Sociedades cooperativas de banca alternativa

Actualmente se evidencia en España una reorientación solidaria de una parte de la oferta de servicios financieros, que prioriza el compromiso social de su actividad sin descuidar, por ello, la viabilidad económica. Este modelo de hacer banca se identifica bajo la denominación genérica de banca alternativa, ética, social o solidaria y constituye un planteamiento bancario distinto del enfoque tradicional. Este trabajo pretende destacar la idoneidad de la sociedad cooperativa para el desarrollo de banca alternativa. Su naturaleza jurídica y sus normas de funcionamiento permiten potenciar la utilidad social de la actividad bancaria. La dualidad de sus socios elimina eslabones de la cadena de intermediación y destina los recursos propios a la financiación de proyectos socialmente responsables, en un camino en el que la economía financiera y la economía real avanzan muy próximos.Currently in Spain we are witnessing an ethical reorientation of a part of the offer of financial services which gives priority to the social commitment without losing economic viability. This banking model known as alternative banking also known as ethical, social or sustainable banking is distinct from traditional banking. This work wishes to highlight the ideal conditions of cooperatives for the development of alternative banking. Its legal nature and its functional regulations enhance the social utility of the banking activity. The double condition of the partners eliminates intermediaries and allocates directly equity towards financing socially responsible projects, in a way that the financial economy and the real economy advance together.Alternative banking; Credit co-operatives; Financial intermediation; Flexibility; Supervision Est manifeste actuellement en Espagne une réorientation solidaire d'une partie d'offre de services financiers que prioriza le compromis social de son activité sans négliger, par cela, la viabilité économique. Ce modèle de faire une banque s'identifie sous la dénomination générique de banque alternative, éthique, sociale ou solidaire et constitue une approche bancaire différente de l'objectif traditionnel. Ce travail cherche à détacher l'aptitude de la société coopérative pour le développement de banque alternative. Sa nature juridique et ses normes de fonctionnement permettent de promouvoir l'utilité sociale de l'activité bancaire. La dualité de ses associés élimine des chaînons de la chaîne d'intermédiation et destine les propres recours au financement de projets socialement responsables, dans un chemin dans lequel l'économie financière et l'économie réelle avancent très proches

Development of a critical structure state alarm system based on the instrumentation of the Botafoc breakwater nº 8 caisson

Balearic Port Authority has developed an instrumentation system for the #8 caisson of the Botafoc breakwater that integrates 12 pressure sensors located at three surfaces, two in contact with the sea water and another with the bottom. This design was completed with an inertial system that measures the angular velocities and the accelerations over the three Cartesian axes. Consequently, the system measures actions (pressures) and reactions (movements and accelerations) experimented by the caisson, due to sea waves and/or other service loads. R+D department of the Port Authority and Polytechnic University of Madrid are working on two directions, the development of new theories on vertical breakwater design that go beyond Goda and Sainflou, and on the creation of a real-time critical structure alarm system, based on the instrumentation installed. This alarm system has two main parts: the instrumentation itself that collects data and processes it on real-time (the data processing compares the pressure law suffered by the caisson in every step process with the design critical state of the caisson, in this case the Goda pressure law for a 6.5 m wave), giving a security coefficient that points out the risk level on real-time; and the alarm system consisting of a monitoring panel located in the Port Control Center that shows the risk level and advises in case of an incidental evacuation of this critical portuary installation

Transgenerational and within-generation plasticity shape thermal performance curves

Thermal performance curves (TPCs) compute the effects of temperature on the performance of ectotherms and are frequently used to predict the effect of environmental conditions and currently, climate change, on organismal vulnerability and sensitivity. Using Drosophila melanogaster as an animal model, we examined how different thermal environments affected the shape of the performance curve and their parameters. We measured the climbing speed as a measure of locomotor performance in adult flies and tested the ontogenetic and transgenerational effects of thermal environment on TPC shape. Parents and offspring were reared at 28 ± 0ºC (28C), 28 ± 4ºC (28V), and 30 ± 0ºC (30C). We found that both, environmental thermal variability (28V) and high temperature (30C) experienced during early ontogeny shaped the fruit fly TPC sensitivity. Flies reared at variable thermal environments shifted the TPC to the right and increased heat tolerance. Flies held at high and constant temperature exhibited lower maximum performance than flies reared at the variable thermal environment. Furthermore, these effects were extended to the next generation. The parental thermal environment had a significative effect on TPC and its parameters. Indeed, flies reared at 28V whose parents were held at a high and constant temperature (30C) had a lower heat tolerance than F1 of flies reared at 28C or 28V. Also, offspring of flies reared at variable thermal environment (28V) reached the maximum performance at a higher temperature than offspring of flies reared at 28C or 30C. Consequently, since TPC parameters are not fixed, we suggest cautiousness when using TPCs to predict the impact of climate change on natural populations.Fil: Cavieres Parada, Grisel Beatriz. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Alruiz, José M.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Medina, Nadia R.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Bogdanovich, José M.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Bozinovic, Francisco. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chil

