Sustainable Crafts: Describing Conceptual Evolution Through a Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review

Sustainability has been progressively incorporated into all dimensions of society as a response to the negative externalities of the traditional production model, and the craft sector has been no stranger to this. Thus, the present work constitutes a bibliometric analysis of 894 research articles from the Scopus database on sustainable crafts in the 21st century, identifying the growth trends, published articles, and the most productive journals, authors, institutions, and countries. Additionally, we have identified the main research topics that have emerged in sustainable crafts in three time periods: before the international financial crisis, the post-crisis period, and, finally, within the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations (UN). Based on the bibliometric indicators analysed, we conclude that this research area has grown exponentially, particularly in response to the Sustainable Development Goals, increasing the abundance and diversity of the issues investigated.RRREMAKEREuropean Commission 10100806

Study and characterization of modified silicon surfaces with organic molecules

Nanostructured thin films and subsequent biofunctionalization of silicon substrates are essential for the development of biosensors devices. The formation of organic monolayers on silicon substrates via Si-C bound allows specific interactions with biomolecules and presents several advantages like greater detection sensitivity and stability against hydrolytic cleavage.1 In this sense, to control the orientation and spacing between grafted functional moieties on the surface, tripodal oligo (p-phenylene)s have become ideal anisotropic adsorbates due to their shape-persistent and selfstanding characteristics.2 On the other hand, biomolecules such as tehtahydro[3]benzazepines are well-known to contain in their structure a phenetylamine skeleton, which is also present in dopaminergic receptors and drugs, therefore these molecules have a remarkable interest in medicinal chemistry. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of several tetrahydro[3]benzazepines and tripod-shaped oligo(p-phenylene)s which were suitably functionalized for its subsequent adsorption on silicon surfaces by hydrosilylation and/or CuAAc click reaction. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis were also carried out to reveal the presence of the grafted molecules on the different Si surfaces.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Influence of irrigation conditions in the germination of plasma treated Nasturtium seeds

Plasma treatments had emerged as a useful technique to improve seed germination. In this work we investigate the influence of different irrigation conditions and plasma treatments on the germination of nasturtium seeds. During plasma treatment, seeds experience a progressive weight loss as a function of treatment time that has been associated to water release, a process that is more pronounced after longer plasma treatment times. Seeds treated for short times (<30 s) are able to germinate more efficiently than untreated specimen under hydric stress (drought conditions), while plasma treatments for longer times (up to 300 s) impaired germination independently on irrigation conditions. Characterization analysis of plasma treated seeds by FTIR-ATR, SEM/EDX and XPS showed that plasma treatment affected the chemical state of pericarp while, simultaneously, induced a considerable increase in the seeds water uptake capacity. The decrease in germination efficiency found after plasma treatment for long times, or for short times under optimum irrigation conditions, has been attributed to that the excess of water accumulated in the pericarp hampers the diffusion up to the embryo of other agents like oxygen which are deemed essential for germination.España FEDER y MINECO MINECO (projects MAT2013-40852-R, MAT2016-79866-R, MINECOCSIC 201560E055)España, RECUPERA 2020 y Junta de Andalucía project P12-2265 M

Financial Feasibility of Public Bike Rental Systems in Spain

[EN] In recent years, many public bike rental systems have proliferated in Spain. Unfortunately, many have had to close because of their poor financial feasibility. The aim of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, a benchmarking of the main public bicycle systems in Spain is conducted, analysing the growth in the last decades, with special emphasis on successful systems and on the recently failed. In addition, the financial feasibility of some successful systems in Spain is analysed: Seville, Valencia and Barcelona. Thus, major factors directly related to the viability of such systems are discussed. A proper and correct knowledge of these factors is essential when making decisions in mobility policies. The main factors on which the management company may decide are: pricing policy (annual and weekly rate), advertising rates, and system dimensions (number of docking stations, anchors and bicycles). There are other external factors not directly controlled by the company (subscribers, occupancy rate of advertising space and system maintenance cost) but which are crucial to their feasibility. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, mobility studies in Seville (1400 surveys) and Barcelona (1000 surveys) were conducted in order to achieve more accurate parameter values (time cycling, distances, used rate, frequencies, etc.). Despite the similarities between the systems in Valencia and Seville, they have shown very different profitability. The high profitability in Valencia and Barcelona is highlighted in contrast to the case of the Seville system.The authors would like to thank the FEDER of European Union for financial support via Project Impacto de la Bicicleta Pblica en Andaluca (GGI3001IDIW) of the Programa Operativo FEDER de Andaluca 2007- 295 2013. We also thank all Agency of Public Works and the Ministry of Furtherance and Housing of Andalusia Regional Government staff and researchers for their dedication and professionalism.Hernández-Díaz, A.; Sastre, J.; López-Sánchez, A.; Cuello, M.; Molina, J. (2016). Financial Feasibility of Public Bike Rental Systems in Spain. En XII Congreso de ingeniería del transporte. 7, 8 y 9 de Junio, Valencia (España). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 164-177. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2016.338816417

A novel biocompatible polymer derived from D-mannitol used as a vector in the field of genetic engineering of eukaryotic cells

