Calidad de vida y percepción de la desigualdad de la mujer en la ciudad de Girona = Quality of life and inequality perception’s of women in the city of Girona

La igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres, como factor clave para avanzar en la consecución de calidad de vida preocupa hoy en día a la sociedad en general y alas instituciones en particular. Antes de la elaboración de programas de intervención social es necesario conocer las percepciones de las propias mujeres acerca de sus problemas y de sus necesidades. Siguiendo esta línea de pensamiento presentamos un trabajo empírico en el que analizamos las percepciones de las mujeres de la ciudad de Girona, centrándonos en dos aspectos de manera particular: la percepción de calidad de vida proporcionada por su ciudad y la percepción de desigualdad de oportunidades y/o de discriminación. Los principales resultados, obtenidos a partir de las respuestas a un cuestionario auto-administrado, y proporcionados por una muestra de mujeres seleccionadas aleatoriamente a partir de un muestreo estratificado geográficamente, indican que en general están satisfechas con su ciudad aunque detectamos las principales causas de insatisfacción. Por otra parte, tas principales fuentes de desigualdad se refieren al mundo laboral (menos salario por el mismo trabajo, dificultades de encontrar trabajo si tienen hijos o si son ya mayores), y en la actitud general de la sociedad en el sentido de tener que cumplir el papel que tradicionalmente se les ha asignado

The effect of two bucking methods on Scots pine lumber quality

Abstract

Basic life support teaching in the second year predraduate medical curriculum: quality of acquisition after 6 months

Purpose of the study: Basic life support (BLS) and automated externaldefibrillation (AED) represent important skills to be acquired duringpregraduate medical training. Since 3 years, our medical school hasintroduced a BLS-AED course (with certification) for all second yearmedical students. Few reports about quality and persistence over timeof BLS-AED learning are available to date in the medical literature.Comprehensive evaluation of students' acquired skills was performedat the end of the 2008 academic year, 6 month after certification.Materials and methods: The students (N = 142) were evaluated duringa 9 minutes «objective structured clinical examination» (OSCE) station.Out of a standardized scenario, they had to recognize a cardiac arrestsituation and start a resuscitation process. Their performance wererecorded on a PC using an Ambuman(TM) mannequin and the AmbuCPR software kit(TM) during a minimum of 8 cycles (30 compressions:2 ventilations each). BLS parameters were systematically checked. Nostudent-rater interactions were allowed during the whole evaluation.Results: Response of the victim was checked by 99% of the students(N = 140), 96% (N = 136) called for an ambulance and/or an AED. Openthe airway and check breathing were done by 96% (N = 137), 92% (N =132) gave 2 rescue breaths. Pulse was checked by 95% (N=135), 100%(N = 142) begun chest compression, 96% (N = 136) within 1 minute.Chest compression rate was 101 ± 18 per minute (mean ± SD), depthcompression 43 ± 8 mm, 97% (N = 138) respected a compressionventilationratio of 30:2.Conclusions: Quality of BLS skills acquisition is maintained during a6-month period after a BLS-AED certification. Main targets of 2005 AHAguidelines were well respected. This analysis represents one of thelargest evaluations of specific BLS teaching efficiency reported. Furtherfollow-up is needed to control the persistence of these skills during alonger time period and noteworthy at the end of the pregraduatemedical curriculum.

Ripening and quality of 'Laetitia' plums following harvest and cold storage as affected by inhibition of ethylene action

