Estimación de la estructura foliar en masas forestales: Fundamentos teóricos y análisis de la coherencia y fiabilidad de las mediciones mediante la aplicación informática TDL 2.0

In this paper, metodological basis for obtaining leaf area index and mean leaf inclination angle are presented. Also an application program (TDL 2.0) for estimating these parameters is presented. It makes use of data obtained from LI-COR LAI-2000 measurements, evaluates data reliability and coherence, and shows partial results on the screen for a visual assessment by the user. At last, differences with the C2000 utility are highlighted.Se exponen los fundamentos y la metodología de estimación del índice de área foliar y del ángulo medio foliar a partir de medidas realizadas con sensores ópticos como el LAI-2000. Asimismo se presenta una aplicación informática denominada TDL 2.0 (desarrollada por el autor) que permite estimar los citados parámetros de la estructura foliar a partir de medidas realizadas con el mencionado equipo. Además el TDL lleva a cabo una valoración de la coherencia y fiabilidad de los datos y muestra en pantalla algunos resultados parciales, que permiten una valoración visual de los mismos. También se exponen las diferencias con el programa C2000

Estimación de la altura dominante de la masa partir de la “altura dominante de parcela”. Ventajas frente a la altura dominante de Assman

Assman top height is a parameter whose measurement or estimation is tiring in the practice and presents some inconveniences from a stadistical point of view which lessens efectiviness. Considering it’s a dasometric parameter widely used in Spain and with important silvicultural implications, we consider it suitable to look for alternatives which solve the faults of the aforesaid top height. In this paper we propose, as an alternative, the criterion used by the English management tables that not only consider with accuracy the top height concept but is more operative from a practical point of view and easy to handle from an stadistical one. In this management table a stand top height is defined as an average value of a variable number of top height trees. A top height tree is defined as the thickest tree height in a 100 m2 plot. Depending on the heterogeneity and extension of the stand more or less plots will be necessary to estimate its top height with a determined accuracy.La altura dominante de Assman es un parámetro cuya medición o estimación resulta laboriosa en la práctica, y presenta algunos inconvenientes desde el punto de vista estadístico que le restan operatividad. Teniendo en cuenta que se trata de un parámetro dasométrico de uso muy generalizado en España y con importantes implicaciones selvícolas, se considera adecuado buscar alternativas que solventen las pegas de la citada altura dominante. Como alternativa, en este trabajo se propone adoptar el criterio que utilizan las tablas de producción inglesas (Hamilton et al., 1981) ya que además de atender con bastante fidelidad al concepto de altura dominante, es más operativo desde el punto de vista práctico y fácil de manejar desde el punto de vista estadístico. En las citadas tablas de producción la altura dominante de una masa se define como el valor medio de un número variable de “alturas dominantes de parcela”. Una “altura dominante de parcela” se define como la altura del árbol más grueso en una parcela de 100 m2. Dependiendo de la heterogeneidad y extensión de la masa, serán necesarias más o menos parcelas para estimar su altura dominante con una determinada precisión

Skin Bioimpedance Analysis to Determine Cellular Integrity by Phase Angle in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Oxidative stress has been proposed as a significant part of the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia, and the phase angle in bioelectrical impedance analysis has been explored as a potential technique to screen oxidative abnormalities. This study recruited 35 women with fibromyalgia and 35 healthy women, who underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis and maximum isometric handgrip strength tests. Women with fibromyalgia showed lower bilateral handgrip strength (right hand: 16.39 ± 5.87 vs. 27.53 ± 4.09, p < 0.001; left hand: 16.31 ± 5.51 vs. 27.61 ± 4.14, p < 0.001), as well as higher body fat mass (27.14 ± 10.21 vs. 19.94 ± 7.25, p = 0.002), body fat percentage (37.80 ± 8.32 vs. 30.63 ± 7.77, p < 0.001), and visceral fat area (136.76 ± 55.31 vs. 91.65 ± 42.04, p < 0.01) compared with healthy women. There was no statistically significant difference in muscle mass between groups, but women with fibromyalgia showed lower phase angles in all body regions when compared with healthy control women (right arm: 4.42 ± 0.51 vs. 4.97 ± 0.48, p < 0.01; left arm: 4.23 ± 0.48 vs. 4.78 ± 0.50, p < 0.001; trunk: 5.62 ± 0.77 vs. 6.78 ± 0.84, p < 0.001; right leg: 5.28 ± 0.56 vs. 5.81 ± 0.60, p < 0.001; left leg: 5.07 ± 0.51 vs. 5.69 ± 0.58, p < 0.001; whole body: 4.81 ± 0.47 vs. 5.39 ± 0.49, p < 0.001). Moreover, whole-body phase-angle reduction was only predicted by the presence of fibromyalgia (R 2 = 0.264; β = 0.639; F(1,68) = 24.411; p < 0.001). Our study revealed significantly lower phase angle values, lower handgrip strength, and higher fat levels in women with fibromyalgia compared to healthy controls, which are data of clinical relevance when dealing with such patients.post-print1,25 M

