Application of the biomization technique in the Eastern Colombian Andes

Two pollen records (Lake Fuquene and Pantano de Martos) are analyzed in order to test the usefulness of the Biomization technique to management on forest adaptation to climate change. This work focuses on Biomes and Plant Functional Types response to climate changes on specific dates (18, 14, 12.5, 8 and 6 Kyr) along the Late Quaternary, as deduced from the pollen composition. Results show different responses of vegetation to changes in past environmental conditions, which can be attributed to the different altitudes of the two study sites. While biomes in Lake Fuquene (2500 m a.s.l.) shift from Cool Grassland at 18 Kyr to Cool Mixed Forest and Cool evergreen Forest at 6 Kyr ago, no biome shift is detected in Pantano de Martos (3200 m a.s.l.) through the Late Quaternary. A look to the different Plant Functional Types taking part on the surroundings of the study sites at different ages, together with the analyses of Arboreal / Non Arboreal pollen percentages, give a detailed idea of the ecosystem response to past climate changes. This study shows the potential of the Biomization technique as a simple and powerful tool to analyze ecosystem responses at local and regional scales

Génesis: Guión y Game Design Document de un videojuego RPG

Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Comunicación Audiovisua

Modelización 3D acústica en recintos de gran capacidad. Estimación de parámetros acústicos

Este proyecto de fin de carrera, tiene como objetivo principal la digitalización en 3D y su posterior simulación acústica de los recintos escénicos españoles de mayor capacidad. Una vez realizadas dichas simulaciones, se llevará a cabo un análisis de los valores mediante diferentes ejemplos, utilizando en alguno de ellos las interfaces creadas. Con ayuda de la base de datos que Leo Beranek realizó en su libro “Concert and Opera Halls, How they Sound”, compararemos el estado actual de los recintos escénicos españoles con dichos recintos internacionales.Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación, especialidad Sonido e ImagenTelekomunikazio Ingeniaritza Teknikoa. Soinua eta Irudia Berezitasun

Influence of the economic cycle on the determinants of nascent entrepreneurial activity. An empirical analysis of the Spanish case

This paper explores the contribution of a selection of elements representative of human capital and perception as determinants of entrepreneurship in different stages of the economic cycle. The results confirm the significance of self efficacy, the perception of opportunities, and the fear of failure, and highlight the importance of personal knowledge of entrepreneurs. They remain influential in different economic times in which their analyses have been replicated, although some differences are felt that point to, in contraction periods, a loss of influence of the confidence in one’s own abilities, compared to an increase in the case of judgment on the existence of opportunities in the environment, and in the case of the presence of entrepreneurs in the surrounding context. In contrast, the behavior of the fear of failure, as a barrier to entrepreneurship, remains unchanged in an adverse context with respect to a positive context due to reduced opportunity costs

Diseño de un cabezal RF para Galileo

El objetivo final de este Proyecto Fin de Carrera es la construcción de una antena impresa activa que funcione como receptora de la señal del sistema de posicionamiento Galileo. Debido a que la información útil en este sistema se ubica en dos bandas del espectro radioeléctrico separadas entre sí 300 MHz, el diseño de la antena (elementos radiantes y circuitería necesaria) tendrá como objetivo una respuesta en frecuencia en recepción ‘dual’. Esta característica tendrá una influencia decisiva tanto en la topología a escoger para la antena como en el diseño de la red activa. Como la antena funcionará como receptora de una señal de satélites situados en la órbita MEO (23.200 km), la G/T de la antena deberá ser lo suficientemente elevada (-15 dB/ºK aproximadamente) para obtener una relación señal a ruido aceptable, con lo que el ruido del conjunto será un factor decisivo en el diseño. Para mantener lo más bajo posible el nivel de ruido, la antena debería impedir la recepción de las frecuencias entre las dos bandas de interés de Galileo, lo que hace que el diseño relativamente rutinario de una antena activa impresa exija en nuestro caso soluciones muy específicas en cada una de las etapas, como se verá en la presente memoria. A lo largo de la misma se presentarán para cada etapa varias opciones posibles, pasando posteriormente al diseño de cada una, después de decantarse por la opción que se juzgue más adecuada en cada caso.Ingeniería de Telecomunicació

Influencia del ciclo económico sobre los determinantes de la actividad emprendedora naciente. Un análisis empírico del caso español

