Why European Entrepreneurs in the Water and Waste Management Sector Are Willing to Go beyond Environmental Legislation

Sustainability in the water sector in Europe is a major concern, and compliance with the current legislation alone does not seem to be enough to face major challenges like climate change or population growth and concentration. The greatest potential for improvement appears when companies decide to take a step forward and go beyond environmental legislation. This study focuses on the environmental responsibility (ER) of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the water and waste management sector and analyzes the drivers that lead these firms to the adoption of more sustainable practices. Our results show that up to 40% of European SMEs within this industry display environmental responsibility. Market pull has a low incidence in encouraging ER, while values and the strategic decisions of entrepreneurs seem decisive. Policy makers should prioritize subsidies over fiscal incentives because they show greater potential to promote the adoption of environmental responsibility among these firms

Factors Promoting Environmental Responsibility in European SMEs: The Effect on Performance

There is increasing social and political awareness of the importance of developing environmental responsibility at a corporate level. When focusing on issues of responsibility, large companies are frequently perceived to be more responsible for driving climate change and resource depletion. However, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to the use of resources such as material and energy and produce approximately 64% of the pollution in Europe. Drawing on evidence from “The Eurobarometer 381 Survey on SMEs, Resource Efficiency and Green Markets”, we analyze the environmental responsibility of European SMEs, studying their compliance with environmental legislation and how several factors drive environmental orientation among SMEs. Our sample consists of 3647 SMEs operating in 38 countries. Only around a fifth of the firms go beyond environmental regulations, showing the highest levels of environmental responsibility. We conduct OLS regressions to analyze the factors that affect a positive environmental attitude among European SMEs (internal drivers being more significant than external ones) and then, to observe the positive effect of environmental responsibility and firm’s experience in offering green services/products on performance, although a conjoint effect was not found. Implications for practitioners, academics, and policy-makers are outlined

The Pursuit of External Knowledge in Eco-Innovation. Analysis of the Agri-Food Sector in Spain

The research about the search for opportunities through open cooperation strategies points to an exchange of knowledge among a certain number of sources, aimed at sustaining competitive advantage. From this new vision emerges the paradigm of open innovation, which has prompted a change in the organization of resources, information filtering, and rapid absorptive capacity. Awareness of climate problems and external societal pressures can motivate companies to create new technologies and new forms of cooperation to avoid environmental problems. Based on a survey of Spanish agri-food firms, we find that the depth of external sources of innovation increases environmental improvement in a U-shaped relationship

Structural and magnetic characterization of ordered Sr2LnSbO6 (Ln=rare earth) perosvkite

The double perovskites A2LnMO6 (A = Sr2+ and Ba2+; Ln = trivalent lanthanide cation; M = pentavalent 4d or 5d transition elements) have been widely studied concerning their structure and properties [1]. If the Ln and M cations are ordered within the B-perosvkite sites the symmetry and size of the unit cell change when are compared to the ideal cubic aristotype. Woodward predicted 15 possible space groups for the ordered A2BB’O6 perovskites when the cation ordering and the octahedral tilting around the pseudo-cubic axes take place simultaneously [2]. The ordered double perovskites A2LnMO6 with only one of the two B-sites carrying magnetic moment, namely Ln, show a magnetic sublattice consisting of edge-sharing tetrahedral, which represents a frustrating magnetic geometry in three dimensions. More recently, the structure of double perovskites Sr2LnSbO6 (Ln= Dy, Ho, Gd, Y and In) has been investigated, and the monoclinic symmetry of the space group P21/n, with Ln and Sb elements ordered in the B-sites, was reported [3, 4]. We report the preparation of the whole family of double perovskites Sr2LnSbO6 (Ln = La-Lu), which crystallize with the P21/n space group, with lattice parameters p= a2a , p= a2b and p= a2c(β∼90 º), being the lattice parameter of the cubic aristotype. A progressive decreasing was observed in lattice parameters with the increasing of the atomic number of the Ln cation, according with the wellknown lanthanide contraction. pa Magnetic susceptibility measurements for this family of compounds reveal a paramagnetic behaviour in a very wide temperature range. From experimental spectroscopic data as well as from a semi-empirical estimation (Simple Overlap Model SOM [5]) of the crystal-field parameters corresponding to the point site symmetry of the magnetically active Ln, Oh, and using the wavefunctions associated with the energy levels obtained, the paramagnetic susceptibility and its evolution vstemperature is simulated according to the van Vleck formalism. The observed deviation from the Curie–Weiss behaviour at low temperature, very well reproduced in each case, reflects the splitting of the ground state of the corresponding Ln cation under the influence of the crystal field. Thus, magnetic frustration or cooperative interactions do not need to be considered to explain the mentioned low temperature deviation from the linearity of Curie-Weiss plots

