Financial determinants for improving public sector accountability: a meta-analytic study

The economic crisis has highlighted the need to pay close attention to the disclosure of financial information by public administration institutions; this is an element contributing to the control, accountability and responsibility and thus to achieving greater financial stability and sustainability. Although the disclosure of public financial information has traditionally been linked with financial variables, previous researches in this respect have been somewhat inconsistent in their findings, and conclusive evidence has yet to be provided regarding these factors and their influence on the level of disclosure. The present meta-analysis tries to reveal the existence of a statistically significant association between certain financial variables and the disclosure of public financial information, although the strength and sign of this association will depend on the context under analysis. The results obtained indicate that, depending on the context in which public managers are operating, they may have different attitudes toward the disclosure of public financial information; the medium employed for the dissemination and public indebtedness are also significant factors to this disclosure. Therefore, results reveal a variable degree of predisposition among public managers to adopt policies aimed at increasing the disclosure of public financial information

Trends of e-government research: contextualization and research opportunities

E-Government is a broad research field in which researchers are currently involved in a range of different research projects. Our purpose in this paper is to assist researchers in the development and direction of future analyses, identifying trends in terms of research and the methodology used. Universities and departments that make the main scientific contributions are identified, in order to locate and contextualize the research carried out into e-Government and to enhance intercommunication among researchers and thus knowledge in this field. To achieve this goal, we examined periodical publications listed in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) in the fields of Public Administration and Information Science, during the period 2000-2009. Knowledge gaps and research opportunities have been derived, highlighting the need to use quantitative methodologies and to identify key factors to promote a theoretical framework to enhance the efficient implementation of e-Government, as well as identification the main universities where the researchers can complete their doctoral academic training

P4-kbr: A key-based routing system for p4-programmable networks

Software-defined networking (SDN) architecture has provided well-known advantages in terms of network programmability, initially offering a standard, open, and vendor-agnostic interface (e.g., OpenFlow) to instruct the forwarding behavior of network devices from different vendors. However, in the last few years, data plane programmability has emerged as a promising approach to extend the network management allowing the definition and programming of customized and non-standardized protocols, as well as specific packet processing pipelines. In this paper, we propose an in-network key-based routing protocol called P4-KBR, in which end-points (hosts, contents or services) are identified by virtual identifiers (keys) instead of IP addresses, and where P4 network elements are programmed to be able to route the packets adequately. The proposal was implemented and evaluated using bmv2 P4 switches, verifying how data plane programmability offers a powerful tool to overcome continuing challenges that appear in SDN networks.This work has been funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), under project grant AriSe2: FINe, (Ref. PID2020-116329GB-C22 / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033)

VNF placement for service function chains with strong low-delay restrictions in edge computing networks

The edge computing paradigm, allowing the location of network services close to end users, defines new network scenarios. One of them considers the existence of micro data centers, with reduced resources but located closer to service requesters, to complement remote cloud data centers. This hierarchical and geo-distributed architecture allows the definition of different time constraints that can be taken into account when mapping services into data centers. This feature is especially useful in the Virtual Network Function (VNF) placement problem, where the network functions composing a Service Function Chain (SFC) may require more or less strong delay restrictions. We propose the ModPG (Modified Priority-based Greedy) heuristic, a VNF placement solution that weighs the latency, bandwidth, and resource restrictions, but also the instantiation cost of VNFs. ModPG is an improved solution of a previous proposal (called PG). Although both heuristics share the same optimization target, that is the reduction of the total substrate resource cost, the ModPG heuristic identifies and solves a limitation of the PG solution: the mapping of sets of SFCs that include a significant proportion of SFC requests with strong low-delay restrictions. Unlike PG heuristic performance evaluation, where the amount of SFC requests with strong low-delay restrictions is not considered as a factor to be analyzed, in this work, both solutions are compared considering the presence of 1%, 15%, and 25% of this type of SFC request. Results show that the ModPG heuristic optimizes the target cost similarly to the original proposal, and at the same time, it offers a better performance when a significant number of low-delay demanding SFC requests are present.This work was supported by the AEI/FEDER, UE Project Grants TEC-2016-76465-C2-1-R (AIM)

Passive In-Band Network Telemetry Systems: The Potential of Programmable Data Plane on Network-Wide Telemetry

