Injection Molding and Appearance of Cellulose-Reinforced Composites

Composite materials based on an ethylene-acrylic acid (EAA) copolymer and 20 wt% cellulose fibers were compounded by two runs in a twin-screw extruder. The composite material with cellulose fibers (CF) and a reference of unfilled EAA were injection molded into plaques using three different temperature profiles with end zone temperatures of 170\ub0C, 200\ub0C, and 230\ub0C. The injection molded samples were then characterized in terms of their mechanical properties, thermal properties, appearance (color and gloss), and surface topography. The higher processing temperatures resulted in a clear discoloration of the composites, but there was no deterioration in the mechanical performance. The addition of cellulose typically gave a tensile modulus three times higher than that of the unfilled EAA, but the strength and strain at rupture were reduced when fibers were added. The processing temperature had no significant influence on the mechanical properties of the composites. Gloss measurements revealed negligible differences between the samples molded at the different melt temperatures but the surface smoothness was somewhat higher when the melt temperature was increased. In general, addition of the cellulose to the EAA reduced the gloss level and the surface smoothness. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2019. \ua9 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers

The university training in CSR communication: an analysis of the degrees specialized in CSR in Spain (2017-18)

[ES] Existe unanimidad en la literatura consultada en cuanto al papel determinante que juegan las relaciones públicas y la comunicación en la difusión de la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC). Partiendo de esta base, nuestra investigación identifica y analiza los planes  de estudio de la formación superior de grado y de master especializada en RSC en España, en el curso 2017-2018, con la finalidad de comprobar si aparecen en ellos  contenidos específicos sobre relaciones públicas y comunicación. En total, hemos identificado cuatro asignaturas de master vinculadas directa o tangencialmente con las relaciones públicas y la comunicación,  por lo que ambos conceptos presentan una presencia muy fragmentada y prácticamente residual en los planes de estudio analizados. Una realidad contraria a los principios propugnados por los académicos y a las necesidades crecientes del sector profesional de la comunicación.[EN] There is unanimity in the literature regarding the decisive role played by public relations and communication in the dissemination of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Starting from this base, our research identifies and analyzes the curricula of the degrees and master degrees specialized in CSR in Spain during the academic year 2017-2018, in order to check any presence of specific subjects on public relations and communication in them. Altogether, we have identified only four master-degree’s subjects directly o tangentially related to public relations and communication. In short, we can state that both concepts have a very fragmented and practically residual presence in the curricula of the Spanish higher education specialized in CSR. This reality is contrary to the principles advocated by academics and to the growing needs of the communication professional sector.Compte-Pujol, M.; Matilla, K.; Marca-Francès, G. (2019). La formación universitaria en comunicación de la RSC: Análisis de las titulaciones especializadas en RSC en España (2017-18). REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 17(2):177-196. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2019.10470OJS177196172Acquier, A. (2010). CSR in search of a management model: a case of marginalization of a CSR initiative. En: Craig Smith, Bhattacharya, Vogel y Levine (eds.). Global Challenges in Responsible Business. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 107-129. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511777660.006Albors-Alonso, M., y Paricio-Esteban, P. (2016). La comunicación de la prevención de salud en los programas de responsabilidad social corporativa de empresas farmacéuticas implantadas en España. El caso de Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Grifols. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 11(6), 47-72. https://doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-11-2016-04-47-72Álvarez, M. (2017). De la comunicación a la rendición de cuentas: cómo comunicar la RSC. PRNoticias.com, 14-09-2017. Disponible en: http://prnoticias.com/comunicacion/prcomunicacion/20164741-de-la-comunicacion-a-la-rendicionde-cuentas-comunciar-rsc-reponsabilidad-socialAsif, M., Searcy, C., Zutshi, A., y Fisscher, O. (2013). An integrated management systems approach to corporate social responsibility. Journal of Cleaner Production, 56, 7-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.10.034Berelson, B. (1952). Content Analysis in Communication Research. New York: Free Press.Bonner, J., y Friedman, A. (2012). Corporate Social Responsibility: Who's Responsible? Finding an Organizational Home for an Increasingly Critical Function. New York University. Disponible en: http://apps.prsa.org/intelligence/PartnerResearch/Partners/NYU_SCPS/CorporateSocialResponsibility.pdfBowd, R., Bowd, L., y Harris, P. (2006). Communicating corporate social responsibility: an exploratory case study of a major UK retail centre. Journal of Public Affairs, 6, 147-155. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.220Boynton, J. (2012). Why Communication Should Be at the Heart of Any CSR Strategy. TriplePundit.com, 25/07/2012. Disponible en: https://www.triplepundit.com/2012/07/communications-be-heart-csr-strategy/Burgos-Romero, C. (2014). La Responsabilidad Social Empresarial "RSE" en Chile: causas de su tardía difusión. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 7(4), 95-116.Camilleri, M.A. (2017). Corporate Social Responsibility Communication in the Digital Era. TriplePundit.com, 28/04/2017. Disponible en: https://www.triplepundit.com/2017/04/corporate-social-responsibility-communication-digital-era/Canyelles, J.M. (2014a). El quadre de comandament integral, eina fonamental de la RSC estratègica. Barcelona: UOC.Canyelles, J.M. (2014b). Lideratge i desenvolupament humà. Barcelona: UOC.Capriotti, P., y Moreno, A. (2007). Communicating corporate responsibility through corporate websites in Spain. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 12(3), 221-237. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563280710776833Carroll, A. (2015). Corporate social responsibility: The centerpiece of competing and complementary frameworks. Organizational Dynamics, 44, 87-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2015.02.002Carroll, A. (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Social Performance (CSP). En: R.W. Kolb. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 746-754.Casado, A., y Cuadrado, F. J. (2014). La reputación corporativa: Un nuevo enfoque de las competencias transversales en el EEES. REDU: Revista de docencia universitaria, 12(1), 353-371. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2014.6432Castillo, I. (2010). Una aproximación al estado de la RSE en la enseñanza en España. Madrid: Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad.Cátedra Javier Benjumea (2009). Observatorio académico de la RSE y la ética empresarial en la educación superior en España. Madrid: CJB.Chaudhri, V. (2016). Corporate Social Responsibility and the Communication Imperative: Perspectives from CSR Managers. International Journal of Business Communication, 53(4), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488414525469Chaudhri, V., y Wang, J. (2007). Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility on the Internet. A Case Study of the Top 100 Information Technology Companies in India. Management Communication Quarterly, 21(2), 232-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318907308746Clark, C. (2000). Differences Between Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility: An Analysis. Public Relations Review, 26(3), 363-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(00)00053-9Conrad, A. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility Communications: A Framework for PR Practitioners. PRSA-Public Relations Society of America, 22/07/2013. Disponible en: https://www.prsa-ncc.org/corporate-social-responsibility-communicationsframework-pr-practitionersCoombs, T. (2019). Transmedia storytelling: a potentially vital resource for CSR communication. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 24(2), 351-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-11-2017-0114Crane, A., y Glozier, S. (2016). Researching Corporate Social Responsibility Communication: Themes, Opportunities and Challenges. Journal of Management Studies, 53(7), 1223-1252. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12196Currás Pérez, R. (2018). Responsabilidad social corporativa y marketing: ¿Oxímoron o instrumento para empoderar a los consumidores? Razón y Fe, 277(1431), 63-73.Dobers, P., y Springett, D. (2010). Corporate Social Responsibility: Discourse, Narratives and Communication. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 17, 63-69. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.231Du, S., Bhattacharya, C.B, y Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing Business Returns to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The Role of CSR Communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00276.xDurán-González, A.M., y Mosquera-López, P. (2016). Correspondencia de los Modelos de Relaciones Públicas a distintos contextos evolutivos de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 11(6), 91-112. https://doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-11-2016-06-91-112Dutot, V., Lacalle-Galvez, E., y Versailles, D.W. (2016). CSR communications strategies through social media and influence on e-reputation. An exploratory study. Management Decision, 54(2), 363-389. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-01-2015-0015ECOPSI-European Communication Professional Skills and Innovation Programme (2013). Communication Management Competencies for European Practitioners. Executive Summary. Disponible en: http://www.ecopsi.org.uk/~/media/files/ecopsi/Ecopsi_CMC_Booklet.pdf.Elving, W., Golob, U., Schultz, F., Nielsen, A., Thomsen, C., & Podnar, K. (eds.) (2011). CSR Communication Conference 2011: Conference Proceedings. Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana.Fernández-Fernández, J. y Melé, D. (2015). Spain: From a Paternalistic Past to Sustainable Companies. En: A. Habisch, J. Jonker, M. Wegner, y R. Schmidpeter (eds.). Corporate Social Responsibility Across Europe. Berlin: Springer, 289-302.GA-Global Alliance (2016). From the Global Body of Knowledge (GBOK) to a global capabilities framework. Disponible en: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/561d0274e4b0601b7c814ca9/t/574ae46707eaa010521f0d31/1464525936413/08_GBOK+Progress+report+%26+global+capabilities+framework+May+2016.pdf.García-Rosell, J. (2016). A Discursive Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility Education: A Story Co-creation Exercise. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3399-9Heath, R., y Waymer, D. (2016). Unlocking corporate social responsibility. Minimalism, maximization, and neo-institutionalist resource dependency keys. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 22(2), 192-208. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-12-2015-0084Hernández-Corchete, S. (2017). Relaciones Públicas, Responsabilidad Social Corporativa y Universidad. Análisis de la RSU del Centro Universitario de la Defensa de Zaragoza. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 13(7), 199-226.Humlen, A. (2014). CSR Communication Goal Should Be Impact, not Information. HuffingtonPost.com. 27/10/2014. Disponible en: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/anneliza-humlen/csr-communication-goal-sh_b_5724560.htmlKim, S. (2019). The process model of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication: CSR communication and its relationship with consumers' CSR knowledge, trust and corporate reputation perception. Journal of Business Ethics, 4, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3433-6Larrán-Jorge, M., y Andrades-Peña, F.J. (2014). Determinants of corporate social responsibility and business ethics education in Spanish universities. Buiness Ethics: A European Review, 23(2), 139-153. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12041Lindgreen, A., y Swaen, V. (2010). Corporate Social Responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00277.xMaon, F., Swaen, V., y Lindgreen, A. (2010). Impact of CSR En: N.C. Smith, C.B. Bhattacharya, D. Vogel, y D. Levine (eds.). Global Challenges in Responsible Business. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 161-190.Matten, D., y Moon, J. (2004). Corporate Social Responsibility Education in Europe. Journal of Business Ethics, 54, 323-337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-004-1822-0Moon, J., y Orlitzky, M. (2011). Corporate social responsibility and sustainability education: A trans-Atlantic comparison. Journal of Management & Organization, 17, 583-603. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1833367200001279Morsing, M., y Schultz, M. (2006). Corporate Social Responsibility Communication: Stakeholder information, response and involvement strategies. Business Ethics: A European Review, 15(4), 323-338. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2006.00460.xNiño-Benavides, P., y Cortés Cortés, M.I. (2018). Comunicación estratégica y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, escenarios y potencialidades en la creación de capital social: Una revisión de la literatura. Revista Prisma Social, 22, 127-158.Okpara, J., Koumbiadis, N., e Idowu, S. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility in Business Education: A Review of Current Status of American Business Schools Curriculum. En: J. Okpara y S. Idowu. Corporate Social Responsibility: Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for 21st Century Leaders.New York: Springer, 219- 234. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40975-2_13Pérez-Chavarría, M. (2009). Responsabilidad social corporativa (RSC) y comunicación: la agenda de las grandes empresas mexicanas. Signo y Pensamiento, 55(28), 201- 217.Pérez, A., y Rodríguez del Bosque, I. (2015). Corporate Social Responsibility Communication in the Spanish Hospitality Sector. Cuadernos de Turismo, 36, 485-489.Pineda-Martínez, P. (2013). Relaciones Públicas online de excelencia: Las empresas energéticas del IBEX 35 ante el reto de comunicar su conducta responsable en un contexto abierto e interactivo (Mayo-Julio de 2012). Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 5(3), 189-208. https://doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-5-2013-11-189-208Podnar, K. (2008). Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Marketing Communications, 14(2), 75-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527260701856350Reputation Institute (2017). ¿Son las compañías conscientes de la creciente importancia de gestionar sus activos intangibles?. Reputation Institute.com, Mayo. Disponible en: https://www.reputationinstitute.com/research/value-intangible-assets-blackrockRuiz-Mora, I. (2012). Las relaciones con los públicos y su reflejo en las memorias de Responsabilidad Social. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 4(2), 173- 200. https://doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-4-2012-08-173-200Saxton, G., Gomez, L., Ngoh, Z., Lin, Y., y Dietrich, S. (2019). Do CSR Messages Resonate? Examining Public Relations to Firms' CSR Efforts on Social Media. Journal of Business Ethics, 155(2), 359-377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3464-zSchaefer, S.D., Terlutter, R., y Diehl, S. (2019). Talking about CSR matters: employees' perception of and reaction to their company's CSR communication in four different CSR domains. International Journal of Advertising, In press. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1593736Setó-Pamies, D., Domingo-Vernis, M., y Rabassa-Figueras, N. (2011). Corporate social responsibility in management education: Current status in Spanish universities. Journal of Management and Organization, 17, 604-620. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1833367200001280Skard, S., y Thorbjornsen, H. (2014). Is Publicity Always Better than Advertising? The Role of Brand Reputation in Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 124, 149-160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1863-3Slavova, I, y Bankova, Y. (2015). Corporate social responsibility in Business Management university education: The relevancy to the business practices in Bulgaria. 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Jones (eds.). Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility: Perspectives and Practice (Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance and Sustainability, Volume 6. Bingley (UK): Emerald Group, 59-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2043-9059(2014)000000602

