Financiación de la innovación en las PYME en el marco de la Unión Europea

El papel esencial de la investigación fue reconocido por el Consejo Europeo de Lisboa de 23 y 24 de marzo de 2000, que estableció un nuevo objetivo estratégico para la Unión Europea en la próxima década: convertirse en la economía basada en el conocimiento más competitiva y dinámica del mundo, capaz de crecer económicamente de manera sostenible, con más y mejores empleos y con mayor cohesión social. El triángulo del conocimiento -educación, investigación e innovación- es un instrumento básico para lograr este objetivo, a tal efecto la Comunidad se propone movilizar y reforzar las capacidades de investigación e innovación necesarias. Con este objetivo, establecido en el Tratado, se pretende reforzar las bases científicas y tecnológicas de su industria, asegurando de este modo un alto nivel de competitividad a nivel internacional. Se pretende fomentar todas las actividades de investigación que se consideren necesarias, especialmente estimulando a las empresas, incluidas las pequeñas y medianas (PYME), a los centros de investigación y a las universidades en su labor de investigación y desarrollo tecnológico. En este contexto, se dará prioridad a los ámbitos y proyectos en los que la financiación y la cooperación europeas sean especialmente importantes y aporten un valor añadido. En este artículo analizamos como la I+D+i en colaboración internacional es una vía para acceder, desarrollar y explotar el conocimiento excelente en beneficio de las empresas, en particular de las PYME. Se expone el principal instrumento de financiación de proyectos de Investigación, Desarrollo Tecnológico y Demostración de la UE para el período 2.007-2.013, el denominado Séptimo Programa Marco de Investigación Desarrollo Tecnológico y Demostración, indagando como los fondos europeos para I+D y sus mecanismos de financiación son una fuente de financiación indirecta para las PYME. En este sentido, el Séptimo Programa Marco constituye un elemento central como complemento de los esfuerzos de los Estados miembros y de la industria europea, gracias a su apoyo a la investigación en las fronteras del conocimiento, la investigación aplicada y la innovación, la Comunidad pretende con él, desarrollar las sinergias de la investigación europea y establecer así unas bases más sólidas para el Espacio Europeo de la Investigación.The essential paper of the investigation was recognized by the European Council of Lisbon of 23 and 24 of March of 2000, that established a new strategic target of the European Union for the next decade: to become the economy based on the most competitive and dynamic knowledge del world, able to grow economically of sustainable way, with more and better uses and greater social cohesion. The triangle knowledge - education, investigation and innovation are a basic instrument to obtain this objective, whose effect the Community sets out to mobilize and to reinforce the capacities of necessary investigation and innovation. The Community has paid attention the objective, established to the Treaty, to reinforce the scientific and technological bases of its industry, assuring this way a high level of competitiveness at international level. To such aim, it tries to foment all the activities of investigation that are considered necessary, specially stimulating to the companies, including small and the medium ones (SMEs), to the research centers and the universities in its work of investigation and technological development. In this context, one will occur to priority to the scopes and projects in which the European financing and the cooperation are specially important and contribute an added value. In this article we analyzed as the I+D+i in international collaboration is a route to accede, to develop and to operate the excellent knowledge in benefit of the companies, in individual of the SMEs. By another part, the main instrument of financing of projects of Investigation, Technological Development is exposed and Demonstration of the UE for period 2.007-2.013, investigating as the European bottoms for I+D and their mechanisms of financing are a source of financing for the SMEs. In this aspect the Seventh Framework Programme constitutes a central element as complement of the efforts of the States members and the European industry, thanks to its support to the investigation in the borders del knowledge, the applied investigation and the innovation, the Community tries with him, to develop sinergias of the European investigation and to establish therefore more solid bases for the European Space of the Investigatio

Medición del capital humano en la educación pública no universitaria de Andalucía