Regional innovation and spillover effects of foreign direct investment in China: a threshold approach

Using a data set on twenty-nine Chinese provinces for the period 1985–2008, this paper establishes a threshold model to analyse the relationship between spillover effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) and regional innovation in China. There is clear evidence of double-threshold effects of regional innovation on productivity spillovers from FDI. Specifically, only when the level of regional innovation reaches the minimum innovation threshold will FDI in the region begin to produce positive productivity spillovers. Furthermore, positive productivity spillovers from FDI will be substantial only when the level of regional innovation attains a higher threshold. The double threshold divides Chinese provinces into three super-regions in terms of innovation, with most provinces positioned within the middle-level innovation super-region. Policy implications are discussed

Quality Assurance Driving Factors as Antecedents of Knowledge Management: a Stakeholder-Focussed Perspective in Higher Education

Similar to many other types of organisations, the successful development of higher education institutions generally depends on proactive multi-stakeholder management strategy. As a social responsibility of universities, quality assurance (QA) of higher education is already an established research domain. However, the issues that serve as driving factors in higher education’s quality are acknowledged in this vast knowledge stream in a dispersed way. An objective of this paper is to provide a quick snapshot of the major QA driving factors in higher education. Another objective here is to discuss the significance of these existing QA driving factors in higher education as prospective antecedents of knowledge management among the key stakeholders in the higher education sector and beyond. An inductive constructivist approach is followed to review the relevant QA driving factors from the extant scholarly views. A number of relevant factors are précised from the literature that would be instrumental to uphold quality in higher education. The discussion demonstrates that these factors are also significant to transfer and share knowledge between the key stakeholders not only for universities, but also for businesses, governments and other organisational stakeholders. The paper proposes a framework of the QA drivers’ application for meaningful knowledge transfer between diverse stakeholders and clarifies the framework’s managerial implications. This conceptual framework specifies different scenarios and perspectives of QA drivers’ application in the global education sector. The academic novelty is based on the inductive approach applied in the paper. QA practitioners will be able to follow these factors as steering phenomena to effectively assure quality, in relation to their multi-stakeholder relationships in higher education and beyond

International Financial Reporting Standards and Earnings Management in Latin America

This study analyzes the level of earnings management in Latin America after the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and analyzes the role of cross-listing in the United States. The literature on earnings management in less developed countries is still under construction, and few studies focus on this issue, especially with respect to Latin America, despite its relevant role in the global economy. This paper fills this gap in the literature as it analyzes the level of IFRS earnings management regarding the first and main Latin American countries applying IFRS (Brazil and Chile), when compared to the main Anglo-Saxon countries with IFRS tradition (United Kingdom and Australia), and with the main Continental European economies (France and Germany). The results show that Latin American firms present a higher level of earnings management than Continental European and Anglo-Saxon firms, and this opportunistic behavior remains significant when only global players with cross-listing in the United States are analyzed. Thus, even with a unique set of high quality accounting standards (IFRS) and strong reporting incentives, countries’ specific characteristics still play an important role in the way IFRS is implemented in each country