Nomenclature and syntaxonomic notes on some high-rank syntaxa of the European grassland vegetation

We present descriptions of a new order (Ranunculo cortusifolii-Geranietalia reuteri and of a new alliance (Stachyo lusitanicae-Cheirolophion sempervirentis) for the herbaceous fringe communities of Macaronesia and of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, respectively. A new alliance, the Polygalo mediterraneae-Bromion erecti (mesophilous post-cultural grasslands), was introduced for the Peninsular Italy. We further validate and typify the Armerietalia rumelicae (perennial grasslands supported by nutrient-poor on siliceous bedrocks at altitudes characterized by the submediterranean climate of central-southern Balkan Peninsula), the Securigero-Dasypyrion villosae (lawn and fallow-land tall-grass annual vegetation of Italy), and the Cirsio vallis-demoni-Nardion (acidophilous grasslands on siliceous substrates of the Southern Italy). Nomenclatural issues (validity, legitimacy, synonymy, formal corrections) have been discussed and clarified for the following names: Brachypodio-Brometalia, Bromo pannonici-Festucion csikhegyensis, Corynephoro-Plantaginion radicatae, Heleochloion, Hieracio-Plantaginion radicatae, Nardetea strictae, Nardetalia strictae, Nardo-Callunetea, Nardo-Galion saxatilis, Oligo-Bromion, Paspalo-Heleochloetalia, Plantagini-Corynephorion and Scorzoneret alia villosae. 

Unraveling EU Policies: the ““Common Basic Principles”” and the ““European Integration Fund”” as a technology of government

this paper is about EU “soft policies” on immigrant integration. It analyzes the “Common Basic Principles” (CBPs) and the “European Integration Fund” (EIF), two devices that have been recently established within this framework. It adopts the theoretical perspective of the “anthropology of policy” and “governmentality studies”. It shows the context of birth of the aforementioned devices, as well as their functioning and the assessment done by the actors implied in the elaboration/implementation/evaluation of the related policies. It is based both on documentary research as well as direct observation and interviews done to the actors implied. It concludes that the PBC and the EIF should be considered as a “technology of government”, that strives to align the conduct of the actors with the governmental aims, as well as it produces specific practices and knowledge. It also underlines an intrinsic feature of many policies: their “congenital failure”, since they are (often) disputed and resignified by situated actors, who are embedded in asymmetrical power relations.

The Challenge of Migration and the Global Security Strategy of the European Union

This article discusses the challenges of irregular migration for the security of the EU. They are analyzed starting with the European Security Strategy 2003, and the Report on its Implementation, 2008, and notes many failures: The EU Members did not follow the directives adopted in Brussels, the mismanagement of migration and asylum policies, and numerous actions that can be characterized or described as improvised, scattered or irresponsible. The 2016 Global Strategy recognizes these failures and call attention to the European leaders to reconsider how the EU functions and operates, suggesting the need for greater unity and cooperation to achieve a more effective migration policy. However, the article points out that practically all of the sections of the new Strategy dealing with migration were already embodied in previous Strategies, and stress that in parallel with the publication of the 2016 Global Strategy, actions are already undertaken, such as the EU readmission agreements signed with several important third countries of origin.

Las infraestructuras de recarga y el despegue del vehículo eléctrico.

Este trabajo revisa la evolución y estado actual de la automoción eléctrica; analiza las ventajas ambientales, de eficiencia energética y de costes del motor eléctrico frente al de combustión interna; y presenta como limitaciones para el uso del vehículo eléctrico, el desarrollo actual de las baterías recargables y la lenta implantación de electrolineras. Con el objetivo de contribuir al desarrollo de una actividad económica respetuosa con el medio ambiente y basada en nuevas tecnologías, se proyecta, a partir de experiencias previas, una instalación de puntos de recarga para una ciudad de 50.000 habitantes con un parque de 100 vehículos eléctricos que dispone de dos plazas de recarga rápida (poste trifásico 400V CA), siete plazas de recarga lenta (postes monofásicos 230V CA) y de 50 módulos fotovoltaicos que producen diariamente la energía equivalente a la recarga lenta de un vehículo en los meses fríos y de dos en los meses cálidos.

Identidad territorial y paisaje. Evolución morfológica de los núcleos en Castilla y León.

Este estudio intenta esclarecer las transformaciones físicas y socioeconómicas de los asentamientos rurales de la región española de Castilla y León, durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX. Se analiza la evolución temporal de la forma urbana a través de un Sistema de Información Geográfico (SIG), calculando unos índices métricos y comparándolos con la información demográfica histórica. Los resultados pretenden mostrar los efectos de la especialización funcional económica, causada por la integración en las jerarquías productivas globales, sobre la estructura urbana. La pérdida gradual de las características tradicionales de los pueblos castellanos, como la compacidad y la integración en el entorno, debido a la pérdida o degradación de la arquitectura popular y la construcción de nuevas edificaciones industriales, supone un riesgo para las futuras políticas de desarrollo local. Se considera necesario preservar la identidad paisajística y evitar la destrucción del patrimonio cultural para poder revitalizar estos territorios.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) (I): Toxicity, population exposure and involved foods

Food is one of the main exogenous sources of genotoxic compounds. In heated food products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a priority group of genotoxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic chemical pollutants with adverse long-term health effects. People can be exposed to these compounds through different environments and via various routes: inhalation, ingestion of foods and water and even percutaneously. The presence of these compounds in food may be due to environmental contamination, to industrial handling and processing of foods and to oil processing and refining. The highest levels of these compounds are found in smoked foods, in seafood which is found in polluted waters, in grilled meats and, to a lesser extent, in vegetable fats and oils. Lower levels of PAHs are found in vegetables and in cereals and its products.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) (I): Measures of prevention and control

Measures of prevention and control against polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) focus on an official food control, a code of best practice to reduce PAHs levels by controlling industry and in the development of a chemopreventive strategy. Regulation (EU) 835/2011 establishes maximum levels of PAHs for each food group. In addition, Regulations (EU) 333/2007 and 836/2011 set up the methods of sampling and analysis for its official control. Scientific studies prove that the chemopreventive strategy is effective against these genotoxic compounds effects. Most chemopreventive compounds studied with proven protective effects against PAHs are found in fruit and vegetables.