The design and preparation of new vectors to transport genetic material and increase the transfection efficiency continue being an important research line. Here, a novel biocompatible sugar-based polymer derived from Dmannitol has been synthesized to be used as a gene material nanocarrier in human (gene transfection) and microalga cells (transformation process). Its low toxicity allows its use in processes with both medical and industrial applications. A multidisciplinary study about the formation of polymer/p-DNA polyplexes has been carried out using techniques such as gel electrophoresis, zeta potential, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The nucleic acids used were the eukaryotic expression plasmid pEGFP-C1 and the microalgal expression plasmid Phyco69, which showed different behaviors. The importance of DNA supercoiling in both transfection and transformation processes was demonstrated. Better results were obtained in microalga cells nuclear transformation than in human cells gene transfection. This was related to the plasmid’s conformational changes, in particular to their superhelical structure. It is noteworthy that the same nanocarrier has been used with eukaryotic cells from both human and microalga.This work was supported by the Consejería de Conocimiento, Innovación y Universidades de la Junta de Andalucía (FQM-206, FQM-274, FQM-135 and P20–01234); VI Plan Propio Universidad de Sevilla (PP2019/00000748), and the European Union (Feder Funds)

Crafts as a key factor in local development: Bibliometric analysis

The role of crafts on a global level has accrued importance at present, both for developing countries and for rural development in general. Governments and institutions are increasingly trying to promote rural development to fight against the flight of the population from rural areas. Crafts is considered an important tool for local economic development and job creation. The goal of this study is to use bibliometric analysis to analyze the advances in research in the field of crafts and their influence on the development of rural communities. It also aims to identify the main lines of research that are currently being addressed as future trends. This analysis has provided a global, systematic and visual overview of the 1379 studies related to the role of crafts in the development of rural areas, published from 1954, year in which the first publication appeared, up to 2021. Growth trends have been identified in the number of articles published, magazines, authors, institutions and most productive countries. Results have shown that the most popular lines of research on this subject are those in which crafts are considered a source of income for local communities, particularly linked to tourism, job creation and sustainability in the first place; followed by research on the demographic and economic effects of new craft products and processes on rural areas; and those that consider crafts as a factor to mitigate poverty in the rural world. Therefore, the concept of handicrafts as a source of livelihood for poor rural regions is primarily emphasized.RRREMAKER. RRREMAKER MSC-RISE-H2020 project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie, proposal number: 10100806

How does financial literacy influence undergraduates’ risk-taking propensity?

Previous evidence is contradictory about the financial literacy-individual’s risk-taking propensity relationship. Therefore, this article attempts to examine the relationship between financial literacy and risk-taking propensity in a university environment, considering for the first time the financial literacy’s multidimensional nature (i.e., financial knowledge, financial attitude, and financial behaviour). Applying Covariance-Based Structural Equation Models to 568 Spanish undergraduates, our results show that: (1) financial knowledge and financial behaviour directly and positively affect risk-taking propensity; (2) financial attitude indirectly and positively affects risk-taking propensity through financial behaviour. These findings are relevant since they provide new insights into the association mechanism that explains the financial literacy-undergraduates’ risk-taking propensity relationship.Antonio Molina-García’s work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (FPU) (FPU20/02328). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA

Analysis of Blood Biochemistry and Pituitary-Gonadal Histology after Chronic Exposure to Bisphenol-A of Mice

Bisphenol-A is an emerging pollutant that is widespread in the environment, and to which live beings are continuously and inadvertently exposed. It is a substance with an endocrine-disrupting capacity, causing alterations in the reproductive, immunological, and neurological systems, among others, as well as metabolic alterations. Our study aimed to assess its clinical signs, and effects on the most relevant blood biochemical parameters, and to evaluate pituitary and gonadal histology after a chronic exposure of adult mice to different BPA doses (0.5, 2, 4, 50 and 100 µg/kg BW/day) through their drinking water. The biochemical results showed that a marked significant reduction (p < 0.05) was produced in the levels of serum glucose, hypoproteinaemia and hypoalbuminemia in the groups exposed to the highest doses, whereas in the group exposed to 50 µg/kg BW/day the glucose and total protein levels dropped, and the animals exposed to 100 µg/kg BW/day experienced a diminution in albumin levels. In the case of the group exposed to 50 µg/kg BW/day, however, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were determined, and the blood parameters indicating kidney alterations such as urea and creatinine experienced a significant increase (p < 0.05) with respect to the controls. Regarding the pituitary and gonads, none of the animals exposed presented histological alterations at the doses tested, giving similar images to those of the control group. These results suggest that continuous exposure to low BPA doses could trigger an inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis, which would result in a hypoglycaemic state, together with an induction of the enzymes responsible for lipidic synthesis, a mechanism by which the increase in the lipid and serum cholesterol levels could be explained. Likewise, the decline in the protein and albumin levels would be indicative of a possible hepatic alteration, and the increase in urea and creatinine would point to a possible renal perturbation, derived from continuous exposure to this xenobiotic. Based on our results, it could be said that chronic exposure to low BPA doses would not produce any clinical signs or histological pituitary-gonadal effects, but it could cause modifications in some blood biochemical parameters, that could initially indicate a possible hepatic and renal effect

EuCAP 2015

Producción CientíficaA partially complementary bilayer chiral metamaterial (CMM) is proposed and numerically studied. It exhibits a strong optical activity and a small circular dichroism. The retrieval results reveal that a negative refractive index is realized in a narrow band around the resonance of the chirality parameter.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project TEC2014-55463-C3-2-P