Can ecosystem properties be fully translated into service values? an economic valuation of aquatic plant services

Ecological Applications 21. 5 (2011): 3083-3103 copyright by the Ecological Society of AmericaWe carried out an integrated analysis of ecosystem services in the Doñana social-ecological system (southwestern Spain), from the providers (different aquatic plant functional groups) to the beneficiaries (different stakeholders living in or visiting the area). We explored the ecosystem services supplied by aquatic plants by linking these services to different plant functional traits, identifying relevant ecosystem services and then working our way backward to ecosystem properties and the functional traits underpinning them. We started from 15 ecosystem services associated with aquatic systems (freshwater marshes, salt marshes, ponds on aeolian sheets, temporal coastal ponds, and estuaries) and related them to plant traits (directly or indirectly through intermediate ecosystem properties). We gathered information from the literature on the functional traits of 144 plants occurring in the aquatic ecosystems of Doñana. We analyzed the species×trait matrix with multivariate classification and ordination techniques and obtained seven functional groups with different potentials for delivering ecosystem services. A survey was then administered to 477 stakeholders to analyze, through the use of a contingent valuation exercise, how the ecosystem services provided by the different functional groups were valued. We identified connections between individual plant traits, ecosystem processes, and ecosystem services, but a mismatch appeared between the functional groups and the economic values placed on them by the beneficiaries. We found that contingent valuation applied to ecosystem services tended to ignore the ecosystem properties and biodiversity underpinning them. Our results cast doubts over the suitability of the economic valuation framework of ecosystem services to capture the full value of biodiversity and ecosystems to peopleThis research was partially supported by a grant from the Madrid Regional Government of Education, which was co-funded by the Social European Fund (F.S.E.), the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Project CGL2006- 14121/BOS), and the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs through project 018/2009. S. Díaz acknowledges support from FONCyT and CONICET (Argentina) and IAI (CRN 2015, supported by US NSF GEO- 0452325

The effect of workplace pension schemes on households' private savings

Artículo de revistaThe tax incentive enjoyed by workplace pension schemes could encourage participants to increase their total savings or, alternatively, crowd out savings that would have materialised in other financial vehicles in the absence of this incentive. This article uses data from the Spanish Survey of Household Finances to estimate the additional savings generated by this type of scheme. To this end, the financial position of workplace pension scheme participants is compared to that of a group of workers of similar ages, with similar educational attainment levels and occupations, but who do not participate in such schemes. Once the comparable group is constructed, it can be seen that, on average, each euro saved in workplace pension schemes increases private savings by around 66 cents. This is the ratio of the difference in average net wealth between participants and their comparable group (€13,600) to the average amount accumulated in pension schemes (€20,600). Once adjusted for the fact that contributions are taxexempt, the additional savings generated amount to around 31 cents for every euro contributed, calculated as the ratio of the €6,500 difference in tax-relief-adjusted wealth between the two groups to the average amount accumulated in workplace pension schemes

Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) in Praat as a Tool for the Assessment of Singers of different Musical Styles: Classical and Flamenco

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the DSI calculated from Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (KayPENTAX Corp., Mont vale, NJ) and the DSI beta, implemented in the program Praat in singers of different musical styles; Western classical and Flamenco. Method: the sample was formed by 34 professional or aspiring pro fessional singers; 16 Flamenco singers (FG) and 18 Western Clas sical singers (CG). Measures of Maximum Phonation Time, Highest Fundamental Frequency, Lowest Intensity and pitch perturbation were obtained for each index. T-Test was run for all the study’s vari ables between groups and sex. From the DSI and DSI beta values, the Pearson correlation coefficient was extracted. Results: scores were very high with respect to normal healthy subjects. DSI beta (men=4.52; women=5.73) showed concurrent validity with DSI (men=5.72; women=7.44) when applied in singers (rp=0.869) and greater variability among CG than FG, compared to DSI original. F0.hi was higher in the CG, Jitt% showed more variabil ity in the FG and jitter ppq% was not sensitive to musical style. Inten sity values were around 40db for both groups and indices. Maximum Phonation Time was not exceptionally high. Conclusion: DSI original is capable of distinguishing between fla menco and classical, while DSI beta is not. This capability is due to the effect of the perturbation parameters that varied more among flamenco singers than among classical singers.Grupo de Investigación Logopedia Experimental y Aplicada (HUM-605

Perspectives on human and social capital theories and the role of education: an approach from Mediterranean thought.

Current discussions about education suggest that a transformative pedagogy that goes beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skills is needed. However, there is no agreement as to the inputs needed for a correct development of the educational model. In this sense, we can identify the presence of two different approaches to human and social capital which embody distinct educational worldviews. On the one hand, the ‘Marketable Human Capital’ or ‘Personal Culture’ approach, and on the other hand, the ‘Non-Marketable Human Capital’ or ‘Civic Culture’ approach. The first, which is linked to mainstream economic theory, sees education as any stock of knowledge that contributes to an improvement in the productivity of the worker and individual well-being. The second, which is rooted in the Mediterranean tradition of political thought, highlights the role of civic virtues, reciprocity, and public action within the educational process and its influence on public happiness. In this article, we analyse these connections in order to introduce the eighteenth-century Mediterranean tradition of economic thought into discussions about human and social capital theories and the role of education in them. Focusing on education through these prisms, national and international agendas must be reoriented towards the integral development of people to include broader global debates.Financial support from the Research Program of the Faculty of Economic and Business Administration at the University of Granada (UGR/2018

The last lesson of two masters. Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez. Castelao and Eduardo Dieste

A principios de la década de los treinta, una serie de acontecimientos concernientes a los procesos culturales en el Río de la Plata, en concreto en Uruguay, favoreció una recepción particularmente sensible de los problemas político, sociales y económicos latentes en España que redundó en el estrechamiento de vínculos con grupos de intelectuales y artistas españoles que llegaron a ambos márgenes del Río de la Plata. En los inicios de esta década, se fue afirmando tanto en Argentina como en Uruguay, una corriente de arte figurativo desarrollada en forma correlativa al deterioro social, político y económico de ambas sociedades, consolidándose así en el ámbito cultural, una serie de agremiaciones de carácter ideológico que acunaron el arte de referentes vanguardistas gallegos. Estos focos de cultura gallega han logrado persistir hasta la actualidad rompiendo fronteras y fomentando la proximidad entre sociedades de ambos continentes. «La última lección de dos maestros» es un artículo que se centra en la amistad de Alfonso Daniel Rodriguez Castelao y Eduardo Dieste, vínculo que muestra las aportación de este flujo de inmigración que marcó la actividad cultural entre Galicia y el territorio rioplatense.In the begining of the 30s, a series of events concerning the cultural processes in “Río de la Plata”, in Uruguay in particular, favored a sensitive reception towards the ongoing Spanish political, social and economic issues which resulted on a strengthened relation between inteletcual groups and spanish artists that arrived to both shores of the river. In Argentina and Uruguay, a figurative art stream developed in correlation to the social, political and economic deterioration in both societies gained importance, consolidating, in the cultural esphere, ideological associations that would “mothered” the art from avant garde galician artists. These focus of galician culture have managed to thrive till present day bringing frontiers closer and encouraging the proximity between societies from both continents. “The last lesson of two masters” is an article about the friendship between Alfonso Daniel Rodriguez Castelao and Eduardo Dieste. This relationship is an example of this immigration flow related to the cultural activity between Galicia and the “Rio de la Plata”

Actividad antibacteriana de nuevas películas plásticas activadas con hidroxinitrato de cobre frente a la bacteria patógena de transmisión alimentaria Salmonella enterica

Las enfermedades de transmisión alimentaria, como es la salmonelosis, representan uno de los principales problemas de salud pública a nivel mundial debido al número de muertes que provocan. Estas enfermedades están causadas por la contaminación bacteriana de los alimentos, por lo que, con el fin de reducir el número de contagios, se están desarrollando nuevos materiales con propiedades antibacterianas. Uno de estos materiales son los envases activos, elaborados mediante la adición de agentes con actividad antibacteriana, generalmente nanopartículas orgánicas o inorgánicas, a matrices poliméricas. En este trabajo, se ha evaluado la actividad antibacteriana y la ecotoxicidad frente a Salmonella entérica de un determinado agente activo, la sal de hidroxinitrato de cobre II (CuHS), la cual fue adicionada a diferentes concentraciones a dos matrices poliméricas, el polietileno de baja densidad (LDPE) y a ácido poliláctico (PLA). Los ensayos realizados han demostrado que tanto las películas de LDPE/CuHS como las películas de PLA/CuHS poseen actividad antibacteriana. En el primer caso, las concentraciones de 0,1 y 0,3% fueron las más eficaces, mientras que para la película de PLA tan sólo resultó eficaz la adición de CuHS al 0,3%. Por otro lado, al evaluar la actividad antibacteriana del PLA/CuHS 0,3% frente a la microbiota de la carne de pollo, se observó una reducción de la población de microorganismos del 90%. Así mismo, en los ensayos ecotóxicos se pudo determinar que las películas de PLA/CuHS 0,1% no presentan efectos tóxicos sobre la microbiota del suelo. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto que, tanto las películas de PLA como las de LDPE activadas con nanopartículas de CuHS, son una alternativa prometedora para su uso como envases activos con propiedades antibacterianas, que garanticen la seguridad y conservación de los alimentos.Foodborne diseases, such as salmonellosis, are one of the main public health problems worldwide due to the number of deaths they inflict. These diseases are caused by bacterial contamination of food. In order to reduce the number of infections, new materials with antibacterial properties are being developed. One of these materials is active packaging, made by the addition of antibacterial agents, generally organic or inorganic nanoparticles, to a matrix. In this work, the antibacterial activity and ecotoxicity of the copper II hydroxynitrate salt (CuHS) against Salmonella enterica was evaluated by adding different concentrations of the salt to two polymeric matrices, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA). The tests carried out have shown that both LDPE/CuHS films and PLA/CuHS films have antibacterial activity. In the first case, the concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3% were the most effective, while for the PLA film, the concentration of 0.3% CuHS was then only one effective. On the other hand, when evaluating the antibacterial activity of PLA/CuHS 0.3% against the microbiota of chicken meat, a 90% reduction in the population of microorganisms was observed. In the ecotoxic tests it was possible to determine that the PLA/CuHS 0.1% films do not present toxic effects on the soil microbiota. These results show that both PLA and LDPE films activated with CuHS nanoparticles are a promising alternative as active packaging with antibacterial properties, that guarantee food safety and preservation.Grado en Ciencias Ambientale

HW/SW Co-Simulation System for Enhancing Hardware-in-the-Loop of Power Converter Digital Controllers

Digital controllers of power converters are more and more implemented in FPGAs due to the increasing complexity of current control algorithms, higher switching frequencies, and concurrence requirements. System behavior depends not only on the control algorithm but also on the implementation issues. Thus, closed-loop controller evaluation at early design stages is a main concern. In this paper, a new hardware-in-the-loop method is proposed. It profits from FPGAs and their design tools in order to validate the closed-loop power converter before prototyping the power stage. The proposed solution presents a general architecture that does not depend on specific vendors or CAD tools, but it uses those utilized for the final implementation of the controller. A case study is presented with a given implementation of the proposed solution. Comparisons with existing alternatives show the advantages of our approach

Evaluar y analizar los cambios sensoriales y fisicoquímicos de las rodajas de aguacate (persea americana) empacadas al vacío para conocer su factibilidad

El aguacate (Persea americana), es una fruta muy consumida en nuestro país, tienen alta demanda, pero también es muy perecedera. Es por esto que decidimos hacer una investigación cuyo objetivo evaluar y analizar los cambios sensoriales y fisicoquímicos de las rodajas de aguacate empacadas al vacío para conocer su factibilidad. Se investigó las funciones de los tres antioxidantes (Ácido Ascórbico, Bisulfito de sodio y EDTA) ocupados en la investigación y se determinó mediante norma el CODEX ALIMENTARIUS cantidad máxima permitida de estos, así como también los beneficios del escaldado, su tiempo y temperatura. Mediante la experimentación logramos aplicar 5 métodos todos estos con escaldado a 95° C por 30 segundos, + el antioxidante 1- Ácido ascórbico 0.03%+ vacío, 2-EDTA 0.02% + vacío, 3- Bisulfito de sodio 0.01% + vacío, 4-método combinado (la combinación de los 3 antioxidantes +vacío) y el quinto método y el que resulto mejor evaluado según los panelistas del análisis sensorial y según nuestros datos analizados durante 1 mes respecto a su vida útil, fue el método de escaldado + vacío, llegando a la conclusión que el escaldado evita la oxidación y no cambia las características sensoriales, caso contrario con el uso de aditivos. Los resultados microbiológicos y fisicoquímicos realizados estaban en los rangos permitidos por la norma, es decir el empacado al vacío si inhibe la proliferación microbiana y logra conservar la fruta por 2-3 semanas sin pardeamiento enzimático.Monografía presentada para optar al título de Ingeniero en Alimento

Capillary liquid-chromatography-ion trap-mass spectrometry methodology for the simultaneous quantification of four angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory peptides in Prunus seed hydrolysates

Prunus genus fruit seeds are sources of highly angiotensin-l-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptides. The presence of peptides IYSPH, IYTPH, IFSPR, and VAIP seems to be related to this activity but no previous work has demonstrated the direct relationship between the concentration of these peptides and the antihypertensive activity of hydrolysates. This work describes the development of a method for the quantification of these peptides in Prunus seeds hydrolysates based on capillary liquid chromatography-IT-MS/MS. The analytical characteristics of the method were evaluated through the study of the linearity, LOD, LOQ presence of matrix interferences, precision, and recovery. The developed methodology was applied to the determination of the four peptides in seed hydrolysates from different Prunus genus fruits: peaches (7 varieties), plums (2 varieties), nectarines (3 varieties), apricots (2 varieties), cherry, and paraguayo. Peaches and plums seed hydrolysates yielded the highest concentrations of these peptides while paraguayo one showed the lowest concentrations. A high correlation between peptides concentrations was demonstrated suggesting that the four peptides could be released from the same seed proteins