Rent-seeking measurement in coal mining by means of labour unrest: an application of the distance function

We propose a method based on the distance function to empirically estimate the social cost arising from rent seeking behaviour in declining industries. Due to import competition, the factors of a particular industry undergo losses in real income, and have incentives to seek protection. In the case of declining industries, workers play a central role and the losses in output due to strikes are used to quantify the social cost of rent seeking. In our model, strikes are considered as a “bad” input into the production process. We apply our approach to the case of Spanish coal mining. We have estimated a system of equations formed by the input distance function and cost share equations using annual data over the period 1974-1997. This procedure has allowed us to calculate the cost that strikes have imposed on the sectorProduction theory; rent seeking; input distance function; shadow prices; coal sector

PTS and PTSO, two organosulfur compounds from onion by‑products as a novel solution for plant disease and pest management

This research has been carried out within the project GRUPO OPERATIVO SALUD-OLIVAR from the Spanish Rural Development Program (2014-2020) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and co-financed by 80% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER) (Total investment 384.830,96 EUR). It has also received funding from European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant agreement no. 887281 (BIOVEXO).This study is part of the Industrial Doctorate of the doctoral student Ana Falcon Pineiro, granted by the State Research Agency of the Spanish Government, with the following reference: DIN2019-010792.Background Over the past decade, the great impact of agricultural crop diseases has generated considerable economic losses and has compromised the production of edible crops at a time when the world population is only expected to rise, leading to the search for new pest management strategies. Besides that, the environmental impact resulting from the continued use of chemical pesticides has led to the search for natural and sustainable alternatives. One of the existing solutions that currently stands out for its effectiveness is the use of bioactive plant extracts. This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS) and propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO), two organosulfur compounds (OSCs) derived from Allium cepa, against a wide range of target bacteria and fungi. To this end, various in vitro procedures were conducted as well as soil sanitization tests using sterile substrate inoculated with soil-borne pathogens. In addition, this study also evaluates the pesticidal activity of both compounds through in vitro mortality and repellence tests. Results PTS and PTSO revealed inhibition activity on all the pathogens tested, belonging to different taxonomic groups. Moreover, both significatively reduced the population of bacteria and fungi in soil. The quantification of active substances in soil carried out in parallel to the microbial quantification showed that their use reduces the risk of residue accumulation since they break down quickly when applied. The set of antimicrobial tests performed demonstrated that the antifungal effect of both compounds is higher than the bactericidal effect. Lastly, PTS and PTSO showed a concentration-dependent significant biocidal and repellent effect against aphids. Conclusions The results presented in this work demonstrate that both PTS and PTSO have a significant antimicrobial and pesticidal activity against the great majority of phytopathogens tested, being a promising tool to improve pest management in crops.Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodEuropean Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER)European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program 887281State Research Agency of the Spanish Government DIN2019‑01079

The Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus shapes the microbial communities of its offspring and the gallery environment

The Eurasian spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is currently the most economically relevant pest of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Ips typographus associates with filamentous fungi that may help it overcome the tree's chemical defenses. However, the involvement of other microbial partners in this pest's ecological success is unclear. To understand the dynamics of the bark beetle-associated microbiota, we characterized the bacterial and fungal communities of wild-collected and lab-reared beetles throughout their development by culture-dependent approaches, meta-barcoding, and quantitative PCR. Gammaproteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities, while the fungal communities were mainly composed of yeasts of the Saccharomycetales order. A stable core of microbes is shared by all life stages, and is distinct from those associated with the surrounding bark, indicating that Ips typographus influences the microbial communities of its environment and offspring. These findings coupled with our observations of maternal behavior, suggest that Ips typographus transfers part of its microbiota to eggs via deposition of an egg plug treated with maternal secretions, and by inducing an increase in abundance of a subset of taxa from the adjacent bark

Minas de la Reunión: contextualización, documentación y puesta en valor del paisaje de las Minas de La Reunión, Villanueva del Río y MInas