Conception and strategic management of publics in the energy companies in Spain

The notion of publics as specifics and segmented groups has been a paradigm shift in public relations and corporate communication. This change in the way of understanding the receiver in the communication process allows communicate function to manage the relationship between the organization and those groups more effectively. For this reason, organizations should implement processes of identifying and prioritizing publics to communicate and be engaged with these groups in a strategic and effective way. The aim of this paper is to know what conception of “publics” prevails in the communication departments of natural gas and electricity companies in Spain, and on the other hand to assess the level of coherence /correlation between the identification and prioritization of strategic publics and the design of communicative actions to strategically manage the relationship between the organizations and these groups. The methodology of the quantitative study was aimed at Spanish energy companies and implemented through a questionnaire in an online platform. The results indicate that there is a dichotomy in the idea of publics in energy companies: on the one hand, they are conceived as specific groups, and on the other hand, they are considered as a massive collective. Nevertheless, it is observed that there is a methodological consistency between the importance assigned to the publics and the implementation of communication actions towards them

Intracluster Red Giant Stars in the Virgo Cluster

We have used the WFPC2 camera of the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain deep F814W images of a blank field in the Virgo Cluster located 41 arcmin northwest of M87. We perform star counts in that field, and in another Virgo field observed by Ferguson, Tanvir & von Hippel (1998), and show that, when compared to the Hubble Deep Field North and South, the Virgo Cluster contains an excess of objects with magnitudes I > 27. We attribute this excess to a population of intracluster red-giant branch (IC-RGB) stars. By modeling the luminosity function of these stars, we show that the tip of the Virgo RGB is at I = 27.31 +0.27/-0.17 and that the cluster contains a small, but significant, excess of stars that are up to ~1 mag brighter than this tip. If this luminous component is due entirely to stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), it implies an age for the population of > 2 Gyr; if foreground RGB stars contribute to the luminous tail, then the derived age for the stars is older still. The luminosity function also suggests that most of the intracluster stars are moderately metal-rich (-0.8 < [Fe/H] <-0.2), a result consistent with that expected from stars that have been tidally stripped from intermediate luminosity galaxies. Additionally, a comparison with the planetary nebulae in our field also supports this view, although the existence of a more metal-poor population (from stripped dwarfs) cannot be ruled out. Our derived average surface brightness, mu_I = 27.9 +0.3/-0.5 mag/arcsec^2 for Virgo's diffuse component suggests that intracluster stars contribute 10% to 20% of the cluster's total I-band luminosity.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures included, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

What fraction of stars formed in infrared galaxies at high redshift?

Star formation happens in two types of environment: ultraviolet-bright starbursts (like 30 Doradus and HII galaxies at low redshift and Lyman-break galaxies at high redshift) and infrared-bright dust-enshrouded regions (which may be moderately star-forming like Orion in the Galaxy or extreme like the core of Arp 220). In this work I will estimate how many of the stars in the local Universe formed in each type of environment, using observations of star-forming galaxies at all redshifts at different wavelengths and of the evolution of the field galaxy population.Comment: 7 pages, 0 figs, to appear in proceedings of "Starbursts - From 30 Doradus to Lyman break galaxies", edited by Richard de Grijs and Rosa M. Gonzalez Delgado, published by Kluwe

Cpd-1 Null Mice Display a Subtle Neurological Phenotype

CPD1 (also known as ANP32-E) belongs to a family of evolutionarily conserved acidic proteins with leucine rich repeats implicated in a variety of cellular processes regulating gene expression, vesicular trafficking, intracellular signaling and apoptosis. Because of its spatiotemporal expression pattern, CPD1 has been proposed to play an important role in brain morphogenesis and synaptic development.We have generated CPD1 knock-out mice that we have subsequently characterized. These mice are viable and fertile. However, they display a subtle neurological clasping phenotype and mild motor deficits.CPD1 is not essential for normal development; however, it appears to play a role in the regulation of fine motor functions. The minimal phenotype suggests compensatory biological mechanisms

