The University of Burgos (in Spanish: Universidad de Burgos and often abbreviated UBU) is a public university in the Spanish city of Burgos with about 10,000 students studying over 30 different undergraduate degrees, over 20 PhD Programmes, as well as several Official Masters and other graduate courses.
A new equation of state based on the lattice fluid framework with an explicit hydrogen-bonding contribution (HB-LF EoS) is developed for the description of pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) properties of deep eutectic solvents (DES). The model extends the Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid theory by incorporating a Veytsman-type association term that captures the role of hydrogen bonding in determining the volumetric behavior of these complex fluids. The equation of state was parameterized and validated against a comprehensive database of 1252 experimental high-pressure density data points spanning 7 representative DES systems, including both hydrophilic (choline chloride-based) and hydrophobic (menthol- and camphor-based) formulations, covering temperatures from 283.15 to 413.15 K and pressures up to 100 MPa. The model describes the experimental data with an overall average absolute relative deviation (AARD) of 0.11%, with maximum deviations below 0.25%. The physical parameters obtained-characteristic temperature, pressure, density, chain length, and hydrogen-bond energy and volume-are shown to correlate meaningfully with molecular structure and the number of hydrogen-bonding sites in each DES. The developed HB-LF EoS provides a physically grounded framework for predicting the volumetric properties of DES relevant to process design and industrial applications.
The influence of political institutions on corporate behavior has emerged as a hot topic, with special attention paid to those institutions that shape a country's level of democracy. Building on institutional and corporate citizenship theories, this study explores how formal (i.e., electoral pluralism, government functioning, civil liberties) and informal (i.e., political culture, citizen participation) political institutions associated with the democratic level of a country impact corporate social responsibility (CSR). Drawing on 27,694 firm-year observations from 2016 to 2023, across 4,072 firms in 63 countries, we find that companies operating in political systems with robust electoral processes, strong civil liberties, and high levels of political participation tend to engage more actively in CSR. These results show the important role of those political institutions that underpin democracy in corporate responsible behavior.
This study examines whether Asian companies pay higher premiums in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and identifies the institutional factors driving this behavior. Grounded in the concept of Asian institutional logic-characterized by state coordination, relational governance, and long-term strategic orientation-we argue that these features shape distinctive acquisition patterns compared to Western market logics. Using a large sample of cross-border M&A during the period 2003-2021, we first uniquely compare whether the geographical origin of the acquirer firm is a relevant determinant of the premium paid, namely for cross-border operations targeting Asia, Europe, and the United States. We find that Asian acquirers pay significantly higher premiums compared to their European and U.S. counterparts. Employing a moderating effect approach, we find that this relationship is amplified by four mechanisms aligned with the Asian institutional logic. Specifically, we analyze the role of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and find that they contribute significantly to the higher premiums paid. Our results are robust across different model specifications and subsample analyses, shedding light on the distinct dynamics of cross-border M&A involving Asian firms.
Intergroup contact can reduce bias against disadvantaged groups, yet it may differentially shape ambivalent attitudes. This project examines how contact with people experiencing poverty relates to ambivalent classism and its policy consequences. We hypothesized that positive and frequent contact would have mixed effects, reducing the hostile dimension of classism while reinforcing benevolent forms (protective paternalism and complementary class differentiation). We conducted a multi-country correlational study (N = 4209) examining associations between intergroup contact and hostile and benevolent dimensions of ambivalent classism, incorporating support for social policies in separate models for women and men experiencing poverty. We then carried out two experimental studies. In Study 2 (N = 784), we used a recall paradigm to manipulate contact quality. In Study 3 (N = 931), a conceptual replication, we employed a fictitious society paradigm to manipulate both contact quality and quantity with women and men experiencing poverty. Across studies, positive contact consistently reduced hostile classism but increased complementary class differentiation. Effects on protective paternalism and support for dependency-oriented policies were less consistent. Overall, the findings suggest that while contact may attenuate overt hostility, it can simultaneously reinforce benevolent representations of poverty, with implications for support of restrictive policy measures.
Health is one of the fundamental pillars on which Physical Education (PE) is built, making it essential to train undergraduate PE students how to address it in the classroom as many will go on to become PE teachers. However, their prior experiences, both in PE classes and in the practice of physical activity and sport, significantly influence their understanding of health. The aim of this research is to analyze the conceptions about health held by first- and fourth-year PE students, as well as to examine how these evolve throughout their university studies. The Theory of Occupational Socialization serves as the theoretical framework, helping to explain how undergraduate PE students educational and prior experiences shape the presence or absence of a holistic model of health. A qualitative study was conducted with a sample of 110 undergraduate PE students in their first and fourth years of study at three Spanish universities. Through focus groups and open questionnaires, three categories of analysis were established: 1- 'My conception of health'; 2- 'Health in Physical Education'; 3- 'Teaching health from a holistic perspective'. The findings indicate that first-year students adopt biomedical and holistic conceptions of health, often linked to socially accepted body stereotypes. In contrast, fourth-year students place greater value on the educational potential of health but still show a predominance of fitness- and performance-oriented views (biomedical perspective). In conclusion, although some change appears to occur during undergraduate education, the persistence of traditional conceptions may reflect not only limited curricular exposure to holistic perspectives but also broader societal influences. This underscores the need for mandatory, structured health-related content that promotes reflective and equitable approaches in PE.
