Stakeholders’ environmental influence. An empirical analysis in the Spanish hotel industry

We draw on the insights of stakeholder theory to explore the extent to which environmental management practices are driven by (i) an attempt to enhance a firm’s legitimacy, and (ii) a response to pressures arising from powerful stakeholders. The material for this investigation has been gathered from a sample of 279 Spanish hotels. The hotel industry which is only marginally affected by environmental regulation and is thus a widely neglected setting in this context, could be a particularly interesting subject for investigation, able to throw some light on the extent to which firms produce different responses to the environmental concerns of their stakeholders. Our results reveal that corporate environmental management practices may be a response to genuine environmental concerns, and we then speak of explicit environmental management, or there may also be reasons different from the environmental, in which case we speak of tacit environmental management. Our findings suggest that explicit and tacit environmental management account for a variety of organizational responses to the environmental demands of stakeholders, depending on (i) the stakeholders’ power regarding environmental issues, (ii) the stakeholders’ use of power to protect the environment, and (iii) the perceived economic advantages of environmental management activities.Publicad

Evaluation of the police operational tactical procedures for reducing officer injuries resulting from physical interventions in problematic arrests. The case of the Municipal Police of Cádiz (Spain)

Objectives: This paper describes some operational tactical procedures (OTP) and discusses the results of a 14-year-long study, spanning the period 2003-2016, conducted by the Municipal Police of Cadiz, Spain, which comprised 3 time periods: 2003-2006, when the officers were trained in traditional policing procedures; 2007-2013, when the officers were taught an innovative set of OTP in the form of a basic set of self-defense and arrest mechanisms, different from the traditional policing procedures that rely on martial arts and combat sports; and finally 2014-2016, when the OTP training was discontinued. The aim of this study was to improve policing and reduce officer injuries resulting from interventions in controversial or violent situations, such as problematic arrests. Material and Methods: The study involved 162 police officers and commanders of the Municipal Police of Cadiz, who were in street duty for their first time. There were 8 females and 154 males aged 24-55 years. Three OTP stages are shown as examples. Results: Based on the analysis of "training hours" and "physical interventions in problematic arrests," the results were: 1) the number of sick leaves in the police was identical according to the number of arrests, and 2) data on sick leaves show remarkable differences among the 3 periods under analysis. Conclusions: The OTP-based training substantially reduced officer sick leaves. The overall reduction in sick leaves in the period 2007-2013 was observed that cannot be ascribed to a decrease in criminal acts, and hence in police physical interventions

