Proposal of three thermodynamic variables to discriminate between storms associated with hail and storms with intense rainfall in Catalonia (Proposta de tres variables termodinàmiques per discriminar entre tempestes amb pedregades i tempestes amb pluges intenses)

Between late spring and early fall, the development of storms is common in Catalonia. Despite the fact that they usually produce heavy showers of short duration, they can also involve severe weather with ice pellets or hail. While the latter usually affect inland regions, and there are numerous publications on these cases; the analysis of events affecting the coast and causing damage to public and private properties is not so well developed. The aim of this study is to provide additional thermodynamic indicators that help differentiate storms with hail from storms without hail, considering cases that have affected various regions of Catalonia, mainly coastal areas. The aim is to give more information to improve prognosis and the ability to detail information in these situations. The procedure developed involved the study of several episodes of heavy rainfall and hail that hit Catalonia during the 2003-2009 period, mainly in the province of Girona, and validated the proposal during the campaign of late summer and fall of 2009, as well as 2012. For each case, several variables related to temperature, humidity and wind were analyzed at different levels of the atmosphere, while the information provided by the radio sounding in Barcelona was also taken into account. From this study, it can be concluded that the temperature difference between 500 hPa and 850 hPa, the humidity in the lower layers of the atmosphere and the LI index are good indicators for the detection of storms with associated hail.

Network characteristics of film tourism websites in Catalonia: an application of network analysis in tourism

This master thesis presents a research on the analysis of film tourism stakeholders in Catalonia applying the network analysis approach. The research aims to provide an analysis of the relations between local tourism stakeholders with local film offices through their websites. Therefore, the development of the present work involved the review of literature on the themes of film tourism and network analysis. Then the main stakeholders of film and tourism of Catalonia were identified and their websites analyzed. The measures indicators for network analysis such as centrality, closeness and betweenness degree have been applied on the analysis of the websites to determine the extent of the relations of film and tourism stakeholders in Catalonia. Results and conclusions are presented on the referred sections

Chemistry in Catalonia 1990-1995

The seven-year period studied here differs very little from the sixyear period described in the previous Report (1990-1995). Sustained growth was observed in almost all the indicators used to evaluate the resources invested and the scientific results obtained

Chemistry in Catalonia 1990-1995

The seven-year period studied here differs very little from the sixyear period described in the previous Report (1990-1995). Sustained growth was observed in almost all the indicators used to evaluate the resources invested and the scientific results obtained

The Network Company in Catalonia : ICT, Productivity, Competitiveness, Salaries and Performance in Catalonia's Companies. Research report (synthesis document)

Resum en anglès del projecte de recerca L'empresa xarxa a Catalunya. TIC, productivitat, competitivitat, salaris i beneficis a l'empresa catalana té com a objectiu principal constatar que la consolidació d'un nou model estratègic, organitzatiu i d'activitat empresarial, vinculat amb la inversió i l'ús de les TIC (o empresa xarxa), modifica substancialment els patrons de comportament dels resultats empresarials, en especial la productivitat, la competitivitat, les retribucions dels treballadors i el benefici. La contrastació empírica de les hipòtesis de treball l'hem feta per mitjà de les dades d'una enquesta a una mostra representativa de 2.038 empreses catalanes. Amb la perspectiva de l'impacte de la inversió i l'ús de les TIC no s'aprecia una relació directa entre els processos d'innovació digital i els resultats de l'activitat de l'empresa catalana. En aquest sentit, hem hagut de segmentar el teixit productiu català per a buscar les organitzacions en què el procés de coinnovació tecnològica digital i organitzativa és més present i en què la intensitat de l'ús del coneixement és un recurs molt freqüent per a poder copsar impactes rellevants en els principals resultats empresarials. Això és així perquè l'economia catalana, avui, presenta una estructura productiva dual.

