Quality assurance mechanisms in agrifood: The case of the Spanish fresh meat sector

The largest fresh meat brand names in Spain are analyzed here to study how quality is signaled in agribusiness and how the underlying quality -assurance organizations work. Results show, first, that organizational form varies according to the specialization of the brand name. Publicly-controlled brand names are grounded on market contracting with individual producers, providing stronger incentives. In contrast, private brands rely more on hierarchy, taking advantage of its superiority in solving specific coordination problems. Second, the seemingly redundant coexistence of several quality indicators for a given product is explained in efficiency terms. Multiple brands are shown to be complementary, given their specialization in guaranteeing different attributes of the product.Quality assurance, co-branding, agriculture, vertical integration, contracts

Use of TimescaleDB as a database for ocean-meteorological data storage

The monitoring of the environment is essential to know and study the diferent phenomena that occur in the natural environment. [1]. Atmospheric and oceanographic data sets share many characteristics. They can be very large; many cover limited periods of time and have a limited spatial extent; gaps (lack of data) and outliers are common; The spatial distribution of several observation networks is uneven; and, often, the time series of data are not homogeneous. The data sets contain variables that, in general, are not independent in time or space; therefore, most of the variables must be seen within a multivariate context [2]. A time series database [3] (TSDB) is a database optimized for timestamp data. These databases have the ability to provide queries with subsamples, gap flling or aggregations throughout the time series, must be stored efciently to be inserted and retrieved quickly. TimescaleDB [4] is implemented as an extension on PostgreSQL, and exposes what look like singular tables, called hypertables, that are actually an abstraction or a virtual view of many individual tables holding the data, called chunks (created by partitioning the hypertable’s data into one or multiple dimensions). We will proceed to perform a series of tests to test the performance of TimeScale and compare it with other databases of the same style. Small comparisons will be made both in writing and reading data. Special emphasis will be placed on reading large datasets.Peer Reviewe

Responsabilidad social y empresa sostenible

Bajo Sanjuán, Ana; González González, Marta y Fernández Fernández, José Luís (2013). Responsabilidad social y empresa sostenible. En: adComunica. Revista Científica de Estrategias, Tendencias e Innovación en Comunicación, nº5. Castellón: Asociación para el Desarrollo de la Comunicación adComunica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid y Universitat Jaume I, 223-243. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6035/2174- 0992.2013.5.14Las organizaciones empresariales, incluidas las de medios, cumplen un papel determinante en la sociedad, especialmente en el ámbito de la globalización donde se multiplican los efectos de manera exponencial en múltiples dimensiones no sólo económicas, sino también sociales y medioambientales. La actuación de toda empresa, independientemente de su tamaño, sector o mercado provoca una serie de impactos, positivos y negativos, de los que irremediablemente ha de responder ante una sociedad cada vez más exigente. Esta responsabilidad debe ser asumida desde una conciencia del ejercicio ético que, lo quiera o no, la empresa está obligada a llevar a cabo para legitimar su existencia. El artículo que aquí se presenta ha de ayudar al lector a conocer más a fondo qué es eso llamado Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa, a qué agentes de la sociedad afecta, cuáles son las motivaciones que empujan a las organizaciones a incorporarla a su gestión, de manera estratégica, así como los mecanismos e iniciativas de impulso que propician su implantación. Concluimos con una reflexión sobre el pobre balance que la incorporación de la RSE está teniendo en las empresas, en general, salvo una representativa minoría que parece haber entendido que, sobre todo en estos tiempos de crisis, no cabe otro camino para la subsistencia y el éxito en el largo plazo que la apuesta por la sostenibilidad.Business organizations, including those in the media sector, fulfill an important role in society, particularly within the scope of globalization where their impacts multiply exponentially in several dimensions such as the economic, social and environmental ones. The actions of every business, irrespective of size, sector or market, generate both positive and negative impacts, for which they are certain to become accountable to an increasingly demanding society. This responsibility must be taken from the conscience of ethical practice, which whether they like it or not, businesses are forced to conduct in order to legitimise their existence. The article which we are presenting should provide the reader a deeper knowledge of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, the social actors that are affected by it and the motivations that drive organisations to incorporate it as a strategic part of their management as well as the initiatives and mechanisms that favor its establishment. We finalise with a reflection on the so far generally poor result of incorporating CSR into the corporate world except for a representative minority which seems to have understood that, particularly in times of crisis, betting on sustainability is the only path to subsistance and long term success

Estudio epidemiológico para determinar la incidencia del mieloma y del mieloma quiescente, en el área norte de la provincia de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

El mieloma múltiple (MM) es el segundo cáncer hematológico más frecuente tras los linfomas, representando aproximadamente el 10% de las neoplasias sanguíneas y el 1% de todas las neoplasias1. La incidencia se sitúa en 5,8 casos por 100.000 habitantes/año2. La información sobre la epidemiología en España es escasa y hasta la fecha no se había analizado en nuestra provincia. Pacientes y métodos: Realizamos un estudio de todos los pacientes diagnosticados de MM en nuestra área de referencia, que incluye el norte de la isla de Tenerife y la totalidad de la isla de La Palma, con una residencia de al menos 2 años en dicha zona, entre 1990 y 2009. Recogimos variables demográficas, analíticas, de tratamiento y respuesta, diferenciándolos por municipios y tipo de mieloma, tanto sintomático como asintomático, y año de diagnóstico. Utilizamos el padrón anual de cada municipio para el cálculo de la incidencia. Resultados: Del total de 409 pacientes (203 hombres y 206 mujeres), 313 fueron sintomáticos y 96 fueron quiescentes (MQ) (29 de bajo riesgo y 49 de alto riesgo con 18 casos sin clasificar). La edad media fue de 68,4 años (± 0,568), con un rango comprendido entre 32 y 92 años. La mediana de la supervivencia global desde el diagnóstico (SV) fue de 44,97 meses ± 4,43 meses (IC 95% 36,28-53,65 meses) y desde el inicio de tratamiento (SV_T) de 33,39 meses ± 3,46 meses (IC 95% 26,6-40,17 meses). La mediana de la supervivencia libre de progresión desde el diagnóstico (SLP) fue de 22,47 meses ± 2,11 meses (IC 95% 18,32-26,61 meses) mientras que desde el tratamiento (SLP_T) fue de 16,15 meses ± 1,25 meses (IC 95% 13,70-18,60 meses). La mediana del tiempo de progresión a MM sintomático para los quiescentes de bajo riesgo fue de 48,29 meses ±8,13 meses (IC 95% 32,34-64,23 meses) mientras que para los de alto riesgo fue de 14,5 meses ±3,02 meses (IC 95% 8,58-20,43 meses) (p = 0,003).La SG del MQ de alto riesgo a partir del tratamiento no fue diferente a la del MM de novo (p = 0,267). La incidencia del área total en los 15 últimos años (datos más consistentes) es de 5,6 casos por 100.000 habitantes/año. La incidencia de la isla de La Palma es de 7,53 y la de Tenerife es de 5,14 (p = 0,0012). Teniendo los picos máximos en el año 2008 Tenerife (8,29) y en el año 2002 La Palma (15,99) aunque en ambas islas la tendencia de la incidencia agrupada por lustros es siempre ascendente. Dentro de la isla de Tenerife, el municipio de Tegueste y La Laguna presentan las incidencias más altas (8,64 y 5,10 respectivamente) mientras que en la isla de La Palma lo son Barlovento (12,05), Villa de Mazo (10,37) y Garafía (10,21). La última incidencia disponible obtenida del último lustro analizado es de 6,36 (5,89 en Tenerife y 8,39 en La Palma). (p= ) Conclusiones: El MQ de alto riesgo evoluciona mucho más rápido a sintomático y la supervivencia, una vez tratado, es similar al sintomático. Este hallazgo sugiriere que el mieloma quiescente de alto riesgo debiera ser asimilado, en términos pronósticos, al mieloma sintomático. La incidencia de MM en nuestra área es elevada, especialmente en la isla de La Palma. Las causas de esta incidencia tan elevada en algunos municipios de la provincia deberían ser estudiadas con más detalle

Demolition project of a dam in the river de la Garganta, tributary of the Adaja river, in the T.M. of Mironcillo (Ávila)

[ES] El presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado consiste en un Proyecto Técnico de Demolición de una pequeña presa en desuso, de 23 m de largo por 1,70 m de alto, y la restauración posterior de la zona alrededor de la misma. La presa se localiza en el río de la Garganta, en Mironcillo (Ávila). Para la realización de la obra se van a llevar a cabo diferentes actividades de desmantelamiento y demolición, además de labores previas de apertura de camino y desbroce de la vegetación. Para la restauración de la zona, serán necesarias actuaciones de movimiento de tierras y siembra. El plazo de ejecución de la obra es de treinta y seis días naturales con un presupuesto de ejecución que asciende a la cantidad de 21.373,48

Extraction of Anthocyanins and Total Phenolic Compounds from Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Using an Experimental Design Methodology. Part 3: Microwave-Assisted Extraction

In this work, two methods based on microwave-assisted extraction techniques for the extraction of both anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds from acai have been developed. For that, a full factorial design (Box-Behnken design) has been used to optimize the following four variables: solvent composition (25-75% methanol in water), temperature (50-100 degrees C), pH (2-7), and sample/solvent ratio (0.5 g: 10 mL-0.5 g: 20 mL). The anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds content have been determined by ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography and Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. The optimum conditions for the extraction of anthocyanins were 38% MeOH in water, 99.63 degrees C, pH 3.00, at 0.5 g: 10 mL of ratio, while for the extraction of total phenolic compounds they were 74.16% MeOH in water, 99.14 degrees C, pH 5.46, at 0.5 g: 20 mL of ratio. Both methods have shown a high repeatability and intermediate precision with a relative standard deviation lower than 5%. Furthermore, an extraction kinetics study was carried out using extraction periods ranging from 2 min until 25 min. The optimized methods have been applied to acai-containing real samples. The results with such real samples have confirmed that both methods are suitable for a rapid and reliable extraction of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds

Dashboards and visualisation tools for enhancing creativity in business master students

[EN] Dashboards are a basic element in Data Science. Well planned dashboards help the staff of a company at all levels of the organization. They allow them to ask questions and respond them in real time. As a result, this information allows them to make appropriate decisions and facilitates innovation. A fundamental component in the dashboards are the visualizations by means of dynamic graphic objects that can be explored. These visualizations must be analyzed dynamically so that business master students can intuitively arrive at a series of insights that bring them closer to the nature of the problems. Learning by doing and consulting. We are going to use a dashboard about innovation elaborated by Bankinter Fundation in the Platform Google Data Analytics. The proposed teaching dynamic includes the formation of work teams of 5-7 students. The challenge start when each group pose several questions to the rest of the teams. To answer these questions the students must consult the proposed dashboard. There is a time limit to answer each question. The winner is the team that answers correctly more questions and explains the way to obtain this information. This way, students get used to dashboards and visualisation tools and start learning with a good dashboard model that prepares them to later select and design proper tools. As a further result, we have appreciated that using visualisation in teaching can increase student engagement and performance.González-Ladrón-De-Guevara, F.; Fernández-Diego, M. (2021). Dashboards and visualisation tools for enhancing creativity in business master students. IATED. 8799-8804. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2021.1836S8799880

Pseudo-Probabilistic Design for High-Resolution Tsunami Simulations in the Southwestern Spanish Coast

The application of simulation software has proven to be a crucial tool for tsunami hazard assessment studies. Understanding the potentially devastating effects of tsunamis leads to the development of safety and resilience measures, such as the design of evacuation plans or the planning of the economic investment necessary to quickly mitigate their consequences. This article introduces a pseudo-probabilistic seismic-triggered tsunami simulation approach to investigate the potential impact of tsunamis in the southwestern coast of Spain, in the provinces of Huelva and Cádiz. Selected faults, probabilistic distributions and sampling methods are presented as well as some results for the nearly 900 Atlantic-origin tsunamis computed along the 250 km-long coast.This work has being carried out under a project funded by a public mutual agreement of understanding between the CN-IGME (CSIC) and the CCS (Law reference: BOE 103, 30/04/2019). This project is supported by an agreement of understanding between CN-IGME and UMA, creating a cooperative entity INGEA (Law reference: BOE 332, 22/12/2020). The numerical results presented in this work have been performed with the computational resources allocated by the Spanish Network for Supercomputing (RES) grants AECT-2020-3-0023 and AECT-2021-2-0018. Further support has also been received from the Spanish Government research project MEGAFLOW (RTI2018-096064-B-C21) and ChEESE project (EU Horizon 2020, grant agreement No. 823844, https://cheese-coe.eu/) due to the synergies found between the projects. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Potential and limitations of the ISBSG dataset in enhancing software engineering research: A mapping review

Context The International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) maintains a software development repository with over 6000 software projects. This dataset makes it possible to estimate a project s size, effort, duration, and cost. Objective The aim of this study was to determine how and to what extent, ISBSG has been used by researchers from 2000, when the first papers were published, until June of 2012. Method A systematic mapping review was used as the research method, which was applied to over 129 papers obtained after the filtering process. Results The papers were published in 19 journals and 40 conferences. Thirty-five percent of the papers published between years 2000 and 2011 have received at least one citation in journals and only five papers have received six or more citations. Effort variable is the focus of 70.5% of the papers, 22.5% center their research in a variable different from effort and 7% do not consider any target variable. Additionally, in as many as 70.5% of papers, effort estimation is the research topic, followed by dataset properties (36.4%). The more frequent methods are Regression (61.2%), Machine Learning (35.7%), and Estimation by Analogy (22.5%). ISBSG is used as the only support in 55% of the papers while the remaining papers use complementary datasets. The ISBSG release 10 is used most frequently with 32 references. Finally, some benefits and drawbacks of the usage of ISBSG have been highlighted. Conclusion This work presents a snapshot of the existing usage of ISBSG in software development research. ISBSG offers a wealth of information regarding practices from a wide range of organizations, applications, and development types, which constitutes its main potential. However, a data preparation process is required before any analysis. Lastly, the potential of ISBSG to develop new research is also outlined.Fernández Diego, M.; González-Ladrón-De-Guevara, F. (2014). Potential and limitations of the ISBSG dataset in enhancing software engineering research: A mapping review. Information and Software Technology. 56(6):527-544. doi:10.1016/j.infsof.2014.01.003S52754456