In the last few years, the emergence of Programmable Data Planes and the appearance of programming protocol-independent languages such as P4 have offered powerful tools to define new network protocols, as well as to redesign existing network applications and systems. Network telemetry is one of the main areas of interest identified by the P4 Application Working Group. The collection of network-wide, fine-grained network information in real-time is a critical requirement for the design of useful and adequate monitoring tools that can be integrated into complex Operations, Administration Maintenance applications. Recent research has focused on the definition and implementation of in-band monitoring systems, where specifically dedicated monitoring packets are not required. Even though the In-Band Network Telemetry specification proposed by the P4 Language Consortium is the starting point of many of the in-band monitoring systems, this is not the only alternative. Therefore, in this work, we will describe and compare other P4-based in-band passive telemetry proposals.This work was supported by the Research State Agency (RSA)/European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) through the European Union Project under Grant TEC-2016-76465-C2-1-R (AIM)

Estudio sobre peligro aviario: Análisis del riesgo de impactos entre aves y aeronaves en el Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto C. Sandino, Managua, Nicaragua

El peligro aviario es el riesgo de coliciones entre aves y aeronaves. Para reducir ese peligro es necesario entender la naturaleza de las aves que habitan dentro y alrededor del aeropuerto y clasificarlas numericamente en base a la peligrosidad que representan, conociendo a la vez las estaciones del año, los meses del año, horas del día, condiciones climáticas, focos de atracción (cobertura, alimentación y agua) que incrementan la abundancia y la riqueza de aves en las áreas aeroportuarias. Para obtener la información se seleccionaron dos sitios de observación: uno en las áreas verdes alrededor de la pista de aterrizaje, con el objetivo de registrar las especies de aves hacen uso de este sitio permanente o temporalmente, y otro en la torre de control, para determinar rutas de aves de mayor peso, gregarias y de alto vuelo en un radio de 3000 m con centro en la torre de control. Las especies observadas con mayor frecuencia en la pista de aterrizaje fueron: Hirundo rustica, Quiscalus mexicanus, Molothrus aeneus, Columbina talpacoti y Columba livia. Desde la torre de control se observaron con mayor frecuencia: Coragyps atratus, Zenaida asiatica, Molotrus aeneus y Quiscalus mexicanus. En la pista de aterrizaje y desde la torre de control la abundancia y riqueza de aves no varió significativamente a lo largo dlos meses del año. En la pista de aterrizaje la abundancia incrementa significativamente en el período seco en horarios de 06:00-07:00 am, principalmente por la presencia de Q. mexicanus y H. rustica. La riqueza en el periodo seco y la abundancia y riqueza en el período lluvioso no varió significativamente. Desde la torre de control no se registraron incrementos significativos de la abundancia y riqueza de aves en el período seco, pero si de la abundancia en el período lluvioso, con alzas a las 11:00 y 13:00, principalmente por la mayores actividades de la especie C. atratus a esas horas. La abundancia de aves en la pista de aterrizaje dependió de las condiciones climáticas, aumentando al aumentar la precipitación y la nubosidad y reduciéndose al aumentar la velocidad del viento y la temperatura. La actividad de las aves observadas desde la torre de control no varió significativamente con las variaciones climáticas diarias. Las especies que hacen mayor uso del enmallado perimetral del aeropuerto para perchar fueron: Passers domesticus, Columbina talpacoti, Tyrannus melancholicus, Crotophaga sulcirostris y Tyrannus forficatus. Los sitios preferidos para anidación dentro del aeropuerto fueron árboles de Almendra ( Terminalia catapa ), Mango ( Manguifera indica ) y dentro del las instalacones del cuerpo de Bomberos, torre de control y los hangares. Se concluye que C. atratus y Q. mexicanus son las especies que más peligro representan para la aviación, seguidas en menor escala de C. livia , C. talpocati, H. rustica y M. aeneus. Los sectores norte, oeste y una parte del sector sur del aeropuerto son áreas de mayor riesgo aviario por una mayor frecuencia de observación de C. atratus en esa zona. La especie Q. mexicanus esta distribuida principalmente en el sector sureste. Las fuentes de atracción para las aves van desde sitios ideales para hábitat, refugio, anidación y perchaje hasta fuente de alimentos que incluyen vegetales, insectos, vertebrados, basureros y mataderos

The transformation of the Andalusian fortress of Taibilla into a feudal border castle

