The effect of innovation activity on innovating quasi-rents: an empirical application

This paper investigates whether innovations generate quasi-rents and whether the size of those quasi-rents are affected by market conditions. Using a panel data of Spanish manufacturing firms during the period 1990-93 we answer affinnatevely to both questions. Product, process and both innovations generate quasi rents and such quasirents appears to be higher for process innovations. The size of innovation quasi-rents seems to be affected positively by demand growth, by product standarisation, and by low product market concentration. The three empirical results are in agreement with the theoretical predictions such as the Schmoockler' s theory of demandpool innovation, the price-elasticity of demand effects of Kamien and Schwartz and the replacement effect of Arrow. Process innovations are more affected by market conditions than the rest of innovations, at the tine of generating quasi-rents

Refrigeration Capacity and Effect of Ageing on the Operation of Cellulose Evaporative Cooling Pads, by Wind Tunnel Analysis

This study investigates the temperature reduction capacity and water consumption of a fan-pad system installed in a greenhouse located in the coastal regions of Almería. The suitability of this system for coastal zones with high environmental humidity during the summer is analyzed. Historical temperature and relative humidity series are studied, obtaining the thermal difference and maximum, medium, and minimum monthly water consumption of the pads based on the operation data of the pads. Despite the high relative humidity of the air in the hottest hours of the day, a decrease of 5.92 ºC in the mean temperature and a water consumption of 13.55 l/h per square meter of an evaporative cooling pad are obtained in the month of August. Additionally, the operation of a cellulose evaporative cooling pad installed for 3 years in a greenhouse is analyzed in a wind tunnel and compared with that of a new pad of the same model. Over time and with low maintenance, the porosity of the pad decreases due to salt incrustation. The salt incrustation makes airflow more difficult in the pad, increasing the pressure drop by 170.04%; however, the air saturation efficiency of the pad increases by 6.6% due to the greater contact time between the air and the waterMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad de España AGL2015-68050-RUnión Europea (FEDER) AGL2015-68050-

La importancia de las visitas en el acogimiento familiar

Se trata de una conferencia dentro de una Jornada.Uno de los principales fines del acogimiento familiar es que los niños no pierdan las relaciones con su familia biológica cuando éstas sean beneficiosas para los niños. Las principales funciones que se atribuyen a las visitas son: a) mantener los vínculos afectivos de los niños con sus familias biológicas; b) dar continuidad a la historia de los niños y al desarrollo de su identidad; y c) crear una relación de confianza y colaboración entre acogedores y familia biológica. Además, las visitas contribuyen a fundamentar las decisiones de los técnicos respecto a la evolución del acogimiento y a la posibilidad de retorno con la familia biológica. No obstante, numerosas investigaciones que analizan las visitas consideran que no existe una respuesta clara sobre si estos contactos son beneficiosos. El Grupo de Investigación sobre Acogimiento y Adopción de la Universidad de Málaga ha analizado las visitas de los niños acogidos con sus familias biológicas, así como las relaciones afectivas de los niños con sus padres y con sus acogedores. Los resultados ponen de relieve la necesidad de diseñar un proyecto de intervención con protocolos de actuación dirigidos a cada uno de los participantes: niños, familias biológicas, familias acogedoras y técnicos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Energy Efficiency in Greenhouse Evaporative Cooling Techniques: Cooling Boxes versus Cellulose Pads

Evaporative cooling systems using a combination of evaporative pads and extractor fans require greenhouses to be hermetic. The greatest concentration of greenhouses in the world is located in southeast Spain, but these tend not to be hermetic structures and consequently can only rely on fogging systems as evaporative cooling techniques. Evaporative cooling boxes provide an alternative to such systems. Using a low-speed wind tunnel, the present work has compared the performance of this system with four pads of differing geometry and thickness manufactured by two different companies. The results obtained show that the plastic packing in the cooling unit produces a pressure drop of 11.05 Pa at 2 m·s−1, which is between 51.27% and 94.87% lower than that produced by the cellulose pads. This pressure drop was not influenced by increases in the water flow. The evaporative cooling boxes presented greater saturation efficiency at the same flow, namely 82.63%, as opposed to an average figure of 65% for the cellulose pads; and also had a lower specific consumption of water, at around 3.05 L·h−1·m−2·°C−1. Consequently, we conclude that evaporative cooling boxes are a good option for cooling non-hermetic greenhouses such as those most frequently used in the Mediterranean basin

Oils and fats on food: is it possible to have a healthy diet?

Oils and fats are an important part of our diet as components of many food formulations. Thus, they are retailed for domestic or hostelry uses and broadly used by food industry for the elaboration of margarines, ice cream, canned food, pre-cooked dishes, bakery, confectionary, chocolates, etc. Chemically, the main component of oils and fats are triacylglycerols (TAGs), which account for up to 95% of their total weight. They consisted of a molecule of glycerol esterified with three fatty acids, usually the saturated, palmitic and stearic, the monounsatu�rated oleic, and the polyunsaturated, linoleic or linolenic, all with 18 carbons excepting the palmitic which has 16 carbons. Out of those most common fatty acids, we can found other fatty acids present only in certain oils such as saturated medium chained fatty acids like lauric and myristic, which contain 12 and 14 carbons respectively

Oils and fats on food: is it possible to have a healthy diet?

Oils and fats are an important part of our diet as components of many food formulations. Thus, they are retailed for domestic or hostelry uses and broadly used by food industry for the elaboration of margarines, ice cream, canned food, pre-cooked dishes, bakery, confectionary, chocolates, etc. Chemically, the main component of oils and fats are triacylglycerols (TAGs), which account for up to 95% of their total weight. They consisted of a molecule of glycerol esterified with three fatty acids, usually the saturated, palmitic and stearic, the monounsatu�rated oleic, and the polyunsaturated, linoleic or linolenic, all with 18 carbons excepting the palmitic which has 16 carbons. Out of those most common fatty acids, we can found other fatty acids present only in certain oils such as saturated medium chained fatty acids like lauric and myristic, which contain 12 and 14 carbons respectively

Structural insights into viral IRES-dependent translation mechanisms

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. A diverse group of viruses subvert the host translational machinery to promote viral genome translation. This process often involves altering canonical translation initiation factors to repress cellular protein synthesis while viral proteins are efficiently synthesized. The discovery of this strategy in picornaviruses, which is based on the use of internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements, opened new avenues to study alternative translational control mechanisms evolved in different groups of RNA viruses. IRESs are cis-acting RNA sequences that adopt three-dimensional structures and recruit the translation machinery assisted by a subset of translation initiation factors and various RNA binding proteins. However, IRESs present in the genome of different RNA viruses perform the same function despite lacking conservation of primary sequence and secondary RNA structure, and differing in host factor requirement to recruit the translation machinery. Evolutionary conserved motifs tend to preserve sequences impacting on RNA structure and RNA-protein interactions important for IRES function. While some motifs are found in various picornavirus IRESs, others occur only in one type reflecting specialized factor requirements. This review is focused to describe recent advances on the principles and RNA structure features of picornavirus IRESs.MINECO, and by an Institutional grant from Fundación Ramón ArecesPeer Reviewe

Estudios sobre las Rubiáceas de México, LII

Abstract The Randia sepium is an extremely interesting species with its coriaceous medium-sized leaves glabrous and brilliant on both sides with 4–7 pairs of secondary nerves and terminal inflorescences, with medium-sized hirsute flowers and pubescent corolla lobes on both sides not having closely related taxon in the Mexican and Mesoamerican flora. All Randia species of these areas having coriaceous shiny leaves — e.g. R. cookii and R. chiapensis — are thorny small-leaved, nerveless, small-flowered ones with small glabrous, axillary or terminal solitary flowers. It is notable for its use, since it is applied as living fence in Chiapas (Mexico)