The influence of disability on absenteeism: an empirical analysis using Spanish data

Using data from the European Community Household Panel for Spain covering the period 1995-2001, this paper investigates the influence of disability on absenteeism reported by workers. Results show that workers with disabilities are absent more days than workers without disabilities. This finding holds even when individuals selfreported health, visits to doctors and nights spent in hospitals are included in the estimations. The total effect of disability on absenteeism amounts to a marginal increase of 6-10 days per year. Implications for labour policy are discussed

Catalytic Processing of Lactic Acid over Pt/Nb2O5

Dilute aqueous solutions of lactic acid (30 %wt.) can be catalytically processed at 573 K and 57 bar over a low-metal-content Pt(0.1 %)/Nb2O5 catalyst in a spontaneously separating organic phase rich in valuable products such as C4–C7 ketones. An increase in the lactic acid concentration to 60 wt % allows conversion of approximately 50 % of the carbon feed in this organic layer, while maintaining good stability of the catalyst. Experiments at low conversion showed that lactic acid reacts first over Pt(0.1 %)/Nb2O5 to produce acetaldehyde and propanoic acid (along with CO and CO2 in the gas phase). These compounds (less oxygenated than lactic acid but still reactive) are the key intermediates in the overall process, and they react differently depending on the nature of the catalyst support. In particular, reaction kinetics studies with propanoic acid as feed showed that Pt(0.1 %)/Nb2O5 favored the formation of pentanones by ketonization reactions, whereas a monofunctional Pt(0.1 %)/carbon catalyst produced ethane and COx by decomposition reactions. In the same manner, acetaldehyde was preferentially hydrogenated to ethanol over Pt(0.1 %)/carbon, whereas the presence of niobia allowed this intermediate to react (by successive aldol condensations) to form C4–C7 condensation products stored in the organic phase. Finally, reaction pathways are proposed to explain the catalytic processing of lactic acid over bifunctional Pt(0.1 %)/Nb2O5. In this scheme, metal sites catalyze hydrogenation reactions and niobia promotes CC coupling processes (ketonization and aldol condensation), in contrast to CC cleavage reactions which take place preferentially over Pt(0.1 %)/carbon and lead to loss of carbon in the gas effluent as CO, CO2, and methane.Es la versión preprint del artículo. Se puede consultar la versión final en https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.20090000

Catalytic routes for the conversion of biomass into liquid hydrocarbon transportation fuels

Concerns about diminishing fossil fuel reserves along with global warming effects caused by increasing levels ofCO2 in the atmosphere are driving society toward the search for new renewable sources of energy that can substitute for coal, natural gas and petroleum in the current energy system. Lignocellulosic biomass is abundant, and it has the potential to significantly displace petroleum in the production of fuels for the transportation sector. Ethanol, the main biomass-derived fuel used today, has benefited from production by a well-established technology and by partial compatibility with the current transportation infrastructure, leading to the domination of the world biofuel market. However, ethanol suffers from important limitations as a fuel (e.g., low energy density, high solubility in water) than can be overcome by designing strategies to convert non-edible lignocellulosic biomass into liquid hydrocarbon fuels (LHF) chemically similar to those currently used in internal combustion engines. The present review describes the main routes available to carry out such deep chemical transformation (e.g., gasification, pyrolysis, and aqueous-phase catalytic processing), with particular emphasis on those pathways involving aqueous-phase catalytic reactions. These latter catalytic routes achieve the required transformations in biomass-derived molecules with controlled chemistry and high yields, but require pretreatment/ hydrolysis steps to overcome the recalcitrance of lignocellulose. To be economically viable, these aqueous-phase routes should be carried out with a small number of reactors and with minimum utilization of external fossil fuel-based hydrogen sources, as illustrated in the examples presented here

Efficiency of university education: A partial frontier analysis

This article investigates the efficiency of the university education using two linked databases (Saber Pro and Saber 11) from the Colombian Institute for Evaluation of Education (ICFES) corresponding to 2014. We use a non-parametric frontier approach that combines the "order m" technique with the concept of a meta-frontier to disaggregate students' total efficiency in generic skills in quantitative reasoning, critical reading, and written communication, into the parts attributable to the students themselves and the university. The analysis is performed by academic programme and by education sector (public vs. private). Results indicate that most of the inefficiency of students in the assessment of generic skills in higher education is attributable to the students themselves and a significant number of students could improve their performance in the assessment in each of the academic programmes if they performed as efficiently as those located on the frontier. Furthermore, the inefficiency share of students varies between academic programmes and university sectors, with students in the private sector more inefficient than those in the public sector in some and less inefficient in others. This research constitutes the first application of the technique of "order m" with the approach of the meta-frontier for the analysis of educational efficiency using data at the student and university levels

Catalytic coupling of carboxylic acids by ketonization as a processing step in biomass conversion

Carboxylic acids, common intermediate products in biomass conversion processes, can be converted into ketones via ketonization reactions over a ceria–zirconia catalyst. Reaction kinetics studies were carried out using hexanoic acid, as a representative carboxylic acid, in the presence of 1-pentanol and 2-butanone, as representative biomass-derived alcohol and ketone species. Studies were carried out at temperatures from 448 to 623K, and employing a range of hexanoic acid partial pressures from 0.05 to 0.3atm. Two different reactions were observed to take place at these reaction conditions: esterification and ketonization, both consuming hexanoic acid. Product inhibition by water and carbon dioxide was observed and studied by co-feeding these components to the reactor. Hexanoic acid adsorption on the catalyst surface is an important step in the reaction, and the rate of ketonization shifts from second order to zero order as the partial pressure of acid increases. The measured activation energy for the ketonization of hexanoic acid (132kJ/mol) is higher than the esterification reaction (40kJ/mol), such that the irreversible ketonization reaction is favored at higher temperatures (>573K) compared to the reversible esterification reaction. Direct ketonization of esters does not take place in the presence of acids, and instead takes place by hydrolysis with water followed by ketonization of the corresponding acid. The results of this study can be described by a simple kinetic model including site blocking by adsorbed hexanoic acid, carbon dioxide, and water.Es la versión preprint del artículo. Se puede consultar la versión final en https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2009.05.01

Los efectos de la formación ocupacional: ¿Importa la duración de las acciones?

