Earthen Architecture in childhood awareness for sustainable development

The work presented has been developed within the framework of the educational and diffusion activities promoted by the UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture, constructive cultures and sustainable development at its headquarters in the UPV (directed by F. Vegas and C. Mileto) in collaboration with the UPV Nursery School and UPV Summer School. Within this framework, we structured some activities focused on knowledge, promotion and development of earth as material associated with a wide range of constructive, sustainable and ecological techniques, being a former resort yet contemporary, linked to different cultures. The proposed workshops are an educational resource based on active methodologies ("learning by doing") because the students are who learn to build the various earthen techniques their own hands, actively and collaboratively to achieve a common goal, a small building which all participants are encouraging teamwork and collective participation.El trabajo presentado se ha desarrollado en el marco de las actividades didácticas y de difusión fomentadas por la Cátedra UNESCO de Arquitectura de tierra, culturas constructivas y desarrollo sostenible en su sede de la UPV (dirigida por F. Vegas y C. Mileto) y en colaboración con la Escuela Infantil UPV y la Escuela de Verano UPV. En este marco se han estructurado una serie de actividades centradas en el conocimiento, fomento y desarrollo de la tierra como material asociado a un amplio abanico de técnicas constructivas, sostenibles, ecológicas, tratándose de un recurso antiguo y a la vez contemporáneo, vinculado a diversas culturas. Los talleres propuestos constituyen un recurso pedagógico basado en las metodologías activas (“learning by doing”) ya que son los alumnos los que aprenden a construir las diversas técnicas de tierra con sus propias manos, de forma activa y colaborativa para conseguir un objetivo común, una pequeña construcción de la que todos sean partícipes, fomentando el trabajo en equipo y la participación colectiva

Carbonates and Sulfates in Hot Spring Microbialites (Baños de Mula, Betic Range)

In this paper the association of various minerals, mainly carbonates, to microbial mats that cover the surfaces of a hot spring is documented. In addition, the influence of microorganisms in the formation of the travertine is discussed.This study was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (Projects CGL2011-25162 and CGL2011-26781)

Copper(II) complexes of quinoline polyazamacrocyclic scorpiand-type ligands: X-ray, equilibrium and kinetic studies

The formation of Cu(II) complexes with two isomeric quinoline-containing scorpiand-type ligands has been studied. The ligands have a tetraazapyridinophane core appended with an ethylamino tail including 2-quinoline (L1) or 4-quinoline (L2) functionalities. Potentiometric studies indicate the formation of stable CuL2+ species with both ligands, the L1 complex being 3–4 log units more stable than the L2 complex. The crystal structure of [Cu(L1)](ClO4)2·H2O shows that the coordination geometry around the Cu2+ ions is distorted octahedral with significant axial elongation; the four Cu–N distances in the equatorial plane vary from 1.976 to 2.183 Å, while the axial distances are of 2.276 and 2.309 Å. The lower stability of the CuL22+ complex and its capability of forming protonated and hydroxo complexes suggest a penta-dentate coordination of the ligand, in agreement with the type of substitution at the quinoline ring. Kinetic studies on complex formation can be interpreted by considering that initial coordination of L1 and L2 takes place through the nitrogen atom in the quinoline ring. This is followed by coordination of the remaining nitrogen atoms, in a process that is faster in the L1 complex probably because substitution at the quinoline ring facilitates the reorganization. Kinetic studies on complex decomposition provide clear evidence on the occurrence of the molecular motion typical of scorpiands in the case of the L2 complex, for which decomposition starts with a very fast process (sub-millisecond timescale) that involves a shift in the absorption band from 643 to 690 nm

UMA-BCI SPELLER: plataforma de comunicación de fácil configuración basada en el BCI2000 P300 SPELLER

Cognitive Area Networks, vol 5, n1, 2018En este trabajo se presenta una nueva herramienta orientada al restablecimiento de la comunicación en pacientes con severas limitaciones motoras. Tomando como base uno de los sistemas BCI multipropósito más extendido (BCI2000) se ha diseñado un software que actúa como envoltorio de éste y que particulariza su uso como speller, simplificando su instalación, configuración y uso. El objetivo es disponer de una herramienta que pueda ser usada por los pacientes o cuidadores sin que se necesiten conocimientos técnicos para ello.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Sustainability in the waste management sector: an analysis through the gri reports

