Greenpeace como actor internacional. La campaña del Mediterráneo

Greenpeace es una de las más destacadas ONG por su papel relevante en el escenario internacional. Autofinanciada, políticamente independiente y hábil para atraer con sus acciones a los medios de comunicación se ha convertido en la gran defensora del medio ambiente. En el articulo se analiza su papel como actor internacional y sus actuaciones concreta en la campaña del Mediterráneo.Greenpeace is one of the most notable ONGs for its oustanding role in the international scene. Self-financed, politically independent and able in order to attract with its actions to the media, Greenpeace have been converted in the great defender of the environment. In this article its role as international actor and its concrete proceeding in the Mediterranean campaign is presented in detail

Aquatic therapy versus conventional land-based therapy for Parkinson's disease: an open-label pilot study

[Abstract] Objectives: To assess and compare 2 different protocols of physiotherapy (land or water therapy) for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) focused on postural stability and self-movement, and to provide methodological information regarding progression within the program for a future larger trial. Design: Randomized, controlled, open-label pilot trial. Setting: Outpatients, Parkinson’s disease Center of Ferrol - Galicia (Spain). Participants: Individuals (N 11) with idiopathic PD in stages 2 or 3 according to the Hoehn and Yahr Scale completed the investigation (intervention period plus follow-up). Interventions: After baseline evaluations, participants were randomly assigned to a land-based therapy (active control group) or a water-based therapy (experimental group). Participants underwent individual sessions for 4 weeks, twice a week, for 45 minutes per session. Both interventions were matched in terms of exercise features, which were structured in stages with clear objectives and progression criteria to pass to the next phase. Main Outcome Measures: Participants underwent a first baseline assessment, a posttest immediately after 4 weeks of intervention, and a follow-up assessment after 17 days. Evaluations were performed OFF-dose after withholding medication for 12 hours. Functional assessments included the Functional Reach Test (FRT), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the UPDRS, the 5-m walk test, and the Timed Up and Go test. Results: A main effect of both therapies was seen for the FRT. Only the aquatic therapy group improved in the BBS and the UPDRS. Conclusions: In this pilot study, physiotherapy protocols produced improvement in postural stability in PD that was significantly larger after aquatic therapy. The intervention protocols are shown to be feasible and seem to be of value in amelioration of postural stability–related impairments in PD. Some of the methodological aspects detailed here can be used to design larger controlled trials.Galicia. Consellería de Educación; E04D043802BRGalicia. Consellería de Innovación, Industria e Comercio; PGIDIT06PXIB137036P

Development of high creep strength microstructures in 9Cr ferritic-martensitic steels through the optimization of the processing or the chemical composition

Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas, leída el 20-09-2019Actualmente, existe una necesidad de incrementar la temperatura de operación de los aceros ferríticos/martensíticos 9Cr con el objetivo de aumentar la eficiencia de las futuras centrales de generación de energía. Como ejemplo, en el caso de las centrales térmicas, un aumento del 1 % en la eficiencia implica la reducción de 2.4 millones de toneladas de CO2, 2000 toneladas de NOx, 2 000 toneladas de SO2 y 500 toneladas de partículas. La temperatura máxima de operación de los aceros ferríticos/martensíticos 9Cr está en 620 °C debido a su baja estabilidad microestructural a temperaturas más elevadas. La microestructura de estos aceros está compuesta por martensita revenida con una alta densidad de dislocaciones. Durante la fluencia, esta microestructura evoluciona hacía una microestructura más estable de ferrita y precipitados. Esta recuperación de la microestructura produce una caída de la resistencia por una disminución en la densidad de dislocaciones y engrosamiento de las lajas, paquetes y bloques martensíticos. El engrosamiento de estas características microestructurales y la caída en la densidad de dislocaciones está impedido por dos tipos de precipitados, los M23C6 y los MX...Nowadays, there is a need to increase the operation temperature of 9Cr ferritic/martensitic steels to improve the efficiency of future power plants. As an example, in the case of coal fired power plants, an increase of 1 % in the efficiency allows the reduction of 2.4 millions of tons of CO2, 2 000 tons of NOX, and 500 tons of particles. The maximum operation temperature for the 9Cr ferritic/martensitic steels is 620 °C due to their low microstructural stability at higher temperatures. The microstructure of these steels consist in tempered martensite with a high dislocation density. During creep, this microstructure evolves to a more stable microstructure, which consists of ferrite and different kinds of precipitates. The evolution towards this microstructure produces a drop in the creep strength by a decrease in the dislocation density and the coarsening of martensitic laths and blocks. The coarsening of these microestructural features and the drop in the dislocation density is hinded by two kinds of precipitates, M23C6 carbides and MX carbonitrides...Fac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEunpu

La evolución de la publicidad como instrumento de comunicación. Aplicación al caso de Fanta

