Electrochemical characterization of a Fe-based shape memory alloy in an alkaline medium and the behaviour in aggressive conditions

A Fe-17Mn-6Si-19Cr-4Ni-1(V,C) shape memory steel (SMS) was characterised electrochemically in its unstrained and pre-strained conditions. The work focused on analysing the passive films generated in alkaline conditions, and on the behaviour of those passive samples in various Cl /OH ratios. The passive films were developed by cyclic voltammetry and their characterisation was performed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); these tests were also carried out in 304 L stainless steel specimens for comparison purposes. The results indicated that the film characteristics (thickness and composition) were similar in all the samples, although higher corrosion resistance was observed in the 304 L due to the higher Cr content. In addition, the behaviour of the passive samples in aggressive conditions was assessed by potentiodynamic measurements. The results stated that the shape memory steels were more sensitive than the stainless steel to the aggressive conditions, especially when the alloy was pre-strained. It was also observed that the SMS exhibited a characteristic corrosion morphology localized at the grain boundariesAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. TED2021-130605B-I00Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Effectiveness of an Eye-Cervical Re-Education Program in Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives. Proprioceptive training is popularly applied as a therapeutic exercise method in physiotherapy. Its effects on pain and range of motion are only poorly evaluated. Therefore, this study assesses the effectiveness of proprioceptive training with an Eye-Cervical Re-education Program to decrease pain and increase the joint range in chronic neck pain patients. Material and Methods. Design. A randomized, no-blinded, controlled clinical trial. Setting. Physiotherapy consultation. Participants. 44 people were divided into two groups. Interventions. All patients were treated with a multimodal physiotherapy intervention. The experimental group was supplemented with an exercise program that included eye-cervical proprioception. Outcomes. The primary outcomes included pain pressure thresholds (upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and splenius capitis) and cervical range of motion. The secondary outcomes included pain measured by the Visual Analogical Scale and the McGillSpv Questionnaire. Results. The proprioception treatment was effective in reducing the pain pressure threshold in the right upper trapezius (p=0.001), left upper trapezius (p=0.014), right levator scapula (p=0.040), and left splenius capitis (p=0.021). The increase in the joint range was statistically significant (p<0.05) in favor of the Eye-Cervical Re-education Program for all movements assessed. Conclusions. The Eye-Cervical Re-education Program is effective at relieving pain pressure thresholds in the upper trapezius, right levator scapula, and left splenius capitis and especially effective for increasing the cervical range of motion. This trial is registered with (retrospective registration)

The Impact of Depression on the Functional Outcome of the Elderly Stroke Victim from a Gender Perspective: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: The aim of this systematic review focused on analyzing the impact of depression on the functional outcome of the elderly stroke victim and how this disorder affects both the female and the male population. (2) Methods: We conducted a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review was registered in PROSPERO (ID 346284). The systematic search for clinical trials was performed in the databases Pubmed, Otseeker, Scopus, Web of Science, Psycinfo, Medline Complete, ScienceDirect, SciELO, and Dialnet. Articles were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including those dealing with post-stroke depression in adults whose psychological status had changed. Studies that only assessed the psychological state of caregivers were excluded. (3) Results: In total, 609 articles were identified, of which 11 randomized controlled trials were finally included in the review. The results indicate that post-stroke depression influences the recovery of functionality and quality of life. In addition, the need to detect the mood of the adult population after the stroke and to provide individualized treatment according to the characteristics of the person is highlighted. (4) Conclusions: This systematic review shows how early detection of post-stroke depressive symptoms can improve the degree of disability and quality of life of the person, especially in women.The APC was funded by the University of Malaga. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Corrosion resistance of a water-borne resin doped with graphene derivatives applied on galvanized steel

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGThe present work reports the effect of adding Graphene Oxide (GO) and reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) in the corrosion protection provided by a water-borne resin applied on a galvanized steel substrate. Three concentrations, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 (all wt%) were tested. The results were markedly affected not only by the concentration of particles but also by their nature. Although the zeta potential values suggested good dispersibility of the particles in the resin, certain aggregation was observed, mainly in rGO 0.1 wt% and rGO 0.15 wt% formulations. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique characterised the free films' transport properties. The results suggested that the aggregation strongly influenced the film morphology. The rGO 0.1 wt% and rGO 0.15 wt% formulations exhibited percolating pores that facilitated the electrolyte uptake through the films. The EIS technique was also used to study the protective performance of the films when applied to the metallic substrate. The results confirmed the harmful effect of the particle's aggregation. The results were interesting for the rGO 0.05 wt% system, which displayed long-lasting protection properties. This performance was explained considering its good barrier properties and the zinc surface passivation by the generation of zincite, ZnO

A spoken genre gets written: Online football commentaries in English, French, and Spanish

