Violent Conflicts and the New Mediatization: The Impact of Social Media on the European Parliamentary Agenda Regarding the Syrian War

As key institutions in Western democracies, parliaments have gained importance regarding foreign affairs issues in recent years. Their increasing role as moral tribunes and discussion forums on conflict prevention and resolution have led to the parliamentarization of international affairs. The examination of the parliamentary agenda and the actors who shape it constitutes a fundamental part of agenda-setting studies as applied to the media and political systems. Among these actors, mass media must be highlighted, taking into account the complex process of information gathering for members of Parliament, particularly in cases related to international violent conflicts. Moreover, in the specific situation of the Syrian Civil War, social media have become increasingly important due to the difficulties faced by traditional media in performing their job on the ground. In order to know the impact and roles played by social media in parliamentary debates, we applied a computer assisted quantitative content analysis to 3,249 minutes from the parliaments of United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and the EU, as well as a qualitative analysis. The results show that, during the first part of the conflict, social media were regarded by European parliaments as positive tools for the dissemination of information whereas, in the second phase, the diffusion of jihadist propaganda by such media completely altered the attitudes toward them

El MoMA, un museo de vanguardia para familias

En las próximas páginas y como fruto del estudio de un caso realizado dentro del MoMA en marzo del 2013, vamos a tratar de aproximarnos a cómo dicha institución cultural y educativa favorece el establecimiento de relaciones de con anza con sus visitantes, a partir de los talleres de familias que organizan, tomando como ocasión obras de arte modernas y abstractas

Periodistas de televisiones públicas vs. privadas: influencias percibidas y confianza en las instituciones políticas en España

Los objetivos de este artículo son estudiar los niveles de confianza en las instituciones políticas y las distintas fuentes de influencia percibidas por los periodistas de televisión en España. Además, se analizan las diferencias existentes entre quienes ejercen la profesión en las televisiones públicas y en las privadas. En el marco del proyecto internacional Worlds of Journalism Study y a través de una encuesta representativa a 390 periodistas españoles (70 de ellos de televisión), encontramos que quienes trabajan en las televisiones privadas confían más en el gobierno y que los periodistas de televisión reconocen mayores influencias políticas y organizativas que los profesionales de otros medios. Asimismo, observamos que en las televisiones privadas se muestran más influenciados por aspectos económicos y por los grupos de referencia que sus colegas de la televisión pública y que, en todos los casos, las influencias de las rutinas profesionales y las organizativas resultaron ser más altas que las políticas, económicas o de los grupos de referencia. Se explica cómo el tipo y propiedad del medio están relacionados con las percepciones sobre la propia cultura profesional. Se sugiere seguir profundizando en modelos que puedan explicar en mayor medida las varianzas encontradas en los dos tipos de percepciones

Banco de La Concepción: A new Natura 2000 Marine Site off Canary Islands

The main objective of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project is to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the biodiversity in the Spanish seas through the identification of valuable areas for the Natura 2000 Network. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has been in charge of implementing scientific surveys to map sensitive habitats of seven of the ten INDEMARES areas, and to determine the fisheries footprint over these areas. Banco de La Concepci´on is one of the areas chosen to be depicted in the frame of INDEMARES project. Located at 71 km to the NE of Lanzarote, at the coordinates 29º 55’ Latitude N and 12º 45’ Longitude W, Banco de la Concepci´on raises from 2,541 m up to its summit at 170 m deep. The biological richness of Banco de la Concepci´on is very influenced by the deep water up-welling phenomena, which create a high productivity, attracting a multitude of pelagic species, such as cetaceans, turtles, sharks, and tunas looking for food. In its vicinity, fishery resources such as goraz, anglerfish, and hakes, are abundant, and a rich invertebrate fauna cohabits in their bottoms. Banco de la Concepci´on is a traditional fishing area of oceanic pelagic species, and very good to catch demersal fish; it is highly visited by Galician and Portuguese drifters and long liners that fish in Mauritania, and mainly by the Andalusian longliners. In general, its main impacts are related to uncontrolled fishing pressure. The available information on the anthropogenic impact of the area was scarce, and its level of research was very poor as well, before INDEMARES project. Methodology approach complies with a multidisciplinary perspective, having described the area from geological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries points of view. Several surveys have taken place since 2009 to 2013 at Banco de La Concepci´on waters. Traps, longlines, beam trawls, benthic dredges and box corers have been used to sample benthic fauna. These last two, plus EM 3002 multibeam echosounder, PS 18 parametric sub bottom profiler, EA600 monobeam sounder, Seapath 200 positioning sensor and SV Plus sound velocity calibration sensor were used to make a geophysical study which provides a range of environmental factors. CTD was used to depict physical conditions of the water column. Finally, Remote Operated Vehicle Liropus 2000 and different photogrammetric tugged sleds were used to make a great effort of visual sampling. Data from VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) were used, combined with interviews to users (fishers), to describe the fishery uses in the area. Results from all this field work provide enough information for the administrations to establish a new Natura 2000 area, trying to reconcile protection of biodiversity and artisanal local economic activities. This establishment should take place at the end of a process of public consultation to stakeholders which is taking place in the present and which will help to shape the future Management Plan which will give details about permitted and prohibited uses