El presente trabajo de investigación se centra en la obtención de un cuadro de indicadores que permita medir el intangible Capital Humano, como componente fundamental del Capital Intelectual del órgano encargado de la educación pública no universitaria en Andalucía. Los indicadores obtenidos proporcionan información cuantificada y cualificada de los activos intangibles considerados como componentes del Capital Humano. La información obtenida va dirigida tanto a los gestores de la educación, como a terceros, y permite identificar dónde reside el verdadero valor de este Capital Humano. Para ello se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de corte transversal o de prevalencia sobre una población finita representada por unos 97.600 individuos, de los cuales más del noventa por ciento poseen estudios universitarios, repartidos geográficamente en las ocho provincias que forman la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía y que prestan sus servicios en aproximadamente 4.000 centros y dependencias administrativas públicas. Los resultados obtenidos nos han proporcionado información valorada sobre los tres elementos o grupos homogéneos de activos intangibles que hemos estimado qué conforman el Capital Humano (Valores y actitudes, Aptitudes y Capacidades), y los valores relativos a las 13 variables o activos intangibles que el modelo propuesto de Capital Intelectual considera como integrantes de esos tres elementos.The current investigation focuses on obtaining a scoreboard to measure the intangible Human Capital, as an essential component of the Intellectual Capital of the body responsible for public non-university education in Andalusia. The indicators provide information obtained quantified and qualified for intangible assets considered as components of Human Capital. The information obtained is addressed to both managers of education, as to others, and identifies where lies the true value of this Human Capital. It has carried out a cross-sectional study of prevalence or on a finite population represented by some 97,600 individuals, of whom more than ninety percent have college education, spread geographically in the eight provinces that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia and who serve approximately 4,000 public schools and administrative units. The results have provided us with information on the three items valued or homogeneous groups of intangible assets that make up what we have estimated the Human Capital (values and attitudes, skills and abilities), and values relating to the 13 variables or intangible assets that the model Intellectual Capital considers proposed as members of these three elements

Solution concentration effect on mechanical injection and deposition of YSZ coatings using the solution precursor plasma spraying

[EN] YSZ coatings were developed by solution precursor plasma spraying from different solution concentrations. The solutions were characterized and correlated with the rheological properties (specific weight, viscosity and surface tension). The mechanical injection was used therefore a correct injection is essential to get a correct liquid jet break-up inside the plasma plume. The optimal injection pressure must be adjusted for each solution since the solution characteristics affect on the injection process. It was experimentally found out by the observation of the splats' morphology. The particles were not melted at low pressures but solidified prior to the deposition when the injection pressure is high. It was also found out that the optimal static pressure varies with the concentration, but the dynamic pressure is equal for every solution and slightly superior to the dynamic pressure of the plasma plume. After injection optimization, coatings using different solution concentrations were developed and their microstructures were investigated. The liquid jet fragmentations as well as the heat requirements were modified with the concentration so that coating microstructure was affected. The resulting coatings display a lamellar and porous microstructure with the presence of unmelted/unpyrolysed material. Coatings' porosity increased while coatings' grow-up was less intensive when diluted solutions were used as feedstock.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project MAT2015-67586-C3-R). P. Carpio acknowledges the Valencia Government (APOSTD/2016/040) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for his current post-doc contract (FJCI-2016-27822) for his post-doc contractCarpio-Cobo, P.; Candidato, RTJ.; Pawlowski, L.; Salvador Moya, MD. (2019). Solution concentration effect on mechanical injection and deposition of YSZ coatings using the solution precursor plasma spraying. Surface and Coatings Technology. 371:124-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2018.10.088S12413037

Molten salt attack on multilayer and functionally-graded YSZ coatings

Thermal barrier coatings have been extensively studied in the last years in order to increase the operational temperature of the current gas turbines as well as to improve the coating lifetime. Many coating characteristics must be met to achieve these requirements (low thermal conductivity, high thermal fatigue resistance…); therefore, complex systems have been engineered for these purposes. One of the possibilities to optimise the different properties deals with the design of multilayer or functionally-graded coatings where various types of microstructures with different characteristics are combined. One of the most important cause of gas turbines degradation relates to the attack of different type of particles which are suspended in the atmosphere (sand, fly ash…). These solid particles are molten at the operational temperatures and then, the molten salts chemically react with the coating. For this reason, the present research was focused on this type of attack. In the present work, the molten salt attack of various YSZ coatings with multilayer and functionally-graded design was addressed. Two different type of microstructures were specifically combined for this design: the APS coating microstructure obtained from conventional (microstructured) powder and a bimodal structure with nanozones obtained from nanostructured feedstock. Besides, different salts were used to simulate different attack environments (desert sand and volcanic fly ash). Findings show that nanozones act as barrier against the penetration of molten salts toward deeper layer. However, a layer formed by nanozones can detach when the salt attack is too aggressive. Hence, functionally-graded coatings, where two types of microstructures are combined through the whole coating, become ideal to diminish the molten salt attack

