Finance versus costs for teaching hospitals in Spain

In this paper we analyse the observed systematic differences in costs for teaching hospitals (THhenceforth) in Spain. Concern has been voiced regarding the existence of a bias in the financing of TH’s has been raised once prospective budgets are in the arena for hospital finance, and claims for adjusting to take into account the ‘legitimate’ extra costs of teaching on hospital expenditure are well grounded. We focus on the estimation of the impact of teaching status on average cost. We used a version of a multiproduct hospital cost function taking into account some relevant factors from which to derive the observed differences. We assume that the relationship between the explanatory and the dependent variables follows a flexible form for each of the explanatory variables. We also model the underlying covariance structure of the data. We assumed two qualitatively different sources of variation: random effects and serial correlation. Random variation refers to both general level variation (through the random intercept) and the variation specifically related to teaching status. We postulate that the impact of the random effects is predominant over the impact of the serial correlation effects. The model is estimated by restricted maximum likelihood. Our results show that costs are 9% higher (15% in the case of median costs) in teaching than in non-teaching hospitals. That is, teaching status legitimately explains no more than half of the observed difference in actual costs. The impact on costs of the teaching factor depends on the number of residents, with an increase of 51.11% per resident for hospitals with fewer than 204 residents (third quartile of the number of residents) and 41.84% for hospitals with more than 204 residents. In addition, the estimated dispersion is higher among teaching hospitals. As a result, due to the considerable observed heterogeneity, results should be interpreted with caution. From a policy making point of view, we conclude that since a higher relative burden for medical training is under public hospital command, an explicit adjustment to the extra costs that the teaching factor imposes on hospital finance is needed, before hospital competition for inpatient services takes place.Cost functions, semi-parametric estimation, regression analysis, teaching hospitals, prospective payments

A multilevel analysis on the determinants of regional health care expenditure. A note

We apply a multilevel hierarchical model to explore whether an aggregation fallacy exists in estimating the income elasticity of health expenditure by ignoring the regional composition of national health expenditure figures. We use data for 110 regions in eight OECD countries in 1997: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom. In doing this we have tried to identify two sources of random variation: within countries and between-countries. Our results show that: 1- Variability between countries amounts to (SD) 0.5433, and just 13% of that can be attributed to income elasticity and the remaining 87% to autonomous health expenditure; 2- Within countries, variability amounts to (SD) 1.0249; and 3- The intra-class correlation is 0.5300. We conclude that we have to take into account the degree of fiscal decentralisation within countries in estimating income elasticity of health expenditure. Two reasons lie behind this: a) where there is decentralisation to the regions, policies aimed at emulating diversity tend to increase national health care expenditure; and b) without fiscal decentralisation, central monitoring of finance tends to reduce regional diversity and therefore decrease national health expenditure.OECD health expenditure, fiscal federalism, multilevel hierarchical models

Assessment of the ICT impact in primary education in the learning processes and results through data triangulation

Este artículo analiza el nivel de alfabetización digital de los alumnos en educación primaria, indagando en las competencias que se mejoran con el uso de las tecnologías y el impacto que tienen en los resultados académicos. Para ello se aplican unas valoraciones en un cuestionario de tres dimensiones a una muestra de 41 alumnos de educación primaria, comparando los resultados de la evaluación sumativa en 2 cursos académicos consecutivos. Se lleva a cabo una triangulación de datos a partir análisis descriptivo, inferencia estadística, un análisis de contingencias y un análisis factorial. Desde los datos analizados se valora que la condición de nativos digitales de los estudiantes no es suficiente para una alfabetización digital autónoma, por lo que se deben incluir las TIC en la educación formal. También se perciben carencias y prácticas mejorables en la aplicación pedagógica de herramientas 2.0 en los contextos educativos. Por otra parte, el estudio apunta a que con un uso de las TIC en educación se mejoran diversas competencias esenciales en nuestra sociedad actual, vinculadas a la búsqueda, selección y análisis crítico de información, además que se mejoran habilidades de expresión oral. El estudio concluye que con el uso de las TIC no se mejoran significativamente los resultados de los alumnos, aunque se interpreta que esto es debido los citados beneficios que aportan las TIC no se valoran tradicionalmente a través de la evaluación sumativa.This work attempts to analyze the level of digital literacy of students in primary education, an with an investigation regarding the competences that are enhanced with the use of technologies and their impact on academic outcomes. This was done using a questionnaire with three dimensions; it was applied to a sample of 41 primary school pupils, comparing the results of summative assessment on 2 consecutive academic years. It performs a triangulation of data from descriptive analysis, statistical inference, contingency analysis and factor analysis. From the analyzed data is assessed that the status of digital native students is not enough for a standalone digital literacy, so that formal education should include Information and Communication Technology. It is also perceived that there are several deficiencies and improvable practices in the pedagogical application of Web 2.0 tools in educational contexts. Moreover, the study suggests that use of ICT in education improve essential skills in today's society, related to searching, selecting data and analyzing information, and what is more, the improvement of speaking skills. However, the study concludes that using technology does not significantly improve student outcomes, although it is interpreted that this is because they bring benefits which are not valued traditionally through summative assessment