Identificación genética de los restos de la familia Colón

Les tècniques d'anàlisis genètiques de restes antigues s'apliquen ara per mirar de resoldre un deis més grans misteris de la historia: els orígens de Cristòfol Colom. Tot i ésser ver que cap projecte científic que inclogui la investigació i el desenvolupament de noves tècniques té l'èxit garantit a priori, també ho és que amb la tecnologia actual es poden escometre estudis que permetin aclarir l'origen de Colom o, almanco, treure del mig algunes de les nombroses hipòtesis avui plantejades. Aquest va ésser, de fet, el compromís de la Universitat de Granada, adquirit a proposta del promotor dels estudis, l'historiador Marcial Castro, de la localitat sevillana d'Estepa. En la identificació humana l'ADN ha adquirit un paper primordial a través de l'evolució de les ciències forenses. Des d'aquesta perspectiva, classificam l'ADN en tres de diferents segons el model d'herència, el que implica els usos i limitacions en identificació humana. El primer tipus és l'ADN autosòmic, conformat pels vinti- dos parells de cromosomes autosòmics (és a dir, deslligats del sexe) de procedència materna i paterna, a parts iguals. Constitueix la major part de l'ADN nuclear (un 98%, aproximadament) i es fa servir en els estudis de paternitat i maternitat i també per establir altres vincles familiars (germans, oncles, cosins) sempre que la distància generacional entre les persones avaluades no sia excessiva. L'ADN autosòmic és únic per a cada individu, llevat el cas dels germans bessons univitel·lins, i té un poder d'identificació altíssim (superior al 99,9999%). El segon tipus és l'ADN del cromosoma Y, determinant del sexe masculí i plaçat en la parella núm. 23 dels cromosomes nuclears. Aquest ADN, transmès totalment pel pare als fills mascles, serveix per determinar la paternitat i per establir vincles entre persones amb antecessors comuns per la mateixa línia. La seva capacitat d'identificació és, tanmateix, limitada perquè és compartit per diverses persones (com també el primer llinatge d'un home no és exclusiu d'ell perquè el comparteix amb tots els germans, oncles, cosins paterns, fills mascles, etc.). El tercer tipus, denominat ADN mitocondrial, el trobam a l'interior de les mitocòndries (és, per tant, extranuclear). Molt curt (16.569 unitats o parells de bases) i de forma circular, està present amb múltiples còpies idèntiques dins d'una mateixa cèl·lula. Aquesta circumstància facilita el seu estudi en mostres molt antigues o degradades com poden ésser les restes òssies. Com que s'hereta exclusivament de la marc, és idèntic en les persones procedents d'una mateixa línia materna (germans, cosins fills de germanes de la mare, etc) i, en conseqüència -tal com succeïa amb el cromosoma Y- la seva capacitat d'identificació és limitada perquè és compartit per diferents persones. Els estudis d'identificació de Cristòfol Colom han pretès donar resposta a dues qüestions principals: una. on reposen els ossos de Colom'?, l'altra, d'on era cl descobridor? La primera qüestió té ja una resposta definitiva: després de comparar l'ADN mitocondrial dels ossos de la Catedral de Sevilla amb el dels de Diego, germà de l'almirall, es conclou que tots dos són idèntics (el que és propi de germans de mare); a més, els estudis antropològics dirigits pel Prof. Miguel Botella, de la Universitat de Granada, confirmen que, ateses les característiques antropomètriques, aquelles despulles poden ésser les de Colom, tot afegint que a Sevilla no es conserva un esquelet complet sinó només del 20 al 30% de l'ossada. La resta hauria d'estar a República Dominicana, tot i que no ens ha estat permès de realitzar cap estudi que científicament avali aquesta hipòtesi. La segona vessant del nostre estudi, d'on era Cristòfol Colom, està en curs. Per mirar de respondre, hem engegat dues investigacions: un mira de corroborar la denominada "teoria mallorquina" perquè fa a Colom natural de Felanitx i fill de Carles, Príncep dc Viana, i de Margalida Colom. En marxa està l'estudi dels ADN del cromosoma Y de Cristòfol Colom, del seu fill Hernando (inhumat a la Catedral de Sevilla, sense haver-hi dubtes d'identificació) i de Carles d'Evreux, Príncep de Viana, sepultat al Monestir tarragoní de Poblet. En paral·lel, tot assumint dc bon començament un plantejament científic obert a la veritat, està en curs l'anàlisi de l'ADN del cromosoma Y dc 477 persones amb llinatge "Colom" de l'àrea de Catalunya, València, Balears i Sud de França, i amb llinatge "Colombo" de les regions dc la Liguria i la Llombardia, a Itàlia. Es pretén així establir una possible relació entre l'ADN del descobridor i el dels descendents col·laterals que puguin habitar aquelles contrades.The second type is Y chromosome DNA, located in pair 23 of the chromosome nuclear and which determines the masculine sex. This DNA is inherited completely from the father by all his sons; this is used in order to determine paternity and to establish links between people with common ancestors of the same line. Its identification capability is limited sincc it is shared by several people (in the same way that in some Europcan countries the first súmame is not unique to any one individual but is held by all brothers, úneles and paternal male cousins, sons, etc.) The third type is named mitochondrial DNA, so-called because it is found inside the mitochondria (and is therefore extranuclear). Extremely small in size (16.569 units or base pairs), it is circular in shape and has múltiple identical copies within one same cell, enabling it to be studied in particularly oíd or deteriorated samples, as is the case with bone remains. It is exclusively inherited from the mother and is identical in all females from one same maternal line (siblings, cousins, children of sisters of the mother, etc.) As with the Y chromosome, its identification capability is limited since it is shared by different people. In the studies to identifiy Christopher Columbus developed to date, attempts have been made to answer two main qüestions: one, where are Columbus's bones, and two, where did Christopher Columbus origínate from. The answer to the first question already has a definite answer, as the mitochondrial DNA comparison of the "alleged" bones of Columbus which are in Seville cathedral with the DNA of the bones of his brother Diego, has shown that they are both identical (typical of people with the same mother). Furthermore, the anthropological studies (conducted by Prof. Miguel Botella of the University of Granada) confian that judging from the anthropometric charateristics these remains could be those of Columbus, although it should be mentioned there is no complete skeleton in Seville but only 20 or 30% of it at most. The rest of Columbus's skeleton is said to be in the Dominican Republic, although we have not been allowed to carry out any studies to scientifically confirm this hypothesis. The second part of our investigation, where did Christopher Columbus origínate from, is currently underway. For this, two different types of studies have been developed. One, trying to corrobórate the so-called "Majorcan theory" which postulates that Columbus was from the Baleario Islands, Felanitx (Mallorca) and was son of D. Carlos Prince of Viana and Margalida Colom. Studies are being carried out on the Y chromosome DNA of 3 indivuduals: Christopher Columbus, his son Hernando (who was buried in Scville's cathedral and whose idenlity presents no doubts) and the possible father D. Carlos of Evreux, Principe de Viana, whose body lies in the Monastery in Poblet (Tarragona). Howcver the identification of this last individual is not withoul controversy sincc his coffin contains remains of different people. But it all seems to indícate that the uppcr mummified section corresponds to the body of D. Carlos. This section forms the head, neck, trunk and both uppcr extremities. The forearm and the right hand are missing, according to histórica! references, were removed as relies. Parallel to this investigation on the possible Majorcan origin of Columbus, another investigation is being carried out on the "Y" chromosome DNA of 477 people with the súmame "Colom" in the regions of Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearics and South of France. This study is also being carried out on the súmame "Colombo" from the Liguria and Lombardy regions in Italy. With this it is hoped to find a possible rclationship between the DNA of the explorcr and col·lateral descendents who live in these arcas. In this way, from the very beginning of these studies, a scientilic approach to the truth is guaranteed whatever the outeome

The science of the principles and the first causes in the first book of the Metaphysics

En este trabajo se presenta la concepción aristotélica de la filosofía primera como ciencia de los principios y de las causas primeras según el libro primero de la Metafísica. Para ello, se distinguen tres momentos sucesivos que constituyen el análisis de la naturaleza y la meta que debe alcanzar esta ciencia: 1) la concepción de la sabiduría como ciencia que se ocupa de ciertos principios y causas; 2) la sabiduría como ciencia de los primeros principios y de las causas; 3) la determinación de las cuatro causas primeras como tarea de la filosofía primera. De este modo, se pretende mostrar que la Metafísica de Aristóteles es un intento para explicar las últimas cuestiones, el último porqué, indicando cuatro géneros diferentes de respuesta.This paper pretends to show the aristotelian conception of the first philosophy as the science of the principles and the first causes according to the first book of the Metaphysics. In order to do this, three successive moments are distinguished which constitute the analysis of the nature and the goal that this science must attained: 1) the conception of wisdom as a science that deals with certain principles and causes; 2) wisdom as a science of first principles and causes; 3) the determination of the four first causes as a task of the first philosophy. In this way, the aim of this work is to show that the Metaphysics of Aristotle is an attempt to explain the ultimate questions, the ultimate why, indicating four different genera of answer

Estudio de la valoración que hacen los alumnos de 2.º ciclo de ESO y 1.º de Bachillerato de los conceptos en Educación Física

La predominancia procedimental, con relación a lo conceptual y actitudinal, de la Educación Física, es algo aceptado por profesores y alumnos. Sin embargo, los profesores no conocemos realmente la valoración que los alumnos hacen de aspectos relacionados con los contenidos conceptuales de Educación Física tales como: Clases teóricas, apuntes, libros de texto, exámenes escritos, etc. Una parte de este trabajo trata de averiguar qué opinan y cómo valoran estos aspectos de la Educación Física, los alumnos de 2.º Ciclo de ESO y 1.º de Bachillerato

Stakeholders’ environmental influence. An empirical analysis in the Spanish hotel industry.

We draw on the insights of stakeholder theory to explore the extent to which environmental management practices are driven by (i) an attempt to enhance a firm’s legitimacy, and (ii) a response to pressures arising from powerful stakeholders. The material for this investigation has been gathered from a sample of 279 Spanish hotels. The hotel industry which is only marginally affected by environmental regulation and is thus a widely neglected setting in this context, could be a particularly interesting subject for investigation, able to throw some light on the extent to which firms produce different responses to the environmental concerns of their stakeholders. Our results reveal that corporate environmental management practices may be a response to genuine environmental concerns, and we then speak of explicit environmental management, or there may also be reasons different from the environmental, in which case we speak of tacit environmental management. Our findings suggest that explicit and tacit environmental management account for a variety of organizational responses to the environmental demands of stakeholders, depending on (i) the stakeholders’ power regarding environmental issues, (ii) the stakeholders’ use of power to protect the environment, and (iii) the perceived economic advantages of environmental management activities.Environmental management; Stakeholder theory; Hotels; Service industry;

Marcadores de imagen cerebral de diferentes trayectorias de envejecimiento

La enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) es la demencia neurodegenerativa con mayor incidencia a partir de los 65 años. Esta enfermedad progresa desde fases preclínicas (asintomáticas) hacia fases prodrómicas (deterioro cognitivo leve) y clínicas (sintomáticas), mostrando cada uno de estos estadios una caracterización neuropatológica determinada. Actualmente, existen diferentes propuestas de biomarcadores para cada una de las fases de la EA, aunque se desconoce cómo estos biomarcadores interactúan para retroalimentar la progresión de la enfermedad o qué biomarcadores son capaces de detectar trayectorias de envejecimiento vulnerable en personas mayores asintomáticas. A lo largo de la presente exposición, revisaremos los diferentes biomarcadores que caracterizan a cada una de las fases de la EA, centrándonos especialmente en aquellos basados en la imagen cerebral. También mostraremos algunos resultados de neuroimagen que confirman el daño colinérgico en el deterioro cognitivo leve y sus relaciones con las alteraciones del sueñ. Finalmente, discutiremos algunos resultados recientes que nos permiten detectar vulnerabilidad cerebral en personas mayores asintomáticas, a partir de la combinación de marcadores genéticos, bioquímicos y de neuroimagen.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Puesta en escena, notaciones escénicas y comunicación.

The performing notations are a wide range of textual practices being sparcely investigated both in the field of communication research, as in the field of performing arts. However, the staging directions, directing notebooks and notations in performing arts, are an important subject for research in communication and for the artistic research in general, as they keep memory of how the staging text has been constructed, as implicit theories and strategies that have guided the staging project.Las notaciones escénicas constituyen un amplio conjunto de prácticas textuales escasamente indagadas tanto en el campo de la investigación en comunicación, como en el ámbito de las artes escénicas. Sin embargo, las didascalias, los cuadernos de dirección y las notaciones escénicas, constituyen un objeto relevante para la investigación en comunicación y para la investigación artística en general, pues guardan memoria tanto del modo en que se ha construido el enunciado escénico, como de las teorías implícitas y las estrategias que han guiado el proyecto enunciativo

The financial implications of the resource-based strategy: specificity, opacity and financial structure

In this work we develop an analytical framework to examine the effects of strategic investments on the financial policy of the firm. From the resource-based approach of the firm, non-tradeable and difficult-to-copy assets are the basis of a sustainable competitive advantage. However, imperfections in the resource markets can also be interpreted as sources of costs and/or restrictions from a finnacial point of view. Specificity and opacity are the features of strategic resources that enable us to identify the financial implications of the resource-based strategy. We have tested our theoretical framework using a sample of Spanish non-financial firms. Our results show that highly specific and opaque resources limit the borrowing capacity of the firm while other transparent strategic assets positive1y affect financial leverage. Our findings suggest two main implications for strategy formulation and implementation: (1) there are unobservable -financial- costs that must be considered for a correct evaluation of a sustainable competitive advantage based on strategic resources and (2) the financial policy of a "resource-driven" firm is partially determined by the features of its strategic resource bundle