Gasto educativo por regiones y niveles en 2005

En esta nota se construyen algunos indicadores de gasto educativo por estudiante para las distintas comunidades autónomas a partir de la información suministrada en diversas publicaciones del Ministerio de Educación y del INE para el año 2005.

Technological differences and convergence in the OECD

In this paper we test the homogeneity of the technological parameters among OECD countries, which is the maintained hypothesis in most of the empirical growth literature. We first identify differences in the constant term of the convergence equation estimated for the OECD 1960/1990 sample using a fixed- effects estimator. Then we provide a formal test of the homogeneity of technological parameters across groups of countries. We identify at least two different groups within the OECD, with significantly different technologies. Convergence within each group is fast, supporting the notion of club convergence. Nevertheless, the implausible parameter values obtained for the leading technology club casts some doubts on the validity of the Solow model to account for the long run behaviour of this group of countries.Growth, convergence clubs, technological parameters

Household debt and labour market fluctuations

The co-movements of labor productivity with output, total hours, vacancies and unemployment have changed since the mid 1980s. This paper offers an explanation for the sharp break in the fl uctuations of labor market variables based on endogenous labor supply decisions following the mortgage market deregulation. Our exercise shows that the dynamic pattern of the labor market variables might have been substantially affected by the increase in household leverage in the US in the last twenty years. We set up a search model with effi cient bargaining and fi nancial frictions, in which impatient borrowers can take an amount of credit that cannot exceed a proportion of the expected value of their real estate holdings. When borrowers’ equity requirements are low, the impact of a positive technology shock on the marginal utility of consumption is strengthened, which in turn results in lower hours per worker and higher wages in the bargaining process. This shift in labor supply discourages fi rms from opening vacancies, reducing the impact of the shock on employment.business cycle, labor market, borrowing restrictions

Efficiency in the provision of public and private capital in 15 OECD countries

In this paper we use a sample of 15 OECD countries to examine whether provision of public and private capital satisfies conditions of intertemporal efficiency over the 1970-1995 period. We find robust evidence that private and public capital have followed criteria of efficient resource allocation in all countries. The estimated output elasticities of private and public capital display little variation across countries, and reach mean values of 0.19 and 0.055. Consequently, average rates of return to both factors are estimated at about 5-5.5%. All along we estimate a positive and significant intertemporal elasticity of substitution of consumption in all countries.Infrastructures, private capital, investment

Convergence in the OECD: Transitional Dynamics or Narrowing Steady-State Differences?

In this article we show that the picture emerging from models that allow for generalized parameter heterogeneity in convergence equations changes our view of the convergence process within the OECD. Estimation methods that allow for non- or partial heterogeneity stress the importance of transitional dynamics. Thus the observed reduction in the dispersion of per capita income is mostly explained by transitional dynamics. When generalized parameter heterogeneity is allowed for, we find that the observed narrowing of incomes has little bearing on transitional dynamics. Convergence in this case happens because the long-run features of these countries are becoming increasingly similar. (JEL C13, C23, O41, O57) Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.

Increasing offensive or defensive efficiency? An analysis of Italian and Spanish football

This paper analyses technical efficiency of Italian and Spanish football during three recent seasons, to shed light on the sport performance of professional football clubs. To achieve this we have used mathematical optimisation methods, particularly DEA models, which enable the calculation of the frontiers of efficient production. Some of the most interesting results are the following. Firstly, the Spanish league is clearly more homogeneous and competitive than the Italian league. Secondly, to obtain a better classification in the Italian league, it is much more important to improve defensive, rather than offensive, efficiency. The popular maxim holds in Italy: the best attack begins with a good defence. Third, in Spain our analysis supports the idea that to improve the ranking in the league, the best-rewarded strategy consists in improving offensive efficiency playing at home ground, followed by increasing offensive efficiency when playing away from home.Efficiency DEA Sports

Analysis and Evolution of Efficiency in the Spanish Soccer League (2000/01 - 2007/08)

This paper aims to analyse the efficiency of the teams that have participated in the last eight seasons in the Spanish football (soccer) league (LFP). Efficiency is based on technical aspects of the sport rather than variables of an economic nature due to how difficult it is to obtain such information from the clubs that make up the Spanish league. These measures are obtained for attack and defense, as both are essentials parts of football as a sport. To measure the efficiency we used a DEA model. Once the two facets mentioned above are defined, it is important to find out whether they are more directly related to the achievement of the points at stake in each match, as the final goal is to gain as many points as possible in order to win the competition or even to avoid are being relegated to the second division. Finally, we measure how the eight teams that have played in the first division for the last few seasons have performed. These teams are primarily the ones that have finished those seasons up the table. In order to achieve this, a DEA-Window analysis is carried out with two windows, as this makes it possible to compare two consecutive seasons. Most teams change either players or their manager from one season to another, which means there is little sense football-wise to analyse windows of more than three seasons.

Interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 modulate nuclear factor κB activity and nitric oxide synthase-2 expression in Theiler's virus-infected brain astrocytes

In brain astrocytes, nuclear factor ΚB ΚB) is activated by stimuli that produce cellular stress causing the expression of genes involved in defence, including the inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS-2). Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induces a persistent CNS infection and chronic immune-mediated demyelination, similar to human multiple sclerosis. The cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 inhibit the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, counteracting the inflammatory process. Our study reports that infection of cultured astrocytes with TMEV resulted in a time-dependent phosphorylation of IΚBα, degradation of IΚBα and IΚBβ, activation of NF-ΚB and expression of NOS-2. The proteasome inhibitor MG-132 blocked TMEV-induced nitrite accumulation, NOS-2 mRNA expression and phospho-IΚBα degradation, suggesting NF-ΚB-dependent NOS-2 expression. Pretreatment of astrocytes with IL-4 or IL-10 decreased p65 nuclear translocation, NF-ΚB binding activity and NOS-2 transcription. IL-4 and IL-10 caused an accumulation of IΚBα in TMEV-infected astrocytes without affecting IΚBβ levels. The IΚB kinase activity and the degradation rate of both IΚBs were not modified by either cytokine, suggesting de novo synthesis of IΚBα. Indeed, IL-4 or IL-10 up-regulated IΚBα mRNA levels after TMEV infection. Therefore, the accumulation of IΚBα might impair the translocation of the NF-ΚB to the nucleus, mediating the inhibition of NF-ΚB activity. Overall, these data suggest a novel mechanism of action of IL-4 and IL-10, which abrogates NOS-2 expression in viral-infected glial cells.Peer Reviewe

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in hepatocytes protects against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Trabajo presentado al 41 Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (SEBBM), celebrado en Santander del 10 al 13 de septiembre de 2018.Liver ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a serious clinical problem affecting liver transplantation outcomes. IRI causes up to 10% of early organ failure and predisposes to chronic rejection. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is involved in different liver diseases but the significance of COX-2 in liver IRI is a matter of controversy. This study was designed to elucidate the role of COX-2 expression in hepatocytes in the pathogenesis of liver IRI. In the present work hepatocyte-specific COX-2 transgenic mice (hCOX-2-Tg) and their wild-type (Wt) littermates were subjected to partial IRI and the results show that hCOX-2-Tg exhibited lower grades of necrosis and inflammation than Wt mice in part by reduced recruitment and infiltration of hepatic macrophages and netrophils with a corresponding decrease in serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover hCOX-2-Tg mice showed a significant attenuation of the IRI-induced increase in oxidative stress and hepatic apoptosis an increase in autophagic flux and a decrease in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress comparing with that observed in Wt mice. Preconditioning of Wt mice resembles the beneficial effects of hCOX-2-Tg mice in IRI due to an increase in endogenous COX-2 expression. Furthermore measurement of PGE2 levels in plasma from patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation revealed a significantly negative correlation between PGE2 levels and graft function and time of ischemia. Overall the data support the view of the beneficial effects of hepatic COX-2 dependent prostaglandins after liver IRI.This work was supported by i‐COOP2016‐20213 (CSIC) to D.F., P.M.S; SAF2014‐52492 (MINECO, Spain) to L.B.; CIBERcv and CIBERehd (ISCIII, Spain) to L.B., P.M.S and M.C.; SAF2016‐75004‐R (MINECO, Spain) to P.M.S. and M.C. M F‐A. is recipient of FPI fellowship from MINECO (BES‐2017‐081928).Peer Reviewe