Who leads Research Productivity Change? Guidelines for R&D policy makers

Relying on efficiency analysis we evaluate to what extent policy makers have been able to promote the establishment of consolidated and comprehensive research groups to contribute to the implementation of a successful innovation system for the Spanish food technology sector, oriented to the production of knowledge based on an application model. Using data envelopment analysis techniques and Malmquist productivity indices we find pervasive levels of inefficiency and a typology of different research strategies. Among these, in contrast to what has been assumed, established groups do not play the pre-eminent benchmarking role; rather, partially oriented, specialized and "shooting star" groups are the most common patterns. These results correspond with an infant innovation system, where the fostering of higher levels of efficiency and promotion of the desired research patterns are ongoing.Innovation Policy; Management; Productivity Change; Malmquist Index; Distance Function

A Holistic and Interoperable Approach towards the Implementation of Services for the Digital Transformation of Smart Cities: The Case of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)

Cities in the 21st century play a major role in the sustainability and climate impact reduction challenges set by the European agenda. As the population of cities grows and their environmental impact becomes more evident, the European strategy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—the main cause of climate change. Measures to reduce the impact of climate change include reducing energy consumption, improving mobility, harnessing resources and renewable energies, integrating nature-based solutions and efficiently managing infrastructure. The monitoring and control of all this activity is essential for its proper functioning. In this context, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a key role in the digitisation, monitoring, and managing of these different verticals. Urban data platforms support cities on extracting Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in their efforts to make better decisions. Cities must be transformed by applying efficient urban planning measures and taking into account not only technological aspects, but also by applying a holistic vision in building solutions where citizens are at the centre. In addition, standardisation of platforms where applications are integrated as one is necessary. This requires interoperability between different verticals. This article presents the information platform developed for the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain. The platform is based on the UNE 178104 standard to provide a holistic architecture that integrates information from the different urban planning measures implemented in the city. The platform was constructed in the context of the SmartEnCity project following the urban transformation strategy established by the city. The article presents the value-added solutions implemented in the platform. These solutions have been developed by applying co-creation techniques in which stakeholders have been involved throughout the process. The platform proposes a step forward towards standardization, harmonises the integration of data from multiple vertical, provides interoperability between services, and simplifies scalability and replicability due to its microservice architecture.This work has been supported by the Department of Education, Universities, and Research of the Basque Government under the projects Ikerketa Taldeak (Software and Systems Engineering research group of Mondragon Unibertsitatea) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the project SmartEnCity with the grant agreement no. 691883

Paleovegetación durante la Edad del Bronce en la Rioja alavesa: Análisis palinológico del yacimiento de Peña Parda ( Laguardia, Álava)

En este trabajo se presenta el estudio palinológico del yacimiento de Peña Parda (Laguardia, Álava). Los resultados obtenidos, en las 13 muestras estudiadas, han aportado interesantes datos sobre el paisaje vegetal existente en la vertiente sur de la Sierra de Cantabria durante la Edad del Bronce, así como sobre las evidencias de antropización

OLIVACOTYLE HEMANTHIASI N. GEN. N. SP. (MONOGENEA: DICLIDOPHORIDAE) DE LAS BRANQUIAS DE LA CABRILLA DONCELLA HEMANTHIAS SIGNIFER (GARMAN, 1899) (TELEOSTEI: SERRANIDAE) EN EL OCÉANO PACÍFICO DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR

Un nuevo género y especie de Monogenea, Olivacotyle hemanthiasi n. gen., n. sp., se proponen para acomodar especímenes colectados de las branquias de la cabrilla doncella Hemanthias signifer (Garman, 1899) (Serranidae) en el Perú, Océano Pacífico Sudamericano (45°54'S, 81°05'W). Si bien es un miembro de Diclidophorinae Cerfontaine, 1895 que incluye parásitos de teleósteos marinos, O. hemanthiasi n. sp. difiere de los otros 15 miembros de esta subfamilia por la combinación de las siguientes seis características: (1) pinzas haptorales con la esclerita anteromedial y una esclerita anterolateral fusionadas formando un anillo, la otra esclerita anterolateral no fusionada con ninguna esclerita del cuadrante anterior interno, extensión lamelar parcialmente reducida y escleritas posterolateral distal no fusionadas distalmente; (2) pinzas dispuestas en semicírculo alrededor del borde posterior del haptor; (3) testículos extendiéndose hacia el haptor; (4) vagina ausente; (5) receptáculo seminal bien desarrollado; y (6) vesícula prostática ausente

