Mexico : impact evaluation of sme programs using panel firm data

Unlike social programs targeting individuals, few enterprise support programs have been rigorously evaluated, and existing evaluations have mostly been done in high-income countries such as the United States and Europe. Mexico spends a large share of government resources on small and medium enterprise programs each year. How effective these programs have been in achieving their objectives is unclear. In Mexico, impact evaluations of small and medium enterprise programs are rare, and most are qualitative in nature. This is the first paper evaluating these programs in Mexico using firm-level panel data. The continuous and ten-year panel data -- from the 1994-2005 period -- allow the authors to address selectivity bias and unobserved firm heterogeneity by applying a generalization of differences-in-differences models combined with propensity score matching methods. This study finds evidence that participation in small and medium enterprise programs is associated with improvements in key variables such as value added, gross production, and wages. Furthermore, the study finds evidence that some of the positive effects can take several years to realize. The results also call for streamlining and greater efficiency in Mexico's small and medium enterprise programs.ICT Policy and Strategies,Poverty Monitoring&Analysis,Poverty Impact Evaluation,Labor Policies,E-Business

Master of Science

thesisPrevious research suggests that nonrestorative sleep (NRS) in the absence of insomnia symptoms or other sleep disorders is associated with daytime dysfunction. This study examined the association between NRS and daytime dysfunction in a healthy adult sample (n = 79, 68 % female, mean age = 27.5, SD = 6.5) without insomnia or other sleep disorders using a multiday assessment approach. Daytime dysfunction measures included behavioral assessment of executive functioning (EF) and self-report of perceived EF difficulties, past-month sleep-related dysfunction, and experience-sampled affect ratings, including fatigue. Additionally, the association between NRS and presleep arousal, a vulnerability factor for insomnia, was examined; daytime dysfunction was examined as a mediator of this association. NRS was significantly associated with poorer performance on a behavioral measure of EF, perceived EF difficulties, daily ratings of fatigue, and past-month reported daytime dysfunction--associations remained after controlling for age and sleep duration (measured by actigraphy). The association between NRS and presleep arousal was explained by perceived EF difficulties. Findings suggest that NRS in the absence of other insomnia symptoms is associated with poorer cognitive functioning and may be a vulnerability factor for the development of insomnia

Mexico : human capital effects on wages and productivity

The authors follow the Hellerstein, Neumark, and Troske (1999) framework to estimate marginal productivity differentials and compare them with estimated relative wages. The analysis provides evidence on productivity and nonproductivity-based determinations of wages. Special emphasis is given to the effects of human capital variables, such as education, experience, and training on wages and productivity differentials. Higher education yields higher productivity. However, highly educated workers earn less than their productivity differentials would predict. On average, highly educated workers are unable to fully appropriate their productivity gains of education through wages. On the other hand, workers with more experience are more productive in the same proportion that they earn more in medium and large firms, meaning they are fully compensated for their higher productivity. Finally, workers in micro and small firms are paid more than what their productivity would merit. Training benefits firms and employees since it significantly increases workers'productivity and their earnings.Primary Education,Economic Theory&Research,Access&Equity in Basic Education,Labor Markets,Tertiary Education

Borderplex Economic Outlook: 2005-2007

Economic conditions remain healthy in the borderplex. That assessment is reflected by growth in output, business receipts, and personal incomes. Greater numbers of jobs allow the El Paso unemployment rate to trend downward as the local labor market strengthens. Although consumer indebtedness remains high, improved income and jobs performance generate additional retail activity, with total sales surpassing $8.3 billion in 2006. Expansion at Fort Bliss causes strong levels of positive net migration and accelerated population growth. That translates into greater volumes of residential construction in all years of the forecast. Because of the decision to allow real water rates to erode for a year or more, aggregate water consumption in El Paso is expected to increase following four consecutive years of declines. The outlooks for Las Cruces, Ciudad Juarez, and Chihuahua City are also relatively favorable.Econometric Forecast; Mexico Border Region

Hybrid block and graft copolymers made from macrolactones and α-amino acids for applications as drug delivery nanosystems

