Cognitive Keys in Psychophysical Estimation of Chemosensory Perception in University Students

Psychophysical methods allow us to measure the relationship between stimuli and sensory perception. Of these, Detection Threshold (DT) allows us to know the minimum concentration to produce taste identification. Given this, we wonder whether, for example, wine tasting experts are more capable of perceiving their sensory properties than other people, or whether they can distinguish them because they are better able to “describe” them. To verify this, this study analyses the influence of having prior knowledge of the name astringency and, failing that, to detect it and distinguish it between the four basic tastes. One-hundred-and-sixty-two university students with an average age of 19.43 (SD = 2.55) years were assigned to three experimental conditions: an experimental group (G.2) without previous knowledge of the name astringency and with alimentary satiety, and two control groups, both with previous knowledge of the name, these being G.1, with satiety, and G.3, with hunger. DT was collected for the four basic tastes and astringencies. Results showed significant differences in the identification of astringency, being the least identified experimental group with respect to the control groups. It is striking that G.2, without prior knowledge of the name, identified astringency as a bitter taste in most cases. This supports our hypothesis of the importance of attending to linguistic cognitive processes when psychophysically estimating taste in human

Programación didáctica 4º ESO

Máster Universitario en Formación del Profesorado de ESO, Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas. Especialidad en Educación Física (M091

Deconstructing AMO framework: A systematic review

Purpose: The AMO framework has been widely accepted in HRM literature for explaining the linkage between human resources practices and performance. However, it remains unclear whether this model has been fully demonstrated or not. Hence, we propose a systematic review that aims at identifying those investigations that have thoroughly tested the model, as well as the approaches used by them. Design/methodology: Systematic literature review, filtering scientific papers published in journals indexed in Scopus, Web of Science or Google Scholar, from the year 1993 to 2016, in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities with research that indirectly apply the AMO model in their analysis. Findings: AMO model is an excellent and structured framework that provides a better understanding of the relationship between HRM and performance. Moreover, the effectiveness of the model's proposal appears to be beyond doubt. In fact, a well trained and skilled employee will perform better, and a motivated worker will be ready to "go the extra mile". Likewise, if the work environment does not provide adequate opportunities, both abilities and motivation might become meaningless. However, we consider that many other factors could influence the positive effects of HPWS. As a matter of fact, not only contextual factors, but also individual beliefs, personal affinities, or personal circumstances (among others) might affect the implementation of these practices and the subsequent outcomes. For this reason, we consider that developing an HRM model that perfectly fit any situation is a very complicated, if not impossible, task. Research limitations/implications: The results show a significant variability in both research approaches and variables taken into consideration. In addition, it seems that little research has been conducted to verify the AMO model directly. Therefore, we consider that there is a great need to study the model from a more systematic perspective. A thorough understanding of the model could lead to a better understanding of the problems that organizations face when implementing human resource practices. Originality/value: Our study shed light on some aspects of the AMO framework within the HRM context. Specifically, we aimed to identify whether or not it is possible to confirm the model as it was originally proposed. We also find out which HR practices and measures of performance were considered across investigations, to define a standard approach.Marín García, JA.; Martínez Tomás, J. (2016). Deconstructing AMO framework: A systematic review. Intangible Capital. 12(4):1040-1087. doi:10.3926/ic.838S1040108712

Techno-economic study of Power-to-Power renewable energy storage based on the smart integration of battery, hydrogen, and micro gas turbine technologies

This paper deals with the integration of a Power-to-Power Energy Storage System (P2P-ESS) based on a hydrogen driven micro gas turbine (mGT) for an off-grid application with a continuous demand of 30 kWe for three European cities: Palermo, Frankfurt, and Newcastle. In the first part of the analysis, the results show that the latitude of the location is a very strong driver in determining the size of the system (hence footprint) and the amount of seasonal storage. The rated capacity of the PV plant and electrolyzer are 37%/41% and 58%/64% higher in Frankfurt and Newcastle, respectively, as compared to the original design for Palermo. And not only this, but seasonal storage also increases largely from 3125 kg H2 to 5023 and 5920 kg H2. As a consequence of this, LCOE takes values of 0.86 €/kWh, 1.26 €/kWh, and 1.5 €/kWh for the three cities, respectively, whilst round-trip efficiency is approximately 15.7% for the three designs at the 3 cities. Finally, with the aim to reduce the footprint and rating of the different systems, a final assessment of the system hybridised with battery storage shows a 20% LCOE reduction and a 10% higher round-trip efficiency