Panorametry: suggestion of a method for mandibular measurements on panoramic radiographs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Orthopantomography (panoramic radiography) has been used for the study of measurements involving particularly the prediction of the eruption of impacted lower third molars and analyses of measurements of the ramus and head of mandible. The discrepancies involved with the projection of this radiographic image has stimulated the search for further ways to use it, particularly in orthodontic treatments and oral and maxillofacial surgeries. The author proposes a graphimetric method for the mandible, based on panoramic radiography. The results are expressed in linear and angular measurements, aiming at bilateral comparisons as well as the determination of the proportion of skeletal and dental structures, individually and among themselves as a whole. The method has been named Panorametry, and allows measurement of the mandible (Mandibular Panorametry) or the posterior mandibular teeth (Dental Panorametry). When combining mandible and maxilla, it should be referred to as Total Panorametry. It may also be used, in the future, with Cone Beam computed tomography (CT) images, and in this case it may be mentioned as CT Panorametry.</p

Three endo-β-mannanase genes expressed in the micropylar endosperm and in the radicle influence germination of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds

Mannans are hemicellulosic polysaccharides in the plant primary cell wall (CW). Mature seeds, specially their endosperm cells, have CWs rich in mannan-based polymers that confer a strong mechanical resistance for the radicle protrusion upon germination. The rupture of the seed coat and endosperm are two sequential events during the germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. Endo-β-mannanases (MAN; EC. 3.2.1.78) are hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze cleavage of β1 → 4 bonds in the mannan-polymer. In the genome of Arabidopsis, the endo-β-mannanase (MAN) family is represented by eight members. The expression of these eight MAN genes has been systematically explored in different organs of this plant and only four of them (AtMAN7, AtMAN6, AtMAN2 and AtMAN5) are expressed in the germinating seeds. Moreover, in situ hybridization analysis shows that their transcript accumulation is restricted to the micropylar endosperm and to the radicle and this expression disappears soon after radicle emergence. T-DNA insertion mutants in these genes (K.O. MAN7, K.O. MAN6, K.O. MAN5), except that corresponding to AtMAN2 (K.O. MAN2), germinate later than the wild type (Wt). K.O. MAN6 is the most affected in the germination time course with a t 50 almost double than that of the Wt. These data suggest that AtMAN7, AtMAN5 and specially AtMAN6 are important for the germination of A. thaliana seeds by facilitating the hydrolysis of the mannan-rich endosperm cell walls

Four-quadrant silicon and silicon carbide photodiodes for beam position monitor applications: Electrical characterization and electron irradiation effects

Silicon photodiodes are very useful devices as X-ray beam monitors in synchrotron radiation beamlines, as well as other astronomy and space applications. Owing to their lower susceptibility to variable temperature and illumination conditions, there is also special interest in silicon carbide devices for some of these applications. Moreover, radiation hardness of the involved technologies is a major concern for high-energy physics and space applications. This work presents four-quadrant photodiodes produced on ultrathin (10 μm) and bulk Si, as well as on SiC epilayer substrates. An extensive electrical characterization has been carried out by using current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) techniques. The impact of different temperature (from -50C to 175C) and visible light conditions on the electrical characteristics of the devices has been evaluated. Radiation effects caused by 2 MeV electron irradiation up to 1×1014, 1×1015 and 1×1016 e/cm2 fluences have been studied. Special attention has been devoted to the study of charge build-up in diode interquadrant isolation, as well as its impact on interquadrant resistance. The study of these electrical properties and its radiation-induced degradation should be taken into account for device applications.Peer reviewe

Genes involved in ethylene and gibberellins metabolism are required for endosperm-limited germiantion of Sisymbrium officinales L. Seeds

The rupture of the seed coat and that of the endosperm were found to be two sequential events in the germination of Sisymbrium officinale L. seeds, and radicle protrusion did not occur exactly in the micropylar area but in the neighboring zone. The germination patterns were similar both in the presence of gibberellins (GA4+7) and in presence of ethrel. The analysis of genes involved in GAs synthesis and breakdown demonstrated that (1) SoGA2ox6 expression peaked just prior to radicle protrusion (20–22 h), while SoGA3ox2 and SoGA20ox2 expression was high at early imbibition (6 h) diminishing sharply thereafter; (2) the accumulation of SoGA20ox2 transcript was strongly inhibited by paclobutrazol (PB) as well as by inhibitors of ET synthesis and signaling (IESS) early after imbibition (6 h), while SoGA3ox2 and SoGA2ox6 expression was slowly depressed as germination progressed; (3) ethrel and GA4+7 positively or negatively affected expression of SoGA3ox2, SoGA20ox2, and SoGA2ox6, depending on the germination period studied. Regarding genes involved in ET synthesis, our results showed that SoACS7 was expressed, just prior to radicle emergence while SoACO2 expression slowly increased as germination progressed. Both genes were strongly inhibited by PB but were almost unaffected by externally added ethrel or GA4+7. These results suggest that GAs are more important than ET during the early stages of imbibition, while ET is more important at the late phases of germination of S. officinale L. seed