COMPETENCIA EN EL MERCADO ESPAÑOL DE CRÉDITOS BANCARIOS: UN MODELO DE VARIACIONES CONJETURALES

The main objective of this work is to propose an oligopolistic competition model thatincorporates product differentiation through quality of service in the Spanish bank loansmarket. This model allows us to detect the competitive behavior patterns in terms of the outputof all the financial entities with respect to three strategic groups defined in terms of size. Thismodel of competitive interactions is tested with a sample of 100 firms in the Spanish bank loanmarket between 1992 and 1994. This period of time is characterized by both, the end of a longprocess of deregulation and the integration of the Spanish Banking System in the EuropeanBanking System. The findings evidence a stronger aggressiveness from the larger-size groupwhen the medium and smaller-size groups increase their output. Besides, the results detect anaggressive conduct between the entities within the larger-size group. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en proponer un modelo de competencia oligopolísticacon diferenciación de producto vía calidad de servicio en el mercado de créditos bancarios, elcual permite detectar el patrón de conducta competitiva del output (variaciones conjeturales anivel de cantidades de créditos vendidos) para todas y cada una de las entidades financierasrespecto de cada uno de los grupos estratégicos definidos por tamaño. Este modelo deinteracciones competitivas es contrastado con 100 entidades del mercado español de créditosbancarios entre 1992 y 1994, período temporal que marca la culminación de un proceso dedesregulación e integración europea del sistema bancario español y que incide directamente enla competencia en términos de cantidades de créditos vendidos. Los resultados obtenidosevidencian que el grupo de entidades de mayor tamaño tiene una actitud agresiva ante unaumento del output de los grupos de entidades pequeñas y medianas. Además, se detecta unaconducta agresiva entre las entidades del grupo de mayor tamaño.Variación Conjetural, Comportamiento Competitivo, Grupos Estratégicos, Banking; Competition; Strategic Groups.

Determinación relativa de fenoles, flavonoides y esteroides en cinco leguminosas tropicales

Leaf-petiole samples of Gliricia sepium, Albizia lebbeck, Centrosema plumieri, Desmodium scorpiurus, and Galactia striata were collected at milk cattle ranges having an average annual load of 0,8 animals/ha approximately during dry season. The overall area was located at 21º 23' N and 78º, 59' W latitudes. Phytochemical analysis revealed phenols, flavones, and steroids in A. lebbeck and D. Scorpiurus, while saponins were also detected in G. Sepium, C. Plumieri and G. Striata; however, no alkaloids were found in any species. Phenol, flavone and steroid concentrations, taking G. Sepium as a unity, were highly significant (P< 0,01) in arboreal legumes.Se utilizaron muestras de hojas-peciolo de Gliricidia sepium, Albizia lebbeck, Centrosema plumieri, Desmodium scorpiurus y Galactia striata tomadas en los potreros de una explotación lechera con una carga media anual de 0,8 animales/ha aproximadamente, situada a los 21°, 23' LN y 78°, 59' LO y durante la época de seca. Los resultados del tamizaje fitoquímico muestran la presencia de fenoles, flavonoides y esteroides en A. lebbeck y D. Scorpiurus. En G. Sepium, C. Plumieri y G. Striata se detectó, además, la presencia de saponinas; no se detectó alcaloides en ninguna de las especies. Las concentraciones relativas de fenoles, flavonoides y esteroides, considerando a G.sepium como unidad, fueron significativamente superiores (P<0,01) en las leguminosas arbustivas

Tracking small animals in complex landscapes: a comparison of localisation workflows for automated radio telemetry systems

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Valor nutritivo para rumiantes del follaje de árboles y arbustos tropicales

In vitro and in situ nutritional value indexes of leaves from tropical trees and shrubs for ruminant feeding are presented, especially those completely or partially studied at Camagüey University. Leaves chemical composition and nutrient supply to the ruminant ecosystem were analyzed. Results showed that the studied leaves were characterized by their nutrient supply, particularly energy and nitrogen, to the ruminant ecosystem, although some legume species contributed in a certain way to the lower parts of the gastrointestinal tract.Se exponen algunos indicadores del valor nutritivo in vitro e in situ del follaje de algunos árboles y arbustos tropicales empleados en la alimentación de rumiantes, con énfasis en aquellos investigados, total o parcialmente, en la Universidad de Camagüey. Se analizan su composición química y aporte de nutrientes al ecosistema ruminal. Se concluye que los follajes evaluados se caracterizan por su aporte de nutrientes al ecosistema ruminal, fundamentalmente energía y nitrógeno; aunque la contribución a las partes bajas del tracto gastrointestinal de algunas especies leguminosas no es despreciable

Leucaena leucocephala cv Perú in Association with Graminaceae in Dryland Conditions for Final Bovine Fattening Stage

