Entornos de trabajo en Informática de gestión profesional

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de la conjugación de los contextos empresarial y académico en la enseñanza de algunos aspectos generales de la Informática de gestión. Se ha elaborado un seminario que integra en una visión global los distintos componentes (tanto hardware como software) de un sistema informático a partir, por un lado, de la experiencia profesional de los autores en entornos de trabajo en Informática de gestión soportados por grandes sistemas (mainframes) y, por otro, de la experiencia académica en la enseñanza en la UCM. El objetivo es que el alumno relacione entre sí estos componentes y sea consciente de su grado de importancia en el rendimiento del sistema informático, tanto de aplicaciones (escritas en lenguajes de tercera y cuarta generación) como de subsistemas (comunicaciones, bases de datos, ...)

Competing symmetries and broken bonds in superconducting vortex-antivortex molecular crystals

Hall probe microscopy has been used to image vortex-antivortex molecules induced in superconducting Pb films by the stray fields from square arrays of magnetic dots. We have directly observed spontaneous vortex-antivortex pairs and studied how they interact with added free (anti)fluxons in an applied magnetic field. We observe a variety of phenomena arising from competing symmetries which either drive added antivortices to join antivortex shells around dots or stabilize the translationally symmetric antivortex lattice between the dots. Added vortices annihilate antivortex shells, leading first to a stable “nulling state” with no free fluxons and then, at high densities, to vortex shells around the dots stabilized by the asymmetric antipinning potential. Our experimental findings are in good agreement with Ginzburg-Landau calculations

The active living gender's gap challenge: 2013-2017 Eurobarometers physical inactivity data show constant higher prevalence in women with no progress towards global reduction goals

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) considers physical inactivity (PIA) as a critical noncommunicable factor for disease and mortality, affecting more women than men. In 2013, the WHO set a 10% reduction of the PIA prevalence, with the goal to be reached by 2025. Changes in the 2013-2017 period of physical inactivity prevalence in the 28 European Union (EU) countries were evaluated to track the progress in achieving WHO 2025 target. METHODS: In 2013 and 2017 EU Special Eurobarometers, the physical activity levels reported by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire of 53,607 adults were analyzed. Data were considered as a whole sample and country-by-country. A χ2 test was used to analyze the physical inactivity prevalence (%) between countries, analyzing women and men together and separately. Additionally, PIA prevalence was analyzed between years (2013-2017) for the overall EU sample and within-country using a Z-Score for two population proportions. RESULTS: The PIA prevalence increased between 2013 and 2017 for the overall EU sample (p <  0.001), and for women (p = 0.04) and men (p < 0.001) separately. Data showed a higher PIA prevalence in women versus men during both years (p <  0.001). When separately considering changes in PIA by gender, only Belgium's women and Luxembourg's men showed a reduction in PIA prevalence. Increases in PIA prevalence over time were observed in women from Austria, Croatia, Germany, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia and in men from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain. CONCLUSIONS: PIA prevalence showed an overall increase across the EU and for both women and men between 2013 and 2017, with higher rates of PIA reported for women versus men during both years. PIA prevalence was reduced in only Belgium's women and Luxembourg's men. Our data indicate a limited gender-sensible approach while tacking PIA prevalence with no progress reaching global voluntary reductions of PIA for 2025

Structural characterization and analysis of the regeneration of woodlands dominated by Juniperus oxycedrus L. in west-central Spain

This work addresses the structural characterization of Juniperus oxycedrus-dominated woodlands in west-central Spain, as well as the analysis of the regeneration of this species in the presence of other species (mainly Quercus ilex) as a function of different environmental and land-use factors. The two densest populations of the species were sampled and different physiographic and land-use parameters were obtained. First, a structural characterization, specifically focused on regeneration, was carried out, based on the count of individuals and their classification according to their size (seedlings, saplings, or adults) and position (either beyond or below the canopy). The use of Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and Regression Trees permitted the identification and analysis of environmental and land-use variables significantly related to regeneration. Juniper woodlands in this part of Spain generally show a remarkable level of regeneration, although some significant differences were detected between the two existing populations. Of the factors studied, time since regeneration started, elevation, and soil rock surface cover influence J. oxycedrus regeneration at most of the individual classes considered, indicating the significance of these variables in this species regeneration. Canopy cover and depth of the organic layer and zone also affect several of the recruitment classes. Furthermore, radiation, the time elapsed since regeneration started, elevation, and aspect affect stand structure to a significant extent. The results of this study enlarge the knowledge on J. oxycedrus regeneration and woodland structure, providing helpful information for the conservation of these protected habitats. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

Pyrolysis Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (Py-CSIA): a novel analytical approach for archaeological studies

The measurement of stable isotopes has become an important tool within the field of archaeology. The isotopic trace of human and animal tissues and components (bone, collage, keratin, muscle, fat etc.) allowed insight into the diet of our ancestors in a specific period of time, as well as its relationship with various human pathologies. Furthermore, this technique informs about food origin and possibly also their commercial routes, as well as population migrations. Pyrolysis-compound specific isotope analysis (Py-CSIA) is a cutting-edge analytical approach able to provide, not only a precise identification of organic compounds in different complex matrices, but also additional valuable information about nature and origin of the materials based on their isotope composition. This technique is based on the coupling of a micro-furnace pyrolysis unit to a gas chromatograph equipped with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) as detector. The individual volatile pyrolysis products separated by gas chromatography are directed to a combustion or pyrolysis micro-reactor (GC-Isolink system) and finally the isotope composition of the gases produced measured in a continuous flow IRMS via an interface unit. With this technique it is possible to make direct determinations of stable isotope ratios (i.e. δ13C, δ15N, and δ2H) of specific compounds with minimum sample handling and pre-treatment, thus minimizing the chance of contamination and artefacts productions. In this communication, we introduce the Py-CSIA technique into the field of archaeology by studying the direct determination of the isotopic composition of human skeletons buried in medieval necropolises from Center and South of Portugal