Financial Ratios, Size, Industry and Interest Rate Issues in Company Failure: An Extended Multidimensional Scaling Analysis

Three-way multidimensional scaling methods are used to study the differences between UK failed and continuing companies from 1993 to 2001. The technique allows for visual representations of the results, so that qualitative information can be brought to bear when judging the health of a company. It is shown that it is important to take into account company size and area of activity. Results also suggest that the ratio structure of the companies varies between years in response to changes in the interest rates, suggesting that the frontier between failing and continuing firms moves in response to the economic cycle

The COVID-19 pandemic and the challenge of using technology for medical education in low and middle income countries

The current use of technology for medical education in low and middle income countries (LMIC) during the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet reaching its potential. We provide recommendations for LMIC that has focus on a systematic framework that considers both faculty development and developing the skills of students. An enormous challenge for all medical educators, but especially in LMIC, continues to be how to maintain clinical teaching in these extraordinary time

A real-time human-robot interaction system based on gestures for assistive scenarios

Natural and intuitive human interaction with robotic systems is a key point to develop robots assisting people in an easy and effective way. In this paper, a Human Robot Interaction (HRI) system able to recognize gestures usually employed in human non-verbal communication is introduced, and an in-depth study of its usability is performed. The system deals with dynamic gestures such as waving or nodding which are recognized using a Dynamic Time Warping approach based on gesture specific features computed from depth maps. A static gesture consisting in pointing at an object is also recognized. The pointed location is then estimated in order to detect candidate objects the user may refer to. When the pointed object is unclear for the robot, a disambiguation procedure by means of either a verbal or gestural dialogue is performed. This skill would lead to the robot picking an object in behalf of the user, which could present difficulties to do it by itself. The overall system — which is composed by a NAO and Wifibot robots, a KinectTM v2 sensor and two laptops — is firstly evaluated in a structured lab setup. Then, a broad set of user tests has been completed, which allows to assess correct performance in terms of recognition rates, easiness of use and response times.Postprint (author's final draft

A panel cointegration approach to the estimation of the peseta real exchange rate

In this paper we estimate different specifications of a model for the determination of the bilateral real exchange rate of the peseta relative to nine European Union members. The model is based on Meese and Rogo (1988) monetary approach as extended by MacDonald (1998). The applied econometric techniques are the recent panel cointegration tests developed by Kao (1999), McCoskey and Kao (1998) and Pedroni (1999) for homogeneous and heterogeneous panels. The results are favorable to a model containing relative productivities in tradables and non-tradables and the real interest rate di¤erentials as explanatory variables.real exchange rate, European Monetary Union, panel cointegration

Luis A. Cabezón, ed: La Garbo y otros cuentos de cine

Review of: Luis A. Cabezón, ed., La Garbo y otros cuentos de cine. Logroño, Ediciones Tamaño Natural/Cafe La Luna, 1999, 62 pp

Rafael Alarcón Sierra: Entre el modernismo y la modernidad: la poesía de Manuel Machado

Review of: Rafael Alarcón Sierra. Entre el modernismo y la modernidad: la poesía de Manuel Machado. Sevilla, Diputación de Sevilla, 1999, 602 pp

Floreal Hernández: Morir en Isla Vista

Review of: Floreal Hernández. Morir en Isla Vista. Zaragoza, Prames, 1999, 237 pp