La veritable delimitació del riu Llerca o Llierca

Ens podríem fer l'interrogació de com es pot haver produit aquest canvi relativament recent, i certament restarem sense trobar-hi cap resposta. Sembla que l'autor que planteja el problema primerament, és l'historiador senyor Botet i Sisó al volum sobre la província de Girona de la Geografia General de Catalunya publicada baix la direcció de Francesc Carreras i Candi. Identifica el Sr. Boteti Sisó el Llierca o Llerca amb la corrent d'aigües des de Mont Falgars; sense cap raó fonamentada, i donant per vàlida aquesta opinió els autors posteriors la van repetint. Tal vegada per l'autor de la província de Girona, i com a única hipótesi acceptable, aprofités la ribera en que el seu naixement es trobes en el punt més alt entre les que vessen les aigües, i que ajuntant-se arriben a formar-ne una. Però, tot i això, podria ser acceptable en el cas que no existissin proves de que el nom estigués ja atribuit a una altra corrent o ribera o riu d'una faisó tan clara, però no concorreguem aquestes circumstàncies no es pot considerar com a bona la nominació donada per l'historiador gironí. Per altra banda, més absurdament, alguns pretenen que comença aquest riu oli donen aquest nom des de l'entreforc de les riberes que drenen les valls de Beget, Salarça i Oix per un costat, i, la de Sant Aniol d'Agujes per, l'altra, dintre el terme municipal de Montagut

Dynamic sensation of comfort in buildings : the temperature changes effects

The sensation of comfort in buildings depends on exter¬nal and internal variables: the well-known PMV method relates the expected temperature with the physiological behavior of the human body. Some models have discus¬sed the relevance of adaptation factors, in order to ex¬plain the higher expected “good” temperature of users living in warm climates. The same PMV method has been modified for these climatic situations. An adapta¬tion term has clearly to be considered, but other effects are important to determine the real expected temperatu¬re. In this paper temperature changes are considered to play an important role determining the expected “good” temperature. Effects of ventilation, rapid thermal chan¬ges when people move inside or outside of a building, continuous change in the temperature rate in the HVAC controlled spaces, are investigated here. Results show how to determine a dT/dt dependent term, which has to be considering in the PMV evaluation, in warm as in temperate climate. These results will be com¬pared with field studies for different climates. A PID (pro¬portional integrative derivative) correction in the PMV predict results seem to have to be expected, to consider at the same time adaptation and temperature rate effects.Postprint (published version

Building sensitivity to climatic fluctuations and user's actions: a challenge for high-tech buildings

Due to the current concern about energy consumption and CO2 emissions, buildings are increasingly insulated and equipped with controlling machinery. However, the effective energy consumption of high-tech buildings is often higher than expected, and users’ sensation of temperature comfort is not as good as it should be. One reason for the poor performance of these new buildings could be the high sensitivity to changes in weather and user-dependent variables. A sensitivity analysis can be conducted using thermal equations or a software simulation, or by directly analyzing real measurements. Sensitivity analyses show that the zone performance of high-tech buildings often varies in different spaces. This variation can be found in the Planes de Son centre located in the Catalan Pyrenees, which was built with low-energy strategies in mind. The performance of the different spaces depends very strongly on the orientation of the different zones that make up the building. This work analyzes data measured in 2006 and 2007 and shows that extreme sensitivity to changes is the factor that most contributes to the imperfect performance of the building. The results show that the south-facing glass façade does not perform as well as expected, despite abundant solar radiation. The dimensions of the building and the thermal Systems are also analyzed to determine their influence on sensitivity. Potential ways of increasing the efficiency of the building are discussed, and a generic case is analyzed. In conclusion, the consumption and emissions of high-tech buildings could be further reduced if they respond appropriately to variations in weather and user actions.Postprint (published version

Human TLR8 Senses RNA From Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Red Blood Cells Which Is Uniquely Required for the IFN-γ Response in NK Cells

During blood-stage malaria, the innate immune system initiates the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IFN-γ, that are critical to host defense and responsible for severe disease. Nonetheless, the innate immune pathways activated during this process in human malaria remain poorly understood. Here, we identify TLR8 as an essential sensor of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (iRBC). In human immune cells, iRBC and RNA purified from iRBC were detected by TLR8 but not TLR7 leading to IFN-γ induction in NK cells. While TLR7 and 9 have been shown to lead to IFN-γ in mice, our data demonstrate that TLR8 was the only TLR capable of inducing IFN-γ release in human immune cells. This unique capacity was mediated by the release of IL-12p70 and bioactive IL-18 from monocytes, the latter via a hitherto undescribed pathway. Altogether, our data are the first reported activation of TLR8 by protozoan RNA and demonstrate both the critical role of TLR8 in human blood-stage malaria and its unique functionality in the human immune system. Moreover, our study offers important evidence that mouse models alone may not be sufficient to describe the human innate immune response to malaria

Guidelines; from foe to friend? Comparative interviews with GPs in Norway and Denmark

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>GPs follow clinical guidelines to varying degrees across practices, regions and countries, but a review study of GPs' attitudes to guidelines found no systematic variation in attitudes between studies from different countries. However, earlier qualitative studies on this topic are not necessarily comparable. Hence, there is a lack of empirical comparative studies of GP's attitudes to following clinical guidelines. In this study we reproduce a Norwegian focus group study of GPs' general attitudes to national clinical guidelines in Denmark and conduct a comparative analysis of the findings.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A strategic sample of GP's in Norway (27 GPs) and Denmark (18 GPs) was interviewed about their attitudes to guidelines, and the interviews coded and compared for common themes and differences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Similarities dominated the comparative material, but the analysis also revealed notable differences in attitudes between Norwegian and the Danish GPs. The most important difference was related to GP's attitudes to clinical guidelines that incorporated economic evaluations. While the Norwegian GPs were sceptical to guidelines that incorporated economic evaluation, the Danish GPs regarded these guidelines as important and legitimate. We suggest that the differences could be explained by the history of guideline development in Norway and Denmark respectively. Whereas government guidelines for rationing services were only newly introduced in Norway, they have been used in Denmark for many years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Comparative qualitative studies of GPs attitudes to clinical guidelines may reveal cross-national differences relating to the varying histories of guideline development. Further studies are needed to explore this hypothesis.</p

Productive resistance within the public sector: exploring organisational culture

The article examines how South Korean civil servants responded to the introduction of pay for performance. Drawing upon 31 in-depth interviews with career civil servants, it identifies what became known as 1/n, a form of ‘discreet resistance’ that emerged and evolved. The analytical framework allows productive resistance to be seen as ebbing and flowing during organisational change that sees institutionalisation, deinstitutionalisation and re-institutionalisation. In understanding the cultural context of organisational resistance the contribution is three-fold. First, a nuanced definition and understanding of productive resistance. Second, it argues that productive resistance must be seen as part of a process that does not simply reflect ‘offer and counter-offer’ within the change management process. Thirdly, it identifies differences within groups and sub-cultures concerning commitment towards resistance and how these fissures contribute towards change as new interpretive schemes and justifications are presented in light of policy reformulations