Traslocación de la costra liquénica en ambientes yesíferos semiáridos mediante uso de adhesivos

La pérdida de la costra biológica debido a la explotación del suelo para la obtención de minerales (canteras), supone un problema ambiental ampliamente extendido; además, su restauración supone un reto considerable en aquellas zonas con una composición singular en cuanto al sustrato, como son las zonas yesíferas, donde los componentes de dichas costras y en concreto los líquenes adquieren, si cabe, mayor singularidad. Son pocos los trabajos que abordan la restauración de los líquenes que forman parte de las costras biológicas. El área en la que se ha desarrollado el estudio, se encuentra en una localidad al sureste de la Península Ibérica marcada por su clima mediterráneo continental. Hemos evaluado la eficacia de adhesivos de diferente naturaleza para su uso tras una traslocación de los líquenes a una hipotética zona de restauración de la costra liquénica, analizando su efectividad en cuanto a la capacidad para mantener los talos traslocados fijos en el sustrato y valorando (mediante medidas de respiración) los posibles efectos que los adhesivos pueden producir sobre la funcionalidad biológica de los líquenes. El ensayo se llevó a cabo con líquenes de la especie Diploschistes diacapsis que es predominante en el área de estudio. Finalmente se observó que los adhesivos que mejores resultados producían eran el agua y el pegamento de hidrosiembra, debido a su capacidad de mantener los talos de líquen adheridos al sustrato durante un periodo de tiempo prolongado sin causar ninguna alteración significativa en sus funciones biológicas. Se pudo concluir además que los factores que causan un mayor desplazamiento de los talos liquénicos son en primer lugar el viento, seguido del agua en forma de precipitaciones

Factors and contingencies for the “it pays to be green hypothesis”. The european union’s emissions trading system (EU ETS) and financial crisis as contexts

This study provides empirical evidence related to the “it pays to be green” hypothesis. Based on information from panel data approximately 42 industrial companies during an 8-year period, we determine some of the factors and contingences that affect the fulfilment of that hypothesis. We find that a certain level of proactivity in environmental strategy design is one of the conditions that favors a positive relationship between environmental investment and financial performance. We also provide empirical evidence on how some external conditions affect this positive relationship, such as regulatory pressure from the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the financial crisis

The economic repercussions of ISO 14001 environmental certification

This study is an empirical contrast on the effect that the announcement of the gaining of ISO 14001 certification by a firm has on its market value. The analysis is based on a sample of 80 observations of environmental quality certification of the shop-floor systems or processes of large Spanish companies listed on the continuous trading market of the Madrid Stock Exchange in the period from 1996-2002. Results were obtained by use of Event Study methodology and they showed that ISO 14001 certification does not represent a sufficiently clear sign of environmental proactivity to generate expectations of long-term efficiency and profits in the capital market.Environmental Management System, Environmental Proactiveness, ISO 14001 certification, Market Value, Resource-based View, Event Study Methodology.

Reinvent your city: project-based learning for the improvement of environmental awareness in secondary school students

Existe un consenso generalizado en cuanto a los beneficios pedagógicos que el aprendizaje basado en proyectos (ABP) puede producir entre el alumnado; por ello dicha metodología se presenta como susceptible de ser utilizada como herramienta para generar una mejora de la conciencia ambiental de los estudiantes de Secundaria. La presente experiencia tiene como objetivo principal analizar la efectividad del ABP en este sentido. Para ello, se diseñó e implementó un proyecto ambiental para 4.º de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y se aplicó un pretest y un postest para analizar la evolución de la conciencia ambiental del alumnado tras la aplicación del proyecto. Dicho proyecto se desarrolló de forma adecuada, se generaron productos finales satisfactorios y se observó una mejora en los niveles de conciencia ambiental del alumnado tras su finalización.There is general consensus regarding the pedagogical benefits that project-based learning (or PBL) may produce among students; that is why this methodology is presented as a suitable tool to make improvement on environmental awareness among high school students. The main objective of this experience is hence to analyze the effectiveness of PBL. To this end, an environmental project for the fourth course of compulsory Secondary Education was designed and implemented, and a pre-test and a post-test were later applied so as to analyze the evolution of the environmental awareness among students after the application of the project. The project was developed in an appropriate way and good outcomes were produced; moreover, there was a notable improvement in the levels of environmental awareness after the study was completed

El trabajo por proyectos y por resolución de problemas en Educación Ambiental: análisis y tendencias

