Is Labor Green?

In this article, we assess whether unionization of national workforces influences growth in national carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita. Political-economic theories in environmental sociology propose that labor unions have the potential to affect environmental conditions. Yet, few studies have quantitatively assessed the influence of unionization on environmental outcomes using cross-national data. We estimate multilevel regression models using data on OECD member nations from 1970 to 2014. Results from our analysis indicate that unionization, measured as the percentage of workers who are union members, is negatively associated with CO2 emissions per capita, even when controlling for labor conditions. This finding suggests that unionization may promote environmental protection at the national level

Disposition toward critical thinking and creative confidence beliefs in higher education students: The mediating role of openness to diversity and challenge

Creative thinking and critical thinking are complementary cognitive processes that are important for dealing with complex challenges. The primary aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of openness to diversity and challenge in the relationship between disposition toward critical thinking and creative confidence beliefs in higher education students. Participants were 1,627 students from two universities in Spain (Mondragon Unibertsitatea and Florida Universit`aria), ranging in age from 17 to 44 years (Mage = 20.35, SD = 2.62; 53.05% female). Results showed not only a direct, positive relationship between critical thinking disposition and students’ creative confidence beliefs but also that this relationship was mediated by openness to diversity and challenge. Thus, those students more disposed toward critical thinking are also more open to diversity and challenge and have a stronger creative self-concept. These results highlight the importance of enhancing students’ disposition to use critical thinking so as to strengthen their creative self-concept. Higher education institutions also need to develop teaching strategies and contexts that promote students’ openness to diversity and challenge as a step towards their becoming active and responsible citizens

Entrepreneurial self-efficacy among first-year undergraduates: Gender, creative self-efficacy, leadership self-efficacy, and field of study

Objective: To contribute to a better understanding of the factors that influence university students’ confidence in their ability to engage in entrepreneurial behaviours. Research Design & Methods: Participants were 1741 first-year students (792 women, 949 men) from two Spanish universities (Mage = 18.76, SD = 1.82). They were enrolled in degree programmes in two broad fields: engineering and architecture, and social sciences and law. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, we obtained measures of creative self-efficacy, leadership self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Findings: Results showed that both leadership self-efficacy and creative self-efficacy predicted entrepreneurial self-efficacy, although creative self-efficacy was the variable that contributed most to the expected change in entrepreneurial self-efficacy. There were also differences in entrepreneurial self-efficacy according to gender and field of study, with students enrolled in a technical field and men in general scoring higher. Mediation-moderation analysis showed that creative self-efficacy mediated the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and also that the field of study buffered the effect of gender on entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Implications & Recommendations: The results of this study showed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy is predicted by creative self-efficacy and leadership self-efficacy, and hence both these variables should be addressed by training initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among undergraduates, particularly among young women. Moreover, our results highlighted the importance of taking into consideration individuals’ educational backgrounds when analysing students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Contribution & Value Added: This research contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship by identifying factors that influence the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of university students. The findings highlight the importance of considering creative self-efficacy when analysing students’ entrepreneurial development. Furthermore, we show that creative self-efficacy has a mediating effect on the association between gender and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and also that this relationship is moderated by students’ fields of study. Overall, these results suggest that reinforcing the creative self-efficacy of women could help to close the gender gap in entrepreneurial self-efficacy. It might also be useful to design specific training initiatives for undergraduates enrolled in social sciences, the aim of which would be to foster an entrepreneurial culture and encourage them to recognize their potential role as entrepreneurs

Frequency-Adaptive Multi-Resonant LQG State-Feedback Current Controller for LCL-Filtered VSCs under Distorted Grid Voltages

This paper combines the well-known linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control and frequency-adaptive resonators and presents a frequency-adaptive multiresonant LQG state-feedback current controller for LCLfiltered voltage-source converters connected to a distorted grid. The paper also provides a design guideline and procedure based on robust control criteria which, in combination with the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) technique, offers flexibility in the control structure and automatizes the design of the controller. The frequencyadaptive resonators, based on second-order IIR resonators and on an on-line tuning algorithm, and the robustness criteria considered for the design process offer robustness in the face of grid voltage disturbances.The controller is evaluated and validated in a 9-kVA VSC setup configured as a rectifier.This work was supported in part by the Government of Spain through the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad and Agencia Estatal de Investigación under Grants ENE2014-57760-C2-2-R, RTC-2015-3803-3, DPI2017-88505-C2-2-R and DPI2017-92258-EXP

