A relational approach to local immigrant policy-making: collaboration with immigrant advocacy bodies in French and German cities

The role of immigrant advocacy bodies in collaborative policy–making in cities isso far insufficiently researched. This article investigates the ties between relevanturban actors and immigrant advocacy bodies in cities in two Western Europeancountries. We draw on an original survey in forty French and German cities aswell asfieldwork in one French and one German city to analyze whetherurban actors from a variety of policy sectors and domains of societycooperate with immigrant councils and immigrant associations, and whichfactors explain such collaboration. Counter to the existing literature on therole of intermediaries between municipalities and immigrant populations, wefind a widespread existence of ties with immigrant advocacy bodies. However,such ties are not mainstreamed. Instead, collaboration is most present amongactors in charge of immigrant affairs, and when actors meet in policy fora thatallow interaction between urban actors and immigrant advocacy bodies

Universal differential equations for glacier ice flow modelling

Geoscientific models are facing increasing challenges to exploit growing datasets coming from remote sensing. Universal differential equations (UDEs), aided by differentiable programming, provide a new scientific modelling paradigm enabling both complex functional inversions to potentially discover new physical laws and data assimilation from heterogeneous and sparse observations. We demonstrate an application of UDEs as a proof of concept to learn the creep component of ice flow, i.e. a nonlinear diffusivity differential equation, of a glacier evolution model. By combining a mechanistic model based on a two-dimensional shallow-ice approximation partial differential equation with an embedded neural network, i.e. a UDE, we can learn parts of an equation as nonlinear functions that then can be translated into mathematical expressions. We implemented this modelling framework as ODINN.jl, a package in the Julia programming language, providing high performance, source-to-source automatic differentiation (AD) and seamless integration with tools and global datasets from the Open Global Glacier Model in Python. We demonstrate this concept for 17 different glaciers around the world, for which we successfully recover a prescribed artificial law describing ice creep variability by solving ∼ 500 000 ordinary differential equations in parallel. Furthermore, we investigate which are the best tools in the scientific machine learning ecosystem in Julia to differentiate and optimize large nonlinear diffusivity UDEs. This study represents a proof of concept for a new modelling framework aiming at discovering empirical laws for large-scale glacier processes, such as the variability in ice creep and basal sliding for ice flow, and new hybrid surface mass balance models.</p

Ensayo de una metodología innovadora para la detección de masas polimetálicas profundas: modelo geológico y exploración geotérmica preliminares de la Masa Valverde (Huelva).

Se presentan los resultados provisionales de los trabajos iniciales realizados para el Proyecto Innovative Geothermal Methodology to detect deep blind Polymetallic Ore Bodies, financiado por la CE Y co-financiado por DGICYT y organizaciones participantes. Los principales objetivos de este Proyecto son la cuantificación de los efectos térmicos "in situ" de masas polimetálicas profundas a fin de desarrollar nuevos métodos geotérmicos específicos que puedan detectar depósitos no aflorantes. Dichos métodos deberían proporcionar, previsiblemente, un procedimiento rápido y barato para la detección superficial de cuerpos profundos, midiendo perfiles térmicos en sondeos cortos. La exploración geotérmica permite, a diferencia de otros métodos (por ejemplo gravimetría), discriminar anomalías significativas. Para detectar pequeñas anomalías de temperatura (teniendo en cuenta que el efecto térmico decrece rápidamente hacia la superficie), la resolución térmica medida debe ser del orden de O,001ºC. Se han calibrado nuevos termistores muy sensibles en el Laboratoire National d'Essais (LNE) de París para obtener la máxima sensibilidad en el intervalo de temperaturas considerado (lO a 60ºC). Se miden conductividades térmicas sobre testigos con una precisión del 5% y una reproductibilidad del 2%, que permiten determinar las anomalías del gradiente de temperatura relacionadas con las litologías. Para poner a punto el método, se modelizarán las medidas y se compararán con la realidad de cuerpos conocidos, a fin de establecer un modelo fiable y de aplicación general. Esta metodología se ensaya en primer lugar en la MV (Masa Valverde, Huelva), descubierta y reconocida mediante sondeos por la E.N. Adaro, a fin de partir de un modelo suficientemente preciso para la modelización geotérmica. Los trabajos geológicos realizados integran observaciones de campo, examen y desmuestres de testigos de sondeos, geoquímica, geología estructural y estudio de testigos por diversas técnicas como petrografía, microscopía de menas, DRX, MEB, Microsonda Electrónica, etc. A pesar de la profundidad (en torno a los 600 m.l y de la complejidad de la estructura de MV puesta de manifiesto por el presente estudio, los resultados del primer año de investigación geológica -objeto de esta comunicación-, conducen a un modelo provisional que sirve de base a la interpretación de los datos térmicos. Dicho modelo difiere de los anteriormente conocidos en aspectos como: la posición, definición e interpretación de ciertos tramos litológicos; la demostración de muy frecuentes contactos tectónicos acompañados de procesos de deformación dúctil a veces muy intensa; la identificación de fallas o cabalgamientos que definen unidades independientes, entre las cuales los tramos litológicos, incluidos los cuerpos mineralizados, no son correlaciona bies; la estructura del cuerpo mineralizado, caracterizada por una superposición de escamas imbricadas con geometría antiformal, resultado de procesos tectónicos relacionados con la Tectónica de cabalgamientos de la región y recientemente demostrados -ITGE- en la parte española de la FPI (Faja Pirítica Ibérica). Los resultados provisionales arrojan, pues, un resultado coherente desde las diversas perspectivas de trabajo, particularmente por lo que respecta a los modelos geotérmico y geológico - geométrico, y permiten albergar fundadas esperanzas en una rápida puesta a punto del método, para su aplicación en exploración