Análisis palinológico del túmulo de Los Tiesos (Mediana de Voltoya, Ávila)

El análisis palinológico del túmulo de Los Tiesos demuestra la existencia, durante el III milenio cal. BC, de un paisaje de dehesa con claro origen antropozoógeno sin evidencias de agricultura. Estos hechos permiten interpretar el monumento como un lugar de paso del ganado trasterminante en el marco cronocultural considerado.Este trabajo se ha realizado dentro del Programa Consolider de Investigación en Tecnologías para la valoración y conservación del Patrimonio Cultural - TCP-CSD2007-00058, y ha sido financiado también por los proyectos de investigación HAR2008-06477- C03-03/HIST y HAR2008-09120/HIST (Plan Nacional de I + D + i), y ERC-230561 (European Commission)Peer reviewe

Ekpyrotic universes in F(R)F(R) Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity

The Ekpyrotic scenario is studied in the context of some extensions of Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity. Some particular solutions that lead to cyclic Hubble parameters are analyzed, where the corresponding gravitational actions are reconstructed by using several techniques and auxiliary fields. Its comparison with standard $F(R)$ gravity is performed. In addition, the so-called Little Rip, a stage of the universe evolution when some bounded systems may be dissolute, is also studied in this frame of theories.Comment: 12 pages. Version to be published in PR

La práctica pedagógica de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación y su relación con los enfoques constructivistas

El uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC) en los contextos educativos mantiene una evolución lenta debido a la necesidad de adaptar los nuevos enfoques a las prácticas pedagógicas existentes, y a la gran dificultad, barreras y resistencias que presentan las tecnologías en su aplicación. Se considera, asimismo, importante vincular su uso hacia una metodología activa, en la que el alumno no sea un receptor pasivo, y aproveche las ventajas motivadoras, de interactividad y participación que brindan las tecnologías. En este sentido, el uso de las tecnologías en el aula debe ir acompañado de un giro en el enfoque metodológico, o por el contrario se pierde efectividad, eficiencia y eficacia, lo que sería perjudicial para las valoraciones posteriores relativas al uso pedagógico de las TIC. En definitiva, las actitudes y opiniones de los docentes respecto a los enfoques constructivistas, enfoque colaborativo y el uso de las TIC son muy positivas, con valores altísimos. En la práctica se reconocen algunas buenas prácticas, como potenciación de aprendizajes significativos, aprendizaje activo y autónomo, sin embargo, apenas se potencia la enseñanza mediante la búsqueda ni los métodos de proyectos. Es preocupante el hecho que se aprecia en las entrevistas de que gran parte de los docentes reconocen que no aplican las TIC en el aula. Se puede concluir brevemente que hay mucho que mejorar respecto al uso pedagógico de las TIC y las metodologías activas vinculadas a la construcción del aprendizaje. A pesar de estas evidencias, se reafirma un dato positivo relativo a las buenas valoraciones y actitudes que mantienen los docentes respecto al uso de las tecnologías y las buenas valoraciones relativas a la metodología constructivist