Essential Role of the G-Domain in Targeting of the Protein Import Receptor atToc159 to the Chloroplast Outer Membrane

Two homologous GTP-bindin proteins, atToc33 and atToc159, control access of cytosolic precursor proteins to the chloroplast, at Toc33 is a constitutive outer chloroplast membrane protein, whereas the precusor receptor atToc159 may be able to switch between a soluble and an integral membrane form. By transient expression of GFP fusion proteins, mutant analysis, and biochemical experimentation, we demonstrate that the GTP-binding domain regulates the targeting of cytosolic atToc159 to the chloroplast and mediates the switch between cytosolic and integral membrane forms. Mutant atToc159, unable to bind GTP, does not reinstate a green phenotype in an albino mutant (ppi2) lacking endogenous atToc159, remaining trapped in the cytosol. Thus, the function of atToc159 in chloroplast biogenesis is dependent on an intrinsic GTP-regulated swtich that controls localization of the receptor to the chloroplast envelope

Self-efficacy in first-year university students: a descriptive study

The study and analysis of the self-efficacy beliefs of students has become an important line of educational research. The purpose of this study, conducted at Mondragon University (Spain), is to explore the different perceptions concerning the creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy of students on their entrance to university. Results revealed clear patterns with regards to discipline and gender. Students commencing their degrees in social sciences show lower creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions than their peers in other disciplines. Women show lower scores than men across different disciplines with the exception of women commencing engineering studies. Self-efficacy has been related to student motivation and learning and has been found influential in the choice of the professional career. The high significance of this construct in education makes the results of this study have clear implications for the development of learning environments that address the differences found between gender and disciplines. Directions for future research are also indicated

Carbon storage and stability of soil organic matter in a coffee agroecosystem in Sierra Sur de Oaxaca, Mexico

We evaluated the ability of the soils in a shade coffee agroecosystem under different handling conditions to accumulate stable forms of carbon in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca, for this we quantify the soil carbon store and performed the isolation and chemical characterization of soil organic matter by chemical fractionation, UVvisible and infrared spectroscopy in the first 40 cm depth. Results showed no significant differences in carbon stores between handling conditions, reaching mean values 150 Mg C ha-1 . Humification patterns are consistent for all soils and indicate that over 50% of soil organic matter found in the insolubilization humins and between 15 and 20% are humic acids. This fraction, presumably the most stable, is made up of molecules whose aromatic and maturation has a positive relationship with increasing altitude and clay content. According to the above confirms the ability of shade-coffee agroecosystems to accumulate high carbon content associated with stable forms of soil mineral fraction.Se evaluó la capacidad de los suelos de un agroecosistema cafetalero de sombra bajo diferentes condiciones de manejo para acumular formas estables de carbono, en la Sierra Sur de Oaxaca; para ello, se cuantificó el almacén de carbono edáfico y se realizó el aislamiento y caracterización química de la materia orgánica del suelo mediante fraccionamiento químico, espectroscopía UV-visible e infrarroja en los primeros 40 cm de profundidad. Los resultaron no mostraron diferencias significativas para los almacenes de carbono entre condiciones de manejo, situándose en valores promedio de 150 Mg C ha-1. Los patrones de humificación son consistentes para todos los suelos e indican que más del 50 % de la materia orgánica del suelo se encuentra en las huminas de insolubilización y entre el 15 y 20 % corresponde a los ácidos húmicos. Esta fracción, presumiblemente la más estable, está conformada por moléculas cuya aromaticidad y maduración tiene una relación positiva con el incremento de altitud y el contenido de arcillas en el suelo. De acuerdo a lo anterior se corrobora la capacidad de los agroecosistemas cafetaleros bajo sombra para acumular elevados contenidos de carbono en formas estables asociadas con la fracción mineral del suelo.Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, UNA