Evaluación de la satisfacción del turista y la congestión en la práctica de observación de ballenas jorobadas, el caso de Puerto López – Ecuador

[EN] The effect of crowding on tourist satisfaction is a widely studied aspect. Its knowledge is valuable not only to guide ordering of tourism activity but also to ensure a satisfactory experience that contributes to its economic sustainability. However, studies of this type are scarce in the context of whale watching tourism. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate tourist satisfaction and crowding in the practice of humpback whale - watching in Puerto López - Ecuador. At the methodological level, a survey was applied to 340 tourists who observed whales in the June-September 2017 season. Data analysis was based on descriptive record, the structuring of an importance-performance analysis matrix, principal components analysis and binary logistic regression model. Unlike others, this research incorporated the calculation of a perceived crowding threshold and the analysis of the relationship between perceived crowding of boats and people on board. Among main results, the study finds that crowding influences tourist satisfaction when four or more boats coincide at a sighting site. In that sense, the activity in Puerto López is satisfactory in the face of a reported crowding scenario of 3.7 boats and 16.3 people per boat, on average. The limitations of this study are its exploratory nature because it is based on a non-probabilistic sampling and the questionnaire application exclusively in standard capacity boats, without considering those of 35 passengers.[ES] El efecto de la congestión sobre la satisfacción del turista constituye un aspecto ampliamente estudiado. Su conocimiento resulta valioso no solo para orientar el ordenamiento de la actividad turística sino además para asegurar una experiencia satisfactoria que contribuya a su sostenibilidad económica. Sin embargo, son escasos los estudios de este tipo en el contexto del turismo de observación de ballenas. Por tanto, esta investigación tiene como objetivo evaluar la satisfacción del turista y la congestión en la práctica de observación de ballenas jorobadas en Puerto López – Ecuador. A nivel metodológico se aplicó una encuesta a 340 turistas que observaron ballenas en la temporada junio-septiembre de 2017. El análisis de datos se apoyó en el registro descriptivo, la estructuración de una matriz de análisis importancia-desempeño, el análisis de componentes principales y un modelo de regresión logística binaria. A diferencia de otras, esta investigación incorporó el cálculo de un umbral de congestión percibida y el análisis de la relación entre congestión percibida de botes y de personas a bordo. Como resultado, el estudio encuentra que la congestión influye en la satisfacción del turista cuando cuatro o más embarcaciones coinciden en un sitio de avistamiento. En ese sentido, la actividad en Puerto López es satisfactoria frente a un escenario de congestión reportada de 3,7 botes y 16,3 personas por bote, en promedio. Constituyen limitaciones del estudio su carácter exploratorio por basarse en un muestreo no probabilístico y la aplicación exclusiva del cuestionario en botes de capacidad estándar, sin considerar aquellos de 35 pasajeros

Spanish Tourist Behaviour: A Specific Objective-base Segmantation

This work uses data from the Spanish Tourism Demand Segments Survey (N=6900) conducted by the IESA-CSIC for Turismo Andaluz, SA. The objective of the paper is to develop a statistical segmentation or typology of Spanish tourists based on objective aspects of tourist behaviour measured in the survey including destinations visited, theme of the trip, lodging, transportation and travel group. Initial categorical data are reduced using multiple correspondence analysis and grouped through cluster analysis. Afterwards, identified segments are evaluated to analyse their tourist profiles with a view to examining sociological perspectives of tourist behaviour.Tourist Demand, Segmentation, Spain, Domestic Tourism, Multiple Correspondence Analysis, Cluster Analysis

Numerical validation of a population balance model describing cement paste rheology

