Reproductive Performance ofChacuba Cattle Genotype.

Reproductive traits from Chacuba cattle genotype were characterized at the Livestock Center Rescate de Sanguily in Camagüey, Cuba. Traits assessed were calving to pregnancy interval, calving interval, and services per pregnancy. Data were collected from this enterprise, the Genetics National Center, and the Centers for Livestock Control from Camagüey and Havana. The data were statistically processed using SAS (1995) and ASREML (Gilmour et al., 2000) software packages. Services per pregnancy reached 1,66 inseminations, calving to pregnancy interval amounted 168,8 days, and calving interval ranged 456,7 days with inheritabilities of 0,05; 0,15, and 0,4. Estimated inheritabili-ties for the assessed reproductive traits showed low values

La gestión de la liquidez del Banco Central Europeo durante la crisis financiera: 2008-2009

Después de la quiebra de Lehman Brothers, en septiembre de 2008, hubo gran tensión en los mercados financieros. En los mercados de dinero, el Eurosistema tuvo que adoptar medidas que ofrezcan liquidez a los bancos a fin de evitar el colapso del mercado interbancario. En este trabajo se analizan los cambios en las formas de inyectar liquidez en el sistema, en un contexto de grave crisis económica y financiera. Con la disminución de las tasas de interés, se había producido una transformación radical entre octubre de 2008 y mediados de 2009. Las operaciones de financiación a más largo plazo alcanzaron la primera posición, la eliminación de las operaciones principales de financiación, mientras que se amplió la lista de valores como garantía, y un número cada vez mayor de bancos recurrieron a las subastas de liquidez. Si el BCE decide limitar las subastas de financiación a más largo plazo, adaptándolas a su procedimiento habitual de la política monetaria, que será de gran interés el análisis de la deuda actual de los bancos con respecto al BCE.After the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, in September 2008, there was huge stress in the financial markets. In the money markets, the Eurosystem had to adopt measures providing liquidity to banks in order to avoid the collapse of the interbank market. In this work we analyze the changes in the ways of injecting liquidity in the system, within a context of serious economic and financial crisis. With decreasing interest rates, there had been a radical transformation between October 2008 and mid 2009. The longer-term refinancing operations reached the first position, removing the main refinancing operations, while was enlarged the list of securities as collateral, and an increasing number of banks resorted to liquidity auctions. If the ECB decides to limit longer-term financing auctions, adapting them to its usual monetary policy procedure, it will be of great interest the analysis of the current debt of the banks with respect to the ECB.notPeerReviewe

Evaluation of commercial-off-the-shelf wrist wearables to estimate stress on students

Wearable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices have become popular during the last years to monitor sports activities, primarily among young people. These devices include sensors to gather data on physiological signals such as heart rate, skin temperature or galvanic skin response. By applying data analytics techniques to these kinds of signals, it is possible to obtain estimations of higher-level aspects of human behavior. In the literature, there are several works describing the use of physiological data collected using clinical devices to obtain information on sleep patterns or stress. However, it is still an open question whether data captured using COTS wrist wearables is sufficient to characterize the learners' psychological state in educational settings. This paper discusses a protocol to evaluate stress estimation from data obtained using COTS wrist wearables. The protocol is carried out in two phases. The first stage consists of a controlled laboratory experiment, where a mobile app is used to induce different stress levels in a student by means of a relaxing video, a Stroop Color and Word test, a Paced Auditory Serial Addition test, and a hyperventilation test. The second phase is carried out in the classroom, where stress is analyzed while performing several academic activities, namely attending to theoretical lectures, doing exercises and other individual activities, and taking short tests and exams. In both cases, both quantitative data obtained from COTS wrist wearables and qualitative data gathered by means of questionnaires are considered. This protocol involves a simple and consistent method with a stress induction app and questionnaires, requiring a limited participation of support staff.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. TIN2016-80515-

Experiences in teaching Hydrogen Technologies in the framework of the International Campus of Excellence Andalucia TECH

The increasing importance of hydrogen technologies is demanding prepared professionals in the numerous topics related to this energy vector. Apart from some basic and advanced courses given by actual experts in these topics, universities must play an important role in the general formation of future professionals. In this way, the International Campus of Excellence (ICE) Andalucía TECH has created several degrees taught jointly by its participating universities of Seville (US) and Málaga (UMA). Among those degrees, Energy Engineering is the best suited to the field of this conference because this degree provide future engineers with specialized training in energy generation, transformation and management. In relation to hydrogen technologies this degree includes a cross sectional optional unit named Hydrogen Based Systems (4.5 ECTS/112.5 h), which is placed in the last term of the fourth year and sharing space with work placement and mobility courses. This paper will present some author’s experiences as teachers of that unit during its short history of only three years. In spite of being a joint degree, which is coordinated between both universities (US and UMA) trying to give similar contents, it is interesting to highlight the differential experiences coming from the teachers of both universities in relation to the teaching methodologies and academic results.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Sobre el papel del saldo presupuestario en las decisiones del Banco Central Europeo

Este trabajo analiza si el saldo presupuestario del conjunto de los países que integran la Unión Monetaria Europea ha influido en la determinación de los tipos de interés a corto plazo por parte del Banco Central Europeo (BCE). El análisis empírico es llevado a cabo con el método de los momentos generalizados, estimando una función de reacción de política monetaria que incluye esa variable fiscal. Se ha encontrado que, para el periodo que va desde 1999:1 hasta 2007:4, el saldo presupuestario fue una variable significativa en la función de reacción del BCE.This study inquires into whether the budgetary balance of the set of countries constituting the European Monetary Union has influenced the European Central Bank's (ECB's) determination of short term interest rates. The empirical analysis is performed using the generalized method of moments to estimate a monetary policy reaction function that includes the aforementioned fiscal variable. It was found that for the period 1999:1 to 2007:4, the budget balance was a significant variable in the ECB's reaction function.peerReviewe

