The health from the humanist perspective of Blas Álvarez de Miraval

A pesar de que existen diferentes estudios en las Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte sobre autores humanistas, el objetivo del presente trabajo es poner en valor la obra de una de las figuras más importantes del humanismo español, Blas Álvarez de Miraval, insigne médico y teólogo, a través del análisis pormenorizado de su obra cumbre, titulada De la conservación de la salud del cuerpo y el alma, cuyos resultados arrojan una visión única y diferente de lo que ha de ser la conservación de la salud desde una perspectiva integral por parte del individuoIn spite of the fact that there are different studies in the Sciences of the Sport on humanist authors, the aim of the present work is to put of relevancy the work of one of the most important figures of the Spanish humanism, Blas Álvarez de Miraval, celebrated doctor and theologian, with regard to the Sciences of the Physical Activity and of the Sport by means of the study detailed of his greatest work, "Of the conservation of the health of the body and the soul", which results throw an only and different vision from what has to be the conservation of the health from the integral care of the individua

El Management como práctica: una aproximación a la naturaleza del trabajo directivo

En el presente trabajo se realiza una reflexión sobre la naturaleza del trabajo directivo –management–, a la luz de los tres modos posibles de conocimiento: la teoría, la práctica y la técnica. Puntualmente, se analiza el trabajo de tres autores: Henry Mintzberg, Ikujiro Nonaka y Alasdair MacIntyre, con el fin de mostrar cómo la evolución del estudio teórico de esta disciplina ha ido evidenciando su carácter eminentemente práctico. Mintzberg aporta una excelente introducción al fenómeno, ya que combina muy bien la observación práctica con la reflexión sobre lo que hacen los realmente directivos. Nonaka, por su parte, resalta el dinamismo de la empresa: su capacidad de innovar, de crear y compartir conocimiento. Finalmente, MacIntyre reivindica la perspectiva aristotélica en el estudio de la vida organizacional, con su revitalización de la noción de práctica. Se concluye resaltando que concebir el trabajo directivo como una práctica abre paso a una teoría normativa de la acción y su influencia en las organizaciones.This article reflects on the nature of managerial work, which historically has been approached as a theory, a practice, or a technique. The work of three authors, Henry Mintzberg, Ikujiro Nonaka and Alasdair MacIntyre, is analyzed in order to show how the evolution of this discipline’s theoretical study demonstrates its eminently practical nature. Mintzberg provides an excellent introduction to the phenomenon, perceptively combining practical observation with reflection on what managers actually do. Nonaka, on the other hand, highlights the dynamism of the business firm and its ability to innovate, create and share knowledge. Finally, MacIntyre revives the Aristotelian perspective in the study of organizational life, revitalizing the idea of practice. We conclude by emphasizing that conceiving of managerial work as a practice implies the acceptance of a normative theory of organizations

El gas somero en los sedimentos de la Ría de Muros-Noia (NO de España): formas de aparición y cartografía

High-resolution seismic reflection and side-scan sonar records have been analysed and interpreted in order to detect shallow gas signatures in the Ría de Muros-Noia (NW Spain). The different gas features have been classified into four types according to their specific seismic signatures: 1) acoustic blankings s.s., with a flat top surface and kilometric extent, 2) acoustic curtains, with a convex top surface and some tens of meters of lateral extent, 3) acoustic columns, with an enhanced reflector at the top and an averaged extent of 20 m, and 4) acoustic turbidity, distinguishable as a diffuse perturbation of the records. At the same time, two different types of gas escape features have been also distinguished: a) acoustic plumes into the water column, rising up to 10 m above the present seafloor, and b) pockmarks on the present seabed, recognised as highly reflective areas in the side-scan sonar records. Mapping of acoustic blankings s.s. reveals the presence of a large gas field (11.5 km2) in the inner part of the ría. In this field the top of the gas accumulates from the close seabed surface up to 4 ms TWT (3.2 m) in depth. Moreover a map with the spatial distribution of the gas accumulations and of the gas escape features is shown

Aborto epidémico y endémico asociado a la infección por Neospora caninum en el ganado bovino: relación entre la respuesta inmune y las consecuencias de la infección a lo largo de la gestación

Neospora caninum es un protozoo intracelular obligado perteneciente al Phylum Apicomplexa. La neosporosis bovina se considera una de las principales causas de fallo reproductivo en el ganado bovino. La transmisión transplacentaria del parásito puede originar aborto ó el nacimiento de terneros congénitamente infectados. La transmisión transplacentaria endógena ocurre tras la recrudescencia de una infección crónica en la hembra durante la gestación, mientras que la exógena se da tras una primoinfección adquirida de forma postnatal. Un mayor conocimiento de la epidemiología, integrado con el empleo de adecuadas técnicas de diagnóstico serológico son la base del control. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar mediante diferentes pruebas diagnósticas la relación existente entre la respuesta serológica desarrollada por reproductoras bovinas infectadas a lo largo de una gestación, el origen de la infección y sus repercusiones reproductivas.Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite. At present bovine neosporosis is one of the main causes of reproductive failure in cattle worldwide. Transplacental transmission of the parasite can lead to abortion or birth of congenitally infected calves. Endogenous transplacental transmission occurs as a consequence of the recrudescence of a previous chronic infection in the cow during gestation. On the other hand, exogenous transplacental transmission occurs after an acquired postnatal primo infection. Control programmes are based on updated knowledge about the epidemiology together with the employment of appropriate diagnostic serological tests. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the serologic response developed by infected breeding cattle along gestation, the mode of transmission and the future consequences in reproduction

Adsorption of representative pharmaceutical compounds from hospital wastewater by carbon materials

Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging environmental contaminants that are extensively and increasingly being used in human and veterinary medicine. The worldwide consumption of these substances has increased in both hospitals and households, which represents a major concern in terms of their potential harmful effects on the environment and human health [1]. Thus, fluoroquinolone antibiotics are widely used in human medicine and animal breeding for preventing and curing diseases. Ciprofloxacin is a wide-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic extensively used in the world, which can generate high contributions to public sewers. Meanwhile, carbamazepine, one of the most widely prescribed psychoactive drugs, shows important endocrine disrupting effects and it is frequently detected in high concentrations in both WWTPs effluents and river water. Because of the removal efficiency of these compounds in the conventional wastewater treatment plants is not complete (ranging from 7-8% for carbamazepine), it is necessary the implementation of tertiary technologies in order to achieve WWTPs effluents with a better quality. Adsorption onto carbon materials has proven as an efficient treatment in the removal of a broad spectrum of micro-pollutants. This work has been focused on the study of equilibrium adsorption of carbamazepine (CBZ) and ciprofloxacin (CPX) from ultrapure water at 30 ºC using carbonaceous materials. Commercial carbon materials (AC-F400 activated carbon, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, MWNT, and carbon nanofibers, CNF) and lab-synthesized activated carbons from peach stones (AC-PS) and rice husk (AC-RH) as precursors have been used. Moreover, carbon adsorbents have been used to treat a real hospital wastewater containing 55 different pharmaceutical compounds. Among them, both CBZ and CPX were found at concentrations of 162.55 and \u3e 40 ng.L-1, respectively. The removal efficiency of quality macroscopic parameters (Total Organic Carbon concentration, TOC, Total Nitrogen concentration, TN, carbonates, CO32-, and aromaticity) and each of the pharmaceuticals contained in the wastewater was evaluated. Large adsorption capacities of CBZ and CPX (around 240 and 200 mg.g-1) were found in 4 hours, using adsorbent doses ranging from 2-3 g.L-1, natural pH, temperature of 30 ºC and stirring rate of 250 rpm. In addition, competitive adsorption experiments using both pollutants in ultrapure water have been performed. The bi-component adsorption systems were reasonably well-fitted by the extended Freundlich model equation. In the treatment of the hospital wastewater, a maximum TOC reduction of 96.5% ([TOC]0 = 110 mg L-1) was achieved by adsorption onto AC-RH activated carbon, since all the studied macroscopic parameters were too efficiently removed. Moreover, by the adsorption treatment, the complete disappearance of all the pharmaceutical compounds (except two of them) was observed. References [1] S. Ortiz de García, G. Pinto Pinto, P. García Encina, R. Irusta Mata, Consumption and occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the aquatic environment in Spain, Sci. Total Environ. 444 (2013) 451–465

