Energy poverty, crisis and austerity in Spain

Despite clear indications about its significance, a systematic examination of the connection between the European debt crisis and domestic energy affordability trends is still missing in the academic and policy literature. This paper seeks to provide an empirically-grounded investigation of crisis and austerity as macro-scale driving factors of energy poverty, taking Spain as a case study. For this, a range of data and indicators are presented for the period 2004-2012. They provide evidence of the increase in domestic energy deprivation levels in Spain since 2008 that occurred in parallel with a rapid surge in unemployment rates and domestic energy prices, especially of electricity. Collected evidence also indicates substantial differences in energy poverty levels across Spanish regions (Autonomous Communities) linked to disparities in climatic and socio-economic conditions, including unemployment. Resulting energy poverty levels are understood as a consequence of structural and short-term factors operating along pre-existing socio-spatial cleavages exacerbated by the crisis

The general dielectric tensor for bi-kappa magnetized plasmas

In this paper we derive the dielectric tensor for a plasma containing particles described by an anisotropic superthermal (bi-kappa) velocity distribution function. The tensor components are written in terms of the two-variables kappa plasma special functions, recently defined by Gaelzer and Ziebell [Phys. Plasmas 23, 022110 (2016)]. We also obtain various new mathematical properties for these functions, which are useful for the analytical treatment, numerical implementation and evaluation of the functions and, consequently, of the dielectric tensor. The formalism developed here and in the previous paper provides a mathematical framework for the study of electromagnetic waves propagating at arbitrary angles and polarizations in a superthermal plasma.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics of Plasma

Description of cognitive processes involved in essay-writing

Se estudiaron los procesos de planificación, transcripción, revisión, meta cognitivos y afectivos implicados en la construcción de un ensayo argumentativo realizado por 11 universitarios. Se aplicaron varios instrumentos elaborados por los autores: el Protocolo Verbal, el Cuestionario de Estrategias para Escritura de Ensayos, las Escalas de Auto-percepción de Eficacia en la Escritura y de Actitudes Hacia la Escritura,. Se hizo un conteo de frecuencias por componente para los datos textuales obtenidos a través del Protocolo Verbal, a partir de un análisis de contenido;, luego se calcularon porcentajes dentro de cada categoría para cada sujeto según su ejecución con respecto al grupo y se realizó un análisis descriptivo para los auto reportes. En la observación de los procesos a través del protocolo verbal, los participantes durante el proceso de la escritura del ensayo evidenciaron los componentes de planificación, transcripción, revisión y metacognición. Sin embargo, en revisión, ninguno de ellos presentó revisión por otros y en el componente de metacognición solamente dos participantes demostraron tener conciencia de la estructura del ensayo. En relación con los auto reportes, los participantes reportaron moderadas y altas estrategias en planificación, revisión, metacognición; y un nivel de desempeño entre moderado y alto de actitudes hacia la escritura y hacia la autopercepción de eficacia en la escritura cuando elaboran un ensayo.The processes of planning, transcription, revision, metacognition and affection involved in the construction of an argumentative essay written by 11 university students were examined. Several assessment instruments designed by the authors were administered: The Verbal Protocol, The Essay-writing Strategies Questionnaire and the Self-Perception Scales on Writing Efficacy and Attitude Toward Writing. A frequency count per component of the textual data obtained by means of the Verbal Protocol and based on a content analysis was carried out. Later, the percentages within each category were calculated for each subject, based on his/her performance with respect to the group. Finally, a descriptive analysis of the self-reports was done. At the time of observation of the above mentioned processes using the Verbal Protocol, six participants showed evidence of planning, transcription, revision and meta-cognition during the writing process. However, when doing revision, none of them presented revision by others, and on the metacognition component only two participants demonstrated their awareness of the essay structure. With respect to self-reports, the participants expressed moderate to high levels of planning, revision and metacognition strategies, as well as moderate to high scores on attitudes toward writing and self-perception of writing efficacy when elaborating an essay

Target specific post-harvest treatment by gamma radiation for the microbial safety of dried Melissa officinalis and Aloysia citrodora