Molten salt attack on multilayer and funcionally-graded YSZ coating

[EN] Thermal barrier coatings have been extensively studied in the last years in order to increase the operational temperature of the current gas turbines as well as to improve the coating lifetime. Many coating characteristics must be met to achieve these requirements (low thermal conductivity, high thermal fatigue resistance...); therefore, complex systems have been engineered for these purposes. One of the possibilities to optimise the different properties deals with the design of multilayer or functionally-graded coatings where various types of microstructures with different characteristics are combined. One of the most important cause of gas turbines degradation relates to the attack of different type of particles which are suspended in the atmosphere (sand, fly ash...). These solid particles are molten at the operational temperatures and then, the molten salts chemically react with the coating. For this reason, the present research was focused on this type of attack. In the present work, the molten salt attack of various YSZ coatings with multilayer and functionally-graded design was addressed. Two different type of microstructures were specifically combined for this design: the APS coating microstructure obtained from conventional (microstructured) powder and a bimodal structure with nanozones obtained from nanostructured feedstock. Besides, different salts were used to simulate different attack environments (desert sand and volcanic fly ash). Findings show that nanozones act as barrier against the penetration of molten salts toward deeper layer. However, a layer formed by nanozones can detach when the salt attack is too aggressive. Hence, functionally-graded coatings, where two types of microstructures are combined through the whole coating, become ideal to diminish the molten salt attack.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project MAT2015-67586-C3-R) as well as A. Borrell and L. Navarro thanks for their post-doc (RyC-2016-20915) and pre-doc (BES-2016-077792) contracts respectively. P. Carpio acknowledges the Valencia Government for his post-doc contract (APOSTD/2016/040).Carpio-Cobo, P.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Borrell Tomás, MA.; Navarro-López, L.; Sánchez, E. (2018). Molten salt attack on multilayer and funcionally-graded YSZ coating. Ceramics International. 44(11):12634-12641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.04.062S1263412641441

Alumina-zirconia coatings obtained by suspension plasma spraying from highly concentrated aqueous suspensions

[EN] Suspension plasma spraying (SPS) deposition represents an innovative technique to produce coatings that exhib- it improved properties. However, the key to obtain coatings with superior functional properties relies on the in- vestigation of the suspensions as starting materials. For this reason, the present work deals with the suspension preparation for SPS process and its influence on the resulting coatings. Laboratory-prepared 60/40 wt% alumina-zirconia suspensions were concentrated to avoid energy loss and were then successfully deposited by SPS technique. The liquid used was water instead of ethanol due to economical, environmental and safety reasons. The preparation of the suspension plays an important role in SPS process since stable and well-dispersed water suspensions are difficult to obtain. For this reason, colloidal behaviour characterisation of the starting particles as well as rheological optimisation of the feedstock suspensions was ad- dressed in this research. Suspensions with different solid loadings (up to 30 vol.% or 72 wt%) were deposited using several spraying dis- tances. All coatings displayed a bimodal microstructure consisting in partially melted zones surrounded by a fully melted matrix. α-Al2O3 and t′-ZrO2 constituted the main crystalline phases, but differences in the microstructure and properties of the coatings were observed. From these results, some relations between starting suspension and spraying parameters with coating characteristics were found. Thus the optimal spraying distance becomes shorter when the suspension solid loading increases.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MINECO (project MAT2015-67586-C3-R). M.D. Salvador thanks CAPES – Programa Ciências sem Fronteiras (Brazil) for the concession of a PVE project N° A086/2013. A. Borrell acknowledges the MINECO for her Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación contract (IJCI-2014- 19839) and the Program to Support Research and Development (PAID00-15) of the Universitat Politècnica de València.Carpio-Cobo, P.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Borrell Tomás, MA.; Sanchez Vilches, E.; Moreno, R. (2016). Alumina-zirconia coatings obtained by suspension plasma spraying from highly concentrated aqueous suspensions. Surface and Coatings Technology. 307:713-719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2016.09.060S71371930

Novedades florísticas en el Parque Nacional de Doñana (SW España)

New floristic records for Doñana National Park (Sw Spain)Palabras clave. Flora, macrófitos acuáticos, Chara, Azolla, especies amenazadas, especies invasoras, Doñana, humedales.Key words. Flora, aquatic macrophytes, Chara, Azolla, threatened species, invasive species, Doñana, wetlands