Fluctuating thermal environments and time-dependent effects on fruit fly egg-hatching performance

Organismal performance in a changing environment is dependent on temporal patterns and duration of exposure to thermal variability. We experimentally assessed the time-dependent effects of thermal variability (i.e., patterns of thermal exposure) on the hatching performance of Drosophila melanogaster. Flies were collected in central Chile and maintained for four generations in laboratory conditions. Fourth generation eggs were acclimated to different thermal fluctuation cycles until hatching occurred. Our results show that the frequency of extreme thermal events has a significant effect on hatching success. Eggs exposed to 24 hr cycles of thermal fluctuation had a higher proportion of eggs that hatched than those acclimated to shorter (6 and 12 hr) and longer cycles (48 hr). Furthermore, eggs subjected to frequent thermal fluctuations hatched earlier than those acclimated to less frequent thermal fluctuations. Overall, we show that, egg-to-adult viability is dependent on the pattern of thermal fluctuations experienced during ontogeny; thus, the pattern of thermal fluctuation experienced by flies has a significant and until now unappreciated impact on fitness.Fil: Cavieres Parada, Grisel Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Bogdanovich, José M.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile. Universidad Santo Tomas; ArgentinaFil: Toledo, Paloma. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Bozinovic, Francisco. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chil

Efecto alelopático de la invasora Acacia dealbata Link (Fabaceae) en dos especies de plantas nativas del centro-sur de Chile

Plant species that growth close to or under the canopy of Acacia dealbata Link (Fabaceae, subfamily: Mimosoideae) withinits non-native range, survive with difficulty or not at all, especially if they are native. This phenomenon has been attributedto allelopathy; one of the strategies used by A. dealbata to trigger an invasion process. Native species Quillaja saponariaMolina (tree) and Helenium aromaticum (Hook.) H.L. Bailey (herb), share A. dealbata’s range in South-central Chile. Thisstudy was performed on the Mediterranean Biobío Region of Chile. We evaluated the effect of leaves, flowers, pods andseeds of A. dealbata on the germination and early growth of these native species. Biological assays were carried out underlaboratory conditions, based on aqueous extracts and the direct effect of plant material. Leaf litter prevented the germinationof both species and seeds of the invasive species impeded the germination of Q. saponaria. Other plant parts from A.dealbata also induced reductions of hypocotyl and radicle lengths in the native species, reaching over 50 % in some treatmentvalues. All plant parts caused radicle necrosis, preventing the formation of root hairs and, consequently, jeopardizing thesurvival possibility of the recipient species. The results show that A. dealbata can interfere with the establishment of pioneerherbaceous species in ecological succession and can also affect trees if they are reached by the invasion front.Las plantas que crecen cerca o bajo el dosel de Acacia dealbata Link (Fabaceae, subfamilia: Mimosoideae), cuando esta seencuentra en el rango no nativo, sobreviven con dificultad o no lo logran, especialmente si son nativas. Este fenómeno se haatribuido a la alelopatía; una de las estrategias utilizadas por A. dealbata para promover su proceso de invasión. Las especiesnativas Quillaja saponaria Molina (arbórea) y Helenium aromaticum (Hook.) H.L. Bailey (herbácea) comparten el rango dedistribución de A. dealbata en el centro-sur de Chile. El presente trabajo se realizó en la Región del Biobío y se evaluaronlos efectos de hojas, flores, vainas y semillas de A. dealbata en la germinación y crecimiento temprano de las especiesnativas mencionadas. Los ensayos biológicos se llevaron a cabo en condiciones de laboratorio, basados en extractos acuososy efectos directos del material vegetal. Nuestros resultados indicaron que las hojas impidieron la germinación de ambasespecies nativas, pero las semillas impidieron sólo la germinación de Q. saponaria. Otras partes de la planta de A. dealbatatambién indujeron fuertes reducciones de las longitudes del hipocótilo y radícula en las especies nativas, superándose el50% en algunos tratamientos. Todas las partes de la planta causaron necrosis en la radícula, evitando la formación de pelosradicales y, por consiguiente, comprometiendo la posibilidad de supervivencia de las especies receptoras. Estos resultadosmuestran que A. dealbata puede interferir en el establecimiento de especies herbáceas pioneras en la sucesión ecológica ytambién puede afectar especies arbóreas secundarias si son alcanzadas por el frente de invasión

