Measuring energy poverty in Spain with the new EU expenditure-based indicators

[EN] This paper analyzes energy poverty in Spain between 2016 and 2021, using the new European primary indicators that relate household income to their energy expenditure, called expenditure-based indicators. The objective of the study is to determine the characteristics of the households most vulnerable to energy poverty in Spain, that is, with a greater probability of incurring in this situation. The determinants that influence energy poverty are identified through machine learning models: linear regression using bootstraping and random forest using repeated cross-validation. The problem addressed is key in the current economic and regulatory context of the energy transition, and it is essential to provide tools to measure its impact and analyze the causes.Mendoza Aguilar, J.; Ramos-Real, F.; Ramírez-Díaz, A. (2023). Measuring energy poverty in Spain with the new EU expenditure-based indicators. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 213-214. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/20178321321

La importancia del riesgo percibido en la imagen de destino y sus efectos sobre la intención de comportamiento

En este trabajo analizamos el proceso mediante el cual la decisión de visitar un destino es el resultado de evaluar su imagen, siendo el riesgo un factor importante que influye en la imagen del destino. Teniendo en cuenta la literatura previa, y considerando el carácter multidimensional de estos dos constructos, proponemos una clasificación de los diferentes enfoques que vinculan el riesgo y la imagen con la intención del comportamiento. Este trabajo, sin ser una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura, aclara el estado en el que se encuentra el estudio de este tema y brinda orientación a los investigadores en este campo.In this work we analyze the process by which the decision of visiting a destination is the result of evaluating its image, being risk an important factor that has an effect on the destination’s image. Taking the previous literature into account, and considering the multidimensional character of these two constructs, we propose a classification of the different approaches that link risk and image with behavioral intention. This work, without being an exhaustive review of the literature, clarifies the state in which the study of this subject is found and gives guidance to the researchers in this field

Turismo y prospecciones petrolíferas en Canarias

El objetivo de este informe técnico es reflejar y clasificar, en un único documento, los principales argumentos que han alimentado el debate social, político y económico en torno a las prospecciones petrolíferas en Canarias en los últimos meses. En este sentido los autores han querido ser rigurosos al expresar la información disponible y la opinión de los expertos y los implicados en el debate. En ocasiones, se hacen patentes argumentos contradictorios y, en otras, se contrasta la información que se proporciona con lo publicado por distintas fuentes. Por otro lado, los autores de este informe técnico son los únicos responsables de su contenido, errores y omisiones. La Catedra de Turismo CajaCanarias – ASHOTEL – Universidad de La Laguna, ni las entidades patrocinadoras de este órgano (Fundación CajaCanarias, ASHOTEL y Universidad de La Laguna) no son responsables del contenido del informe. En ningún caso han pretendido expresar un posicionamiento a favor o en contra de las prospecciones, ni a nivel personal, ni de las instituciones que han encargado su elaboración

Lentiviral gene therapy reverts GPIX expression and phenotype in Bernard-Soulier syndrome type C

Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare congenital disease characterized by macrothrombocytopenia and frequent bleeding. It is caused by pathogenic variants in three genes (GP1BA, GP1BB, or GP9) that encode for the GPIbα, GPIbβ, and GPIX subunits of the GPIb-V-IX complex, the main platelet surface receptor for von Willebrand factor, being essential for platelet adhesion and aggregation. According to the affected gene, we distinguish BSS type A1 (GP1BA), type B (GP1BB), or type C (GP9). Pathogenic variants in these genes cause absent, incomplete, or dysfunctional GPIb-V-IX receptor and, consequently, a hemorrhagic phenotype. Using gene-editing tools, we generated knockout (KO) human cellular models that helped us to better understand GPIb-V-IX complex assembly. Furthermore, we developed novel lentiviral vectors capable of correcting GPIX expression, localization, and functionality in human GP9-KO megakaryoblastic cell lines. Generated GP9-KO induced pluripotent stem cells produced platelets that recapitulated the BSS phenotype: absence of GPIX on the membrane surface and large size. Importantly, gene therapy tools reverted both characteristics. Finally, hematopoietic stem cells from two unrelated BSS type C patients were transduced with the gene therapy vectors and differentiated to produce GPIX-expressing megakaryocytes and platelets with a reduced size. These results demonstrate the potential of lentiviral-based gene therapy to rescue BSS type C

Describing the status of reproductive ageing simply and precisely: A reproductive ageing score based on three questions and validated with hormone levels