En este trabajo se aborda una revisión bibliográfica a modo de metanálisis sobre algunas de las iniciativas metodológicas más citadas durante los últimos años como alternativa a la enseñanza tradicional, en concreto: Aprendizaje basado en problemas, Trabajo sobre proyectos, Aprendizaje por indagación y Aprendizaje cooperativo. El procedimiento seguido tuvo dos fases: una primera búsqueda sistemática en “google scholar” y otra no sistemática. Las referencias seleccionadas fueron analizadas según diversas categorías previas. Los resultados se agruparon a partir de interrogantes: (1) ¿Cómo se definen y relacionan las metodologías de enseñanza?; (2) ¿Qué fundamentación teórica poseen?; (3) ¿Qué etapas de desarrollo son más relevantes?; (4) ¿Qué particularidades pueden apreciarse en la revisión bibliográfica complementaria? Las conclusiones pretenden clarificar la terminología, revelar su fundamentación teórica, establecer el papel asignado a los distintos actores, evidenciar los modelos de investigación para su contrastación, así como sus fortalezas y dificultades en el ámbito de la Educación Ambiental

The economic repercussions of ISO 14001 environmental certification

Este trabajo ha sido realizado bajo el marco de objetivos del Grupo de Investigación de Excelencia CREVALOR reconocido por la Diputación General de Aragón.[ES] Este trabajo contrasta empíricamente la influencia que tiene el anuncio de certificación ISO 14001 por parte de una empresa en su valor de mercado. El análisis se realiza sobre una muestra de 80 observaciones de certificación de calidad medioambiental de los sistemas o procesos de planta de grandes empresas españolas que cotizaron en el mercado contínuo de la Bolsa de Madrid durante el periodo 1996-2002. Los resultados son obtenidos a través de la metodología de estudio de eventos y revelan que la certificación ISO 14001 no representa una señal de proactividad medioambiental lo suficientemente clara como para generar en el mercado de capitales expectativas de eficiencia y rentabilidad a largo plazo.[EN] This study is an empirical contrast on the effect that the announcement of the gaining of ISO 14001 certification by a firm has on its market value. The analysis is based on a sample of 80 observations of environmental quality certification of the shop-floor systems or processes of large Spanish companies listed on the continuous trading market of the Madrid Stock Exchange in the period from 1996-2002. Results were obtained by use of Event Study methodology and they showed that ISO 14001 certification does not represent a sufficiently clear sign of environmental proactivity to generate expectations of long-term efficiency and profits in the capital market.Se agradece la financiación recibida por el MEC-FEDER a través del proyecto de investigación SEJ2005-07341

Psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of instruments to measure neck pain disability

[EN] Background. The NDI, COM and NPQ are evaluation instruments for disability due to NP. There was no Spanish version of NDI or COM for which psychometric characteristics were known. The objectives of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the Spanish version of the Neck Disability Index Questionnaire (NDI), and the Core Outcome Measure (COM), to validate its use in Spanish speaking patients with non-specific neck pain (NP), and to compare their psychometric characteristics with those of the Spanish version of the Northwick Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). Methods. Translation/re-translation of the English versions of the NDI and the COM was done blindly and independently by a multidisciplinary team. The study was done in 9 primary care Centers and 12 specialty services from 9 regions in Spain, with 221 acute, subacute and chronic patients who visited their physician for NP: 54 in the pilot phase and 167 in the validation phase. Neck pain (VAS), referred pain (VAS), disability (NDI, COM and NPQ), catastrophizing (CSQ) and quality of life (SF-12) were measured on their first visit and 14 days later. Patients' self-assessment was used as the external criterion for pain and disability. In the pilot phase, patients' understanding of each item in the NDI and COM was assessed, and on day 1 test-retest reliability was estimated by giving a second NDI and COM in which the name of the questionnaires and the order of the items had been changed. Results. Comprehensibility of NDI and COM were good. Minutes needed to fill out the questionnaires [median, (P25, P75)]: NDI. 4 (2.2, 10.0), COM: 2.1 (1.0, 4.9). Reliability: [ICC, (95%CI)]: NDI: 0.88 (0.80, 0.93). COM: 0.85 (0.75,0.91). Sensitivity to change: Effect size for patients having worsened, not changed and improved between days 1 and 15, according to the external criterion for disability: NDI: -0.24, 0.15, 0.66; NPQ: -0.14, 0.06, 0.67; COM: 0.05, 0.19, 0.92. Validity: Results of NDI, NPQ and COM were consistent with the external criterion for disability, whereas only those from NDI were consistent with the one for pain. Correlations with VAS, CSQ and SF-12 were similar for NDI and NPQ (absolute values between 0.36 and 0.50 on day 1, between 0.38 and 0.70 on day 15), and slightly lower for COM (between 0.36 and 0.48 on day 1, and between 0.33 and 0.61 on day 15). Correlation between NDI and NPQ: r = 0.84 on day 1, r = 0.91 on day 15. Correlation between COM and NPQ: r = 0.63 on day 1, r = 0.71 on day 15. Conclusion. Although most psychometric characteristics of NDI, NPQ and COM are similar, those from the latter one are worse and its use may lead to patients' evolution seeming more positive than it actually is. NDI seems to be the best instrument for measuring NP-related disability, since its results are the most consistent with patient's assessment of their own clinical status and evolution. It takes two more minutes to answer the NDI than to answer the COM, but it can be reliably filled out by the patient without assistanceS

Psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of instruments to measure neck pain disability

Background: The NDI, COM and NPQ are evaluation instruments for disability due to NP. There was no Spanish version of NDI or COM for which psychometric characteristics were known. The objectives of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the Spanish version of the Neck Disability Index Questionnaire (NDI), and the Core Outcome Measure (COM), to validate its use in Spanish speaking patients with non-specific neck pain (NP), and to compare their psychometric characteristics with those of the Spanish version of the Northwick Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). Methods: Translation/re-translation of the English versions of the NDI and the COM was done blindly and independently by a multidisciplinary team. The study was done in 9 primary care Centers and 12 specialty services from 9 regions in Spain, with 221 acute, subacute and chronic patients who visited their physician for NP: 54 in the pilot phase and 167 in the validation phase. Neck pain (VAS), referred pain (VAS), disability (NDI, COM and NPQ), catastrophizing (CSQ) and quality of life (SF-12) were measured on their first visit and 14 days later. Patients' self-assessment was used as the external criterion for pain and disability. In the pilot phase, patients' understanding of each item in the NDI and COM was assessed, and on day 1 test-retest reliability was estimated by giving a second NDI and COM in which the name of the questionnaires and the order of the items had been changed. Results: Comprehensibility of NDI and COM were good. Minutes needed to fill out the questionnaires [median, (P25, P75)]: NDI. 4 (2.2, 10.0), COM: 2.1 (1.0, 4.9). Reliability: [ICC, (95%CI)]: NDI: 0.88 (0.80, 0.93). COM: 0.85 (0.75,0.91). Sensitivity to change: Effect size for patients having worsened, not changed and improved between days 1 and 15, according to the external criterion for disability: NDI: -0.24, 0.15, 0.66; NPQ: -0.14, 0.06, 0.67; COM: 0.05, 0.19, 0.92. Validity: Results of NDI, NPQ and COM were consistent with the external criterion for disability, whereas only those from NDI were consistent with the one for pain. Correlations with VAS, CSQ and SF-12 were similar for NDI and NPQ (absolute values between 0.36 and 0.50 on day 1, between 0.38 and 0.70 on day 15), and slightly lower for COM (between 0.36 and 0.48 on day 1, and between 0.33 and 0.61 on day 15). Correlation between NDI and NPQ: r = 0.84 on day 1, r = 0.91 on day 15. Correlation between COM and NPQ: r = 0.63 on day 1, r = 0.71 on day 15. Conclusion: Although most psychometric characteristics of NDI, NPQ and COM are similar, those from the latter one are worse and its use may lead to patients' evolution seeming more positive than it actually is. NDI seems to be the best instrument for measuring NP-related disability, since its results are the most consistent with patient's assessment of their own clinical status and evolution. It takes two more minutes to answer the NDI than to answer the COM, but it can be reliably filled out by the patient without assistance

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Largest HIV-1 CRF02_AG Outbreak in Spain: Evidence for Onward Transmissions

Background and Aim: The circulating recombinant form 02_AG (CRF02_AG) is the predominant clade among the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) non-Bs with a prevalence of 5.97% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.41–6.57%) across Spain. Our aim was to estimate the levels of regional clustering for CRF02_AG and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the largest CRF02_AG subepidemic in Spain.Methods: We studied 396 CRF02_AG sequences obtained from HIV-1 diagnosed patients during 2000–2014 from 10 autonomous communities of Spain. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 391 CRF02_AG sequences along with all globally sampled CRF02_AG sequences (N = 3,302) as references. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed to the largest CRF02_AG monophyletic cluster by a Bayesian method in BEAST v1.8.0 and by reconstructing ancestral states using the criterion of parsimony in Mesquite v3.4, respectively.Results: The HIV-1 CRF02_AG prevalence differed across Spanish autonomous communities we sampled from (p < 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 52.7% of the CRF02_AG sequences formed 56 monophyletic clusters, with a range of 2–79 sequences. The CRF02_AG regional dispersal differed across Spain (p = 0.003), as suggested by monophyletic clustering. For the largest monophyletic cluster (subepidemic) (N = 79), 49.4% of the clustered sequences originated from Madrid, while most sequences (51.9%) had been obtained from men having sex with men (MSM). Molecular clock analysis suggested that the origin (tMRCA) of the CRF02_AG subepidemic was in 2002 (median estimate; 95% Highest Posterior Density-HPD interval: 1999–2004). Additionally, we found significant clustering within the CRF02_AG subepidemic according to the ethnic origin.Conclusion: CRF02_AG has been introduced as a result of multiple introductions in Spain, following regional dispersal in several cases. We showed that CRF02_AG transmissions were mostly due to regional dispersal in Spain. The hot-spot for the largest CRF02_AG regional subepidemic in Spain was in Madrid associated with MSM transmission risk group. The existence of subepidemics suggest that several spillovers occurred from Madrid to other areas. CRF02_AG sequences from Hispanics were clustered in a separate subclade suggesting no linkage between the local and Hispanic subepidemics

Aprendizaje basado en proyectos en Educación Ambiental. Implementación en Educación Secundaria

El presente estudio, de naturaleza mixta (cuantitativa y cualitativa), tiene por tanto el propósito de indagar en la efectividad y funcionamiento de la metodología de ABP (aprendizaje basado en proyectos) en el campo de la EA (Educación Ambiental), a la vez que se contrasta con las metodologías educativas de carácter convencional. Concretamente, en esta tesis se plantea un objetivo principal: determinar si el ABP se muestra como una metodología eficiente para generar un incremento del nivel de conciencia ambiental en el alumnado de la ESO. Así mismo se pretende adaptar dicha metodología a un curso concreto para conocer el impacto y las implicaciones didácticas que tiene la aplicación de la misma en el aula, pudiéndose evaluar su proceso y resultados, de tal forma que se puedan concretar recomendaciones en la aplicación de la metodología ABP de cara a posibles implementaciones futuras en otros contextos educativos. Además, se ha querido determinar si el uso del ABP es más eficiente que las metodologías de carácter convencional en el aumento del nivel de conciencia ambiental en un contexto educativo concreto. Los resultados de los dos estudios realizados muestran evidencias de que esta metodología ha sido efectiva a la hora de generar un incremento del nivel de conciencia ambiental del alumnado participante en los contextos en los que tuvo lugar. Además, se observa que el ABP es ligeramente más eficiente que la unidad didáctica aplicada en la promoción de la conciencia ambiental de los grupos de 3º de ESO en los que se intervino. Tras la aplicación del proyecto ambiental diseñado, se observa un especial aumento del nivel de percepción en determinadas facetas del medio ambiente local tales como la contaminación acústica, los espacios verdes y los ecosistemas de río. En cuanto al rendimiento de la metodología y a los resultados obtenidos con la misma cabe decir que son positivos, aunque con margen de mejora en el segundo año de intervención. El alumnado participante en los proyectos ambientales mostró un nivel de motivación adecuado, resultando de especial interés para los mismos las tareas que implicaron interacciones con agentes externos al centro educativo y las que suponían la realización de medidas o análisis de parámetros ambientales. Por otro lado, el trabajo cooperativo resultó ser en ocasiones un inconveniente, así como la gestión del tiempo y la falta de destrezas necesarias en la realización de proyectos de esta naturaleza, tales como la comunicación, la autonomía e iniciativa personal, y la competencia digital.The purpose of this mixed method study (i.e. quantitative and qualitative) is, therefore, to examine the effectiveness and functioning of the PBL (Project based learning) methodology in the EE (Environmental Education) field while contrasting this methodology with conventional methods of teaching. More specifically, the main objective of this thesis is to determine whether the PBL methodology is indeed an efficient methodology to raise environmental awareness among secondary school students. Additionally, we aim to adapt this methodology to a specific class in order to examine the impact and teaching implications of the implementation of this methodology in a classroom. At the same time, we also evaluate its process and outcomes to be able to specify recommendations regarding the implementation of the PBL methodology in case this methodology is used in other educational contexts. We also want to determine whether the PBL methodology is more effective than the conventional methods of teaching when it comes to raising environmental awareness in a specific educational context. The results of the two studies that were conducted prove that this methodology was indeed successful in increasing the environmental awareness level of the students who participated in the contexts where it took place. Besides, we observe that PBL is slightly more efficient than the implemented teaching unit when it comes to raising environmental awareness among the third-year groups where the interventions were conducted. After the implementation of the environmental project we designed, we were able to observe a significant increase in the perception level of certain aspects of the local environment such as noise pollution, green spaces and river ecosystems. Regarding the effectiveness of the methodology and the results we obtained after its implementation it is worth saying they are positive, though with room for improvement in the second year of intervention. The students who participated in the environmental projects showed an appropriate level of motivation and the tasks they were most interested in were the interactions with agents who were not related to their school and those tasks where they had to measure or analyse environmental parameters. On the other hand, cooperative work proved to be an inconvenience at times, as well as time management and lack of skills that are needed to conduct this type of projects such as communication, autonomy and personal initiative and digital competence.Tesis Univ. Granada