Gender wage gap. A complete view from Italy

Wage discrimination has been widely investigated so that I try to contribute to this strand of the literature showing if there is evidence to exist in Italy for the period from 2000 to 2012 by using panel data from SHIW. Moreover, I focus the investigation on the informal labour market but I also do on the formal one. To get this, I perform Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition model. The main goal of these estimates is observing whether the results change when I include a variable to control non-random selection processes. In accordance with this, I obtain that gender wage gap is larger among formal workers when I control for this correction term than when I do not control for it and smaller among informal workers. Finally, I perform a robustness check to observe how this discrimination affects in each part of the informal workers distribution

Asymmetric quantum devices and heat transport

154 p.Motivada por el impacto tecnológico del diodo eléctrico, esta tesis se dedica a explorar la física y los posibles diseños de dispositivos que tienen una respuesta asimétrica a estímulos externos. Se estudian dispositivos diferentes. Uno de ellos es el diodo térmico, un dispositivo que, análogamente al diodo eléctrico, permite el flujo de corrientes de calor en una dirección pero se comporta como un aislante en la opuesta. Se exploran varios diseños basados en cadenas de iones y átomos para obtener un diodo térmico eficaz y factible. El segundo tipo de dispositivo se basa en un potencial cuántico en una dimensión que tenga coeficientes de transmisión y reflexión asimétricos para las partículas que inciden desde la izquierda y la derecha. Este tipo de dispositivo requiere hamiltonianos no hermíticos y no locales. Se propone una implementación de un hamiltoniano no local y no hermítico en una plataforma de óptica cuántica. Esta implementación cuántico-óptica da la asimetría de transmisión/reflexión coeficientes buscada.Motivated by the technological impact of the electric diode, this thesis is devoted to explore thephysics and possible designs of devices that have an asymmetric response to external inputs.Two different devices are studied. One of them is the thermal diode, a device that, analogouslyto the electric diode, allows heat currents to flow in one direction but behaves as an insulator inthe opposite one. Several designs based on chains of ions and atoms are explored to obtain a performant and feasible thermal diode. The second kind of device is based on a quantumpotential in 1 dimension that has asymmetric scattering coefficients for particles incident fromthe left and the right. This kind of device requires non-Hermitian and non-local hamiltonians. Animplementation of a non-local and non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is given in a quantum-opticalset-up. The quantum-optical implementation has asymmetric scattering coefficients

Asymmetric quantum devices and heat transport

154 p.Motivada por el impacto tecnológico del diodo eléctrico, esta tesis se dedica a explorar la física y los posibles diseños de dispositivos que tienen una respuesta asimétrica a estímulos externos. Se estudian dispositivos diferentes. Uno de ellos es el diodo térmico, un dispositivo que, análogamente al diodo eléctrico, permite el flujo de corrientes de calor en una dirección pero se comporta como un aislante en la opuesta. Se exploran varios diseños basados en cadenas de iones y átomos para obtener un diodo térmico eficaz y factible. El segundo tipo de dispositivo se basa en un potencial cuántico en una dimensión que tenga coeficientes de transmisión y reflexión asimétricos para las partículas que inciden desde la izquierda y la derecha. Este tipo de dispositivo requiere hamiltonianos no hermíticos y no locales. Se propone una implementación de un hamiltoniano no local y no hermítico en una plataforma de óptica cuántica. Esta implementación cuántico-óptica da la asimetría de transmisión/reflexión coeficientes buscada.Motivated by the technological impact of the electric diode, this thesis is devoted to explore thephysics and possible designs of devices that have an asymmetric response to external inputs.Two different devices are studied. One of them is the thermal diode, a device that, analogouslyto the electric diode, allows heat currents to flow in one direction but behaves as an insulator inthe opposite one. Several designs based on chains of ions and atoms are explored to obtain a performant and feasible thermal diode. The second kind of device is based on a quantumpotential in 1 dimension that has asymmetric scattering coefficients for particles incident fromthe left and the right. This kind of device requires non-Hermitian and non-local hamiltonians. Animplementation of a non-local and non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is given in a quantum-opticalset-up. The quantum-optical implementation has asymmetric scattering coefficients

Redescubrimiento del liquen lobaria pulmonaria, aparentemente extinto en la Comunidad Valenciana

El liquen Lobaria pulmonaria, aparentemente extinto en la Comunidad Valenciana, ha sido reencontrado en estado silvestre en el norte de Castellón. El dilatado periodo transcurrido desde que fue citado por Cavanilles, en el siglo XVIII, y por J. Vilanova, en el XIX, confiere una importancia adicional a este descubrimiento.The lichen Lobaria pulmonaria, becoming considered extinct in the Valencian Community (E Spain), has been newly found in the north of Castellón. The large period since it was cited here by Cavanilles, in the 18th century, and by J. Vilanova, in the 19th century confers additional importance to this discovery