This paper explores the contribution of a selection of elements representative of human capital and perception as determinants of entrepreneurship in different stages of the economic cycle. The results confirm the significance of selfefficacy, the perception of opportunities, and the fear of failure, and highlight the importance of personal knowledge of entrepreneurs. They remain influential in different economic times in which their analyses have been replicated, although some differences are felt that point to, in contraction periods, a loss of influence of the confidence in one’s own abilities, compared to an increase in the case of judgment on the existence of opportunities in the environment, and in the case of the presence of entrepreneurs in the surrounding context. In contrast, the behavior of the fear of failure, as a barrier to entrepreneurship, remains unchanged in an adverse context with respect to a positive context due to reduced opportunity costs.Este trabajo explora la contribución de una selección de elementos representativos de capital humano y de percepción como determinantes de la creación de empresas ante distintas etapas del ciclo económico. Los resultados confirman la significación de la autoeficacia, la percepción de oportunidades y el miedo al fracaso, y resaltan la importancia del conocimiento de emprendedores. Su influencia se mantiene en los distintos momentos económicos en los que se han replicado los análisis, si bien se intuyen algunas diferencias que apuntan, en etapas contractivas, a una pérdida de influencia de la confianza en las propias habilidades, frente a un incremento en el caso del juicio sobre la existencia de oportunidades en el entorno y en el caso de la presencia de emprendedores en el contexto cercano. En cambio, el comportamiento del miedo a fracasar, como barrera para emprender, se mantiene invariable en un contexto adverso respecto a uno positivo debido a la reducción de costes de oportunidad

Pagos Digitales para la Inclusión Financiera de poblaciones vulnerables en Argentina: un estudio empírico en comerciantes del Barrio Padre Carlos Múgica (ex Villa 31-31 bis) de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

This paper addresses the problem of digital payments and financial inclusion in informal settlement merchants. To this end, an unprecedented quantitative survey was developed and 104 merchants from the Padre Carlos Múgica Neighborhood (ex Villa 31 and 31 bis) in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, were interviewed. Our findings claim the enormous potential to include financially through digital payments. Mobile is highlighted as the main sources of access to the digital world, but also highlight the lack of security and trust in this technology. Our result shows a multiplier effect on businesses that accept digital payments in relation to other dimensions of financial inclusion and provides information on what are the main incentives that low-income merchants receive to adopt or be interested in starting to accept digital payments in their businesses.Este trabajo se enmarca en el estudio de los pagos digitales y la inclusión financiera en comercios de asentamientos informales. Para ello se elaboró un instrumento de recolección de datos inédito con el cuál se entrevistó a 104 comerciantes del Barrio Padre Carlos Múgica de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nuestros hallazgos reivindican el potencial de incluir financieramente mediante pagos digitales. Se destaca la telefonía móvil como principal medio de acceso al mundo digital, pero también la falta de seguridad y confianza sobre esta tecnología. Se evidencia un efecto multiplicador en comercios que aceptan pagos digitales frente a otras dimensiones de inclusión financiera y se brinda información sobre los principales incentivos que perciben los comerciantes para adoptar pagos digitales en sus comercios

Considering plant functional connectivity in landscape conservation and restoration management

Landscape connectivity has traditionally been studied for animal species rather than for plants, especially under a multispecies approach. However, connectivity can be equally critical for both fauna and flora and, thus, an essential point in the selection of key management areas and measures. This paper explores a spatially explicit framework to assess the contribution of habitat patches in the conservation and enhancement of plant functional connectivity and habitat availability in a multispecies context. It relies on graph theory and a habitat availability index and differentiates between two management scenarios: (i) conservation; and (ii) restoration, by considering current and potential species distribution based on species distribution models together with a vegetation survey. The results mapped at high spatial resolution priority target areas to apply management measures. We found that intervening in a small proportion of the study area may lead to double the average overall landscape connectivity of the studied species. This study aimed at proposing an innovative methodology that allows studying connectivity for multiple plant species at landscape scale while integrating their individual characteristics. The proposed framework is a step toward incorporating connectivity concerns into plant biodiversity management, based on a better understanding of landscape structure and functionality. Here, we illustrated its significant potential for local conservation and restoration planning and resource optimizatio

