Financing future-proof local bioenergy: lessons learnt from mentoring of SME pilot projects. WP5 Final report

This deliverable D5.3 is the final report of the activities within WP5 led by UPC, from September 2016 to July 2018.The European bioenergy sector requires a wide promotion for strong investments in regional sustainable supply chain solutions. SMEs are central in the value chain in local bioenergy markets, as they are operating throughout all the stages of bioenergy mobilisation, from forestry management to energy plants or even energy commercialisation to final consumers. One of the major barriers that SMEs face when assessing potential bioenergy operations is the difficulty to access adequate financing; WP5 within project SECURECHAIN aims to analyse such difficulties and contribute to overcome them. The specific objectives of WP5 are: • O5.1 Carry out targeted market feasibility surveys, pre-checks and develop a risk assessment tool to support the implementation of priority SSCM pilot projects • O5.2 Mentor companies’ capital call strategies tailored to investor types and upgrade corporate finance disclosing in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) • O5.3 Foster lobbying actions and dialogue between financial players and bioenergy market actors to promote the portfolio of investment proposals This deliverable D5.3 is the final report of the activities within WP5, mainly about period 2 from September 2016 to July 2018. The market pre-check (T5.1) was carried out in phase 1 and reported in deliverable D5.1. The risk assessment analysis (T5.2) performed, the continuous financial mentoring (T5.3) being worked out with the SME business projects, and the roadshows (T5.4) that have been attended, as well as planning activities that were performed during the final year of the project, are documented in this report.Preprin

Indicadores ambientales para la formación inicial docente en la Universidad Nacional de Educación

The need to have a set of environmental indicators for contextualization in the initial teacher training that is developed at the National University of Education is the essential foundation of this research work; Therefore, the general objective is to propose a set of Indicators for the management of the environment axis in the initial teacher training of the National University of Education (UNAE) of Ecuador. The research used a qualitative methodology based on the application of techniques and instruments such as documentary analysis, discussion groups and expert criteria and their processing through the Delphi Method. Throughout the research process, sampling of voluntary participants and experts prevailed. As a result, those environmental indicators whose use is most relevant in the training process were identified: Annual electricity consumption, Annual water consumption, Annual paper consumption, Annual solid waste, Annual total precipitation, Average annual maximum temperature, Annual average temperature , Average annual minimum temperature, CO2 concentration in open or closed environments, Oxygen concentration in the air, Noise pollution, Proportion of households and people using solid fuels for cooking.La necesidad de contar con un conjunto de indicadores ambientales para su contextualización en la formación inicial de docentes que se desarrolla en la Universidad Nacional de Educación es el fundamento esencial del presente trabajo de investigación; por ello se plantea como objetivo general proponer un conjunto de Indicadores para la gestión del eje de ambiente en la formación inicial docente de la Universidad Nacional de Educación (UNAE) de Ecuador. La investigación utilizó una metodología cualitativa basada en la aplicación de técnicas e instrumentos tales como el análisis documental, los grupos de discusión y el criterio de expertos y su procesamiento a través del Método Delphi. En todo el proceso investigativo primó el muestreo de participantes voluntarios y de expertos. Como resultado se lograron identificar aquellos indicadores ambientales cuya utilización es más pertinente en el proceso formativo:  Consumo anual de energía eléctrica, Consumo anual de agua, Consumo anual de papel, Residuos sólidos anuales, Precipitación total anual, Temperatura máxima media anual, Temperatura media anual, Temperatura mínima media anual, Concentración de CO2 en entornos abiertos o cerrados, Concentración de oxígeno en el aire, Contaminación acústica, Proporción de hogares y personas que utilizan combustibles sólidos para cocinar

Conocimientos físicos en estudiantes ecuatorianos egresados de la educación básica superior

