10,238 research outputs found
Synthesis of an acidic biomorphic carbon-based catalyst for simultaneous esterification and transesterification reactions
The activation of cellulose followed by sulfonation produces a biomorphic functionalized carbon material with acid catalytic activity as a solid-acid replacement for homogeneous catalysts. The carbon-based material contains carboxylic and sulfonic acid groups and exhibits high catalytic performance for liquid-phase acid-catalyzed reactions in presence of water. The activation of cellulose at high temperature (600ÂșC) followed by sulfonation also results in an amorphous carbon with an acidity value close to 1.52 mmol.g-1. The catalytic test shows that the sulfated carbon has enough amount of sulfonic acid groups and exhibit high catalytic activity and stability for esterification and tranesterification of raw materials; achieving a comversion value close to 90.5% at 2h of reaction comparable to an homogeneous catalysts. Structural and active site analyses suggest that the marked difference in catalytic activity is due to the accessibility of reactants to sulfonic acid groups in the carbon structure.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Productive Capital and Technical Efficiency in the UE-15
In this research we examine the capitalization process in the UE-15 with the aim to establish if the evolution manteined in the last two decades for the public capital and its distribution related private capital have conditioned the technical efficiency of the European economies. In this analysis we use the frontier function approach that allows to consider an inefficiency use of the productive factors. Specifically, we employ the parametric stochastic frontier model from Battese and Coelli (1995) to explore the determinants of the technical efficiency. The results show that larger endowments of public capital may facilitate the access of the productive activity to the levels of the more efficient members. We also find a limit to the capacity of introducing improvements in the use of productive factors, and it is related to private capital, then if the increase of public capital does not lead to an optimal distribution of this factor, the effect on efficiency will be negative.
Long Term Evolution of the Size Distribution of Portuguese Cities
In this paper we study the evolution of the Portuguese urban system from 1864 to 2001. We apply the rank-size model and use rank-size estimates to describe the evolution of city-size hierarchy. Non paretian behaviour of the distribution is examined by adding a quadratic term to the basic equation of the model. Our results enhance two different processes in the evolution of urban system: until the middle of the twentieth century urban growth was accompanied by population concentration in the largest cities and proliferation of small cities; afterwards growth benefits middle size cities, reinforced in the last decades by heavy population losses in the two largest cities. From the association between the characteristics and evolving pattern of city size distribution and the spatial pattern of urban growth, it appears that the non paretian behaviour of city size distribution in the last decades can be linked to the particular growth process of cities located in the proximity of the central cities of the two metropolitan areas of Portugalâs mainland. In order to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the Portuguese urban system we examine the movements in the ranking of cities. We also analyse the existence of spatial correlation in the process of urban hierarchy restructuring.
Understanding the Institutional Evolution of the European Rural Policy: A Methodological Approach
Last decades have seen the development of a new rural policy. Different problems occurring in rural areas have pushed the EU Commission to draft policy instruments aiming to address them. However this rural policy path has not always been explicit neither has followed a continuous trend but rather has seen a series of forward and backward steps. Given the lack of a method to establish the relevance and the level of political acceptance of EU rural policy, a methodology has been developed. This methodology has tried to identify the EU political procedure trend, though this is not a formal sequence, and to establish a classification of different events according to a proposed hierarchy. Several EU documents, decisions, directives and financial resource allocations have been analysed. Within the review performed, each rural policy milestone has been classified following the proposed hierarchical chart. This has enabled the drawing of the different backs and forwards taken by this process. Besides, it has lead to the interpretation of the rural policy instruments current position in relation with other European policy instruments.Rural development, policy analysis, institutional processes, Agricultural and Food Policy,
The evolution of city size distribution in Portugal: 1864-2001
The rank-size model - which states that the size distribution of cities in a country follows a Pareto distribution - has been recognized as one of those stylized facts or amazing empirical regularities, in spatial economics. A common problem in city size distribution studies concerns the definition of âcitiesâ, namely the consistency of those definitions over time. In this paper we use a city-proper data base which uses a consistent definition of cities from 1864 to 1991. Portugal is a country with long established national borders and whose mainland urban system shows a constant number of cities over that period. In Portugal, empirical evidence on city size distribution based on census data shows that two large cities dominate the urban system, associated with a large number of very small cities and a clear deficit of medium-size cities. In this paper we analyse the evolution of the rank size exponent and examine the effect of varying city size cut-offs on the estimate value of that exponent. Then, we study the deviations of the rank-size distribution from linearity. Finally, we explore the dynamics underlying the evolution of the urban system by examining the relationship between city growth rates and city size.city size distribution, Zipfâs law, urban hierarchy, urban primacy
INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MAIN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: SOME EMPIRICAL ANALYSES.