[EN] In this paper, we will study the fortress of Taibilla, a defensive complex built by the Order of Santiago in the middle of the thirteenth century in a strategic point of the Sierra de Segura, currently belonging to the municipality of Nerpio (Albacete). Although the complex was built at the top of the hill on whose hillside a relatively important town existed in Andalusian times, the archaeological excavations proved that most of the remains of the fortification currently visible were built after the Christian conquest. It is a stately castle and the outer enclosure that protected the Christian town, both of notable importance since they were destined to accommodate a comendador and a council respectively. The Encomienda de Taibilla, however, disappeared within a few years due to the avatars of the border, leaving its territory incorporated to that of Yeste. For this reason, the fortress of Taibilla hardly underwent modifications in the medieval period, so that it has been fossilized as an excellent example of the santiaguista stately architecture of the middle of the thirteenth century.Jiménez Castillo, P.; Muñoz López, F. (2020). La transformación del ḥiṣn andalusí de Ṭaybāliya en un castillo san-tiaguista de frontera. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 95-104. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2020.2020.114749510

An INT-based packet loss monitoring system for data center networks implementing Fine-Grained Multi-Path routing

In-band network telemetry (INT) is a newer network measurement technology that uses normal data packets to collect network information hop-by-hop with low overhead. Since incomplete telemetry data seriously degrades the performance of upper-layer network telemetry applications, it is necessary to consider the own INT packet loss. In response, LossSight, a powerful packet loss monitoring system for INT has been designed, implemented, and made available as open-source. This letter extends the previous work by proposing, implementing, and evaluating LB-LossSight, an improved version compatible with packet-level load-balancing techniques, which are currently used in modern Data Center Networks. Experimental results in a Clos network, one of the most commonly used topologies in today's data centers, confirm the high detection and localization accuracy of the implemented solution.Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), under project grant AriSe2: FINe, (Ref.PID2020-116329GB-C22 founded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the project (Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province under Grant No. ZR2020LZH010)

Experience with the use of Rituximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in a tertiary Hospital in Spain: RITAR study

There is evidence supporting that there are no relevant clinical differences between dosing rituximab 1000 mg or 2000 mg per cycle in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in clinical trials, and low-dose cycles seem to have a better safety profile. Our objective was to describe the pattern of use of rituximab in real-life practice conditions. Methods: Rituximab for RA in clinical practice (RITAR) study is a retrospective cohort study from 2005 to 2015. Eligibility criteria were RA adults treated with rituximab for active articular disease. Response duration was the main outcome defined as months elapsed from the date of rituximab first infusion to the date of flare. A multivariable analysis was performed to determine the variables associated with response duration. Results: A total of 114 patients and 409 cycles were described, 93.0% seropositive and 80.7% women. Rituximab was mainly used as second-line biological therapy. On demand retreatment was used in 94.6% of cases versus fixed 6 months retreatment in 5.4%. Median response duration to on demand rituximab cycles was 10 months (interquartile range, 7–13). Multivariable analysis showed that age older than 65 years, number of rituximab cycles, seropositivity, and first- or second-line therapy were associated with longer response duration. The dose administered at each cycle was not significantly associated with response duration. Conclusions: Our experience suggests that 1000 mg rituximab single infusion on demand is a reasonable schedule for long-term treatment of those patients with good response after the first cycles, especially in seropositive patients and when it is applied as a first- or second-line biological therap

An INT‐based packet loss monitoring system for data center networks implementing Fine‐Grained Multi‐Path routing

In-band network telemetry (INT) is a newer network measurement technology that uses normal data packets to collect network information hop-by-hop with low overhead. Since incomplete telemetry data seriously degrades the performance of upper-layer network telemetry applications, it is necessary to consider the own INT packet loss. In response, LossSight, a powerful packet loss monitoring system for INT has been designed, implemented, and made available as open-source. This letter extends the previous work by proposing, implementing, and evaluating LB-LossSight, an improved version compatible with packet-level load-balancing techniques, which are currently used in modern Data Center Networks. Experimental results in a Clos network, one of the most commonly used topologies in today's data centers, confirm the high detection and localization accuracy of the implemented solution.Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), under project grant AriSe2: FINe, (Ref.PID2020-116329GB-C22 founded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the project (Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province under Grant No. ZR2020LZH010)