To evaluate the factors that affect efficiency in a Leucaena leucocephala cv Perú association, with pastures for bovine fattening, 22 Zebu fattening cycles were studied on a farm of the Rectangulo Livestock Company, in Camagüey, Cuba, between 2002 and 2012. The local soil is brown without carbonates. The climate is tropical humid, and the annual precipitation average is 1 183mm. The factors evaluated were food balance, duration of the fattening cycle, and quantity of animals/cycle. The daily weight gain and expenses/income per operation were also analyzed. The pasture and Leucaena percentages were determined by plant counts. Food balances were estimated. The final value of the population of Leucaena cv Perú was 93% (P <0.05), with an increase in common Bermuda grass and other pastures. Short duration tests showed much higher gains (P <0.05), with values above 1.0 kg/animal/day. The number of animal/cycle (P <0.05) produced higher gains with fewer animals. Forest-grazing in association with Leucaena leucocephala cv Perú-graminaceae under dryland conditions produced mean daily gains above 0.800 kg/animal/day in the final stage of fattening bulls, based on food balances with adequate biological and economic results. The best behavior was observed in the shortest cycles, where the highest final weight/animal values were achieved, with fewer expenses and higher income

Construction of a recycled plastic filament winder for 3D printing.

The work presented here exposes the development and design of a new machine: the recycled plastic filament winder understood as an innovative DIY tool that enables and provides new solutions for the recycling and reuse of plastic, creating customized filaments that can be used in 3D printing, for instance. It is a cost-effective and sustainable solution that helps reduce waste and environmental pollution. The construction of this machine makes possible to create 3D printing filament from discarded plastic. It can be understood as one more option among the existing solutions that, in a profitable and sustainable way, contribute to reduce waste and environmental pollution. Thus, the construction of this winder joins the set of machines that allow to extend the useful life of plastic materials, trying to prevent them from ending up in landfills or seas and oceans; in short, to reduce the amount of plastic waste that every year pollute the ecosystem and the environment. The winder works by taking plastic from disposed containers such as bottles, caps, jerry cans, etc. These containers need to be previously shredded into small plastic shavings or flakes, which are then fed into an extruder machine, where they are melted and, through the winder, this molten mass of plastic is transformed into a thread or filament that can be used in 3D printing. In addition, this winder design also gives users the opportunity to create customized filament since the color, texture and thickness of the filament can be controlled.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Bio-economic Impact of Strategic Changes in Murrah River Buffalo Management

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effects of changes in the strategy to manage the bio-economic efficiency of a Murrah Buffalo production system in the province of Camagüey, Cuba, located 21º north and 77º west, 217 meters above sea level. The climate is tropical humid (Aw) of plains. The mean annual precipitations were 1 180 mm (71% between May and October), the temperatures were between 24 and 29 °C. The soil is brown, without carbonates, and brown-red fersiallitic. The system comprises 5 100 ha and has 536 workers/year. A strategy to introduce management changes in agro-technical, food, reproductive, replacement, health, salary policy, and training was implemented as part of an innovation package with a systemic and participatory approach. The evaluation lasted eight years, and it was critical to increase dairy production in more than 200 000 kg/year in 2012, in comparison to 2004, with improvements in natality and reduction of operational expenses of the system. It was concluded that the strategy had a determining effect on the system's indicators

Ordenamiento de 13 forrajes según su producción acumulada de gas in vitro con heces bovinas depuestas como inóculo

With the aim of showing the usefulness of in vitro cumulative gas production using voided feces as inoculum to assist the nutritive valuation of forages for ruminants 13 samples, 10 of legumes were studied. The cumulative volumes of gas at different times were determined and the data fitted to a biphasic model that consider V=0 during the lag phase and V= B*(1-EXP(-C*(t-L))) the rest of the time. The forages were ordered according to the potential of gas to be produced (B) which was the greatest for G. sepium, a shrubby legume of good nutritive value, and lowest for sugar cane bagasse (highly lignified fiber of low digestibility) and for Ch. lineada (legume of high content of polyphenols). The use of clusters groups the forages in three different sets: i) high potential and average growth rate of production legumes; ii) all the gramineous, and the legumes with relatively lower specific growth rate and average production of gas, and; iii) the two acacias, with low potential but high growth rate of production.Con el fin de mostrar la utilidad del procedimiento de producción de gas in vitro con heces depuestas como inóculo para apoyar la valoración nutritiva de forrajes para rumiantes se estudiaron 13 muestras, 10 de ellas de leguminosas. Se determinó la producción acumulada de gas a diferentes horas y los datos se ajustaron al modelo bifásico que considera V=0 en la fase lag y V= B*(1-EXP(-C*(t-L))) a partir de la misma. Los forrajes se ordenaron por el valor del potencial de producción de gas (B) que resultó como mayor para la G. sepium, una leguminosa arbustiva de buen valor nutritivo y como peor para el bagazo (fibra lignificada de baja digestibilidad) y para Ch. lineada (leguminosa de elevado contenido de polifenoles). El uso de conglomerados agrupa los forrajes en tres conjuntos diferentes: i) leguminosas de alto potencial y velocidades medias de producción de gases; ii) todas las gramíneas, y las leguminosas con relativamente más bajas velocidades específicas y producción de gas media, y; iii) las dos acacias, con bajo potencial pero altas velocidades de producción