The evolution of city size distribution in Portugal: 1864-2001
The rank-size model - which states that the size distribution of cities in a country follows a Pareto distribution - has been recognized as one of those stylised facts or amazing empirical regularities, in spatial economics. A common problem in city size distribution studies concerns the definition of âcitiesâ, namely the consistency of those definitions over time. In this paper we use a city-proper data base which uses a consistent definition of cities from 1864 to 1991. Portugal is a country with long established national borders and whose mainland urban system shows a constant number of cities over that period. In Portugal, empirical evidence on city size distribution based on census data shows that two large cities dominate the urban system, associated with a large number of very small cities and a clear deficit of medium-size cities. In this paper we analyse the evolution of the rank size exponent and examine the effect of varying city size cut-offs on the estimated value of that exponent. Then, we study the deviations of the rank-size distribution from linearity. Finally, we explore the dynamics underlying the evolution of the urban system by examining the relationship between city growth rates and city size. Keywords: city size distribution, Zipfâs law, rank-size, urban hierarchy, urban primacy
Long term evolution of the size distribution of Portuguese cities
In this paper we study the evolution of the Portuguese urban system from 1864 to 2001. We apply the rank-size model and use rank-size estimates to describe the evolution of city-size hierarchy. NonParetian behavior of the distribution is examined by adding a quadratic term to the basic equation of the model. Our results enhance two different processes in the evolution of urban system: until the middle of the twentieth century urban growth was accompanied by population concentration in the largest cities; afterwards growth benefits middle size cities, reinforced in the last decades by heavy population losses in the two largest cities. From the association between the characteristics and evolving pattern of city size distribution and the spatial pattern of urban growth, it appears that the nonParetian behavior of city size distribution in the last decades can be linked to the particular growth process of cities located in the proximity of the central cities of the two metropolitan areas of mainland Portugal. In order to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the Portuguese urban system we examine the movements in the ranking of cities, through a Markov chain process. We also analyse the existence of spatial correlation in the process of urban hierarchy restructuring.Urban hierarchy, rank-size distribution, urban growth, Markov processes
Trabajo colaborativo interdepartamental a travĂ©s de las tecnologĂas de la informaciĂłn y comunicaciĂłn. Nexo bidireccional para las didĂĄcticas en educaciĂłn
El presente resumen pretende abordar el nexo tan Ăntimo existente entre la metodologĂa del trabajo colaborativo interdepartamental y las tecnologĂas de la informaciĂłn y comunicaciĂłn. Ambos ĂĄmbitos metodolĂłgicos forman un tĂĄndem que se retroalimentan bidireccionalmente.
Estos dos ĂĄmbitos, pese a pertenecer a ramas de diferente ĂĄrbol, comparten multitud de similitudes, tales como:
o Estimulan la creatividad, ya que al mismo tiempo se pueden compartir ideas interesantes surgidas teniendo infinidad de herramientas al alcance de todos los miembros.
o La comunicaciĂłn interdepartamental a travĂ©s de las Tic crea una relaciĂłn de igualdad entre los componentes de un grupo con un proyecto comĂșn.
o Este binomio fomenta, a su vez, la multiculturalidad fruto de la elaboraciĂłn de un proyecto comĂșn entre compañeros distantes en espacio, fĂsicamente hablando. AsĂ pues, la barrera de la distancia, gracias a los avances tecnolĂłgicos y al buen uso de ellos, se ha desvanecido.
o Facilitar y potenciar la comunicaciĂłn.
En mi experiencia de casi tres décadas como docente, he podido observar, tanto en enseñanzas secundarias, bachillerato, asà como, en el åmbito universitario, la verdadera satisfacción experimentada por los alumnos desde el momento que se les plantea un nuevo proyecto audiovisual, asà como durante el desarrollo del mismo.
En los planes de estudio de este paĂs remodelados en la Ășltima dĂ©cada se contempla este aspecto, por ello las asignaturas de nuestro campo han pasado a llamarse EducaciĂłn PlĂĄstica y Audiovisual.
Las tecnologĂas van evolucionando de forma vertiginosa, en ocasiones, difĂcil de seguir. Pero este lenguaje comĂșn entre docentes y discentes, y entre ambos con los iguales, es similar al garabato de un niño en la etapa de autoexpresiĂłn; un canal de comunicaciĂłn y de informaciĂłn de infinitas posibilidades. Por consiguiente, tenemos al alcance de nuestras manos el empleo de un lenguaje unificador, de acercamiento y potenciador de la motivaciĂłn.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tec
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