Las investigaciones sobre las concepciones alternativas de los alumnos, ante muchos fenómenos naturales, así como sus causas y características demuestran que después de muchos años de escolaridad, incluso más de una década, en los que se ha intentado enseñar a los alumnos las concepciones correctas, estos continúan teniendo concepciones alternativas que no se corresponden con las científicamente aceptadas. El presente trabajo se ha elaborado con el objetivo de valorar la existencia de concepciones alternativas sobre la Física en estudiantes ecuatorianos egresados de la Educación Básica Superior en la provincia de Cañar en Ecuador. Para ello se proyectó una investigación con un alcance exploratorio y una metodología cuantitativa de investigación. Para la obtención de información se utiliza una prueba de selección múltiple elaborada a partir de un análisis exhaustivo en el currículum de Ciencias para la Educación Básica Superior y la revisión minuciosa a otras pruebas que han sido aplicadas con estos mismos fines en otras investigaciones. Los resultados se analizaron e interpretaron mediante la construcción de las tablas de frecuencia para cada uno de los ítems, evidenciando la existencia de ideas alternativas acerca de la Física entre los egresados del Educación Básica Superior en la provincia de Cañar en Ecuador

Técnicas y herramientas para la preparación de muestras extraídas de árboles para el análisis dendrocronológico

Estudiar las tendencias del crecimiento de los árboles es importante para proporcionar fundamento científico a la gestión forestal sostenible. La dendrocronología es la ciencia que se ocupa de medir y datar los anillos de crecimiento de las especies leñosas. La investigación dendrocronológica de las relaciones entre crecimiento y factores ecológicos se desarrolla a partir de muestras de madera obtenidas del fuste de los árboles. Las mediciones dendrocronológicas presentan dificultades debidas a las anomalías que se pueden encontrar en los anillos (heridas de incendio, plagas o enfermedades, anillos estrechos, ausentes, falsos anillos o variabilidad del tejido xilemático). Un cuidadoso trabajo de preparación de las muestras debe asegurar su calidad, optimizar la visibilidad de los anillos y de sus características anatómicas, y así facilitar su posterior análisis y reducir las incertidumbres debidas a estas anomalías. La producción científica reúne escasa información sobre las técnicas de preparación de las muestras. En esta comunicación describimos herramientas y procedimientos para preparar muestras obtenidas con barrena forestal y a partir de secciones del fuste, basándonos en las experiencias obtenidas durante tareas de investigación en bosques mediterráneos ibéricos. Esta comunicación podrá servir de referencia tanto para la investigación científica, como para trabajos técnico-profesionales, así como para estudiantes de titulaciones relacionadas con la ecología y gestión de los bosques

Promoting sustainable human development in engineering: assessment of online courses within continuing professional development strategies

Higher Education Institutions play a critical role in societies transition towards sustainable development, educating future professionals and decision makers. In the last few decades, a number of technical universities have devoted major efforts to integrating sustainable development into engineering curricula. There is still, however, an increasing need to further transform learning and training environments and build capacity of educators and trainers on sustainable development issues.Against this background, this paper assesses the role of online training courses, within continuing professional development strategies, in promoting sustainable human development in engineering degrees. It was built upon the implementation of a European initiative, the Global Dimension in Engineering Education, promoted by a transdisciplinary consortium of technical universities and non-governmental organisations.In terms of method, this study analyses two sets of quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess i) the perceived quality/relevance of the training proposals, and ii) the learning acquisition of participants. Quantitative indicators were complemented by a descriptive analysis of findings from a semi-structured survey. The results provide evidence that online learning can be an effective approach for continuing professional development of academics. The findings also suggest that participants perceived online courses' contents and curricula, developed jointly by academics and practitioners of non-governmental organisations, as relevant and useful for integrating sustainability principles in teaching activities. To conclude, authors recommend the leaders of higher educational institutions to explore the integration of online courses addressed to faculty into university policy and strategies, as a way to promote professional development and the engagement of academics on sustainable development.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The begomovirus Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus is not seed-transmitted in melon

Transmission of plant viruses through seed can be one of the major factors contributing to long- distance dispersal through global trade of seeds and can have important ecological consequences for virus dissemination. Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae), and among them isolates of the species Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), cause significant yield losses in economically important crops worldwide. These viruses are horizontally transmitted in nature in a circulative and persistent manner by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci but in recent years several reports have raised the possibility of vertical transmission through seeds for some members of this genus. We have investigated the possible transmission by melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds of a ToLCNDV isolate of the “Spain” strain, in three different melon cultivars (all susceptible to ToLCNDV). The presence of ToLCNDV in floral tissues and the detection of viral DNA in seeds reveals the seed-borne nature of this virus. However, grow-out studies conducted with the progeny of melon plants germinated from seeds collected from ToLCNDV-infected plants and evaluated at early (1 leaf) or at late (20 leaves) growth stages did not support the vertical transmission of ToLCNDV from seeds to the offspring.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

