Una aproximación al estudio de la formación de los precios en el mercado de acampamentosturísticos

The camping resort in Spain is a subsector of accommodation that has a growing dynamism. Despite this, and its quantitative importance in the Spanish tourism industry, there are very few scientific papers have paid attention. The aim of this paper is to analyze the mechanisms of price formation in this tourist activity, for which it has used a hedonic price model with semi-logarithmic functional form. The results highlight the importance of the geographical location of the establishment as well as its official classification in the valuation of its price by tourists.El acampamento turístico en España es un subsector de alojamiento que presenta un dinamismo creciente. A pesar de ello, y de su importancia cuantitativa en el turismo español, son muy escasos los trabajos científicos que le han prestado su atención. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar los mecanismos de formación de los precios dentro de esta actividad turística, para lo cual se ha empleado un modelo hedónico de precios con forma fun- cional semilogarítmica. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la importancia de la ubicación geográfica del establecimiento así como la calificación oficial del mismo en la valoración de su precio por parte de los turistas

Hypothalamic Control of Systemic Glucose Homeostasis: The Pancreas Connection

Maintenance of glucose homeostasis is mandatory for organismal survival. It is accomplished by complex and coordinated interplay between glucose detection mechanisms and multiple effector systems. The brain, in particular homeostatic regions such as the hypothalamus, plays a crucial role in orchestrating such a highly integral response. We review here current understanding of how the hypothalamus senses glucose availability and participates in systemic glucose homeostasis. We provide an update of the relevant signaling pathways and neuronal subsets involved, as well as of the mechanisms modulating metabolic processes in peripheral tissues such as liver, skeletal muscle, fat, and especially the pancreas. We also discuss the relevance of these networks in human biology and prevalent metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity

Herbaceous Perennial Legumes: New Options for Pasture in Dryland Livestock Systems in Sub-Humid Mediterranean Chile

In a climate with winter-dominant rainfall and long dry summers, like in Central Chile, the introduction and use of annual legumes and grasses, to improve productivity of livestock farming systems and to the rehabilitation of degraded agroecosystems have been the main strategies in the last twenty years. Unfortunately, the growth rate of annual legumes is low during autumn and winter, and also plant senescence starts by the end of October due to low soil water availability. As a consequence, the distribution of biomass production is mainly concentrated in spring when temperatures are moderate and soil water is available. In other Mediterranean-type climates, particularly in Western and Southern Australia, research on perennial legumes has been a priority to increase the availability, quality and timing of forage production, and to tackle environmental problems such as salinization and erosion (Humphries et al., 2008). In this paper we present the first results of a new research line oriented to the introduction and assessment of perennial legumes with depth rooting systems in order to improve pasture productivity by extending the production period. The objectives were to introduce and evaluate the productivity and persistence of perennial forage legumes to summer drought in rainfed Mediterranean environments of Chile

New Herbaceous Perennial Legumes in Dryland Mediterranean Agroecosystems: Pasture Persistence and Productivity

One of the strategies to improve pasture and crop productivity in the Mediterranean zone of Chile has been the introduction and use of annual legumes (del Pozo and Ovalle 2009; Ovalle et al. 2010). The growth rate of annual legumes is low during autumn and winter, and the distribution of the biomass production is mainly concentrated in spring when temperatures are moderate and soil water is available. It is hypothesized that perennial deep-rooted legumes can play a key role in improving soil physicochemical characteristics as well as water-use efficiency (Cocks 2001; Dear et al. 2003; Ward 2006). In addition, plants with deep roots can uptake nutrients from deeper soil layers in nutrient-deficient soils (McCallum et al. 2004) and could improve soil water infiltration. The objective was to introduce and evaluate the persistence of new germplasm of perennial forage legumes to summer drought in the Mediterranean zone of central Chile

Root and Aboveground Traits Expressed by Landraces and Interspecific Hybrid of Alfalfa (\u3cem\u3eMedicago sativa\u3c/em\u3e. Hybr. (Alborea)) with Putative Drought Tolerance in Mediterranean Environments

Alfalfa’s drought tolerance has not been a major breeding target until recently, and the extent of genetic variation for this trait and its contributing mechanisms have not been thoroughly elucidated. Eight populations, including four landraces (Alta Sierra, Aragon, APG6567, APG44669), two Australian cultivars (Venus and Genesis), and two interspecific hybrids (AF3448 and AF3347) of alfalfa were selected based on their outstanding breeding values for dry matter production and plant persistence in Mediterranean drought-prone environments. The objective of this work was to evaluate the below and above ground phenotypic expression of these drought-tolerant alfalfa accessions, in order to identify morpho- physiological mechanisms conferring to alfalfa greater agronomical performance in drought-prone environments. Individual plants of each population were established on mesocosms of PVC tubes 11 cm in diameter and 100 cm in depth. Plants were grown at two water regimes: with water deficit (WD) and well- watered (WW). Both trials were organized in a complete block design with four replicates. Plant height, stem elongation rate, shoot dry matter, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, canopy temperature, leaf area, specific leaf area, crown diameter, relative length density, and root dry matter at 0-30, 30-60 y 60-100 cm were determined. The water regime affected significantly the phenotypic expression of all above and belowground morpho-physiological traits evaluated (P \u3c 0.05), which resulted in a 40% reduction in shoot dry matter and plant height in WD relative to WW. Alfalfa populations with putative drought tolerance in Mediterranean environments did not exhibit a unique phenotypic strategy for facing severe water stress. Populations APG44669 and Alta Sierra showed divergent phenotypic expression in terms of stomatal conductance, leaf traits, root architecture, and root biomass partitioning profile