[EN] Many recent studies on computer-mediated communication (CMC) have addressed the question of orality and literacy. This article examines a relatively recent subgenre of CMC, that of written online sports commentary, that provides us with written CMC that is clearly based on firmly established oral genres, those of radio and television sports commentary. The examples analyzed are from two English, two French, and two Spanish online football (soccer) commentaries. The purpose of the study is to examine oral traits and genre mixing in online football commentaries in the three languages and carryover from the spoken genres of radio and television commentaries to this developing genre, following Ferguson. Special attention is paid to Web page design. The study reveals that form and content of online football commentaries are strongly affected by the style of the online newspaper.Pérez-Sabater, C.; Peña-Martinez, G.; Turney Taggart, E.; Montero Fleta, MB. (2008). A spoken genre gets written: Online football commentaries in English, French, and Spanish. Written Communication. 25(2):235-261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088307313174S235261252Baillette, F. (Ed.). (1996, October). Sport et nationalisme [Sport and nationalism] [Special issue]. Quasimodo, 1. Retrieved September 29, 2007, from http://www.revue-quasimodo.org/Index.htmBaron, N. S. (1998). Letters by phone or speech by other means: the linguistics of email. Language & Communication, 18(2), 133-170. doi:10.1016/s0271-5309(98)00005-6Baron, N. S. (2002). Alphabet to Email. doi:10.4324/9780203194317Biber, D. (1988). Variation across Speech and Writing. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511621024Biber, D., & Finegan, E. (1989). Drift and the Evolution of English Style: A History of Three Genres. Language, 65(3), 487. doi:10.2307/415220Chafe, W. (1982). Integration and involvement in speaking, writing, and oral literature. In D. Tannen (Ed.), Spoken and written language: Exploring orality and literacy (pp. 35-53). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Chafe, W. & Danielewicz, J. (1987). Properties of spoken and written language. In R. Horowitz & S. J. Samuels (Eds.), Comprehending oral and written language (pp. 83-113). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.Collot, M., & Belmore, N. (1996). Electronic Language. Computer-Mediated Communication, 13. doi:10.1075/pbns.39.04colConnor, U. M. (1996). Contrastive Rhetoric. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139524599Crystal, D. (2001). Language and the Internet. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139164771Ferguson, C. A. (1983). Sports announcer talk: Syntactic aspects of register variation. Language in Society, 12(2), 153-172. doi:10.1017/s0047404500009787FERRARA, K., BRUNNER, H., & WHITTEMORE, G. (1991). Interactive Written Discourse as an Emergent Register. Written Communication, 8(1), 8-34. doi:10.1177/0741088391008001002Herring, S. C. (1996). Two variants of an electronic message schema. Computer-Mediated Communication, 81. doi:10.1075/pbns.39.08herHerring, S. C. (2004). Slouching Toward the Ordinary: Current Trends in Computer-Mediated Communication. New Media & Society, 6(1), 26-36. doi:10.1177/1461444804039906Hoyle, S. M. (1991). Children’s competence in the specialized register of sportscasting. Journal of Child Language, 18(2), 435-450. doi:10.1017/s0305000900011144Lan, L. (2000). Email: a challenge to Standard English? English Today, 16(4), 23-29. doi:10.1017/s0266078400000511Machin, D., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2004). Global media: generic homogeneity and discursive diversity. Continuum, 18(1), 99-120. doi:10.1080/1030431032000181021Maynor, N. (1994). The language of electronic mail: Written speech? In G. D. Little & M. Montgomery (Eds.), Centennial usage studies (pp. 48-54). Tuscaloosa: Alabama University Press.Moreno, A. I. (1997). Genre constraints across languages: Causal metatext in Spanish and English RAs. English for Specific Purposes, 16(3), 161-179. doi:10.1016/s0889-4906(96)00023-3MURRAY, D. E. (1991). The Composing Process for Computer Conversation. Written Communication, 8(1), 35-55. doi:10.1177/0741088391008001003Murray, D. E. (2000). Protean Communication: The Language of Computer-Mediated Communication. TESOL Quarterly, 34(3), 397. doi:10.2307/3587737Pérez-Sabater, C., Turney, E., Montesinos-López, A. & Montero-Fleta, B. (2001). Pronouns of power and manipulation. In F. Mayer (Ed.), Language for special purposes: Perspectives for the new millenium. LSP in academic discourse and in the fields of law, business and medicine (pp. 489-497). Tübingen, Germany: Gunter Narr Verlag.Turney, E., Pérez-Sabater, C., Montero-Fleta, B. & Montesinos-López, A. (2003). Digital genres across cultures. In S. Posteguillo, E. Ortells, J. R. Prado , A. Bolaños, & A. Alcina (Eds.), Internet in linguistics, translation and literary studies (pp. 254-262). 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Deciphering the plot preferences of forest contractors when purchasing stumpage through conjoint analysis

