A comparative study on VGI and professional noise data

Ponencias, comunicaciones y pósters presentados en el 17th AGILE Conference on Geographic Information Science "Connecting a Digital Europe through Location and Place", celebrado en la Universitat Jaume I del 3 al 6 de junio de 2014.The ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and its growing presence in urban areas, turn them up into low cost environmental monitoring platforms. In this field, several authors made different efforts to provide alternatives to Sensor Networks, to assess noise pollution in cities using crowdsourcing techniques. In this sense, citizens might potentially produce large spatio-temporal datasets using their mobile devices to measure noise levels. There are few attempts of assessing the quality of the mobile noise samples on a real scenario and compare them to commercial data to evaluate if they are reliable enough. This contribution reviews the existing applications to collect or assess the quality of noise samples when they are used as sound level meters. Moreover, it presents the results of our experiment: the volunteer noise dataset generated in a ‘mapping party’ on our campus is compared to professional data. Results show that VGI data might be sufficient for multiple daily situations

Influence of Cardiorespiratory Clinical Placements on the Specialty Interest of Physiotherapy Students

Clinical placements are an important part of health students’ training. Whilst much value is placed on the clinical environment as a place to learn, there is a paucity of direct evidence about its effectiveness. The aim of this study was to compare the competence, importance, and interest in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy of students before and after one month of clinical practice. A preand post-placement questionnaire about students’ interest in different physiotherapy subspecialties was used. The students with a cardiorespiratory clinical placement showed a significant change in their perception about the importance of the cardiorespiratory specialty (0.348 1.01; p < 0.001), while no significant change was observed in the students without cardiorespiratory placement (-0.014 0.825; p = 0.883). The presence or absence of clinical placements seems to have a definitive impact on students’ choice of a specialty. This implies the need for developing a set of clinical placements in all the subareas of physiotherapy in order to give undergraduate students the opportunity to make a better decision

Impact of Previous Physical Activity Levels on Symptomatology, Functionality, and Strength during an Acute Exacerbation in COPD Patients

The main objective of this study is to determine the relationship between physical activity (PA) level prior to hospitalization and the pulmonary symptomatology, functionality, exercise capacity, and strength of acute exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. In this observational study, all data were taken during the patient’s first day in hospital. Patients were divided into two groups (a PA group, and a physical inactivity (PI) group), according to the PA level evaluated by the Baecke questionnaire. Cough status was evaluated by the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and dyspnea was assessed using the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC). Functionality was measured by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale (LCADL). Exercise capacity was evaluated by the two-minute step-in-place (2MSP) test, and strength assessed by dynamometry. A total of 151 patients were included in this observational study. Patients in the PI group obtained worse results compared to the PA group, and significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in all of the variables. Those COPD patients who regularly perform PA have less dyspnea and cough, as well as better functionality, exercise capacity and strength during an exacerbation, without relationship to the severity of the pathology.The author JRT has received financial support through a FPU (“Formación Profesorado Universitario”) grant (FPU:16/01531) of the Spanish Ministry of Education. The author LLL has received financial support through a FPU grant (FPU: 17/00408) of the Spanish Ministry of Education (Spain)

Meningococcal group B vaccine for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a major public health concern because of its high case fatality, long-term morbidity, and potential to course with outbreaks. IMD caused by Nesseira meningitidis serogroup B has been predominant in different regions of the world like Europe and only recently broadly protective vaccines against B serogroup have become available. Two protein-based vaccines, namely 4CMenB (Bexsero®) and rLP2086 (Trumenba®) are currently licensed for use in different countries against MenB disease. These vaccines came from a novel technology on vaccine design (or antigen selection) using highly specific antigen targets identified through whole-genome sequence analysis. Moreover, it has the potential to confer protection against non-B meningococcus and against other Neisserial species such as gonococcus. Real-world data on the vaccine-use are rapidly accumulating from the UK and other countries which used the vaccine for control of outbreak or as part of routine immunization program, reiterating its safety and efficacy. Additional data on real-life effectiveness, long-term immunity, and eventual herd effects, including estimates on vaccine impact for cost-effectiveness assessment are further needed. Given the predominance of MenB in Europe and other parts of the world, these new vaccines are crucial for the prevention and public health control of the disease, and should be considered.S

Can domestication shape Canidae brain morphology? the accessory olfactory bulb of the red fox as a case in point

