Returns to Schooling in Spain. How Reliable Are IV Estimates?

This paper studies the Ordinary Least-Squared (OLS) and Instrumental Variables (IV) estimates of the returns to schooling for male workers in Spain. OLS estimates are often biased due to the endogeneity of schooling, measurement errors or omitted variables. Proper IV estimates correct this bias. The reliability of family background, natural experiments (based on changes in the education system and season of birth) and the availability of a college in the province is checked using Spanish data. The results suggest that background and college availability are valid instruments and that the IV estimates of the returns to schooling are higher than OLS estimates. These results are in line with the majority of previous results in the literature.Returns to schooling, Instrumental Variables, Spanish schooling system

Employment: Can We Keep Old Jobs and Create New Ones?

Associated with the goals of economic growth and reform is the generation of employment and cooperation in industrial relations. This issue assesses the accomplishments of the government in achieving these goals and its impact on the national objective of growth, equity and improved quality of living.unemployment, industrial relations, labor migration, human resource development

Analysis of timber as sustainable material for construction

Comunicació presentada a IN-TECH 2014 International Conference on Innovative Technologies (Leiria, Portugal 10-13, september 2014).Facing the climate change scenario, professionals and technicians of civil engineering and architecture are searching for ecological solutions and construction methods that would allow for higher energy-efficiency and then reduce environmental impacts. Timber represents one of the best choices for energy-efficient construction, since it also functions as a material with good thermal transmittance properties if compared to other construction materials. This work analyses the possibilities and benefits that wood offers for the construction industry, in terms of sustainability. On the one hand, the sustainable forest management system contributes to ensure the quality and well-management in the exploitation of the forest in order to produce timber and other sub-products such as cork, paper and tree resins. In relation to this, the construction industry has an important role to increase the level of sustainable products by demanding certified timber. On the other hand, due to its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), timber has the lower energy consumption compared to other building materials, as well as the CO2 stored and saved contributes to mitigate climate change. The LCA stages for the production of timber, the potential of saving carbon emissions and its comparison with other building products are presented. Concerning energy efficiency, once timber is implemented in a building taking part of the structure or as cladding material, it provides a high insulation decreasing the thermal transmittance of the walls, roofs, floors and windows. Its versatility as construction material also enables obtaining innovative solutions which can be implemented in buildings, as it is presented in this study. The optimum energy performance and low carbon emissions of timber make from this product a suitable and sustainable material to be highly considered for the construction industry

Multivariate analysis of sensory data of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Graciano during ripening. Correlation with the phenolic composition of the grape skins

The aim of this work was to evaluate sensory changes in grape skins during ripening and to obtain a correlation with their phenolic composition. Flavan-3-ols (monomers and dimers), prodelphinidins, hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, anthocyanins and flavonols were determined by HPLC-DAD-MS. In addition, skin dilaceration, tannic intensity, astringency, acidity, aroma intensity (AI) and type of aroma were evaluated. Multivariate analysis showed the evolution of these samples during ripening and the relationship among sensory scores and phenolic composition of grapes skins. Skin dilaceration, type of aroma and to a lesser extent AI tend to increase during ripening. The contents in the phenolic compounds in grape skins present a similar pattern to the aforementioned sensory parameters. Nevertheless, tannic intensity, astringency, dryness and acidity present an opposite pattern which indicates a decrease of these sensory scores during ripening.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación AGL2008-05569-C02-01Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Programme CSD2007-0006

The impact of dementia on hospital outcomes for elderly patients with sepsis: A population-based study