In order to have sustainable wood value chains, it is essential to understand the factors that determine the incorporation of wood resources into them. Forest contractors are among the key players in this process. This study evaluates the preferences of forest contractors when purchasing forest parcels. The variables considered are: slope of the terrain, distance to the nearest road, parcel size, parcel shape, and the fragmentation of the surrounding land. The study area is Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain that is dominated by small-scale family forestry. An Attribute Levels Survey was designed to establish threshold values of the considered variables to afterwards perform a Choice Based Conjoint Analysis (CBCA). The CBCA allowed to analyze the preferences of forest contractors in relation to the values of these variables and their relative importance. Also, it allowed to generate a map of the level of preference for all the Galician forest parcels with individual, private ownership. The most noteworthy result of this survey was that size greatly impacts the preference of timber contractors, preceded by slope and followed by distance to roads. These results will aid in the design of landscape-scale policies in a geospatial dimension, like the promotion of forest associations, and will lead to an improvement in the sustainability of wood supply.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-111581RB-I00Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020-118101GB-I00Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. FPU19/02054Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Behaviour of PM10 and some metals in atmospheric aerosols in the southeastern Spain (Malaga)

INTRODUCTION. Studies in aerosol particles provide a means for evaluating the integrated effects of transport and meteorology on the atmospheric loadings of substances with different sources in little industrialised area in South Spain. Weekly samples of aerosols in air were continuously monitored between 2009 and 2011 in Malaga (Spain) with a high-volume air sampler (ASS-500C). Additionally, levels of particulate matter fraction PM10 were monitored in one of the Atmospheric Pollution Monitoring network managed by the Environmental Health Service of the Andalusian Government. The sampling point (4º 28’ 4” W; 36º 43’ 40”N) was located approximately 5 km from the coastline, near the airport and surrounded by roads with traffic exhaust. The high-volume sampler uses polypropylene square filters (44 x 44 cm2) with a collection efficiency of 93-99%, at a flow rate of 90,000 L min-1 This system was configured to filter a discharge average of 600 m3/h of air. The average weekly volume ranged from 65000 to 90000 m3. The dust content in the filters was calculated gravimetrically by weighing the filters before and after and were analysed for the major elements Ca, Fe, Na, Mg, K, Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn and Pb by ICP-MS (NexION).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Interventions within the Scope of Occupational Therapy in the Hospital Discharge Process Post-Stroke: A Systematic Review

Stroke is one of the main causes of disability in adulthood. Its rehabilitation is a complex process that requires a multidisciplinary team of specialised professionals. The main goal of this review was to determine the impact of occupational therapy intervention post-stroke on the home discharge process. A systematic search was carried out of the following databases: Pubmed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, Otseeker, and Dialnet. A screening was performed taking into account the type of article, including exclusively RCT, and type of intervention, only including interventions within the scope of occupational therapy that take place during the process of hospital discharge post-stroke. A total of 2285 citations were identified in the search from which 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. Comparisons of the groups indicated that early occupational therapy intervention during the process of hospital discharge can be effective in terms of functional recovery and can lead to the caregiver seeing improvements in self-efficacy and fatigue. In addition, the inclusion of a caregiver in the intervention influences the patient’s adherence to treatment, leading to a reduction in the cost of treatment and rehabilitation.This study will be supported by University of Malaga (Spain). Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Atmospheric deposition fluxes of aluminium, iron and trace metals in a coastal station on the NW-Alboran Sea, (W-Mediterranean)

El estudio se ha realizado en el marco del Proyecto del Plan Nacional con ref. CTM12-37598-C02The atmospheric deposition over the whole Mediterranean is poorly constrained and hinders a clear assessment of the extent to which atmospheric elements of various anthropogenic and natural origins affect its biogeochemistry. Available data show poor spatial representation, as most of the deposition data refer to the northwestern zone. The Alboran Sea, in particular, is a very interesting case study as regards the atmospheric input because the atmospheric chemistry is dominated by antagonistic influences of natural (mainly from the Sahara) and human activity due to the relative proximity of land-based sources and densely populated shores. The biogeochemical impact of desert dust also remains a matter of discussion regarding its contribution for different major and minor elements to terrestrial and marine systems and especially its potential fertilizing role by supplying micronutrients as iron. Atmospheric fluxes of various trace metals were measured in order to evaluate the presence of these elements in their differently bio-available forms, contents in the soluble and non-soluble fractions were determined. Sampling presented for this study was performed in Malaga (southeast of Spain, 36° 43′ 40″ N; 4° 28′ 8″ W) in an open bulk deposition collector placed 10 m above the ground. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model was used to calculate the backward trajectories of air masses reaching the study region.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Estrategia MOOC en la Universidad de Alicante para la Educación Digital del Futuro. UA|edf

La Universidad de Alicante es una de las instituciones de educación superior que ha querido recoger el guante lanzado por la reciente aparición de los cursos en abierto, en línea y masivos (MOOC — Massive Open Online Course) para emprender una iniciativa propia que hemos denominado Educación Digital para el Futuro (UA|edf). Pero antes de tomar decisiones, había que analizar el estado de la situación y, sobre todo, su posible evolución. En este trabajo se expone de forma sintetizada el estudio realizado, se describe la estrategia de implementación adoptada en nuestra institución junto con las decisiones funcionales, técnicas y tecnológicas empleadas para su rápida puesta en marcha y, para finalizar, se discute una política de federación con otras instituciones cuya finalidad es alcanzar una propuesta realista y sostenible