Uptake and factors that influence the use of 'sit less, move more' occupational intervention strategies in Spanish office employees

Background: Little is known about the types of 'sit less, move more' strategies that appeal to office employees, or what factors influence their use. This study assessed the uptake of strategies in Spanish university office employees engaged in an intervention, and those factors that enabled or limited strategy uptake. Methods: The study used a mixed method design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academics and administrators (n = 12; 44 +/- 12 mean SD age; 6 women) at three points across the five-month intervention, and data used to identify factors that influenced the uptake of strategies. Employees who finished the intervention then completed a survey rating (n = 88; 42 +/- 8 mean SD age; 51 women) the extent to which strategies were used [never (1) to usually (4)]; additional survey items (generated from interviewee data) rated the impact of factors that enabled or limited strategy uptake [no influence (1) to very strong influence (4)]. Survey score distributions and averages were calculated and findings triangulated with interview data. Results: Relative to baseline, 67% of the sample increased step counts post intervention (n = 59); 60% decreased occupational sitting (n = 53). 'Active work tasks' and 'increases in walking intensity' were the strategies most frequently used by employees (89% and 94% sometimes or usually utilised these strategies); 'walk-talk meetings' and ` lunchtime walking groups' were the least used (80% and 96% hardly ever or never utilised these strategies). 'Sitting time and step count logging' was the most important enabler of behaviour change (mean survey score of 3.1 +/- 0.8); interviewees highlighted the motivational value of being able to view logged data through visual graphics in a dedicated website, and gain feedback on progress against set goals. 'Screen based work' (mean survey score of 3.2 +/- 0.8) was the most significant barrier limiting the uptake of strategies. Inherent time pressures and cultural norms that dictated sedentary work practices limited the adoption of 'walk-talk meetings' and ` lunch time walking groups'. Conclusions: The findings provide practical insights into which strategies and influences practitioners need to target to maximise the impact of 'sit less, move more' occupational intervention strategies.

Distribución de "coxiella burnetii" en los rumiantes domésticos y en la fauna silvestre de la Comunidad Atutónoma Vasca. Evaluacióndel efecto del tratamiento antibiótico y de la vacunación en el control de la fiebre Q en rebaños ovinos naturalmente infectados

243 p. : il.

Kalman Filtering in R

Support in R for state space estimation via Kalman filtering was limited to one package, until fairly recently. In the last five years, the situation has changed with no less than four additional packages offering general implementations of the Kalman filter, including in some cases smoothing, simulation smoothing and other functionality. This paper reviews some of the offerings in R to help the prospective user to make an informed choice.

Estudio de criterios de planificación de redes DVB-T2 en la banda VHF

[ES]El estándar de radiodifusión de televisión digital terrestre DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial) es uno de los estándares más extendidos en todo el mundo. Su sucesor, DVB-T2, ha sido desplegado en 24 países y adoptado por otros 32 a lo largo de los últimos cinco años. Este despliegue ha coincidido con el rápido desarrollo de la telefonía móvil, con la que comparte la banda UHF. Debido a las limitaciones del espectro, es necesario estudiar la posibilidad de ofrecer los servicios de DVB-T2 en la banda VHF. El objetivo de este trabajo de fin de grado es estudiar los criterios de planificación de las redes DVB-T2 en la banda VHF. Para ello se analizan las áreas afectadas por el cambio de banda, como son la estimación del campo eléctrico, los características de los componentes de transmisión y recepción de la señal y los parámetros estándar. Además, se calculan las intensidades mínimas de campo y los alcances máximos de cobertura para diferentes configuraciones.

Traditional budgeting during financial crisis

[EN] This study examines the evolution of budgeting practices in the extremely difficult Spanish economic environment. In order to analyse if companies are still maintaining their budgeting process and if, right now, they are facing more difficulties in forecasting accurate indicators, two similar web surveys were addressed over two periods of time, firstly in 2008 at the beginning of the financial crisis, and secondly in 2013 after five years of a downward trend. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate how companies brought more flexibility to their budgeting process in order to cope with environmental uncertainty. The survey indicates that 97% of respondents are still using a traditional budgeting process being this result similar to the one found in 2008. However, 2013 showed that the reliance on forecasted information is being increasingly questioned. Furthermore the study revealed that the respondents are bringing more flexibility to their processes, being able to modify the objectives once the budget is approved and to obtain new resources outside the budgeting process. This paper contributes to revealing information about difficulties in setting reliable objectives in a turbulent environment and provides data about the evolution of budgeting practices over five years during an austere economic crisis.

Análisis econométrico de los casos de cáncer en mujeres

[ES] El presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado trata, en primera instancia, de proporcionar una visión detallada sobre los diferentes tipos de cáncer en mujeres, detallando los más padecidos entre ellas y facilitando una serie de datos relacionados con la incidencia, la mortalidad y la prevalencia a cinco años. Además de analizar los diversos factores que favorecen la aparición del cáncer en las personas. En la segunda parte del trabajo, se analiza a través de la especificación y estimación de modelos paramétricos, el efecto de diferentes variables sobre la supervivencia a esta enfermedad en las mujeres. Entre las variables que se han tenido en cuenta están la edad en el momento en que se diagnostica el cáncer, el tamaño del mismo y el grado, además de variables como la raza, si la mujer es de origen hispano y el estado civil. Los datos utilizados en el presente trabajo han sido obtenidos de la base de datos: SEER CANCER RESEARCH DATABASE, del Instituto Nacional de Cáncer de Estados Unidos (2013).