Red de Bibliotecas Municipales de la provincia de Barcelona

The Public Library Network of the province of Barcelona has extensive experience in the field of collaborative work. The key to its success is not just the important historical events that helped to shape the present library system in the province of Barcelona. It is also the dissemination of collaborative values among libraries and library staff. After years of hard work, there are new challenges to meet, without forgetting the firm commitment to provide high quality library services that meet people’s needs and expectations

Does an International Academic Environment Promote Study Abroad?

Although many studies on international student mobility have examined the impact of individual factors (e.g., gender, age, family background) on students’ decision to study abroad, much less attention has been devoted to the role played by the institutional climate and characteristics of one’s home university. Using data from an Italian survey containing information on a large number of university students, this research investigated the extent to which a more international academic environment incentivizes students to participate in study abroad programs. A logit model was developed to estimate the effect that the degree of internationalization of one’s home university has on the probability that its students will study abroad, while controlling for several student-level factors. The empirical estimates indicate that this effect is significant, suggesting that being part of an international academic environment, where domestic students can interact more frequently with international students, helps motivate them to undertake study abroad. This result stresses the importance of engaging domestic students in the internationalization process of their universities

eine randomisierte Cross-Over-Studie

Diese randomisierte Cross-Over-Pilotstudie untersucht die Machbarkeit und Wirkung von Short-term Fasting (STF) während einer Chemotherapie bei Patientinnen mit gynäkologischen Krebserkrankungen. Methode: Eingeschlossen wurden 34 Patientinnen mit adjuvant/primär systemisch behandelten, nicht-palliativen Mamma- oder Ovarialkarzinomen und 4-6 geplanten Chemotherapiezyklen. Die Teilnehmerinnen (Durchschnittsalter 51 Jahre, Spannweite 28-69 Jahre) wurden in 2 Gruppen randomisiert, STF in der ersten Hälfte der Chemotherapiezyklen, gefolgt von normokalorischer Ernährung (Gruppe A; n=18) oder vice versa (Gruppe B; n=16). Das Fasten begann 36h vor und endete 24h nach der Chemotherapie (60h Fastenzeit). Die Quality-of-Life (QoL) wurde mittels FACT-G und des Fatiguefragebogens (FACIT-F) bewertet. Erhebungszeitpunkte waren direkt vor und 8 Tage nach jeder Chemotherapie. Eine statistisch und klinisch signifikante positive Wirkung der gefasteten Zyklen (c1-c3) im Vergleich zu den folgenden Zyklen (c4-c6) auf die QoL/Fatigue zeigte sich in Gruppe A. Entsprechend zeigten Patientinnen in Gruppe B eine geringere Beeinträchtigung der QoL in mit STF unterstützten Hälfte der Chemotherapien (c4-c6). Bei STF war die chemotherapieinduzierte Reduktion der QoL geringer als die MID (definitionsgemäß MID(FACT-G) ≤5), während die MID für normokalorische Zyklen bei >5 lag. Der Durchschnitt der MID von FACIT-F betrug 10,1 (c1-c3) und 24,4 (c4-c6) für Gruppe A und 13,0 (c1-c3) und 10,8 (c4-c6) für Gruppe B. Es gab keine schwerwiegenden Nebenwirkungen des Fastens. Fazit: STF während der Chemotherapie ist gut verträglich und scheint QoL und Fatigue während der Chemotherapie zu verbessern. Größere Studien sind notwendig, um die vielversprechende Wirkung von STF als Ergänzung zur Chemotherapie weiter zu belegen.This pilot study investigated the feasibility and effects of STF during chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancer. Methods: In an individually-randomized cross-over trial 34 patients with breast and ovarian cancer with 4-6 planned chemotherapy cycles were included. 34 patients (median age 51y(28-69y)) were randomized to STF the first half of chemotherapies followed by normocaloric diet (group A; n=18) or vice versa (group B; n=16). Fasting started 36h before and ended 24h after chemotherapy (60h-fasting period). QoL was assessed by the FACIT-measurement system including the general (FACT-G) and the fatigue questionnaire (FACIT-F). Outcomes were assessed baseline, before and 8 days after each chemotherapy. A statistically and clinically significant beneficial effect of the fasted cycles (c1-c3) versus the following cycles (c4-c6) on QoL/fatigue was found in group A. Respectively, patients in group B showed less impairment of QoL in the fasted second half of chemotherapies. With STF the chemotherapy-induced reduction of QoL was less than the Minimally Important Difference (<MID(FACT-G)=5) whereas for non-fasted periods the differences were greater than MID. The average of mean differences of FACIT-F was 10.1(c1-c3) and 24.4(c4-c6) for group A and 13.0(c1-c3) and 10.8(c4-c6) for group B. There were no serious adverse effects of fasting. Conclusion: STF during chemotherapy is well tolerated and appears to improve QoL and fatigue during chemotherapy. Larger studies are warranted to prove the promising effect of STF as an adjunct to chemotherapy

