Convergent Asymptotic Expansions of Charlier, Laguerre and Jacobi Polynomials

Convergent expansions are derived for three types of orthogonal polynomials: Charlier, Laguerre and Jacobi. The expansions have asymptotic properties for large values of the degree. The expansions are given in terms of functions that are special cases of the given polynomials. The method is based on expanding integrals in one or two points of the complex plane, these points being saddle points of the phase functions of the integrands.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures. Keywords: Charlier polynomials, Laguerre polynomials, Jacobi polynomials, asymptotic expansions, saddle point methods, two-points Taylor expansion

Multi-point Taylor Expansions of Analytic Functions

Taylor expansions of analytic functions are considered with respect to several points, allowing confluence of any of them. Cauchy-type formulas are given for coefficients and remainders in the expansions, and the regions of convergence are indicated. It is explained how these expansions can be used in deriving uniform asymptotic expansions of integrals. The method is also used for obtaining Laurent expansions in several points as well as Taylor-Laurent expansions.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. Keywords: multi-point Taylor expansions, Cauchy's theorem, analytic functions, multi-point Laurent expansions, uniform asymptotic expansions of integral

Productivity growth and technological change in Europe and the U.S.

This paper presents an evaluation on the technological sources of labor productivity growth across European countries and the US economy for the period 1980-2004. Assets of capital are divided into those related to the information and communication technologies (ICT), and non-ICT assets. Technological progress is divided into neutral change and investment specific change. Previous exercises have aimed at ICT as a serious contributor to the upsurge of US productivity from 1995 on. Contribution to productivity growth from each type of technological progress for the US and EU-15 countries is computed using two different approaches: a growth accounting and a general equilibrium. The US and Denmark are the countries with the larger contribution from ICT-technological progress. Overall, we find that Europe is well behind the US in terms of the effects of ICT technological change.Productivity growth, Investment-specific technological change, Neutral technological change

Organic ambipolar semiconductors for TFT applications

In the last years we have devoted some effort to the search of new high-mobility semiconductors with ambipolar performances, good processability and environmental stability. Our approach, which is one of the most widely used, consists in the combination of donor and acceptor moieties in the conjugated skeleton, which allows fine tuning of the frontier molecular orbitals. For OTFT applications, low-lying HOMOs are essential to resist air oxidation and thus increase device stability. However, if the HOMO energy is too low, the resulting barrier to hole injection may compromise the transistor performance. Thus, a delicate balance between these two effects is needed. In particular, we have combined naphthaleneimide-derived moieties as electron accepting groups with electron-rich oligothiophene fragments. In these materials, we have found that the presence of ambipolar transport in these planar molecules can be understood on the basis of three interrelated properties: (i) the absence of skeletal distortions allows closer intermolecular pi-pi stacking and enhanced intramolecular pi-conjugation, (ii) increased pi-conjugation raises the HOMO energy, which approaches the Fermi level of common used electrodes; and (iii) more planar structures translate into lower Marcus reorganization energies. However, one of the limitations of these types of semiconductors is the presence of a molecular dipole moment, which forces the molecules to pack with pairwise intermolecular interactions orienting the naphthaleneimide cores in opposite directions, decreasing in some cases molecular orbitals overlapping. In recent contributions, we have devoted our efforts to analyze the effect of molecular interactions, through chemical modifications in order to induce parallel and antiparallel molecular packing, on the electronic properties of ambipolar semiconductors.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Exploring discourse ethics for tourism transformation

The \u27critical turn\u27 in tourism is defined as a research perspective that explores social transformation in and through tourism by facing the negative impact of strategic-instrumental rationality on this activity. This work explores the features of discourse ethics that may normatively support tourism transformation, a gap that has not been thoroughly discussed in tourism research. For this purpose, the study combines the use of critical and ethical theory with an analysis of discourse ethics in tourism literature to demonstrate that the use of Habermasian discourse ethics needs to be complemented with the Apelian approach. Through these steps the work reveals the theoretical bases of discourse ethics to discuss whether understandings between stakeholders guided by strategic-instrumental rationality can be reached not only in the political sphere —Habermas—, but also in the ethical field —Apel

A Systematic Review on the Implication of Minerals in the Onset, Severity and Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease with high prevalence in adults that leads to destruction of the teeth-supporting tissues. Periodontal therapy has been traditionally directed at reduction of the bacterial load to a level that encourages health-promoting bacteria and maintenance of oral-hygiene. The role of nutrition in different chronic inflammatory diseases has been the subject of an increasing body of research in the last decades. In this sense, there has been an important increase in the volume of research on role of nutrition in periodontitis since the diet has known effects on the immune system and inflammatory cascades. Minerals play a key role in all these processes due to the multiple pathways where they participate. To clarify the role of the different minerals in the establishment, progression and/or treatment of this pathology, a systemically review of published literature cited in PubMed until May 2016 was conducted, which included research on the relationship of these elements with the onset and progression of periodontal disease. Among all the minerals, calcium dietary intake seems important to maintain alveolar bone. Likewise, dietary proportions of minerals that may influence its metabolism also can be relevant. Lastly, some observations suggest that all those minerals with roles in immune and/or antioxidant systems should be considered in future research

M. Bernal, Black Athena. The afroasiatic roots of classical civilization. Volume 1: The Fabrication of Ancient Greece 1785-1985. London, Free Association Books, 1987. 575 pp,. figs.