En la actualidad, muchos de los paisajes que nos rodean sólo es posible entenderlos a partir de su pasado industrial, a través de la huella depositada por la industria en el territorio. Este es el caso de las Minas de la Reunión en la localidad sevillana de Villanueva del Río y Minas. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo establecer los parámetros desde los que poder entender e interpretar el paisaje que han generado las estas minas de carbón sobre el territorio y proponer nuevos modos de intervención en el lugar para su integración como paisaje cultural. Para ello, las Minas de la Reunión se contextualizarán a nivel territorial y a nivel histórico a lo largo de la evolución del pueblo minero. Se desvelarán las capas y estratos ocultos que constituyen el terreno de la cuenca minera y el trazado de los túneles y galerías subterráneas utilizadas en el pasado, realizando planimetrías en planta y sección de las trazas y de la cuenca minera. Por último, se investigarán nuevos modos de intervención en las minas basados en actuaciones en otros lugares.Currently many of the surrounding landscapes are just possible to understand thanks to an industrial past, through the industrial mark deposited in the territory. This is the case of Las Minas de la Reunion in the Sevillian town of Villanueva del Río y Minas. This research aims to provide the parameters to understand and interpreted the landscape that these coal mines have generated on the territory and to propose new intervention ways in the place for its integration as cultural landscape. To that end, Las Minas de la Reunion will be contextualized at a territorial and historical level over the miner town evolution. During this investigation there will be revealed the layers and the strata of the mining basin and the tunnels and underground galleries’ layout used in the past, making plants and sections’ plans of the layouts and the mining basin. Finally, new intervention ways based on projects in other places will be researched in the mines.Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Fundamentos de Arquitectur

Optical properties, physiologic parameters and tissue composition of the human uterine cervix as a function of hormonal status

The influence of sex hormones on the human uterine cervix is likely to be important in the process of cervical ripening. Frequency domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS) was used to investigate non-invasively the changes in the optical properties that reflect physiologic parameters and tissue composition of the uterine cervix in the different phases of the menstrual cycle. Twenty premenopausal and nine postmenopausal women were examined. Optical properties of the uterine cervix were measured, and physiological parameters [concentration of water, oxyhemoglobin (O2Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb), total hemoglobin (tHb), oxygen saturation (StO2), water, and scattering power] were calculated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for statistical significance. The optical properties of the anterior cervical lip did not differ from those of the posterior lip. HHb was significantly lower in cervices during menstrual bleeding than during the follicular, luteal, or postmenopausal phases. The ratio of O2Hb to HHb was highly significantly increased by a factor of 2 when cervices during the menstrual bleeding were compared with those during the follicular, luteal, or postmenopausal phases. The scattering power was significantly lower during menstrual bleeding than during the follicular or postmenopausal phases. We demonstrated that withdrawal of sex hormones during menstrual bleeding is associated with a significant decrease in HHb and scattering power, with stable values of O2Hb, tHb, StO2, and H2O compared with the values during the follicular, luteal or postmenopausal phases of the menstrual cycle. Cervical softening during menstrual bleeding seems to be different from cervical softening for labo