Influence of the structural components of artificial turf systems on impact attenuation in amateur football players

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the infuence of the structural components of diferent 3rd generation artifcial turf football feld systems on the biomechanical response of impact attenuation in amateur football players. A total of 12 amateur football players (24.3±3.7 years, 73.5±5.5kg, 178.3±4.1cm and 13.7±4.3 years of sport experience) were evaluated on three third generation artifcial turf systems (ATS) with diferent structural components. ATS were composed of asphalt subbase and 45mm of fbre height with (ATS1) and without (ATS2) elastic layer or compacted granular sub-base, 60mm of fbre height without elastic layer (ATS3). Two triaxial accelerometers were frmly taped to the forehead and the distal end of the right tibia of each individual. The results reveal a higher force reduction on ATS3 in comparison to ATS1 (+6.24%, CI95%: 1.67 to 10.92, ES: 1.07; p<0.05) and ATS2 (+21.08%, CI95%: 16.51 to 25.66, ES: 2.98; p<0.05) elastic layer. Tibia acceleration rate was lower on ATS3 than ATS1 (−0.32, CI95%: −0.60 to −0.03, ES: 4.23; p<0.05) and ATS2 (−0.35, CI95%: −0.64 to −0.06; ES: 4.69; p<0.05) at 3.3m/s. A very large correlation (r=0.7 to 0.9; p<0.05) was found between energy restitution and fbre height in both head and tibial peak acceleration and stride time. In conclusion, structural components (fbre height, infll, sub-base and elastic layer) determine the mechanical properties of artifcial turf felds. A higher force reduction and lower energy restitution diminished the impact received by the player which could protect against injuries associated with impacts compared to harder artifcial turf surfaces

Cerebrospinal fluid Presenilin-1 increases at asymptomatic stage in genetically determined Alzheimer’s disease

[Background] Presenilin-1 (PS1), the active component of the intramembrane γ-secretase complex, can be detected as soluble heteromeric aggregates in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The aim of this study was to examine the different soluble PS1 complexes in the lumbar CSF (CSF-PS1) of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), particularly in both symptomatic and asymptomatic genetically determined AD, in order to evaluate their potential as early biomarkers.[Methods] Western blotting, differential centrifugation and co-immunoprecipitation served to determine and characterize CSF-PS1 complexes. We also monitored the assembly of soluble PS1 into complexes in a cell model, and the participation of Aβ in the dynamics and robustness of the stable PS1 complexes.[Results] There was an age-dependent increase in CSF-PS1 levels in cognitively normal controls, the different complexes represented in similar proportions. The total levels of CSF-PS1, and in particular the proportion of the stable 100–150 kDa complexes, increased in subjects with autosomal dominant AD that carried PSEN1 mutations (eight symptomatic and six asymptomatic ADAD) and in Down syndrome individuals (ten demented and ten non-demented DS), compared with age-matched controls (n = 23), even prior to the appearance of symptoms of dementia. The proportion of stable CSF-PS1 complexes also increased in sporadic AD (n = 13) and mild-cognitive impaired subjects (n = 12), relative to age-matched controls (n = 17). Co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated the association of Aβ oligomers with soluble PS1 complexes, particularly the stable complexes.[Conclusions] Our data suggest that CSF-PS1 complexes may be useful as an early biomarker for AD, reflecting the pathology at asymptomatic state.This study was funded in part by the EU BIOMARKAPD-Joint Programming on Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND) project, by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII grants PI11/03026 to JSV, PI11/02425 and PI14/01126 to JF, PI11/03035 and PI14/1561 to AL, PI08/0036 and PI12/00013 to RSV, and PI11/03023 to JLM), co-financed by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, under the aegis of JPND, and through CIBERNED, ISCIII. This work was also supported by the Fundació Catalana de Síndrome de Down and by a “Marató TV3” grant (20141210 to JF) and a grant from the Griffols Foundation. The funding bodies played no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or the preparation of the manuscript. We also acknowledge the support for the publication fee to the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

Climatic and lacustrine morphometric controls of diatom paleoproductivity in a tropical Andean lake