Informe final del Modelo de negocio centro experimental ornitológico de la Universidad del Magdalena (CEO UNIMAG)

Este proyecto se realizó a lo largo de dos semestres a través de la metodología Lean Startup, mediante el ejercicio de construcción de hipótesis, validaciones y testéo se logró conocer un mercado objetivo y realizar una propuesta de valor que supliera las necesidades de un segmento de clientes específico. Este documento confiere todos los aspectos biológicos y de mercado que sustentan la viabilidad de un centro experimental para la exploración de recursos avifáunicos en Santa Marta. El proceso de validaciones o fase de campo, se desarrolló durante 4 meses, en este periodo se desarrollaron 261 encuestas, entre las que se destacan, test físicos, entrevistas y encuestas verbales. Este experimento permitió conocer el segmento de clientes que satisface la propuesta de valor y el tipo de relacionamiento a desarrollar para cada perfil. Además se construyó una estructura de costos que permite entender como el modelo de negocio es autosostenible a partir de las fuentes de ingresos teniendo una rentabilidad del 45% de las utilidades en el primer año. Este emprendimiento se realizó bajo el acompañamiento del Centro de Innovación y Emprendimiento de la Universidad del Magdalena quienes brindaron asesorías y capacitaciones hasta tener un modelo de negocio viable

Modification of the morphology, porosity and surface chemistry of lignin-based electrospun carbon materials

Lignin is a biopolymer that can be found as the main component of plants. It is obtained as a coproduct in the papermaking and biofuel industries. Owing to its high carbon and aromatic content, high availability and reduced cost, it is an excellent precursor for the preparation of highly valued carbon materials. Electrospinning is a suitable top-down technique for the preparation of polymeric fibers using high voltage electrical fields and polymer solutions of proper viscosity and conductivity. Organosolv lignins, which are extracted from lignocellulosic biomass using organic solvents, are soluble in ethanol, obtaining a solution that matches the requirement of the electrospinning process. In this way, it is possible to produce lignin-based porous carbon fibers using a coaxial electrospinning device [1]. This contribution summarizes our findings about the preparation of carbon materials with different morphologies and composition by processing lignin using electrohydrodynamic forces. Lignin spheres, beaded fibers, straight fibers, beaded tubes and straight tubes are obtained by using coaxial and triaxial spinnerets that allows the electrospinning of two or three different solutions at once [1], Fig. 1. Thermal stabilization in air is needed in order to avoid melting of lignin fibers during carbonization. Stabilization times of 48-96 hours are usually required in this step, decreasing the sustainability of the production process. Phosphoric acid can be added in small amounts in the lignin solution, shortening the time for achieve a successful thermostabilization of the fiber [2]. The carbonized materials show narrow microporosity and large surface area values (SBET from 600 to 1000 m2g-1) and additional pore size and volume can be developed by controlled gasification.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER (CTQ-2015-68654-R)

Assessing the communication quality of CSR reports. A case study on four Spanish food companies

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license.This article belongs to the Section Economic, Business and Management Aspects of Sustainability.Sustainability reports are tools for disseminating information to stakeholders and the public, serving the organizations in the dual purpose of communicating CSR and being accountable. The production of these reports has recently become more prevalent in the food industry, despite the fact this practice has received heavy criticism on two fronts: The quality of the tool for communication, and the extent of accountability. In addition to these criticisms, organizations must overcome the additional challenge of publishing sustainability reports that successfully meet the demands of a multi-stakeholder audience. In light of the importance of this practice, this paper presents a method to assess the communication and accountability characteristics of Spanish food companies' sustainability reports. This method is based on the method Analytic Network Process (ANP) and adopts a multi-stakeholder approach. This research, therefore, provides a reference model for improving sustainability reports, with the aim of successfully meeting their communication objectives and the demands of all stakeholders.This research has been conducted within the research activities of the Master in Corporate Social Responsibility at the Universitat Politècnica de València (http://www.master-rsc.upv.es/).We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer Reviewe

