Decentralization and regional government size in Spain

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of fiscal decen- tralization on the size of regional governments in Spain, by controlling for economies of scale, interregional heterogeneity and institutional framework. We study it over 1985 to 2004 using a panel dataset of seventeen spanish regions. The results can be easily summarized. Firstly, it supports the classic public goods theory of a trade-off-between the economic benefits of size and the costs of heterogeneity. Secondly, it doesn’t reject the “Leviathan” hypoth- esis and neither does the “common pool” hypothesis. Thirdly, by contrast, the paper partly rejects the “Wallis”’ hypothesis. It argues that government size is mediated by financial resources obtained through intergovernmental grants, consistent with welfare economics and positive economic policies. We conclude that later advances in the decentralisation process must be compatible with the goal of reducing fiscal imbalances that emanate from the vertical structure of fiscal power.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

satisfaction and complaints

This study examines prevailing characteristics of public attitudes to local government in Turkey based on the findings of a questionnaire based research project. The level of public knowledge of local government, people's satisfaction with local service provision, public views and complaints about local services are analysed. The findings show that the level of public knowledge of local government is low and people do not complain about local government services although the level of satisfaction is low. The belief that complaints would have no effect is the main reason for not complaining. The impact of sex, age, education, income, length of residence in the locality, housing tenure, and political opinion on public attitudes to local government is also assessed. Of these variables, age, education and income levels are found to be significant

Migration of a Rigid Mitral Valve Ring

PubMed ID: 19049784[No abstract available

Mid-term results of peripheric cannulation after port-access surgery

PubMed ID: 17846077Several minimally invasive approaches, avoiding median sternotomy, have been described within the last few years for cardiac surgery. Femoral arterial and venous cannulation for extracorporeal perfusion are required for many of these operations. The aim of this report is to assess the long-term outcomes of femoral cannulations in patients who underwent minimally invasive procedures. One hundred and sixty patients underwent operations by the port-access method between January 2002 and October 2006. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established by femoral artery-vein cannulation, and a transthoracic clamp was used for the aortic occlusion. One hundred and twenty-one patients were under follow-up in the outpatient clinic and 85 patients underwent Doppler ultrasonography (US) for femoral arterial and venous stenosis. The mean follow-up was 27.9 months (range 1-57 months). There were three hospital mortalities (1.86%), and five late mortalities in this series. The mean follow-up for the Doppler examination was 20.54 months (range 1-56 months). There were two seromas and three wound complications (2.48%), all of which healed after outpatient treatment. All of the flow patterns of the common femoral arteries (CFA) were triphasic except in three of the patients. Three patients (2.48%) were found to have arterial stenosis. One patient with intermittant claudication underwent percutaneous dilatation and stenting of the CFA. Doppler US detected luminal narrowing in two patients who had been having no symptoms, and they are being followed in the outpatient clinic without any complaints. We found a chronic recanalized thrombotic change in the common femoral vein (CFV) in one patient (0.63%). Our study demonstrates vessel patency and/or stenosis in patients without complaints. In conclusion, femoral artery and vein cannulation for port-access surgery with transthoracic clamping can be performed successfully with excellent results in the mid-term. © 2007 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved