Spanish National Research Council Research Articles

Mercury leaching from hazardous industrial wastes stabilized by sulfur polymer encapsulation

European Directive 2013/39/EU records mercury as a priority hazardous substance. Regulation n° 2008/1102/EC banned the exportation of mercury and required the safe storage of any remaining mercury compounds. The present work describes the encapsulation of three wastes containing combinations of HgS, HgSe, HgCl2, HgO2, Hg3Se2Cl2, HgO and Hg0, according to patent of Spanish National Research Council WO2011/029970A2. The materials obtained were subjected to leaching tests according to standards UNE-EN-12457 and CEN/TS 14405:2004. The results are compared with the criteria established in the Council Decision 2003/33/EC for the acceptance of waste at landfills. The Hg concentrations of all leachates were <0.01mgHg/kg for a liquid/solid ratio of 10l/kg. All three encapsulated materials therefore meet the requirements for storage in inert waste landfills.

Prehistoria y primera historia de la Sociedad Española de Educación Comparada = Background and early history of the Spanish Comparative Education Society

In this article, the authors examine the origins of comparative education in Spain, analyzing the process of its university institutionalization. After taking a brief look at the vestiges of the period prior to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) they review the active role played by Professor Juan Tusquets, who set the groundwork for the preliminary institutionalization of the discipline, from the 1958 journal Perspectivas Pedagogicas (Educational Perspectives) and the Institute for Comparative Education (1964), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) affiliated with the University of Barcelona. The first steps to develop and implement the Spanish Comparative Education Society were taken in 1974 and for the first two decades, through 1994, the Society was run by Professor Ricardo Marin Ibanez. After 1995, with the appearance of the Revista Espanola de Educacion Comparada (Spanish Journal of Comparative Education), the Society came of age, both scientifically and academically.

A Survey of Artificial Intelligence Research at IIIA

The IIIA is a public research centre, belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), dedicated to AI research. We focus our activities on a few well-defined sub-domains of Artificial Intelligence, positively avoiding dispersion and keeping a good balance between basic research and applications, and paying particular attention to training PhD students and technology transfer. In this article, we survey some of the most relevant results we have obtained during the last 12 years.

The Krystalla Project for the dissemination of crystallography

"The ""Krystalla Project"" comprises a series of coordinated activities designed to promote crystallography and crystallization in society in the context of International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014). "Krystalla" is a joint venture between the Laboratory of Crystallographic Studies of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Triana Science &amp; Technology, a company specialized in the development of crystallization technology for research and dissemination activities. "Krystalla" aims to: a) Increase awareness of the society about the importance of crystallography and its role in everyday life. b) Promote the IYCr2014 and reflect on scientific knowledge and the role of science in our society. c) Inspire young people and encourage public participation through exhibitions, lectures and demonstrations. d) Illustrate the universality of science and encourage education and research in crystallography. Through the following activities: 1) The itinerant exhibition ""Crystals: a world to discover"" which will exemplify the applications of crystallography on our daily life and the fundamentals behind it. 2) A series of workshops on ""popular crystallography"" and ""crystallography"" for kids. 3) The National Crystallization Competition in the School [1]. 4) A ""Flamenco show" entitled ""The Crystal and the Rose"" blending the art of Flamenco with crystallographic concepts like symmetry, the contrasting geometries of crystals and living forms or the emergence of order from disorder. 5) A didactic edition of the successful documentary ""The Mystery of the Giant Crystals"" including the making-off of the movie, short videos explaining the fundamentals and applications of crystallization and scientific notes for teachers. 6) The webpage "The House of Crystals" exclusively dedicated to the dissemination of crystallography and crystallization. 7) A series of didactic guides to use well known movies as crystallographic teaching and popularization materials. 8) The IYCr2014 promotional video [2]."

La información y documentación científica en el CSIC

This contribution highlights the strategic importance of the disciplinary field of Documentation and Information Science. After a summary overview of its development in the context of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the author argues the need for an institutional Scientific Information Policy, under which to generate an Integrated System for Information and Documentation capable of contributing to the mission and objectives of the CSIC and of serving as a reference in the context of the current Spanish public R&D system.

La nanotecnología en el CSIC: transferencia y comercialización de patentes

La nanociencia y la nanotecnología hicieron su aparición en el escenario científico en un momento en el que la economía de España y el sistema español de investigación, desarrollo e innovación experimentaban un fuerte crecimiento. Esta circunstancia propició un notable desarrollo de la nanociencia y la nanotecnología especialmente en el entorno académico universitario y en organismos públicos de investigación como el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Sin embargo, este desarrollo no ha tenido reflejo en un aumento igual de importante en la transferencia de conocimiento desde los laboratorios al sector productivo. Es en este contexto en el que el CSIC ha puesto en marcha una serie de acciones, cuyo objetivo ha sido sacar provecho del conocimiento generado en las actividades de I+D, mediante su transferencia al sector industrial para llevar al mercado productos y servicios de alto valor añadido. En este artículo se describen estas acciones y se presentan los resultados alcanzados en el sector de las nanotecnologías, en el que se ha hecho un especial esfuerzo en los últimos cinco años.