Caracterización de Harina de Naranja (Citrus x sinensis) para Uso Alimentario

Una propuesta para disminuir la contaminación ambiental generada por los subproductos de la industria agroalimentaria es evaluar dichos desechos como aditivos para la industria alimentaria. El objetivo de este trabajo fue caracterizar harina de subproductos de la extracción de jugo de naranja dulce (Citrus x sinensis) con la finalidad de emplearla como ingrediente alimentario. La caracterización fisicoquímica, funcional y microbiológica mostró que la harina posee una humedad adecuada para su almacenamiento (8.73 ± 0.11%) y una concentración media de proteínas (5.63 ± 0.14 %) para su empleo en la formulación de alimentos; el mayor componente fue el extracto libre de nitrógeno (79.18 ± 0.22 %) y el menor, al extracto etéreo (0.59 ± 0.08 %). Esta harina es una buena fuente de fibra ya que posee una concentración de fibra dietética total de 39.52 ± 2.08 %, con un índice en la relación de fibra soluble e insoluble de 0.95. A temperatura ambiente, se observó una capacidad de absorción de agua de 5.72 ± 0.12 g de agua/g de harina, mientras que a temperaturas entre 60-90 °C se incrementó a 11.08 ± 1.04 g de agua/g de harina. La capacidad de absorción de aceite fue de 3.95 ± 0.07 g de agua/g de harina, a temperatura ambiente. Los mesófilos (Log 4.62 ± 0.28 UFC/g) se mantuvieron dentro de los valores máximos permitidos por la norma para harina de trigo. El empleo de la harina de subproductos de naranja como aditivo en alimentación humana apoyará para el diseño de nuevos productos alimentarios, disminuir la contaminación ambiental y agregar valor a la cadena productiva de cítricos. A proposal to reduce environmental pollution generated by the byproducts of the agri-food industry is to evaluate these wastes as additives for the food industry. The objective of this work was to characterize flour byproducts from the extraction of sweet orange juice (Citrus x sinensis) in order to use it as a food ingredient. The physicochemical, functional and microbiological characterization showed that the flour has adequate moisture for storage (8.73 ± 0.11%) and an average protein concentration (5.63 ± 0.14%) for use in food formulation; the largest component was the nitrogenfree extract (79.18 ± 0.22%) and the minor, the ethereal extract (0.59 ± 0.08%). This flour is a good source of fiber since it has a total dietary fiber concentration of 39.52 ± 2.08%, with an index in the ratio of soluble and insoluble fiber of 0.95. At room temperature, a water absorption capacity of 5.72 ± 0.12 g of water / g of flour was observed, while at temperatures between 60-90 ° C it was increased to 11.08 ± 1.04 g of water / g of flour. The oil absorption capacity was 3.95 ± 0.07 g of water / g of flour, at room temperature. The mesophilic (Log 4.62 ± 0.28 CFU / g) were kept within the maximum values allowed by the wheat flour standard. The use of the flour of orange by-products as an additive in human food will support the design of new food products, reduce environmental pollution and add value to the citrus production chain

Bullying, cuando el miedo se confunde con la vida

Introducción. Se define el bullying como el maltrato reiterado entre iguales en el ámbito escolar, que se traduce en deterioro en todas las esferas de la vida del acosado. La victimización de este puede acarrear un sinfín de secuelas que, si no son atendidas, pueden llegar a cronificarse. El bullying afecta a todos, es un problema de Salud Pública. Objetivos. Se pretende dar voz a todas aquellas víctimas de acoso escolar, hacerse eco de lo mucho que sufren y concienciar a la población que el bullying no se puede tolerar. Metodología. Se realiza un estudio cualitativo fenomenológico, recogiendo el testimonio de 6 víctimas de bullying con un cuestionario de preguntas abiertas y entrevistando a la Asociación Palentina Contra el Acoso Escolar (PAVIA). Resultados. Todos los participantes responden a un patrón similar: mujeres con formación académica, personalidad introvertida, afectadas por este fenómeno entre los 9 y 14 años, y que actualmente siguen en tratamiento psicológico por secuelas como ansiedad de tipo recurrente, estrés postraumático y depresión. En todos los casos se ha descrito ideación suicida y baja autoestima. Discusión. muchos culpan al profesorado de la existencia de esta problemática. La mayoría incurre en errores de atribución; tienden a evidenciar motivos para que haya acoso escolar, culpando a la víctima y hundiéndola más. La formación es fundamental para evitar el acoso escolar, detectarlo precozmente e intervenir. Conclusiones. Una de las claves de éxito en la lucha contra el acoso escolar es la implicación de todos los agentes del ámbito educativo, el entorno familiar y los propios niños. El ámbito sanitario y los servicios sociales también juegan un papel fundamental. Para acabar con el acoso es primordial que la sociedad entienda que la violencia entre niños y niñas es intolerable.Introduction. Bullying is defined as repeated abuse among peers in the school setting, which translates into deterioration in all spheres of the victim's life. The victimization of this can lead to endless sequels that, if not addressed, can become chronic. Bullying affects everyone, it is a public health problem. Objectives. It is intended to give voice to all those victims of bullying, to echo how much they suffer and to make the population aware that bullying cannot be tolerated. Methodology. A phenomenological qualitative study is carried out, gathering the testimony of 6 victims of bullying with a questionnaire of open questions and interviewing the Palencia Association Against Bullying (PAVIA). Results. All participants respond to a similar pattern: women with academic training, introverted personality, affected by this phenomenon between 9 and 14 years, and who are currently undergoing psychological treatment for sequelae such as recurrent anxiety, post-traumatic stress and depression. In all cases, suicidal ideation and low self-esteem have been described. Discussion. Many blame teachers for the existence of this problem. The majority incurs attribution errors; they tend to show reasons for bullying, blaming the victim and sinking more. Training is essential to avoid bullying, detect it early and intervene. Conclusions. One of the keys to success in the fight against bullying is the involvement of all agents in the educational field, the family environment and the children themselves. The health sector and social services also play a fundamental role. To end harassment, it is essential that society understand that violence between children is intolerable.Grado en Enfermerí

El dibujo de la sintaxis : rastros del alma y su camino a la elevación en primero sueño de sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.

