Paleozoic stratigraphy of the Central and Northern part of the Catalonian Coastal Ranges (NE Spain)

The Paleozoic stratigraphic succession in the Catalonian Coastal Ranges spans the interval from Cambrian(?) to Carboniferous, with only one break, separating the pre-Carboniferous part of the sequence from the Carboniferous. The oldest rocks exposed form a sequence of schists, fine grained sandstones, gneisses (laminar pre-Hercynian intrusions), marbles, orto- and para-amphibolites and calcsilicate rocks. comparison with other localities iuggests an Early Cambrian age (or perhaps in part older). Upwards the sequence becomes more monotonous andconsists only of schists (or slates where themetamorphic grade is lower) and thin fine-grained sandstone layers (Cambrian-Ordovician). Still higher in the sequence, an altemation of greywackes and slates is found, with interlayered mud-supported conglomerates at its lower part and acid volcanic rocks which occur throughout the whole sequence. This part of the sequence has provided the oldest faunas known in the Catalonian Coastal Ranges, which indicate the Caradoc. Finally, in its uppermost part, the Ordovician sequence contains some thin limestone layers that contain Ashgill faunas. The Silurian, from Llandovery to Lower Ludlow, consists of black graptolitic shales with dolerite sills, whilst the upper Ludlow, Pridolian and Devonian consist of nodular limestones and marls withpelagic and hemipelagic faunas. The youngest Devonian faunas found correspond in general to the Emsian. The existence of a gap at this point of the sequence suggests the possibility that part of the Devonian could have been eroded. The Carboniferous is characterized by a thick culm sequence (Visean to Westphalian?), resting on thin chert and limestone layers (Tournaisian and Visean). A comparison with neighbouring areas shows a similarity regarding succession and facies with other Paleozoic massifs around the Western Mediterranean.

GDP and life expectancy in Italy and Spain over the long-run (1861-2008): insights from a timeseries approach

The article presents and discusses long-run series of per capita GDP and life expectancy for Italy and Spain (1861-2008). After refining the available estimates in order to make them comparable and with the avail of the most up-to-date researches, the main changes in the international economy and in technological and sociobiological regimes are used as analytical frameworks to re-assess the performances of the two countries; then structural breaks are searched for and Granger causality between the two variables is investigated. The long-run convergence notwithstanding, significant cyclical differences between the two countries can be detected: Spain began to modernize later in GDP, with higher volatility in life expectancy until recent decades; by contrast, Italy showed a more stable pattern of life expectancy, following early breaks in per capita GDP, but also a negative GDP break in the last decades. Our series confirm that, whereas at the early stages of development differences in GDP tend to mirror those in life expectancy, this is no longer true at later stages of development, when, if any, there seems to be a negative correlation between GDP and life expectancy: this finding is in line with the thesis of a non-monotonic relation between life expectancy and GDP and is supported by tests of Granger causality.

Treballem la mort i el dol a l'escola : activitats per treballar la mort a l'aula de CI

El tema de la mort continua essent el tema més tabú en la nostra societat . Ni a les famílies, ni als alumnes, ni a l’escola en parlem. I quan esdevé una mort, a part de totes les emocions que ens afloren, no sabem ni com viure-la ni com ajudar a viure-la per elaborar un procés de dol correcte. Aquí trobareu una exposició teòrica del concepte de la mort i del dol que té la societat actual, així com un breu repàs al llarg de la història i les cultures. S’hi exposa com perceben la mort els infants i les característiques dels processos de dol que elaboren en les diferents etapes, fent especial esment a l’edat de 5 a 8 anys, etapa del CI de l’Educació Primària a l’escola. També hi podeu trobar l’eix central del treball, una proposta d’activitats per a treballar i reflexionar sobre la mort a l’aula de CI, que pretén ajudar a preparar als infants per afrontar les pèrdues i trencar el concepte de mort com a tabú