Premi Extraordinari de Doctorat, promoció 2018-2019. Àmbit d’Enginyeria IndustrialNaturally produced peptides or proteins can be regarded as highly refined polymers. When synthetic polymers are married to proteins or peptides, the resulting bioconjugates can synergistically combine the properties of the individual components and overcome their separate limitations. This Thesis is focused on the study of hybrid copolymers based on polypeptides and polymacrolactones. Block and graft copolymers have been synthesized by making use of the ring opening polymerization method (ROP) mainly and extensively characterized including both their chemical structure and their structure in the solid state. The self-assembly properties of the new copolymers have been preliminary examined regarding their potential application as nanocarriers for pharmaceutical compounds. This Thesis initially reports the ROP of w-pentadecalactone (PDL) using different amino-ended initiators and assisted by either organic or enzymatic catalysts. This method was then extended for the ROP of PDL using bisamino-ended poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) for the preparation of poly(w-pentadecalactone)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(wpentadecalactone) [PPDLx-PEG-PPDLx] triblock copolymers. These amphiphilic ABA-type copolymers were able to selfassemble in water to form nanoparticles with diameters between 100 and 200 nm. Hybrid copolymers of poly(ester-peptide) or poly(ether-ester-peptide) type exhibiting different architectures (e.g. diblock, triblock, graft or triblock/grafted) respectively, were then synthesized using as building blocks: poly(w-pentadecalactone), poly(globalide) (PGl), PEG as well as polypeptides derived from the L-glutamic acid (Glu), L-lysine (Lys), L-alanine (Ala) and L-phenylalanine (Phe) a-amino acids. The hybrid copolymers were synthesized through several stages depending on the desired architecture. The first stage in the preparation of these copolymers was the synthesis of macroinitiators from PDL or PGl containing either an amino group at the end of the chain or multiple amine groups along their polymeric chain. In the second stage, such macroinitiators were used to trigger the polymerization of the a-amino acid N-carboxyanhyrides (NCA) with the COOH group of L-glutamic acid and NH2 of L-lysine duly protected as g-benzyl-L-glutamate (BLG) and eNcarbobenzoxy-L-lysine (ZLL) respectively. Some copolymers containing BLG or ZLL units were treated with acids to render copolymers bearing the amino acids residues with their COOH or NH2 functionalities in the free form. All of the synthesized copolymers were fully characterized through GPC and NMR spectroscopy. The thermal properties were studied by TGA and DSC techniques. The conformation adopted by the peptide-based copolymers in the solid-state was assessed by FTIR, and their crystalline structure was examined by X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation in most cases. The conformation in aqueous solution of water-soluble copolymers containing Glu or Lys residues in the free form was explored by circular dichroism. The self-assembly behavior in aqueous medium of all the amphiphilic copolymers was investigated with the purpose of obtaining nanoparticles with the appropriated diameters required for their application as biomedical nanocarriers. The nanoparticles were duly characterized by light scattering and SEM and TEM microscopies. Block and graft copolymers were able to load doxorubicin and release it under pH control. Copolymers containing L-lysine were shown to be able of condensing DNA. The potential of these copolymers as DDS of anticancer drugs and vectors for transfection have been evidenced.Los polipéptidos o proteínas obtenidos de manera natural son considerados como polímeros altamente refinados. Cuando los polímeros sintéticos se unen a proteínas o polipéptidos, los sistemas bioconjugados que se obtienen pueden sinérgicamente combinar las propiedades de sus componentes individuales y mejorar las propias limitaciones que tienen por separado. La proteína o el elemento polipeptídico puede impartir propiedades bifuncionales al bioconjugado, mientras que el polímero sintético puede mejorar la estabilidad proteica, la solubilidad y la biocompatibilidad. Esta