La evaluación basada en la teoría y su aplicación a la política regional: algunas reflexiones teóricas

Since 1990, governments have put more emphasis on evaluation of regional and local policies, programmes and plans. However, evaluations results have been scarcely used and only limited lessons can be drawn from them. As a consequence, their capacity to produce and facilitate the accumulation of knowledge and learning has been restricted. The objective of this article is to summarise the problems and limitations of the current approach to evaluating these policies (mainly value for money studies) and to explore the potential of new approaches, such as theory-based evaluation. Theory-based approach provide us with a framework that allow the estimation of policy effects, but at the same time, it will help us comprehend how, when and why this policy leads to the observed effects being produced, identifying the cause and effects mechanisms that are behind policy implementation. This information is essential to increase the utility of the evaluation and improve the effectiveness of the regional policies.Desde 1990, los gobiernos han puesto más énfasis en la evaluación de políticas, programas y planes regionales y locales. Sin embargo, los resultados de las evaluaciones se han utilizado escasamente y de ellos solo se pueden extraer lecciones limitadas. Como consecuencia, su capacidad para producir y facilitar la acumulación de conocimiento y aprendizaje ha sido restringida. El objetivo de este artículo es resumir los problemas y limitaciones del enfoque actual para evaluar estas políticas (principalmente estudios de valor por dinero) y explorar el potencial de nuevos enfoques, como la evaluación basada en la teoría. El enfoque basado en la teoría nos proporciona un marco que permite la estimación de los efectos de las políticas, pero al mismo tiempo, nos ayudará a comprender cómo, cuándo y por qué esta política lleva a que se produzcan los efectos observados, identificando los mecanismos de causa y efecto que están detrás de la implementación de la política. Esta información es esencial para aumentar la utilidad de la evaluación y mejorar la efectividad de las políticas regionales

Uso de la evaluación en un contexto de múltiples agentes: el caso del plan de desarrollo rural del país vasco en el marco de la Unión Europea

This paper analyses the use of the evaluation results and the process carried out in the evaluation of a rural development evaluation programme focused in a participatory evaluation model. To do this, it is used the experience of the mid-term evaluation of the Sustainable Rural Development Plan 2000-2006 in the Basque Country. The core premise of the evaluation team was that stakeholder participation would enhance evaluation use, promoting its utilisation in the decision making process in future policies. The paper is structured into two main parts: The first one describes the adequacy of the participatory evaluation model to the interest and purposes of our evaluation. The second part examines the impact of this evaluation model on the evaluation utilisation. This assessment has given us the opportunity to draw lessons that can help to improve the utility of evaluation in multi - actor contexts, favouring thus the development of governance.Este artículo analiza la utilización de los resultados y del proceso seguido en la evaluación de un programa de desarrollo rural basada en un enfoque participativo. Para ello, se utiliza la experiencia de la Evaluación Intermedia del Plan de Desarrollo Rural Sostenible del País Vasco 2000-2006. La premisa fundamental del equipo evaluador es que la participación incrementa la utilización de la evaluación, favoreciendo su uso en el diseño y en la toma de decisiones. El artículo se estructura en dos partes fundamentales: la primera de ellas describe la adecuación del modelo de evaluación participativa a los intereses y propósitos de nuestra evaluación. La segunda parte examina el impacto que este modelo de evaluación tuvo sobre el uso de sus hallazgos y recomendaciones. Esta valoración permitió extraer lecciones que pueden ayudar a reforzar el uso de la evaluación en contextos donde participan múltiples agentes, favoreciendo así el desarrollo de la gobernanza

Gobernanza, procesos participativos y conflictos en los Espacios Naturales Protegidos de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco

[ES] El objetivo del artículo es explorar la potencialidad de la Evaluación Multi-criterio Social como enfoque metodológico para evaluar Espacios Naturales Protegidos (ENP) e iniciar un proceso de discusión sobre la conveniencia de incorporar esta metodología para la gobernanza de la Red Natura 2000 de la Comunidad Autónoma de Euskadi. Del caso de estudio analizado se desprende que la inclusión de la población local en un proceso participativo dirigido a la planificación y manejo de los ENP contribuiría a reducir el número y calado de conflictos potenciales. Asimismo, facilitaría la gobernanza efectiva de los ENP, lo que parece un reto ineludible para que las áreas protegidas logren sus objetivos y funciones.[EUS] Gizarte Ebaluazio Irizpideaniztunak naturagune babestuak ebaluatzeko ikuspuntu metodologiko gisa duen potentzialtasuna aztertzea da artikulu honen helburua, eta orobat metodologia hori Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoko Natura 2000 Sarearen gobernantzarako erabiltzearen egokitasunari buruz eztabaida-prozesu bat abiaraztea. Aztertutako kasutik ondorioztatzen da tokian tokiko herritarrak naturagune babestuak planifikatzeko eta gobernatzeko prozesu partehartzaile batean sartzeak balizko gatazken kopurua eta munta gutxitzen lagunduko lukeela. Era berean, naturagune babestuen gobernantza erraztuko luke, eta hori saihestu ezineko erronka da, gune babestuek beren helburuak eta egitekoak bete ditzaten.[EN] The aim of this article is to explore the potentiality of Social Multi-criteria Evaluation as approach to assess Natural Protected Areas (NPAs). Jointly, opening the discussion about incorporating this methodological approach for the governance of Natura 2000 sites within the Basque Country is pursued. Derived from the case study is concluded that including local community in participative processes aimed to plan and manage NPAs would reduce both number and significance of potential conflicts. It would also contribute to an effective governance of NPAs, which is an unavoidable challenge in order to achieve protected areas’ objectives and functions

Writing Abstracts: Technological Applications from a Corpus-Based Study

Paper (RP), have often been analyzed in order to observe how information has been rendered for translation or contrastive analysis purposes. However, in this genre, as in many others, “while there is a wealth of descriptive research, generally speaking, the information is not directly amenable to applied endevours” (Rabadán, 2008: 103). The aim of this paper was to describe the methodology and the tools devised by the ACTRES research group to bridge the transition between linguistic description and procedural information. The first step of this process was to design a small special corpus of scientific abstracts, the BioAbstracts_C-ACTRES. The macro and microlinguistic characteristics of this corpus were analyzed in order to find the most prototypical rhetorical, grammatical and lexical features of this genre. Then, we identified the “anchors” (Rabadán: in press) relevant for the native speakers of Spanish. Finally, a prototype of a writing application, the Scientific_Abstract_Generator, has been designed. Still under development, it aims at helping native Spanish users who are non-linguist field experts, to write scientific abstracts in English

Impact of Gastrointestinal Digestion In Vitro Procedure on the Characterization and Cytotoxicity of Reduced Graphene Oxide

The growing interest in graphene derivatives is a result of their variety of applications in many fields. Due to their use, the oral route could be a potential way of entrance for the general population. This work assesses the biotransformation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) after an in vitro digestion procedure (mouth, gastric, intestinal, and colon digestion), and its toxic effects in different cell models (HepG2, Caco-2, and 3D intestinal model). The characterization of rGO digestas evidenced the agglomeration of samples during the in vitro gastrointestinal (g.i.) digestion. Internalization of rGO was only evident in Caco-2 cells exposed to the colonic phase and no cellular defects were observed. Digestas of rGO did not produce remarkable cytotoxicity in any of the experimental models employed at the tested concentrations (up to 200 µg/mL), neither an inflammatory response. Undigested rGO has shown cytotoxic effects in Caco-2 cells, therefore these results suggest that the digestion process could prevent the systemic toxic effects of rGO. However, additional studies are necessary to clarify the interaction of rGO with the g.i. tract and its biocompatibility profile.Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional US-1259106, P18-RT1993Junta de Andalucía POSTDOC_21_0013

Adaptation to Water and Salt Stresses of Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme

[EN] Solanum pimpinellifoliumandSolanum lycopersicumvar.cerasiformerepresent a valuable tool for tomato breeding, particularly for tolerance to abiotic stresses. Water stress and salinity are major constraints to tomato's cultivation, and for which limited genetic variability has been reported within the cultivated species. We evaluated four accessions ofS. pimpinellifoliumand four ofS. l.var.cerasiformefor their adaptation to water deficit and salinity. The CO(2)assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, substomatal CO(2)concentration, transpiration rate, and leaf chlorophyll concentration were evaluated, as well as morphological and agronomic traits. The accessions showed a remarkable inter- and intra-species response variability to both stresses. TwoS. pimpinellifoliumaccessions and oneS. l.var.cerasiformeshowed unaltered physiological parameters, thus indicating a good adaptation to water deficit. TwoS. l.var.cerasiformeaccessions showed an interesting performance under salt stress, one of which showing also good adaptation to water stress. In general, both stresses showed a negative impact on leaf size and fruit fresh weight, especially in the big-sized fruits. However, flowering, fruit setting and earliness remained unaltered or even improved when compared to control conditions. Stressed plants yielded fruits with higher degrees Brix. Response to stresses seemed to be linked to origin environmental conditions, notwithstanding, variability was observed among accessions of the same region.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional/European Regional Development Fund, grant number AGL2015-71011-R. Authors also thank the G2P-SOL (Linking genetic resources, genomes, and phenotypes of Solanaceous crops) and BRESOV (Breeding for resilient, e fficient, and sustainable organic vegetable production) projects for support. G2P-SOL and BRESOV projects have received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreements 677379 (G2PSOL), and 774244 (BRESOV). David Alonso is grateful to Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for a predoctoral (PAID-01-16) contract under the Programa de Ayudas de Investigacion y Desarrollo.Martínez-Cuenca, M.; Pereira-Días, L.; Soler Aleixandre, S.; López-Serrano, L.; Alonso-Martín, D.; Calatayud, Á.; Díez, MJ. (2020). Adaptation to Water and Salt Stresses of Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme. Agronomy. 10(8):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081169119108Cramer, G. R., Urano, K., Delrot, S., Pezzotti, M., & Shinozaki, K. (2011). 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Growth Response of Snap Bean and Tomato as Affected by Salinity and Irrigation Method. HortScience, 34(2), 259-264. doi:10.21273/hortsci.34.2.259Singh, J., Sastry, E. V. D., & Singh, V. (2011). Effect of salinity on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) during seed germination stage. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 18(1), 45-50. doi:10.1007/s12298-011-0097-zFoolad, M. R. (2004). Recent Advances in Genetics of Salt Tolerance in Tomato. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 76(2), 101-119. doi:10.1023/b:ticu.0000007308.47608.88Albaladejo, I., Meco, V., Plasencia, F., Flores, F. B., Bolarin, M. C., & Egea, I. (2017). Unravelling the strategies used by the wild tomato species Solanum pennellii to confront salt stress: From leaf anatomical adaptations to molecular responses. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 135, 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2016.12.003Egea, I., Albaladejo, I., Meco, V., Morales, B., Sevilla, A., Bolarin, M. C., & Flores, F. B. (2018). 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(1998). RFLP mapping of QTLs conferring salt tolerance during germination in an interspecific cross of tomato. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 97(7), 1133-1144. doi:10.1007/s001220051002Cuartero, J., & Fernández-Muñoz, R. (1998). Tomato and salinity. Scientia Horticulturae, 78(1-4), 83-125. doi:10.1016/s0304-4238(98)00191-5Foolad, M. R. (1999). Comparison of salt tolerance during seed germination and vegetative growth in tomato by QTL mapping. Genome, 42(4), 727-734. doi:10.1139/g98-163Foolad, M. R., Zhang, L. P., & Lin, G. Y. (2001). Identification and validation of QTLs for salt tolerance during vegetative growth in tomato by selective genotyping. Genome, 44(3), 444-454. doi:10.1139/g01-030Bolarin, M. C., Estañ, M. T., Caro, M., Romero-Aranda, R., & Cuartero, J. (2001). Relationship between tomato fruit growth and fruit osmotic potential under salinity. Plant Science, 160(6), 1153-1159. doi:10.1016/s0168-9452(01)00360-0Estañ, M. T., Villalta, I., Bolarín, M. C., Carbonell, E. A., & Asins, M. J. (2008). Identification of fruit yield loci controlling the salt tolerance conferred by solanum rootstocks. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 118(2), 305-312. doi:10.1007/s00122-008-0900-6Rao, E. S., Kadirvel, P., Symonds, R. C., & Ebert, A. W. (2012). Relationship between survival and yield related traits in Solanum pimpinellifolium under salt stress. Euphytica, 190(2), 215-228. doi:10.1007/s10681-012-0801-2Rao, E. S., Kadirvel, P., Symonds, R. C., Geethanjali, S., Thontadarya, R. N., & Ebert, A. W. (2015). Variations in DREB1A and VP1.1 Genes Show Association with Salt Tolerance Traits in Wild Tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium). PLOS ONE, 10(7), e0132535. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132535Razali, R., Bougouffa, S., Morton, M. J. L., Lightfoot, D. J., Alam, I., Essack, M., … Negrão, S. (2018). The Genome Sequence of the Wild Tomato Solanum pimpinellifolium Provides Insights Into Salinity Tolerance. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.01402Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Responses to Water Deficit in Solanum lycopersicum and S. pimpinellifolium Rootshttps://omictools.com/88516daa3ab811e2cd922bd46ae0ade3-datasetWarnock, S. J. (1991). Natural Habitats of Lycopersicon Species. HortScience, 26(5), 466-471. doi:10.21273/hortsci.26.5.466Diouf, I. A., Derivot, L., Bitton, F., Pascual, L., & Causse, M. (2018). Water Deficit and Salinity Stress Reveal Many Specific QTL for Plant Growth and Fruit Quality Traits in Tomato. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.00279Blanca, J., Montero-Pau, J., Sauvage, C., Bauchet, G., Illa, E., Díez, M. J., … Cañizares, J. (2015). Genomic variation in tomato, from wild ancestors to contemporary breeding accessions. BMC Genomics, 16(1). doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1444-1Blanca, J., Cañizares, J., Cordero, L., Pascual, L., Diez, M. J., & Nuez, F. (2012). Variation Revealed by SNP Genotyping and Morphology Provides Insight into the Origin of the Tomato. PLoS ONE, 7(10), e48198. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048198Datos climáticos mundialeshttps://es.climate-data.org/Beck, H. E., Zimmermann, N. E., McVicar, T. R., Vergopolan, N., Berg, A., & Wood, E. F. (2018). Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution. Scientific Data, 5(1). doi:10.1038/sdata.2018.214Bolarín, M. C., Pérez-Alfocea, F., Cano, E. A., Estañ, M. T., & Caro, M. (1993). Growth, Fruit Yield, and Ion Concentration in Tomato Genotypes after Pre- and Post-emergence Salt Treatments. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 118(5), 655-660. doi:10.21273/jashs.118.5.655Cantore, V., Lechkar, O., Karabulut, E., Sellami, M. H., Albrizio, R., Boari, F., … Todorovic, M. (2016). Combined effect of deficit irrigation and strobilurin application on yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency of «cherry» tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Agricultural Water Management, 167, 53-61. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2015.12.024López-Serrano, L., Penella, C., San-Bautista, A., López-Galarza, S., & Calatayud, A. (2017). Physiological changes of pepper accessions in response to salinity and water stress. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 15(3), e0804. doi:10.5424/sjar/2017153-11147Chaves, M. M. (2004). Mechanisms underlying plant resilience to water deficits: prospects for water-saving agriculture. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55(407), 2365-2384. doi:10.1093/jxb/erh269Flexas, J., Bota, J., Loreto, F., Cornic, G., & Sharkey, T. D. (2004). Diffusive and Metabolic Limitations to Photosynthesis under Drought and Salinity in C 3 Plants. Plant Biology, 6(3), 269-279. doi:10.1055/s-2004-820867LAWLOR, D. W. (2002). Limitation to Photosynthesis in Water-stressed Leaves: Stomata vs. Metabolism and the Role of ATP. Annals of Botany, 89(7), 871-885. doi:10.1093/aob/mcf110Flexas, J., Bota, J., Escalona, J. M., Sampol, B., & Medrano, H. (2002). Effects of drought on photosynthesis in grapevines under field conditions: an evaluation of stomatal and mesophyll limitations. Functional Plant Biology, 29(4), 461. doi:10.1071/pp01119Nuruddin, M. M., Madramootoo, C. A., & Dodds, G. T. (2003). Effects of Water Stress at Different Growth Stages on Greenhouse Tomato Yield and Quality. HortScience, 38(7), 1389-1393. doi:10.21273/hortsci.38.7.1389Yin, Y.-G., Kobayashi, Y., Sanuki, A., Kondo, S., Fukuda, N., Ezura, H., … Matsukura, C. (2009). Salinity induces carbohydrate accumulation and sugar-regulated starch biosynthetic genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. ‘Micro-Tom’) fruits in an ABA- and osmotic stress-independent manner. Journal of Experimental Botany, 61(2), 563-574. doi:10.1093/jxb/erp333Albert, E., Segura, V., Gricourt, J., Bonnefoi, J., Derivot, L., & Causse, M. (2016). Association mapping reveals the genetic architecture of tomato response to water deficit: focus on major fruit quality traits. Journal of Experimental Botany, 67(22), 6413-6430. doi:10.1093/jxb/erw411Ripoll, J., Urban, L., Brunel, B., & Bertin, N. (2016). Water deficit effects on tomato quality depend on fruit developmental stage and genotype. Journal of Plant Physiology, 190, 26-35. doi:10.1016/j.jplph.2015.10.006Nakazato, T., Bogonovich, M., & Moyle, L. C. (2008). ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS PREDICT ADAPTIVE PHENOTYPIC DIFFERENTIATION WITHIN AND BETWEEN TWO WILD ANDEAN TOMATOES. Evolution, 62(4), 774-792. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00332.xChaves, M. M., Flexas, J., & Pinheiro, C. (2008). Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress: regulation mechanisms from whole plant to cell. Annals of Botany, 103(4), 551-560. doi:10.1093/aob/mcn125Massaretto, I. L., Albaladejo, I., Purgatto, E., Flores, F. B., Plasencia, F., Egea-Fernández, J. M., … Egea, I. (2018). Recovering Tomato Landraces to Simultaneously Improve Fruit Yield and Nutritional Quality Against Salt Stress. 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Sources of Resistance to Whitefly (Bemisia spp.) in Wild Populations of Solanum lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme (Dunal) Spooner G.J. Anderson et R.K. Jansen in Northwestern Mexico. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 53(4), 711-719. doi:10.1007/s10722-004-3943-

Towards a participatory integrated assessment approach for planning and managing Natura 2000 network sites

Managing protected areas implies dealing with complex social-ecological systems where multiple dimensions (social, institutional, economic and ecological) interact over time for the delivery of ecosystem services. Uni-dimensional and top-down management approaches have been unable to capture this complexity. Instead, new integrated approaches that acknowledge the diversity of social actors in the decision making process are required. In this paper we put forward a novel participatory assessment approach which integrates multiple methodologies to reflect different value articulating institutions in the case of a Natura 2000 network site in the Basque Country. It integrates within a social multi-criteria evaluation framework, both the economic values of ecosystem services through a choice experiment model and ecological values by means of a spatial bio-geographic assessment. By capturing confronting social and institutional conflicts in protected areas the participatory integrated assessment approach presented here can help decision makers for better planning and managing Natura 2000 sites.Funding provided by IHOBE (Basque Environmental Agency) through the research project coded as OTRI 2008.0101 (UPV/EHU)

Solar-Simulated Ultraviolet Radiation Induces Abnormal Maturation and Defective Chemotaxis of Dendritic Cells

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light induces immunosuppression. Different evidences indicate that this phenomenon is mainly a consequence of the effect of UV light on skin dendritic cells (DC). To investigate the cellular and molecular basis of this type of immunosuppression, we assessed in vitro the effect of solar-simulated UV radiation on the phenotypic and functional characteristics of human monocyte-derived DC and Langerhans-like DC. UV radiation induced a decreased expression of molecules involved in antigen capture as DC-SIGN and the mannose receptor. This effect was accompanied by a diminished endocytic capacity, an enhanced expression of molecules involved in antigen presentation such as major histocompatibility complex-II and CD86, and a significant increase in their capability to stimulate T cells. Furthermore, irradiated DC failed to acquire a full mature phenotype upon treatment with lipopolysaccharide. On the other hand, solar-simulated radiation induced the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-αand interleukin (IL)-10 by DC, but no IL-12. Interestingly, solar-simulated UV radiation also caused an altered migratory phenotype, with an increased expression of CXCR4, and a lack of induction of CCR7, thus correlating with a high chemotactic response to stromal cell-derived factor 1(SDF-1) (CXCL12), but not to secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC) (CCL21). These data indicate that solar-simulated UV radiation induces a defective maturation and an anomalous migratory phenotype of DC

Supplementation with a Cocoa–Carob Blend, Alone or in Combination with Metformin, Attenuates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy, Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Zucker Diabetic Rats

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the main causes of mortality among diabetic patients, with oxidative stress and inflammation major contributors to its development. Dietary flavonoids show strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, although their potential additive outcomes in combination with antidiabetic drugs have been scarcely explored. The present study investigates the cardioprotective effects of a cocoa–carob blend (CCB) diet, rich in flavonoids, alone or in combination with metformin, in the development of DCM. Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF) were fed with a CCB rich-diet or a control diet, with or without metformin for 12 weeks. Glucose homeostasis, cardiac structure and function, and oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers were analysed. CCB improved glucose homeostasis, and mitigated cardiac dysfunction, hypertrophy, and fibrosis in ZDF rats. Mechanistically, CCB counteracted oxidative stress in diabetic hearts by down-regulating NADPH oxidases, reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and modulating the sirtuin-1 (SIRT1)/ nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling pathway, overall improving antioxidant defence. Moreover, CCB suppressed inflammatory and fibrotic reactions by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines. Noteworthy, several of these effects were further improved in combination with metformin. Our results demonstrate that CCB strongly prevents the cardiac remodelling and dysfunction observed in diabetic animals, highlighting its potential, alone or in adjuvant therapy, for treating DCM