In-situ early age hydration of cement-based materials by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction

Cement based binders are building materials of worldwide importance. Since these samples are very complex, the knowledge/control of their mineralogical composition are essential to design and predict materials with specific/improved performance. Rietveld quantitative phase analysis (RQPA) allows the quantification of crystalline phases and, when combined with specific methodologies, as the addition of an internal standard or the external standard approach (G-factor), amorphous and non-crystalline phases can also be quantified. However, to carry out a proper RQPA in hydrated cementitious-materials, a good powder diffraction pattern is necessary. In this work, synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SXRPD) has been used, allowing in-situ measurements during the early-age hydration process. This work deals with the early hydration study of cement-based materials. The studied samples were: a laboratory-prepared belite calcium sulphoaluminate (BCSAF) clinker (non-active) mixed with 10wt% gypsum, labelled G10B0; two active laboratory-prepared BCSAF clinkers (activated with 2wt% borax), one mixed with 10wt% gypsum and the other one with 10wt% monoclinic-bassanite, hereafter named G10B2 and B10B2, respectively; and an environmentally-friendly cement sample from Henkel, composed of bassanite mixed with 15wt% Portland cement and 10wt% Metakaolin, labelled H1. Anhydrous G10B0 contains beta-belite and orthorhombic-ye'elimite as main phases, while alpha'H-belite and pseudo-cubic-ye'elimite are stabilized in G10B2 and B10B2, with the corresponding sulphate source. Anhydrous H1 contains monoclinic and hexagonal bassanite and alite as main phases. Ye'elimite, in the non-active BCSAF cement pastes, dissolves at a higher pace than in the active one (degree of reaction is α~25% and α~10% at 1 h, respectively) (both prepared with gypsum), with the corresponding differences in ettringite crystallisation (degree of precipitation is α~30% and α~5%, respectively). Moreover, the type of sulphate source has important consequences on the hydration of the active BCSAF cement pastes. Bassanite is quickly dissolved and it precipitates as gypsum within the first hour of hydration (in B10B2). At that time, ettringite starts to crystallize, and after 12 hours is almost fully crystallized, similar to G10B2. In H1, bassanite transforms into gypsum within the first hour, being the principal hydration product; ettringite starts to be formed just after few hydration minutes. These results are crucial in the understanding and development of improved cement materials.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Investigating Piezochromic Properties of πconjugated Materials: a combined Raman and DFT Study

Π-conjugated materials have been studied for decades due to their great interest in organic electronics. Among them, piezochromic materials, which exhibit color changes resulting from external pressure or mechanical grinding, become very attractive from a scientific viewpoint owing to their potential applications as pressure-sensing and opticalrecording systems1. The main target of the present work is to develop a joint experimental and theoretical approach able to deliver crucial information for the understanding of the structural effects causing piezochromic changes. To this end, we will focus our attention on two families of -conjugated materials with potential application as sensors. The first one is a family of 9,10-Bis((E)-n(pyrid-2-yl)vinyl) anthracene, BPnVA (n=2 orto-,3 metha- and 4 para-) compounds, see Figure 1. Interestingly, these three compounds with varying position of the nitrogen on the external pyridyl group exhibit different molecular packing modes. Grinding and the application of external pressure on the powder also led to a strong change in their photoluminescence color.2 The second familiy is based on the N,N’-Bis-Boc-3,3’-di(pyren-1yl)-2,2’-biindole compound (compound 1c in Figure 1) which also shows photoluminescence under pressure application. However, the molecular packing induced by this phenomenon is still under study 3. In both cases, it will be also very interesting to determine how temperature affects the vibrational structure of these systems.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Comunidades de hongos endófitos en plantaciones de pino y robledales del norte de España

