ISO 14006. Experiencias previas de estudios de arquitectura que han adoptado el estándar de ecodiseño UNE 150301:2003

This paper aims to analyze the pioneer UNE 150301 standard, as well as its adoption process and its practical results in the sector of architecture studios. First, the structure, the aim and the scope of norm UNE 150301 have been analysed. Second, the standard's implementation has been examined, concluding that 73% of the companies that have obtained the certificate are architecture studios. A case study has therefore been carried out with the participation of five architecture studios pioneers. These experiences have let us know the main aspects and difficulties of the process. In conclusion, the adoption of the standard UNE 150301 can be a helpful tool in order to reduce the environmental impact of the products and obtain some competitive advantages such as cost reduction, improvement in energy efficiency of the product and a better adaptation to acts and regulations.En este artículo se analiza la experiencia de implantación de la norma UNE 150301 de ecodiseño en el sector de los estudios de arquitectura. Tras el examen de la estructura de norma UNE 150301, de sus objetivos y de su alcance, se analiza su difusión, destacándose que el 73% de las empresas certificadas en España son estudios de arquitectura. A continuación se estudia el proceso de implantación real, mediante el estudio de caso que lo analiza en cinco estudios de arquitectura. El estudio realizado permite conocer de primera mano las principales claves y dificultades del proceso de implantación del estándar, así como los resultados obtenidos, entre los que destaca una reducción del impacto ambiental. Se constata, en suma, que la norma UNE 150301 es una herramienta que puede proporcionar ventajas competitivas interesantes a las empresas del sector de los estudios de arquitectura

Sourcing illegal drugs as a hidden older user: the ideal of ‘social supply’

Aims: At a time of growing awareness regarding the non-commercial supply of illegal drugs between friends, this article explores the significance of so-called ‘social supply’ for a group of ‘hidden’ users of illegal drugs aged 40 and over. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 users of illegal drugs aged 40 and over who were not in contact with the criminal justice system or treatment agencies regarding their use. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Findings: Accessing drugs through the commercial market was considered as a less attractive proposition than social supply by the participants. The majority used only socially supplied drugs, with some engaging commercial dealers when socially supplied product was unavailable. A handful sourced drugs exclusively through the commercial market. Some were home growers of cannabis, and a small number had drifted into social supply themselves. Conclusions: Social supply was seen in a far more favourable light than commercial transactions by our participants, and acted as an ideal against which all other acts of sourcing were compared. Moreover, social supply was often an integral facet of the drug using experience and served to validate and enhance that experience. The relatively benign, non-predatory nature of the social supply engaged in by the participants lends support to calls for some reform of the offence of supply in UK law

Squark Flavor Implications from B --> K(*) l+ l-

Recent experimental and theoretical progress regarding B --> K(*) l+ l- decays led to improved bounds on the Wilson coefficients C_9 and C_10 of four-fermion operators of the |Delta B|=|Delta S|=1 effective Hamiltonian. We analyze the resulting implications on squark flavor violation in the MSSM and obtain new constraints on flavor-changing left-right mixing in the up-squark-sector. We find the dimensionless flavor mixing parameter (delta^u_23)_LR, depending on the flavor-diagonal MSSM masses and couplings, to be as low as \lesssim 0.1. This has implications for models based on radiative flavor violation and leads to BR(B_s --> mu+ mu-) \gtrsim 1 x 10^-9. Rare top decays t --> c gamma, t --> c g, t --> c Z have branching ratios predicted to be below \lesssim few times 10^-8, 10^-6 and 10^-7, respectively.Comment: v2: 21 pages, 5 figures; Eq (A.2) and chirality-flipping mass insertion results clarified, references added, conclusions unchange

Medicine and psychiatry in Western culture: Ancient Greek myths and modern prejudices

The origins of Western culture extensively relate to Ancient Greek culture. While many ancient cultures have contributed to our current knowledge about medicine and the origins of psychiatry, the Ancient Greeks were among the best observers of feelings and moods patients expressed towards medicine and toward what today is referred to as 'psychopathology'. Myths and religious references were used to explain what was otherwise impossible to understand or be easily communicated. Most ancient myths focus on ambiguous feelings patients may have had towards drugs, especially psychotropic ones. Interestingly, such prejudices are common even today