New Life Flats - El plan de negocio

Este trabajo de fin de grado está basado en la creación del plan de negocio de una nueva empresa del sector inmobiliario. New Life Flats, es una empresa cuya principal actividad económica se basa en la compra de inmuebles viejos y anticuados, que puedan ser potencialmente reformados para su posterior venta en el mercado. New Life Flats prestará sus servicios a inversores interesados en desarrollar un proyecto en la industria inmobiliaria, y actuará de intermediaria llevando a cabo el proceso completo desde la búsqueda de propiedades hasta la venta final, gracias a la financiación aportada por estosinversores. Tras la venta final, los beneficios obtenidos se repartirán entre ambas partessegún lo acordado.A lo largo de este trabajo, se han desarrollado los diferentes puntos requeridos para analizar si la empresa que se quiere crear es rentable o no, y en caso afirmativo, cuales serían los diferentes aspectos y requisitos necesarios para llevar a cabo esta idea de negocio. <br /

Mass flowering crops in a patchy agricultural landscape can reduce bee abundance in adjacent shrublands

Pollinator spill-over among habitats can arise in order to fulfill the pollination function and whenever differences in floral offering change over time or space. Flowering crops offer pulsed and abundant floral resources (i.e., mass flowering crops) that might promote pollinator spill-over between cultivated and adjacent natural areas. We explored pollinator patterns in the mass flowering legume crop Hedysarum coronarium and its influence on the bee pollinator communities of adjacent shrublands in a heterogeneous and patchy agricultural landscape. We studied the temporal (i.e., during vs. after mass flowering in adjacent shrublands) and spatial (i.e., inside crops, adjacent and distant shrublands during mass flowering) functional pollinator spill-over. The honeybee was highly attracted to Hedysarum crops, yet its abundance and that of other bee species visiting native plants in adjacent shrublands did not differ during and after Hedysarum mass flowering. However, at the landscape scale, the honeybee and the other bee species were less abundant in shrublands adjacent to Hedysarum crops compared to distant ones; their visitation rates showing a similar trend. These results show that some mass flowering crops can influence pollinator patterns in the surrounding landscape by competing for generalist pollinators with native plants. The characteristics of the crop species and the landscape can modulate and determine the role of mass flowering crops as competitors or supporters of wild pollinators for adjacent natural areas.Peer reviewe

Aerobic Energy Expenditure and Intensity Prediction During a Specific Circuit Weight Training: a Pilot Study

During circuit weight training (CWT), workloads, index of intensity as well as estimation of energy expenditure (EE) have been under estimated. The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate physiological variables and gender related differences, including intensity prediction and EE, during CWT at different intensities. Twenty six subjects were assessed in a CWT, fourteen men and twelve women. The CWT program was performed at six different intensities, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% and 85% of 15RM. Seven exercises made up the circuit: sitting bench press, leg press, lat pull down, shoulder press, hamstring curl, biceps curl, and triceps cable push downs. A polar heart rate monitor and a portable metabolic system were used to measure heart rate (HR), intensity measured relative to the HR reserve, cardiorespiratory variables, EE and EE relative to muscle mass (EEMM). Differences between genders were observed at the following variables: HR, intensity measured relative to the HR reserve (in percentage), VO2, VCO2, VE, RER, aerobic EE and EEMM. The EE was significantly higher in men during the six intensities, but differences did not exist for EEMM from 70% to 85%. In addition HR, load and body weight were used to predict intensity and two gender specific equations were obtained for men and women [I (%) = 57.265 + 0.512HR - 0.696HRmax + 1.035 Loadavg + 0.188 Body Weight (R2=0.92; SEE=4.9%) for men; I (%) = 4.036 + 0.412HR% + 1.667 Loadavg (R2=0.79; SEE=7.7%) for women]. Thus, we conclude that gender related differences are present during CWT for EE, even when expressed relative to muscle mass, in addition HR, work load and body weight can estimate the intensity during CWT