High-pressure processing and antimicrobial biodegradable packaging to control Listeria monocytogenes during storage of cooked ham

The efficiency of combining high-pressure processing (HPP) and active packaging technologies to control Listeria monocytogenes growth during the shelf life of artificially inoculated cooked ham was assessed. Three lots of cooked ham were prepared: control, packaging with alginate films, and packaging with antimicrobial alginate films containing enterocins. After packaging, half of the samples were pressurized. Sliced cooked ham stored at 6 °C experienced a quick growth of L. monocytogenes. Both antimicrobial packaging and pressurization delayed the growth of the pathogen. However, at 6 °C the combination of antimicrobial packaging and HPP was necessary to achieve a reduction of inoculated levels without recovery during 60 days of storage. Further storage at 6 °C of pressurized antimicrobial packed cooked ham resulted in L. monocytogenes levels below the detection limit (day 90). On the other hand, storage at 1 °C controlled the growth of the pathogen until day 39 in non-pressurized ham, while antimicrobial packaging and storage at 1 °C exerted a bacteriostatic effect for 60 days. All HPP lots stored at 1 °C led to counts <100 CFU/g at day 60. Similar results were observed when combining both technologies. After a cold chain break no growth of L. monocytogenes was observed in pressurized ham packed with antimicrobial films, showing the efficiency of combining both technologies.

Prevalence of complications after the oral rehabilitation with implant-supported hybrid prostheses

Objectives: Assess the main problems referred by the patients and observed by the professionals after the bucodental rehabilitation with an implant-supported hybrid prothesis. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was carried out in which there were 43 patients included who were visited in the Department of Oral Surgery and Orofacial Implantology of University of Barcelona Dental School for one year. An oral rehabilitation with an implant-supported hybrid prosthesis was made to those patients. The following variables were registered: age, gender, number of inserted implants, type of implant and principal problems produced by the hybrid prosthesis. Results: The rehabilitation with an implant supported hybrid prosthesis was only performed in 43 of 116 cases treated in one year (January, 2006 to January, 2007). They were 26 men and 17 women of ages between 37 and 74 years, being the rate age of 56,5 years. The main complication recorded was the mucositis, associated frequently with a difficulty to carry a correct oral hygiene and to an overextention of the tail of resin of the prosthesis. Other observed problems were the peri-implantitis, the break of the acrylic teeth and the loss of some of the prosthetic screws. Conclusions: The most frequent complication after the laying of an implant supported hybrid prosthesis was the mucositis, associated mainly with a prosthetic tail too long and to the consequent difficulty of carrying a correct oral hygiene. In spite of the high prevalence of observed complications, most of them were mild and resolved on subsequent visits.

Anàlisi d'un treball de força explosiva combinant màquines vibratòries i màquines inercials

L’objectiu d’aquest estudi és comparar els efectes de dos mitjans de treball sobre la força explosiva en 9 atletes de nivell autonòmic i nacional (19,6 ± 2,6 anys, 1,76 ± 7 m i 68,9 ± 3,5 kg) que entrenaren durant el període competitiu, 6 setmanes amb una freqüència de 2 cops per setmana, seguint una periodització creixent. Els subjectes varen ser dividits en 3 grups de 3 atletes cada un, però utilitzant diferents mitjans d’entrenament: el grup experimental combinant la plataforma vibratòria i les màquines inercials (1), amb un temps d’exposició a la vibració de 30’’, a una intensitat de 45 Hz i una amplitud de 5 mm amb una pausa d’1’. I de 3 sèries de 8 repeticions executades a màxima velocitat en la fase concèntrica i controlant aquesta en la fase excèntrica, amb una pausa de 3’ en les màquines io-io. El grup experimental de pesos lliures (2), va realitzar 4 exercicis: ½ squat, pliometria (CEE), multisalts horitzontals i acceleracions, seguint les pautes d’un treball de força explosiva proposat per Badillo i Gorostiaga (1995). I un grup control (3), que no realitzà cap entrenament de força. Abans i després del període d’intervenció és realitzaren els següents tests: salt sense contramoviment (SJ) i salt amb contramoviment (CMJ). Els resultats indicaren que el grup (1), (2) i (3) disminuïren significativament el SJ i el CMJ. Es conclou que l’entrenament, tant en el de combinació d’estímuls vibratoris amb màquines inercials com el de pesos lliures pareix ser un mitja que s’ha de controlar i perioditzar molt bé ja que en el període competitiu l’atleta acumula uns nivells de fatiga tant muscular com fisiològics molt superiors que en altres períodes de la temporada.