The begomovirus tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus is not seed-transmitted in melon

Transmission of plant viruses through seed can be one of the major factors contributing to longdistance dispersal through global trade of seeds and can have important ecological consequences for virus dissemination. Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae), and among them isolates of the species Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), cause significant yield losses in economically important crops worldwide. These viruses are horizontally transmitted in nature in a circulative and persistent manner by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci but in recent years several reports have raised the possibility of vertical transmission through seeds for some members of this genus. We have investigated the possible transmission by melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds of a ToLCNDV isolate of the “Spain” strain, in three different melon cultivars (all susceptible to ToLCNDV). The presence of ToLCNDV in floral tissues and the detection of viral DNA in seeds reveals the seed-borne nature of this virus. However, grow-out studies conducted with the progeny of melon plants germinated from seeds collected from ToLCNDV-infected plants and evaluated at early (1 leaf) or at late (20 leaves) growth stages did not support the vertical transmission of ToLCNDV from seeds to the offspring.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Osteochondroma of the Thoracic Spine and Scoliosis

Study Design. The case of a 16-year-old patient with an osteochondroma in T11 and scoliosis is reported. Objective. To describe the treatment of an osteochondroma with scoliotic deformity and the imaging methods used for the diagnosis. Summary of Background Data. Osteochondromas arising in the vertebral column are rare. However, spinal involvement is found with some regularity because osteochondromas are among the most common benign tumors of bone. Methods. The clinical history, plain radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, and pathologic findings of the reported patient were reviewed. The medical literature also was reviewed. Results. The patient was treated with surgery in an attempt to remove the tumor and correct the aesthetic deformity. The results were satisfactory, with an improvement of the thoracolumbar scoliosis from 45°to 18°. Conclusions. Osteochondromas of the vertebral column may cause scoliosis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are necessary for evaluating the origin, size, and characteristics of the tumor. In this case, surgical management involved resection of the tumor and correction of the scoliotic deformity

Decline in commercial pine nut and kernel yield in mediterranean stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) in Spain

10 Pág.Cones of the Mediterranean stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) constitute one of the most relevant non-wood forest products collected in the Mediterranean forests, providing high value edible kernels. In the last years it has been observed a severe decline in the kernel-per-cone yield (kg of kernels obtained from a kg of fresh cones) through the whole area of the species. This decline has been associated with both ongoing climate change and the recent expansion over the Mediterranean Basin of the Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occi-dentalis Heideman, an exotic pest which predates seeds of conifer species. In the present work we aimed to confirm and quantify the impact of this recent decline on pine nut and kernel production, identify the main factors provoking this reduction, and give evidence over causality by a potential biotic agent. We analysed recent and historical series of pine nut and kernel production obtained in the four main regions where Pinus pinea occurs in Spain. Our results showed a significant drop in the final kernel-per-cone yield on three of the four regions analysed, reaching reductions over 50% in the most affected areas. We observed that this reduction is mainly associated with a significant and generalised drop in the kernel-per-nut yield (kg of kernels per kg of pine nuts in shell), triggered by an increment in the rate of damaged pine nuts and, to a lesser extent, a reduction in the number of pine nuts per cone. The prevalence of this reduction on kernel-per-cone yield over different years and provenances with contrasting climate reinforces the hypothesis of the implica-tion of a biotic factor which can be aggravated on extreme drought years.This work has been carried out under the financial and functional framework of the PROPINEA agreement CC-16-095, between INIA, ITACYL and Deputation of Valladolid; EG-17-042-C2.2 agreement between INIA and MAPA; National Projects RTA-2013-00011.C2.1 and AGL-2017-83828-C2.1; and the H2020_CSA project 774632-INCREdible. Authors wish to thank personnel from the Forest Services of Valladolid, Ávila, Junta de Andalucía and CTFC for their permanent support with the inventory, cone collection and maintenance of the experimental trials.Peer reviewe