Suchergebnisse

Academic stays at higher education institutions located outside students' usual environment for less than a year have become increasingly popular. The research reported in this article aimed to examine the current situation of international academic tourism in the region of Barcelona (Spain). The main objectives were to profile academic tourists, to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inbound academic tourism flows, and to explore the outcomes of academic travel experiences. Following a mixed-methods approach, two focus groups and three in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from both a supply and demand perspective, in addition to a survey designed for international students. A total of 132 questionnaires were analysed by means of descriptive statistics and through chi-square and ANOVA tests. Qualitative data was processed by means of categorisation and content analysis using QDA Miner. The main results indicate that academic tourism has positive sustainable impacts and is conducive to transformational experiences. Tourists' profile has been identified and the effects of the pandemic have been pinpointed. Due to COVID-19, academic tourism flows experienced a serious decline and the satisfaction degree with the academic travel experience was lower. Nonetheless, most of the respondents would recommend Barcelona as an academic destination.

In this study, previous microzonation studies in Barcelona (Spain) were revisited, and available data on the predominant periods of soils in the city were compiled to develop an updated microzonation map of the city. In addition, the building database was updated and used to create a map of building fundamental periods. The crossing of soil predominant period and building fundamental period maps led to the detection of areas in which resonance phenomena and, indeed, increased amplification of the structural response are expected. Thus, zones of Barcelona were identified in which the seismic hazard is probably greater due to resonance effects. The improved microzonation maps and the detection of soil-building resonance areas contribute significantly to enhanced precision and awareness of seismic hazard and risk in Barcelona. ; We thank Lucille Banham for her assistance in the preparation of the English manuscript. This research was partially funded by the Spanish Government's Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union (EU) through the project referenced as CGL2015-65913-P (MINECO/ ERDF, EU). The first author is supported by a Ph.D. scholarship grant from the Government of Panama's Institute for the Training and Development of Human Resources (IFARHU) and the National Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation (SENACYT). ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Background/nCharacterizing and comparing the determinant of cotinine concentrations in different populations should facilitate a better understanding of smoking patterns and addiction. This study describes and characterizes determinants of salivary cotinine concentration in a sample of Spanish adult daily smoker men and women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2004 and December 2005 in a representative sample of 1245 people from the general population of Barcelona, Spain. A standard questionnaire was used to gather information on active tobacco smoking and passive exposure, and a saliva specimen was obtained to determine salivary cotinine concentration. Two hundred and eleven adult smokers (>16 years old) with complete data were included in the analysis. Determinants of cotinine concentrations were assessed using linear regression models. Results: Salivary cotinine concentration was associated with the reported number of cigarettes smoked in the previous 24 hours (R2 = 0.339; p < 0.05). The inclusion of a quadratic component for number of cigarettes smoked in the regression analyses resulted in an improvement of the fit (R2 = 0.386; p < 0.05). Cotinine concentration differed significantly by sex, with men having higher levels./nConclusion: This study shows that salivary cotinine concentration is significantly associated with the number of cigarettes smoked and sex, but not with other smoking-related variables. ; This project was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grants FIS PI020261 & PI081436) and the Thematic Network of Cooperative Research on Cancer (grant RD06/0020/0089), Government of Spain, and the Ministry of Universities and Research (grant 2009SGR192), Government of Catalonia. We also thank Chupa Chups Spain for providing the Smint® candies.

AbstractThe present study verifies if spatial variability in local fertility reflects the shift from a monocentric dense settlement model towards a polycentric metropolis organised in central cores and subcentral locations. The spatial distribution of a crude birth rate in Barcelona's province was investigated for a long time span (1975–2018), identifying distinctive trends within five concentric rings around Barcelona at four subperiods (1975–1985, 1986–1996, 1997–2007 and 2008–2018). Using multivariate exploratory statistics, local fertility rates were correlated with background indicators delineating the socio‐economic profile of each municipality in the study area. Fertility rates decreased with the distance from downward Barcelona and with population density. In the first time interval (1975–1985), fertility levels—higher in subcentral municipalities and peri‐urban locations than in downtown Barcelona—were positively associated with urban growth. In the following two subperiods (1986–1996 and 1997–2007), the contribution of local fertility to urban growth decreased significantly, reaching the lowest‐low figures at the end of the 1980s. In the most recent time interval (2008–2018), a moderate (and spatially heterogeneous) recovery of fertility rates was observed in subcentral locations. Demographic processes underlying Barcelona's expansion provide evidence in favour of a positive relationship between polycentric development and local fertility. Our article finally debates on the use of fertility indicators in the assessment of monocentric versus polycentric (metropolitan) growth in advanced economies.

Vol. 2- (ano. 3- 1912- ) have title: Butlletí . (v. 2 caption title remains Boletín). ; Mode of access: Internet.