Strengthening financial innovations in energy supply projects for rural exploitations in developing countries

Sustainable energy supply models are needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations for 2015. On the other hand, sustainability of agricultural exploitations in rural areas is a pre-requisite to achieve the objective of halving the proportion of people that lives in poverty, and productivity of such exploitations is closely related to energy supply. This article analyses the results of a survey of experts, suggesting that there may be good chances to innovate in the financing of agricultural electrification projects in developing countries. The experts’ opinion suggests that new sources of financing could be mobilised and oriented towards the promotion of sustainable initiatives in developing countries. Financial mechanisms should be adapted to the characteristics of decentralised systems of energy production with renewable sources or with mixed technologies, in order to overcome the barriers derived from the high initial price of the applications, and to the specific conditions of the agricultural sector. The participation of funds from the beneficiaries and the incorporation of the beneficiaries in the initial phases of project organisation would allow for the development of productive solutions with a higher potential to generate resources and to articulate sustainable proposals. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Understanding the Experiences of Underrepresented Women in Student Affairs at a Predominately White Institution Through a Dynamic Network Analysis Framework

As institutions become more diverse among the student body, minority faculty and staff are recruited to better support underrepresented students. However, while much thought is often placed in recruitment efforts, institutions often fail to execute appropriate retention efforts of their minority faculty and staff (Turner, Gonzalez & Wood, 2008). Due to this, underrepresented women often find themselves faced with many barriers and lack of resources needed to successfully transition into new roles and environments (Harris, Wright & Msengi, 2011; Jackson & Harrison, 2007; Maramba, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of underrepresented women in student affairs by examining the network structure and the interactions individuals have with different entities within the organization. The goal of this study was to understand what experiences underrepresented women have that help them effectively engage and successfully integrate to a Predominately White Institution. The study looked at relationships across the network and shared resources and tasks to gain understanding of the student affairs network. Complexity leadership theory and intersectionality were used as theoretical frameworks to inform the study and dynamic network analysis was the chosen methodology for this study. A purposeful sample of student affairs employees at a mid-size, four-year, public, southeastern university was selected. 81.7% (n=101) responded to the survey. The data collected was analyzed using network measure and visualization tools available in the ORA software. QAP analyses were also conducted to understand the influence of beliefs on inclusion and mission of the organization on professional and social relationship networks, resource capability, position in the network, and underrepresented agents in the network. Findings show that underrepresented women are involved in reciprocal relationships with informal leaders in the network, hold informal leadership roles and attend social and diversity related events to connect with other people. The results indicate that leaders within student affairs should examine the environmental conditions present in the organization and recognize the impact these conditions have on underrepresented women. Furthermore, leaders should focus on creating dynamics that foster engagement and access for underrepresented women

Basket-Handle Arch and Its Optimum Symmetry Generation as a Structural Element and Keeping the Aesthetic Point of View

The arches were a great advance in construction with respect to the rigid Greek linteled architecture. Its development came from the hand of the great Roman constructions, especially with the semicircular arch. In successive historical periods, different types of arches have been emerging, which in addition to their structural function was taking aesthetic characteristics that are used today to define the architectural style. When, in the construction of a bow, the rise is less than half the springing line, the semicircular arch is no longer used and the segmental arch is used, and then on to another more efficient and aesthetic arch, the basket-handle arch. This study examines the classic geometry of the basket-handle arch also called the three-centered arch. A solution is proposed from a constructive and aesthetic point of view, and this is approached both geometrically and analytically, where the relationship between the radius of the central arch and the radius of the lateral arch is minimized. The solution achieved allows the maximum springing line or clear span to be saved with the minimum rise that preserves the aesthetic point of view, since the horizontal thrust of a bow is greater than the relationship between the springing line of the arch and the rise. This solution has been programmed and the resulting software has made it possible to analyse existing arches in historic buildings or constructions to check if their solutions were close or not from both points of view. Thus, it has been possible to verify that in most of the existing arches analyzed, the proposed solution is reached

Las fuerzas del cambio en la Universidad

Antonio Pulido San Román: Doctor en Ciencias Económicas y Diplomado en Estadística por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Catedrático de Econometría en la Facultad de CC. Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Director del Instituto de Predicción Económica Lawrence R. Klein, UAM. Director General de CEPREDE Centro de Predicción Económica. Consejero del Instituto de Administración de Empresas (IADE). Presidente del proyecto HISPALINK de modelización regional en que participan 18 universidades españolas. Miembro de los proyectos LINKS y HERMES, patrocinados por Naciones Unidas y CEE, de modelización económica mundial. Autor de 23 libros y más de 200 artículos y trabajo

Una comparativa internacional en la medición del capital intangible de países

Se realiza una breve introducción sobre los antecedentes de análisis sobre capital intangible, para centrarse en el problema en su medición a escala macroeconómica. Se comenta la metodología propuesta por Corrado, Hulten y Sichel (2006) y los resultados de las aplicaciones disponibles para EE.UU., Reino Unido, Japón, Finlandia y Holanda. Por último, se adelantan algunos resultados provisionales para España. Los cálculos disponibles apuntan que la inversión en capital intangible puede representar entre un cinco y un doce por ciento del PIB para países desarrollados, siendo su orden de magnitud similar al de la inversión en bienes de equipo. Respecto a los principales componentes de las aportaciones de los países a su capital intangible destacan el esfuerzo innovador en su sentido amplio y las acciones de formación y mejoras organizativas.____________________________After reviewing the state of the art regarding the analysis of intangible capital, the paper focuses on its estimation at the macroeconomic scale. The paper describes the methodology suggested by Corrado, Hulten y Sichel (2006) and the results obtained for USA, UK, Japan, Finland and the Netherlands. Finally, some preliminary results are showed for Spain. The current forecast show that intangible capital investment could asume a proportion in the GDP in the development countries since 5 to 12 percent, what supposes a similar magnitude to equipment goods investment. Inside the main components of the contributions to the intangible capital, we emphasize in innovate effort, in its broad sense, and formation actions and improve in the ways of organization