parameters, and we discuss the results. We have also measured some absorption lines and indices. Finally, we introduce our project to complete the library and the data base in order to make the spectra available to the community