La genética del color en las flores del dondiego de noche

El color en las !ores se debe a la existencia de ciertos pigmentos determinados genéticamente por herencia, aunque éste ha ido evolucionando, por selección natural, para adecuarse a las preferencias de sus polinizadores. El color !oral, desde los pioneros trabajos de Gregor Mendel en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, tiene un interés coevolutivo entre las plantas y sus vectores de polinización que es muy evidente; al que se suma hoy el derivado del comercio en !oristerías de !ores cada vez más bellas y coloreadas. En este sentido, el dondiego de noche (Mirabilis jalapa) es un caso paradigmático, un rara avis en este mundo de la genética del color.Peer reviewe

Past and present potential distribution of the Iberian Abies species: A phytogeographic approach using pollen data and species distribution models

This is the accepted version of the following article: Alba-Sánchez, F., López-Sáez, J. A., Pando, B. B.-d., Linares, J. C., Nieto-Lugilde, D. and López-Merino, L. (2010), Past and present potential distribution of the Iberian Abies species: a phytogeographic approach using fossil pollen data and species distribution models. Diversity and Distributions, 16: 214–228, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00636.x/abstract.Aim - Quaternary palaeopalynological records collected throughout the Iberian Peninsula and species distribution models (SDMs) were integrated to gain a better understanding of the historical biogeography of the Iberian Abies species (i.e. Abies pinsapo and Abies alba). We hypothesize that SDMs and Abies palaeorecords are closely correlated, assuming a certain stasis in climatic and topographic ecological niche dimensions. In addition, the modelling results were used to assign the fossil records to A. alba or A. pinsapo, to identify environmental variables affecting their distribution, and to evaluate the ecological segregation between the two taxa. Location - The Iberian Peninsula. Methods - For the estimation of past Abies distributions, a hindcasting process was used. Abies pinsapo and A. alba were modelled individually, first calibrating the model for their current distributions in relation to the present climate, and then projecting it into the past—the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the Middle Holocene periods—in relation to palaeoclimate simulations. The resulting models were compared with Iberian-wide fossil pollen records to detect areas of overlap. Results - The overlap observed between past Abies refugia—inferred from fossil pollen records—and the SDMs helped to construct the Quaternary distribution of the Iberian Abies species. SDMs yielded two well-differentiated potential distributions: A. pinsapo throughout the Baetic mountain Range and A. alba along the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Range. These results propose that the two taxa remained isolated throughout the Quaternary, indicating a significant geographical and ecological segregation. In addition, no significant differences were detected comparing the three projections (present-day, Mid-Holocene and LGM), suggesting a relative climate stasis in the refuge areas during the Quaternary. Main conclusions - Our results confirm that SDM projections can provide a useful complement to palaeoecological studies, offering a less subjective and spatially explicit hypothesis concerning past geographic patterns of Iberian Abies species. The integration of ecological-niche characteristics from known occurrences of Abies species in conjunction with palaeoecological studies could constitute a suitable tool to define appropriate areas in which to focus proactive conservation strategies.The Andalusian Innovation, Science, and Industry Regional Ministry and the National Plan of the Spanish Government

Precisiones metodológicas acerca de los indicios paleopalinológicos de agricultura en la Prehistoria de la Península Ibérica

The separation of the pollen of wild Poaceae species from that of domesticated cereal crops if of considerable imoprtance to archaeologist studying Holocene vegetational and agricultural change. This paper assesses the reliability of one available key for identifying sub-fossil grass pollen from the Iberian Peninsula Prehistory.Peer Reviewe

Contribución al conocimiento de paisaje holoceno de la provincia de Soria: Análisis palinológico en el yacimiento arqueológico de Parpantique

This paper presents the palynological analyses carried out on six samples which proceed from excavations at the Parpantique site (Balluncar, Soria, Spain). This site includes archaeological levels which range from Bronze to Middle Age. The palynological record shows a strong anthropogenic impact on the vegetal assemblages from 3730 years BP. Moreover the development of the cereal culture during the Medieval age is also recorded