Costs of EMU from a regional approach: the Spanish case

In this paper we look at the impact of EMU on Spanish regional disparities in the framework of the Optimal Currency Areas theory and upon its distinction between benefits and costs of a monetary integration. In particular, here we want to deal with the main potential source of costs for the Spanish regions: the likelihood of asymmetric shocks in the economy. In this regard, we try to ascertain the degree of correlation among the business cycles of the Spanish regions, and also with respect to the European and Spanish cycle. The technique employed in the paper ( following Peiro, 2000) focuses on the cross correlations among relevant variables at the regional and the national level such as the behaviour of industrial production or the rate of inflation. We proceed in two steps. First we filter the series in order to get non-autocorrelated residuals. Next we compute the asymptotic distribution of the contemporaneus correlation among the variables in order to know to which extent business cycles behave according to a similar pattern. This method will shed some light on the question about the degree of comovements in the cycles. If the comovements seem to be high - as we expect, based upon other results -, then we may consider than the probability of the Spanish regions suffering asymmetric shocks is less severe.

Global dynamics and imbalance effects in the Lucas Uzawa model : further results

In this paper we use a new analytical approach to the Lucas-Uzawa model (Boucekkine and Ruiz-Tamarit, 2007) to extend the existinc results on the dynamics and notably on the imbalance effects arising in the model. The approach does not only allow to extend the traditional analysis to any initial conditions for all variables in level, but it also permits a more general investigation of imbalance effectsLucas-Uzawa; hypergeometric functions; imbalance effects; global dynamics

Global dynamics and imbalance effects in the Lucas-Uzawa model: further results

In this paper we use a new analytical approach to the Lucas-Uzawa model (Boucekkine and Ruiz Tamarit, 2007) to extend the existing results on the dynamics, and notably on the imbalance effects arising in the model. The approach does not only allow to extend the traditional analysis to any initial conditions and for all variables in level, but it also permits a more general investigation of imbalance effects.Lucas-Uzawa, hypergeometric functions, imbalance effects, global dynamics

Role of Enzymatic Reactions in Meat Processing and Use of Emerging Technologies for Process Intensification

Meat processing involves different transformations in the animal muscle after slaughtering, which results in changes in tenderness, aroma and colour, determining the quality of the final meat product. Enzymatic glycolysis, proteolysis and lipolysis play a key role in the conversion of muscle into meat. The accurate control of enzymatic reactions in meat muscle is complicated due to the numerous influential factors, as well as its low reaction rate. Moreover, exogenous enzymes are also used in the meat industry to produce restructured products (transglutaminase), to obtain bioactive peptides (peptides with antioxidant, antihypertensive and gastrointestinal activity) and to promote meat tenderization (papain, bromelain, ficin, zingibain, cucumisin and actinidin). Emerging technologies, such as ultrasound (US), pulsed electric fields (PEF), moderate electric fields (MEF), high-pressure processing (HPP) or supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2), have been used to intensify enzymatic reactions in different food applications. This review aims to provide an overview of the enzymatic reactions taking place during the processing of meat products, how they could be intensified by using emerging technologies and envisage potential applications.This research was financially supported by the “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)” and the “Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)” in Spain (Projects RTA2017-00024-C04-03 and RTA2017-00024-C04-02).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhancing students' well-being with a unified approach based on contextual behavioural science: A randomised experimental school-based intervention

A new generation of interventions has begun to move towards principles of acceptance that deal with the context and function of psychological events. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effectiveness of a brief contextual behavioural intervention to improve the psychological well-being of secondary school students. This intervention represents a unified model with key processes based on contextual behavioural science, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). We conducted an intervention with 94 students (age range 17–19 years), randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 50) or control group (n = 44). Participants took a pretest and post-test of distress, life satisfaction, psychological flexibility and mindfulness. The intervention consisted of three sessions of 1 h each. The results showed significant differences between the groups in distress and significant differences for the interaction (group × pre–post) in all the other variables. The intervention had greater benefits for girls than for boys. These results may provide a breakthrough, thus leading to a process of evidence-based therapies, which would be responsible for inducing psychological improvements in brief periods, in a population with an increasing risk of distress.This study was carried out in Marbella (Spain), did not receive funding and was self-financed. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA

Transcriptomic analysis of tomato carpel development reveals alterations in ethylene and gibberellin synthesis during pat3/pat4 parthenocarpic fruit set

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tomato fruit set is a key process that has a great economic impact on crop production. We employed the Affymetrix GeneChip Tomato Genome Array to compare the transcriptome of a non-parthenocarpic line, UC82, with that of the parthenocarpic line RP75/59 (<it>pat3/pat4 </it>mutant). We analyzed the transcriptome under normal conditions as well as with forced parthenocarpic development in RP75/59, emasculating the flowers 2 days before anthesis. This analysis helps to understand the fruit set in tomato.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Differentially expressed genes were extracted with maSigPro, which is designed for the analysis of single and multiseries time course microarray experiments. 2842 genes showed changes throughout normal carpel development and fruit set. Most of them showed a change of expression at or after anthesis. The main differences between lines were concentrated at the anthesis stage. We found 758 genes differentially expressed in parthenocarpic fruit set. Among these genes we detected cell cycle-related genes that were still activated at anthesis in the parthenocarpic line, which shows the lack of arrest in the parthenocarpic line at anthesis. Key genes for the synthesis of gibberellins and ethylene, which were up-regulated in the parthenocarpic line were also detected.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Comparisons between array experiments determined that anthesis was the most different stage and the key point at which most of the genes were modulated. In the parthenocarpic line, anthesis seemed to be a short transitional stage to fruit set. In this line, the high GAs contends leads to the development of a parthenocarpic fruit, and ethylene may mimic pollination signals, inducing auxin synthesis in the ovary and the development of a jelly fruit.</p

NO NORMALIDAD Y HETEROGENEIDAD DE VARIANZA EN EL MODELO LINEALMIXTO (MLM) EN DISEÑOS SPLIT-PLOTCON MUESTRAS PEQUEÑAS

Los datos provenientes de investigaciones de tipo longitudinal en psicología suelen reflejar condiciones características de este ámbito de estudio, como son los tamaños muestrales reducidos, distribuciones no normales, violaciones de los supuestos de esfericidad y homogeneidad de varianza. Actualmente, el modelo lineal mixto (MLM) es uno de los procedimientos más recomendados cuando los supuestos en los que se basan los procedimientos tradicionales no se cumplen. Cuando los tamaños muestrales son reducidos se suele utilizar algún procedimiento de ajuste de los grados de libertad que mejore las propiedades del MLM, como el propuesto por Kenward y Roger (KR; 1997). El objetivo de este estudio fue ampliar el estudio realizado por Arnau et al. (2011) evaluando la robustez de KR con diseños split-plot de muestras pequeñas ante violaciones de la normalidad en diferente grado en los distintos grupos, violaciones de la esfericidad y de la homogeneidad de varianza. Se realiza un estudio de simulación Monte Carlo considerando un diseño split-plot con 3 grupos y 4 ocasiones de medidas repetidas, con tamaños muestrales totales de 36 y 42 individuos, asumiendo una matriz de covarianza no estructurada en la generación de datos. Se han manipulado las siguientes condiciones: a) con grupos balanceados y no balanceados; b) homogeneidad y heterogeneidad de la matriz de covarianza; c) emparejamiento nulo, positivo o negativo entre el tamaño de grupo y la matriz de covarianza y d) esfericidad de 0,57 ó 0,75. Los resultados muestran que KR es robusto cuando los diseños son equilibrados, independientemente de la violación de los supuestos de esfericidad y/o de homogeneidad de varianza. Sin embargo, cuando los diseños no son equilibrados, se halla una tendencia a la liberalidad, especialmente cuando el emparejamiento de las matrices de covarianza y el tamaño de los grupos es negativo. Los resultados de este estudio van en la línea con los obtenidos en estudios previos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Proyecto de Investigación PSI2012-32662 Ministerio Economía y Competitividad

Confirmación de la presencia de Phrynops geoffroanus (Schweigger, 1812) (Testudines, Chelidae) en la provincia de Misiones, Argentina

Localidad.― Phrynops geoffroanus (Schweigger, 1812). República Argentina provincia de Misiones, departamento Capital (27°21'48.59"S 55°56'30.71"O, Fig. 1). Colectores Rodrigo Cajade, Federico Marangoni y José Miguel Piñeiro. El día 13 de Julio de 2013 a las 16 Hs se colecto 1 individuo adulto, que fue depositado en la Colección Herpetológica del Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva (LGE 6420), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones.Fil: Cajade, Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Marangoni, Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Piñeiro, Jose Miguel. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Álvarez, Blanca B.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Herpetología; Argentin

Life satisfaction and the mediating role of character strengths and gains in informal caregivers

Introduction: Being an informal caregiver can have both negative and positive consequences for well-being. Within the framework of he stress process model, few studies have examined values and perceived gains of caregiving as mediating variables of life satisfaction. Aim: To explore the role of character strengths and perceived gains as mediators in the association between life satisfaction and primary and secondary stressors in informal caregivers of persons with dementia. Method: Participants were 112 informal caregivers. Hierarchical regression, correlation and mediation analyses were performed. Results: Lower life satisfaction was associated with being female, unmarried, caring for someone with greater cognitive impairment, a higher level of stress, having restricted leisure time and perceiving financial difficulties. Hope mediated the associations between perceived stress and both life satisfaction and perceived gains of caregiving. Discussion: Hope is a key strength and its lack is one pathway through which stress may cause low satisfaction and low perceived gains from caregiving. Implications for practice: Without hope, it is difficult for caregivers to generate goals and be motivated to achieve them. Nursing and care staff should aim to promote a sense of purpose and achievement among informal caregivers so as to foster a more positive caring experience