On the Dynamics of Exports and FDI: The Spanish Internationalization Process

This paper provides further insights into the dynamics of exports and outward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in Spain from a time-series approach. The contribution of the paper is twofold: i) the existence of either substitution or a complementary relationship between Spanish outward investments and exports is empirically tested using a multivariate cointegrated model (VECM). The evolution in exchange flows (1993-2008) and country-specific variables (such as world demand - including Spain’s main recently growing foreign markets - for trade flows and the relative price of exports in order to proxy new global competitors) are taken into account for the first time. And ii) the growth in the trade of services in recent decades leads us to test a specific causality relationship by disaggregating between goods and services flows. Our results provide evidence of a positive (Granger) causality relationship running from FDI to exports of goods (stronger) and to exports of services (weaker) in the long run, the complementarity relation of which is consistent with vertical FDI strategies. In the short run, however, only exports of goods are affected (positively) by FDIs.Foreign Direct Investment, Exports, Granger-Causality. JEL classification:F21, F40

General Equilibrium Long-Run Determinants for Spanish FDI: A Spatial Panel Data Approach

While general equilibrium theories of trade stress the role of third-country effects, little work has been done in the empirical foreign direct investment (FDI) literature to test such spatial linkages. This paper aims to provide further insights into long-run determinants of Spanish FDI by considering not only bilateral but also spatially weighted third-country determinants. The few studies carried out so far have focused on FDI flows in a limited number of countries. However, Spanish FDI outflows have risen dramatically since 1995 and today account for a substantial part of global FDI. Therefore, we estimate recently developed Spatial Panel Data models by Maximum Likelihood (ML) procedures for Spanish outflows (1993-2004) to top-50 host countries. After controlling for unobservable effects, we find that spatial interdependence matters and provide evidence consistent with New Economic Geography (NEG) theories of agglomeration, mainly due to complex (vertical) FDI motivations. Spatial Error Models estimations also provide illuminating results regarding the transmission mechanism of shocks.Foreign Direct Investment; Spatial Econometrics; Panel Data.

Localised projective measurement of a relativistic quantum field in non-inertial frames

We propose a scheme to study the effect of motion on measurements of a quantum field carried out by a finite-size detector. We introduce a model of projective detection of a localised field mode in an arbitrary reference frame. We apply it to extract vacuum entanglement by a pair of counter-accelerating detectors and to estimate the Unruh temperature of a single accelerated detector. The introduced method allows us to directly relate the observed effects with the instantaneous proper acceleration of the detector.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. v2 Significant increase in the detail level regarding the motivation of the detector mode

The entangling side of the Unruh-Hawking effect

We show that the Unruh effect can create net quantum entanglement between inertial and accelerated observers depending on the choice of the inertial state. This striking result banishes the extended belief that the Unruh effect can only destroy entanglement and furthermore provides a new and unexpected source for finding experimental evidence of the Unruh and Hawking effects.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Added Journal referenc

Rethinking Ephemeral Architecture. Advanced Geometry for Citizen-Managed Spaces

In recent years there have been a high amount of citizen initiatives that address the complex problems of the contemporary city. There are empty or disused spaces that have been reused for urban gardens, for social use, to encourage integration and civic activities activation, etc. Traditional architectural processes do not provide realistic solutions to these initiatives that, along with limited financial resources, have led to the emergence of architectures and self-constructed facilities, almost as an emergency mode, without necessary planning, media and constructive knowledge. The democratization of technology, thanks to laboratories of digital production, combined with knowledge of the properties of different surfaces through the CAD-CAM tools, offers new opportunities for the development of a lightweight, flexible and low impact architecture, very according to the needs of citizens' initiatives that naturally arise in our cities. The new existing scenario contemplates the figure of the architect, or engineer, not only as an agent of the market, but as a professional able to propose efficient solutions to problems from within, bringing their specific knowledge and serving as bridges between the new technological solutions and the challenges of society

Hydrogeological model of Mijas mountain aquifers under different climate conditions (Málaga, Spain)