Informe de campaña GeoPLOCAN1212

Informe de campaña de los trabajos realizados en la cmpaña oceanográfica GeoPLOCAN1212Esta campaña ha consistido en una prospección por métodos Geofísicos de los fondos que albergarán en un futuro la Infraestructura Científico Técnica Singular (ICTS) PLOCAN; Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias. Los trabajos se han llevado a cabo a bordo del B/O Ángeles Alvariño, y en ellos han participado, junto al IEO, el IHM Instituto Hidrográfico de la Marina, y la UB Universidad de Barcelona. Las tres instituciones han puesto en común el personal participante que ha desarrollado además de la tarea conjunta y compartida de la adquisición de los datos, otras tareas del interés particular de cada organismo como la formativa en el caso de la UB, la de obtención de datos brutos y procesado para la edición de cartas náuticas en el caso del IHM, y la de obtención de datos y procesado con fines científicos desarrollada por el personal del IEOPLOCAN, IEO, IH

Sensitive Habitats and fishing footprint off Canary Islands seamounts Amanay and El Banquete

The main objective of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project is to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the biodiversity in the Spanish seas through the identification of valuable areas for the Natura 2000 Network. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has been in charge of implementing scientific surveys to map sensitive habitats of seven of the ten INDEMARES areas, and to determine the fisheries footprint over these areas. Sur y Oriente de Fuerteventura y Lanzarote is one of the areas chosen to be depicted in the frame of INDEMARES project, although the study about benthic habitats and fishery footprint carried by IEO has restricted to Amanay and El Banquete Seamounts. El Banquete really is the extension of southern continental shelf while Amanay seamount is located at 25 km from Jand´ıa Lighthouse (S of Fuerteventura) and 55 km from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, at the coordinates 28º 07’ Latitude N and 14º 44’ LongitudeW, both volcanic buildings raise from more than 2,000 m up to their summits at 25-30 m deep, separated by a 1.500 m deep channel. The biological richness of Amanay and El Banquete seamounts is very influenced by the deep water up-welling phenomena, which create a high productivity, attracting a multitude of pelagic species, such as cetaceans, turtles, sharks, and tunas looking for food. There is also a high influence from Saharian up-welling. Both the seamounts tops and their vicinities are often visited by a large artisanal local fishing fleet which profits of their fishery resources; also a rich invertebrate fauna cohabits in their bottoms. In general, its main impacts are related to uncontrolled fishing pressure, and maritime navigation. The available information on the anthropogenic impact of the area was scarce, and its level of research was very poor as well, before INDEMARES project. Methodology approach complies with a multidisciplinary perspective, having described the area from geological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries points of view. Several surveys have taken place since 2009 to 2013 at Amanay and El Banquete waters. Traps, longlines, beam trawls, benthic dredges and box corers have been used to sample benthic fauna. These last two, plus EM 3002 multibeam echosounder, PS 18 parametric sub bottom profiler, EA600 monobeam sounder, Seapath 200 positioning sensor and SV Plus sound velocity calibration sensor were used to make a geophysical study which provides a range of environmental factors. CTD was used to depict physical conditions of the water column. Finally, different photogrammetric tugged sleds were used to make a great effort of visual sampling. Data from VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) were used, combined with interviews to users (fishers), landing samplings and scientific observation onboard, to describe the fishery uses in the area