La dislocación de la sintaxis propia del barroco adquiere una significación peculiar en el poema Primero Sueño, de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, que tiene relación con la silueta del poema en su materialidad gráfica. La sintaxis del poema distribuye de forma desigual los segmentos sintácticos que deberían ser sucesivos. Para entender el poema, el lector debe buscar hacia arriba o hacia abajo, hacia la derecha o la izquierda, el segmento que sigue. Si se hace un seguimiento a los elementos sintácticos que deberían estar unidos y se hace el dibujo en la silueta del poema, la figura resultante consta de ascensos, descensos y vaivenes que representan el camino del alma

A comparative performance evaluation of routing protocols for flying ad-hoc networks in real conditions

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in our modern society and their development is rapidly accelerating. Flying Ad Hoc Networks (FANETs) have opened a new window of opportunity to create new value-added services. However, the characteristics that make FANETs unique, such as node mobility, node distance, energy constraints, etc., imply that several guidelines need to be considered for their successful deployment. Although numerous routing protocols have been proposed for FANETs, due to the wide range of applications in which FANETs can be applied, not all routing protocols can be used. Due to this challenge, after breaking down and classifying the different types of existing routing protocols for FANET, this paper analyzes and compares the performance of several routing protocols (Babel, BATMAN-ADV, and OLSR) in terms of throughput and packet loss in a real deployment composed of several UAV nodes using 2.4 and 5 GHz WiFi networks. The results show that Babel achieves better performance in the studied metrics than OLSR and BATMAN-ADV, while BATMAN-ADV delivers significantly lower performance. This experimental study confirms the importance of choosing the proper routing protocol for FANETs and their performance evaluation, something that will be extremely important in a few years when this type of network will be common in our day-to-day life.This research was funded by the AEI/FEDER, UE project grant TEC2016-76465-C2-1-R (AIM), project SPID202000X116746SV0 (AriSe2: FINe), and 20740/FPI/18. Fundación Séneca. Región de Murcia (Spain)

Effect of Allium Extract Supplementation on Egg Quality, Productivity, and Intestinal Microbiota of Laying Hens

Simple Summary: The growing interest in phytogenic products for use in feed, especially in the poultry sector, is mainly due to the improvement in the productivity parameters and gut microbiota modulation properties. For this reason, phytogenic products are becoming excellent candidates as alternatives to the use of antibiotics in animal production to mitigate the negative effects derived from their use. The aim of this study is to explore the ability of allium extract (containing garlic and onion), used as an ingredient in laying hen feed, to improve performance. The promising results obtained in the present study suggest that Allium spp. extracts had the potential to be used in feeding laying hens to improve productivity, without affecting egg quality, and to modulate the gut microbiota. Abstract: The use of allium extract containing propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) as hen feed supplement was evaluated to demonstrate its positive effect on egg production and intestinal microbiota modulation. The study was carried out on 90 laying hens whose feed was supplemented with allium extract for 28 days. Nutritional properties of eggs were not affected, whereas an improvement in productivity was observed based on the increase weight of eggs. In addition, a modulator effect on intestinal microbiota was confirmed by the increase in Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp., as well as by the reduction in Enterobacteriaceae populations. Finally, the preservation of egg composition was checked by monitoring the content of PTSO, using a new analytical method consisting of the use of solid phase extraction and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Consequently, based on current results, Allium spp. extract rich in organosulfur compounds such as PTSO added to the diet had a beneficial effect on the microbiota and would seem to be a possible alternative to increase productivity, while not affecting the biochemical composition of egg. However, further studies on the effects of allium extract as feed supplement are necessary.DOMCA S.A.University of Granada FQM-302University of Murcia R-1418/201