Country Creditor Rights, Information Sharing, and Commercial Banks’ Profitability

The authors analyze commercial banks’ profitability (return on equity, ROE) at different levels of creditor rights and an aggregate score of information sharing in terms of credit bureaus. After controlling for bank size and some macroeconomic variables, the results indicate that profitability is higher and more persistent when creditors are well protected. Furthermore, the presence of a (public or private) credit bureau increases the persistence of ROE, but higher levels of information sharing foster competition and erode future profitability.return on equity (ROE), commercial banks, creditor rights, information sharing, predictive ability of accounting

Almost reducibility for finitely differentiable SL(2,R)-valued quasi-periodic cocycles

Quasi-periodic cocycles with a diophantine frequency and with values in SL(2,R) are shown to be almost reducible as long as they are close enough to a constant, in the topology of k times differentiable functions, with k great enough. Almost reducibility is obtained by analytic approximation after a loss of differentiability which only depends on the frequency and on the constant part. As in the analytic case, if their fibered rotation number is diophantine or rational with respect to the frequency, such cocycles are in fact reducible. This extends Eliasson's theorem on Schr\"odinger cocycles to the differentiable case

Kinetics of inhibition in the biodegradation of monoaromatic hydrocarbons in presence of heavy metals

The toxicity and inhibitory effects of heavy metals such as cadmium, nickel and zinc on alkylbenzene removal were evaluated with a Bacillus strain. The kinetics of alkylbenzene biodegradation with the different heavy metals at various concentrations were modeled using the Andrews equation which yielded a good fit between model and experimental data. Additional experiments undertaken with a Pseudomonas sp. in presence of nickel confirmed a good fit between experimental data and the Andrews model for this strain as well. The heavy metals inhibition constants (Ki) were calculated for different combinations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and heavy metals. The present approach provides a method for evaluating and quantifying the inhibition effect of heavy metals on the biodegradtion of pollutants by specific microbial strain

Probabilistic Guarded P Systems, A New Formal Modelling Framework

Multienvironment P systems constitute a general, formal framework for modelling the dynamics of population biology, which consists of two main approaches: stochastic and probabilistic. The framework has been successfully used to model biologic systems at both micro (e.g. bacteria colony) and macro (e.g. real ecosystems) levels, respectively. In this paper, we extend the general framework in order to include a new case study related to P. Oleracea species. The extension is made by a new variant within the probabilistic approach, called Probabilistic Guarded P systems (in short, PGP systems). We provide a formal definition, a simulation algorithm to capture the dynamics, and a survey of the associated software.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2012- 37434Junta de Andalucía P08-TIC-0420

Condiciones hidrodinámicas y de sedimentación en el estuario del Eo (límite galaico-astur)

[Resumen] La variabilidad en las condiciones de sedimentación, en el aspecto morfológico y en las características hidrodinámicas que ofrecen los diferen tes parajes de la Ría de Ribadeo, obligan a considerar como unidad independiente y con rasgos peculiares :propios el Estuario del Eo"; se trata de un amplio espacio donde coinciden los procesos continentales y de la red fluvial, con el juego de mareas; la asociación de ambos conjuntos morfogenéticos se traduce en accionamientos de fuertes contrastes entre las zonas marginales y centrales del estuario, muy particularmente en cuanto se refiere a los materiales que rellenan estos parajes. Como conclusión general hay que destacar que las condiciones de formación de los depósitos en cada uno de los conjuntos sedimentarios estudiados ~próximos a la costa, bancos de arena, etc.- son muy variables, no s610 independientemente sino también entre sí.[Abstract] The variability in the conditions of sedimentation, in its morfological aspect and in its hydrodinamic characteristics which the different zones of the Ría of Ribadeo offer, oblige us to consider as an independant unit and with its own peculiar features the Eo Estuary. It deals about a wide range where the continental processes and the river system coincide with the tide. The relation of both, morfogenetic joints is expressed in strong working contrasts between the marginal and central zones of the estuary, and in particular when referred to the materials that fill up these sites. As a general conclusion, we have to emphasize that the conditions in the formation of the deposits in each of the sedimentary joints studied –near the shores, the banks, etc.- are very changeable, not only independently, but also among themselves