Replacement of native forest with plantations of other species can have important consequences over the ecosystem. Some of these changes have been widely studied, but very little information is available about what happen with fungal communities and specifically with endophyte species living there. In this work endophyte assemblages of pine plantations (Pinus sylvestris, P. nigra and P. pinaster) are compared with those found in the original oak forest (Quercus pyrenaica) of the study area (north of Palencia province, Spain). For this purpose, samples of needles/leaves and twigs from three trees in each one of the three plots sampled per host species, were first collected and later processed in the lab to detect all endophyte species living there. Besides an intensive data compilation was realized in the twelve sites studied to analyze the environmental, crown condition, dendrometric and soil variables involved in the distribution of the fungi. Endophyte assemblages of P. nigra and P. sylvestris resulted to be closer, and at the same time separated from the ones of P. pinaster and Q. pyrenaica. In addition, some variables were found to be related to the endophyte communities’ distribution. Finally, a change in the endophyte communities was detected due to the deterioration and replacement of native oak forests with pine plantations.La sustitución de los bosques autóctonos por plantaciones de otras especies puede tener importantes consecuencias sobre el ecosistema. Algunos de esos cambios ya han sido ampliamente estudiados, pero hasta el momento hay muy poca información acerca de lo que ocurre con las comunidades fúngicas y en especial con las de los endófitos que ahí viven. En este trabajo se analizaron las agrupaciones de endófitos existentes en las plantaciones de pino (Pinus sylvestris, P. nigra y P. pinaster) y bosques nativos de rebollo (Quercus pyrenaica) en el norte de la provincia de Palencia (España). Para ello se recogieron muestras de acículas/hojas y ramillos de cada una de las especies estudiadas que fueron procesadas en laboratorio para determinar qué especies de hongos endófitos portaban. Además se realizó una exhaustiva toma de datos en las doce parcelas estudiadas para analizar las variables ambientales, del estado fitosanitario de la copa, dendrométricas y edáficas implicadas en la distribución de los hongos. Las comunidades de endófitos encontradas en P. sylvestris y P. nigra resultaron ser similares entre sí, y al mismo tiempo diferentes de las de P. pinaster. Los endófitos aparecidos sobre Q. pyrenaica resultaron estar alejados de los del resto de los hospedantes, por lo que la conservación de los robledales es importante para evitar la pérdida de la diversidad fúngica. Finalmente se encontraron algunas variables ambientales relacionadas con la distribución de las comunidades de endófitos

Respuesta hipofisaria y ovulatoria de conejas nulíparas alimentadas con dietas suplementadas con ácidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3.

Veinte conejas nulíparas se alimentaron ad libitum desde las 10 a las 16 semanas de edad con dos piensos isofibrosos, isoenergéticos e isoproteicos suplementados con dos fuentes de grasa diferentes: 0,75% de manteca para la dieta control (grupo C; n=10) ó 1,5% de un suplemento (Optomega-50; Optivite International Ltd., España) que contenía un 50% de extracto etérero y 38% de ácidos grasos poli-insaturados n-3 (AG n-3) para la dieta experimental (grupo P; n=10). A las 16 semanas de edad se determinó el consumo de pienso, así como la tasa de ovulación y las concentraciones plasmáticas de progesterona y LH a 0, 60 min, 5, 7 y 9 días post-inducción de ovulación con 20 μg de Gonadorelina (Inducel-GnRH, Lab. Ovejero). El consumo de pienso (150,5 g/d), el pico preovulatorio de LH (149,7±10,9 ng/ml), la tasa de ovulación (95%) y el número de cuerpos lúteos (9,8±0,7) fueron similares entre tratamientos. Las concentraciones plasmáticas de progesterona aumentaron a los 60 minutos (7,13±19 ng/ml) y 5 días (13,3±1,9 ng/ml) con respecto al día 0 (0,7±1,9 ng/ml; P<0.05), permaneciendo elevadas el día 9 en ambos grupos (19,4±1,9 ng/ml). Además, el día 5 y 7 post-inducción, las hembras alimentadas con la dieta P tendieron a tener niveles más elevados de progesterona en sangre que las alimentadas con la dieta C (16,6±1,9 vs.12,6±1,8 y 19,0±1,8 vs. 15,5±2,1 ng/ml, P=0,068 y P=0,082; respectivamente) que coinciden con el momento de la implantación embrionaria en esta especie. Por lo tanto, la suplementación con AG n-3 podría mejorar los niveles de progesterona en sangre y por lo tanto reducir la mortalidad embrionaria en este punto