Resultados de investigación

Article Summary: Spanish-English bilingual education programmes have spread widely in Spain in recent years. Although some evaluation research has already been conducted, the effects of this policy in terms of equity have received little attention. We analyse whether the supply of `bilingual schools¿ is modulated by a set of factors that may affect the equality of opportunities available to students to access this education. We study all primary schools in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the region of Andalusia (n= 1,119). Data show that the likelihood schools will offer the bilingual programme varies greatly across different catchment areas, increasing in neighbourhoods and catchment areas with higher incomes, when the school is private or subsidised-private, and when it is closer to other schools. These imbalances in school supply produce significant inequalities in the structure of opportunities to attend this type of education.

Ibuprofen is one of the most common drugs found as contaminants in soils, sediments and waters. Although several microorganisms able to metabolize ibuprofen have been described, the metabolic pathways and factors limiting biodegradation in nature remain poorly characterized. Among the bacteria able to grow on ibuprofen, three different strains belonging to Sphingomonadaceae and isolated from different geographical locations, carry the same set of genes required for the upper part of the ibuprofen metabolic pathway. Here, we have studied the metabolic pathway of Rhizorhabdus wittichii MPO218, identifying new genes required for the lower part of the ibuprofen metabolic pathway. We have identified two new DNA regions in MPO218 involved in the metabolism of ibuprofen. One is located on the MPO218 chromosome and appears to be required for the metabolism of propionyl-CoA through the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway. Although involved in ibuprofen metabolism, this region is not strictly necessary for growing using ibuprofen. The second region belongs to the pIBU218 plasmid and comprises two gene clusters containing aromatic compounds biodegradation genes, part of which are necessary to ibuprofen degradation. We have identified two genes required for the first two steps of the lower part of the ibuprofen metabolic pathway (ipfL and ipfM) and, based on our results, we propose the putative complete pathway for ibuprofen metabolism in strain MPO218.

An integrated perspective of the most important factors driving the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) in natural ecosystems is lacking, especially in drylands. We evaluated how different climatic, abiotic, and nutrient-related factors determine AOA and AOB abundance in bare and vegetated microsites from grasslands throughout the Mediterranean Basin. We found a strong negative relationship between the abundance of AOA genes and soil fertility (availability of C, N, and P). Aridity and other abiotic factors (pH, sand content, and electrical conductivity) were more important than soil fertility in modulating the AOA/AOB ratio. AOB were more abundant under vegetated microsites, while AOA, highly resistant to stressful conditions, were more abundant in bare ground areas. These results suggest that AOA may carry out nitrification in less fertile microsites, while AOB predominate under more fertile conditions. Our results indicate that the influence of aridity and pH on the relative dominance of AOA and AOB genes is ultimately determined by local-scale environmental changes promoted by perennial vegetation. Thus, in spatially heterogeneous ecosystems such as drylands, there is a mutual exclusion and niche division between these microorganisms, suggesting that they may be functionally complementary. Abundance of amoA and amoB genes in soils from Stipa tenacissima grasslands along an aridity gradient in the Mediterranean Data on the abundance of amoA and amoB genes in soils from Stipa tenacissima grasslands along a Mediterranean aridity gradient (from Spain to Tunisia). The database also includes information about different soil variables and the abiotic characteristics of the sites surveyed. All the units and information about the variables are included in the "Metadata" spreadsheet. FEMS_dryad.xls

Purpose – The aim of this study was to analyse the link between the values that govern the functioning of cooperatives and their sustainability. Furthermore, the authors propose that this relationship is mediated by AMO(ability, motivation and opportunity) practices, which generate different behaviours and attitudes in their employees, thus strengthening the message of sustainable management that the directors of this kind of companies aim to transmit. Design/methodology/approach – This article presents a theoretical and empirical research model about the relationship between organisational values, AMO practices and sustainability in social economy firms. The proposed model was tested using the multivariate method of partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with a sample of 124 cooperative companies. The information was gathered through a questionnaire with questions composed of measurement scales that had been previously validated by the reference literature. Findings – This work empirically demonstrates that the perceived support, respect and responsibility values are strongly related to sustainability, and that ability and opportunity-enhancing practices mediate the association of perceived support and responsibility with the sustainability of cooperatives. Originality/value – This work contributes to covering the lack of studies about which values support and impact the sustainability of organisations, and it provides information about the mediating role of certainAMO practices in the search for a more sustainable organisation, demonstrating that some practices are more relevant than others.

Este documento, es una herramienta de recogida de datos o cuestionarios, aplicados en el foco endémicos de Valverde del Camino (España) y en el foco endémicos de Oporto (Portugal) donde se convice con una enfermedad rara (ER) llamada Enfermedad de Andrade o AhTTR. Con estos cuestionarios se ha intentando estudiar desde las ciencias sociales, las as necesiades sociales de este colectivo afectado por esta ER. Son 4 modelos, cada uno de ellos destinados a un grupo de personas afectadas todas de una u otra forma por la Enfermedad de Andrade o AhTTR, como son: CuestionarioN1E_personas enfermas de AHTTR; CuestionarioN1F._Familiares de las personas enfermas de AhTTR y portadores asintomáticos; CuestionarioN2._Personal sanitario y CuestionarioN3_Poblacion en general. Dependerá en qué grupo o grupos se centre el estudio, el utilizar uno u otro modelo. Puede utilizarse de manera conjunta o por separado. Pueden ser extrapolables para estudiar /investigar otros focos endémicos de la enfermedad de Andrade o incluso profundizar desde las ciencias sociales en el estudio de las necesidades sociales de otras Enfermedades Raras, haciendo los cambios específicos de esas otras ER.