Rheology control is essential during the period in which cement and concrete pastes are encountered in the fresh state, due to the fact that it directly affects workability, initial placement and the structural performance of the hardened material. Optimizations of clinker formulations and reductions in cement-to-water ratios induced by economic and environmental considerations have a significant effect in rheology, which invokes the need for mechanistic models capable of describing the effect of multiple relevant phenomena on the observed paste flow. In this work, the population balance framework was implemented to develop a model able to relate the transient microstructural evolution of cement pastes under typical experimental conditions with its macroscopic rheological responses. Numerical details and performance are assessed and discussed. It was found that the model is capable of reproducing experimentally observed flow curves by using measured cluster size distribution information. It is also able to predict the complex rheological characteristics typically found in cement pastes. Furthermore, a spatially resolved scheme was proposed to investigate the nature of flow inside a parallel-plates rheometer geometry with the objective of assessing the ability of the model of qualitatively predicting experimentally observed behavior and to gain insight into the effect of possible secondary flows

Vitamin D, a modulator of musculoskeletal health in chronic kidney disease

The spectrum of activity of vitamin D goes beyond calcium and bone homeostasis, and growing evidence suggests that vitamin D contributes to maintain musculoskeletal health in healthy subjects as well as in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who display the combination of bone metabolism disorder, muscle wasting, and weakness. Here, we review how vitamin D represents a pathway in which bone and muscle may interact. In vitro studies have confirmed that the vitamin D receptor is present on muscle, describing the mechanisms whereby vitamin D directly affects skeletal muscle. These include genomic and non‐genomic (rapid) effects, regulating cellular differentiation and proliferation. Observational studies have shown that circulating 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels correlate with the clinical symptoms and muscle morphological changes observed in CKD patients. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to low bone formation rate and bone mineral density, with an increased risk of skeletal fractures. The impact of low vitamin D status on skeletal muscle may also affect muscle metabolic pathways, including its sensitivity to insulin. Although some interventional studies have shown that vitamin D may improve physical performance and protect against the development of histological and radiological signs of hyperparathyroidism, evidence is still insufficient to draw definitive conclusions

Mathematics primary teacher training in the context of the european higher education area

The future implementation of the European Higher Education Area requires thorough reflection on how to design and develop teacher training courses. In this reflection, it is important to reconsider, among other issues, (a) the role of prospective teachers in their own learning process and (b) the professional competencies that they must develop in the course of their higher education. Since 2003, the University of Granada has undertaken the development of pilot experiences to adapt some degree programs to this new framework. One of these degrees is Teacher in Primary Education degree, which includes several courses that focus on promoting prospective teachersÕ development of mathematical and pedagogical knowledge. In this paper how to organize future teachersÕ learning through practical activities in one of these courses is described. Firstly, the general process of adapting the course is analysed. Secondly, its theoretical and practical structure, with some examples of practical activities, are described. Finally, some results of the implementation are discussed

Videoconferencing of inmates with the defence lawyer or with the lawyer expressly called in relation to criminal matters

El uso de la videoconferencia en la Administración de Justicia española, y, más concretamente, en el proceso penal español, no es algo novedoso, ni siquiera en los centros penitenciarios, donde desde hace más de una década se hace uso de esta tecnología para facilitar la práctica de algunas actuaciones judiciales. Sin embargo, su uso para otros fines es completa o prácticamente inexistente, a pesar de que puede ser muy adecuada, entre otras cosas, para facilitar las comunicaciones entre el interno y sus familiares, para que se le preste al interno asistencia médica, o para las comunicaciones por videoconferencia de los internos con el abogado defensor o con el abogado expresamente llamado en relación con asuntos penales. Precisamente, este trabajo se centra en esta última posibilidad al analizar si actualmente este tipo de comunicaciones está regulada o no en la normativa penitenciaria española, si existen antecedentes al respecto en nuestro país, qué ventajas y deseventajas presenta, cómo ha de desarrollarse y qué garantías debe tener.The use of videoconferencing in the Spanish Administration of Justice, and more specifically, in the Spanish criminal process, is not something new, not even in prisons, where for more than a decade this technology has been used to facilitate the practice of some judicial proceedings. However, its use for other purposes is complete or practically non-existent, although it may be very appropriate, among other things, to facilitate communications between the inmate and his family, to provide the inmate with medical assistance, or for videoconferencing of inmates with the defence lawyer or with the lawyer expressly called in relation to criminal matters. Precisely, this work focuses on the latter possibility when analysing whether this type of communication is currently regulated or not in the Spanish penitentiary regulations, if there are antecedents in this respect in our country, what advantages and disadvantages does it present, how it must be developed and what guarantees it must have

