Local government debt: an application to the Spanish case

For the last years, Europe has been subject to fiscal austerity in order to satisfy the Maastrich criteria. In this way, Spanish municipalities have been affected by new regulations and local government structure has changed. This paper is focused on the main factors that explain local government debt. In particular, budgetary information of a group of Spanish municipalities is used (1990-2000). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data are presented. Key words:Fiscal Federalism, Local Government, debt, decentralization.

The Role of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex during Sequence Learning is Specific for Spatial Information

Many studies have implicated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the acquisition of skill, including procedural sequence learning. However, the specific role it performs in sequence learning has remained uncertain. This type of skill has been intensively studied using the serial reaction time task. We used three versions of this task: a standard task where the position of the stimulus cued the response; a non-standard task where the color of the stimulus was related to the correct response; and a combined task where both the color and position simultaneously cued the response. We refer to each of these tasks based upon the cues available for guiding learning as position, color and combined tasks. The combined task usually shows an enhancement of skill acquisition, a result of being driven by two simultaneous and congruent cues. Prior to the performance of each of these tasks the function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was disrupted using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. This completely prevented learning within the position task, while sequence learning occurred to a similar extent in both the color and combined tasks. So, following prefrontal stimulation the expected learning enhancement in the combined task was lost, consistent with only a color cue being available to guide sequence learning in the combined task. Neither of these effects was observed following stimulation at the parietal cortex. Hence the critical role played by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in sequence learning is related exclusively to spatial cues. We suggest that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex operates over the short term to retain and manipulate spatial information to allow cortical and subcortical structures to learn a predictable sequence of actions. Such functions may emerge from the broader role the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has in spatial working memory. These results argue against the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex constituting part of the neuronal substrate responsible for general aspects of implicit or explicit sequence learning.Medicin

Tratamiento de las fracturas inestables diafisarias de tibia mediante tracción fija en los niños y yeso funcional

Las fracturas de la diáfisis tibial suponen un 15% de las fracturas de los huesos largos en los niños. Su tratamiento debe ser individualizado en función de las características del paciente y de la fractura, aunque el tratamiento por excelencia es la reducción cerrada y la inmovilización con yeso. En el caso de las fracturas inestables, pueden ser necesarios otros tipos de tratamiento. En el momento actual está ganando popularidad el sistema de enclavado intramedular elástico. Sin embargo, existe un método de tratamiento simple, efectivo y poco invasivo, que aunque ha caído en desuso, actualmente todavía puede tener sus indicaciones. Se trata del sistema de tracción fija bipolar. En este estudio se presentan los resultados obtenidos en 30 niños con fractura inestable diafisaria de tibia tratados con este método.Diaphyseal tibial fractures represent 15% of long bone fractures in children. Their treatment should be individualized according to patient and fracture characteristics, although the treatment of choice is closed reduction and plaster immobilization. In the case of unstable fractures, other types of treatment may be required. At present, flexible intramedullary nailing is acquiring popularity. However, there is a simple, effective and minimally invasive method of treatment, although it has fallen into disuse, at present it can still have its instructions. This is the bipolar fixed traction system. This study presents the results obtained in 30 children with unstable diaphyseal tibial fractures treated with this method

Magnetic Eigenmaps for the visualization of directed networks

We propose a framework for the visualization of directed networks relying on the eigenfunctions of the magnetic Laplacian, called here Magnetic Eigenmaps. The magnetic Laplacian is a complex deformation of the well-known combinatorial Laplacian. Features such as density of links and directionality patterns are revealed by plotting the phases of the first magnetic eigenvectors. An interpretation of the magnetic eigenvectors is given in connection with the angular synchronization problem. Illustrations of our method are given for both artificial and real networks.The authors thank the following organizations. • EU: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013)/ERC AdG A-DATADRIVE-B (290923). This paper reflects only the authors’ views, the Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the contained information. • Research Council KUL: GOA/10/09 MaNet, CoE PFV/10/002 (OPTEC), BIL12/11T; PhD/Postdoc grants. • Flemish Govern ment: – FWO: G.0377.12 (Structured systems), G.088114N (Tensor based data similarity); PhD/Postdoc grants. – IWT: SBO POM (100031); PhD/Postdoc grants. • iMinds Medical Information Technologies SBO 2014. • Belgian Federal Science Policy Office: IUAP P7/19 (DYSCO, Dynamical systems, control and optimization, 2012–2017

Voice onset time (VOT) characteristics of esophageal, tracheoesophageal and laryngeal speech of Cantonese

Also available in print.Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

Perfiles de identidad en ovinos de raza Chamarita

publishedTomo I . Sección: Sistemas Ganaderos-Economía y Gestión. Sesión: Economía II. Ponencia nº 1

Epoxy composites with covalently anchored amino-functionalized SWNTs: Towards the tailoring of physical properties through targeted functionalization

First published on the web August 24th, 2011Functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with covalently grafted amine moieties provides reactive fillers with potential for covalent anchoring to an epoxy matrix. Manufacturing and characterization of a high performance epoxy system reinforced with as-grown and aminated SWNTs are presented through four different approaches. Epoxy composite materials incorporating SWNTs aminated through sidewall addition reactions present enhanced mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, beyond the effect of unfunctionalized SWNTs. The functionalization pathways studied here lead to a composite with specific improvements in some of the physical properties of the epoxy matrix, which enables the tailored design of the composite's properties through functionalization. The amination via diazonium reaction with 4-aminobenzylamine is especially effective in enhancing the tensile and impact properties of the epoxy composites (44% improvement in impact strength at 0.1 wt% loading) and leads to the highest increase in elastic modulus reported so far for the integration of aminated nanotubes into epoxy resin. Composites incorporating aminated SWNTs throughout the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction stand out for their thermo-oxidative stability and thermomechanical properties. The incorporation of as-produced arc-discharge SWNTs into the TGAP/DDS epoxy matrix leads to composite materials with the highest electrical conductivity among all the studied samples. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.The present work was carried out with financial support from the NRC-CSIC collaboration project and fellowships from MICINN Spanish Ministry (FPU grant) and CAI-DGA and Europa XXI programmes. J.M.G.D. would like to thank Dr Benoit Simard and Dr Yadienka Martinez of SIMS-NRC for their close collaboration. Special thanks go to Prof. Maurizio Prato for kindly allowing a short research stay in his group, and his entire team. Epoxy reagents were received as a gift from Huntsman, which is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Comparison of molecular dynamics and superfamily spaces of protein domain deformation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is well known the strong relationship between protein structure and flexibility, on one hand, and biological protein function, on the other hand. Technically, protein flexibility exploration is an essential task in many applications, such as protein structure prediction and modeling. In this contribution we have compared two different approaches to explore the flexibility space of protein domains: i) molecular dynamics (MD-space), and ii) the study of the structural changes within superfamily (SF-space).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our analysis indicates that the MD-space and the SF-space display a significant overlap, but are still different enough to be considered as complementary. The SF-space space is wider but less complex than the MD-space, irrespective of the number of members in the superfamily. Also, the SF-space does not sample all possibilities offered by the MD-space, but often introduces very large changes along just a few deformation modes, whose number tend to a plateau as the number of related folds in the superfamily increases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Theoretically, we obtained two conclusions. First, that function restricts the access to some flexibility patterns to evolution, as we observe that when a superfamily member changes to become another, the path does not completely overlap with the physical deformability. Second, that conformational changes from variation in a superfamily are larger and much simpler than those allowed by physical deformability. Methodologically, the conclusion is that both spaces studied are complementary, and have different size and complexity. We expect this fact to have application in fields as 3D-EM/X-ray hybrid models or <it>ab initio </it>protein folding.</p

Evolution des exploitations ovines et caprines en Méditerranée durant les dix dernières années. I. Proposition d'une méthodologie d'étude

L’objectif de ce travail est l’élaboration d’une méthode d’analyse comparative interrégionale de la situation et des évolutions des systèmes de production ovine et caprine. Des questionnaires d’enquête différents sont élaborés à destination des éleveurs d’une part, des agents de développement puis des personnes chargées de la commercialisation d’autre part. Des analyses statistiques de variance sont utilisées pour construire des typologies d’exploitation sur la base de la situation actuelle et de l’évolution des exploitations au cours des 10 dernières années. La méthode d’analyse clinique des écosystèmes a pour objet : (i) de connaître les points forts et les points faibles des systèmes et les relations de cause à effet ; (ii) de prévoir de manière prospective l’évolution future de chaque type d’exploitation ; et (iii) de proposer des actions concrètes pour optimiser les perspectives favorables de chaque système. Cette démarche s’inscrit dans l’Observatoire des systèmes de production ovine et caprine du réseau FAO/CIHEAM de recherche coopérative sur les ovins et les caprins.“Evolution of the sheep and goat farms in the Mediterranean over the last ten years. I. Proposal of a study methodology”. The main objective of this paper is to develop a methodology that could be used in diverse regions to make a comparative analysis of situation and changes that may occur in goat and sheep sectors among different regions from the same or different countries. This process has been elaborated for breeders on one hand, for extension and commercial agents on the other. Statistical analysis of variance is used to build up a typology of farms on the basis of the actual situation and changes in farms for the 10 last years. The method of clinical analysis of variance of ecosystems is used to: (i) determine system strengths and weaknesses and the cause-result relationships; (ii) foresee system evolution based on the established cluster; and (iii) propose actions to optimize future evolution in every system according to real possibilities in each particular case. This initiative is an action of the Monitoring Body of sheep and goat production systems of the FAO/CIHEAM network of cooperative research on sheep and goats

Fertilidad, desarrollo embrionaria y prolificidad de conejas nulíparas alimentadas con piensos enriquecidos en ácidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3.

Un total de 105 conejas nulíparas se alimentaron ad libitum un mes antes y durante su primera gestación con dos piensos isofibrosos, isoenergéticos e isoproteicos suplementados con dos fuentes de grasa diferentes: 0,75% de manteca para la dieta control (grupo C; n=53) ó 1,5% de un suplemento (Optomega-50; Optivite International Ltd., España) que contenía un 50% de extracto etéreo y 38% de ácidos grasos poli-insaturados (AG n-3) para la dieta experimental (grupo P; n=52). A los 4,5 meses de edad se determinó la fertilidad después de ser inseminadas artificialmente y tratadas con 20 μg de Gonadorelina (Inducel-GnRH, Ovejero) para inducirles la ovulación. Al parto se determinó la duración de la gestación, el número y peso de los gazapos nacidos vivos y muertos. Se escogieron 16 conejas al azar, 8 de cada grupo, y se realizaron ecografías a los 8, 15 y 22 días de gestación en las que se determinó las dimensiones del embrión y de los anejos fetales. La suplementación con AG n-3 no afectó a los resultados productivos determinados ya que se trata de parámetros que en nulíparas son difíciles de mejorar y suelen ser altos. Tampoco se observaron diferencias en las determinaciones ecográficas pero se han podido definir medidas fisiológicas de los fetos y anejos placentarios de gran utilidad para futuros estudios en esta especie