Incidencia del contexto económico, financiero y jurídico en el volumen y casuística de la reclamación financiera en España.

Esta comunicación analiza a través de una metodología estadística el posible efecto que, sobre el nivel de reclamación financiera canalizada a través del Servicio de Reclamaciones del Banco de España, pueden tener distintos factores de naturaleza económica, financiera y jurídica determinantes del contexto en el que actualmente se desarrollan las relaciones bancarias. Con el horizonte temporal de una década, 1988-1997, se estudia la repercusión que sobre el volumen y casuística de la reclamación financiera en España ha originado la evolución de la inflación, la bajada significativa de tipos de interés y el intenso desarrollo normativo tutelar de los intereses de la clientela bancaria.This paper analyses, using a statistical methodology, the possible impact that different factors from the economic, financial and legal environment could have on the volume and casuistry of banking complaints, which Banco de España has transacted during the last decade, from 1988 to 1997. Following an introduction that makes stand out the customer’s increasing importance in banking negotiation, we study specifically the influence of the inflation, the low interest rates and the recent legislation about transparency in banking and customer’s protection

Cooperatives of alternative banking

Actualmente se evidencia en España una reorientación solidaria de una parte de la oferta de servicios financieros, que prioriza el compromiso social de su actividad sin descuidar, por ello, la viabilidad económica. Este modelo de hacer banca se identifica bajo la denominación genérica de banca alternativa, ética, social o solidaria y constituye un planteamiento bancario distinto del enfoque tradicional. Este trabajo pretende destacar la idoneidad de la sociedad cooperativa para el desarrollo de banca alternativa. Su naturaleza jurídica y sus normas de funcionamiento permiten potenciar la utilidad social de la actividad bancaria. La dualidad de sus socios elimina eslabones de la cadena de intermediación y destina los recursos propios a la financiación de proyectos socialmente responsables, en un camino en el que la economía financiera y la economía real avanzan muy próximos.Currently in Spain we are witnessing an ethical reorientation of a part of the offer of financial services which gives priority to the social commitment without losing economic viability. This banking model known as alternative banking also known as ethical, social or sustainable banking is distinct from traditional banking. This work wishes to highlight the ideal conditions of cooperatives for the development of alternative banking. Its legal nature and its functional regulations enhance the social utility of the banking activity. The double condition of the partners eliminates intermediaries and allocates directly equity towards financing socially responsible projects, in a way that the financial economy and the real economy advance together.Escuela de Estudios CooperativosFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesTRUEpu

Análisis de movimientos y aceleraciones provocados por las acciones del oleaje y de los buques en el dique de Botafoc (Ibiza)

