Delimitation, description and success factors of family businesses in Spain: a European comparison

The aim of this paper is to delimit the concept of family business and based on it to provide a profile of large and medium-sized family businesses in Spain. We will analyze their distinctive characteristics by comparing them to non-family businesses and focus on the study of a series of economic-financial variables in order to identify their key success factors as compared to non-family businesses of the same sizes and in the same geographical areas. The paper also includes a comparative study of Spanish and European family businesse

Perfil de la empresa familiar en España y Andalucía

El propósito de este trabajo es proporcionar el perfil de la mediana y gran empresa familiar española en general, y en Andalucía en particular. Se analizarán las características distintivas que presentan este tipo de empresas familiares, con especial atención al estudio de una serie de variables económico-financieras que nos permitan identificar los factores claves de éxito de las mismas con respecto a las no familiares del mismo tamaño y localización geográfica. La información relativa a las 1.182 empresas que conforman la población objeto de nuestro estudio procede de la base de datos SABI para los tres últimos años de los que se podía obtener información completa.The purpose of this paper is to provide the profile of the median and large Spanish family business in general, and in Andalusia in particular. We will analyze the distinctive features of this type of family business, with special attention to the study of a series of economic and financial variables that allow us to identify the key success factors of the same with respect to non-relatives of the same size and geographical location . The information about the 1,182 companies that make up the population of our study comes from the SABI database for the last three years from which complete information could be obtained

Women and Globalization

Economic globalization is a process tending towards neoliberal economic policy reforms (such as deregulation and privatization) and increases in capital, goods, services, and workforce movement. Economic theory on globalization’s impacts on growth and wellbeing does seldom make distinctions between genders. It is frequently assumed that women will pay the cost of market liberalization by an unquestionable loss of jobs, or of high-income jobs. However, trade theory suggests that a growing international trade should benefit women, especially in developing countries. In order to determine the impacts of the globalization process on women’s quality of life, equality, and status it is first necessary to define what is understood under such terms and which variables are involved in their measurement. There seems to be some consensus in identifying the set of variables that define women’s quality of life: economic, political, and social. There are two schools of thought in analyzing the effects of globalization on women. One school, basically optimistic but with some reserves, argues that participation in global trade and in financial markets will improve the situation of all citizens, including women. The other has got a more critical perspective and argues that economic globalization will further increase existing inequalities and will lead to new ones. Both sides of the discussion on the effects of globalization on women are valid, but there is a the need to go beyond the sterile debate on whether globalization is good or bad, and reach a more constructive and wider-scope debate on how to achieve the best possible outcomes of globalization for women. Globalization must be analyzed from a multidimensional perspective and it is only by means of this process and by analyzing the real experiences of actors in adapting to globalization that we can understand the true outreach of globalization. According to this alternative perspective and in trying to develop a constructive debate on the impact of globalization on women a set of practices have to be detected, analyzed, and promoted in order to minimize the negative impacts of globalization on women and reinforce the positive ones. They include, among others: cultural change; sustained and mutuallyagreed action programs among business schools, companies, and other interest groups such as the public sector; and removing the glass ceiling in MNCs, including codes of conduct as a part of their corporate social responsibility

Direct analysis of olive oil and other vegetable oils by mass spectrometry: a review

Virgin olive oil (VOO) is a highly valued vegetable oil often subjected to fraud practices such as adulteration with lower prized oils such as seed oils and refined olive oil. Thus, there is a need to provide rapid tools that allow high-throughput authentication and quality control of VOO as well as other valued oils. Mass spectrometry offers unique features -such as specificity, sensitivity and speed of analysis-that map well against this challenge, either those based on atmospheric pressure ionization methods (ESI and APCI) or those occurring under vacuum conditions such as MALDI for nonvolatile species or headspace sampling-mass spectrometry using electron impact ionization (HS-MS) or chemical ionization (proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS)) for volatile fraction analysis. In addition, more recent atmospheric pressure methods (Ambient MS) enable direct analysis with minor or even no sample manipulation. The aim of this article is to provide a critical overview on all these methods and their potential use for vegetable oil characterization, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the differentMarie Sklodowska-Curie (MSCA) grant agreement number 840743, EU FEDER funds and the Research Programme of the University of Jaen (Plan 2019–2020, Research programme “Acción 10”) and Regional Government of Andalucía, Spain (Project Ref. PY2018-1211)

Physical activity and amyloid beta in middle-aged and older adults:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: One of the pathological hallmarks distinguishing Alzheimer's disease from other dementias is the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ). Higher physical activity is associated with decreased dementia risk, and one potential path could be through Aβ levels modulation. We aimed to explore the relationship between physical activity and Aβ in middle-aged and older adults. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and SPORTDiscus was performed from inception to the 28th of April 2022. Studies were eligible if they included physical activity and Aβ data in adults aged 45 years or older. Multi-level meta-analyses of intervention and observational studies were performed to examine the role of physical activity in modulating Aβ levels. Results: In total, 37 articles were included (8 randomized controlled trials, 3 non-randomized controlled trials, 4 prospective longitudinal studies, and 22 cross-sectional studies). The overall effect size of physical activity interventions on changes in blood Aβ was medium (pooled standardized mean difference = –0.69, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): –1.41 to 0.03; I2 = 74.6%). However, these results were not statistically significant, and there were not enough studies to explore the effects of physical activity on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain Aβ. Data from observational studies were examined based on measurements of Aβ in the brain using positron emission tomography scans, CSF, and blood. Higher physical activity was positively associated with Aβ only in the CSF (Estimate r = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.05–0.18; I2 = 38%). Conclusion: Physical activity might moderately reduce blood Aβ in middle-aged and older adults. However, results were only near statistical significance and might be interpreted with caution given the methodological limitations observed in some of the included studies. In observational studies, higher levels of physical activity were positively associated with Aβ only in CSF. Therefore, further research is needed to understand the modulating role of physical activity in the brain, CSF, and blood Aβ, as well as its implication for cognitive health.</p

Physical activity and amyloid beta in middle-aged and older adults:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: One of the pathological hallmarks distinguishing Alzheimer's disease from other dementias is the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ). Higher physical activity is associated with decreased dementia risk, and one potential path could be through Aβ levels modulation. We aimed to explore the relationship between physical activity and Aβ in middle-aged and older adults. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and SPORTDiscus was performed from inception to the 28th of April 2022. Studies were eligible if they included physical activity and Aβ data in adults aged 45 years or older. Multi-level meta-analyses of intervention and observational studies were performed to examine the role of physical activity in modulating Aβ levels. Results: In total, 37 articles were included (8 randomized controlled trials, 3 non-randomized controlled trials, 4 prospective longitudinal studies, and 22 cross-sectional studies). The overall effect size of physical activity interventions on changes in blood Aβ was medium (pooled standardized mean difference = –0.69, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): –1.41 to 0.03; I2 = 74.6%). However, these results were not statistically significant, and there were not enough studies to explore the effects of physical activity on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain Aβ. Data from observational studies were examined based on measurements of Aβ in the brain using positron emission tomography scans, CSF, and blood. Higher physical activity was positively associated with Aβ only in the CSF (Estimate r = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.05–0.18; I2 = 38%). Conclusion: Physical activity might moderately reduce blood Aβ in middle-aged and older adults. However, results were only near statistical significance and might be interpreted with caution given the methodological limitations observed in some of the included studies. In observational studies, higher levels of physical activity were positively associated with Aβ only in CSF. Therefore, further research is needed to understand the modulating role of physical activity in the brain, CSF, and blood Aβ, as well as its implication for cognitive health.</p

High-pressure shift freezing : Recrystallization during storage

High-pressure shift freezing has been proposed as a method to produce frozen food with smaller ice crystal size and, consequently, with reduced tissular damage and higher overall quality. The fate of this initially improved crystal size distribution, decisive for the long-term value of this procedure, is unclear. The recrystallization behaviour of partially frozen aqueous solutions, as food models, is here compared with that of similar classically frozen samples. A microscopic observation cell has been specially designed for this purpose. The temporal evolution of high-pressure shift frozen ice crystals has been fitted to different mechanism models and is found to be similar within experimental error to that of classically frozen samples. However, differences in the shape evolution of crystals have been detected, which can be ascribed to small differences in the initial distribution. The implications of these observations for the long-term storage of frozen food are discussed.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimento

Solution-Processed Ni-Based Nanocomposite Electrocatalysts: An Approach to Highly Efficient Electrochemical Water Splitting

In this study, we report an up-scalable and low-cost solution-processed method to in situ synthesize an earth-abundant non-stoichiometric NiOx-based electrocatalytic film for water oxidation. The catalytic activity was found to be inversely proportional to the baking temperature, which varied from 50 to 500 °C. We found the formation of a hybrid nanocomposite thin film of NiOx nanocrystals (<2 nm size) inside an acetate-based organic matrix at low temperatures (<200 °C). The defective and short-range structural order of the NiOx-based nanocomposite electrocatalysts, compatible with lattice stress, low electrical conductivity, and high density of catalytically active surface species, and higher Fe incorporation were responsible for the enhanced electrocatalytic activity. Our champion NiOx catalyst features a 358 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm–2 and more than 60 h of continuous operation without significant losses, which is a remarkable milestone for undoped NiOx electrocatalysts synthesized at nearly room temperature by a solution-processed up-scalable method.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume IThe authors acknowledge the financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades of Spain through funded projects ENE2017-85087-C3-1-R, RYC-2015-18349, and TEC2017-86102-C2-1-R and Agencia Valenciana de la Innovacion (AVI) INNVAL10/18/032. The authors thank the Central Support Service for Experimental Research (SCSIE) (XRD and SEM facilities) and the Institute of Materials Science (TGA and DTA equipment) of the University of Valencia and the Central Service of Scientific Instrumentation (SCIC) at University Jaume I. The authors also thank Prof. Juan P. Martinez-Pastor for his constructive suggestions and scientific discussions

Programa SOU-estuTUTOR en el aula: Desarrollo de estrategias de aprendizaje y participación entre estudiantes

El programa SOU-estuTUTOR está diseñado como un programa de orientación universitaria entre iguales para que los estudiantes de últimos cursos de carrera (mentores) desarrollen tareas de tutorización con los estudiantes de primero de su titulación

What skeletal muscle has to say in ALS: implications for therapy

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult onset disorder characterised by progressive neuromuscular junction (NMJ) dismantling and degeneration of motor neurons leading to atrophy and paralysis of voluntary muscles responsible for motion and breathing. Except for a minority of patients harbouring genetic mutations, the origin of most ALS cases remains elusive. Peripheral tissues, and particularly skeletal muscle, have lately demonstrated an active contribution to disease pathology attracting a growing interest for these tissues as therapeutic targets in ALS. In this sense molecular mechanisms essential for cell and tissue homeostasis have been shown to be de‐regulated in the disease. These include muscle metabolism and mitochondrial activity, RNA processing, tissue‐resident stem cell function responsible for muscle regeneration, and proteostasis that regulates muscle mass in adulthood. This review aims to compile scientific evidence that demonstrates the role of skeletal muscle in ALS pathology and serve as reference for development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting this tissue to delay disease onset and progression