A production network model for the Spanish economy with an application to the impact of NGEU funds

Este trabajo introduce un modelo sectorial para la economía española que permite una mejor comprensión de la propagación de shocks sectoriales teniendo en cuenta diferentes interacciones de red. En particular, el modelo presenta interacciones sectoriales a lo largo de varias dimensiones en un entorno de economía abierta, ya sea en la provisión de insumos intermedios y bienes de capital o compitiendo en el mercado de trabajo. Este marco es lo suficientemente flexible como para proporcionar información sobre el efecto de varias perturbaciones relevantes para la política económica, como cuellos de botella en las cadenas de valor mundiales, aumentos de los costes de producción en sectores de alto consumo energético o grandes programas de inversión pública. Para ilustrar el papel de estas interacciones sectoriales, consideramos una sectorización de los fondos de la Next Generation EU (NGEU) basada en el Plan de Recuperación y Resiliencia (PRR) de España. Según nuestros resultados, el impacto medio en un horizonte de cinco años es del 1,15 % del PIB si solo consideramos el efecto directo de los programas de inversión y los planes de gasto, pero aumenta hasta el 1,75 % si tenemos en cuenta el aumento de la capacidad productiva de determinados sectores y su propagación a través del tejido productivo. Además, la expansión resultante es especialmente fuerte en sectores muy dependientes de la mano de obra altamente cualificada, como la informática y los servicios profesionales, lo que podría provocar una escasez de trabajadores altamente cualificados y reducir el impacto agregado sobre el PIB en un 25 %.This paper introduces a sectoral model for the Spanish economy that allows a better understanding of the propagation of sector-specific shocks taking into account different network interdependencies. In particular, the model features sector interactions along several dimensions in an open economy setting, either in the provision of intermediate inputs and capital goods or competing in the labour market. This framework is flexible enough to provide insights into the effect of several policy-relevant shocks, such as global value chain bottlenecks, increases in production costs in energy-intensive sectors or large public investment programmes. In order to illustrate the role of such sectoral interactions, we consider a sectorisation of Next Generation EU (NGEU) funds based on Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP) which will mobilize €69.5 bn in grants. According to our findings, the average impact over a 5-year horizon is 1.15% of GDP if we consider only the direct effect of the investment programmes and expenditure plans, but it increases to 1.75% if we take into account the increase in the productive capacity of certain sectors and its propagation through the production network. Moreover, the resulting expansion is particularly strong in sectors highly dependent on high-skilled labour, such as IT and professional services, which might lead to shortages of high-skilled workers, reducing the aggregate impact on GDP by 25%

The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and its macroeconomic impact from a sectoral standpoint

Rationale The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP), linked to Next Generation EU, details an investment programme that represents a unique opportunity to facilitate the structural transformation of the Spanish economy, on account of both the plan’s envelope (around €69.5 billion or 5.6% of GDP in 2019) and its emphasis on the challenges posed by digitalisation and the green transition. A sectoral classification of how those investments are allocated is therefore interesting in order to quantify their macroeconomic impact, taking into account the interplay between the different sectors of activity. Takeaways •According to the findings, fully absorbing the RTRP funds would have a direct impact on GDP of 1.15% in annual average terms over a five-year horizon, although this figure could rise to 1.75% when considering spillover effects between sectors. •The estimated effects are heterogeneous across sectors; the sectors benefiting the most are those linked to the digitalisation process (information and communication, and professional and technical services) and the construction sector, owing to investment in public infrastructures related to the green transition. •However, rigidities in the reallocation of resources between sectors of activity could limit the macroeconomic effect of the investments envisaged in the RTRP. These factors could reduce the estimated impact from 1.75% to 1.3% of GDP

Preparation, Properties and Water Dissolution Behavior of Polyethylene Oxide Mats Prepared by Solution Blow Spinning

The relationship between processing conditions, structure and morphology are key issues to understanding the final properties of materials. For instance, in the case of polymers to be used as scaffolds in tissue engineering, wound dressings and membranes, morphology tuning is essential to control mechanical and wettability behaviors. In this work, the relationship between the processing conditions of the solution blow spinning process (SBS) used to prepare nonwoven mats of polyethylene oxide (PEO), and the structure and morphology of the resulting materials are studied systematically, to account for the thermal and mechanical behaviors and dissolution in water. After finding the optimal SBS processing conditions (air pressure, feed rate, working distance and polymer concentration), the effect of the solvent composition has been considered. The structure and morphology of the blow spun fibers are studied as well as their thermal, mechanical behaviors and dissolution in water. We demonstrate that the morphology of the fibers (size and porosity) changes with the solvent composition, which is reflected in different thermal and mechanical responses and in the dissolution rates of the materials in water.This work was financially supported by AEI (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain, PID2020-112713RB-C22 and -C21]; the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Fondos de Investigación of Fco. Javier González Benito [2012/00130/004] and the strategic Action in Multifunctional Nanocomposite Materials [Code: 2011/00287/003]

Intracellular prostaglandin E2 mediates cisplatin-induced proximal tubular cell death

Nephrotoxicity, particularly in the proximal tubule, limits the therapeutic efficacy of the antineoplastic drug cisplatin. The signaling mechanisms appear to be multifactorial, involving inflammation, oxidative stress, and caspase. Here we studied the role of intracellular prostaglandin E2 (iPGE2) in cisplatin's cytotoxicity in human proximal tubular HK-2 cells. Cisplatin-induced apoptotic cell death was prevented by inhibitors of the prostaglandin transporter (PGT) or by PGT knock-down or by pharmacologic inhibition of PGE2 EP receptors or cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2). iPGE2 also increased in cisplatin-treated cells, which was probably due to increased expression of COX-2, microsomal PGE2 synthase-1 and PGT, and was prevented by inhibitors of PGT or COX-2. Thus iPGE2, most likely acting through intracellular EP receptors, mediates cisplatin-induced HK-2 cell death. Importantly, the tumoricidal effect of cisplatin on human cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cells was not affected by a pharmacologic inhibitor of PGT. In conclusion, iPGE2 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of cisplatin's nephrotoxicity and treatment with PGT inhibitors might represent a novel strategy in its preventionMinisterio de Ciencia e InnovaciónComunidad de Madri

Bimodal microwave and ultrasound phantoms for non-invasive clinical imaging

A precise and thorough methodology is presented for the design and fabrication of bimodal phantoms to be used in medical microwave and ultrasound applications. Dielectric and acoustic properties of human soft tissues were simultaneously mimicked. The phantoms were fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA-C) as gelling agent at a 10% concentration. Sucrose was employed to control the dielectric properties in the microwave spectrum, whereas cellulose was used as acoustic scatterer for ultrasound. For the dielectric properties at microwaves, a mathematical model was extracted to calculate the complex permittivity of the desired mimicked tissues in the frequency range from 500 MHz to 20 GHz. This model, dependent on frequency and sucrose concentration, was in good agreement with the reference Cole-Cole model. Regarding the acoustic properties, the speed of sound and attenuation coefficient were employed for validation. In both cases, the experimental data were consistent with the corresponding theoretical values for soft tissues. The characterization of these PVA-C phantoms demonstrated a significant performance for simultaneous microwave and ultrasound operation. In conclusion, PVA-C has been validated as gelling agent for the fabrication of complex multimodal phantoms that mimic soft tissues providing a unique tool to be used in a range of clinical applications.Tis work was supported by the IACTEC Technological Training program (TF INNOVA 2016-2021) and European Union Interreg-Mac funding program under grant MAC/1.1.b/098 (MACbioIDi project). Te authors would like to thank the Medical Technology for Sustainable Development from the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, for the loan of US equipment

Spain’s national network of silos and granaries: architectural and technological change over time

[EN] Aim of study: To analyse the 670 silos in Spain’s NNSG (National Network of Silos and Granaries), along with the changes in typologies and degree of mechanisation taking place over time. Area of study: Spain. Material and methods: Research began in 2014, collecting NNSG grain storage data across Spain further to the methodology developed by the authors. In a first stage the information was gathered from the FEGA’s general archives in Madrid and the archives of the departments of agriculture in the 13 regions where silos were built. In the second stage of the study, 665 silos were explored in situ. Photographs were taken and information was gathered on their characteristics (general features; architectural features; technological facilities). Main results: This paper discusses the architectural and typological changes taking place over time, from the earliest small, local, richly adorned brick silos to larger, more modern and austere reinforced concrete structures. The machinery with which they are fitted is also addressed, with the progression from basic grain storage to more sophisticated equipment designed to clean, refrigerate or disinfect the grain. Some facilities were used exclusively to select and condition seed for subsequent sowing. The most modern structures, known as macrosilos, are highly mechanised affairs. Research highlights: Spain’s national network of silos and granaries was 41 years in the building. The inventory of the 665 existing silos identified 20 types or subtypes. Early richly adorned units gradually gave way to more austere, functional structures. The machinery in place in silos varied with type/purpose and period of construction.SIThe authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by the staffs of the general FEGA archives at Madrid and the archives of the regional Departments of Agriculture and city governments throughout Spain where silos are site

Consultas planteadas al ICAC

BOICAC núm. 53, marzo de 2003. Consulta 1 BOICAC núm. 53, marzo de 2003. Consulta

Wnt signaling alterations in the human spinal cord of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases: spotlight on Fz2 and Wnt5a

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no cure, and elucidation of the mechanisms mediating neuronal death in this neuropathology is crucial to develop effective treatments. It has recently been demonstrated in animal models that the Wnt family of proteins is involved in this neuropathology, although its potential involvement in case of humans is almost unknown. We analyzed the expression of Wnt signaling components in healthy and ALS human spinal cords by quantitative RT-PCR, and we found that most Wnt ligands, modulators, receptors, and co-receptors were expressed in healthy controls. Moreover, we observed clear alterations in the mRNA expression of different components of this family of proteins in human spinal cord tissue from ALS cases. Specifically, we detected a significant increase in the mRNA levels of Wnt3, Wnt4, Fz2, and Fz8, together with several non-significant increases in the mRNA expression of other genes such as Wnt2b, Wnt5a, Fz3, Lrp5, and sFRP3. Based on these observations and on previous reports of studies performed in animal models, we evaluated with immunohistochemistry the protein expression patterns of Fz2 and Fz5 receptors and their main ligand Wnt5a in control samples and ALS cases. No substantial changes were observed in Fz5 protein expression pattern in ALS samples. However, we detected an increase in the amount of Fz2+ astrocytes in the borderline between gray and white matter at the ventral horn in ALS samples. Finally, Wnt5a expression was observed in neurons and astrocytes in both control and ALS samples, although Wnt5a immunolabeling in astroglial cells was significantly increased in ALS spinal cords in the same region where changes in Fz2 were observed. Altogether, these observations strongly suggest that the Wnt family of proteins, and more specifically Fz2 and Wnt5a, might be involved in human ALS pathology

Metal species involved in long distance metal transport in plants

20 Pags.- 2 Tabls.- 1 Fig. © 2014 Álvarez-Fernández, Díaz-Benito, Abadía, López-Millán and Abadía. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.The mechanisms plants use to transport metals from roots to shoots are not completely understood. It has long been proposed that organic molecules participate in metal translocation within the plant. However, until recently the identity of the complexes involved in the long-distance transport of metals could only be inferred by using indirect methods, such as analyzing separately the concentrations of metals and putative ligands and then using in silico chemical speciation software to predict metal species. Molecular biology approaches also have provided a breadth of information about putative metal ligands and metal complexes occurring in plant fluids. The new advances in analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry and the increased use of synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy have allowed for the identification of some metal-ligand species in plant fluids such as the xylem and phloem saps. Also, some proteins present in plant fluids can bind metals and a few studies have explored this possibility. This study reviews the analytical challenges researchers have to face to understand long-distance metal transport in plants as well as the recent advances in the identification of the ligand and metal-ligand complexes in plant fluids.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (projects AGL2010-16515 and AGL2012-31988), and the Aragón Government (group A03). Pablo Díaz-Benito was supported by a MINECO-FPI grant.Peer reviewe