Up methods in the allocation of indivisibilities when preferences are single-peaked.

We consider allocation problems with indivisible goods when agents' preferences are single-peaked. We propose natural rules (called up methods) to solve such a class of problems. We analyzed the properties those methods satisfy and we provide a characterization of them. We also prove that these methods can be interpreted as extensions to the indivisible case of the so-called equal-distance rule.Allocation problem, indivisibilities, single-peaked preferences, standard of comparison, up method.

Allocation problems with indivisibilities when preferences are single-peaked.

We consider allocation problems with indivisible goods when agents' preferences are single-peaked. In this paper we identify the family of efficient, fair and non-manipulable solutions. We refer to such a family as M-temporary satisfaction methods. Besides, we provide arguments to defend these methods as extensions to the indivisible case of the so-called uniform rule.Allocation problem, indivisibilities, single-peaked preferences, standard of comparison, temporary satisfaction methods.

The mix of international banks'foreign claims : determinants and implications

The authors analyze the determinants and implications for financial stability of the mix of international banks'claims countries receive. In particular, they distinguish between local claims, extended by international banks through their affiliates in a host (or claim recipient) country, and cross-border claims, booked from outside the host country, typically from banks'headquarters in their home countries. Using data on U.S., Spanish, and Italian banks'foreign claims across countries, the authors find that the share of local foreign claims is primarily driven by the degree of"freedom"in the host banking sector and by business opportunities in the local market. Entry requirements, startup and informational costs associated with international banking also play a role, but their influence is less robust. Finally, they find that the mix of international bank claims has implications for financial stability, since foreign claim volatility is lower in countries that receive a larger share of local claims.Banks&Banking Reform,Financial Intermediation,Insurance&Risk Mitigation,Financial Crisis Management&Restructuring,Banking Law

Human Rights and Social Justice in Social Work Education: A critical realist comparative study of England and Spain

Social work´s emergence and historical evolution has been intertwined with evolving notions of human rights (HR) and social justice (SJ). These two principles permeate definitions of social work and codes of ethics for social work across the world, and the Global Standards for social work education promote human rights and social justice as unifying themes of the profession. Yet there is little understanding of how these themes are represented and transmitted to social work students in specific national contexts. This thesis explores understandings of HR and SJ among social work educators and the mechanisms used to transmit HR and SJ to social work students in two contrasting European countries, England and Spain. Using a critical realist framework, a web survey of social work educators and students was followed by qualitative interviews with educators in each country to identify opportunities and challenges in engaging with theories and practice implications of this HR and SJ based profession. The findings show that neoliberal ideology, which increasingly pervades higher education institutions and social work agencies in both England and Spain, places pressure on social work educators to convey narrow understandings of HR and SJ and adopt increasingly bureaucratic and distant relationships with students. The thesis brings to the fore the challenges experienced by social work educators and students in each country engaging with HR and SJ in social work curricula. But it also identifies key spaces for the promotion of a HR and SJ based social work and examples of resistance to neoliberal ideology in social work education. The thesis concludes that social work education at university degree level remains a fertile site for the deconstruction of, and development of resistance to, neoliberal ideology that threatens the HR and SJ basis of the social work profession

Welfare Benefits in Highly Decentralized FiscalSystems: Evidence on Interregional Mimicking

This paper analyzes the determinants of welfare benefit levels within a highly fiscally decentralized context. More specifically, we analyze the role of mimicking as a driver of the institutional design of subnational government policies in the absence of federal co-ordination and financing. Empirically, we focus on the welfare benefit programs of Spanish regional governments during the period 1996-2015. Our results strongly support the significant role played by mimicking: regional public agents observe what their peers are doing and act accordingly, and this holds even in a context of low mobility of households