Equation 6. Quadratic logistic function approximating the function mu(B)(with age in years). Equation 1. Proportion of women who have regular menstruation for each number of reported menstruations in the last year(with period = number of periods per year, x = number of women answering "Yes" to the question: "Do you have regular periods?", y = number of women answering "No, they have been irregular for a few months" and z = number of women answering "No, my periods have stopped", e.g. x(11) = number of women reporting regular menstruation among those who report 11 menstruations in the last 12 months). Equation 5. Biquadratic exponential function mu(A)depending of the number of periods. Equation 3. Age modification by smoking and oophorectomy. Equation 2. Proportion of women whose menstruations have already stopped, for each reported year of age(with age = age in years, x = number of women answering "Yes" to the question: "Do you have regular periods?", y = number of women answering "No, they have been irregular for a few months", z = number of women answering "No, my periods have stopped", e.g. x(40) = number of women reporting regular menstruations among those who are 40 years old). Equation 7. Final formula to calculate the reproductive ageing score (RAS)(with period being the number of periods per year and age as the age in years, modified according to smoking status and oophorectomy). Objective Most women live to experience menopause and will spend 4-8 years transitioning from fertile age to full menstrual stop. Biologically, reproductive ageing is a continuous process, but by convention, it is defined categorically as pre-, peri- and postmenopause;categories that are sometimes supported by measurements of sex hormones in blood samples. We aimed to develop and validate a new tool, a reproductive ageing score (RAS), that could give a simple and yet precise description of the status of reproductive ageing, without hormone measurements, to be used by health professionals and researchers. Methods Questionnaire data on age, menstrual regularity and menstrual frequency was provided by the large multicentre population-based RHINE cohort. A continuous reproductive ageing score was developed from these variables, using techniques of fuzzy mathematics, to generate a decimal number ranging from 0.00 (nonmenopausal) to 1.00 (postmenopausal). The RAS was then validated with sex hormone measurements (follicle stimulating hormone and 17 beta-estradiol) and interview-data provided by the large population-based ECRHS cohort, using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC). Results The RAS, developed from questionnaire data of the RHINE cohort, defined with high precision and accuracy the menopausal status as confirmed by interview and hormone data in the ECRHS cohort. The area under the ROC curve was 0.91 (95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.90-0.93) to distinguish nonmenopausal women from peri- and postmenopausal women, and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.83-0.88) to distinguish postmenopausal women from nonmenopausal and perimenopausal women. Conclusions: The RAS provides a useful and valid tool for describing the status of reproductive ageing accurately, on a continuous scale from 0.00 to 1.00, based on simple questions and without requiring blood sampling. The score allows for a more precise differentiation than the conventional categorisation in pre-, peri- and postmenopause. This is useful for epidemiological research and clinical trials. Equation 4. The reproductive ageing score as an aggregation function of mu(A)and mu(B)

Residential surrounding greenspace and age at menopause: A 20-year European study (ECRHS)

Background: Menopause is associated with a number of adverse health effects and its timing has been reported to be influenced by several lifestyle factors. Whether greenspace exposure is associated with age at menopause has not yet been investigated. Objective: To investigate whether residential surrounding greenspace is associated with age at menopause and thus reproductive aging. Methods: This longitudinal study was based on the 20-year follow-up of 1955 aging women from a large, population-based European cohort (ECRHS). Residential surrounding greenspace was abstracted as the average of satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) across a circular buffer of 300m around the residential addresses of each participant during the course of the study. We applied mixed effects Cox models with centre as random effect, menopause as the survival object, age as time indicator and residential surrounding greenspace as time-varying predictor. All models were adjusted for smoking habit, body mass index, parity, age at menarche, ever-use of contraception and age at completed full-time education as socio-economic proxy. Results: An increase of one interquartile range of residential surrounding greenspace was associated with a 13% lower risk of being menopausal (Hazard Ratio: 0.87, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.79-0.95). Correspondingly the predicted median age at menopause was 1.4 years older in the highest compared to the lowest NDVI quartile. Results remained stable after additional adjustment for air pollution and traffic related noise amongst others. Conclusions: Living in greener neighbourhoods is associated with older age at menopause and might slow reproductive aging. These are novel findings with broad implications. Further studies are needed to see whether our findings can be replicated in different populations and to explore the potential mechanisms underlying this association