Impact of an excise tax on the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in young people living in poorer neighbourhoods of Catalonia, Spain: a difference in differences study

BACKGROUND: Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is contributing to the obesity epidemic. On 28 March 2017, Catalonia enacted a law levying an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages for public health reasons. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the tax on the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Catalonia (Spain). METHODS: Before-and-after study to assess changes in the prevalence of consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among 1929 persons aged 12 to 40 years residing in low-income neighbourhoods of Barcelona (intervention) and Madrid (control). Beverage consumption frequency was ascertained via a validated questionnaire administered during the month prior to the tax's introduction (May 2017) and again at 1 year after it had come into force. The effect of the tax was obtained using Poisson regression models with robust variance weighted using propensity scores. RESULTS: While the prevalence of regular consumers of taxed beverages fell by 39% in Barcelona as compared to Madrid, the prevalence of consumers of untaxed beverages remained stable. The main reason cited by more than two-thirds of those surveyed for reducing their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was the increase in price, followed by a heightened awareness of their health effects. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of the Catalonian excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages was followed by a reduction in the prevalence of regular consumers of taxed beverages.This study was supported by the Spanish Health Research Fund (Fondo deInvestigación Sanitaria - FIS) of the Carlos III Institute of Health (Project ENPY120/18) and the Spanish Consumers’Organisation (Organización deConsumidores y Usuarios - OCU). The funders had no role in the design of thestudy, in collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, or in writing themanuscriptS

Prediction of liver stiffness by serum indexes in HCV-infected patients with or without HIV coinfection

Identification of advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients should be a mainstay before starting treatment; however, the limited access of many centres to transient elastography (TE) is often a barrier for early assessments. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serum indexes for predicting liver stiffness.Retrospective analysis of HCV patients (with or without HIV coinfection) routinely assessed in 7 centres in Spain. The diagnostic accuracy of aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and their combinations was evaluated using a recent TE examination as a reference test (liver stiffness¿=¿9.5¿kPa and¿=12.5¿kPa for advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, respectively). In addition to area under the receiving operating characteristic curves, sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value were estimated.The analysis included 1391 patients: 346 (25%) HIV-positive, 732 (53%) people who inject drugs, and 178 (13%) incarcerated. Advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis were found in 557 (40%) and 351 (25%) patients, respectively. APRI¿ 2 and FIB-4 > 3.25 (n¿=¿134; 10%) had a positive predictive value of 89% for advanced fibrosis. Globally, this approach would avoid the need for TE in 53% of patients. HIV coinfection did not influence diagnostic accuracy.Inexpensive and simple serum indexes confidently allowed identifying the absence of cirrhosis and the presence of advanced fibrosis in 53% of a heterogeneous series of real-world HCV patients with or without HIV infection

Síndrome del túnel radial: Epicondilitis resistente

Desde 1996 al 2003, fueron intervenidos 25 pacientes (26 extremidades) de síndrome del túnel radial. Todos los procedimientos fueron realizados por el mismo cirujano y en el mismo hospital con un abordaje postero-externo del túnel radial. Se realizó un seguimiento de todos los pacientes en el tiempo después de la cirugía de 4 meses a 6 años y 4 meses (tiempo medio de 22 meses). Los resultados fueron evaluados según los criterios de Roles y Mausdley; 12 pacientes tuvieron resultados excelentes (46.15%), 9 pacientes buenos (34.61%) y 5 pacientes regulares (19.23%). Once pacientes fueron tratados previamente de epicondilitis lateral (entesitis). La mayoría de los pacientes están satisfechos con la cirugía refiriendo un alivio de la sintomatología y una mejora de la funcionalidad tras la cirugía.Between 1996 and 2003, 25 patients (26 extremities) underwent decompression of the radial tunnel. All procedures were performed at the same surgeon and the same institution using posterior approach. The total 25 patients were available for follow-up evaluation alter surgery (range 4 months - 6 years and 4 months) with average of 22 months. The outcomes was determined using the original criteria of Roles and Mausdley, 12 patients were rated as excellent (46.15%), 9 patients has good results (34.61%) and 5 patients had fair results. Eleven patients were treated previously of tennis elbow. Most of the patients were satisfied and felt subjectively improved by the surgery. They obtained pain relief and better functional status after surgery

