Guidelines for broadcasting regulation

Publicació feta en el marc de l'Institut de la Comunicació de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (InCom-UAB)Obra ressenyada: Eve SALOMON, Guidelines for broadcasting regulation. París: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) / Unesco, 2006. Referència Unesco: CI/COM/2006/PI/

Una década de políticas de gestión del espectro radioeléctrico en la Unión Europea (1997-2007). Análisis de las consultas públicas, el marco normativo y las prioridades estratégicas

En este artículo se repasan los principales documentos que, en la última década, han contribuido a iniciar el proceso de liberalización del espectro radioeléctrico en Europa y a situarlo como eje y motor de desarrollo social y, especialmente, económico. Durante este periodo, el espectro radioeléctrico pasa de ser un bien escaso (como siempre se había asegurado para justificar la existencia de monopolios públicos u oligopolios privados) a ser un bien limitado. Aunque sutil, esta diferencia marcará también un cambio de protagonismo del broadcasting tradicional, pues a partir de la liberalización iniciada en los años 80 deberá compartir espectro y desarrollo con otros sistemas que, como las comunicaciones electrónicas, le van ganando terreno.In this article, the authors review the main documents that, in the last decade, have contributed to initiate the process of liberalization of radio spectrum in Europe and to situate it as an axe and motor of social and especially economic development. During this period, radio spectrum goes from being a scarce resource (like it has been always said to justify the existence of public monopolies or private oligopolies) to be a limited resource. Although it is subtle, this difference will also mark a change of leadership of traditional broadcasting, because from the liberalization process begun in the 80s it will have to share radio spectrum and development with other systems that, like electronic communications, are gaining ground

Looking beneath Dalí's paint: non-destructive canvas analysis

A new analytical method was developed to non-destructively determine pH and degree of polymerisation (DP) of cellulose in fibres in 19th 20th century painting canvases, and to identify the fibre type: cotton, linen, hemp, ramie or jute. The method is based on NIR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis, while for calibration and validation a reference collection of 199 historical canvas samples was used. The reference collection was analysed destructively using microscopy and chemical analytical methods. Partial least squares regression was used to build quantitative methods to determine pH and DP, and linear discriminant analysis was used to determine the fibre type. To interpret the obtained chemical information, an expert assessment panel developed a categorisation system to discriminate between canvases that may not be fit to withstand excessive mechanical stress, e.g. transportation. The limiting DP for this category was found to be 600. With the new method and categorisation system, canvases of 12 Dalí paintings from the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí (Figueres, Spain) were non-destructively analysed for pH, DP and fibre type, and their fitness determined, which informs conservation recommendations. The study demonstrates that collection-wide canvas condition surveys can be performed efficiently and non-destructively, which could significantly improve collection management

Austerity, personalisation and the degradation of voluntary sector employment conditions

This qualitative study of two social care organisations, explores how public sector austerity and policies to personalise social care services through introducing individual budgets in the UK combine to reshape employment conditions. It further explores how these new market relations impact on staff morale and commitment. The individual case summaries reveal a remarkable degree of similarity in terms of employment outcomes, with social care workers experiencing an erosion of the standard employment relationship. Workers experience greater insecurity in areas of pay and conditions, working time, training and development, career prospects, along with work intensification. Worker morale appeared vulnerable as employees struggled to cope with worsening working conditions, but also expressed concerns with quality of care in an era of austerity

Monte-Carlo Simulations of Radiation-Induced Activation in a Fast-Neutron and Gamma- Based Cargo Inspection System

An air cargo inspection system combining two nuclear reaction based techniques, namely Fast-Neutron Resonance Radiography and Dual-Discrete-Energy Gamma Radiography is currently being developed. This system is expected to allow detection of standard and improvised explosives as well as special nuclear materials. An important aspect for the applicability of nuclear techniques in an airport inspection facility is the inventory and lifetimes of radioactive isotopes produced by the neutron and gamma radiation inside the cargo, as well as the dose delivered by these isotopes to people in contact with the cargo during and following the interrogation procedure. Using MCNPX and CINDER90 we have calculated the activation levels for several typical inspection scenarios. One example is the activation of various metal samples embedded in a cotton-filled container. To validate the simulation results, a benchmark experiment was performed, in which metal samples were activated by fast-neutrons in a water-filled glass jar. The induced activity was determined by analyzing the gamma spectra. Based on the calculated radioactive inventory in the container, the dose levels due to the induced gamma radiation were calculated at several distances from the container and in relevant time windows after the irradiation, in order to evaluate the radiation exposure of the cargo handling staff, air crew and passengers during flight. The possibility of remanent long-lived radioactive inventory after cargo is delivered to the client is also of concern and was evaluated.Comment: Proceedings of FNDA 201

Artificial drainage of peatlands: hydrological and hydrochemical process and wetland restoration

Peatlands have been subject to artificial drainage for centuries. This drainage has been in response to agricultural demand, forestry, horticultural and energy properties of peat and alleviation of flood risk. However, the are several environmental problems associated with drainage of peatlands. This paper describes the nature of these problems and examines the evidence for changes in hydrological and hydrochemical processes associated with these changes. Traditional black-box water balance approaches demonstrate little about wetland dynamics and therefore the science of catchment response to peat drainage is poorly understood. It is crucial that a more process-based approach be adopted within peatland ecosystems. The environmental problems associated with peat drainage have led, in part, to a recent reversal in attitudes to peatlands and we have seen a move towards wetland restoration. However, a detailed understanding of hydrological, hydrochemical and ecological process-interactions will be fundamental if we are to adequately restore degraded peatlands, preserve those that are still intact and understand the impacts of such management actions at the catchment scale

La recerca en comunicació

Obra col·lectiva biennal, creada per l'Institut de la Comunicació de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (InCom-UAB), l'any 2000. L'onzena edició, corresponent al bienni 2019-2020, va comptar amb el suport de la Generalitat de Catalunya; el patrocini de Naturgy; la col·laboració de la Diputació de Barcelona, l'Ajuntament de Girona i la Corporació Catalana De Mitjans Audiovisuals; la subscripció institucional de la Societat Catalana de Comunicació (filial de l'Institut d'Estudis Catalans); i la col·laboració científica de Estudio General de Medios (EGM)/Asociación para la Investigación de Medios de Comunicación (AIMC), Comscore, l'Observatori de la Comunicació a Catalunya, i el Portal de la Comunicació (InCom-UAB).En el marc del Grup Internacional d'Estudis sobre Comunicació i Cultura (InCom-UAB), reconegut com a Grup Consolidat de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya per al període 2017-2020 (Referència de concessió 2017 SGR 00760)Durant el bienni 2019-2020, la recerca en comunicació a Catalunya es veu afectada per la pandèmia de la Covid-19, declarada per l'Organització Mundial de la Salut el març de 2020. En l'àmbit de les polítiques públiques, la Unió Europea dels 27, ja sense el Regne Unit, decideix destinar la major partida extraordinària de la seva història a la reconstrucció de l'Europa post-Covid, i coordinar, de manera molt precisa, la recerca finançada amb pressuposts públics a escala regional, estatal i europea. Tenint en compte aquest context, el capítol se centra en l'anàlisi dels projectes d'R+D+I en comunicació dirigits per investigadors de Catalunya i finançats pel govern d'Espanya; els projectes de recerca en comunicació que opten, a proposta de la Generalitat de Catalunya, a ser finançats pels fons de recuperació europeus Next Generation UE; i la producció científica de tesis doctorals en comunicació defensades a les universitats catalanes