The Effectiveness of Advanced Practice Nurses with Respect to Complex Chronic Wounds in the Management of Venous Ulcers

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced practice nurses with respect to complex chronic wounds (APN-CCWs) in the care of patients with venous ulcers. A multicentric, quasi-experimental pre-post study was conducted without a control group in the sanitary management areas where the APN-CCW program is being piloted. The intervention consisted of a mass training of clinical nurses from the participating districts on the proper management of injuries and the use of compression therapy. The data were collected through a specifically constructed questionnaire with questions regarding descriptive variables of injuries and their treatment. A total of 643 professionals responded (response rate of 89.1%), attending to a total population of 707,814 inhabitants. An increase in multilayer bandage use by 15.67%, an increase in elastic bandage use by 13.24%, and a significant decrease in the referral of patients to consultation with hospital specialists was achieved, from 21.08% to 12.34%. The number of patients referred to the APNs was 13.25%, which implied a resolution rate of 94.08% of their injuries. In conclusion, the coordination by the APN-CCWs in patients with venous ulcers was effective in improving the continuity of care, in the optimization of resources, and in their care role

The Relationship between Social Responsibility and Business Performance: An Analysis of the Agri-Food Sector of Southeast Spain

This study aims to contribute to the existing debate on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation on different measures of business performance through the proposal of a conceptual model. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we conceptualize CSR as a broad and multidimensional construct with seven dimensions: employees, partners, customers, farmers, environment, community, and competition. We also extend the concept of business performance, which includes tangible variables, namely financial performance (FP) and export performance (EXP), as well as intangible variables, namely image and reputation (IR) and the satisfaction of relevant stakeholders (SS). The research context of this study is the agri-food sector in southeastern Spain. This sector has been the focus of attention of numerous researchers due to the relevance that social and environmental aspects have had in its development. To test the proposed model, the partial least-squares technique (PLS-SEM) was applied to data collected by means of a survey from a sample of 107 companies, which represent 81.4% of the turnover of the sector analyzed. The results show that CSR has a positive effect on financial performance, improves the volume and performance of exports, positively affects the corporate image and reputation, and increases the level of satisfaction of relevant stakeholders. Further research should examine the model from the perceptions of other stakeholders (e.g., customers, employees, and suppliers), using a longitudinal research design and exploring other contexts

Development of an Emergency Radio Beacon for Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) used to locate manned aircrafts are not well suited to find and recover small crashed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). ELTs utilize an international satellite system for search and rescue (Cospas-Sarsat System), which should leverage its expensive resources to save lives as a priority. Besides, ELTs are too big and heavy to be used within small UAVs. Some of the existing solutions for this problem are based on receivers that detect signal strength, which may be a long and tedious process not suitable for user needs. Others do not have enough range or require radio license and expensive amateur radio receivers. This paper presents an emergency radio beacon specifically designed to locate small UAVs. It is triggered automatically in the event of a crash and allows finding and recovering a crashed UAV in a fast and simple way. It meets not only the required specifications of user-friendliness, size and weight of this kind of application, but also it is a high precision and low cost device. Besides, it has enough range and endurance. The experiments carried out show the operation of the proposed system

Current status of las tablas de daimiel national park wetland and actions required for conservation

Wetlands are complex ecosystems that play multiple roles. ‘Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park’ (TDNP) undoubtedly plays a role in several ecosystem services and provides a connection between nature, farmers, scientists, residents, and other stakeholders. The state of degradation and/or vulnerability of this ecosystem (with a series of socio-economic implications) have led the publication of numerous articles. The work reported here provides a description of the growing importance of this wetland within the rural landscapes of La Mancha and emphasizes its state of degradation, mainly since pedological point of view. In this way, particular attention is required to assure the conservation of the Tablas of Daimiel Wetland; thus, several measures are proposed to improve the conservation of this area as to control and prohibit any dumping of any type of waste in the park or in its vicinityThis Research was funded by Organismo Autonomo Parques Nacionales (Autonomous Organism National Parks) of Spain (OAPN

Mechanical analysis of Genoa 03 stirling engine

Due to the new technologies development based on renewable sources of energy, in recent years Stirling engines have become very important in the energetic sector. Many of them do not allow the use of fluid lubricants and, thus, the effect of friction losses is important. For this purpose, a mathematical model has been developed based on the force balance in the crankshaft using the pressure distribution in the cylinders. The aim of this work is to characterize the mechanical losses in a Genoa 03 Stirling engine using a numerical model and experimentally via the drag method. The results of this model have been compared with those obtained experimentally on Genoa 03 Stirling engine. In the experimental results, a proportional increase in friction torque due to the average pressure and the speed of the crankshaft is observed. The first of these is caused by an increase of dry friction forces and the second, by the viscous friction between the working fluid and the inner walls of the engine. Also in this paper, irreversible processes in a beta type Stirling engine have been investigated in order to highlight the impact of losses on mechanical power and its performance. This article develops the first study of the mechanical losses of Genoa 03 experimental Stirling engine, which has an output power of 3 kW. Although the model response follows the same trends as the experiments, those simplifications provide errors which become more significant as the engine speed increases.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ENE2013-43465-

La cooperación administrativa en la Directiva relativa a los servicios en el mercado interior

I. Introducción. II. La actuación y la cooperación administrativas en torno a la naturaleza del acto normativo comunitario y de la elección de los principios de Estado de origen o Estado de destino: 1. El modelo de «cooperación administrativa integrada ». 2. El modelo de cooperación administrativa de asistencia informativa. III. El modelo intermedio de la Directiva de servicios: una cooperación administrativa «desorientada » tendente a las medidas excepcionales de urgencia: 1. La cooperación administrativa en la Directiva relativa a los servicios en el mercado interior. 2. Obligaciones generales de asistencia recíproca del Estado miembro de establecimiento. Controles virtuales sobre servicios extraterritoriales. 3. Supervisión por parte del Estado miembro en el que se preste el servicio en caso de desplazamiento del prestador: de la creación de un «gran banco de datos de autorizaciones administrativas» al colapso informativo de la cooperación administrativa por exceso de discrecionalidad. El mecanismo de urgencia de la asistencia recíproca en caso de excepciones individuales. 4. Los mecanismos generales y descentralizados de alerta y honorabilidad del prestador: descentralización frente a un registro único. 5. Las obligaciones generales de la asistencia recíproca. ¿Un sistema abocado al recurso por incumplimiento? IV. Conclusiones

El control de legalidad en la ejecución de las sanciones internacionales antiterroristas por parte de la Unión Europea. ¿Tutela judicial efectiva o vuelta a la doctrina de los actos políticos?

El Derecho internacional presenta cada vez más rasgos de reglamentación e incide sobre los derechos fundamentales de los particulares sin que exista en la actualidad un mecanismo genuino y efectivo de control judicial de las medidas de ejecución decretadas. La decisión de suprimir o no el nombre de una persona de la lista de sanciones de Naciones Unidas sigue correspondiendo a la más absoluta discrecionalidad de un órgano político como es el Comité de Sanciones correspondiente. No obstante, la pretensión de que una medida es necesaria para el mantenimiento de la paz y la seguridad internacionales no puede surtir efectos hasta el punto de silenciar los principios generales del Derecho comunitario y de privar a los individuos de sus derechos fundamentales. Por esta razón, la Unión Europea no puede dar la espalda a los valores fundamentales en los que se sustenta su ordenamiento jurídico. A tal efecto, el derecho a la tutela judicial efectiva ocupa un lugar preeminente en el universo comunitario sin que se pueda admitir en una sociedad democrática su sustancial supresión