Primeras aproximaciones para el estudio de los procesos de estratificación en los aglomerados urbanos en Argentina

El presente artículo se propone explorar las estratificaciones sociales en los grandes aglomerados urbanos en Argentina en el período 2003-2011. Los alcances y objetivos de este artículo son descriptivos. En este sentido, propone un esquema de clases apto para instrumentos como la EPH y describe los procesos de asalarización de los cuadros más capacitados, el crecimiento espurio de la clase media y la persistencia de una clase baja marginal a pesar del crecimiento económico. El aglomerado Gran Mendoza es analizado por separado ya que parece exhibir tendencias diferenciales.The current article explores social stratification in great urban conglomerates in Argentina during the period between 2003 and 2011. The goals and reaches of the article are descriptive. By proposing a class schemata apt for instruments such as the EPH, the article manges to describe salarization process of high skilled workers, spurious growth on middleclass and the persistence of an underclass despite the economic growth. Conglomerate Gran Mendoza is described separately since it seems to present different tendencies to the rest of the conglomerates.Fil: Derteano, Pablo Molina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plat

Espejos virtuales: La semiótica de la cultura y el enlace héroe/jugador en el videojuego

En estudios anteriores (Molina Ahumada 2015; 2016) hemos indagado el modo en que los videojuegos compaginan distintos lenguajes de la cultura ya conocidos (como ser la literatura, el cine, la fotografía, los dibujos animados y el teatro) para construir sus modelos de mundo. Señalamos también en esos estudios que la particularidad del videojuego está dada, en primer término, por su capacidad de compaginar de manera específica todos esos lenguajes previos y, en segundo lugar, por colocar al jugador en una posición fundamental de ese proceso generado "proceduralmente" (es decir, a través de procedimientos informáticos), vinculados a un tipo de literatura que Aarseth (1997) denomina "ergódica" (porque atiende a esta actividad requerida al lector) y cuyos procedimientos persuasivos Bogost (2010) afilia a una "etórica procedural. La pregunta que nos guía es: ¿de qué manera se configura la relación entre figura heroica y jugador/a en el videojuego? ¿Podría ser el mecanismo semiótico del enantiomorfismo descripto por Lotman una clave para interpretar el enlace de esos elementos?Fil: Molina Ahumada, Ernesto Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas; Argentin

First approaches to the study of processes of stratification in conglomerates urban in Argentina

El presente artículo se propone explorar las estratificaciones sociales en los grandes aglomerados urbanos en Argentina en el período 2003-2011. Los alcances y objetivos de este artículo son descriptivos. En este sentido, propone un esquema de clases apto para instrumentos como la EPH y describe los procesos de asalarización de los cuadros más capacitados, el crecimiento espurio de la clase media y la persistencia de una clase baja marginal a pesar del crecimiento económico. El aglomerado Gran Mendoza es analizado por separado ya que parece exhibir tendencias diferenciales.The current article explores social stratification in great urban conglomerates in Argentina during the period between 2003 and 2011. The goals and reaches of the article are descriptive. By proposing a class schemata apt for instruments such as the EPH, the article manges to describe salarization process of high skilled workers, spurious growth on middleclass and the persistence of an underclass despite the economic growth. Conglomerate Gran Mendoza is described separately since it seems to present different tendencies to the rest of the conglomerates.Fil: Molina Derteano, Pablo Federico. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin