Reforms and infrastructure efficiency in Spain's container ports

This paper quantifies the evolution of technical efficiency in port infrastructure service provision in the major Spanish port authorities involved in container traffic. The paper also analyzes the extent to which port reforms that took place in the 1990's had an impact on the efficiency of the Spanish container ports. Because of the multi-output nature of port activities, we have estimated a distance function, which is a novel methodology in the study of the port industry. The results show that the reforms resulted in significant improvements in technological change, but that technical efficiency has in fact changed little on average. However, there is a significant movement of the efficiency within ports over time as a result of these reforms.Ports&Waterways,Transport and Trade Logistics,Environmental Economics&Policies,Common Carriers Industry,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Ports&Waterways,Transport Security,Common Carriers Industry,Transport and Trade Logistics,Public Sector Economics&Finance

An overview on the standard of digital video broadcasting – terrestrial.

Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) es un consorcio formado por industriales de los medios de comunicación, que está integrado por radiodifusores, fabricantes, operadores de redes, desarrolladores de software y organismos reguladores. El consorcio fue creado con el fin de definir las normas técnicas para estandarizar todos los aspectos relacionados con la prestación de servicios de televisión digital. El estándar DVB ha sido adoptado en Europa, Oriente Medio, Suráfrica y Australasia. Adicionalmente, el estándar DVB fue seleccionado en Colombia y Panamá como el sistema de transmisión de televisión digital terrestre (DVB-T/T2). El estándar DVB es un conjunto de especificaciones que permiten la integración de información multimedia para proveer servicios de información, educación, negocios y entretenimiento. La implementación de DVB requiere de acuerdos entre los radiodifusores, operadores de redes y fabricantes en la definición de los parámetros de operación, además de tener en cuenta las normativas gubernamentales. Este artículo presenta un resumen de los principales elementos definidos en el estándar DVB-T/T2, basado en los documentos guía elaborados por el consorcio DVB, e incluye algunas de las acciones tomadas durante el proceso de implementación de DVB-T/T2 en Colombia

Colombian Nationalism: Four Musical Perspectives for Violin and Piano

This paper explores the Colombian nationalistic musical movement, which was born as a search for identity that various composers undertook in order to discover the roots of Colombian musical folklore. These roots, while distinct, have all played a significant part in the formation of the culture that gave birth to a unified national identity. It is this identity that acts as a recurring motif throughout the works of the four compsers mentioned in this study, each representing a different stage in the nationalistic movement according to their respective generations, backgrounds, and ideological postures. The idea of universalism and the integration of a national identity into the sphere of the Western musical tradition is a dilemma that has caused internal struggle and strife among generations of musicians and artists in general. This paper strives to open a new path in the research of nationalistic music for violin and piano through the analysis of four works written for this type of chamber ensemble: the third movement of the Sonata Op. 7 No.1 for Violin and Piano by Guillermo Uribe Holguín; Lopeziana, piece for Violin and Piano by Adolfo Mejía; Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3 by Luís Antonio Escobar; and Dúo rapsódico con aires de currulao for Violin and Piano by Andrés Posada. While the violin is not a Colombian folkloric instrument, nationalsitic composers were able to use it to express the nationalistic feeling of their works, representing an often overlooked contribution to Colombian academic music and to the universal violin repertoire

Isolation of Drug-Sensitive Eimeria Species from Wild Turkey Feces and Development of a Model Bioshuttle Program for Eimeria meleagrimitis for Domestic Turkeys

The objective of this thesis was to determine the anticoccidial profile of Eimeria spp. derived from wild turkeys. These drug-sensitive Eimeria spp. have potential to be used as vaccine candidates to control coccidiosis in commercial turkeys. Chapter two consists of a brief literature review focused on coccidiosis in turkeys. Chapter three addresses the methodologies utilized to isolate, recover, and speciate Eimeria recovered from wild turkey feces in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. From this, we successfully obtained single oocyst-derived stocks for E. meleagrimitis, E. dispersa, E. meleagridis, E. gallopavonis, and E. adenoeides. Chapter four describes the experiment conducted to assess the protective efficacy of an E. meleagrimitis vaccine candidate isolated from wild turkeys with and without intermittent amprolium administration. Additionally, the impact of vaccination and/or challenge and a candidate bioshuttle program on gut permeability and the microbiome was evaluated. The E. meleagrimitis vaccine candidate induced mild disease without affecting performance. Future research must be conducted to elucidate the impact of amprolium with and without single or multi-species live coccidiosis vaccination on the microbiome and gut barrier function in turkey poults

Isolation of Drug-Sensitive Eimeria Species from Wild Turkey Feces and Development of a Model Bioshuttle Program for Eimeria meleagrimitis for Domestic Turkeys

The objective of this thesis was to determine the anticoccidial profile of Eimeria spp. derived from wild turkeys. These drug-sensitive Eimeria spp. have potential to be used as vaccine candidates to control coccidiosis in commercial turkeys. Chapter two consists of a brief literature review focused on coccidiosis in turkeys. Chapter three addresses the methodologies utilized to isolate, recover, and speciate Eimeria recovered from wild turkey feces in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. From this, we successfully obtained single oocyst-derived stocks for E. meleagrimitis, E. dispersa, E. meleagridis, E. gallopavonis, and E. adenoeides. Chapter four describes the experiment conducted to assess the protective efficacy of an E. meleagrimitis vaccine candidate isolated from wild turkeys with and without intermittent amprolium administration. Additionally, the impact of vaccination and/or challenge and a candidate bioshuttle program on gut permeability and the microbiome was evaluated. The E. meleagrimitis vaccine candidate induced mild disease without affecting performance. Future research must be conducted to elucidate the impact of amprolium with and without single or multi-species live coccidiosis vaccination on the microbiome and gut barrier function in turkey poults

Businessmen and Protection Patterns in Dangerous Contexts: Putting the Case of Guadalajara, Mexico in Perspective

Struggling with a variety of security challenges, business owners and economic elite have developed strategic behaviors for protections. This dissertation aims to understand the latter’s mechanisms once implemented by the economic elite. Based on qualitative data collected in Guadalajara, I demonstrate how this elite demand and co-produce protection, and how by doing so, they are shaping Jalisco’s policing patterns and social order. As start, I discuss the threats facing the urban proprietors and consequently how their perception of the problem leads to the formulation of the problem, their problem. Then I analyse their protection suppliers whether governmental or non-governmental, illustrating these latter coalition, collusion and collision dynamics. I state that businessmen are protected by selective and personalized access to law enforces while explaining how they purchase protection from actors in the gray zones laying between public-private, formal-informal and legal-illegal realms. Finally, the research engage with self-protection production explaining how they use their repertory of collective (in)action to interact with state agencies and other protection sources.Se heurtant à divers problèmes de sécurité, les entrepreneurs mexicains ont développé des comportements routiniers ou stratégiques dans la recherche d’une protection. Cette thèse a pour objectif de comprendre les mécanismes de protection mis en place par cette élite économique. En se basant sur des données qualitatives collectées à Guadalajara, je montre comment cette élite exige et co-produise de la protection, et comment à travers cela, ils contribuent à façonner les structures de maintien de l’ordre et de l’ordre social de Jalisco. Je commence par examiner les menaces qui pèsent sur les propriétaires urbains et comment cette perception conduit à la formulation du problème, considéré par cette élite comme leur problème. J’analyse ensuite l’enchevêtrement des fournisseurs de la protection, soit gouvernementaux et non-gouvernementaux, tout en illustrant leurs dynamiques de coalition, de collusion et de collision. J’affirme que les hommes d’affaires sont protégés grâce à un accès sélectif et personnalisé aux forces de l’ordre, achetant même une protection, de gré ou de force, à des acteurs situés dans les zones grises. Enfin, la recherche clarifie le cas des hommes d’affaires qui participent à produire de l’auto-protection en employant leur ample répertoire d’initiatives collectives afin d’interagir avec les agences de l’État et d’autres sources de protection.Programme doctoral en Science politique, Mention Sociologie Politique Comparé

Digital library access for illiterate users

The problems that illiteracy poses in accessing information are gaining attention from the research community. Issues currently being explored include developing an understanding of the barriers to information acquisition experienced by different groups of illiterate information seekers; creating technology, such as software interfaces, that support illiterate users effectively; and tailoring content to increase its accessibility. We have taken a formative evaluation approach to developing and evaluating a digital library interface for illiterate users. We discuss modifications to the Greenstone platform, describe user studies and outline resulting design implications

HOW ARE DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES AND DIGITAL MARKETING RELATED? A REFLECTION FROM LITERATURE.

Este estudio pretende explorar la relación entre capacidades dinámicas y marketing digital. A partir de la revisión de literatura sobre capacidades de marketing dinámico, capacidades de marketing y capacidades de marketing digital, se infiere que, sin considerar la denominación, todos ellos incluyen los factores componentes dinámicos. La revisión también resulta de la consideración de que estos recursos ya implican el uso de TICs y herramientas digitales para su desarrollo. Se concluye que el marketing digital soporta directamente las capacidades de marketing exigidas por el contexto y, por lo tanto, la estrategia de negocios dirigida a un mejor desempeño de las empresas

Ley de Mercado de Capitales : Análisis del proceso de compensación, liquidación y Custodia de Valores

El presente trabajo de seminario nos permitió conocer cada uno de los procedimientos, reglamentos y criterios dictados por el Consejo Directivo de la Superintendencia para las entidades encargadas de prestar el servicio de compensación, liquidación y custodia de valores. Este estudio será de mucha ayuda y utilidad desde el aspecto teórico y práctico para personas que tengan el interés de conocer un poco más sobre el análisis de compensación, liquidación y custodia de valores de Nicaragua, así como para las próximas generaciones de estudiantes de Banca y Finanzas de Unan-Managua que realicen estudios relacionados al tema. Las sociedades de compensación y liquidación de valores son entidades encargadas de prestar el servicio a todas aquellas instituciones que cumplan con los requisitos señalados en la presente ley. Este servicio consiste en la realización de transferencias electrónicas de dinero o valores depositados, entre cuentas de los depositantes. También deberán de sujetarse a un número de requisito establecido por el superintendente para la autorización previa a su funcionamiento de dichos valores. En la modalidad de representación valores físicos o desmaterializados elegida por el participante directo o por el emisor deberá hacerse constar por el propio acuerdo de la emisión. El superintendente deberá aprobar, suspender o denegar las inscripciones de emisores en su propio registro y de los reglamentos de las centrales de valores previos a su funcionamiento así como sus modificaciones posteriores. Las entidades que custodien valores serán responsables de las custodias y debida conservación de los títulos, valores o documentos que les hayan sido entregados formalmente, es decir se abrirán dos cuentas una correspondiente a los valores depositados por el depositante por cuentas de terceros. Y no serán responsables por los defectos, la legitimidad o la nulidad de los valores o las transacciones de las cuales dichos documentos