A lo largo de los años, la publicidad ha tenido que irse adaptando a los ámbitos más complejos y sucesos históricos que se han ido produciendo en nuestra civilización, sociedad y en nuestro modelo económico. El paradigma publicitario ha cambiado, de modo que se ha pasado de una publicidad caracterizada por ser masiva, pagada por los anunciantes, que trata de persuadir y en la que los individuos son simples receptores pasivos de los impactos publicitarios, a otra publicidad actual que puede personalizarse, que no siempre es pagada, cuyos efectos van más allá de tratar de persuadir y en la que los individuos pueden participar activamente en el proceso publicitario. Todo ello ha provocado que en la actualidad se produzca un problema a nivel académico a la hora de definir la publicidad como instrumento de comunicación, desencadenando un amplio debate al respecto. La evolución de la publicidad se ha visto impulsada por el nacimiento y desarrollo de nuevos medios y formatos, por la aparición de nuevos comportamientos en los consumidores y por la aparición de efectos extendidos de la publicidad. En el presente trabajo se analiza esta evolución y se identifican dos etapas claramente diferenciadas. El nacimiento de internet como medio publicitario ha sido el suceso que ha marcado el punto de inflexión entre ellas. Para ilustrar las dos etapas identificadas se estudia el caso paradigmático de la evolución publicitaria de la marca FantaOver the years, advertising has had to adapt to the more complex areas and historical events that have taken place in our civilization, society and in our economic model. The advertising paradigm has changed, so that it has gone from an advertising characterized by being massive, paid by advertisers, that tries to persuade and in which individuals are simple passive recipients of advertising impacts, to other current advertising that can be personalized, which is not always paid, whose effects go beyond trying to persuade and in which individuals can 4 participate actively in the advertising process. All this has led to a problem at the academic level at the moment of defining advertising as an instrument of communication, triggering a broad debate about it. The evolution of advertising has been driven by the birth and development of new media and formats, by the appearance of new behaviors in consumers and by the appearance of widespread effects of advertising. In the present work, this evolution is analyzed and two clearly differentiated stages are identified. The birth of the internet as an advertising medium was the event that has marked the turning point between them. To illustrate the two stages identified, the paradigmatic case of the advertising evolution of the Fanta brand is studiedDepartamento de Organización de Empresas y Comercialización e Investigación de MercadosGrado en Administración y Dirección de Empresa

Double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial on the effect of 10 days low-frequency rTMS over the vertex on sleep in Parkinson’s disease

[Abstract] Objective: A recent report indicates repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) improves sleep in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of 10 days rTMS on sleep parameters in PD patients. Methods: Double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Eighteen idiopathic PD patients completed the study. Sleep parameters were evaluated through actigraphy and the Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), along with depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, HDS), and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Evaluations were carried out before treatment with rTMS (pre-evaluation, PRE), after the rTMS treatment programme (post-evaluation, POST), and one week after POST (POST-2). Nine PD patients received real rTMS and the other 9 received sham rTMS daily for 10 days, (100 pulses at 1 Hz) applied with a large circular coil over the vertex. Results: Stimulation had no effect over actigraphic variables. Conversely PDSS, HDS, and UPDRS were significantly improved by the stimulation. Notably, however, these changes were found equally in groups receiving real or sham stimulation. Conclusions: rTMS, using our protocol, has no therapeutic value on the sleep of PD patients, when compared to appropriate sham controls. Future works assessing the possible therapeutic role of rTMS on sleep in PD should control the effect of placebo.Galicia. Consellería de Educación; 2007/000140-0Galicia. Consellería de Innovación, Industria e Comercio; PGIDIT06PXIC137004P

Controlled trial on the effect of 10 days low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on motor signs in Parkinson´s disease

[Abstract] We evaluated the effect of low-frequency rTMS on motor signs in Parkinson’s disease (PD), under a doubleblind placebo-controlled trial design. PD patients were randomly assigned to received either real (n 5 9) or sham (n 5 9) rTMS for 10 days. Each session comprises two trains of 50 stimuli each delivered at 1 Hz and at 90% of daily rest motor threshold using a large circular coil over the vertex. The effect of the stimulation, delivered during the ON-period, was evaluated during both ON and OFF periods. Tests were carried out before and after the stimulation period, and again 1 week after. The effect of the stimulation was evaluated through several gait variables (cadence, step amplitude, velocity, the CVstride-time, and the turn time), hand dexterity, and also the total and motor sections of the UPDRS. Only the total and motor section of the UPDRS and the turn time during gait were affected by the stimulation, the effect appearing during either ON or OFF evaluation, and most importantly, equally displayed in both real and sham group. The rest of the variables were not influenced. We conclude the protocol of stimulation used, different from most protocols that apply larger amount of stimuli, but very similar to some previously reported to have excellent results, has no therapeutic value and should be abandoned. This contrasts with the positive reported effects using higher frequency and focal coils. Our work also reinforces the need for sham stimulation when evaluating the therapeutic effect of rTMS.Galicia. Consellería de Educación; 2007/000140-0Galicia. Consellería de Innovación, Industria e Comercio; PGIDIT06PXIC137004PNGalicia. Consellería de Economía e Industria; INCITE09137 379 PRMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación; BFU2009-0816

Passive acoustic monitoring of the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus to determine continuous presence in Ensenada de La Paz, Mexico

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are ecosystem sentinels. In the Gulf of California, Mexico, they are found in areas that overlap with human activities, as in the case of the Ensenada de La Paz lagoon. A custom-made recorder -moored at medium depth (2.0 m) in the entrance to the lagoon- recorded acoustic data from June to November 2017 (8 deployments; 293 h). Whistles -an indicative of bottlenose dolphin presences- were pooled over time to acquire acoustic encounters, which were analysed to infer continuity of animal presence and test for statistically significant differences between deployments, day and night, and hours. Whistles were recorded during all deployments and evidenced night-time presence of bottlenose dolphins in the lagoon. Significant differences of acoustic encounters were observed between ‘Jun-Jul’ and ‘Sep-Nov’. Acoustic encounters were higher at night but were not different at an hourly level. Acoustical data proved the continuous presence of bottlenose dolphins, highlighting the importance of the Ensenada de La Paz for their population. This initial study highlights the usefulness of long-term passive acoustic monitoring to inform stake holders involved in management and conservation plans