Understanding the Institutional Evolution of the European Rural Policy: A Methodological Approach

Last decades have seen the development of a new rural policy. Different problems occurring in rural areas have pushed the EU Commission to draft policy instruments aiming to address them. However this rural policy path has not always been explicit neither has followed a continuous trend but rather has seen a series of forward and backward steps. Given the lack of a method to establish the relevance and the level of political acceptance of EU rural policy, a methodology has been developed. This methodology has tried to identify the EU political procedure trend, though this is not a formal sequence, and to establish a classification of different events according to a proposed hierarchy. Several EU documents, decisions, directives and financial resource allocations have been analysed. Within the review performed, each rural policy milestone has been classified following the proposed hierarchical chart. This has enabled the drawing of the different backs and forwards taken by this process. Besides, it has lead to the interpretation of the rural policy instruments current position in relation with other European policy instruments.Rural development, policy analysis, institutional processes, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Understanding rural areas dynamics from a complex perspective. An application of Prospective Structural Analysis

The development of rural areas continues to be an international priority. The urgent need to fight poverty (mainly concentrated in rural areas) in developing countries, and the demand for increasing economic and social cohesion in developed countries, explain this priority on the political agendas of multilateral bodies, the EU and most other countries. When Development Economics was acknowledged as part of the social and economic theory in the 50’s, different theories and models have tried to explain the unevenness of development and the key elements or conditions that foster it. Traditional rural development programmes were characterised by the implementation of non coordinated, sectoral, horizontal and top-down policies and strategies. The lack of effectiveness and the failures prompted by these policies have propelled the development of new approaches. Territorial rural development is a policy approach embracing contributions from different theoretical frameworks that attempt to foster development strategies based on the consideration of territory as a social construction. Thus, the territory (including all the existing elements and its interactions) has become a key actor for development. However, most of these approaches contemplate rural world through simplistic and monodimensional analysis based on methodologies from single disciplines and on quantitative and/or qualitative morphological descriptions. The pretended multidisciplinarity, frequently ends up on an addition of mono-disciplinary analysis around the object of study. The objective of the present paper is to check the role different elements considered relevant for development by literature´s recent approaches play or can play in rural territories with a very different development situation, using techniques and tools that allow the analysis of rural areas from a complex perspective.territorial rural development, complexity, prospective structural analysis, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Biopax and Semantics

Biopax community is producing sets of data in RDF files, but most of them are not available through query interfaces. The publication of SPARQL endpoints is feasible with current sets of data, but the use of reasoning in these interfaces is unfeasible in many cases. The use of large scale reasoners is a need to take advantage of these data sets

Efecto de la tecnología de cultivo en la producción del cáñamo (Cannabis sativa L.) orientado a la producción de inflorescencias