Background: The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is the first integrative center of the vomeronasal system (VNS), and the general macroscopic, microscopic, and neurochemical organizational patterns of the AOB differ fundamentally among species. Therefore, the low degree of differentiation observed for the dog AOB is surprising. As the artificial selection pressure exerted on domestic dogs has been suggested to play a key role in the involution of the dog VNS, a wild canid, such as the fox, represents a useful model for studying the hypothetical effects of domestication on the AOB morphology. Methods: A comprehensive histological, lectin-histochemical, and immunohistochemical study of the fox AOB was performed. Anti-Gαo and anti-Gαi2 antibodies were particularly useful, as they label the transduction cascade of the vomeronasal receptor types 1 (V1R) and 2 (V2R), respectively. Other employed antibodies included those against proteins such as microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2), tubulin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), olfactory marker protein (OMP), calbindin, and calretinin. Results: The cytoarchitecture of the fox AOB showed a clear lamination, with neatly differentiated layers; a highly developed glomerular layer, rich in periglomerular cells; and large inner cell and granular layers. The immunolabeling of Gαi2, OMP, and GAP-43 delineated the outer layers, whereas Gαo and MAP-2 immunolabeling defined the inner layers. MAP-2 characterized the somas of AOB principal cells and their dendritic trees. Anti-calbindin and anti-calretinin antibodies discriminated neural subpopulations in both the mitral-plexiform layer and the granular cell layer, and the lectin Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) showed selectivity for the AOB and the vomeronasal nervesS

Certezas manifestadas por el alumnado con relación a la adquisición de competencias específicas en la modalidad de prácticas tuteladas de la asignatura Clínica Odontológica Integrada del Grado de Odontología

Las prácticas tuteladas constituyen una metodología clave en la formación de los futuros odontólogos. En este contexto, la investigación propuesta tiene como objetivo mostrar la percepción que tienen los alumnos del Grado de Odontología de nuestra universidad sobre las competencias específicas que se adquieren durante las prácticas clínicas. Se optará por una metodología cuantitativa fundamentada en la técnica del cuestionario que será aplicada al inicio, durante y tras la finalización del curso académico. La investigación asegurará en todo momento la protección a la identidad de las personas y el anonimato de los datos obtenidos. La valoración que los estudiantes hacen de la adquisición de estas competencias y su percepción sobre el incremento de esta adquisición permitiría reflexionar sobre la eficacia de esta metodología docente y replantear cambios con relación al desarrollo del enfoque competencial. En base al éxito obtenido se podría garantizar una formación de calidad incrementando las posibilidades de transferencia de los objetivos planteados con esta asignatura de cara a la adquisición de una adecuada profesionalidad tras finalizar el 5º curso del Grado de Odontología

Análisis del impacto de la mortalidad por suicidios en México, 2000-2012

The objective of this study was to analyze the burden of disease due to suicide in Mexico using years of life lost (YLL) between 2000 and 2012 by sex, age group (for those under 85 years of age) and jurisdiction. Vital statistics on mortality and population estimates were used to calculate standardized mortality rates and years of life lost due to suicide. Between 2000 and 2012 a sustained increase in the suicide mortality rate was observed in Mexico. The age group with the highest rate was 85 years of age or older for men, and 15-19 years of age for women. The highest impact in life expectancy due to suicide occurred at 20 to 24 years of age in men and 15 to 19 years of age in women. The states with the highest mortality due to suicide were located in the Yucatan Peninsula (Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Campeche). Mortality due to suicide in Mexico has increased continually. As suicides are preventable, the implementation of health public policies through timely identification, integral prevention strategies and the detailed study of associated risk factors is imperative.El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la carga de la mortalidad por suicidios en México, a partir del indicador de años de vida perdidos (AVP), entre 2000 y 2012, por sexo, grupos de edad (para menores de 85 años de edad) a nivel nacional y por entidad federativa. Se emplearon estadísticas vitales de mortalidad y estimaciones de población para calcular tasas estandarizadas de mortalidad y los años de vida perdidos por suicidios. Entre 2000 y 2012 se dio un incremento sostenido de la tasa de mortalidad por suicidios. En hombres, el grupo de edad con las mayores tasas fue el de 85 años y más; para mujeres el de 15-19 años. El mayor impacto en la esperanza de vida se dio entre los 20 y 24 años en hombres y entre los 15 y 19 años para mujeres. Los estados con la mayor mortalidad se ubican en la península de Yucatán (Yucatán, Quintana Roo y Campeche). La mortalidad por suicidio en México se ha incrementado de manera constante. Los suicidios son prevenibles, por lo que es fundamental implementar políticas públicas en salud a través de acciones de identificación oportuna, estrategias integrales de prevención y el estudio detallado de los factores de riesgo asociados

Semi-continuous mechanochemical process for biodiesel production under heterogeneous catalysis using calcium diglyceroxide

This work is aimed at the development of a semi-continuous mechanochemical process for biodiesel production and the subsequent valorization of glycerol, its by-product, via its conversion into calcium diglyceroxide using the same mechanochemical reactor. This basic solid catalyzes the methanolysis of vegetable oils. The implementation of a semi-continuous process allows both the preparation of the solid catalyst and the methanolysis process, overcoming the miscibility problems of methanol and oil. Thus, a biodiesel yield higher than 90% is reached using a methanol:oil molar ratio close to stoichiometric value and 1.5 wt.% catalyst, after passing through the reactor with a flow rate between 4 to 45 L/h. This new process for biodiesel production can easily be scaled up and applied to the conversion of used cooking oils, without any significant yield decrease. A cost study was also performed, demonstrating that this is more economical than the conventional batch stirring-based process.Deasyl: CONTRATO 806/41.5524_08.06.00.35.8