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have suggested that dementia adversely influences clinical outcomes and increases resource utilization in patients hospitalized for acute diseases. However, there is limited population-data information on the impact of dementia among elderly hospitalized patients with sepsis. METHODS: From the 2009-2011 National Hospital Discharge Database we identified hospitalizations in adults aged ≥65 years. Using ICD9-CM codes, we selected sepsis cases, divided them into two cohorts (with and without dementia) and compared both groups with respect to organ dysfunction, in-hospital mortality and the use of hospital resources. We estimated the impact of dementia on these primary endpoints through multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Of the 148 293 episodes of sepsis identified, 16 829 (11.3%) had diagnoses of dementia. Compared to their dementia-free counterparts, they were more predominantly female and older, had a lower burden of comorbidities and were more frequently admitted due to a principal diagnosis of sepsis. The dementia cohort showed a lower risk of organ dysfunction (adjusted OR: 0.84, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.81, 0.87) but higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR: 1.32, 95% [CI]: 1.27, 1.37). The impact of dementia on mortality was higher in the cases of younger age, without comorbidities and without organ dysfunction. The cases with dementia also had a lower length of stay (-3.87 days, 95% [CI]: -4.21, -3.54) and lower mean hospital costs (-3040€, 95% [CI]: -3279, -2800). CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide population-based study shows that dementia is present in a substantial proportion of adults ≥65s hospitalized with sepsis, and while the condition does seem to come with a lower risk of organ dysfunction, it exerts a negative influence on in-hospital mortality and acts as an independent mortality predictor. Furthermore, it is significantly associated with shorter length of stay and lower hospital costs.This work was supported by a grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number: PI09/0597)S

Effect of dementia on the incidence, short-term outcomes, and resource utilization of invasive mechanical ventilation in the elderly: a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND: Though the prevalence of dementia among hospitalized patients is increasing, there is limited population data in Europe about the use of life-support measures such as invasive mechanical ventilation in these patients. Our objective is to assess whether dementia influences the incidence, outcomes, and hospital resource use in elderly patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Using ICD-9-CM codes, all hospitalizations involving invasive mechanical ventilation in adults aged ≥ 65 years were identified in the Spanish national hospital discharge database covering the period 2000-2013. The cases identified were stratified into two cohorts (patients with or without dementia) in which main outcome measures were compared. The impact of dementia on in-hospital mortality and hospital resource use were assessed through multivariable models. Trends were assessed through joinpoint regression analysis and results expressed as average annual percentage change. RESULTS: Of the 259,623 cases identified, 5770 (2.2%) had been assigned codes for dementia. Cases with dementia were older, had a lower Charlson comorbidity score, and less frequently received prolonged mechanical ventilation or were assigned a surgical DRG. Circulatory disease was the most common main diagnosis in both cohorts. No significant impact of dementia was observed on in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 1.04, [95% CI] 0.98, 1.09). In the cohort with dementia, the incidence of mechanical ventilation underwent an average annual increase over time of 5.39% (95% CI 4.0, 6.7) while this rate was 1.62% (95% CI 0.9, 2.4) in cases without dementia. However, unlike this cohort, mortality in cases with dementia did not significantly decline over time. Geometric mean hospital cost and stay were lower among cases with than without dementia (- 14% [95% CI - 12%, - 15%] and - 12% [95% CI, - 9%, - 14%], respectively), and these differences increased over time. CONCLUSION: This nationwide population-based study suggests no impact of dementia on in-hospital mortality in elderly patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation. However, dementia is significantly associated with shorter stay and hospital costs. Our data also identifies a recent marked increase in the use of this life-support measure in elderly patients with dementia and that this increase is much greater than that observed in elderly individuals without dementia.This research was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number PI14/00081). The funding source has no role in the design and conduct of the study, the analysis and interpretation of data, or in the writing of the manuscript.S

La Cumbre de Lisboa: una agenda para el desarrollo y la seguridad de África

La Cumbre entre África y Europa del próximo mes de diciembre ofrece la oportunidad de abordar algunos de los retos principales del desarrollo africano. La Cumbre de Lisboa reunirá por primera vez en siete años a los líderes de África y Europa. Se trata de una ocasión única para impulsar algunos de los asuntos que más interesan a los centenares de millones de personas que viven en la pobreza en esta región. Sin embargo, el escaso interés de Europa presagia una reunión de mínimos