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) can be used in numerous agroindustrial fields such as agriculture, textiles, biocomposites, paper manufacturing, construction, biofuels, functional foods, pharmaceutical applications, personal care and cosmetics. It is considered a high-yielding crop that needs little input as it does not require the use of pesticides for crop protection, is environmentally benign and could provide an alternative to the use of petrochemical derivatives as a renewable source. This study intends to evaluate the impact of cultivation technology on the production of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivated in Irrigated lands in EI Baix Llobregat (typical Mediterranea area) and in particular to determine the effect of the plantation date, the varietal selection and the pruning on plant vigour, the biomass and inflorescence production, and the cannabinoid content. Two selected clones of the commercial varieties Carmagnola, named Carmagnola Sweet Green (Sg) and Carmagnola Moose (Mo), were studied and the influence of planting date and pruning type were analysed At harvest, the yield of fresh biomass, the dry biomass and inflorescence at ambient temperature and humidity and in the oven were determined, as well as the height and surface area occupied by the plant, among other parameters. The concentration of cannabinoids in the inflorescence was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results obtained in this TFG indicate that the planting date and the selection of the mother plant to obtain the seedling are the variables that had the greatest effect on the vigour of the plant and in the production of biomass and inflorescences of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in irrigated lands in Baix Llobregat. As for the levels of cannabinoids, it is necessary to carry out a greater number of analyses to obtain conclusive result.El cáñamo industrial (Cannabis sativa L.) se puede utilizar en numerosos campos agroindustriales como la agricultura, los textiles, los biocompuestos, la fabricación de papel, la construcción, los biocombustibles, los alimentos funcionales, aplicaciones farmacéuticas, el cuidado personal y la cosmética. Se considera un cultivo de alto rendimiento que necesita pocos insumos ya que no requiere el uso de fitosanitarios para la protección del cultivo, es benigno para el medioambiente y podría suponer una alternativa al uso de los derivados petroquímicos como fuente renovable. Con este trabajo se pretende evaluar el efecto de la tecnología de cultivo en la producción del cáñamo industrial (Cannabis sativa L.) en regadío en El Baix Llobregat (área mediterránea típica), y en particular determinar el efecto de la fecha de plantación, la selección varietal y la poda en el vigor de la planta, la producción de biomasa y de inflorescencias, y el contenido de cannabinoides. Se estudiaron dos clones seleccionados de la variedad comercial Carmagnola, denominadas Carmagnola Sweet Green (en adelante Sg) y Carmagnola Moose (en adelante Mo), en los que se analizaron la influencia de fecha de plantación y el tipo de poda. En la cosecha se determinó el rendimiento de biomasa fresca y biomasa e inflorescencia seca a temperatura y humedad ambiental, y en estufa, además de la altura y superficie ocupada por la planta, entre otros parámetros. La concentración de cannabinoides en la inflorescencia se determinó por cromatografía líquida de alta precisión (HPLC). Los resultados obtenidos en este TFG indican que la fecha de plantación, y la selección de la planta madre para la obtención del plantel, son las variables que tuvieron un mayor efecto sobre el vigor de la planta y la producción de biomasa e inflorescencias de cáñamo industrial (Cannabis sativa L.) en regadío en el Baix Llobregat. En cuanto a los niveles de cannabinoides es necesario realizar un mayor número de análisis que nos permita sacar algún resultado concluyente.El cànem industrial (Cànnabis sativa L.) es pot utilitzar en nombrosos camps agroindustrials com l'agricultura, tèxtil, biocompostos, fabricació de paper, construcció, biocombustibles, aliments funcionals, aplicacions farmacèutiques, la cura personal i la cosmètica. Es considera un cultiu d'alt rendiment que necessita pocs insums ja que no requereix l'ús de fitosanitaris per a la protecció del cultiu, és benigne per al medi ambient i podria suposar una alternativa a l'ús dels derivats petroquímics com a font renovable. Amb aquest treball es pretén avaluar l'efecte de la tecnologia de cultiu en la producció del cànem industrial (Cannabis sativa L.) en regadiu al Baix Llobregat (àrea mediterrània típica), i en particular determinar l'efecte de la data de plantació, selecció varietal i la poda al vigor de la planta, la producció de biomassa i d'inflorescències, i el contingut de cannabinoides. Es van estudiar dos clons seleccionats de la varietat comercial Carmagnola, anomenades Carmagnola Sweet Green (d’ara endavant Sg) i Carmagnola Moose (d’ara endavant Mo), en què es van analitzar la influència de data de plantació i el tipus de poda. A la collita es va determinar el rendiment de biomassa fresca i biomassa i inflorescència seca a temperatura i humitat ambiental i en estufa, a més de l'alçada i superfície ocupada per la planta, entre altres paràmetres. La concentració de cannabinoides a la inflorescència es va determinar per cromatografia líquida d'alta precisió (HPLC). Els resultats obtinguts en aquest TFG indiquen que la data de plantació, i la selecció de la planta mare per a l'obtenció del planter, són les variables que van tenir un efecte més gran sobre el vigor de la planta i la producció de biomassa i inflorescències de cànem industrial (Cannabis sativa L.) en regadiu al Baix Llobregat. Pel que fa als nivells de cannabinoides cal fer un major nombre d'anàlisi que ens permeti treure'n algun resultat concloent.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::3 - Salut i Benesta

The Dusk Chorus from an Owl Perspective : Eagle Owls Vocalize When Their White Throat Badge Contrasts Most

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Adoption and diffusion of agroecological practices in the horticulture of Catalonia

The environmental impact of conventional food production systems imposes a rapid transition towards sustainable production systems through the adoption of agroecological practices. The barriers and accelerators of the adoption of agroecological practices were identified for horticultural crops in Catalonia. Eight interviews and thirty surveys were conducted with local producers. Results show that the loss of producer income and the lack of social awareness regarding organic products are among the important barriers to the adoption of agroecological practices, while information about the experience of other farmers is considered a motivational factor. Finally, the study concludes that the adoption of agroecological practices has economic, political, social, academic and agronomic components.Postprint (published version

The importance of visual markings in night birds. The case of the Eagle Owl, Bubo bubo

This work brings together the results of a series of researches on the importance of the visual communication for nocturnal birds, carried out using the Eagle Owl as a model species. We analysed the main characteristics of the white feathers of the adults and the offspring and we tested the function of the achromatic plumage in territorial behaviour and parental care. Furthermore, by means of radio-tracking, we monitored the hunting activity of the Eagle Owl and, by analysing the white tail of its main prey - the Rabbit - we highlighted the possible role of the visual communication for nocturnal birds also in the contest of the predator-prey interactions

Acolhimento familiar e intervenção socioeducativa na infância: (Re) pensando algumas práticas

Nesta comunicação apresentamos as principais linhas de uma investigação a realizar no âmbito do curso de doutoramento em Educação da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela e que tem como tema central a intervenção socioeducativa no acolhimento familiar. Nos últimos tempos tem-se verificado um aumento do interesse da investigação internacional pelo acolhimento familiar. No entanto, a maioria dos trabalhos é desenvolvida em países anglo- saxónicos, havendo pouco avanço relativamente a este tema nos países do sul da Europa (Delgado, Carvalho, & Pinto, 2014). Designadamente em Portugal, em termos de investigação, tem sido dada prioridade ao estudo de outras vertentes de intervenção socioeducativa, não havendo muito investimento no estudo da medida do acolhimento familiar. A par desta realidade, verifica- se também que esta medida apresenta, na prática, uma reduzida expressão, havendo uma tendência para a institucionalização das crianças e jovens em perigo. Partindo da realidade portuguesa no que concerne ao acolhimento familiar, e no sentido de colmatar algumas lacunas existentes, a investigação que apresentamos, e que está ainda em fase inicial, visa, por um lado, sublinhar a importância do acompanhamento e da formação no âmbito do acolhimento familiar e, por outro lado, propor mudanças que poderão ser introduzidas no sentido de melhorar estes processos. Assim, tem como principais objetivos caracterizar o acompanhamento técnico atualmente prestado às famílias acolhedoras e potenciar as competências dos profissionais e acolhedores no processo de gestão e planeamento do acolhimento familiar, através do aperfeiçoamento dos processos de formação inicial e contínua. Trata-se de um estudo, predominantemente qualitativo, que não parte de hipóteses formuladas previamente, nem pretende a generalização dos resultados obtidos. A seleção dos participantes será não aleatória, por conveniência, procurando abranger uma variedade de famílias no que diz respeito ao tempo e experiência como família de acolhimento e os respetivos técnicos de acompanhamento. Será realizado, numa fase inicial, um estudo que visa caracterizar o acompanhamento técnico atualmente prestado às famílias acolhedoras e o levantamento das principais necessidades formativas, através da aplicação de inquéritos por questionário. Numa segunda fase, proceder-se-á ao desenho, desenvolvimento e avaliação de um programa de intervenção socioeducativa, composto por diferentes sessões de formação nas quais participarão os acolhedores e equipa de acolhimento, separadamente ou em conjunto, dependendo dos temas a abordar. A avaliação de implementação do programa será realizada a partir da realização de momentos para reflexão conjunta dos participantes, através da análise de conteúdo dos discursos de cada um dos intervenientes. Desta avaliação farão também parte os dados obtidos através da observação participante da doutoranda, no decurso das sessões de formação. Relativamente à avaliação dos resultados, será realizada a partir da criação e aplicação de indicadores, a definir em função dos objetivos de cada sessão. Posteriormente, proceder-se-á, a uma análise concertada e sistémica de todos os dados recolhidos, que permitirá sistematizar as conclusões que advieram da investigação e fazer o levantamento de implicações para a prática, ou seja, elencar os aspetos nos quais deverá haver um maior investimento no sentido de melhorar o processo de acolhimento familiar

New Perspectives for Electrodialytic Remediation

Electrodialytic remediation has been widely used for the recovery of different contaminants from numerous matrices, such as, for example, polluted soils, wastewater sludge, fly ash, mine tailing or harbour sediments. The electrodialytic remediation is an enhancement of the electrokinetic remediation technique, and it consists of the use of ion-exchange membranes for the control of the acid and the alkaline fronts generated in the electrochemical processes. While the standard electrodialytic cell is usually built with three-compartment configuration, it has been shown that for the remediation of matrices that require acid environment, a two-compartment cell has given satisfactory removal efficiencies with reduced energy costs. Recycling secondary batteries, with growing demand, has an increasing economic and environmental interest. This work focusses on the proposal of the electrodialytic remediation technique as a possible application for the recycling of lithium-ion cells and other secondary batteries. The recovery of valuable components, such as lithium, manganese, cobalt of phosphorous, based on current recycling processes and the characterization of solid waste is addressed.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 778045. Paz-Garcia acknowledges the financial support from the University of Malaga, project: PPIT.UMA.B5.2018/17. Villen-Guzman acknowledges the funding from the University of Malaga for the postdoctoral fellowship PPIT.UMA.A.3.2.2018. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Moonlight makes owls more chatty

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