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MECHANISMS OF DISEASE Acute Oxygen-Sensing Mechanisms

JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, ONE OF THE THREE SCIENTISTS CREDITED WITH THE discovery of oxygen, described the death of mice that were deprived of oxygen. However, he was also well aware of the toxicity of too much oxygen, stating, “For as a candle burns much faster in dephlogisticated [oxygen enriched] than in common air, so we might live out too fast, and the animal powers be too soon exhausted in this pure kind of air. A moralist, at least, may say, that the air which nature has provided for us is as good as we deserve.”1 In this review we examine the remarkable mechanisms by which different organs detect and respond to acute changes in oxygen tension. Specialized tissues that sense the local oxygen tension include glomus cells of the carotid body, neuroepithelial bodies in the lungs, chromaffin cells of the fetal adrenal medulla, and smooth-muscle cells of the resistance pulmonary arteries, fetoplacental arteries, systemic arteries, and the ductus arteriosus. Together, they constitute a specialized homeostatic oxygen-sensing system. Although all tissues are sensitive to severe hypoxia, these specialized tissues respond rapidly to moderate changes in oxygen tension within the physiologic range (roughly 40 to 100 mm Hg in an adult and 20 to 40 mm Hg in a fetus)Junta de Andalucí

Determinación de los parámetros de productividad en los procesos de carenamiento en un varadero mediano

Productivity parameters were determined in maintenance works of 16 ships in the slipways of ASTINAVE, a medium-size shipyard at Guayaquil, Ecuador, in the period between April 2008 and January 2009. Typical processes applied during ship maintenance, its units for evaluation and a classification chart are presented. With the registered time (Man-Hour, M-H), mean values, standard deviations and variation coefficients were calculated for each process. Mean value results for each work were: Plating replacement: 0.220 M-H/kg, Hull cleaning: 0.435 M-H/m2-machine, Painting: 0.027 M-H/m2-machine, Cathodic protection: 0.116 M-H/Kg, Thickness measurement: 0.030 M-H/test, Propulsion system: 130.92 M-H/line, Steering system: 54.89 M-H/line, Ship docking/undocking: 43.97 M-H/maneuver, Bottom Valves: 15.83 M-H/#valve, and, Fuel tank cleaning: 0.0093 M-H/gal.Se determinaron Parámetros de Productividad en los trabajos de mantenimiento de 16 embarcaciones en el varadero de ASTINAVE, en Guayaquil, Ecuador, en el periodo Abril 08 hasta Enero 2009. Se describen, definen las unidades para su evaluación y se clasifican los procesos típicos que se desarrollan para el mantenimiento de buques. Con los tiempos (hombres-hora) registrados se calcularon los valores medios, desviaciones estándar y Coeficiente de Variación de los parámetros de cada proceso. Los valores medios resultantes son: Cambio de planchaje 0.220 H-H/kg, Limpieza del Casco 0.435 H-H/m2-máq, Pintado 0.027 H-H/m2-máq, Protección catódica 0.116 H-H/Kg, Medición de espesores 0.030 H-H/prueba, Sistema de Propulsión 130.92 H-H/línea, Sistema de Gobierno 54.89 H-H/línea, Varada/Desvarada 43.97 H-H/maniobra, Válvulas de Fondo 15.83 H-H/#válv, y, Tanques de combustible 0.0093 H-H/gal

Análisis del espacio urbano costero como elemento configurador de la red de espacios públicos. El caso de Miramar, Argentina

El avance de una ciudad hacia su sustentabilidad requiere condiciones físicas, ambientales y sociales de los espacios públicos para la creación de ambientes integrados y amigables. Los objetivos son analizar el espacio costero de Miramar como eje estructurante de la red de espacios públicos e identificar las condiciones que limitan o favorecen su funcionalidad social y permiten determinar su potencialidad como espacio amable y de transición. Para ello, se identificaron los elementos físicos motrices de la estructuración de la red de espacios públicos (interfaces, nuevas naturalezas y ejes construidos o naturales, conectores o longitudinales). Y se establecieron indicadores para estimar sus condiciones de circulación y conexión como espacios de transición y de confortabilidad y atractividad como espacios amigables. La metodología fue descriptiva y evaluativa. La recolección de datos se realizó a través de la observación in situ, información secundaria, mapeos y registros fotográficos. El trabajo permitió identificar condiciones favorables y desfavorables del eje costero y establecer el grado de habitabilidad.Fil: López, María José. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales; Argentina.Fil: Faginas, Valeria. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales; Argentina