E-Health and Society : An Empirical Study of Catalonia. Research report (synthesis document)

Aquest estudi va analitzar la interacció del canvi organitzatiu, els valors culturals i el canvi tecnològic en el sistema sanitari català. L'estudi se subdivideix en cinc parts diferents. La primera és una anàlisi de contingut de webs relacionats amb la salut a Catalunya. La segona és un estudi dels usos d'Internet en qüestions relacionades amb la salut entre la població en general, les associacions de pacients i els professionals de la salut, i es basa en un sondeig per Internet adaptat a cada un d'aquests grups. La tercera part és un estudi de treball de camp dels programes experimentals duts a terme pel Govern català en diverses àrees i hospitals locals per a integrar electrònicament la història clínica dels pacients. La quarta és un estudi de les implicacions organitzatives de la introducció de sistemes d'informació en la gestió d'hospitals i centres d'assistència primària a l'Institut Català de Salut, el principal proveïdor de salut pública a Catalunya, i es basa en un sondeig per Internet i entrevistes en profunditat. La cinquena part és un estudi de cas dels efectes organitzatius i socials de la introducció de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació en un dels principals hospitals de Catalunya, l'Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. L'estudi es va dur a terme entre el maig del 2005 i el juliol del 2007.

Halimium halimifolium (L.) Willk. in Willk. et Lange subsp. halimifolium al Maresme (NE de Catalunya) = Halimium halimifolium (L.) Willk. in Willk. et Lange subsp. halimifolium in the Maresme (NE Catalonia)

Nota breu sobre la descripció de Halimium halimifolium subsp. halimifolium al Maresme

Noves aportacions al coneixement florístic de l’Empordà - IV = A new contribution to the flora of the Empordà (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula) - IV

En el decurs de les prospeccions florístiques realitzades en els darrers tres anys a les comarques de l’Alt i Baix Empordà, s’han herboritzat diversos tàxons singulars que completen algunes de les aportacions ja publicades anteriorment (Font et al., 1998). En aquest treball se cita per primer cop al Principat la composta Evax lusitanica. La resta detàxons són novetats per a aquestes comarques o bé suposen l’herborització recent d’espècies citades de molt antic que no havien estat indicades darrerament i que en alguns casos suposen les úniques o darreres localitats conegudes a Catalunya

Profile, cost and pattern of prescriptions for polymedicated patients in Catalonia (Spain).

OBJECTIVES: Polypharmacy is one of the main management issues in public health policies because of its financial impact and the increasing number of people involved. The polymedicated population according to their demographic and therapeutic profile and the cost for the public healthcare system were characterised. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Primary healthcare in Barcelona Health Region, Catalonia, Spain (5 105 551 inhabitants registered). PARTICIPANTS: All insured polymedicated patients. Polymedicated patients were those with a consumption of ≥16 drugs/month. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The study variables were related to age, gender and medication intake obtained from the 2008 census and records of prescriptions dispensed in pharmacies and charged to the public health system. RESULTS: There were 36 880 polymedicated patients (women: 64.2%; average age: 74.5±10.9 years). The total number of prescriptions billed in 2008 was 2 266 830 (2 272 920 total package units). The most polymedicated group (up to 40% of the total prescriptions) was patients between 75 and 84 years old. The average number of prescriptions billed monthly per patient was 32±2, with an average cost of 452.7±27.5. The total cost of those prescriptions corresponded to 2% of the drug expenditure in Catalonia. The groups N, C, A, R and M represented 71.4% of the total number of drug package units dispensed to polymedicated patients. Great variability was found between the medication profiles of men and women, and between age groups; greater discrepancies were found in paediatric patients (5-14 years) and the elderly (≥65 years). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides essential information to take steps towards rational drug use and a structured approach in the polymedicated population in primary healthcare.

The Coverage of the European independence movements from a Canadian perspective: Comparisons of the francophone online press in Quebec with the English Canadian press on the independence movements in Scotland and Catalonia

This research paper provides the basis of a future doctoral thesison the construction of foreign news. We aim to highlight similarities and differences in the online news coverage of the nationalist movments in Scotland and Catalonia in the Canadian Anglophone and Francophone press. Through a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of The Montreal Gazette, The National Post, The Globe and Mail, Le Devoir and La Presse, we attempt to show the frames used in the coverage of the political developments in both “stateless regions” from January 2011 to September 2014, when a referendum on the constitutional status of Scotland has beenagreed on. In parallel to the analysis of daily online newspapers, we will use semi-structured interviews of journalists from each news organization to obtain more in-depth knowledge of the factors influencing the construction of news. Lastly, we want to find out to the extent to which the coverage on the nationalist movements in Scotland and Catalonia serve to revive the debate on the independence question of Québec

Anàlisis antropològica de les restes neolítiques de la Caserna de Sant Pau (Biometria, Dentició, ADN i Microestriació Dentària).