Carbonate aquifers represent an important source of freshwater, both for urban and agricultural uses. This is particularly true in semiarid regions, where intensive pumping has often led to aquifer overexploitation. One example is the Mijas mountain carbonate diffuse flow system (80 km2), located to the SW of the city of Malaga, Spain. From a geolo-gical standpoint, this area consists of Triassic dolomitic and calcareous rocks, which overlay Palaeozoic metapelites. The geological structure is formed by ESE-WNW folds and the me-tapelites anticlinal cores have divided the study area into four aquifer systems. The recharge of Mijas mountain aquifers comes from direct infiltration of rainfall, while pumping is the main discharge. To improve the knowledge of geological and hydrodynamic parameters, and therefore to improve water resources management, a hydrogeological model has been developed with Processing Modflow 8.0.42. Piezometric level and spring flows have been modelled, under steady and transient-flow conditions for a 35-year period. Five future scenarios were simulated for different rainfall and pumping conditions. Outcomes confirm that the water level evolution is determined by the quantity and distribution of rainfall during the hydrological year, with the same pumping rate. The results also suggest that current trends are likely to raise sustainability issues in the future.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Porous Graphene-like Carbon from Fast Catalytic Decomposition of Biomass for Energy Storage Applications

A novel carbon material made of porous graphene-like nanosheets was synthesized from biomass resources by a simple catalytic graphitization process using nickel as a catalyst for applications in electrodes for energy storage devices. A recycled fiberboard precursor was impregnated with saturated nickel nitrate followed by high-temperature pyrolysis. The highly exothermic combustion of in situ formed nitrocellulose produces the expansion of the cellulose fibers and the reorganization of the carbon structure into a three-dimensional (3D) porous assembly of thin carbon nanosheets. After acid washing, nickel particles are fully removed, leaving nanosized holes in the wrinkled graphene-like sheets. These nanoholes confer the resulting carbon material with ≈75% capacitance retention, when applied as a supercapacitor electrode in aqueous media at a specific current of 100 A·g–1 compared to the capacitance reached at 20 mA·g–1, and ≈35% capacity retention, when applied as a negative electrode for lithium-ion battery cells at a specific current of 3720 mA·g–1 compared to the specific capacity at 37.2 mA·g–1. These findings suggest a novel way for synthesizing 3D nanocarbon networks from a cellulosic precursor requiring low temperatures and being amenable to large-scale production while using a sustainable starting precursor such as recycled fiberwood.Spanish Government Agency Ministerio de Economí a y Competitividad (MINECO) (grant number MAT2016-76526-R)

Formación para la ciudadanía y educación superior

La universidad es el lugar en el que se aprende el conjunto de saberes que permitirán al futuro titulado ejercer una profesión o dedicarse al ámbito de la investigación. Sin embargo, no resulta tan obvio que la universidad sea un lugar en el que se aprenda un conjunto de saberes éticos y ciudadanos. En este artículo se sostiene que una de las funciones de la formación universitaria es de carácter ético y que no puede entenderse una formación universitaria de calidad que no incorpore de forma sistemática y rigurosa situaciones de aprendizaje ético y de formación ciudadana. Se identifican tres dimensiones formativas en la función ética de la universidad en la sociedad actual: la formación deontológica relativa al ejercicio de las diferentes profesiones; la formación ciudadana y cívica de sus estudiantes; y, finalmente, la formación humana, personal y social, que contribuya a la optimización ética y moral de las futuras y futuros titulados en tanto que personas. Se argumenta que una formación universitaria de calidad no puede separar la formación profesional de la formación ciudadana y se ofrecen tres razones: la primera relacionada con el concepto actual de formación universitaria; la segunda con el objetivo de cohesión social y no sólo de competitividad que debería tener como misión la universidad hoy; y la tercera derivada de las investigaciones sobre desarrollo moral y aprendizaje ético. Se presentan cinco ámbitos de la formación universitaria en los que es posible integrar acciones y establecer pautas u orientaciones que favorezcan la formación en valores y el aprendizaje ético de los futuros graduados y graduadas: el de los contenidos curriculares, el de la relación entre estudiantes y profesores, el de las formas de organización social de las tareas de aprendizaje, el de la cultura participativa e institucional y el de la implicación comunitaria del aprendizaje académico

Computer vision methods for robot tasks: Motion detection, depth estimation and tracking

On the way to autonomous robots, perception is a key point. Among all the perception senses, vision is undoubtedly the most important for the information it can provide. However, it is not easy to identify what is seen from the provided visual input. On this regard, inspired by humans, we have studied motion as a primary cue. Particularly, we present a computational solution for motion detection, object location and tracking from images captured by perspective and fisheye cameras. The proposed approach has been validated with an extensive set of experiments and applications using different testbeds of real environments with real and/or virtual targets