Rationale and design of the PREDICE project : cost-effectiveness of type 2 diabetes prevention among high-risk Spanish individuals following lifestyle intervention in real-life primary care setting

Peer reviewe

Factors related to the development of health-promoting community activities in Spanish primary healthcare: two case-control studies.

Objective Spanish primary healthcare teams have the responsibility of performing health-promoting community activities (CAs), although such activities are not widespread. Our aim was to identify the factors related to participation in those activities. Design Two case–control studies. setting Performed in primary care of ve Spanish regions. subjects In the rst study, cases were teams that performed health-promoting CAs and controls were those that did not. In the second study (on case teams from the rst study), cases were professionals who developed these activities and controls were those who did not. Main outcome measures Team, professional and community characteristics collected through questionnaires (team managers/professionals) and from secondary sources. results The rst study examined 203 teams (103 cases, 100 controls). Adjusted factors associated with performing CAs were percentage of nurses (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.14), community socioeconomic status (higher vs lower OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.95) and performing undergraduate training (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.93). In the second study, 597 professionals responded (254 cases, 343 controls). Adjusted factors were professional classi cation (physicians do fewer activities than nurses and social workers do more), training in CAs (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.1), team support (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 5.7), seniority (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.09), nursing tutor (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.5), motivation (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.8 to 7.5), collaboration with non-governmental organisations (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.1) and participation in neighbourhood activities (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.9 to 5.1). Conclusions Professional personal characteristics, such as social sensitivity, profession, to feel team support or motivation, have in uence in performing health-promoting CAs. In contrast to the opinion expressed by many professionals, workload is not related to performance of health-promoting CAs

Conditions for research in general practice: can the Dutch and British experiences be applied to other countries, for example Spain?

The aim of this study is to identify conditions for research as part of professional development in general practice. Based on the work of Andrew Abbott, who studied the dynamics of professional development, five conditions were identified. These are: the creation of associations among professionals; control of work; the establishment of specialised education; the development of professional knowledge; and the creation of organised structures for professional work. Two countries with a well-established research tradition in general practice (the UK and the Netherlands) and one country where GP research development is still limited (Spain) were evaluated on the basis of these conditions. The conditions identified as favourable were as follows: the existence of a scientific association; a peer reviewed journal; a defined population resulting in a population denominator for practices; a gatekeeping system; chairs and departments of general practice at universities; the integration of education centres and research centres; GPs working in group practices or health centres; a certain degree of independence from the Ministry of Health; and financial support for practicing GPs to conduct research acitivities. We showed that most conditions for the successful scientific progress of general practice in Spain are present. However there is still a gap between academia and general practice and a lack of research organisation and support. (aut.ref.

