Geographical and Industrial Spillovers in entry decisions across export markets

This paper addresses sequential entry decisions in export markets. It focuses on externalities derived from previous export activity in countries close to those for which a potential entry decision is taken (geographical spillovers) and externalities derived from previous presence of other firms in the same industry (industrial spillovers). The empirical analysis uses Spanish microdata for the period 2000-2010 in a firm decision model that also integrates country and firm characteristics. The results suggest the positive effect of both geographical and industrial spillovers to explain entry decisions in export markets, though both are smaller in magnitude than the effects coming from previous presence

Herramientas para la implementación del sistema integrado de gestión para el sector secundario dedicado a la producción de materiales de construcción

Con el presente documento, se propone herramientas para la implementación de un sistema HSEQ, es decir, la implementación de las normas ISO 9001, 14001 Y 45001, en una empresa del sector secundario dedicada a la producción de materiales de construcción. La empresa auditada tiene varios procesos de producción, pero el estudio se enfoca en la línea de producción de pegante cerámico y boquilla. Así entonces, en un primer plano se investiga y describe la empresa, sus características, riesgos, stake holders y se propone un modelo de ciclo PHVA al proceso de integración de los sistemas de gestión dentro de la organización, seguidamente se implementa un sistema de bioseguridad, se formula el plan de integración y finalmente, se realizan ciertas recomendaciones.With this document, tools are proposed for the implementation of an HSEQ system, that is, the implementation of the ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 standards, in a secondary sector company dedicated to the production of construction materials. The audited company has several production processes, but the study focuses on the ceramic glue and nozzle production line. Thus, in the foreground, the company is investigated and described, its characteristics, risks, stake holders and a PDCA cycle model is proposed to the process of integration of management systems within the organization, then a biosafety system is implemented , the integration plan is formulated and finally, certain recommendations are made

Implementación operativa de productos satelitales para el monitoreo de heladas

Dentro de las principales amenazas al sector agropecuario se encuentran los eventos climáticos extremos, tales como granizo, tormentas severas, heladas y sequías, las cuales se prevén incrementen su extensión, frecuencia e intensidad ante escenarios de cambio climático (IPCC, 2014; Tercera Comunicación Nacional, 2014; ORA 2018). El desconocimiento de los impactos del aumento de la variabilidad climática, la falta de acceso a fuentes de información relevantes y vulnerabilidades asociadas, son factores centrales a la hora de la evaluación de la competitividad, preservación y/o desarrollo de la actividad hortícola y frutícola de distintas regiones productivas del país.EEA Alto ValleFil: Pons, Diego Hernan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Lighezzolo, Rafael Andrés. Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales; ArgentinaFil: Muñoz, Angel Rafael. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Alto Valle; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, Andrea Betiana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Alto Valle; Argentin

Georeferencing provision of public health programs in four Colombian cities within the context of the competitive market of the health system, 2014

RESUMEN: Georreferenciar la oferta de programas de salud pública de las Instituciones Prestadoras de Servicios de Salud (IPS) públicas y privadas en cuatro ciudades colombianas. Metodología: estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, desarrollado a partir de la base de datos de IPS habilitadas del Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, que ofrecen programas de salud pública. Resultados: es mayor el número de IPS privadas que ofrecen programas de salud pública; sin embargo, estas se concentran en atender a la población y las zonas de la ciudad con mejor nivel socioeconómico. La población de las zonas más pobres está siendo atendida casi exclusivamente por las IPS del sector público. Conclusión: en un sistema de mercado competitivo la población y las zonas de la ciudad se segmentan según su nivel socioeconómico y no es atractivo para el sector privado proveer servicios de salud pública a las poblaciones más pobres.ABSTRACT: To describe the geographical location of public health programs offered by public and private institutions providing health services in four Colombian cities. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study based on information from the Ministry of Health of institutions that provide public health programs. Results: More private than public institutions offer public health programs, but the former are concentrated on the population and zones with better socioeconomic conditions. In contrast, poor population depends almost exclusively on public sector institutions. Conclusion: In a competitive market system, population and city zones are segmented according to their socioeconomic level, and it is not attractive for the private sector to provide public health services to poorer populations

Free triiodothyronine levels and age influences the metabolic profile and COVID-19 severity parameters in euthyroid and levothyroxine-treated patients