This study aimed to assess a specific gamma radiation dose to be applied as a post-harvest process to guarantee the microbial safety of two medicinal plants, Melissa officinalis and Aloysia citrodora. Dried plants treated with gamma radiation indicated that a dose of 5 kGy could be applied as a post-harvest treatment process of M. officinalis and A. citrodora, assuring the microbial safety of dried medicinal plants and lowering the potentiality of deleterious effects on plants’ quality attributes. This will enhance the safety and quality of the dried plants to be used as raw materials in industrial applications.The authors are grateful to project PRODER nº 53515, AROMAP, for financial support of the work. The authors thank to “MaisErvas - Aromáticas e Medicinais” company for supplying the samples. C2TN/ IST authors gratefully acknowledge the FCT support through the RECI/AAG-TEC/0400/2012 and UID/Multi/04349/2013 projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma of the parotid gland : case report and review of the literature

Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) is difficult to diagnose both clinically and histologically due to its indolent presentation, and because of its morphological diversity that includes several microscopic patterns. The aggressive biologic behavior seen in minor salivary glands as compared to major glands is apparently associated histologically to a predominance of the papillary pattern in the former. Biologic behavior of PLGA in the major salivary glands is uncertain, as some cases have developed recurrences and metastases independently of the presence of a papillary pattern. A case of PLGA originated de novo in parotid gland is presented a 60 year-old male, treatment was surgically excised through superficial parotidectomy and to postoperative radiotherapy (46 Gy). Forty-eight months later the patient is alive with no signs of recurrence, as well as a review of the literature, with particular emphasis in its differential diagnosis and biological behavior

Cartílago de crecimiento y altura de la epífisis proximal tibial en halterófilos

El propósito de este estudio fue examinar halterófilos Federados de 14 años de edad (grupo en estudio), y compararlos con atletas que practicaran otra deporte (control), correlacionando ambos grupos con variaciones en el grosor del cartílago de crecimiento y la altura de la epífisis proximal tibial. Las medidas fueron obtenidas a través de la técnica de Rx. toma A.P. de rodilla, y carpograma para determinar según los estándares de Greulich y Pyle la edad ósea. Los análisis realizados con la prueba T de Studen evidenciaron diferencias significativas en las estructuras anatómicas; la edad ósea de ambos no presenta diferencias significativas, se descarta que los hallazgos sean debidos a procesos normales de maduración. Estos datos sugieren que los halterófilos tienen un periodo de crecimiento mucho más largo que los otros atletas debido a su mayor grosor en el cartílago, así mismo la menor altura epífisiaria representa un menor grado de osificación, siendo este un indicador sustituto de un periodo de crecimiento más prolongado

Prevalence of depression in patients with breast cancer

1.- INTRODUCCIÓN: La depresión es una sintomatología muy frecuente en los pacientes diagnosticados con cáncer de mama y su tratamiento. Se plantea una revisión de la literatura para analizar la prevalencia de la depresión en personas con cáncer de mama. 2.- METODOS: Revisión sistemática. Bases de datos: EMBASE (1999-2010) PUBMED (1981-2010). Se incluyeron los artículos que relacionaban prevalencia y depresión en cáncer de mama. 3.- RESULTADOS: Se localizaron 49 estudios; sólo 12 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, se encontró 7 estudios descriptivos y 5 analíticos. La prevalencia de depresión encontrada en los estudios oscila entre el 6%-57%. 4.- CONCLUSIONES: La disparidad de datos obtenidos conlleva a la falta de una evidencia empírica de la prevalencia de la depresión en personas con cáncer de mama.1. – INTRODUCTION: Depressive disorder is a usual symptom in patients with breast cancer diagnoses and treatment. The purpose of this study is to systematically analize the prevalence of depression in breast cancer people. 2. – METHODS: Systematic review. Database: EMBASE (1999-2010), PUBMED (1981-2010). We included articles that related depression prevalence to breast cancer. 3. – RESULTS: 49 studios were located. Only 12 met inclusion criteria. We found 7 descriptive studios and 5 analytic studios. The prevalence of depression found in studies ranges from 6%- 57%. 4. – CONCLUSION: The disparity of the data obtained connotes a lack of empiric evidence of the prevalence of depression on people with breast cancer

Interaction Effects on the Magneto-optical Response of Magnetoplasmonic Dimers

The effect that dipole-dipole interactions have on the magneto-optical (MO) properties of magnetoplasmonic dimers is theoretically studied. The specific plasmonic versus magnetoplasmonic nature of the dimer's metallic components and their specific location within the dimer plays a crucial role on the determination of these properties. We find that it is possible to generate an induced MO activity in a purely plasmonic component, even larger than that of the MO one, therefore dominating the overall MO spectral dependence of the system. Adequate stacking of these components may allow obtaining, for specific spectral regions, larger MO activities in systems with reduced amount of MO metal and therefore with lower optical losses. Theoretical results are contrasted and confirmed with experiments for selected structures