Addition of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors to Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Alone as First-Line Treatment in Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction The addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to conventional chemotherapy (CT) as first-line treatment improves survival in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the relative efficacy of first-line ICIs compared with CT in patients with ES-SCLC. Methods Two independent reviewers extracted relevant data according to PRISMA guidelines and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk-of-bias tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using random-effects models to calculate an average effect size for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety outcomes in the overall populations and clinically relevant subgroups. Results A literature search of PubMed and Embase was performed. Six randomized controlled clinical trials (IMpower133, CHECKMATE-451, CASPIAN, KEYNOTE-604, and phase II and III ipilimumab plus CT trials) with a total of 3757 patients were included. Compared with CT alone, ICIs plus CT showed a favourable effect on OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.85; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.79–0.96) and PFS (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.72–0.83) but a non-significant increase in the risk of experiencing any adverse event (relative risk, 1.05; 95% CI 0.99–1.11). The estimated HR for OS favoured ICI combinations in all planned subgroups according to age (< 65 years/≥ 65 years), sex (men/women), and ECOG performance status (0/1). Analysis by specific ICI revealed significant improvements in OS only for atezolizumab + CT (HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.09–1.69) and durvalumab + CT (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.12–1.62) compared with CT alone. Conclusion Combining anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 antibodies with platinum/etoposide is a superior therapeutic approach compared to CT alone for the first-line treatment of patients with ES-SCLC

Impact of Feedstock Nature on Thermal Conductivity of YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings Obtained by Plasma Spraying

[EN] Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings with low thermal conductivity were obtained using three different particle size distributions as starting powder: nano-, submicron- and bimodal submicron/nano-sized particles. On the one hand, these particles were reconstituted into micrometric, spray-dry agglomerates, which were subsequently deposited by means of conventional atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). On the other hand, the starting particles were dispersed in water and the resultant suspensions were deposited by means of suspension plasma spraying (SPS). The coatings were thermally treated to assess their sintering resistance. As-sprayed and thermally treated coatings were then characterized in terms of microstructure (FEG-SEM) and thermal diffusivity (laser flash equipment). The results showed that SPS coatings exhibited extremely low thermal conductivity at low temperature which drastically augmented with increasing temperature. On the other hand, APS coatings also exhibited low thermal conductivities but their values were higher than those of the SPS coatings at the lowest temperature tested while the conductivities hardly varied with temperature.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project MAT2015-67586-C3-R) and Research Promotion Plan of the Universitat Jaume I, action 2.1 (ref. E-2011 - 05) and action 3.1 (ref. PREDOC/2009/10). A. Borrell acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for her Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion contract (IJCI-2014-19839). M. Miranda would like to thank the European Commission (FP7-Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship, BIOHYMAT).Carpio-Cobo, P.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Benavente Martínez, R.; Miranda, M.; Borrell Tomás, MA.; Sánchez, E. (2016). Impact of Feedstock Nature on Thermal Conductivity of YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings Obtained by Plasma Spraying. Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology. 7(3):307-312. https://doi.org/10.4416/JCST2016-00022S3073127

Effect of the initial particle size distribution on the properties of suspension plasma sprayed Al2O3-TiO2 coatings

Al2O3–TiO2 coatings have been deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying from agglomerated, nanostructured powders showing better properties than those of their conventional (microstructured) counterparts. These nanostructured coatings can be also obtained by suspension plasma spraying however the research on suspension plasma sprayed Al2O3–TiO2 is still scarce. Consequently, it is crucial to study the effect of the suspension characteristics on the coating properties and to optimize the deposition process. In this work, Al2O3–13 wt.% TiO2 tribological coatings were successfully deposited by suspension plasma spraying from three different feedstocks: a nanometric suspension and two bimodal suspensions with different solid contents made up of titania nanoparticles and alumina submicron-sized particles. The coating microstructure and phase composition were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Moreover, nanoindentation technique was used to determine the nanomechanical properties of coatings. The influence of the feed suspension characteristics on the final coating quality was analyzed. Findings showed that similar microstructures and phases were developed after depositing the different feedstocks. In addition suspension feedstock made up of nanoparticles resulted in a coating with better mechanical properties. However the use of submicron-sized particles in the suspension feedstocks gives rise to some technical and economic advantages in the process which should be taken into account when a suspension plasma spraying process is to be set up