Tourism Growth and Economic Development: Academic and Non-Academic Perspectives

This article explores the complex relationship between tourism growth and economic development from academic and non-academic perspectives. The former mainly highlights the positive influence of tourism while recognizing biases and limitations that may arise from using different methodologies, variables, or temporary scenarios in research. However, non-academic stakeholders, such as the media and politicians, offer unverified and biased opinions that can influence public perceptions and lead to failed investments. This article provides recommendations to foster a balanced conversation between the two perspectives, with a broader dissemination of academic results and a recognition of the difficulties in analyzing the relationship between tourism and economic development, such as the mobility of stakeholders.This study has been carried out within the framework of the following research projects: "Digital Transition and Innovation in the Labor Market and Mature Sectors. Taking Advantage of AI and Platform Economy (DILATO)", with reference TED2021-129600A-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union Next GenerationEU/PRTR; and "Innovation and sustainability in tourism competitiveness after COVID-19" with reference TUR-RETOS2022-049 funded by MICT/SET and by European Union NextGenerationE

Optimization of the luminescence emission of Si nanocrystals synthesized from non-stoichiometric Si oxides using a Central Composite Design of the deposition process

Si oxide films with a controlled excess of Si were deposited on Si wafers by LPCVD using Si2H6 and O2, thermally annealed to 1100 °C for 1 h to form Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 and subsequently annealed at 450 °C in forming gas. The samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. The excess of Si in the as-deposited samples, ranging from 0 to 70% in volume, was obtained from the ellipsometry data analysis. After annealing at 1100 °C, the samples show a luminescence band (peaking at 665 nm) at 80 K and at room temperature which is associated to the presence of Si nanocrystals. The growth rate, the excess of Si incorporated to the films and the intensity of the luminescence band were modelled using a Face-Centered Central Composite Design as a function of the main deposition variables (pressure, 185–300 mTorr; temperature, 250–400 °C; Si2H6/O2 flow ratio, 2–5) aiming to control the growth process and the incorporation of Si in excess as well as to determine the experimental conditions that yield the samples with the maximum intensity of the luminescence emission

Mujeres que son pareja de un varón infectado por el VIH: descripción de sus características y valoración del riesgo

ObjetivoDescribir las situaciones de riesgo y la prevalencia del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) en mujeres con pareja heterosexual infectada por el VIH.DiseñoEstudio descriptivo y transversal.EmplazamientoCentro ambulatorio de diagnóstico del VIH de Madrid.PacientesSe incluyó en el estudio a 229 mujeres atendidas por primera vez entre 1993 y 2002 por tener una pareja heterosexual estable diagnosticada de infección por el VIH, sin otra exposición de riesgo.Mediciones principalesInformación sociodemográfica, historial reproductivo, conducta sexual, datos clínicos y analíticos de ambos miembros de la pareja.ResultadosEl 66% de las parejas mantenían relaciones sexuales desde hacía más de un año. Las mujeres tenían menor edad media (29,6 años) que los varones. El 29% de las mujeres tenían hijos y el 5,2% estaban embarazadas. Entre los varones, el 82% se había inyectado drogas, pero sólo el 13% mantenía esta práctica. El 73% estaba diagnosticado de infección por el VIH desde hacía más de 6 meses, el 16% presentaba criterios de sida y el 35% recibía tratamiento antirretroviral. El 60% de los varones que conocían previamente su infección habían evitado sistemáticamente los coitos sin preservativo, frente al 33% de los que no se sabían infectados (p < 0,001). El 19% había tenido accidentes en el uso del preservativo. La seroprevalencia del VIH en las mujeres fue del 6,1% (intervalo de confianza del 95%, 3,5-10,3%).ConclusionesLa atención a las personas con VIH debe incluir la asistencia a la pareja sexual, ofreciendo información, apoyo psicológico, consejo preventivo y reproductivo, además del diagnóstico del VIH y de otras infecciones de transmisión sexual.ObjectiveTo describe the situations of risk and the prevalence of HIV in women with a heterosexual partner infected by HIV.DesignCross-sectional descriptive study.SettingOut-patient HIV diagnosis centre in Madrid.Patients229 women seen for the first time between 1993 and 2002 because they had a stable heterosexual partner diagnosed with HIV, and who were exposed to no other risk.Main measurementsSocial and personal details, reproduction history, sexual conduct, clinical, and analytic data of both partners.Results66% of couples had maintained sexual relations for over a year.Women were on average younger (29.6 years old) than the men. 29% of the women had children and 5.2% were pregnant. 82% of men had injected drugs, but only 13% still did. 73% had been diagnosed with HIV for over 6 months, 16% had AIDS criteria, and 35% were taking retroviral treatment. 60% of the men who knew of their infection had systematically avoided sex without condoms, against 33% of those who did not know they were infected (P<.001). 19% had had accidents in use of the condom.HIV seroprevalence in the women was 6.1% (95% CI, 3.5%-10.3%).ConclusionsHealth care of people with HIV must include care of their sexual partner, involving information, psychological support, preventive and reproductive advice, as well as diagnosis of HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases

Radio and IR study of the massive star-forming region IRAS 16353-4636

Context. With the latest infrared surveys, the number of massive protostellar candidates has increased significantly. New studies have posed additional questions on important issues about the formation, evolution, and other phenomena related to them. Complementary to infrared data, radio observations are a good tool to study the nature of these objects, and to diagnose the formation stage. Aims. Here we study the far-infrared source IRAS 16353-4636 with the aim of understanding its nature and origin. In particular, we search for young stellar objects (YSOs), possible outflow structure, and the presence of non-thermal emission. Methods. Using high-resolution, multi-wavelength radio continuum data obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, we image IRAS 16353-4636 and its environment from 1.4 to 19.6 GHz, and derive the distribution of the spectral index at maximum angular resolution. We also present new JHKs photometry and spectroscopy data obtained at ESO NTT. 13 CO and archival HI line data, and infrared databases (MSX, GLIMPSE, MIPSGal) are also inspected. Results. The radio continuum emission associated with IRAS 16353-4636 was found to be extended (~10 arcsec), with a bow-shaped morphology above 4.8 GHz, and a strong peak persistent at all frequencies. The NIR photometry led us to identify ten near-IR sources and classify them according to their color. We used the HI line data to derive the source distance, and analyzed the kinematical information from the CO and NIR lines detected. Conclusions. We have identified the source IRAS 16353-4636 as a new protostellar cluster. In this cluster we recognized three distinct sources: a low-mass YSO, a high-mass YSOs, and a mildly confined region of intense and non-thermal radio emission. We propose the latter corresponds to the terminal part of an outflow.Comment: To appear in A&A. 10 pages, 8 figure

Numerical investigation of crack self-sealing in cement-based composites with superabsorbent polymers

Recently the concept of crack self-sealing has been investigated as a method to prevent degradation and/or loss of functionality of cracked concrete elements. To obtain self-sealing effect in the crack, water swelling admixtures such as superabsorbent polymers (SAP) are added into the cementitious mix. In order to design such self-sealing systems in an efficient way, a three-dimensional mesoscale numerical model is proposed to simulate capillary absorption of water in sound and cracked cement-based materials containing SAP. The numerical results yield the moisture content distribution in cracked and sound domain, as well as the absorption and swelling of SAP embedded in the matrix and in the crack. The performance of the model was validated by using experimental data from the literature, as well as experimentally-informed input parameters. The validated model was then used to investigate the role of SAP properties and dosage in cementitious mixtures, on the water penetration into the material from cracks. Furthermore different crack widths were considered in the simulations. The model shows good agreement with experimental results. From the numerical investigation guidelines are suggested for the design of the studied composites

Column water vapor determination in night period with a lunar photometer prototype

In this paper we present the preliminary results of atmospheric column-integrated precipitable water vapor (PWV) obtained with a new Lunar Cimel photometer (LC) at the high mountain Izaña Observatory in the period July–August 2011. We have compared quasi-simultaneous nocturnal PWV from LC with PWV from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and nighttime radiosondes (RS92). LC data have been calibrated using the Lunar Langley method (LLM). We complemented this comparative study using quasi-simultaneous daytime PWV from Cimel AERONET (CA), GPS and RS92.The AERONET sun photometer at Izana has been calibrated within AERONET- ˜ EUROPE TNA supported by the European Community – Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” specific program for Integrating Activities, ACTRIS grant agreement no. 262254

Transcranial direct current stimulation in neglect rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review.