This paper aims to investigate the conditioning factors of the level and characteristics of the sustainability reports reported by companies in a sector on which, despite its relevance in terms of sustainability, there are hardly any studies that deal with this issue: the management sector waste. The study has been carried out on the basis of the reports reported by the companies in this sector in the GRI database. The background shows how certain factors that characterize the companies that issue sustainability reports influence the level of transparency or the level of voluntary disclosure and the characteristics of the reports issued. Specifically, much of the research finds evidence that relates these aspects to factors such as the country in which the company is located, its size, its public or private nature, or the fact that the company is listed on a stock exchange, characteristics that are analyzed in this study. To achieve the proposed objective, a statistical study is carried out on the reports reported in the GRI database for a sample of all the European companies in the waste management sector, through the statistical technique of Chi-square contrast on the independence of variables. The factors analyzed have been determined based on the experience of previous studies, as in the case of the country variable that has been characterized based on the Hofstede model of dimensions. The results obtained show that all the factors analyzed influence some of the elements selected for the characterization of the reports, specifically in the type of report, its level of adherence, the inclusion of the OECD guidelines, the mention of the UNGC pact or the existence of external verification.ASEPUC2022-2

How do CEF.-UDIMA graduates evaluate sustainability in companies in accounting matters?

Incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability in the usual practice of companies is a challenge in today's society. University education is a fundamental pillar to meet this challenge, especially from the accounting area, which is responsible for a large part of measuring and evaluating the degree of implementation of CSR and Sustainability policies in organizations. The objective of this work is to know the opinion of the graduates of the degrees related to the accounting area of the CEF.-UDIMA group on the implications of the commitment to sustainable development strategies by companies and to verify if their assessment may be influenced by certain factors, such as their perception of the training received; the characteristics of the graduates, the degrees they have completed, or the work they do once they have finished their studies, among other aspects. To this end, issues related to CSR and sustainability assessment have been incorporated into the questionnaire of the labor insertion survey that the group issues annually, in this case, addressed to graduates in the last five years. By carrying out non-parametric tests, it will be determined if there is any association between the factors that characterize the graduates and their degree of agreement with the advantages of implementing CSR and sustainability strategies in the company from the point of view of the benefits dimension. Specifically, evaluations of graduates' opinions on the adoption by companies of sustainable development strategies and the advantages or benefits that this entails have been collected. The results of the study conclude that there is no relationship between the training received by the respondents (according to their perception) and the opinion they hold about the benefits provided by sustainable development and CSR strategies in organizations. The respondents' opinions do not change depending on their personal and/or work characteristics, except in the type of contract, since significant differences are observed between self-employed and temporary or those who do not work and among those who have an indefinite contract compared to temporary ones. Labor practices and the involvement and motivation of workers are essential in implementing sustainable development strategies in companies, so it is vital to know employees' opinions concerning the benefits of adopting this type of strategy in organizations to find out if there is any gap between the training they receive in CSR and Sustainability and the reality of the work environment, and to determine what factors can influence the beliefs and perceptions about Sustainability of employees. Most studies focus on employee-employee relations and human resource management policies that companies must follow to motivate employees toward sustainable development. However, other factors that may be influencing the predisposition of employees towards activity focused on Sustainability are not analyzed, so in this work, we intend to cover this gap, incorporating the study of variables such as personal and work characteristics of employees, linking them with the training received in accounting.2022-2

Waste management sector according to GRI: factors influencing sustainability reporting

This study aims to analyze the sustainability reports prepared by companies in the waste management sector following Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The goal of the study is to determine if the option of the level of application and the scope of application are determined by the country of location, the size of the company, the type of organization and/or whether or not the company is listed on a stock exchange. There are analyzed all the reports included in the GRI database in the 2014-2020 period from European companies operating in the waste management sector, so, a final sample made up of 99 reports. The results, obtained through Pearson's Chi-Square test, show that the characteristics of the information reported by these companies, following the GRI guidelines, are partially influenced by the aforementioned variables. The importance of the waste management sector for the sustainable development of economic growth, and the scarcity of studies related to this specific issue requires a further analysis to shed light on the conditioning factors that can influence the disclosure of this information.2022-2

