The impact of R&D sources on new product development: Sources of funds and the diversity versus control of knowledge debate

We build on the knowledge-based view to study the relative impact of alternative R&D sources on innovation performance. We contrast two arguments that have created a debate in the literature: One is that diversity of knowledge is better for innovation, because the integration of a larger variety of knowledge helps create new products that can fulfill unmet customer needs; another is that control of knowledge is better, because the incentives and contextual system of the firm facilitate employees' experimentation, which supports the creation of new products. We provide one solution to this debate by arguing that the relative importance of diversity and control of knowledge on innovation depends on the sources of finance. Hence, we find that, in general, control of knowledge has a higher impact than diversity of knowledge on the sale of new products. We also find that alternative sources of finance moderate the relationships: internal funds strengthen the impact of R&D sources with more diversity of knowledge on the sale of new products, while external funds strengthen the impact of R&D sources with more control of knowledge on the sale of new products.Authors appear in alphabetical order. We thank Tina Ambos, anonymous reviewers, and participants at the European International Business Academy annual meeting for useful suggestions for improvement. We thank the National Statistics Institute, the Science and Technology Foundation, and the Foundation for Technical Innovation of Spain for access to the database. This project was funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (ECO2015-67296-R, MINECO/FEDER, UE) and the Community of Madrid and the European Social Fund (S2015/HUM-3417, INNCOMCON-CM). Cuervo-Cazurra thanks the Walsh Research Professorship, the Robert Morrison Fellowship and the Lloyd Mullin Fellowship for financial support. Rodriguez thanks Ramon Areces Foundation for financial support

Electrodinámica Cuántica en Cavidad Multimodo

Along this dissertation we review and understand the basic single-atom cavity QED models, as well as analyse their basic phenomenology and the different regimes they exhibit depending on the coupling strength between light and matter. We also establish that cavity QED implementations are many-body systems that are difficult to handle both analytically and numerically, and understand the polaron transform as a useful tool to treat these models semi-analytically. Furthermore, we identify the biased spin-boson model and study its properties via a generalisation of the polaron ansatz, comparing it with respect to the original. Further, we also validate our results against exact diagonalisation and draw some conclusions.<br /

Proceso de certificación GLOBALGAP en cultivos de aguacate variedad hass en el oriente Antioqueño

GLOBALGAP es un conjunto de normas internacionalmente reconocidas sobre las buenas prácticas agrícolas, ganaderas y de acuicultura (GAP). Con esta certificación, los ganaderos, piscicultores y agricultores pueden demostrar que cumplen con los requisitos de la norma GLOBALGAP. Para los consumidores y distribuidores, el certificado GLOBALGAP es una garantía de que los alimentos cumplen con los niveles establecidos de calidad y seguridad, y de que se han elaborado siguiendo criterios de sostenibilidad, respetando la seguridad, higiene y bienestar de los trabajadores, el medio ambiente, y teniendo en cuenta el respeto a los animales. Sin esta garantía, los productos agropecuarios pueden ver obstaculizado su acceso al mercado internacional. GLOBALGAP se está implantando como norma obligatoria ya que la mayoría de los distribuidores europeos la exigen ahora, para demostrar que se siguen las buenas prácticas en el sector agroalimentario. La Asociación de Productores de aguacate de El Retiro (APROARE), es una comercializadora con visión exportadora, sin embargo carece de herramientas comprensibles como un manual práctico y didáctico que ilustre y actualice acerca de la normatividad GLOBALGAP, las cuales le permitan a los campesinos familiarizarse con los requisitos, procedimientos y recomendaciones así como exigencias para alcanzar su certificación y darle un valor agregado a su producto. Este trabajo pretende documentar por medio de un manual los pasos a seguir en el proceso de certificación GLOBALGAP para cultivos de aguacate variedad Hass, (Anexo se encuentra el manual) de una forma clara, sencilla y comprensible, donde se orienten y puedan acceder a la información todos los asociados a APROARE SAT (Asociación de Productores de aguacate del Retiro) y de esta manera alcanzar la certificación.Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dio

Sexually Selected Egg Coloration in Spotless Starlings

It has been recently proposed that the blue-green coloration in eggs of many avian species may constitute a sexually selected female signal. Blue-green color intensity would reflect the physiological condition of females, and hence it might also affect the allocation of male parental care. In this study, we use three different experimental approaches to explore the importance of sexual selection on blue-green egg coloration of spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) eggs. First, experimental deterioration of female body condition (by means of wing feather removal) negatively affected the intensity of blue-green egg coloration. Second, blue-green color intensity of artificial model eggs had a significant positive influence on paternal feeding effort. Finally, we found a negative relationship between the effect of experimental food supply on nestling immunocompetence and the intensity of blue-green coloration of eggs, suggesting that egg color predicts nutritional conditions that nestlings will experience during development. All these results taken together strongly support a role of sexual selection in the blue-green coloration of spotless starling eggs.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER; CGL2004-01777/BOS).Peer reviewe

Reseñas

RESEÑA de : Morales Lezcano, Víctor. Situación y desarrollo de la U.M.A. entre la Comunidad Económica Europea y la crisis de Oriente Medio. Madrid : UNED-Colección Cuadernos de la UNED, 1993. RESEÑA de : Recensión de la obra : Aula Canarias y el Noroeste de África (1988). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria : Ediciones del Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria, 1993

Development of the Incontinence Utility Index: estimating population-based utilities associated with urinary problems from the Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire and Neurogenic Module