Metabolic reprogramming is required to fight infections and thyroid hormones are key regulators of metabolism. We have analyzed in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: 40 euthyroid and 39 levothyroxine (LT4)-treated patients in the ward and 29 euthyroid and 9 LT4-treated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), the baseline characteristics, laboratory data, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), the FT3/FT4 ratio, 11 antiviral cytokines and 74 metabolomic parameters. No evidence for significant differences between euthyroid and LT4-treated patients were found in the biochemical, metabolomic and cytokines parameters analyzed. Only TSH (p=0.009) and ferritin (p=0.031) showed significant differences between euthyroid and LT4-treated patients in the ward, and TSH (p=0.044) and FT4 (p=0.012) in the ICU. Accordingly, severity and mortality were similar in euthyroid and LT4-treated patients. On the other hand, FT3 was negatively related to age (p=0.012), independently of sex and body mass index in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients with low FT3 and older age showed a worse prognosis and higher levels of the COVID-19 severity markers IL-6 and IL-10 than patients with high FT3. IL-6 negatively correlated with FT3 (p=0.023) independently of age, body mass index and sex, whereas IL-10 positively associated with age (p=0.035) independently of FT3, body mass index and sex. A metabolomic cluster of 6 parameters defined low FT3 ward patients. Two parameters, esterified cholesterol (p=4.1x10) and small HDL particles (p=6.0x10) correlated with FT3 independently of age, body mass index and sex, whereas 3-hydroxybutyrate (p=0.010), acetone (p=0.076), creatinine (p=0.017) and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) diameter (p=8.3x10) were associated to FT3 and also to age, with p-values of 0.030, 0.026, 0.017 and 8.3x10, respectively. In conclusion, no significant differences in FT3, cytokines, and metabolomic profile, or in severity and outcome of COVID-19, were found during hospitalization between euthyroid patients and hypothyroid patients treated with LT4. In addition, FT3 and age negatively correlate in COVID-19 patients and parameters that predict poor prognosis were associated with low FT3, and/or with age. A metabolomic cluster indicative of a high ketogenic profile defines non-critical hospitalized patients with low FT3 levels.PID2020-116146RB-I00 from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación with European Regional Development Funds (FEDER), BMD-3724 from the Comunidad de Madrid, 202020E169 from the CSIC, 2020PANDE00082 from the Generalitad de Cataluña and Fundación Hay Esperanza

Specific patterns of brain alterations underlie distinct clinical profiles in Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disease which involves a triad of motor, cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. However, there is great variability in the prominence of each type of symptom across individuals. The neurobiological basis of such variability remains poorly understood but would be crucial for better tailored treatments. Multivariate multimodal neuroimaging approaches have been successful in disentangling these profiles in other disorders. Thus we applied for the first time such approach to HD. We studied the relationship between HD symptom domains and multimodal measures sensitive to grey and white matter structural alterations. Forty-three HD gene carriers (23 manifest and 20 premanifest individuals) were scanned and underwent behavioural assessments evaluating motor, cognitive and psychiatric domains. We conducted a multimodal analysis integrating different structural neuroimaging modalities measuring grey matter volume, cortical thickness and white matter diffusion indices - fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity. All neuroimaging measures were entered into a linked independent component analysis in order to obtain multimodal components reflecting common inter-subject variation across imaging modalities. The relationship between multimodal neuroimaging independent components and behavioural measures was analysed using multiple linear regression. We found that cognitive and motor symptoms shared a common neurobiological basis, whereas the psychiatric domain presented a differentiated neural signature. Behavioural measures of different symptom domains correlated with different neuroimaging components, both the brain regions involved and the neuroimaging modalities most prominently associated with each type of symptom showing differences. More severe cognitive and motor signs together were associated with a multimodal component consisting in a pattern of reduced grey matter, cortical thickness and white matter integrity in cognitive and motor related networks. In contrast, depressive symptoms were associated with a component mainly characterised by reduced cortical thickness pattern in limbic and paralimbic regions. In conclusion, using a multivariate multimodal approach we were able to disentangle the neurobiological substrates of two distinct symptom profiles in HD: one characterised by cognitive and motor features dissociated from a psychiatric profile. These results open a new view on a disease classically considered as a uniform entity and initiates a new avenue for further research considering these qualitative individual differences

White matter cortico-striatal tracts predict apathy subtypes in Huntington's disease

Apathy is the neuropsychiatric syndrome that correlates most highly with Huntington's disease progression, and, like early patterns of neurodegeneration, is associated with lesions to cortico-striatal connections. However, due to its multidimensional nature and elusive etiology, treatment options are limited. To disentangle underlying white matter microstructural correlates across the apathy spectrum in Huntington's disease. Forty-six Huntington's disease individuals (premanifest (N = 22) and manifest (N = 24)) and 35 healthy controls were scanned at 3-tesla and underwent apathy evaluation using the short-Problem Behavior Assessment and short-Lille Apathy Rating Scale, with the latter being characterized into three apathy domains, namely emotional, cognitive, and auto-activation deficit. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to study whether individual differences in specific cortico-striatal tracts predicted global apathy and its subdomains. We elucidate that apathy profiles may develop along differential timelines, with the auto-activation deficit domain manifesting prior to motor onset. Furthermore, diffusion tensor imaging revealed that inter-individual variability in the disruption of discrete cortico-striatal tracts might explain the heterogeneous severity of apathy profiles. Specifically, higher levels of auto-activation deficit symptoms significantly correlated with increased mean diffusivity in the right uncinate fasciculus. Conversely, those with severe cognitive apathy demonstrated increased mean diffusivity in the right frontostriatal tract and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to caudate nucleus tract. The current study provides evidence that white matter correlates associated with emotional, cognitive, and auto-activation subtypes may elucidate the heterogeneous nature of apathy in Huntington's disease, as such opening a door for individualized pharmacological management of apathy as a multidimensional syndrome in other neurodegenerative disorders