Equivocados, equidistantes and conversos in the film and novel Frente de Madrid: an analysis of the Falangist discourse in Edgar Neville’s propagandistic cinema and literature

Durante la Guerra Civil, ambos contendientes construyeron discursos con los cuales definir la identidad de uno y otro bando. Estos fueron adaptándose a las contingencias y necesidades de un conflicto internacionalizado. El largometraje Frente de Madrid (1939) y la novela homónima (1941) de Edgar Neville (Madrid, 1899-1967) representan un ejemplo paradigmático de esta evolución en el periodo de fascistización del régimen franquista. Tanto en la novela como en la película del autor madrileño, encontramos una visión motivada por su experiencia como diplomático, su antigua filiación republicana y su conversión al falangismo a principios de la guerra. En las mismas observamos una serie de personajes liminales que, desde unos orígenes políticos diferentes, acaban simpatizando con la causa nacionalista o militando en las filas de Falange. Paralelamente, Neville utiliza las penalidades de la retaguardia republicana y la acción arbitraria de las milicias para tratar de minar el discurso antifascista internacional de defensa de la democracia, la paz y la cultura. En la presente propuesta, analizaremos todo ello desde la filmografía y literatura del autor, la intrahistoria de la película y de la novela –producida y publicada en Italia respectivamente–, así como el contexto general de colaboración cultural entre el régimen y las potencias fascistas. Asimismo, tendremos en cuenta su relación con la estética del cine documental de propaganda, la prensa de los nacionalistas –en especial, La Ametralladora y Vértice– y las producciones anteriores y posteriores de posguerra.During the Spanish Civil War, the Republican and nationalist propagandas appealed to the enemy’s identity in order to show its own contradictions and create division among their ranks. Filmed and written during Franco’s regime fascistized period, Edgar Neville’s film (1939) and novel (1941) Frente de Madrid represents an outstanding sample of integration and, at the same time, discreditation of the enemy’s identity. On one hand, he represents indecisive characters who hesitate about their comrades’ morals in relation with their beliefs and Republican ideology to, eventually, embrace the nationalist cause. On the other hand, the author victimizes the common people living in the besieged Madrid, wrongfully labeled as «fascists», prosecuted and terrorized by the militiamen. By means of these strategies of division and victimization, we consider that Neville aims to undermine the Republican unity and international Antifascist discourse of peace and humanitarianism. We analyze these elements in both novel and film, influenced by his personal perspective as a former republican who joined the nationalist side at the beginning of the war. We also put Frente de Madrid in relation with the particular propagandas by Grupo de San Sebastián, focusing in the magazines La ametralladora and Vértice. This study includes details about the film production in Italy and also seeks links with the author’s pre and post-war non-political cinematography

Impact of Host Genetics and Biological Response Modifiers on Respiratory Tract Infections

Biological response modifiers; Immunogenetics; Inborn errorsModificadors de la resposta biològica; Immunogenètica; Errors congènitsModificadores de la respuesta biológica; Inmunogenética; Errores congénitosHost susceptibility to respiratory tract infections (RTI) is dependent on both genetic and acquired risk factors. Repeated bacterial and viral RTI, such as pneumonia from encapsulated microorganisms, respiratory tract infections related to respiratory syncytial virus or influenza, and even the development of bronchiectasis and asthma, are often reported as the first symptom of primary immunodeficiencies. In the same way, neutropenia is a well-known risk factor for invasive aspergillosis, as well as lymphopenia for Pneumocystis, and mycobacterial infections. However, in the last decades a better knowledge of immune signaling networks and the introduction of next generation sequencing have increased the number and diversity of known inborn errors of immunity. On the other hand, the use of monoclonal antibodies targeting cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha has revealed new risk groups for infections, such as tuberculosis. The use of biological response modifiers has spread to almost all medical specialties, including inflammatory diseases and neoplasia, and are being used to target different signaling networks that may mirror some of the known immune deficiencies. From a clinical perspective, the individual contribution of genetics, and/or targeted treatments, to immune dysregulation is difficult to assess. The aim of this article is to review the known and newly described mechanisms of impaired immune signaling that predispose to RTI, including new insights into host genetics and the impact of biological response modifiers, and to summarize clinical recommendations regarding vaccines and prophylactic treatments in order to prevent infections