Convergence of a Vector Penalty Projection Scheme for the Navier-Stokes Equations with moving body

In this paper, we analyse a Vector Penalty Projection Scheme (see [1]) to treat the displacement of a moving body in incompressible viscous flows in the case where the interaction of the fluid on the body can be neglected. The presence of the obstacle inside the computational domain is treated with a penalization method introducing a parameter $\eta$. We show the stability of the scheme and that the pressure and velocity converge towards a limit when the penalty parameter $\epsilon$, which induces a small divergence and the time step $\delta$t tend to zero with a proportionality constraint $\epsilon$ = $\lambda$$\delta$t. Finally, when $\eta$ goes to 0, we show that the problem admits a weak limit which is a weak solution of the Navier-Stokes equations with no-sleep condition on the solid boundary. R{\'e}sum{\'e} Dans ce travail nous analysons un sch{\'e}ma de projection vectorielle (voir [1]) pour traiter le d{\'e}placement d'un corps solide dans un fluide visqueux incompressible dans le cas o` u l'interaction du fluide sur le solide est n{\'e}gligeable. La pr{\'e}sence de l'obstacle dans le domaine solide est mod{\'e}lis{\'e}e par une m{\'e}thode de p{\'e}nalisation. Nous montrons la stabilit{\'e} du sch{\'e}ma et la convergence des variables vitesse-pression vers une limite quand le param etre $\epsilon$ qui assure une faible divergence et le pas de temps $\delta$t tendent vers 0 avec une contrainte de proportionalit{\'e} $\epsilon$ = $\lambda$$\delta$t. Finalement nous montrons que leprob{\`i} eme converge au sens faible vers une solution des equations de Navier-Stokes avec une condition aux limites de non glissement sur lafront{\`i} ere immerg{\'e}e quand le param etre de p{\'e}nalisation $\eta$ tend vers 0

When Are Voluntary Export Restraints Voluntary? : A Differential Game Approach

We revisit voluntariness of voluntary export restraints (VERs) in a differential game model of duopoly with sticky prices. We show that a VER set at the free trade level has no effect on equilibrium under open-loop strategies while the same policy results in a smaller profit for the exporting firm, i.e. it is involuntary under a non-linear feedback strategy. Moreover, we prove an extended proposition of Dockner and Haug (1991) on voluntariness of VERs under a linear feedback strategy.

Exponential lower bound on the highest fidelity achievable by quantum error-correcting codes

On a class of memoryless quantum channels which includes the depolarizing channel, the highest fidelity of quantum error-correcting codes of length n and rate R is proven to be lower bounded by 1-exp[-nE(R)+o(n)] for some function E(R). The E(R) is positive below some threshold R', which implies R' is a lower bound on the quantum capacity.Comment: Ver.4. In vers.1--3, I claimed Theorem 1 for general quantum channels. Now I claim this only for a slight generalization of depolarizing channel in this paper because Lemma 2 in vers.1--3 was wrong; the original general statement is proved in quant-ph/0112103. Ver.5. Text sectionalized. Appeared in PRA. The PRA article is typographically slightly crude: The LaTeX symbol star, used as superscripts, was capriciously replaced by the asterisk in several places after my proof readin

Price Undertakings, VERs, and Foreign Direct Investment: The Case of Foreign Rivalry

Antidumping (AD) petitions are often withdrawn in favor of VERs and price undertakings. We compare foreign firms' incentive to engage in foreign direct investment (FDI) under a VER and a price undertaking, with special emphasis on foreign rivalry. We show that a VER is less likely to induce FDI than a price undertaking or AD. Thus, the importing country can increase the level of protection by replacing an AD duty with a VER. This may account for the GATT ban on VERs, given the proliferation of AD cases during the 1990s.

Price and quality effects of VERs - revisited : a case study of Korean footwear exports

The application of index numbers to disaggregated Korean footwear exports during 1974-85 suggests that binding voluntary export restraints (VERs) led to significant price increases but not to the upgrading of quality predicted in earlier theoretical analyses. The results in this paper were derived from exporters rather than importers data. Drawing its comparisons from multilateral indices, the paper finds that the price of Korean footwear exports to the United States rose significantly in the years when the VERs were binding. VERs were associated less with quality upgrading and if anything were possibly associated with quality downgrading. The empirical results confirm that as a result of VER type restrictions on shoes, rents accrue to the exporting country, but shoes do not show the improved quality that automobiles do under similar restrictions.Access to Markets,Markets and Market Access,Economic Theory&Research,Transport and Trade Logistics,Common Carriers Industry