Decision support system through automatic algorithms and electronic request in diagnosis of anaemia for primary care patients

An appropriate management of anaemia laboratory tests is crucial for a correct diagnosis and treatment. A non-sequential “shotgun” approach (where every anaemia related test is ordered) causes workload and cost increases and could be potentially harmful. We have implemented a Decision Support System through our laboratory information system (LIMS) based on reflexive algorithms and automatic generation of interpretative reports specifically in diagnosis of anaemia for primary care patients. When a request contained an “Anaemia Suspicion Study” profile, more than twenty automatic reflexive rules were activated in our LIMS based upon laboratory results. These rules normally involved the addition of reflexive tests. A final report was automatically generated for each interpretation which was always reviewed for their validity by two staff pathologists. We measured the impact of this system in the ordering of most common anaemia related tests and if a proper treatment was established based on the interpretive report. From all the studies performed, only 12% were positive being “iron deficiency” and “anaemia of chronic disease” the most frequent causes, 62% and 17%, respectively. Proper treatment was established in 88% of these anaemic patients. Total iron, transferrin, ferritin, folate and vitamin B12 demand decreased substantially after implementation representing a cost reduction of 40% only for these five tests. Our system has easily improved patient outcomes, advising on individual clinical cases. We have also noticeably reduced the number of over-requested tests and laboratory costs

Hypothalamic Regulation of Liver and Muscle Nutrient Partitioning by Brain-Specific Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1C in Male Mice

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) 1C, a brain-specific protein localized in the endoplasmic reticulum of neurons, is expressed in almost all brain regions. Based on global knockout (KO) models, CPT1C has demonstrated relevance in hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and in hypothalamic regulation of energy balance. Specifically, it has been shown that CPT1C is protective against high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO), and that CPT1C KO mice show reduced peripheral fatty acid oxidation (FAO) during both fasting and DIO. However, the mechanisms mediating CPT1C-dependent regulation of energy homeostasis remain unclear. Here, we focus on the mechanistic understanding of hypothalamic CPT1C on the regulation of fuel selection in liver and muscle of male mice during energy deprivation situations, such as fasting. In CPT1C-deficient mice, modulation of the main hypothalamic energy sensors (50 adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, Sirtuin 1, and mammalian target of rapamycin) was impaired and plasma catecholamine levels were decreased. Consequently, CPT1C-deficient mice presented defective fasting-induced FAO in liver, leading to higher triacylglycerol accumulation and lower glycogen levels. Moreover, muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was increased, which was indicative of glycolysis enhancement. The respiratory quotient did not decrease in CPT1CKO mice after 48 hours of fasting, confirming a defective switch on fuel substrate selection under hypoglycemia. Phenotype reversion studies identified the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) as the main area mediating CPT1C effects on fuel selection. Overall, our data demonstrate that CPT1C in the MBH is necessary for proper hypothalamic sensing of a negative energy balance and fuel partitioning in liver and muscle

Especialización turística y rendimientos del capital humano de las regiones españolas en el sector de la hostelería

El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar la existencia y el grado de especialización en la industria turística de las principales regiones españolas desde la perspectiva del stock de capital humano y de los rendimientos de la educación, centrándose en el subsector de la hostelería. Para ello, se ha utilizado una versión extendida de la ecuación de salarios de Mincer (1974) y datos procedentes de la Encuesta de Estructura Salarial para el año 2006. Todas las regiones analizadas muestran rendimientos de la educación más bajos en el sector de la hostelería que los que se presentan en otros servicios privados. Existen también diferencias significativas en los rendimientos de la educación entre regiones, especialmente en Cataluña y en las Islas Canarias.The aim of our study is to evaluate the existence and degree of specialization in tourism of the Spanish regions from the perspective of the human capital stock and the returns of their education, limiting the scope of study to the hospitality subsector. We use an expanded version of the Mincer wage equation (1974) and data from the 2006 Spanish Wage Structure Survey. All the regions under analysis show lower education returns (and other human capital variables) in the hospitality sector when compared to other private services. There are signifi cant differences in education returns between regions, especially in Catalonia and the Canary Islands

Hypothalamic ceramide levels regulated by CPT1C mediate the orexigenic effect of ghrelin.

Recent data suggest that ghrelin exerts its orexigenic action through regulation of hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, leading to a decline in malonyl-CoA levels and desinhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), which increases mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and ultimately enhances the expression of the orexigenic neuropeptides agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). However, it is unclear whether the brain-specific isoform CPT1C, which is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of neurons, may play a role on this action. Here, we demonstrate that ghrelin's orexigenic action is totally blunted in CPT1C knock-out (KO) mice, despite having the canonical ghrelin signaling pathway activated. We also demonstrate that ghrelin elicits a marked upregulation of hypothalamic C18:0-ceramide levels mediated by CPT1C. Notably, central inhibition of ceramide synthesis with myriocin negated ghrelin's orexigenic action and normalized the levels of AgRP and NPY, as well as their key transcription factors pCREB and FoxO1. Finally, central treatment with ceramide induced food intake and orexigenic neuropeptides expression in CPT1C KO mice. Overall, these data indicate that, in addition to formerly reported mechanisms, ghrelin also induces food intake through regulation of hypothalamic CPT1C and ceramide metabolism, a finding of potential importance for the understanding and treatment of obesity