Interactions Among Ecosystem Services Across Land Uses in a Floodplain Agroecosystem

Felipe-Lucia, M. R., F. A. Comín, and E. M. Bennett. 2014. Interactions among ecosystem services across land uses in a floodplain agroecosystem. Ecology and Society 19(1): 20. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-06249-190120

Una experiencia reciente en el Pacífico: La expedición Malaspina 2010

This article offers a general vision of the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation of the globe, an interdisciplinary research project directed by the Spanish National Research Council, whose main goals are to evaluate the impact of global change on the ocean and to explore its biodiversity. The project was undertaken on two oceanographic research vessels, the Hesperides, belonging to the Spanish Navy, and the Sarmiento de Gamboa, operated by the CSIC, from 15 December 2010 until 14 July 2011. Finally, the significance of the Malaspina 2010 project as an example for an expedition undertaken in modern times will be discussed in the context of the interest that such a scientific enterprise raises for global society.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

Clinical Use of Emerging Technologies for Neurorehabilitation

From the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Bioengineering Group, Madrid, Spain (MP-B); Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain (JCMP); and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Fuenlabrada University Hospital, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain (JCM-P). All correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Marta Pajaro-Blázquez, MD, Ctra. Campo Real km 0.200, 28500, La Poveda, Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain. Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article.

Open Access and the Changing Landscape of Research Impact Indicators: New Roles for Repositories

The debate about the need to revise metrics that evaluate research excellence has been ongoing for years, and a number of studies have identified important issues that have yet to be addressed. Internet and other technological developments have enabled the collection of richer data and new approaches to research assessment exercises. Open access strongly advocates for maximizing research impact by enhancing seamless accessibility. In addition, new tools and strategies have been used by open access journals and repositories to showcase how science can benefit from free online dissemination. Latest players in the debate include initiatives based on alt-metrics, which enrich the landscape with promising indicators. To start with, the article gives a brief overview of the debate and the role of open access in advancing a new frame to assess science. Next, the work focuses on the strategy that the Spanish National Research Council’s repository DIGITAL.CSIC is implementing to collect a rich set of statistics and other metrics that are useful for repository administrators, researchers and the institution alike. A preliminary analysis of data hints at correlations between free dissemination of research through DIGITAL.CSIC and enhanced impact, reusability and sharing of CSIC science on the web.

Spain's Research Council Approaches Bankruptcy

Spain's flagship research agency, the Spanish National Research Council, is in deep trouble.

La divulgación de la Ciencia española en la Web 2.0. El caso del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas en Andalucía y Cataluña

El sistema ciencia, tecnología y sociedad no está consolidado en España por el desequilibrio que existe entre el desarrollo de la investigación y su divulgación. Además, la cultura científica de la sociedad está por debajo de la media europea y en la última década han descendido las vocaciones científicas entre los más jóvenes. En este contexto, se ha analizado si las instituciones de investigación utilizan las herramientas de la Web 2.0, principal canal de comunicación de los jóvenes entre 15 y 24 años, para mostrar a la sociedad los resultados de sus trabajos. Para ello, se han seleccionado como objeto de estudio los centros de investigación del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas en Andalucía y Cataluña. Entre los principales resultados obtenidos, a través del diseño de una checklist ad hoc, destaca el escaso uso que hacen de este canal de comunicación, ya que solo un 4,5% de los centros analizados utilizan todas las herramientas estudiadas. La efectividad de la comunicación ha sido otro de los valores observados, en este caso, en función de la conectividad (seguidores en sus perfiles sociales) e intensidad (número de publicaciones). Ambos ítems presentan también valores muy bajos. Por otro lado se observa un escaso nivel de popularidad de sus sitios web (número de enlaces que reciben) y una casi inexistente relación entre los mismos a través de hipervínculos que los conecten. Este último aspecto, se ha determinado con con las herramientas webmétricas Webometric Analyst y ScoSciBot.

La Comisión de Mujeres y Ciencia del CSIC: diez años promoviendo la igualdad de oportunidades y la excelencia en el organismo

The Women and Science Committee was set up in 2002 as an advisory unit on gender issues to the Presidency of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). During these ten years of existence, the committee has helped to improve the scientific careers of women in the CSIC and at the same time promoted the visibility of their scientific contributions. The history, objectives and activities of the Women and Science Committee during these years are reported here. The main gender policies and legal-framework changes at European and Spanish levels are recapped. Specifically, the sex distribution of permanent staff scientists in 2003 and 2012 are analysed and compared. The sex-disaggregated data by fields of knowledge show an improvement on the number and rank of female researchers in recent years, although they are still far from balanced. There is a bigger shortage of women in certain fields and at the top of the professional ladder. The implementation and monitoring of gender equality policies is still needed in order to approach a gender-balanced situation. This, in turn, will contribute to the excellence of the results of the CSIC´s research activities.

