El 'square stepping exercise' en personas mayores: una nueva forma de rehabilitación física y cognitiva

[Resumen] Introducción: El “Square stepping exercise” consiste en seguir un patrón de pasos colocado en el suelo como una forma de actividad física sistemática. Es un programa de entrenamiento que requiere esfuerzo físico y cognitivo. El objetivo de este trabajo es establecer los posibles efectos beneficiosos en las personas mayores de la actividad. Material y métodos: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura en las bases de datos Web of Sciences y SCOPUS para encontrar toda la evidencia sobre el tema. No se pusieron límites de años y fueron comparados los beneficios obtenidos con el SSE frente a los beneficios obtenidos tras realizar otro tipo de actividades que implicaran tareas duales físicas y cognitivas. Resultados: Fueron encontrados 84 artículos, de los cuales fueron analizados solo 15. De estos, 6 artículos eran de SSE y 9 de otro tipo de intervenciones. En todos ellos se analizan aspectos de las personas mayores como la cognición, la marcha y el equilibrio y las mejoras que han obtenido las personas mayores en estas características tras haber realizado intervenciones que implican tareas duales o de SSE. También aparecen aspectos relacionados con las caídas en mayores. Conclusiones: El SSE es mucho más beneficioso que los demás tipos de intervenciones analizados. Los resultados obtenidos son mucho más significativos y contemplan mayores capacidades tanto físicas como cognitivas pero es necesaria la creación de mayor evidencia científica sobre el tema en los próximos años.[Abstract] Introduction: The "Square stepping exercise" is to follow a pattern of steps placed on the ground as a form of systematic physical activity. It is a training program that requires physical and cognitive effort. The aim of this study is to establish the possible beneficial effects in old people over the activity. Methods: A systematic review of the literature on Web of Sciences and SCOPUS databases was conducted to find all the evidence on the subject. No age limits were placed and the benefits obtained with SSE were compared against the benefits obtained after performing other activities that involved physical and cognitive dual tasks. Results: There were founded 84 articles, which were analyzed only 15. Of these, 6 articles were of SSE and 9 about other interventions. It was analyzed aspects of the elderly as cognition, gait and balance and improvements in these features after making procedures involving SSE or dual tasks. It also appears aspects related to falls. Conclusions: The SSE is much more beneficial than other types of interventions analyzed. The results are much more meaningful and provide for greater physical and cognitive abilities but is necessary to create more scientific evidence on the issue in the coming years.Traballo fin de mestrado (UDC.FCS). Xerontoloxía. Curso 2014/2015

La Idea de tragedia en Del rey abajo, ninguno de Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla

En este artículo voy a partir de una tesis (Varela, 2008): la tragedia obedece a unas determinadas características propias desde su aparición en la Grecia de Pisístrato, en el siglo VI a.n.E., y sostengo que, aunque en la historia del género puedan observarse diferencias en cuanto a las implicaciones del hecho trágico (la irrupción de la ética en la tragedia moderna) y en cuanto a los sujetos que lo experimentan (la violación del principio aristotélico del decoro) –novedades todas ellas que pueden rastrearse hasta Eurípides–, el suceso trágico responde siempre a un mismo patrón: el patrón de la dialéctica

Study of the antiviral immune response of zebrafish (Danio rerio) against the hemorrhagic virus SVCV

Innate immunity is the organism´s first line of defence against pathogens and infections. It is characterized by pre-established, relatively unspecific and fast actions. The genes that take part in the innate immunity are fully coded in the genome and generally non-modified during the lifespan of the organism. Understand the complex mechanisms through which viruses modulate immune function should provide key information aimed to develop a range of potential targeted antiviral therapies. The aim of this doctoral thesis is the characterisation of zebrafish antiviral response against the hemorrhagic virus spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV), in order to know the molecules involved and deepen the knowledge of the inflammatory response caused by the pathogen (responsible cells, cell migration, genes and gene circuits involved). The overall objective of this research is the identification of key genes in the process of defence against SVCV in zebrafish, to learn more about the pathology generated from an immunological point of view. This thesis is structured in two sections. First one (Chapters 3, 4 and 5), deals with the characterisation of the expression and function of genes involved in the antiviral immune response. Second section (Chapters 6 and 7), concerns the study of the immune and inflammatory responses caused by SVCV in zebrafish larvae. In order to improve or complete the knowledge about the signalling pathways induced in response to a virus several genes that participate in the innate antiviral response in zebrafish were characterised. Moreover, with the objective of improving the knowledge of the pathology generated by SVCV, a systemic infection was stablished in zebrafish larvae as a model of hemorrhagic disease,. As host-pathogen interactions are essential for the modulation of the immune response during an infection, the leukocyte dynamic and the inflammatory response during the infection with SVCV were also studied using zebrafish larvae

Polyploid lineages in the genus Porphyra

Whole genome duplication is now accepted as an important evolutionary force, but the genetic factors and the life history implications affecting the existence and abundance of polyploid lineages within species are still poorly known. Polyploidy has been mainly studied in plant model species in which the sporophyte is the dominant phase in their life history. In this study, we address such questions in a novel system (Porphyra, red algae) where the gametophyte is the dominant phase in the life history. Three Porphyra species (P. dioica, P. umbilicalis, and P. linearis) were used in comparisons of ploidy levels, genome sizes and genetic differentiation using flow cytometry and 11 microsatellite markers among putative polyploid lineages. Multiple ploidy levels and genome sizes were found in Porphyra species, representing different cell lines and comprising several cytotype combinations among the same and different individuals. In P. linearis, genetic differentiation was found among three polyploid lineages: triploid, tetraploid and mixoploids, representing different evolutionary units. We conclude that the gametophytic phase (n) in Porphyra species is not haploid, contradicting previous theories. New hypotheses for the life histories of Porphyra species are discussed.FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Portugal) [SFRH/BPD/109452/2015, NORIGENOMICS - PTDC/MAR/099698/2008, UID/Multi/04326/2013, BIODIVERSA/004/2015-MARFOR

Niche conservatism and spread of seaweed invasive lineages with different residence time in the Mediterranean Sea

Marine algae invasions attract a lot of interest as they are altering the structure of marine ecosystems. However, niche dynamics and risk predictions of marine invasions integrating phylogeographic structure in the analyses have not yet been investigated. In this study, we perform a comprehensive analysis of two invasive lineages of Caulerpa taxifolia with different residence time in the Mediterranean Sea for a better understanding of their invasive processes. We performed lineage-based and species-based niche models to assess the risk of invasion, the spatial overlap, and the variables delimiting the distribution of the two lineages. We also compared the effect of using different extents on niche overlap and niche shift analyses. Intraspecific models with pooled occurrences accurately found two separate regions susceptible of invasion for each invasive lineage in the Mediterranean, while species-based predictions underestimated invaded regions. The invasive lineages spread across colder coastal areas than the species. Altogether, we provide evidence that different invasive lineages of algae show dissimilar environmental responses and invasive ranges that are not detectable by species-based analyses. Moreover, niche overlap and niche shift analyses seem to depend greatly on the geographical extent used. According to the most appropriate extent (worldwide), the invaded range did not show niche shift, and thus, no evidence of a post-introduction adaptation scenario was found as both lineages invaded habitats similar to their Australian native locations. Actions to prevent further spreading of the most recent invasive lineage are needed.SFRH/BPD/109452/2015info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Road Network: Resource Management for its Maintenance

Reliable data and sound analysis are necessary to manage a road network in a costeffective manner. Nowadays, adequate systems and equipment are available for gathering data and analysis. Grounded on sound analysis, properly financed roadimprovement plans can be estimated. It is possible to outline different improvement scenarios on the basis of given priorities, say reduction of mortal accidents, and financial constraints. The process should blend the managerial and technical perspectives, as is shown with an empirical illustration from the road network of the Madrid region in Spain

Community-owned rural water supplies in Galicia (Spain): supporting role in the groundwater self-management

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract:] The community-owned rural water supplies in the rural areas of Galicia developed spontaneously in response to the historical shortcomings of local administrations, which are a clear example of commons management strategies. They have developed a water self-management model integrated into a complex network of actors. More than one-quarter of the total population rely on these systems. However, a large part of supplied water does not comply with the sanitary standards due to deficiencies in the system’s design, operation, and maintenance and the water catchment protection. Furthermore, the owners face difficulties complying with basic legal requirements due to the complexity of the regulatory framework and the lack of training of the water board members. COXAPO (‘Comunidad Xeral de Augas de Galicia’), an association of 150 community-owned water supplies, advises, trains, and supports the water boards for the legal, administrative, economic, and technical systems management. As a result, it gets the systems legally compliant concerning the institutional management and quality of supplied water. The success of this network governance recommends a role to the administration in promoting the networking of water boards by supporting the existing water supply associations and encouraging their constitution or provisioning equivalent services in regions where they do not exist.COXAPO; IN-0047-2

De lo necesario a lo inevitable. Casi dos décadas de código SMS

Con el comienzo del siglo XXI encontramos publicaciones nacidas desde diversos campos dedicadas a estudiar las repercusiones en el uso del lenguaje y las lenguas de lo que en la bibliografía finisecular se conocía como “nuevas tecnologías”. Podemos citar, como una muestra representativa de que este terreno se encuentra en plena efervescencia, sujeto a cambios que se suceden con una velocidad a la que no estábamos acostumbrados, monografías sobre Internet y las lenguas (Millán 2001, Crystal 20062), volúmenes de revistas de especialidad dedicados al tema (López Alonso & Séré 2006), estudios sobre las repercusiones de los nuevos géneros textuales en el ámbito de la educación (Lankshear & Knobel 2006), un manual de ciberpragmática (Yus Ramos 2010), actas derivadas de congresos en que se estudian las manifestaciones literarias en Internet (Montesa 2011), o, ya en un entorno más práctico, manuales de estilo sobre la composición de mensajes SMS (Guerrero 2001) y de mensajes de correo electrónico (Shipley & Schwalbe 2008 [2007])