What Are the Driving Forces of Individuals’ Retirement Savings?

The purpose of this paper is to analyze what factors are driving the retirement savings of European individuals and whether there are marked differences in retirement preparation among a sample of European countries. Our evidence is based on a sample of 6,036 individuals from eight European countries. The results show that although the percentage of savers for retirement varies widely across countries, the driving forces of the decision to save for retirement are quite similar. Thus, this decision is positively related to individuals’ age, financial literacy, household income, and saving habit. In addition, the results suggest that country-level institutional factors also play a crucial role in an individual’s retirement attitudes.retirement savings, financial literacy, Europe

Scaling Factor Estimation by the Mass Change Method

International Operational Modal Analysis Conferencee (IOMAC), Copenhagen, DenmarkWhen natural input modal analysis is performed, the acting forces are unknown; by this reason only un-scaled mode shapes may be obtained so that the FRF matrix can not be constructed. If the structure is modified and a new modal testing is carried out, the scaling factors can be determined using the modal parameters (natural frequencies and mode shapes) from both the modified and the unmodified structure. Mass change is in many cases the simplest way to perform structural modification, which involves repeated testing implying mass change in different points of the structure where the mode shapes are known. In this paper, several methods to estimate the scaling factors, based on the mass change method, are presented. The accuracy obtained through the methods proposed depends on the type of normalization used in the mode shapes, the mass change magnitude and the number and the location of the masses attached to the structure, which effect is also analyzed. Finally, it is shown how the scaling factors can be used to improve the modal updating procedure

DSS for optimum ventilation, thermal storage & CO2 management for different climates & available sustainable energy sources

The EUPHOROS project is co-funded by the European Commission, Directorate General for Research, within the 7th Framework Programme of RTD, Theme 2 – Biotechnology, Agriculture & Food, contract 211457. The views and opinions expressed in this Deliverable are purely those of the writers and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission. This Deliverable 5 Annex is the latest updated version in September 2011

Predictors of Visceral Leishmaniasis Relapse in HIV-Infected Patients: A Systematic Review

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most serious form of an insect-transmitted parasitic disease prevalent in 70 countries. The disease is caused by species of the L. donovani complex found in different geographical regions. These parasites have substantially different clinical, drug susceptibility and epidemiological characteristics. According to data from the World Health Organization, the areas where HIV-Leishmania co-infection is distributed are extensive. HIV infection increases the risk of developing VL, reduces the likelihood of a therapeutic response, and greatly increases the probability of relapse. A better understanding of the factors promoting relapses is essential; therefore we performed a systematic review of articles involving all articles assessing the predictors of VL relapse in HIV-infected individuals older than 14 years of age. Out of 178 relevant articles, 18 met the inclusion criteria and in total, data from 1017 patients were analyzed. We identified previous episodes of VL relapse, CD4+ lymphocyte count fewer than 100 cells/mL at VL diagnosis, and the absence of an increase in CD4+ counts at follow-up as major factors associated with VL relapse. Knowledge of relapse predictors can help to identify patients with different degrees of risk, facilitate and direct prophylaxis choices, and aid in patient counseling

Art therapy and education for human development.

La combinación entre al arte desde su perspectiva terapéutica y la educación artística como vehículo de la educación para el desarrollo constituyen uno de los tanderns mas efectivos dentro de las últimas corrientes dentro de las artes plásticas y visuales. Este ensayo resalta la importancia de la necesidad de la investigación en ambos campos relatando además varios campos de aplicaciónThe union of Art Therapy rescarh and artistic education from critical theory offers a great deal of possibilities and implementations in the artistics and visual. This essay claims the importance of the continuity of the research in both fields and offers sorne indications related to both issues

Carbon Sequestration in Temperate Silvopastoral Systems, Argentina

Carbon sequestration involves the net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere andstorage in long-lived pools of C. Such pools include the above-ground plant biomass;below-ground biomass such as roots, soil microorganisms, the relatively stableforms of organic and inorganic C in soils and deeper subsurface environments,and the durable products derived from biomass (Nair et al. 2009).This chapter from leading researchers and professionals in SPS is a compendiumof original research articles, case studies, and regional overviews that summarizes thecurrent state of knowledge on carbon sequestration of SPS in native forests and treeplantations in Argentina and make recommendations on policies to promote SPS.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Banegas, Natalia Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Gasparri, Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Carranza, Carlos H.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Córdoba. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi. Estación Forestal Villa Dolores; ArgentinaFil: Rossner, Belen. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Misiones. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Montecarlo; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Pastur, Guillermo José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cavallero, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Córdoba. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi. Estación Forestal Villa Dolores; ArgentinaFil: López, Dardo Rubén. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Córdoba. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi. Estación Forestal Villa Dolores; ArgentinaFil: Loto, Dante Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero; ArgentinaFil: Fernandéz, Pedro. No especifíca;Fil: Powell, Priscila Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ledesma, Marcela. No especifíca;Fil: Pedraza, Raúl Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia; ArgentinaFil: Albanesi, Ada. No especifíca;Fil: Bahamonde, Héctor Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional.patagonia Sur. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz.; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Eclesia, Roxana Paola. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Entre Ríos. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Piñeiro, Gervasio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentin

Espaços e paisagens. Antiguidade Clássica e heranças contemporâneas. Vol. I Línguas e Literaturas. Grécia e Roma

Actas do VII Congresso Internacional da APEC, decorrido na Universidade de Évora (Abril de 2008)