tesis está enfocada en el estudio de copolímeros híbridos basados en polipeptidos y polimacrolactonas. Copolímeros tipo bloque e injerto fueron sintetizados utilizando principalmente la polimerización por apertura de anillo y extensamente caracterizados tanto su estructura química, como su estructura en estado sólido. Las propiedades de auto-agregación de los nuevos copolímeros han sido anteriomente examinadas respecto a su potencial aplicación como nanotransportadores de compuestos farmacéuticos. Esta Tesis inicialmente reporta la homopolimerización de w-pentadecalactona (PDL) usando diferentes iniciadores aminoterminados mediante el uso de catalizadores tanto orgánicos como enzimáticos. Este se extiende a la ROP de PDL usando poli(etilén glicol) bisamino-terminado (PEG) para la preparar copolímeros tribloque poli(w-pentadecalactona)-b-poli(etilén glicol)-b-poli(w-pentadecalactona) [PPDLx-PEG-PPDLx]. Estos copolímeros de tipo ABA fueron capaces de auto-agregarse en agua para formar nanopartículas con diámetros entre 100 y 200 nm. Por otra parte, sistemas híbridos de tipo poli(éster-péptido) o poli(éter-éster-péptido) que presentan distintas arquitecturas (por ejemplo dibloque, tribloque, injerto, o tribloque-injertado) respectivamente, se sintetizaron utilizando como bloques de construcción derivados de macrolactonas (w-pentadecalactona), globalida) y a-amino ácidos (ácido L-glutámico (Glu), Llisina (Lys), L-alanina (Ala) y L-fenilalanina (Phe) así como poli(etien glicol) telequélico. Los copolímeros híbridos fueron sintetizados en varias etapas dependiendo de cuál fuese la arquitectura deseada. La primera etapa fue la preparación de los macroiniciadores a partir de PDL o PGl conteniendo en su estructura ya sea un grupo amino en el extremo de la cadena, o múltiples grupos aminos a lo largo de la cadena polimérica. En la segunda etapa, los macroiniciadores fueron utilizados en la polimerización de a-amino ácidos N-carboxianhídridos (NCA), con los grupos COOH del ácido L-glutámico y el grupo NH2 de la L-lisina apropiadamente protegidos como g-bencil-L-glutamato (BLG) y eN-carbobenzoxi-L-lisina (ZLL) respectivamente. Para los copolímeros que contienen bloques peptídicos de BLG o ZLL, las funcionalidades COOH o NH2 fueron regeneradas bajo condiciones ácidas, para producir así los copolímeros conteniendo el amino ácido en su forma libre. Todos los copolímeros sintetizados fueron completamente caracterizados mediante GPC y espectroscopia de RMN. Las propiedades térmicas fueron estudiadas por las técnicas de TGA y DSC. La conformación adoptada por los copolímeros en el estado sólido fue estudiada por FTIR, y su estructura cristalina fue analizada mediante difracción de rayos X usando radiación sincrotrón en la mayoría de los casos. La conformación en solución acuosa de los copolímeros solubles en agua, que contienen residuos de Glu o Lys, fue analizada por dicroísmo circular. Se estudió el comportamiento de todos los copolímeros para auto-agregarse en agua obteniéndose partículas con diámetros del orden nanométrico, como se demostró por DLS así como también por SEM y TEM, las cuales son apropiadas para ser aplicadas en biomedicina. Las nanopartículas de copolímeros dibloque y de injerto conteniendo ácido L-glutámico fueron capaces de incorporar doxorubicina y efectuar su liberación bajo control por medio del pH. Por otro lado, los copolímeros dibloque y de injerto con bloques conteniendo L-lisina mostraron la habilidad de condensar el ADN, demostrando así su potencial uso como vectores en transfección.Award-winningPostprint (published version

Orientalism in Hispanic Literatures

This course will examine Hispanic (including Brazilian) literary and cultural representations pertaining to China, India, Korea, and Japan. Students will read novels, short stories, poems, essays, and chronicles of prominent writers of the Hispanic world in order to have a deeper understanding of the “East/West” divide conceptualized as Orientalism. Students will be exposed to films, music, and visual representations so they can have a better understanding of the historical, geographic, and transnational connections between the Hispanic world and the Far East

Comerciantes, hacendados y política mercantil en Cuba. La rivalidad Cádiz-Estados Unidos (1763-1800)

Tomo I ; págs. 119-14