Technological properties of glass-ceramic tiles obtained using rice husk ash as silica precursor

Dr. M.I. Martin expresses her gratitude to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) for her contract through the JAE Program (JAEDoc-08-00032), co-financed by the European Social Fund

The creation of new technology-based firms at the Spanish public research institutions: an analysis of their financial statements

Recently, several studies have suggested that spin-off firms are not the most useful of the available pathways for transferring scientific knowledge from public research institutions to industry, even in the countries where the spin-off phenomenon is more extended. This paper carries out a descriptive analysis of the financial statements of 72 new technology-based firms created by the Spanish universities and the Spanish National Research Council between the years 1998 and 2006. We find that, although public research-based spin-offs show positive asset and employment growth rates, they tend to remain relatively small and fail to generate positive returns to their investors. Several directions for redesigning spin-off policy follow from this analysis.

Testing colour discrimination models with free-flying bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.): the unexpected effect of inspection time

Event Abstract Back to Event Testing colour discrimination models with free-flying bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.): the unexpected effect of inspection time Francismeire J. Telles1* and Miguel A. Rodríguez-Gironés1 1 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas -EEZA, Departament of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology , Spain Several models have been proposed to explain how bees see and discriminate colours. To investigate the accuracy of two contending models, the colour hexagon and the colour opponent coding model (COC), we trained 64 bumblebees to discriminate between four colour pairs (16 bees per pair), having the same hexagon units (0.05) but differing in their COC distances (0.55-1.5 units). While the proportion of correct choices increased with COC distance, the effect was mediated by an increase in the time that bumblebees spent inspecting colours before choosing one, and the effect of COC distance on performance disappeared after statistically correcting for inspection time. Neither of the models could fully account for the data: the colour hexagon model cannot explain the relationship between COC distance and inspection time, and the COC model predicted that, after correcting for inspection time, performance should increase with COC distance. Figure 1 Acknowledgements Spanish National Research Council – CSIC and Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas – EEZA. This work was supported by CGL2010-16795 References Backhaus, W. (1991). Color Opponent Coding in the Visual System of the Honeybee. Vision Res., 31(7), 1381–1397. Chittka, L. (1992). The colour hexagon: a chromaticity diagram based on photoreceptor excitations as a generalized representation of colour opponency. Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 170(5), 533–543. doi:10.1007/BF00199331 Keywords: Bumblebees, vision models, Colour discrimination, search time, Colour Hexagon Model, Colour Opponent Coding Model Conference: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Fjälkinge, Sweden, 1 Aug - 8 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Poster presentation preferred Topic: Colour and polarisation vision Citation: Telles FJ and Rodríguez-Gironés MA (2019). Testing colour discrimination models with free-flying bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.): the unexpected effect of inspection time. Front. Physiol. Conference Abstract: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision. doi: 10.3389/conf.fphys.2013.25.00108 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Apr 2013; Published Online: 09 Dec 2019. * Correspondence: Miss. Francismeire J Telles, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas -EEZA, Departament of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Almería, Almería, 04120, Spain, meirecuesta@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Francismeire J Telles Miguel A Rodríguez-Gironés Google Francismeire J Telles Miguel A Rodríguez-Gironés Google Scholar Francismeire J Telles Miguel A Rodríguez-Gironés PubMed Francismeire J Telles Miguel A Rodríguez-Gironés Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Changes in lymphocyte subsets and functions in spleen from mice with high fat diet-induced obesity

G. C. Baccan, O. Hernandez, L. E. Diaz, A. Gheorghe, T. Pozo-Rubio, A. Marcos and M. De La Fuente Department of Metabolism and Nutrition. Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain, Department of Biofunction, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazi and Department of Physiology. Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid

Tradición, aportes y desafío de la teoría literaria en lengua española. Entrevista a Miguel Ángel Garrido Gallardo

In 1982 the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) announced the International Conference on Semiotics and Hispanism, celebrated the following year in Madrid, whose texts have long been among the most cited works in international Hispanic Filology. Having marked the 30th anniversary of this event, we spoke with Professor Miguel Angel Garrido Gallardo, the conference organizer, and we asked him about the hallmarks of literary theory in Spanish, an issue which at that time was at the center of debate.

Indicadores de actividad científica en investigadores singulares: perfil bibliométrico de Eduardo Primo Yúfera, expresidente del CSIC

Eduardo Primo Yufera was the founder of the Institute of Agrochemicals and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) and was its director until being appointed president of the Spanish National Research Council. He is considered both patron and promoter of the fields of food science and technology and chemical ecology in Spain, as well as pioneer of the innovation system model (R+D+i). Throughout his long research career, which lasted 65 years, he published 291 scientific papers, with an average of 4.48 papers per year. Of these, 89.3 % were in collaboration with others: a total of 161 different coauthors. His efforts to disseminate science led him to create the Revista de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de los Alimentos in 1961. A total of 50 % of his scientific production was featured in this journal but his work was also published in more than 50 national and international scientific journals, of which 36 are included in the Journal Citation Report . Those with the highest impact factors are Journal of Organic Chemistry, Planta and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , which feature in the first quartile in their respective subject areas. The 86 articles listed in SCI-Expanded have received a total of 482 citations. This study highlights his scientific activity, using bibliometric indicators of productivity, collaboration and the scientific impact of his publications.