Assessing the Potential of Algae Extracts for Extending the Shelf Life of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fillets

This study evaluates the potential of different algae extracts (Crassiphycus corneus, Cc; Ulva ohnoi, Uo; Arthrospira platensis, Ap; Haematococcus pluvialis, Hp) as additives for the preservation of rainbow trout fillets. The extracts were prepared with different water to ethanol ratios from the four algae species. The highest ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was observed in Uo extracted in 80% ethanol. Ap aqueous extract also had considerable FRAP activity, in agreement with a high total phenolic content. Radical scavenging activity (DPPH) was higher in Cc 80% ethanol extract, in agreement with a high total carotenoid content. In fact, when the algae aqueous extracts were assayed on the fish fillets, their antioxidant activity exceeded that of ascorbic acid (ASC). All algae extracts delayed microbial growth and lipid oxidation processes in trout fillets throughout the cold storage period compared to controls, and also improved textural parameters, these effects being more evident for Ap and Hp. With respect to the color parameters, the Hp extract prevented the a* values (redness) from decreasing throughout cold storage, a key point when it comes to colored species, not least salmonids. On the other hand, the Ap extract was not as effective as the rest of treatments in avoiding a* and b* decrease throughout the storage period, and thereby the color parameters were impaired. The results obtained, together with the natural origin and the viability for large-scale cultivation, make algae extracts interesting fish preservative agents for the food industry

Los taninos en los forrajes y su papel en la nutrición de los rumiantes. Artículo reseña

This article describes the main characteristics and effects of fodder tannins in ruminant nutrition. Its definition, characteristics and more general properties are stated. Highlighting its negative effects such as decreased consumption, digestibility and efficiency of use of some nutrients; and its positive influences are shown, such as the protection of rumen degradation proteins, the prevention of meteorism and its effect against gastrointestinal parasites. Only the knowledge of the characteristics of the tannins, together with the different contexts of animal feeding, will allow to establish the adequate management of food and animals that minimizes the negative effect and guarantees a positive action of these phenolic substances in the nutrition of the ruminantsEn este artículo se reseñan las principales características y efectos de los taninos de los forrajes en la nutrición de los rumiantes. Se enuncian su definición, características y propiedades más generales. Destacándose sus efectos negativos como la disminución del consumo, la digestibilidad y eficiencia de utilización de algunos nutrientes; y se muestran sus influencias positivas, como la protección de las proteínas de la degradación ruminal, la prevención del meteorismo y su efecto contra los parásitos gastrointestinales. Sólo el conocimiento de las características de los taninos, unido a los diferentes contextos de alimentación animal, permitirá establecer el manejo adecuado de los alimentos y de los animales que minimice el efecto negativo y garantice una acción positiva de estas sustancias fenólicas en la nutrición de los rumiantes