Resveratrol derivates for age-related macular degeneration treatment

Motivation: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition characterized by the acumulation of deposits called drusen between the retinal pigment epitheliun (RPE) and Bruch's membrane. As the disease progresses, occurs the degeneration of RPE and photoreceptors cells (dry AMD) or the infiltration of blood vessels from the choroidal vasculature into the retina (wet AMD). To date AMD has no effective treatment. This condition is the leading cause of blindness among elderly individuals worldwide and the total number of patients is expected to increase to 288 million affected individuals in 2040. Resveratrol has shown to have protective effects in others ophthalmologic disorders as diabetic retinopathy, likely through upregulation of Sirt1. The aim of this work is to test some small molecules derivated from resveratrol to see if there is a protective effect against the progression of AMD. Methods: The compounds were tested in vitro using the RPE cell line ARPE-19. Posible toxic effects were studied using RealTime-Glo™ MT Cell Viability Assay and RealTime-Glo™ Annexin V Apoptosis and Necrosis Assay. The efects in the cell cycle were annalised by flow cytometry. Changes in Sirt1 enzymatic activity were messured using SIRT-Glo™ Assay System and Sirt1 expression has been annalised by inmunofluorescence (IF) and western blot (WB) Results: The compounds did not show significant toxic effects or effects for the cell cycle in the concentration range annalised except resveratrol, that seems to cause cell cycle arrest at S and G2/M phase and cell apoptosis. Sirt1 enzymatic activity and Sirt1 expression in the cells do not seem to be increased in response to resveratrol derivates treatment at high doses compared to vehicle control. Conclusions: Resveratrol derivates seem to be safer and less toxic than resveratrol, at least for in vitro use. Further studies are needed to determinate their possible therapeutic applications

Durability of Eco-Efficient Binary Cement Mortars Based on Ichu Ash: Effect on Carbonation and Chloride Resistance

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract] This research work focuses on the performance of mortars containing ichu ash as a potential environmentally-sound alternative to traditional pozzolans (at 6% and 10% replacement levels) under CO2 and chloride ion rich environments, in order to evaluate the capacity of this material to produce more sustainable and durable blended cements. The results indicate that ichu ash increases the susceptibility to carbonation, although mortars with 6% ichu ash content behave similarly to OPC ones. However, both density and mechanical strength improve after 250 days of carbonation for both ichu-blended mortars. In terms of resistance to chloride penetration, the addition of ichu ash contributes to retaining the ions in the superficial layers of the mortars, inhibiting their advance. It was found that formulations with both 6% and 10% ichu ash content produced a reduction in the chloride diffusion coefficient of approximately 60%. This phenomenon was mainly attributed to the refinement and increased complexity of the microstructure of the mortars due to the pozzolanic effect. Therefore, it was found that in certain types of environments, ichu ash can be an interesting tool to improve the durability of cements while reducing their environmental footprint and exploiting local resources.This research work was carried out thanks to the Framework Partnership Agreement between CSIC (Spain) and UTEC (Peru) [ref. n. ACAM 2021040044 BDC and 20215065] and the economic support of FONDECYT [contract n. 103-2018-FONDECYT –BM]. L. C-M. gratefully acknowledges the funding received by the Spanish Training Programme and the European Social Fund (MINECO/ESF) [grant number BES-2016-078454]. Funding for open access charge: Universidade da CoruñaPerú. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica (CONCYTEC); 103-2018-FONDECYT–B

Effectiveness of a physical therapeutic exercise programme for caregivers of dependent patients: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial from Spanish primary care