Resultados de síndrome túnel carpiano intervenidos según técnica de Simonetta

La comprensión del nervio mediano a nivel del túnel carpiano es la más frecuente compresión nerviosa encontrada en la práctica clínica. Desde que en 1854 Sir James Paget descubrió los síntomas hasta hoy, se han postulado multitud de tratamientos para su solución. A continuación expondremos los resultados obtenidos en nuestra serie de intervenciones según técnica de Simonetta. El estudio consta de 130 intervenciones, cuyas historias clínicas han sido revisadas, realizándose además una encuesta telefónica a los pacientes para valorar los resultados. Los pacientes incluidos en este tipo de intervención son los intervenidos de mano dominante y en edad laboral (menos de 50 años). Se puede hablar de mejores resultados en relación a otras ligamentoplasitas observándose un porcentaje de recidivas menor y leves complicaciones postoperatioras. Por esto creemos que la técnica de Simonetta es una buena alternativa quirúrgica en este tipo de patología por no aumentar el número de actividades ni complicaciones a la vez de no disminuir la fuerza flexora de muñeca y dedos.The compression of the medial nerve at the carpal tunnel level is the most frequent nerve compression observed in the clinical practica. Since the time Sir James Paget first discovered the symptoms, in 1854, until now several treatments have been proposed to solve this problem. Following there is a rendering of the results obtained during our series of interventions using the Simonetta technique. The study consists of a 130 cases whose clinical histories have been reviewed, followed bye the patient's telephone interview designed to evaluate the results. The patients included in the study are all of productive age (under 50 years old) and for whom surgery was perfomed on their dominant hand. One can say that the results are better when compared to those of other ligamentaplasty having observed a lower percentage of recidivism on only minor post-operatory complications. This led us to believe that Simonetta technique is a good surgical alternative for this type of pathology because it does not increase the number of recidivisms or complications and at the same time it does not reduce the flexing of the wrist and fingers

Sarcomas de partes blandas. Análisis de 42 casos

El objetivo de este estudio es valorar el pronóstico a largo plazo de una serie de pacientes tratados en nuestro hospital en relación con diversos factores clínicos, diagnósticos y terapéuticos que podrían condicionarlo. Se revisaron 123 pacientes tratado por tumores malignos de partes blandas entre los años 1979 y 1999, de estos solo 42 cumplieron las características para incluirles en nuestro estudio. Se valoró su evolución teniendo en cuenta las variables pronosticas identificadas en trabajos previamente publicados y nuestra propia experiencia y se realizó el estudio estadístico de las mismas. En el análisis estadístico del estudio se utilizó el programa SPSS versión 8.0WIN y se realizó el análisis de supervivencia mediante el método de Kaplan-Meier. El tiempo de supervivencia total descrito según este método para el total de los casos estudiados presenta una mediana de 33 meses con un error estándar de 8 y un intervalo de confianza del 95% de (17,49), el tiempo libre de enfermedad presenta una mediana de 9 meses con un error estándar de 2 y un intervalo de confianza del 95% de (6,12) y el tiempo de aparición de metástasis presenta una mediana de 26 meses con un error estándar de 5 y un intervalo de confianza del 95% de (17,35). A su vez se realizó el análisis bivariante de las múltiples variables pronosticas. El gran número de variables y la dispersión de la muestra hacen aconsejable estudios multicéntricos prospectivos más numerosos para obtener conclusiones definitivas sobre este tipo de tumores.The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term prognosis of a series of patients treated in our hospital with regard to various clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic factors. A total of 123 patients who had been treated for malignant soft tissue tumours between 1979 and 1999 were reviewed. Of these, only 42 fulfilled the requirements to be included in our study. The outcome was evaluated taking into account prognostic variables identified in previously published studies and our own experience, and a statistical study of these factors as carried out with the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis method. The total survival time for all the cases studied was 33+8 (median + SE) months with a 95% confidence interval of 17.49 months. The time free of illness was 9+2 (median + SE) months with a 95% confidence interval of 6.12 months. The time-period until metastasis appeared was 26+5 (median + SE) months with a 95% confidence interval of 17.35 months. At the same time, the bivariant analysis of the many prognostic variables was performed. The high number of variables and the dispersion of the sample group suggest that it would be advisable to carry out more prospective, multicentric studies to reach definitive conclusions about this type of tumour

Adiciones a la distribución de Lilium candidum L. (Liliaceae) como especie asilvestrada en las provincias de Castellón y Valencia

Se indica la presencia de Lilium candidum como especie alóctona asilvestrada en varias zonas del territorio valenciano. -- Lilium candidum is found as escaped allochtonous species in several places of the Valencian Community (Spain)