Spatial and temporal variability of discards indicators and fishery factors affecting otter-trawl fishery in the spanish Mediterranean sea

A set of diversity indices were studied from data of observers on board two Mediterranean trawlers from 2001 to 2009. These diversity indices comprise relationships between total catch, landing and discard fractions to explore the accuracy of the estimates and to analyse the series trends using different methods, such as ARIMA. The hypothesis tested was that diversity indicators give a good representation of the changes produced in impacted bottom‐trawl areas, providing a reasonable fit of the data. ARIMA models are useful because they handle time-correlated modelling and forecasting. These techniques can also reveal changes in total catch as well changes in catch composition, probably induced by changes in effort fishery, seasonal (time) fluctuations, and environmental or climatic processes. Contrasted trends were also compared with survey data by MEDITS Mediterranean trawl survey time‐series indicator

16p11.2 locus modulates response to satiety before the onset of obesity

Background: The 600 kb BP4-BP5 copy number variants (CNVs) at the 16p11.2 locus have been associated with a range of neurodevelopmental conditions including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. The number of genomic copies in this region is inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI): the deletion is associated with a highly penetrant form of obesity (present in 50% of carriers by the age of 7 years and in 70% of adults), and the duplication with being underweight. Mechanisms underlying this energy imbalance remain unknown. Objective: This study aims to investigate eating behavior, cognitive traits and their relationships with BMI in carriers of 16p11.2 CNVs. Methods: We assessed individuals carrying a 16p11.2 deletion or duplication and their intrafamilial controls using food-related behavior questionnaires and cognitive measures. We also compared these carriers with cohorts of individuals presenting with obesity, binge eating disorder or bulimia. Results: Response to satiety is gene dosage-dependent in pediatric CNV carriers. Altered satiety response is present in young deletion carriers before the onset of obesity. It remains altered in adolescent carriers and correlates with obesity. Adult deletion carriers exhibit eating behavior similar to that seen in a cohort of obesity without eating disorders such as bulimia or binge eating. None of the cognitive measures are associated with eating behavior or BMI. Conclusions: These findings suggest that abnormal satiety response is a strong contributor to the energy imbalance in 16p11.2 CNV carriers, and, akin to other genetic forms of obesity, altered satiety responsiveness in children precedes the increase in BMI observed later in adolescence

The morphometric acclimation to depth explains the long-term resilience of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in a shallow tidal lagoon

Cadiz Bay is a shallow mesotidal lagoon with extensive populations of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa at intertidal and shallow subtidal elevations. This work aims to understand the mechanisms behind the resilience of this species to gradual sea level rise by studying its acclimation capacity to depth along the shallow littoral, and therefore, to gradual variations in the light environment. To address this objective, these populations have been monitored seasonally over a 10 year period, representing the longest seasonal database available in the literature for this species. The monitoring included populations at 0.4, -0.08 and -0.5 m LAT. The results show that C. nodosa has a strong seasonality for demographic and shoot dynamic properties - with longer shoots and larger growth in summer (high temperature) than in winter (low temperature), but also some losses. Moreover, shoots have different leaf morphometry depending on depth, with small and dense shoots in the intertidal areas (0.4 m) and sparse large shoots in the subtidal ones (-0.08 and 0.5 m). These differences in morphometry and shoot dynamic properties, combined with the differences in shoot density, explain the lack of differences in meadow production balance (i.e. meadow growth - meadow losses) between the intertidal (0.4 m) and the deepest population (-0.5 m), supporting the long term resilience of Cymodocea nodosa in Cadiz Bay. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms behind seagrass stability and resilience, which is particularly important towards predicting the effects of climate change on these key coastal ecosystems, and also highlights the value of continuous long-term monitoring efforts to evaluate seagrass trajectories