Les restes esquelètiques analitzades corresponen tant al nivell neolític (n=26) com a l"època del bronze (n=2), encara que aquí es presenten tan sols els resultats de la població neolítica (taula 1). En tots els casos les sepultures són individuals, amb l"única excepció de la sepultura 20, on s"han recuperat les restes corresponents a un individu femení adult (CSP201) i un fetus (CSP202) (taula 1). Per tal de caracteritzar biomètricament la població s"ha emprat la metodologia proposada per Martin i Saller (1959), Brothwell (1981) i Bass (1971). La determinació del sexe s"ha realitzat a través dels caràcters sexuals secundaris del crani i de la pelvis, i se"n pot trobar una descripció més detallada a Estebaranz et alii (2007). En el cas específic de les paleopatologies es van seguir les recomanacions de Campillo (Campillo, 1977).

Rockfall monitoring by Terrestrial Laser Scanning ¿ case study of the basaltic rock face at Castellfollit de la Roca (Catalonia, Spain)

This case study deals with a rock face monitoring in urban areas using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner. The pilot study area is an almost vertical, fifty meter high cliff, on top of which the village of Castellfollit de la Roca is located. Rockfall activity is currently causing a retreat of the rock face, which may endanger the houses located at its edge. TLS datasets consist of high density 3-D point clouds acquired from five stations, nine times in a time span of 22 months (from March 2006 to January 2008). The change detection, i.e. rockfalls, was performed through a sequential comparison of datasets. Two types of mass movement were detected in the monitoring period: (a) detachment of single basaltic columns, with magnitudes below 1.5 m3 and (b) detachment of groups of columns, with magnitudes of 1.5 to 150 m3. Furthermore, the historical record revealed (c) the occurrence of slab failures with magnitudes higher than 150 m3. Displacements of a likely slab failure were measured, suggesting an apparent stationary stage. Even failures are clearly episodic, our results, together with the study of the historical record, enabled us to estimate a mean detachment of material from 46 to 91.5 m3 year¿1. The application of TLS considerably improved our understanding of rockfall phenomena in the study area.

Faculty-librarians collaboration in an e-learning experience : resources management and training in Open University of Catalonia (UOC)

The traditional model of learning based on knowledge transfer doesn't promote the acquisition of information-related competencies and development of autonomous learning. More needs to be done to embrace learner-centred approaches, based on constructivism, collaboration and co-operation. This new learning paradigm is aligned with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) requirements. In this sense, a learning experience based in faculty' librarian collaboration was seen as the best option for promoting student engagement and also a way to increase information-related competences in Open University of Catalonia (UOC) academic context. This case study outlines the benefits of teacher-librarian collaboration in terms of pedagogy innovation, resources management and introduction of open educational resources (OER) in virtual classrooms, Information literacy (IL) training and use of 2.0 tools in teaching. Our faculty-librarian's collaboration aims to provide an example of technology-enhanced learning and demonstrate how working together improves the quality and relevance of educational resources in UOC's virtual classrooms. Under this new approach, while teachers change their role from instructors to facilitators of the learning process and extend their reach to students, libraries acquire an important presence in the academic learning communities.

Cultural events and tourist development in Catalonia (Spain)

From the point of view of local development cultural tourism events represent an opportunity since they are distributed homogeneously by the Catalan territory and are experiencing a vertiginous growth as a way to differentiate the existing supply. In our study a sample of 264 telephone surveys made to organizers of events in Catalonia has been compiled, with the purpose of characterizing the existing supply, thematic typologies, management models, commercialization inputs and economic impact. The results allow us to characterize events from the point of view of their tourist potential. Finally some recommendations are set out to develop future tourism policies based on events according to product differentiation, seasonality, competitiveness and creativity.