15 páginas, 6 figuras, 1 tablaThe coupling of lake dynamics with catchment biogeochemistry is considered the key element controlling primary production in mountain lakes at time scales of a few decades to millennia, yet little is known on the impacts of the morphometry of lakes throughout their ontogeny. As Lake Chungará (Central Andean Altiplano, northern Chile) experienced long-term lake-level fluctuations that strongly modified its area:volume ratio, it is an ideal system for exploring the relative roles that long-term climatic shifts and lake morphometry play on biosiliceous lacustrine productivity. In this paper, we review previous data on the percent contents of total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, total biogenic silica, isotopic composition of organic matter, carbonates, and diatom frustules, as well as data on the abundance of the chlorophycean Botryococcus braunii in this lake for the period 12,400–1300 cal yr BP. We also include new data on organic carbon and biogenic silica mass accumulation rates and the diatom assemblage composition of an offshore core dated using 14C and U/Th. Biosiliceous productivity in Lake Chungará was influenced by shifts in allochthonous nutrient inputs related to variability in precipitation. Humid phases dated at approx. 12,400 to 10,000 and 9600 to 7400 cal yr BP coincide with periods of elevated productivity, whereas decreases in productivity were recorded during arid phases dated at approx. 10,000 to 9600 and 7400 to 3550 cal yr BP (Andean mid-Holocene Aridity Period). However, morphometry-related in–lake controls led to a lack of a linear response of productivity to precipitation variability. During the late Glacial to early Holocene, lowstands facilitated complete water column mixing, prompting episodic massive blooms of a large centric diatom, Cyclostephanos cf. andinus. Thus, moderate productivity could be maintained, regardless of aridity, by this phenomenon of morphometric eutrophy during the early history of the lake. The subsequent net increase in lake level introduced modifications in the area of the epilimnion sediments versus the total volume of the epilimnion, preventing complete overturn. Surpassing a certain depth threshold at approx. 8300 cal yr BP caused cessation of the morphometric eutrophy conditions associated with Cyclostephanos cf. andinus superblooms. After 7300 cal yr BP, the lake experienced a decrease in biosiliceous productivity and a change of state that involved a stronger dependence on precipitation variability, with a lesser contribution of diatoms to the total primary productivity. Our results show that the interpretation of lacustrine paleoproductivity records as paleoclimatic archives needs to take into account the effects of changes in the epilimnion sediment area to epilimnion volume ratio in association with lake ontogenyThe Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation funded this research through the projects ANDESTER (BTE2001-3225), Complementary Action (BTE2001-5257-E), LAVOLTER (CGL2004-00683/BTE), GEOBILA (CGL2007-60932/BTE) and CONSOLIDER-Ingenio 2010 GRACCIE (CSD2007-00067)Peer reviewe

Effect of the Inoculation Site of Bovine and Avian Purified Protein Derivatives (PPDs) on the Performance of the Intradermal Tuberculin Test in Goats From Tuberculosis-Free and Infected Herds

The single and comparative intradermal tuberculin (SIT and CIT) tests are used for the ante-mortem diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis (TB). The tuberculin injection site has been associated with a different performance of the test in cattle. In contrast to that required in cattle in Europe (cervical injection), it can be carried out in the scapular region in goats. Nevertheless, there are no previous data concerning the effect of the injection site on the performance of the test in goats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two different inoculation sites (cervical and scapular) on the performance of the SIT/CIT tests. This was done by intradermally inoculating 309 goats from two infected herds and one TB-free herd with both avian and bovine PPDs in the mid-cervical and scapular regions. None of the animals from the TB-free herd had positive reactions, and the number of reactors was not significantly higher, regardless of the inoculation site, in the high and low prevalence herds. However, significantly higher increases in skin fold thickness were observed on the cervical site when compared to the scapular site after the avian and bovine PPD inoculations in the TB-free herd (p < 0.001) and after the bovine PPD injection in the high prevalence herd (p = 0.003). The presence of clinical signs was also more evident on the cervical site when using avian and bovine PPDs in the high prevalence herd (p < 0.01). In contrast, increases in higher skin fold thickness were observed on the scapular site when compared to the cervical site after the bovine and avian PPD inoculations were employed in the low prevalence herd (p < 0.01). These results suggest that the cervical injection of PPDs may improve the sensitivity of the intradermal tuberculin test in high TB prevalence caprine herds, mainly owing to the increased presence of local clinical signs and a better performance of the CIT test. Moreover, specificity was not affected when using standard interpretations, although further analyses in a great number of herds are required in order to confirm these findings.This study was funded by the Herramientas para alcanzar la erradicación de la tuberculosis caprina (GoaTBfree) project (PID2019-105155RB-C31) and the Spanish Government's Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. JO was supported by an FPU (Formación de Profesorado Universitario) contract-fellowship provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (FPU18/05197).S