La educación ambiental en las Agendas 21 Locales de la provincia de Valencia

La Educación Ambiental nació con la vocación de colaborar en la mejora ambiental, para ello, es de suma importancia incorporarla en los procesos de participación ciudadana de las Agendas 21. Consecuentemente se hace necesaria la planificación de la Educación Ambien tal Municipal mediante planes y programas en las Agendas 21 Locales. En este trabajo analizamos en qué medida se ha incorporado la Educación Ambiental en la Red de M unicipios firmantes de la Carta de Xàtiva en la Provincia de Valencia. Para la recolección de datos se utilizó el cuestionario estructurado que fue enviado a los 213 municipios firmantes de dicho documento. Los resultados obtenidos nos permiten afirmar que son escasos los Planes o Programas de Educación Ambiental a nivel local. Esto supone una falta de coherencia entre los compromisos públic os adoptados por las corporaciones locales y las acciones que realmente se están llevando a término para la aplicación de la Agenda 21 Local.Environmental Education was born with the vocation to collaborate in environmental improvement, for that, it is of the utmost importance to incorporate it in the processes of citizen participation of the Agendas 21. Consequently, it is necessary to plan the Municipal Environmental Education through plans and programs in the Local Agen da 21. In this paper we analyze the extent to which Environmental Education has been incorporated in the Network of Municipalities that signed the Charter of Xàtiva in the Province of Valencia. For da ta collection, the structured questionnaire was used and sent to the 213 municipalities that signed the document. The results obtained allow us to affirm that there are few Plans or Environmental Education Programs at the local level. This implies a lack of coherence between the public commitments adopted by local corporations and the actions that are actually being carried out for the im plementation of Local Agenda 21.L'Éducation sur l'Environnement naquit avec la finalité d'aider à améliorer l'environnement, pour cela, il est très important de l'inclure dans le procès de participation urbaine des Agenda 21. En conséquence, il devient nécessair e une planification de l'Educati on sur l'Environnement Municipal à travers des plans et des programmes dans les Agenda 21. Dans ce travail, nous avons analysé en quelle mesure l'Education sur l'Environnement a été intégrée dans la Source de Munici palités signataires de la Carte de Xativa dans la Provence de Valencia. P our obtenir l'information nous avons utilisé un questionnaire structuré qui fut envoyé aux 213 municipa lités signataires de cette Carte. Les résultats obtenus nous permettent d'affirmer qu'ils sont peu nombreux les Plan s ou Programmes de l'Education sur l'Environnement dans le domaine local. Cela suppose une absence de cohérence entre les engagements publics pris par les corporations locales et les actions menées à terme réellement en application de l'Agenda 21 locale.Educació

Resolution of inflammation in obesity-induced liver disease

Low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue is recognized as a critical event in the development of obesity-related co-morbidities. This chronic inflammation is powerfully augmented through the infiltration of macrophages, which together with adipocytes, perpetuate a vicious cycle of inflammatory cell recruitment and secretion of free fatty acids and deleterious adipokines that predispose to greater incidence of metabolic complications. In the last decade, many factors have been identified to contribute to mounting unresolved inflammation in obese adipose tissue. Among them, pro-inflammatory lipid mediators (i.e., leukotrienes) derived from the omega-6 polyunsaturated arachidonic acid have been shown to play a prominent role. Of note, the same lipid mediators that initially trigger the inflammatory response also signal its termination by stimulating the formation of anti-inflammatory signals. Resolvins and protectins derived from the omega-3 polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids have emerged as a representative family of this novel class of autacoids with dual anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving properties that act as “stop-signals” of the inflammatory response. This review discusses the participation of these endogenous autacoids in the resolution of adipose tissue inflammation, with a special emphasis in the amelioration of obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions, namely insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Emprendimiento social: revisión de la literatura y análisis conceptual

The concept of social entrepreneurship was analyzed from the literature, under a descriptive level with documentary design; In the academic field, the schools are considered: social business, social entrepreneur and social innovation. We must consider that an entrepreneur has the ability to identify opportunities and face the risks that arise in the market; takes into account your experience and innovative capacity, which allows you to consolidate your projects and contribute to economic growth through your skills and abilities; it is a world order necessity to guide entrepreneurial projects under a culture of innovation. It is concluded that the definition of social entrepreneurship is broad and little studied, the lack of a consensus for the conceptual delimitation is evident and through it it seeks to minimize social problems.Se analizó desde la literatura el concepto de emprendimiento social, bajo un nivel descriptivo con diseño documental; en el ámbito académico se consideran las escuelas: de la empresa social, del emprendedor social e innovación social. Debemos considerar que un emprendedor tiene la capacidad de identificar las oportunidades y hacer frente a los riesgos que se presenten en el mercado; toma muy en cuenta su experiencia y capacidad innovadora, el cual le permite consolidar sus proyectos y contribuir al crecimiento económico a través de sus competencias y habilidades; es una necesidad de orden mundial encaminar proyectos emprendedores bajo una cultura de innovación. Se concluye que la definición de emprendimiento social es amplio y poco estudiada, se evidencia la falta de un consenso para la delimitación conceptual y a través de ella se busca minimizar los problemas sociales