En este artículo se evalúa el Plan FIP desarrollado en Cataluña durante 2005 a partir de datos de registro administrativo. Dada su heterogeneidad, los cursos se dividen en tres grupos según su duración. Utilizando como técnica de evaluación el propensity score matching y como grupo de control a los parados registrados no formados, los resultados muestran que los cursos de duración media y larga son los que más aumentan la probabilidad de ocupación en los ocho trimestres siguientes a la participación. También se obtienen diferencias sustanciales en los efectos según sexo, edad, duración del desempleo y percepción de prestaciones.evaluación microeconómica, políticas del mercado de trabajo, formación ocupacional.

Linear Strain Tensors on Hyperbolic Surfaces and Asymptotic Theories for Thin Shells

We perform a detailed analysis of the solvability of linear strain equations on hyperbolic surfaces. We prove that if the surface is a smooth noncharacteristic region, any first order infinitesimal isometry can be matched to an infinitesimal isometry of an arbitrarily high order. The implications of this result for the elasticity of thin hyperbolic shells are discussed

Serial Changes in Plasma Levels of Cytokines in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Roberto H Heinisch1, Carlos R Zanetti1, Fabiano Comin1, Juliano L Fernandes2, José A Ramires2, Carlos V Serrano Jr21Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; 2Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, BrazilObjectives: Inflammation is known to be a major determinant of the progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). In the present study we have evaluated the plasma levels of cytokines – tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), interleukin-1α (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-γ (IFN), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) – to examine the association between these cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with CAD.Methods: Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS; n = 20) were compared with patients with stable angina (SA; n = 20) and with control volunteers (C; n = 20). Blood samples were collected at the time of admission from all patients and 15 and 30 days thereafter.Results: CRP levels (20.8 ± 8.8 mg/L) (mean ± SEM) were higher at baseline in ACS than SA patients (4.1 ± 0.8 mg/L) or the control subjects (5.1 ± 1.8 mg/L) (p < 0.05). At admission, IL-6 was detected in 50% of the ACS patients and 5% of the SA patients or control subjects, while TNF was detected in 35% of the ACS and SA patients but only in 5% of control subjects. Subsequently, IL-6 levels declined and were no longer detectable, while TNF levels increased among ACS patients at all time periods tested when compared with other patients. The presence of IL-1 and IL-10 were not detectable in the blood samples examined, and IFN could only be detected in the ACS group. A significant correlation was observed between IL-6 and CRP levels (r = 0.4; p < 0.01) in all groups. There were no correlations among any of the other cytokines and CRP levels.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates raised levels of TNF, IL6, IFN, and CRP in patients with ACS and a positive correlation between IL6 and CRP but not with the other cytokines. Keywords: cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, coronary artery diseas

Geochemical constraints on the Hadean environment from mineral fingerprints of prokaryotes

The environmental conditions on the Earth before 4 billion years ago are highly uncertain, largely because of the lack of a substantial rock record from this period. During this time interval, known as the Hadean, the young planet transformed from an uninhabited world to the one capable of supporting, and inhabited by the first living cells. These cells formed in a fluid environment they could not at first control, with homeostatic mechanisms developing only later. It is therefore possible that present-day organisms retain some record of the primordial fluid in which the first cells formed. Here we present new data on the elemental compositions and mineral fingerprints of both Bacteria and Archaea, using these data to constrain the environment in which life formed. The cradle solution that produced this elemental signature was saturated in barite, sphene, chalcedony, apatite, and clay minerals. The presence of these minerals, as well as other chemical features, suggests that the cradle environment of life may have been a weathering fluid interacting with dry-land silicate rocks. The specific mineral assemblage provides evidence for a moderate Hadean climate with dry and wet seasons and a lower atmospheric abundance of CO2 than is present today.Fil: Novoselov, Alexey A.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Silva, Dailto. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Schneider, Jerusa. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Abrevaya, Ximena Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Chaffin, Michael S.. State University Of Colorado Boulder; Estados UnidosFil: Serrano, Paloma. Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre For Polar And Marine Research,; AlemaniaFil: Navarro, Margareth Sugano. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Conti, Maria Josiane. André Tosello Institute; BrasilFil: Souza Filho, Carlos Roberto de. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Situación actual del personal técnico-deportivo en las empresas del sector en la Comunidad Valenciana

Actualmente, el tema de los recursos humanos está produciendo un fuerte impacto en España y sólo hay que acercarse a la bibliografía empresarial para comprobar que el estudio del sector de la actividad física y el deporte representa un campo de interés científico y social que requiere ser investigado. Mediante una metodología cuantitativa de corte descriptivo y mediante el empleo de la entrevista estandarizada como instrumento de recogida de información se reproducen aquellas características más relevantes observadas en la Comunidad Valenciana. Los resultados explican que las personas que trabajan en funciones físico-deportivas en empresas del sector son mayoritariamente hombres jóvenes que desarrollan una amplia variedad de las mismas, con situaciones laborales en las que no existe contratación y manifestando una elevada temporalidad. Asimismo, el estudio revela que más de la mitad de las personas desempeñan su trabajo con una duración laboral que no supera los cuatro años, existiendo personas sin titulación oficial de actividad física y deporte, y siendo el aspecto más importante para encontrar trabajo los contactos personales