Hemispatial neglect is one of the most frequent attention disorders after stroke. The presence of neglect is associated with longer hospital stays, extended rehabilitation periods, and poorer functional recovery. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a new technique with promising results in neglect rehabilitation; therefore, the objective of this systematic review, performed following the PRISMA guidelines, is to evaluate the effectiveness of tDCS on neglect recovery after stroke. The search was done in MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and BioMed Central databases. A total of 311 articles were found; only 11 met the inclusion criteria, including 152 post-stroke patients in total. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed for all the studies, and methodological characteristics of the studies, sample sizes, methods, main results, and other relevant data were extracted. tDCS intervention ranged from one to twenty sessions distributed in 1 day to 4 weeks, with intensity ranged from 1 to 2 mA. We found moderate evidence for the efficacy of tDCS in the rehabilitation of hemispatial neglect after a stroke, being more effective in combination with other interventions. Nonetheless, the limited number of studies and some studies' design characteristics makes it risky to draw categorical conclusions. Since scientific evidence is still scarce, further research is needed to determine the advantage of this treatment in acute, sub-acute and chronic stroke patients. Future studies should include larger samples, longer follow-ups, and broader neurophysiological assessments, with the final aim of establishing the appropriate use of tDCS as an adjuvant intervention in neurorehabilitation settings.pre-print964 K

Increased male-induced harm in response to female-limited selection: interactive effects between intra- and interlocus sexual conflict?

This is the final version. Available on open access from the Royal Society via the DOI in this recordData accessibility: Data and code are deposited in the Dryad Digital Repository: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.98sf7m0nn [35]. Additional data are provided in the electronic supplementary material [65].Interlocus sexual conflict (IRSC) occurs because of shared interactions that have opposite effects on male and female fitness. Typically, it is assumed that loci involved in IRSC have sex-limited expression and are thus not directly affected by selective pressures acting on the other sex. However, if loci involved in IRSC have pleiotropic effects in the other sex, intersexual selection can shape the evolutionary dynamics of conflict escalation and resolution, as well as the evolution of reproductive traits linked to IRSC loci, and vice versa. Here we used an artificial selection approach in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) to test if female-limited selection on reproductive investment affects the amount of harm caused by males during mating. We found that males originating from lines selected for high female reproductive investment caused more oxidative damage in the female reproductive tract than males originating from lines selected for low female reproductive investment. This male-induced damage was specific to the oviduct and not found in other female tissues, suggesting that it was ejaculate-mediated. Our results suggest that intersexual selection shapes the evolution of IRSC and that male-induced harm may contribute to the maintenance of variation in female reproductive investment.Swiss National Science FoundationEuropean Union Horizon 202

Mecanismos inductores y vías de la apoptosis en la diarrea vírica bovina

La apoptosis es una forma de muerte celular inducida por una gran variedad de estímulos, considerada como el resultado final de una cascada en la que intervienen una serie de enzimas denominadas caspasas, inducidas tanto por estímulos externos como internos. Entre éstas destacan las denominadas caspasas iniciadoras (2, 8, 9 y 10) y las caspasas ejecutoras o efectoras (3, 6 y 7). Existen dos vías principales reguladoras de la apoptosis: la vía extrínseca, inducida y mediada por receptores, la cual se inicia cuando un ligando apropiado se une a receptores de muerte localizados en la superficie celular, de modo que estas uniones ligando-receptor hacen que los dominios de muerte celular intracelulares y su unión a ciertas proteínas del citosol activen a las caspasas iniciadoras de esta vía (pe: caspasa 8), y la vía intrínseca o mitocondrial, gobernada por proteínas de la familia del Bcl-2 que agrupa un grupo de moléculas involucradas en la permeabilidad de la mitocondria, pudiéndose distinguir entre moléculas anti-apoptóticas y pro-apoptóticas. El desequilibrio en la expresión de estas moléculas incrementa la permeabilidad de la membrana mitocondrial, favoreciendo la liberación de proteínas al citosol y la activación de las caspasas iniciadora de esta vía (pe: caspasa 9). Una vez activadas las caspasas iniciadoras, éstas ejercerán su actividad proteolítica sobre las denominadas caspasas efectoras o ejecutoras (3, 6 y 7), las cuales, una vez activadas ejecutarán la muerte de forma irreversible. Junto a aspectos generales relacionados con los mecanismos y vías de la apoptosis, en este trabajo se abordan aspectos relacionados con dichos mecanismos en el transcurso de la diarrea vírica bovina, donde la apoptosis parece ser la responsable de la depleción linfoide y la leucopenia que caracterizan a esta enfermedad