Molecular Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Microsporidia in Human and Animal Stool Samples

Cryptosporidium spp. and Microsporidia are opportunistic microorganisms with remarkable zoonotic transmission potential due to their capacity to infect humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of these microorganisms in stool samples of animal and human origin. In total, 369 stool samples (205 from human patients with diarrhea and 164 of animal origin) were included in the study. Cryptosporidium spp. and Microsporidia presence were determined by using multiplex nested PCR. Positive results were analyzed by using Sanger sequencing of the amplicon, utilizing BLASTN and ClustalX software to confirm identification. Cryptosporidium spp. were found in 0.97% and 4.26% of human and animal samples, respectively. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in human and animal stools in 6.82% and 3.05% of the samples, respectively. No associations were found when analyzing the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi and the demographic and clinical variables of patients and animals. This study demonstrates the presence of these microorganisms in human and animal samples from different species, and the most interesting findings are the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in pets (e.g., rodents) that are not usually included in this type of study, and the identification of E. bieneusi in patients with diarrhea without underlying disease

¿Son asimétricas las reacciones de política monetaria de un banco central? El caso del BCE

Una gran parte de los bancos centrales adopta sus decisiones conforme a determinados objetivos, fundamentalmente de inflación y crecimiento económico. La pregunta que nos hacemos es si son igual de intensas las reacciones de esos institutos centrales cuando las desviaciones respecto a los objetivos señalados son positivas, en comparación con el caso en que sean negativas, o si, por el contrario, las reacciones son asimétricas. Para responder a esta cuestión, con base en los planteamientos taylorianos de la función de reacción de política monetaria, analizamos las posibles causas de comportamientos asimétricos y establecemos una metodología para determinar si las decisiones de un banco central han sido asimétricas, o no. Empíricamente, analizamos el caso del Banco Central Europeo (BCE), para concluir que en el caso de éste no es posible afirmar que haya reaccionado asimétricamente en el periodo 1999-2008.A large part of the central bank's decisions are subject to certain objectives, mainly inflation and economic growth. The question we ask is whether they are equally intense reactions when these central institutes deviations to the above objectives are positive, compared to the case in which they are negative, or if, on the contrary, the reactions are asymmetric. To answer this question, based on Taylorist approaches the reaction function of monetary policy, analyze the possible causes of asymmetric behavior and establish a methodology for determining whether the decisions of a central bank are asymmetric or not. Empirically, we analyze the case of the European Central Bank (ECB), to conclude that if this is not possible to say that has reacted asymmetrically periodo 1999 in 2008.peerReviewe

Nanostructured Chitosan-Based Biomaterials for Sustained and Colon-Specific Resveratrol Release

In the present work, we demonstrate the preparation of chitosan-based composites as vehicles of the natural occurring multi-drug resveratrol (RES). Such systems are endowed with potential therapeutic effects on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, through the sustained colonic release of RES from long-lasting mucoadhesive drug depots. The loading of RES into nanoparticles (NPs) was optimized regarding two independent variables: RES/polymer ratio, and temperature. Twenty experiments were carried out and a Box–Behnken experimental design was used to evaluate the significance of these independent variables related to encapsulation efficiency (EE). The enhanced RES EE values were achieved in 24 h at 39 °C and at RES/polymer ratio of 0.75:1 w/w. Sizes and polydispersities of the optimized NPs were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Chitosan (CTS) dispersions containing the RES-loaded NPs were ionically gelled with tricarballylic acid to yield CTS-NPs composites. Macro- and microscopic features (morphology and porosity studied by SEM and spreadability), thermal stability (studied by TGA), and release kinetics of the RES-loaded CTS-NPs were investigated. Release patterns in simulated colon conditions for 48 h displayed significant differences between the NPs (final cumulative drug release: 79–81%), and the CTS-NPs composites (29–34%)

Self-Organized Multi-Camera Network for a Fast and Easy Deployment of Ubiquitous Robots in Unknown Environments

To bring cutting edge robotics from research centres to social environments, the robotics community must start providing affordable solutions: the costs must be reduced and the quality and usefulness of the robot services must be enhanced. Unfortunately, nowadays the deployment of robots and the adaptation of their services to new environments are tasks that usually require several days of expert work. With this in view, we present a multi-agent system made up of intelligent cameras and autonomous robots, which is easy and fast to deploy in different environments. The cameras will enhance the robot perceptions and allow them to react to situations that require their services. Additionally, the cameras will support the movement of the robots. This will enable our robots to navigate even when there are not maps available. The deployment of our system does not require expertise and can be done in a short period of time, since neither software nor hardware tuning is needed. Every system task is automatic, distributed and based on self-organization processes. Our system is scalable, robust, and flexible to the environment. We carried out several real world experiments, which show the good performance of our proposalThis work was supported by the research projects TIN2009-07737, INCITE08PXIB262202PR, and TIN2012-32262, the grant BES-2010-040813 FPI-MICINN, and by the grant “Consolidation of Competitive Research Groups, Xunta de Galicia ref. 2010/6”S