BACKGROUND: Generic utility instruments may not fully capture the impact and consequences of urinary problems. Condition-specific preference-based measures, developed from previously validated disease-specific patient-reported outcomes instruments, may add relevant information for economic evaluations. The aim of this study was to develop a condition-specific preference-based measure, the Incontinence Utility Index (IUI), for valuing health states associated with urinary problems. METHODS: A two-step process was implemented. First, an abbreviated health state classification system was developed from the Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL) and Neurogenic Module by applying Rasch modelling, classical psychometrical testing and expert criteria to data from two pivotal trials comprised of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) patients. Criterion, convergent validity and concordance with the original instrument was assessed in the abbreviated version. Then, a multi-attribute utility function (MAUF) was estimated from a representative sample of the UK non-institutionalized adult general population. Visual analogue and time-trade off (TTO) evaluations were applied in the elicitation process. Predictive validity of the MAUF was tested comparing estimated and direct utility scores. RESULTS: The abbreviated health state classification system generated from the NDO sample contained 5 attributes with 3 levels of response and had adequate psychometrical properties: significant differences in scores according to the reduction in the frequency of urinary incontinence episodes [UIE] (p < 0.001); Spearman correlation coefficient with number of daily UIE = −0.43; p < 0.01 and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC, 95% CI) with the original version = 0.90 (0.89-0.91; p < 0.001). Next, 442 participants were interviewed (398 cases were valid, generating 2,388 TTO evaluations) to estimate the social preferences for derived health states. Mean age was 44.75 years (interquartile range 33.5-55.5) and 60.1% were female. An overall algorithm for the IUI was estimated and transformed onto a dead = 0.00 and full health = 1.00 scale. Model fits were acceptable (R-squared = 0.923 and 0.978). Predictive validity was adequate: ICC (95% CI) = 0.928 (0.648-0.985) and Mean of Absolute Differences = 0.038. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed IUI is a preference-based measure for urinary problems related to NDO that provides general population-based utility scores with adequate predictive validity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00461292, NCT00311376. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-014-0147-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

El pensamiento del exilio: El deber de memoria y la construcción de una comunidad filosófica iberoamericana

Introducción del monográfic

Diferencias en Autoeficacia Académica, Bienestar Psicológico y Motivación al Logro en Estudiantes Universitarios con Alto y Bajo Desempeño Académico

El estudio se propone determinar las diferencias en percepción de autoeficacia académica, bienestar psicológico y motivación al logro académico en estudiantes universitarios con alto y bajo desempeño académico. De una muestra de 495 estudiantes universitarios se identificaron a 60 con alto desempeño (M= 9.67, DE= .10 promedio académico) y 60 con bajo desempeño (M= 8.17, DE= .18 promedio académico). Los resultados de la prueba de regresión logística sugieren que la autoeficacia académica (OR= 2.52) y la motivación al logro relacionada con la maestría (OR= 4.98) se asocian de forma positiva con la pertenencia de estudiantes al grupo de alto desempeño, mientras el bienestar psicológico en las relaciones sociales lo hace de forma negativa. Se concluye que la autoeficacia y la orientación al logro favorecen el logro académico y que el bienestar no es una variable relacionada con este tipo de desempeño

Propuesta para usar fibras sintéticas de polipropileno reciclado en el control de fisuras generadas por la retracción en pavimentos de concreto en Lima

La retracción es un fenómeno que afecta el proceso de fraguado y la vida útil del concreto con la aparición de fisuras; en los últimos años se han generado estudios y métodos para mitigarlo y controlarlo con el uso de diferentes productos y métodos. El desarrollo de infraestructuras viales con el uso de concreto como carpeta de rodadura, requiere de métodos para garantizar la durabilidad y disminuir las afectaciones por los esfuerzos incorporados por el uso, condiciones climáticas, base de soporte y restricciones de movimiento de la estructura. A pesar del conocimiento de este fenómeno, existe poco desarrollo técnico para medirla, estudiarla y controlarla. Por lo descrito anteriormente, surge la necesidad de investigar, ampliar el conocimiento y buscar métodos experimentales para medir y comprender el comportamiento de la contracción en el concreto usado en pavimentos. El proyecto de investigación académica busca evaluar los efectos de las fibras sintéticas recicladas de polipropileno en los ensayos de contracción- retracción plástica (ASTM C 1579), y se plantea la preparación de 3 diseños de mezclas con diferentes relaciones de fibras sintéticas recicladas y vírgenes. Existen otros métodos de evaluación (contracción libre y contracción restringida) para precisar los efectos de las fibras sintéticas en la aparición de fisuras en estado plástico y endurecido, quedarán propuestos para realizar las demostraciones en futuras investigaciones.Use of synthetic fibers of recycled polypropylene to control the fissures generated by retraction in concrete pavements in Lima. The retraction is a phenomenon that affects the setting process and the life of the concrete with the appearance of cracks; In recent years, studies and methods have been generated to mitigate and control it with the use of different products and methods. The development of road infrastructures with the use of concrete as a rolling folder requires methods to guarantee durability and reduce the effects of the efforts incorporated by the use, climatic conditions, support base and movement restrictions of the structure. Despite the knowledge of this phenomenon, there is little technical development to measure, study and control it. As described above, the need arises to investigate, expand knowledge and seek experimental methods to measure and understand the behavior of contraction in the concrete used in pavements. The academic research project seeks to evaluate the effects of recycled synthetic fibers of polypropylene in the contraction-plastic shrinkage tests (ASTM C 1579), and the preparation of 3 designs of mixtures with different ratios of recycled and virgin synthetic fibers is proposed. There are other methods of evaluation (free contraction and restricted contraction) to specify the effects of synthetic fibers in the appearance of cracks in plastic and hardened state, will be proposed to perform the demonstrations in future researchTesi