Producción CientíficaFemale family caregivers (FFCs) constitute one of the basic supports of socio-health care for dependence in developed countries. The care provided by FFCs may impact their physical and mental health, negatively affecting their quality of life. In order to alleviate the consequences of providing care on FFCs, the Spanish Public Health System has developed the family caregiver care programme (FCCP) to be applied in primary care (PC) centres. The effectiveness of this programme is limited. To date, the addition of a physical therapeutic exercise (PTE) programme to FCCP has not been evaluated. A randomised multicentre clinical trial was carried out in two PC centres of the Spanish Public Health System. In total, 68 FFCs were recruited. The experimental group (EG) performed the usual FCCP (4 sessions, 6 h) added to a PTE programme (36 sessions in 12 weeks) whereas the control group performed the usual FCCP performed in PC. The experimental treatment improved quality of life (d = 1.17 in physical component summary), subjective burden (d = 2.38), anxiety (d = 1.52), depression (d = 1.37) and health-related physical condition (d = 2.44 in endurance). Differences between the groups (p < 0.05) were clinically relevant in favour of the EG. The experimental treatment generates high levels of satisfaction.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - (Project MTM2017–86061-C2–1-P)Junta de Castilla y León y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - (Projects VA005P17 y VA002G18

Discriminant analysis of the specialty of elite cyclist

The different demands of competition coupled with the morphological and physiological characteristics of cyclists have led to the appearance of cycling specialities. The aims of this study were to determine the differences in the anthropometric and physiological features in road cyclists with different specialities, and to develop a multivariate model to classify these specialities and predict which speciality may be appropriate to a given cyclist. Twenty male, elite amateur cyclists were classified by their trainers as either flat terrain riders, hill climbers, or all-terrain riders. Anthropometric and cardiorespiratory studies were then undertaken. The results were analysed by MANOVA and two discriminant tests. Most differences between the speciality groups were of an anthropometric nature. The only cardiorespiratory variable that differed significantly (p < 0.05) was maximum oxygen consumption with respect to body weight (VO2max/kg). The first discriminant test classified 100% of the cyclists within their true speciality; the second, which took into account only anthropometric variables, correctly classified 75%. The first discriminant model allows the likely speciality of still non-elite cyclists to be predicted from a small number of variables, and may therefore help in their specific training

Optimisation technique for improving wind downscaling results by estimating roughness parameters

The characterisation of the aerodynamic roughness length (z0) and the displacement height (d) is critical when modelling the wind field using the log vertical profile. It is known that the values of these parameters depend on land coverage and weather conditions. Thus, many authors have studied their relationship, providing typical values for each land cover. In this paper, we have performed a comprehensive literature review to collect the intervals of z0 and d values for each land coverage. Using these intervals, we estimate their values using an optimisation technique that improves the results of a downscaling wind model. The downscaling model is a 3D adaptive, mass-consistent finite element model (Wind3D) that takes values from the HARMONIE-AROME or ECMWF mesoscale numerical weather prediction models. The optimisation is carried out by a memetic algorithm that combines the Differential Evolution method, a rebirth operator and the L-BFGS-B algorithm. The fitness function to be minimised is the root mean square error (RMSE) against observed wind data. This fast procedure allows updating the aerodynamic parameters for any weather condition. Numerical experiments have been carried out to show the performance of the methodology.This work has been supported by the Spanish Government, "Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación", "Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad", and FEDER, grant contract: CTM2014-55014-C3-1-R

Pomace Olive Oil Concentrated in Triterpenic Acids Restores Vascular Function, Glucose Tolerance and Obesity Progression in Mice

Pomace olive oil, an olive oil sub-product, is a promising source of bioactive triterpenoids such as oleanolic acid and maslinic acid. Considering the vascular actions of pomace olive oil and the potential effects of the isolated oleanolic acid on metabolic complications of obesity, this study investigates for the first time the dietary intervention with a pomace olive oil with high concentrations of the triterpenic acids (POCTA), oleanolic and maslinic acid, during diet-induced obesity in mice. The results demonstrate that obese mice, when switched to a POCTA-diet for 10 weeks, show a substantial reduction of body weight, insulin resistance, adipose tissue inflammation, and particularly, improvement of vascular function despite high caloric intake. This study reveals the potential of a functional food based on pomace olive oil and its triterpenic fraction against obesity progression. Our data also contribute to understanding the health-promoting effects attributable to the Mediterranean dietSpanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (Grants SAF2017-82813-C3-3-R and PCI2018-092997/AEI to R.R.-R.