Innovative desalination system driven by a solar micro gas turbine for off-grid applications

Past work by the authors has suggested that Solar micro Gas Turbines (SmGTs) can be used cost-effectively to produce electric power and heat for freshwater production through desalination, mainly in off-grid locations. This is further studied in this work, providing an exhaustive modelling procedure and methodology. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of system performance under both design and part-load conditions is provided along with the complete set of characteristics of the components of the SmGT and the desalination unit. To this end, the SmGT is assessed first, incorporating innovative solutions that enable better off-design performance: Variable Inlet Guide Vanes (VIGVs) in the compressor and Variable Nozzle Guide Vanes (VNGVs) in the turbine. The implementation of these features brings significant advantages in part-load operation, leading to a considerable increase in solar-to-electric efficiency and rangeability, particularly under certain ambient conditions; in particular, using these features yields 5% higher efficiency at the minimum load of the original engine (without variable geometry) and, from this load setting downwards, 15% lower minimum stable load is enabled. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to control strategies and ambient conditions has been included, exploring their impact on system performance. The water treatment system is comprised of two elements. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination unit is driven by the electric power produced by the SmGT. Considering the emphasis on flexibility and part-load operation enhancement addressed in this work, a moderate recovery rate is proposed for this unit. The RO unit produces brine with high salt concentration to be partially treated further in a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) unit driven by the exhaust gases of the microturbine (at about 250–300 °C), where the sensible heat of this stream is harvested by the ZLD unit to “dry” and concentrate the effluent. Finally, the potential and the operational limitations of the ZLD system are discussed, complemented with results from an experimental proof of concept where the feasibility of the concept is verified

Proposals of a procedure to asses Pollutographs. Application to Murcia's Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Póster

Directives 91/271/EEC and 93/481/EEC set norms regarding the management of Combined Sewer Overflows. European Commission monitors the implementation status and implementation programmes. In fact, during the year 2019 all the utilities should be able to quantify the pollution spilled during storm events. And afterwards, plans have to be developed in order to reduce the impact of such events. In this paper, we proposed a method to estimate the transported pollution during events as well as to serve as a tool for developing plans to lessen the corresponding pollution. The procedure is divided into three steps: A. Periodical measurements of all relevant pollutants, e.g. total suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand, in wet and dry weather. Such pollutant “concentrations” are correlated with the turbidity, updating the relation among them [1]. B. Continuous measures of the turbidity. Turbidity is continously register in the sewer areas near overflow spillways. Turbidimeters are a very convenient equipment for this purpose [2]. Actually, it is reliable, its measures are very correlated with the total suspended solid concentration and its maintenance is easy. In this way, combining A. and B. turbidity measures provide us a real-time estimation of the pollutant concentration. on real time. C. Assesment of each catchment hydrograph. Depending on the available data, this step could be based on a design, a measured or a simulated hydrograph. In order to apply this methodology to Murcia’s Combined Sewer System, we have used simulated hydrographs based on real measured rainfall. Murcia’s utility has developed a calibrated SWMM model, and therefore, using the rainfall data, it is possible to estimate hydrographs for all the relevant points of the system. D. Estimation of each catchment pollutograph. Combining the pollutant concentration, estimated in the previous steps, with the hydrographs, we can asses how the mass of pollutants are transported. This information allows us to comply with EU Directives, but it will also be useful to design Murcia’s strategy to minimize environmental impacts

Demo 41. Motor eléctrico

Objetivo: Construir y observar un motor que convierte energía eléctrica y magnética en mecánic