Body silhouettes as a tool to reflect obesity in the past

Life course data on obesity may enrich the quality of epidemiologic studies analysing health consequences of obesity. However, achieving such data may require substantial resources. We investigated the use of body silhouettes in adults as a tool to reflect obesity in the past. We used large population-based samples to analyse to what extent self-reported body silhouettes correlated with the previously measured (9-23 years) body mass index (BMI) from both measured (European Community Respiratory Health Survey, N = 3 041) and self-reported (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe study, N = 3 410) height and weight. We calculated Spearman correlation between BMI and body silhouettes and ROC-curve analyses for identifying obesity (BMI ≥30) at ages 30 and 45 years. Spearman correlations between measured BMI age 30 (±2y) or 45 (±2y) and body silhouettes in women and men were between 0.62-0.66 and correlations for self-reported BMI were between 0.58-0.70. The area under the curve for identification of obesity at age 30 using body silhouettes vs previously measured BMI at age 30 (±2y) was 0.92 (95% CI 0.87, 0.97) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.75, 0.95) in women and men, respectively; for previously self-reported BMI, 0.92 (95% CI 0.88, 0.95) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.85, 0.96). Our study suggests that body silhouettes are a useful epidemiological tool, enabling retrospective differentiation of obesity and non-obesity in adult women and men

A three-generation study on the association of tobacco smoking with asthma

Background: Mothers' smoking during pregnancy increases asthma risk in their offspring. There is some evidence that grandmothers' smoking may have a similar effect, and biological plausibility that fathers' smoking during adolescence may influence offspring's health through transmittable epigenetic changes in sperm precursor cells. We evaluated the three-generation associations of tobacco smoking with asthma. Methods: Between 2010 and 2013, at the European Community Respiratory Health Survey III clinical interview, 2233 mothers and 1964 fathers from 26 centres reported whether their offspring (aged <= 51 years) had ever had asthma and whether it had coexisted with nasal allergies or not. Mothers and fathers also provided information on their parents' (grandparents) and their own asthma, education and smoking history. Multilevel mediation models within a multicentre three-generation framework were fitted separately within the maternal (4666 offspring) and paternal (4192 offspring) lines. Results: Fathers' smoking before they were 15 [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.01] and mothers' smoking during pregnancy (RRR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01-1.59) were associated with asthma without nasal allergies in their offspring. Grandmothers' smoking during pregnancy was associated with asthma in their daughters [odds ratio (OR) = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17-2.06] and with asthma with nasal allergies in their grandchildren within the maternal line (RRR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02-1.55). Conclusions: Fathers' smoking during early adolescence and grandmothers' and mothers' smoking during pregnancy may independently increase asthma risk in offspring. Thus, risk factors for asthma should be sought in both parents and before conception

Specific Marking of hESCs-Derived Hematopoietic Lineage by WAS-Promoter Driven Lentiviral Vectors

Genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is instrumental for tracing lineage commitment and to studying human development. Here we used hematopoietic-specific Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome gene (WAS)-promoter driven lentiviral vectors (LVs) to achieve highly specific gene expression in hESCs-derived hematopoietic cells. We first demonstrated that endogenous WAS gene was not expressed in undifferentiated hESCs but was evident in hemogenic progenitors (CD45−CD31+CD34+) and hematopoietic cells (CD45+). Accordingly, WAS-promoter driven LVs were unable to express the eGFP transgene in undifferentiated hESCs. eGFP+ cells only appeared after embryoid body (EB) hematopoietic differentiation. The phenotypic analysis of the eGFP+ cells showed marking of different subpopulations at different days of differentiation. At days 10–15, AWE LVs tag hemogenic and hematopoietic progenitors cells (CD45−CD31+CD34dim and CD45+CD31+CD34dim) emerging from hESCs and at day 22 its expression became restricted to mature hematopoietic cells (CD45+CD33+). Surprisingly, at day 10 of differentiation, the AWE vector also marked CD45−CD31low/−CD34− cells, a population that disappeared at later stages of differentiation. We showed that the eGFP+CD45−CD31+ population generate 5 times more CD45+ cells than the eGFP−CD45−CD31+ indicating that the AWE vector was identifying a subpopulation inside the CD45−CD31+ cells with higher hemogenic capacity. We also showed generation of CD45+ cells from the eGFP+CD45−CD31low/−CD34− population but not from the eGFP−CD45−CD31low/−CD34− cells. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a gene transfer vector which specifically labels hemogenic progenitors and hematopoietic cells emerging from hESCs. We propose the use of WAS-promoter driven LVs as a novel tool to studying human hematopoietic development