The inhibition of ethylene action by 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) extends shelf and storage life of many climacteric fruits. However, 1-MCP appears to have limited effects on stone fruit depending on specie and cultivar. The effects of 1-MCP on ripening and quality of 'Laetitia' plums were determined during ripening at 23ºC following harvest and cold storage. Japanese plums (Prunus salicina, cv. Laetitia) were harvested at mature pre-climacteric stage, cooled to 2ºC within 36 hours of harvest and then treated with 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 or 1.00 muL L-1 of 1-MCP at 1°C for 24 hours. Following treatment, fruits were either held at 23ºC for 16 days or stored at 1ºC for 50 days. Fruits were removed from cold storage at 10-day intervals and allowed to ripe at 23°C for five days. A delay of climacteric respiration and ethylene production by 1-MCP treatment during ripening following harvest and cold storage was associated to a slow rate of fruit softening. 1-MCP treatment also delayed the loss of titratable acidity and changes of flesh and skin color, whereas it had little or no effect on soluble solids content. 1-MCP effects were concentration- and storage duration-dependent and, generally, a saturation fruit response to 1-MCP occurred between 0.5 and 1.0 muL L-1. During ripening, 1-MCP treated fruits attained quality similar to that of controls. Results indicated that 1-MCP treatment may extend shelf life (23ºC) and storage life (1ºC) of 'Laetitia' plums by approximately six and 20 days, respectively.

Assessment of high hydrostatic pressure and starter culture on the quality properties of low-acid fermented sausages

The addition of starter culture and high pressure processing after ripening improved the microbial quality of low-acid fermented sausages (fuet and chorizo). The use of Lactobacillus sakei CTC6626 and Staphylococcus xylosus CTC6013 as starter culture significantly reduced Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus levels in the finished sausages. Moreover, the addition of starter culture produced sausages of similar quality to traditional low-acid fermented sausages. Slightly lower pH values and higher cohesiveness were obtained for both fuet and chorizo with starter culture. Sensory analysis showed no differences between lots of chorizo whereas starter fuet was more acid and gummy. High pressure induced an additional reduction of Enterobacteriaceae in non-starter sausages. An increase of textural properties was observed after pressurization. No other differences were observed between non-treated and pressurized sausages.

High pressure induced changes on sarcoplasmic protein fraction and quality indicators

The combined effect of pressure and mild temperature treatments on bovine sarcoplasmic proteins and quality parameters was assessed. M. longissimus dorsi samples were pressurised in a range of 200–600 MPa and 10–30 °C. High Pressure Processing (HPP) induced a reduction of protein solubility (p < 0.001) compared to non-treated controls (NT), more pronounced above 200 MPa. HPP at pressures higher than 200 MPa induced a strong modification (p < 0.001) of meat colour and a reduction of water holding capacity (WHC). SDS–PAGE analysis demonstrated that HPP significantly modified the composition of the sarcoplasmic protein fraction. The pressurisation temperature mainly affected protein solubility and colour; a smaller effect was observed on protein profiles. Significant correlations (p < 0.001) between sarcoplasmic protein solubility and both expressible moisture (r = −0.78) and colour parameters (r = −0.81 to −0.91) suggest that pressure induced denaturation of sarcoplasmic proteins could influence to some extent WHC and colour modifications of beef. Changes in protein band intensities were also significantly correlated with protein solubility, meat lightness and expressible moisture. These results describe the changes induced by HPP on sarcoplasmic proteins and confirm a relationship between modification of the sarcoplasmic protein fraction and alteration of meat quality characteristics

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry: A tool to predict pork quality

Expression of water soluble proteins of fresh pork Longissimus thoracis from 4 pure breed pigs (Duroc, Large White, Landrace, and Piétrain) was studied to identify candidate protein markers for meat quality. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was used to obtain the soluble protein profiles of Longissimus thoracis muscles. The pure breeds showed differences among the studied meat quality traits (pHu, drip loss, androstenone, marbling, intramuscular fat, texture, and moisture), but no significant differences were detected in sensory analysis. Associations between protein peaks obtained with SELDI-TOF-MS and meat quality traits, mainly water holding capacity, texture and skatole were observed. Of these peaks, a total of 10 peaks from CM10 array and 6 peaks from Q10 array were candidate soluble protein markers for pork loin quality. The developed models explained a limited proportion of the variability, however they point out interesting relationships between protein expression and meat quality

Analysis of raw hams using SELDI-TOF-MS to predict the final quality of dry-cured hams

The relationship between protein profiles of Gluteus medius (GM) muscles of raw hams obtained from 4 pure breed pigs (Duroc, Large White, Landrace, and Piétrain) with the final quality of the Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles of dry-cured hams was investigated. As expected, Duroc hams showed higher levels of marbling and intramuscular fat content than the other breeds. Piétrain hams were the leanest and most conformed, and presented the lowest salt content in dry-cured hams. Even if differences in the quality traits (colour, water activity, texture, composition, intramuscular fat, and marbling) of dry-cured hams were observed among the studied breeds, only small differences in the sensory attributes were detected. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was used to obtain the soluble protein profiles of GM muscles. Some associations between protein peaks obtained with SELDI-TOF-MS and quality traits, mainly colour (b*) and texture (F0, Y2, Y90) were observed. Candidate protein markers for the quality of processed dry-cured hams were identified

Grain yield and seed quality of soybean selected for high protein content

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of selection for high protein on seed physiological quality and grain yield of soybean. Four populations of BC1F4 and four of F4, each from a cross between a commercial variety and a line bearing high protein seeds, were used. The high protein content selection has a tendency to affect negatively the seed physiological quality. Estimates of correlation coefficients between protein content and grain yield were mostly negative but varied among populations. It is possible to obtain lines with high protein content, keeping the grain yield and the seed physiological quality of their respective recurrent progenitors.

Automated identification of minimal myocardial motion for improved image quality on MR angiography at 3 T

OBJECTIVE: Imaging during a period of minimal myocardial motion is of paramount importance for coronary MR angiography (MRA). The objective of our study was to evaluate the utility of FREEZE, a custom-built automated tool for the identification of the period of minimal myocardial motion, in both a moving phantom at 1.5 T and 10 healthy adults (nine men, one woman; mean age, 24.9 years; age range, 21-32 years) at 3 T. CONCLUSION: Quantitative analysis of the moving phantom showed that dimension measurements approached those obtained in the static phantom when using FREEZE. In vitro, vessel sharpness, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were significantly improved when coronary MRA was performed during the software-prescribed period of minimal myocardial motion (p < 0.05). Consistent with these objective findings, image quality assessments by consensus review also improved significantly when using the automated prescription of the period of minimal myocardial motion. The use of FREEZE improves image quality of coronary MRA. Simultaneously, operator dependence can be minimized while the ease of use is improved.

Body temperature and fur quality in swimming Water-Shrews, Neomy fodiens (Mammalia, Insectivora)

Body temperature of the European water-shrew Neomys fodiens was reinvestigated with intraperitoneally implanted radiotransmitters. Two animals, caged in outdoor conditions, were tested during February and March. Mean body temperature (Tb) during rest was 37.0°C, during activity 37.5°C. During stress of capture Tb increased to 38.4°C, and during a social confrontation mean Tb was 39.4°C. During forced swimming Tb decreased at a rate of 1.1°C per minute in an animal with wet fur. However, when kept in adequate conditions, animals could maintain their body temperature at a level of about 37°C in most of the tested situations. In water of 2.6°C, mean Tb after 6 min of forced swimming or diving was 37.4°C, comparable to Tb terrestrial activity. In these animals the fur remained dry even on its surface. The pelt of these shrews has a hydrophobic property which seems to be unique compared to other semiaquatic mammals.

The Conservativeness of the Central Bank when Institutional Quality is Poor

We propose an extension of Alesina and Tabellini 's model (1987) to include corruption, which is understood as the presence of weak institutions collecting revenue through formal tax channels. This paper analyses how conservative should an independent central bank be when the institutional quality is poor. When there are no political distortions, we show that the central bank has to be more conservative than the government, except with complete corruption. In this particular case, the central bank should be as conservative as the government. Further, we obtain that the relationship between the optimal relative degree of conservativeness of the central bank and the degree of corruption is affected by supply shocks. Concretely, when these shocks are not important, the central bank should be less conservative if the degree of corruption increases. However, this result may not hold when the shocks are relevant. JEL classi fication: D6, D73, E52, E58, E62, E63. Keywords: Central Bank Conservativeness; Corruption; Fiscal Policy; Monetary Policy; Seigniorage.