Maintenance management balanced scorecard approach for urban transport fleets

[EN] Attending the important role of maintenance function in any production or service provider company, the measurement and assessment of maintenance performance is crucial for competitiveness and future survival. That situation is even more critical in urban transport fleets where some specific boundary conditions and special characteristics will affect maintenance policy and implementation. This paper presents a deep review of different studies worldwide to define the most proper and effective maintenance performance indicators, selecting and refining the most important ones to obtain a reduced maintenance management balanced scorecard. That balanced scorecard is proposed as a main tool for urban transport fleet maintenance managers to assess efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance processes and will be used as a basis for a future benchmarking process for this type of companies.Authors want to acknowledgement to EMT de Valencia and other ATUC company members their collaboration and involvement on works performed during the project for KPIs definition and selection. Special thanks to Engineer Santiago Ballester for sharing efforts and knowledge to develop that work.Macian Martinez, V.; Tormos, B.; Herrero, J. (2019). Maintenance management balanced scorecard approach for urban transport fleets. Eksploatacja i Niezawodnosc - Maintenance and Reliability. 21(2):226-236. https://doi.org/10.17531/ein.2019.2.6S22623621

Kinetics of formic acid dehydration on Pt electrodes by time-resolved ATR-SEIRAS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT L.P.-M. acknowledges a doctoral scholarship within the Leverhulme Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Production of Chemicals and Materials (Grant DS-2017-073).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Circular Economy and Innovation: a Systematic Literature Review

The circular economy is presented as the sustainable solution as opposed to the current linear model of production and resource management, whose effects impact negatively on the economic, social and environmental dimensions. Through a systematic review of the literature, this article aims to unify and to uncover the available evidence on innovation in relation to the circular economy and to determine those aspects that remain unexplored or should be studied in more depth in order to be able to continue to make progress in this field. Thus, it was found that although the circular economy is at an early stage of implementation, both its benefits and drivers as well as its challenges and barriers to implementation have already been investigated. More importantly, it was found that ecological innovations, which reduce the environmental impact of production and consumption activities, are necessary for the research of new business models and new ways of operating in supply chains that allow closing the circle and taking advantage of all the waste, such as the system of products and services, dynamic capabilities, 3D printing, the biography of the product and the software recycling. To achieve this goal, the evidence shows that it is mandatory to raise awareness of the situation, especially through marketing actions, as well as for companies, including SMEs, to be willing to act together and to align their interests. Implications for Central European audience: The United Nations 2030 Agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to which countries should implement the circular economy in order to move towards greater sustainability. In this context, European Union is key for this development, as it is one of the world’s major power. This article aims to unify and uncover the available evidence on innovation in relation to the circular economy and to determine those aspects that remain unexplored or should be studied in more depth. By doing so, it will be able to continue to make progress in the framework of the circular economy, enabling the achievement of the ODS. In addition, the majority of the articles reviewed take place in Europe. © 2022, Central European Business Review. All Rights Reserved

Differential in vitro and in vivo effect of barley cysteine and serine protease inhibitors on phytopathogenic microorganisms

Protease inhibitors from plants have been involved in defence mechanisms against pests and pathogens. Phytocystatins and trypsin/α-amylase inhibitors are two of the best characterized protease inhibitor families in plants. In barley, thirteen cystatins (HvCPI-1 to 13) and the BTI-CMe trypsin inhibitor have been previously studied. Their capacity to inhibit pest digestive proteases, and the negative in vivo effect caused by plants expressing these inhibitors on pests support the defence function of these proteins. Barley cystatins are also able to inhibit in vitro fungal growth. However, the antifungal effect of these inhibitors in vivo had not been previously tested. Moreover, their in vitro and in vivo effect on plant pathogenous bacteria is still unknown. In order to obtain new insights on this feature, in vitro assays were made against different bacterial and fungal pathogens of plants using the trypsin inhibitor BTI-CMe and the thirteen barley cystatins. Most barley cystatins and the BTI-CMe inhibitor were able to inhibit mycelial growth but no bacterial growth. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants independently expressing the BTI-CMe inhibitor and the cystatin HvCPI-6 were tested against the same bacterial and fungal pathogens. Neither the HvCPI-6 expressing transgenic plants nor the BTI-CMe ones were more resistant to plant pathogen fungi and bacteria than control Arabidopsis plants. The differences observed between the in vitro and in planta assays against phytopathogenic fungi are discusse