La financiación por medio del crowdfunding del audiovisual: el caso del cortometraje "Juan y la nube"

En el artículo se analizan las posibilidades que tiene el crowfunding (CF) para financiar el audiovisual. Se explica el modelo de financiación del CF y se indican las distintas ventajas que reporta para el promotor este modelo de financiación alternativa. Además se exponen ampliamente las principales características del proceso de CF seguido para financiar el cortometraje Juan y la nube (que se alzó con el Goya al Mejor corto de animación en el año 2015). Se comentan también los principales motivos que llevan a los mecenas a financiar los proyectos

Discourses on Modernization in the Employment Public Services: Towards a New Form of Governance?

The “crisis of the social issue” in the EU has led to a certain consensus in the need to renew the organizational and institutional model of public administration. The core of the reform implies important administrative changes in most of the European welfare states. Those changes are inspired on theories such as the new public management, management by objectives or partnership. Such changes involve both semantic (“sharing responsibilities”, “effective costs”, or the substitution of “citizen under an administration” by “consumer”) and political (predominance of scattered forms of power and the individualization of responsibilities) transformations which operate in the framework of individuals and State relations. The paradigms of activation and flexicurity have been central in this public administration modernization project. This commitment with new forms of governance of social issues has important consequences for the political and moral foundations of social cohesion, and the Spanish case is not an exception. This paper aims at looking at those representations of “modernization” (as they appear in debates about the employment services restructuring policies) in detail as well as providing references to the trajectory of such reforms of public services since the early eighties to the beginning of the crisis.

Dynamic analysis of employment trajectories through the concept of fl exicurity

The paper presents a dynamic study of the Spanish labour market which tries to determine if it matches the characteristics of transitional labour markets from a fl exicurity approach. Employment trajectories of Spanish workers during the years 2007-2010 are studied using the Continuous Sample of Working Lives. This period covers the end of the expansion of the Spanish economy and the beginning of the current employment crisis. From the combination of the chosen topic, the approach, and the database used, this is a novel perspective in our country. The article shows evidence of the evolution of the employment and unemployment spells, the Spanish labour market turnover degree, and the diffi culties of some groups for carrying out transition between employment and unemployment. The results obtained show a labour market in which a) transitions have come to a halt, and b) there is high job insecurity.

Determining factors of the innovative behavior of cooperatives: an analysis of the case of Castilla y León

Cooperatives have a long historical experience in the Spanish economy and have demonstrated their ability to compete against traditional firms in the market. To maintain this capability, while taking advantage of the competitive advantages associated with their idiosyncrasies as social economy enterprises, they should take into consideration that the economy is increasingly globalized and increasingly knowledge-based, especially with regards to technological content. As a consequence, the innovative capacity appears to be a key aspect in order to be able to challenge competitors. This article characterizes the innovative behavior of cooperatives in the region of Castile and Leon and analyses the internal and external factors affecting their innovative performance, based on data from a survey of 581 cooperatives. The results of the empirical analysis, which is performed by multivariate binary logistic regression on various types of innovation, lead us to identify the size of the organizations, the existence of planning, the R & D activities and the human capital as the main determining factors.

Otras vías de aprendizaje: el reconocimiento de la experiencia profesional en la universidad. El caso de la UNED

Nadie cuestiona que una fuente de aprendizaje es el propio ámbito de trabajo, en el que todo profesional resuelve las funciones y tareas a las que se enfrenta diariamente a partir de su formación y de su experiencia. Reconocer esta experiencia en las titulaciones de Grado es un tema aún no resuelto. Pero este reconocimiento exige un proceso de evaluación, apoyado en metodologías y herramientas fiables y válidas, a partir del cual se valide que una persona ha adquirido un determinado nivel de logro en unas competencias en el marco de una cualificación profesional determinada. A raíz de los resultados obtenidos en 2 convocatorias dirigidas al reconocimiento de la experiencia profesional en el Grado en Educación Social impartido por la UNED, este articulo lleva a cabo un análisis de carácter descriptivo y en perspectiva comparada, entre ambas ediciones (2011-12 y 2012-13), con el fin de valorar la pertinencia de este proceso y la calidad de los resultados obtenidos. Con una muestra de 421 estudiantes hemos inferido la validez del procedimiento propuesto. Además, esta realidad nos muestra cuáles son las áreas de intervención más demandadas, los puntos fuertes y débiles de estos profesionales, las competencias más y menos consolidadas de acuerdo a la titulación que se imparte, etc. Disponer de estos datos, además de favorecer el desarrollo profesional de nuestros estudiantes, aporta una información clave para perfilar mejor las competencias específicas del título, trabajar de forma coordinada y colaborativa entre el mundo académico y el profesional, a la vez que responder a un derecho de nuestros estudiantes.