Efectes de les separacions o divorcis en el rendiment acadèmic dels alumnes de 5è i 6è d’una escola local

Aquest Treball Final de Grau aporta els resultats d’un estudi sobre els efectes i condicionats que suposa pel rendiment acadèmic dels alumnes de cicle superior de primària el divorci o la separació dels seus progenitors. Ens trobem davant l’augment del nombre de trencaments familiars, que ha esdevingut un fenomen clarament observable en la societat, es tracta d’un fenomen complex, en el qual entren en joc nombroses variables. I el trencament també suposa conseqüències socials, en primer lloc, pels fills/es. En una primera part ens endinsem en les aportacions i teories que han defensat diversos experts al llarg del temps sobre aquest fet. En una segona part es presenten les conclusions i els acords extrets de diverses entrevistes amb mestres d’una escola local en relació a la possible vinculació entre trencament familiar i rendiment acadèmic. I, per últim, s’acaben comparat les visions dels autors teòrics amb les aportacions i visions dels educadors professionals; per arribar a les principals conclusions que, no es pot generalitzar els efectes negatius de la ruptura, cal veure també les possibilitats positives del moment i, per últim, destacar que la manera amb la qual la família s'afronta a la ruptura té una importància crucial a l'hora de determinar l'impacte d'aquesta la ruptura en els fills.

Carnatic music: Svara, Gamaka, Motif and Raga identity

Over the last century in Karnatik music, the method ofunderstanding raga has been to break it down into its variouscomponents, svara, scale, gamaka, and phrases. In this paper, an attempt is made to define the abstract concept of raga in its entirety within the aesthetics of Karnatik music considering the various components and their symbiotic relationship. This paper also attempts to prove that theidentity of a raga exists as a whole. Section 2 explains theconcept of a fundamental musical note or svara. Section 3 illustrates the concept of gamaka or inflections. Section 4 delves into the concept of raga in detail and then flows into Section 5 which enunciates the identity of a raga in terms of svara, gamaka, and phraseology. The paper concludes in Section 6, and Section 7 gives the references.

Physical performance of biodegradable films intended for antimicrobial food packaging

Antimicrobial films were prepared by including enterocins to alginate, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and zein films. The physical performance of the films was assessed by measuring color, microstructure (SEM), water vapor permeability (WVP), and tensile properties. All studied biopolymers showed poor WVP and limited tensile properties. PVOH showed the best performance exhibiting the lowest WVP values, higher tensile properties, and flexibility among studied biopolymers. SEM of antimicrobial films showed increased presence of voids and pores as a consequence of enterocin addition. However, changes in microstructure did not disturb WVP of films. Moreover, enterocin-containing films showed slight improvement compared to control films. Addition of enterocins to PVOH films had a plasticizing effect, by reducing its tensile strength and increasing the strain at break. The presence of enterocins had an important effect on tensile properties of zein films by significantly reducing its brittleness. Addition of enterocins, thus, proved not to disturb the physical performance of studied biopolymers. Development of new antimicrobial biodegradable packaging materials may contribute to improving food safety while reducing environmental impact derived from packaging waste.

Recuperación tras un primer brote psicótico (PEP)

La temática central de este trabajo versa sobre el primer brote psicótico (PEP), contextualizándolo dentro del proceso de desarrollo de una psicosis. Aunque, precisamente, al interés que suscita este tema subyace el propósito de poder contestar fundamentalmente a la pregunta de si es posible la recuperación total de un primer brote psicótico, si una persona que haya experimentado un primer episodio psicótico puede volver a llevar una vida "normal" como la que pudiera haber tenido antes de tal suceso.

Redefining dropping out in online higher education: a case study from the UOC

In recent years, studies into the reasons for dropping out of higher education (including online education) have been undertaken with greater regularity, parallel to the rise in the relative weight of this type of education, compared with brick-and-mortar education. However, the work invested in characterising the students who drop out of education, compared with those who do not, appears not to have had the same relevance as that invested in the analysis of the causes. The definition of dropping out is very sensitive to the context. In this article, we reach a purely empirical definition of student dropping out, based on the probability of not continuing a specific academic programme following several consecutive semesters of "theoretical break". Dropping out should be properly defined before analysing its causes, as well as comparing the drop-out rates between the different online programmes, or between online and on-campus ones. Our results show that there are significant differences among programmes, depending on their theoretical extension, but not their domain of knowledge.

Measuring the effects through time of the influence of visuomotor and visuotactile synchronous stimulation on a virtual body ownership illusion

Previous studies have examined the experience of owning a virtual surrogate body or body part through specific combinations of cross-modal multisensory stimulation. Both visuomotor (VM) and visuotactile (VT) synchronous stimulation have been shown to be important for inducing a body ownership illusion, each tested separately or both in combination. In this study we compared the relative importance of these two cross-modal correlations, when both are provided in the same immersive virtual reality setup and the same experiment. We systematically manipulated VT and VM contingencies in order to assess their relative role and mutual interaction. Moreover, we present a new method for measuring the induced body ownership illusion through time, by recording reports of breaks in the illusion of ownership ("breaks") throughout the experimental phase. The balance of the evidence, from both questionnaires and analysis of the breaks, suggests that while VM synchronous stimulation contributes the greatest to the attainment of the illusion, a disruption of either (through asynchronous stimulation) contributes equally to the probability of a break in the illusion.

Estímulos y obstáculos al avance de la propiedad campesina (el baix Empordà, 1860-1940)

The aim of this article is to think about the expansion in peasant property detectable from the end of nineteeth to the middle of twenteeth centuries. The research is centred around one particular Catalan region, the Baix Empordà. The main parts of the process were the break-up and, the sale of old estates, as well as its purchase —fragmented— by peasant sectors. Some explanatory elements are set, both related to the behaviour of landed sectors, and to the means that make possible the expansion of a significant group of peasant properties

Adult sampling and larva rearing of the cork oak pest Coraebus undatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

Coraebus undatus is the main insect pest of cork oak worldwide. The larvae tunnel in the cortical cambium filling the bark with galleries and causing the cork to break at harvest. The first objective of this study was to test the effect of purple traps in the attraction of C. undatus because this colour is attractive to other buprestid beetles. The second objective was to develop a diet in which field-collected larvae could be reared to adulthood. Pairs of purple and clear (control) sticky traps were placed in a cork oak forest in Girona, Spain in the summer of 2008

La repercusión del régimen constitucional en la Iglesia de Lleida durante el trienio liberal

A principios del año 1820 la revolución de Rafael de Riego instauró el régimen liberal en España. La Iglesia de Lleida se adaptó correctamente al nuevo modelo político. Pero la obra legislativa de las Cortes liberales perjudicó gravemente a todas las estructuras políticas, económicas y sociales de la institución eclesiástica. Con la radicalización del gobierno liberal se produjo la ruptura de las relaciones de los con el Ayuntamiento de Lleida, quiénes al poco tiempo sufrieron la persecución y la represión de las autoridades liberales. Por tanto, el balance del período liberal fue muy negativo y su impacto enorme.