Towards the demise of French alpine glaciers: Parameterized modelling and perspectives on glacier evolution for the 1984-2100 period

International audienceThe Rhône river basin is a highly populated area in southeastern France, with a high concentration of alpine glaciers which have been rapidly retreating in the last decades as the climate warms. In order to anticipate potential issues and conflicts concerning water resources in the high alpine valleys, there is a strong need for local-to-regional projections of glacier and snow hydrological contributions. In this study, we present ALPGM (ALpine Parameterized Glacier Model), a fully parameterized glacier model, which makes use of the most recent available data and reanalysis to simulate the evolution of all the ~660 glaciers in the French Alps for the 1984-2100 period. It computes glacier-wide yearly surface mass balances (SMB) using machine learning, and it updates the glacier geometry by redistributing the glacier-wide SMB values along the glacier elevations according to a glacier-specific parameterized function

Volcanogenic massive sulfides of Lancones Basin (Peru)

The Lancones basin is located on the north west coastal belt area of Peru, in the Department of Piura. It is bordered to the west by the Palaeozoic Amotapes coastal massif and to the east by the Western Andes pre-mountain range region. This basin extends to Ecuador, where it is called Celica basin. The Lancones basin contains arc-related felsic and mafic volcanic rocks, which make it an excellent target for exploration for volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits in Peru. Actually the Lancones basin hosts the Tambogrande VMS group of deposits, which constitute the most advanced VMS project in Peru. This group consists of three world-class massive sulphide deposits TG1, TG3 and B5. The Lancones basin is part of a first-order extensive rift, in which tholeiitic oceanic-arc crust was generated. This extensional basin developed between the late Jurassic and the early Cretaceous period. The breakup of Laurasia and Gondwana, which began in the middle Jurassic, resulted in the north-west movement of what is presently the South American continent. The rift formed along a subduction zone on the western side of this continent. The stratigraphy of the submarine volcanic sequences is composed of a basal formation, the Basal Volcanic Group or GBV, which is disconformably overlain by a volcano-sedimentary formation, the Volcanic Sedimentary Group or GVS. These two formations contain two distinct metallogenic suites within the Lancones basin. Each is distinguished by specific lithogeochemical, petrographic and mineral attributes, age determinations and VMS deposit types. The pre-Albian mafic bimodal GBV contains high grade, large tonnage Cu-Zn type VMS deposits (Tambogrande type) associated to dacitic domes formed in second – or third-order extensional basins. The middle to upper Albian GVS contains low tonnage Zn-Pb-Cu type VMS mineralizations (Kuroko type). These are associated with felsic sequences of rhyolitic to dacitic composition, associated with a felsicdominated arc setting. The rocks of the GBV, which contain the polymetallic Tambogrande deposits, are tholeiitic. The rocks of GVS are mainly transitional between calc-alkaline and tholeiiti

Variaciones en la aplicación de técnicas médicas en atención primaria.

Objectives: To describe the application of medical techniques (ATM) in Spain and to analyze the relationship with diverse characteristics related to general practitioners and the center of primary health care. Design: Multicenter cross-sectional study. Setting: Three hundred nineteen general practitioners working in primary care centers in the restructured public sector of the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia, Basque Country and Catalonia in Spain. Main measurements: Structured and validated questionnaire comprising 100 items in four sections: general charateristics of the physician and health center, task profile, and job satisfaction. The questionnaire was sent by mail to the health center (Andalusia and Basque Country) or to the home (Catalonia). For the analysis an index variable was created from the answers to the questions on AMT. Results: The index variable of AMT obtained a mean value of 10.02 (SD=4.55). Andalusia obtained the highest value (median: 11.11; SD: 4.33) of the three Autonomous Communities in the study (p=.012). AMT acquired significantly higher values when associated with: masculine sex (sample from the three autonomous communities: p=.046), rural environment, teamwork, availability of basic equipment, fewer patients, and reduced work load. Conclusions: Index of ATM in Spain is significantly different in the three Spanish communities under study. The quality of the sanitary services evaluated from the dimension of the ATM seems to be much related with demographic characteristics, the readiness in the consultations of ascientific-technical stuff and the appropriate time for medical consultations. (aut.ref.