El reciente desarrollo de la instrumentación diseñada para proporcionar datos de aceleraciones y movimientos del cajón número 8 del dique Botafoc (Ibiza), perteneciente a la Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares (Puertos del Estado), en conjunción con datos procedentes de una instrumentación compuesta por sensores de presión existente en el paramento vertical, proporciona un novedoso medio para analizar la respuesta estructural del cajón, no sólo ante la acción del oleaje, sino también ante los efectos producidos por las maniobras de los buques en el muelle. Como la medición de estas aceleraciones y velocidades angulares se hace a altas frecuencias (de hasta 400 Hz), podemos proporcionar datos válidos acerca del comportamiento estructural y de los movimientos reales del cajón, tratando de correlacionar este comportamiento con los resultados obtenidos por el grupo de trabajo PROVERBS (Probabilistic design of vertical breakwaters, MAST III EU Programme), y generando una base de datos estadística de movimientos que deben considerarse para enriquecer los conocimientos en este ámbito. Además, la posibilidad de registrar los efectos causados por las maniobras de atraquedesatraque-estancia de los buques, abre un nuevo punto de vista al diseño estructural de un dique-muelle, siendo también de gran interés para los diseñadores de obras marítimas y para la correcta definición de las maniobras del buque en el muelle. The recent deployment of new instrumentation designed to provide accelerations and angular velocities from caisson #8 at Botafoc seawall, Ibiza, along with an existing pressure sensor instrumentation at the vertical wall, provides a way to record and process data of the structural response, not only to waves, but also to effects caused by ship mooring operations at Botafoc seawall. As the measurement of these angular speeds and accelerations is programmed with sampling frecuencies up to 400 Hz, and by integrating all data through time we may provide suitable data of the structural behaviour of the caisson. This behaviour is tried to be correlated with the PROVERBS working group achievements (Probabilistic design of vertical breakwaters, MAST III EU Programme), generating a statistical movement database that must be used to improve knowledge on this subject. Also the possibility to record the effects caused by the different ship mooring operations is a new point of view of the complete structural design of a seawall-wharf, which is considered an interesting matter for coastal designers as well for a correct ship mooring processes definition

A potential signature for muscle-invasive tumors

Funding: This work was supported by the Astellas European Foundation Uro-Oncology Grant 2014; JABA RECORDATI Urology 2011 - Portuguese Society of Urology; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Strategic Project: PEst-C/SAU/UI3282/2013 and UID/NEU/04539/2013); GAI/FMUC and Santander Totta (Ref. FreitasGomes04.01.13) and Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Portugal (Ref. 14/12). Margarida FerreiraTeixeira benefits from a PhD scholarship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Reference SFRH/BD/77314/2011).Striking evidence associates cancer stem cells (CSCs) to the high recurrence rates and poor survival of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BC). However, the prognostic implication of those cells in risk stratification is not firmly established, mainly due to the functional and phenotypic heterogeneity of CSCs populations, as well as, to the conflicting data regarding their identification based on a single specific marker. This emphasizes the need to exploit putative CSC-related molecular markers with potential prognostic significance in BC patients. This study aimed to isolate and characterize bladder CSCs making use of different functional and molecular approaches. The data obtained provide strong evidence that muscle-invasive BC is enriched with a heterogeneous stem-like population characterized by enhanced chemoresistance and tumor initiating properties, able to recapitulate the heterogeneity of the original tumor. Additionally, a logistic regression analysis identified a 2-gene stem-like signature (SOX2 and ALDH2) that allows a 93% accurate discrimination between non-muscle-invasive and invasive tumors. Our findings suggest that a stemness-related gene signature, combined with a cluster of markers to more narrowly refine the CSC phenotype, could better identify BC patients that would benefit from a more aggressive therapeutic intervention targeting CSCs population.publishersversionpublishe

The rkpU gene of Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 is required for bacterial K-antigen polysaccharide production and for efficient nodulation with soybean but not with cowpea

In this work, the role of the rkpU and rkpJ genes in the production of the K-antigen polysaccharides (KPS) and in the symbiotic capacity of Sinorhizobium fredii HH103, a broad host-range rhizobial strain able to nodulate soybean and many other legumes, was studied. The rkpJ- and rkpU-encoded products are orthologous to Escherichia coli proteins involved in capsule export. S. fredii HH103 mutant derivatives were contructed in both genes. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the role of rkpU in KPS production has been studied in rhizobia. Both rkpJ and rkpU mutants were unable to produce KPS. The rkpU derivative also showed alterations in its lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Neither KPS production nor rkpJ and rkpU expression was affected by the presence of the flavonoid genistein. Soybean (Glycine max) plants inoculated with the S. fredii HH103 rkpU and rkpJ mutants showed reduced nodulation and clear symptoms of nitrogen starvation. However, neither the rkpJ nor the rkpU mutants were significantly impaired in their symbiotic interaction with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Thus, we demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge the involvement of the rkpU gene in rhizobial KPS production and also show that the symbiotic relevance of the S. fredii HH103 KPS depends on the specific bacterium–legume interaction