Contribución al estudio de sedimentos de la Ría de Ribadeo

[Resumen] El estudio sistemático de los sedimentos que forman parte de los fondos marinos de la ría de Ribadeo ha sido, hasta nuestros días, poco conocido debido a que la informaci6n sobre el desarrollo de este ambiente oceanográfico es muy escasa; s6lo las formas litoral les motivadas por la acción marina -como acantilados, plataformas rocosas, playas y dunas y aquellas otras que se desarrollan en plantanales como "tesos" o bancos de arenas, han sido estudiadas con más detenimiento. Sin que intentemos con el exámen de un s6lo sondeo establecer una síntesis precisa de conocimientos sobre esta problemática oceanográfica, al menos sí es posible tratar algunos datos de caracter general relativos a la morfogénesis de las formaciones sedimentarias en profundidad.[Abstract] The systematic study of sediments that take place of the sea bottom of the Bay of Ribadeo was until now, little known due to the information about the growth in this oceanografic enviroment is very scarce; only the litoral shape caused by the marine action like cliffs rocky platforms, beaches, and sand duns- and those other wich develop in plants- such as "tesos" or tidal flats, have been study with more details. Whithout trying, with the unique examination of an only sounding, to stablish a precise synthesis of knowledge about this oceanographic problem; at least it is posible to try to morphogenesis of the sedimentary formations in the dee

Biofilter performance and characterization of a biocatalyst degrading alkylbenzene gases

A biofilter treating alkylbenzene vapors was characterized for its optimal running conditions and kinetic parame-ters. Kinetics of the continuous biofilter were compared to batch kinetic data obtained with biofilm samples as well as with defined microbial consortia and with pure culture isolates from the biofilter. Both bacteria and fungi were present in the bioreactor. Five strains were isolated. Two bacteria, Bacillus and Pseudomonas, were shown to be dominant, as well as a Trichosporon strain which could, however, hardly grow on alkylbenzenes in pure culture. The remaining two strains were most often overgrown by the other three organisms in liquid phase batch cultures μ max, KS, KI values and biodegradation rates were calculated and compared for the difterent mixed and pure cultures. Since filter bed acidification was observed during biofiltration studies reaching a pH of about 4, experiments were also undertaken to study the influence of pH on performance of the different cultures. Biodegradation and growth were possible in all cases, over the pH range 3.5–7.0 at appreciable rates, both with mixed cultures and with pure bacterial cultures. Under certain conditions, microbial activity was even observed in the presence of alkylbenzenes down to pH 2.5 with mixed cultures, which is quite unusual and explains the ability of the present biocatalyst to remove alkylbenzenes with high efficiency in biofilters under acidic conditions

Phenol biodegradation and its effect on the nitrification process

Phenol biodegradation under aerobic conditions and its effect on the nitrification process were studied, first in batch assays and then in an activated sludge reactor. In batch assays, phenol was completely biodegraded at concentrations ranging from 100 to 2500 mg l−1. Phenol was inhibitory to the nitrification process, showing more inhibition at higher initial phenol concentrations. At initial phenol concentrations above 1000 mg l−1, the level of nitrification decreased. In the activated sludge reactor, the applied ammonium loading rate was maintained at 140 mg N–NH4+ l−1 d−1 (350 mg N–NH4+ l−1) during the operation time. However, the applied organic loading rate was increased stepwise from 30 to 2700 mg COD l−1 d−1 by increasing the phenol concentration from 35 up to 2800 mg l−1. High phenol removal efficiencies, above 99.9%, were maintained at all the applied organic loading rates. Ammonium removal was also very high during the operation period, around 99.8%, indicating that there was no inhibition of nitrification by phenol

A Simulation Workflow for Membrane Computing: From MeCoSim to PMCGPU Through P-Lingua

P system simulators are of high importance in Membrane Computing, since they provide tools to assist on model validation and verification. Keeping a balance between generality and flexibility, on the one side, and efficiency, on the other hand, is always challenging, but it is worth the effort. Besides, in order to prove the feasibility of P system models as practical tools for solving problems and aid in decision making, it is essential to provide functional mechanisms to have all the elements required at disposal of the potential users smoothly integrated in a robust workflow. The aim of this paper is to describe the main components and connections within the approach followed in this pipeline.Ministerio de Industria, Economía y Competitividad TIN2017-89842-

Tres tumbas de la etapa Hispano-Goda en Gomacín, Puente la Reina (Navarra)

Se publican tres tumbas de una necrópolis inédita de la etapa visigoda (s. VIVIR d.C), descubierta en Puente la Reina, (Navarra, España). Se describe, junto a otras paleopatologías, el caso más antiguo de lepra identificado en España