Assisted Diagnosis of Parkinsonism Based on the Striatal Morphology

Parkinsonism is a clinical syndrome characterized by the progressive loss of striatal dopamine. Its diagnosis is usually corroborated by neuroimaging data such as DaTSCAN neuroimages that allow visualizing the possible dopamine deficiency. During the last decade, a number of computer systems have been proposed to automatically analyze DaTSCAN neuroimages, eliminating the subjectivity inherent to the visual examination of the data. In this work, we propose a computer system based on machine learning to separate Parkinsonian patients and control subjects using the size and shape of the striatal region, modeled from DaTSCAN data. First, an algorithm based on adaptative thresholding is used to parcel the striatum. This region is then divided into two according to the brain hemisphere division and characterized with 152 measures, extracted from the volume and its three possible 2-dimensional projections. Afterwards, the Bhattacharyya distance is used to discard the least discriminative measures and, finally, the neuroimage category is estimated by means of a Support Vector Machine classifier. This method was evaluated using a dataset with 189 DaTSCAN neuroimages, obtaining an accuracy rate over 94%. This rate outperforms those obtained by previous approaches that use the intensity of each striatal voxel as a feature.This work was supported by the MINECO/ FEDER under the TEC2015-64718-R project, the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment of the Junta de Andaluc´ıa under the P11-TIC-7103 Excellence Project and the Vicerectorate of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Granada

Interaction between Calpain 5, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta genes: a polygenic approach to obesity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Context</p> <p>Obesity is a multifactorial disorder, that is, a disease determined by the combined effect of genes and environment. In this context, polygenic approaches are needed.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To investigate the possibility of the existence of a crosstalk between the <it>CALPAIN 10 </it>homologue <it>CALPAIN 5 </it>and nuclear receptors of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors family.</p> <p>Design</p> <p>Cross-sectional, genetic association study and gene-gene interaction analysis.</p> <p>Subjects</p> <p>The study sample comprise 1953 individuals, 725 obese (defined as body mass index ≥ 30) and 1228 non obese subjects.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the monogenic analysis, only the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (<it>PPARD</it>) gene was associated with obesity (OR = 1.43 [1.04–1.97], p = 0.027). In addition, we have found a significant interaction between <it>CAPN5 </it>and <it>PPARD </it>genes (p = 0.038) that reduces the risk for obesity in a 55%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that <it>CAPN5 </it>and <it>PPARD </it>gene products may also interact in vivo.</p

Red de coordinación de la implantación del primer curso del Grado en Ingeniería en Sonido e Imagen

El profesorado de la red docente realizó durante el curso 2009/10 un proyecto para la planificación de las asignaturas del primer curso del Grado en Ingeniería en Sonido e Imagen de la Escuela Politécnica Superior, y nos toca ahora la puesta a punto del primer curso del Grado. En el marco creado por los nuevos estudios dentro del EEES, el proyecto tiene como objetivo principal es el seguimiento, coordinación, evaluación, y mejora de la planificación realizada el curso anterior ya con las nuevas experiencias.Los autores desean agradecer las ayudas institucionales recibidas tanto por parte de la Universidad de Alicante y la Escuela Politécnica Superior (a través del instituto de Ciencias de la Educación y del Vicerrectorado de Planificación Estratégica y Calidad) y el Grupo de Innovación Tecnológica y Educativa de la Universidad de Alicante (GITE-09006-UA)

Comisión de plan de estudios de la titulación de Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicaciones, especialidad en Sonido e Imagen de la EPS

La red docente de la Comisión de plan de estudios de la titulación de Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación, especialidad en Sonido e Imagen de la EPS ha realizado durante el curso 2007/08 un estudio de los objetivos y competencias del futuro título de grado, así como el análisis y diseño de la posible estructura en bloques y asignaturas obligatorias en la que se podría distribuir dicho título. El estudio toma como base los resultados obtenidos en redes de cursos anteriores (ver memoria de redes 2005/06 y 2006/07), las cuales estaban orientadas al diseño curricular dentro del marco de los créditos ECTS para la convergencia al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, y sobre todo, se basa en la experiencia de los propios participantes en trabajos o redes previas. El objetivo principal de este proyecto es el diseño curricular del futuro título de grado en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación en Sonido e Imagen, directamente relacionada con la actual Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación, especialidad en Sonido e Imagen, que se imparte en la Universidad de Alicante. Para ello se han seguido las pautas generales establecidas por el Real Decreto de ordenación de Enseñanzas Universitarias Oficiales (BOE, 30 de octubre de 2007), así como otros documentos elaborados por el Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos de Telecomunicación y la Comisión de Universidades de Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación