Ecology, ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of Argan tree (Argania spinosa)

Argania spinosa es una especie leñosa endémica del suroeste de Marruecos que ha jugado un papel fundamental, desde un punto de vista etnobotánico, en la economía local de los pueblos bereberes. El aceite de argán se extrae de manera artesanal de los frutos de esta planta siguiendo un modelo etnográfico de gran interés. En el presente trabajo se sintetizan, mediante una profunda revisión bibliográfica, los conocimientos referidos a la ecología, etnobotánica y etnofarmacología del argán y se detallan los metabolitos implicados en sus propiedades.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos de investigación HAR2008-06477-C03-03/HIST y HAR2008-09120/HIST (Plan Nacional de I + D + i, España), y ERC-230561 (European Commission).Peer reviewe

Teaching Nash Equilibrium and Strategy Dominance: A Classroom Experiment on the Beauty Contest

The aim of this investigation is to display how the use of classroom experiments may be a good pedagogical tool to teach the Nash equilibrium (NE) concept. The basic game for our purposes is a repeated version of the Beauty Contest Game (BCG), a simple guessing game whose repetition lets students react to other players’ choices and to converge iteratively to the equilibrium solution. We performed this experiment with undergraduate students without any previous knowledge about game theory. After four rounds, we observed in all groups a clear decreasing tendency in the average chosen number. So, our findings prove that, by playing a repeated BCG, students quickly learn how to reach the NE solution.Classroom Experiments, Beauty Contest Game, Teaching, Nash Equilibrium.

Total replacement of recycled aggregate and treated wastewater: concrete recycling in extremis

Million tons of construction and demolition waste (CDW) are generated every year around the world, and most of them are not adequately disposed, generating significant pollution on water, soil and air. Additionally, the use of freshwater in industrial processes, such as the production of cement, concrete manufacturing and curing for newly-built structures; has damaged the health of our freshwater ecosystems, reducing their volume and hindering their natural cycle of renovation. Therefore, the incorporation of recycled aggregate (RA) and treated wastewater (TW) as substitutes for the usual aggregates (UA) and freshwater, could generate significant environmental benefits. In this research, a comparative analysis of the experimental results of the properties of fresh and hardened concrete with different replacement percentage of UA for RA, is presented; and as an innovation the use TW. The results show that, regardless of the replacement percentage and use of treated wastewater, a concrete with RA and TW (recycled concrete in extremis, CRiE) had a satisfactory and acceptable or equivalent performance, not differing significantly from the performance of conventional concrete (CC), confirming that the use of RA for concrete building is feasible.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Biological Interaction as a Possible Ultimate Driver in the Local Extinction of Cedrus atlantica in the Iberian Peninsula

This research study was funded by (i) the Spanish government, State R & D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society, MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00); (ii) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation, OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT-4963); (iii) ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme), RELIC-FLORA 2 Research Project (B-RNM-404-UGR18); and (iv) State Program for the Promotion of Scientific Research and Excellence Technique, PALEOPINSAPO Research Project (CSO2017-83576-P). The APC was funded by (i) the Spanish government, State R & D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society, MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00); and (ii) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation, OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT-4963).The presence of Cedrus atlantica on the European continent, including, especially, the determination of the time of its disappearance from the Iberian Peninsula, is one of the most controversial issues in recent decades regarding the successive extinction of conifers in the Western Mediterranean. This work propounds the possibility that C. atlantica and Pinus nigra could have co-habited in the past, mutually excluding each other in the areas with suitable conditions for both species, where, ultimately, the one that was the most competitive would have remained. The niche overlap in the two-dimensional ecological space was analyzed. In addition, the potential distribution of both species in theWestern Mediterranean today and two past periods (Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene) was modeled to identify their common geographic area of distribution. The species showed very well differentiated niches and a distribution of their habitats virtually segregated by continents since the Mid-Holocene (P. nigra in Europe and C. atlantica in Africa), which responds to differences in climatic affinities. However, the contact of the bordering areas of their distributions in the Baetic mountain range suggests that C. atlantica could have maintained its presence in the Iberian Peninsula until recent times. P. nigra would have displace it in later stages due to its greater prevalence on the continent, so it would have had greater opportunities to occupy the available space.Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society RTI2018-101714-B-I00Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation, OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project P18-RT-4963ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme) B-RNM-404-UGR18State Program for the Promotion of Scientific Research and Excellence Technique, PALEOPINSAPO Research Project CSO2017-83576-

Communication, coordination and competition in the beauty contest game: eleven classroom experiments

Este trabajo ha sido publicado en Central European Journal of Operations Research 12(4): 369-287 (2004).This paper introduces some new features in the standard experimental design of the beauty contest in order to allow communication among participants. With that aim, we use the mode instead of the mean and non-rival payoffs. This design encourages students to communicate their guessed number, with a higher probability if subjects know the 0 Nash equilibrium. The lack of communication can only be explained by subjects endowed with competitive other-regarding preferences. Experiments are run in 11 classrooms ranging from 11 to 60 students in size. Participants are given at least one week to submit their guesses and a questionnaire explaining their choice. Results indicate that: i) communication induces coordination in the responses, ii) communication does not guarantee any improvement in the average reasoning level, iii) there exist significative differences according to classroom size and duration of degree.We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the University of Jaén R+D program (# 20210/148)

Lean Pattern in an Altitude Range Shift of a Tree Species: Abies pinsapo Boiss

Organisms modify their geographical distributions in response to changes in environmental conditions, or modify their affinity to such conditions, to avoid extinction. This study explored the altitudinal shift of Abies pinsapo Boiss. in the Baetic System. We analysed the potential distribution of the realised and reproductive niches of A. pinsapo populations in the Ronda Mountains (Southern Spain) by using species distribution models (SDMs) for two life stages within the current populations. Then, we calculated the species’ potential altitudinal shifts and identified the areas in which the processes of persistence and migration predominated. The realised and reproductive niches of A. pinsapo are different to one another, which may indicate a displacement in its altitudinal distribution owing to changes in the climatic conditions of the Ronda Mountains. The most unfavourable conditions for the species indicate a trailing edge (~110 m) at the lower limit of its distribution and a leading edge (~55 m) at the upper limit. Even though the differences in the altitudinal shifts between the trailing and leading edges will not cause the populations to become extinct in the short term, they may threaten their viability if the conditions that are producing the contraction at the lower limit persist in the long term.This research was funded by (i) Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society: MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00); (ii) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT4963); (iii) ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme): RELIC-FLORA 2 Research Project (B-RNM-404-UGR18); and (iv) State Program for the Promotion of Scientific Research and Excellence Technique: PALEOPINSAPO Research Project (CSO2017-83576-P). The APC was funded by (i) Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society: MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00); and (ii) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT-4963)

Europe's southernmost interglacial refugia as sentinels for the local extinction of mountain conifers

This research has been supported by a contract for University Teacher Training (Formación de Profesorado Universitario) (Ref. 18/03023) from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes del Gobierno de España), and research projects financed by the State Research Agency (SRA) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): PALEOPINSAPO (CSO2017-83576-P), MED-REFUGIA (RTI2018-101714-B-I00) and TED2021-132631B-I00; Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: Oromed-Refugia (P18-RT- 4963); and ERDF Opera- tional Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme): ForestMed (A-RNM-688-UGR20).The Serrania de Ronda is an exceptional palaeoecological laboratory for studying the dynamics of vegetation over time, due to its strategic geographical location at a biogeographical crossroads and its proven historical legacy. Many of the mountains that form part of this territory are today practically deforested, such as Sierra Blanca, whose geographic location at the heart of the Serranía de Ronda means that it has enormous potential as a bio- geographical crossroads: the occasional presence of Abies pinsapo, Pinus pinaster and Quercus rotundifolia suggests that it was once covered by a mixed forest of conifers and broad-leaved trees. The lack of environmental research in Sierra Blanca has facilitated the installation of large quarries, which have led to its exclusion from the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, which was created in 2021. We applied the pedoanthracological methodology, which has enabled us to discover paleo-populations of A. pinsapo and Pinus sylvestris-type. The results confirm that co- niferous forests previously covered a much wider area during the Holocene. These findings reinforce the role of Sierra Blanca as a high-altitude refuge for conifers during the warm stages of the Holocene and as a sentinel for the local extinction of mountain conifers. This information could help improve its management and conservation.Spanish Government 18/03023State Research Agency (SRA)European Commission CSO2017-83576-P, RTI2018-101714-B-I00, TED2021-132631B-I00Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation P18-RT-4963ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme) A-RNM-688-UGR2

Vegetation history in the Toledo Mountains (Central-Iberia): human impact during the last 1300 years

ABSTRACT: Mid-mountain ecosystems provide a broad diversity of resources, heterogeneous relief, and a mild climate, which are all very useful for human necessities. These features enable different strategies such as the terracing of the slopes as well as wide crop diversification. Their relations lead to a parallel co-evolution between the environment and human societies, where fire and grazing become the most effective landscape management tools. This paper presents the results obtained from a multi-proxy study of the Bermú paleoenvironmental record, which is a minerotrophic mire located in the Quintos de Mora National Hunting Reserve (Toledo Mountains, central Spain). The bottom of this core has been dated in the Islamic period (ca. 711-1100 cal AD), and the study shows how the landscape that was built over time in the Toledo Mountains up to the present day is narrowly linked to human development. This study shows the increasing human pressure on the landscape, as well as the subsequent strategies followed by the plant and human communities as they faced diverse environmental changes. Thus, it is possible to attest the main role played by the humans in the Toledo Mountains, not only as a simple user, but also as a builder of their own reflexion in the environment.Funding: This research was funded the project REDISCO-HAR2017-88035-P (Plan Nacional I+D+I, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness). Reyes Luelmo is funded by a FPU grant (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports)

Diseño e Implementación de un sistema contable para el control y registro de la MIPYME “nuevo amanecer “de la comunidad El Bramadero del municipio de Condega para el primer semestre del año 2019

En la investigación realizada se determina la nesecidad de Diseñar e Implemenación un sistema contable para el control y registro de la MIPYME “nuevo amanecer “de la comunidad El Bramadero del municipio de Condega para el primer semestre del año 2019. Así mismo refleja la nesecidad de utilizar siempre el Sistema para llevar un mejor control de su patrimonio. La metodología empleada en este estudio es de enfoque cualitativo; y da estrategias de solución a la debilidad encontrada. Para obtener información fue necesario la aplicación de tres instrumentos tales Como: entrevista, guía de observación y guia de revición documental Los resultados del estudio indican la importancia de realizar el diseño y la implementación de un sistema contable en la Mipyme Nuevo Amanecer para el control contable y financiero debido a que permite mejorar control en la Mipyme y sugiere a la empresa realizar de una mejor manera de sus funciones siendo que las actividades de transacciones contables no pueden ser realizadas por el mismo colaborador que atiende en bodega; todo esto con el motivo de preservar siempre el patrimonio de la Mipyme Nuevo Amanecer

UMA ANÁLISE DOS SENTIDOS DA NÃO-PARTICIPAÇÃO POPULAR NO ESTADO BRASILEIRO: dilemas históricos e perspectivas contemporâneas.

Em um cenário marcado pelo ultraneoliberalismo autoritário e pela desproteção no campo dos direitos sociais e humanos, o estudo empreende um resgate bibliográfico e reflexivo acerca das configurações da formação do Estado brasileiro e sua relação com a sociedade civil, em um contexto permeado por dilemas e limites de uma democracia ainda jovem. Ao longo da análise, foi possível configurar que a formação estatal brasileira, ora em crise, em suas raízes históricas, revela a presença de um Estado forte e autoritário, em detrimento de uma população não participante dos processos decisórios. Talfragilização vincula-se à forma de condução autoritária das elites que não viabilizaram a participação das camadas populares na esfera política de forma protagonista. Conclui que o fortalecimento da participação popular no tempo presente requer avanços capazes de responder às complexas questões contemporâneas.Palavras-chave: Participação. Estado brasileiro. Sociedade civil. Autoritarismo.AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEANINGS OF POPULAR NON-PARTICIPATION IN THE BRAZILIAN STATE: historical dilemmas and contemporary perspectivesAbstractIn a scenario marked by authoritarian ultraneoliberalism and the lack of protection in the field of social and human rights, the study undertakes a bibliographic and reflective rescue about the configurations of the formation of the Brazilian State and its relationship with civil society, in a context permeated by dilemmas and limits of a still young democracy. Throughout the analysis, it was possible to configure that the Brazilian state formation, now in crisis, in its historical roots, reveals the presence of a strong and authoritarian State, to the detriment of a population not participating in the decision-making processes. Such weakening is linked to the form of authoritarian leadership of the elites who did not allow the participation of the popular strata in the political sphere in a protagonist way. The strengthening of popular participation at the present time requires advances capable of responding to complex contemporary issues.Keywords: Participation; Brazilian state; Civil society. Authoritarianism