Migration networks and return expectations. The case of Romanians in Spain

In recent years, studies concerning interpersonal relations and their various implications are increasingly being taken as a basis for analysing the migration process, to determine the nature and impacts of migratory networks on immigrants' socio-economic situation in their country of origin and in the host society. The existence or absence of social networks as well as the nature of ties (closed or open) are considered key factors in the success or failure of an immigrant’s life project and expectations of returning home. This paper explores the relationship between social capital accrued by migrations networks and expected return. The analysis is based on two types of social capital: bridging and bonding. A sample of Romanian immigrants in the region of Castellon was surveyed on a number of variables. Study results show that immigrants' expectations of return are negatively related to social capital at the place of destination, suggesting that when immigrants build bridging and bonding social capital in the host society their expectations of returning home decrease.This research was supported by Universitat Jaume I 2013 Research Promotion Plan (P1-1B2013-16)

Assessment of different pre-treatment methods for the removal of limonene in citrus waste and their effect on methane potential and methane production rate

The objective of this study was to assess the limonene removal efficiency of three pre-treatment methods when applied to citrus waste and to evaluate their effects on the biochemical methane potential (BMP) and the methane production rate (MPR) using batch anaerobic testsPostprint (published version

Synthesis by ammonolysis and luminescence properties of cerium or europium-doped oxynitrides with the apatite structure

Les oxynitrures dopés terre rare présentent des propriétés intéressantes pour un usage en tant que luminophore pour LEDs blanches. Une nouvelle famille de luminophores dopés Eu2+ ou Ce3+ avec un réseau hôte oxynitrure de structure apatite a été étudiée : La8+xSr2-x(Si/Ge)6NyO26+x/2-3/2y. L ammonolyse d un précurseur oxyde de structure apatite a été utilisée comme technique générale de nitruration. Elle a permis de diminuer substantiellement la température de nitruration en comparaison avec la méthode classique par réaction à l état solide sous atmosphère mixte N2/H2. Les différentes luminescences des luminophores obtenus ont été étudiées et corrélées à la structure cristalline à l aide de différentes techniques de caractérisation.La structure apatite présente notamment la particularité de proposer plusieurs sites anioniques pour l introduction de l azote ainsi que deux sites cationiques pour les ions terre rare activateurs. L utilisation de nombreuses techniques de caractérisation (IR, Raman, RMN, diffraction des neutrons) a permis d obtenir des informations sur la position de l azote. En parallèle, la comparaison des propriétés optiques avec celles de composés réduits sous Ar/H2 a permis d attribuer les émissions aux différents sites cristallins disponibles dans la structure. Des mesures de rendement quantique ainsi que des tentatives d optimisation des propriétés de luminescence ont été effectuées.Rare-earth doped oxynitrides have attracted much attention as phosphors for white LEDs. A new family of Ce3+ or Eu2+-doped oxynitride phosphors with the apatite structure has been studied: La8+xSr2-x(Si/Ge)6NyO26+x/2-3/2y. The ammonolysis of an apatite oxide precursor has been used as a general method of synthesis, allowing decreasing the nitriding temperature respective to the classical solid state reaction in N2/H2 atmosphere. The luminescence properties of the obtained phosphors have been studied and relationships with the crystalline structure have been drawn.The apatite structure shows several crystallographic sites available for nitrogen as well as two cationic sites for optically active rare-earth ions. Several structural characterization technique have been used (IR, Raman, NMR, Neutron diffraction) and important information has been obtained concerning the nitrogen distribution in the available positions of the crystal structure. Comparison of the luminescent properties with those of compounds reduced under Ar/H2 allowed attributing emissions to the different crystallographic sites available in the structure.Quantum efficiency measurements have been carried out as well as trials for improving the intensity of the luminescent properties.BORDEAUX1-Bib.electronique (335229901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Clustered firms and solvency in the Spanish ceramics industry

There is a vast literature on the advantages of agglomeration due to positive externalities arising within industrial concentrations like clusters or industrial districts. Empirical studies strongly suggest these benefits when the focus is on innovation or transmission of knowledge. If this is the case, then it is reasonable to expect that cluster benefits should result in better financial performance and higher solvency for clustered firms soon or later. However, the limited empirical support for the link between clusters and economic performance provides contradictory results. This paper goes deeper into this matter and aims to measure the resulting effects on the solvency of firms in agglomeration economies. Empirical analysis has been applied to a sample of 609 firms in the Spanish ceramic tile cluster to test for statistically significant differences in the levels of solvency between clustered and isolated firms. Then we analyze whether firm size and phase of the economic cycle are relevant. Study results show significant differences between large and small clustered firms, suggesting that size does matter in terms of capturing the benefits of clustering from the perspective of solvency

Exploring different doping mechanisms in thermoelectric polymer/ carbon nanotube composites

This work compares various methods to prepare polymer/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites for thermoelectric applications, focusing on the different doping mechanisms. We first look at the general trends observed in the Seebeck coefficient and power factor for a large number of composites as a function of electrical conductivity. Then we discuss two methods of nitrogen doping the carbon nanotubes in these composites, namely either during synthesis, or afterwards by ammonolysis. Finally, we discuss doping of the carbon nanotubes through charge transfer from the polymer counterpart, including photo-induced switching of the majority carrier type. As a general remark, we note that processability is negatively influenced by some doping procedures. Best results were achieved for unfunctionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes with a high content of semiconducting CNT species.The authors would like to thank Prof. Michael L. Chabinyc, Prof. Christian Müller and Prof. Alejandro R. Goñi for useful discussions. We are grateful to John D. Craddock, Prof. Matthew C. Weisen- berger and Prof. John E. Anthony for providing the n-MWCNTs. The authors would also like to acknowledge financial support from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain through projects CSD2010–00044 (Consolider NANOTHERM), MAT2015- 70850-P and MAT2014-53500-R; and the European Research Council (ERC) under grant agreement no. 648901. S. Sandoval acknowledges a contract though PIE 201660E013 and P. Kankla the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST). We are grateful to Thomas Swan Co. Ltd for supplying Elicarb1 SWCNTs.Peer reviewe

Information on social impact at NGOs. The case of the Spanish charitable foundations

Within the Spanish legislation, the requirements for inf ormation disclosure depend on the kind of organization. Most of Spanish Non - Governmental Organizations (NGOs) work as charitable foundations (a legal categorization of non - profit organizations), organizations where we focus on. In this paper we analyse the requirements that Spanish law establishes for the disclosure of social impact information for charitable foundations. Social impact is, probably, the best benchmark to measure the performance of this kind of non - profit organizations. There must be underli ned that Spain is divided into several regions (known as “Autonomias”), and some of these regions have specific rules for charitable foundations. Therefore, depending on the region where a NGO (foundation) is settled on, the requirements for information di sclosure can vary. In this paper we compare the different requirements that regions establish for their NGOs (charitable foundations) in the field of disclosure of information on social impact. And we also reflect on the adequacy of this information to the requirements of the stakeholders (donors, beneficiaries, community, ....

E-Learning In Continuous Professional Development Across The Globe. An experience in Water Engineering

[EN] Based on our wide experience in continuous professional development (CPD) through traditional activities and hands-on experience on several commonly used Learning Management Systems, we have integrated both concepts and developed a simple, yet effective e-learning approach to help professionals in the water field to fill the gap between their sometimes not updated background and the new features that characterize the water field in the present days. We argue that this task can make use of the same approach that is essential to the knowledge discovery process, to which the e-learning process boils down to. In this contribution we present the work performed at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, within the Multidisciplinary Team of Fluid Modelling, on web systems to support technology enhanced learning specifically addressed to professionals in the Water field. Our approach hinges on the joint use of the online as well as the offline characteristics of the e-learning proces s and puts to work together in a synergic way both traditional and technology-based learning know-how. As a result, a number of distance courses have been produced that are used for Engineering CPD across the globe, since many professionals worldwide, mainly from Spanish speaking countries, have followed our courses. We present the evolution of our system and the results obtained from testing and evaluating the prototype during the last three years. We have identified issues significant to users in order to better manage the system and changes required to adapt our system to organizational processes and context. Feedback received from trainees indicates both the validity of our approach and the feasibility of implementing e-learning materials to contribute to CPD in the water field in particular and in any field in general, since the methodology herein presented can be exported in a straightforward manner.This work has been performed under the support of the projects Investigación Interdisciplinar nº 5706 (UPV) and DPI2004-04430 of the Dirección General de Investigación del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain) and FEDER funds.Izquierdo Sebastián, J.; López Jiménez, PA.; Fuertes-Miquel, VS.; Izquierdo Sebastián, FJ. (2018). E-Learning In Continuous Professional Development Across The Globe. An experience in Water Engineering. WEBIST. 3:383-390. https://doi.org/10.5220/0001269803830390S383390

Dimensional crossover of correlated anion disorder in oxynitride perovskites

A simple crossover from two-dimensional to three-dimensional correlated disorder of O and N atoms on a cubic lattice has been discovered within the Ba1xSrxTaO2N series of perovskite oxynitrides. The crossover is driven by lattice expansion as x decreases, and provides a rapid increase in entropy due to a change from subextensive to extensive configurational entropy regimes.We thank STFC, UK for support for H. J. and provision of ISIS beamtime, and EPSRC for additional support. This work was also supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), Spain through Project MAT2017-86616-R, the Severo Ochoa Program SEV-2015-0496, and Fellowship support to AB (MAT2011-24757). We thank the ALBA synchrotron for the provision of beamtime and Prof. Rosa Palacin, Dr Carlos Frontera (ICMAB-CSIC) and Dr F. Fauth (ALBA) for assistance with data collection.Peer reviewe