Premi Nobel d'Economia de l'any 2000: Una elecció encertada entre una mostra seleccionada

El Premi Nobel d'Economia de l'any 2000 ha estat atorgat als professors Heckman i McFadden per les seves contribucions metodològiques en el camp de la microeconometria, disciplina que s'ocupa dels problemes economètrics relacionats amb la utilització de dades individuals (persones, unitats familiars, empreses). Les contribucions de James Heckman s'han centrat fonamentalment en les implicacions de la utilització de mostres seleccionades per tal de extreure conclusions correctes extrapolables a la població, tema d'especial rellevància en l'anàlisi de models del mercat laboral i per a l'avaluació de programes socials. Les contribucions de Daniel McFadden s'han centrat en el desenvolupament del models d'elecció discreta tant en termes de la seva adequació a la realitat i la seva facilitat d'estimació com en termes de la seva consistència amb un model explicatiu del comportament dels agents. Les seves contribucions han tingut implicacions importants a 1'hora de valorar com diferents aspectes econòmics o relacionats amb les alternatives disponibles afecten la demanda de transport o la localització de residència entre d'altres temes.The 2000 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to professors Heckman and McFadden for their methodological contributions in the microeconomic field, an approach concerned with econometric problems in the context of the use of information on individuals (persons, family units, business firms). The contributions of James Heckman refer fundamentally to the implications of the use of selected samples to obtain correct conclusions which can be extrapolated to the general population, a question especially relevant to analyzing models of the employment market and evaluating social programmes. The contributions of Daniel McFadden have centred on the development of models of discreet choice, their fit with the real world, their capacity to estimate and consistency as an explanatory model of the behaviour of the agents. Their contributions have important implications for the evaluation of how several economic questions affect demand for transport and residential location among others

Analysis of backgrounds for the ANAIS-112 dark matter experiment

The ANAIS (Annual modulation with NaI(Tl) Scintillators) experiment aims at the confirmation or refutation of theDAMA/LIBRA positive annual modulation signal in the low energy detection rate, using the same target and technique, at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) in Spain. ANAIS-112, consisting of nine 12.5 kg NaI(Tl) modules produced by Alpha Spectra Inc. in a 3x3matrix configuration, is taking data smoothly in "dark matter search" mode since August, 2017, after a commissioning phase and operation of the first detectors during the last years in various setups. A large effort has been carried out withinANAIS to characterize the background of sodium iodide detectors, before unblinding the data and performing the first annual modulation analysis. Here, the background models developed for all the nine ANAIS-112 detectors are presented. Measured spectra from threshold to high energy in different conditions are well described by the models based on quantified activities independently estimated following several approaches. In the region from 1 to 6 keVee the measured, efficiency corrected background level is 3.58+-0.02 keV-1 kg-1 day-1; NaI crystal bulk contamination is the dominant background source being 210Pb, 40K, 22Na and 3H contributions the most relevant ones. This background level, added to the achieved 1 keVee analysis threshold (thanks to the outstanding light collection and robust filtering procedures developed), allow ANAIS-112 to be sensitive to the modulation amplitude measured by DAMA/LIBRA, and able to explore at three sigma level in 5 years the WIMP parameter region singled out by this experiment.Comment: Final version for publicatio

Using Wavelets to reject background in Dark Matter experiments

A method based on wavelet techniques has been developed and applied to background rejection in the data of the IGEX dark matter experiment. The method is presented and described in some detail to show how it efficiently rejects events coming from noise and microphonism through a mathematical inspection of their recorded pulse shape. The result of the application of the method to the last data of IGEX is presented.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to Astrop. Phy

La decisió entre anar‐se’n o quedar‐se. Anàlisi de les estratègies formatives, laborals i vitals dels joves universitaris valencians davant la crisis econòmica

En aquest informe recollim el treball desenvolupat en el projecte titulat “La decisió entre anar‐se’n o quedar‐se. anàlisi de les estratègies formatives, laborals i vitals dels joves universitaris valencians davant la crisis econòmica”portat a terme per un equip format per professorat vinculat al Departament de Sociologia i Antropologia Social1 i al Departament de Psicologia Social2. Es tracta d’una investigació que va ser presentada a la convocatòria d’ajudes per a Projectes d’Investigació Precompetitius, d’acord a la Resolució de 14 de febrer de 2012 del Rectorat de la Universitat de València. Cal dir que la durada del projecte estava prevista des de l’1 de juliol de 2012 fins a l’1 de juliol de 2013, tal i com figurava en les bases, però es va sol·licitar al Vicerectorat d’Investigació i Política Científica una ampliació del termini a causa del permís de maternitat de la investigadora responsable. La resolució d’aquesta petició va ser favorable i, per tant, el projecte es va ampliar fins al 31 de desembre de 2013

Neutron background at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory and its contribution to the IGEX-DM dark matter experiment

A quantitative study of the neutron environment in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory has been performed. The analysis is based on a complete set of simulations and, particularly, it is focused on the IGEX-DM dark matter experiment. The simulations are compared to the IGEX-DM low energy data obtained with different shielding conditions. The results of the study allow us to conclude, with respect to the IGEX-DM background, that the main neutron population, coming from radioactivity from the surrounding rock, is practically eliminated after the implementation of a suitable neutron shielding. The remaining neutron background (muon-induced neutrons in the shielding and in the rock) is substantially below the present background level thanks to the muon veto system. In addition, the present analysis gives us a further insight on the effect of neutrons in other current and future experiments at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. The comparison of simulations with the body of data available has allowed to set the flux of neutrons from radioactivity of the Canfranc rock, (3.82 +- 0.44) x 10^{-6} cm^{-2} s^{-1}, as well as the flux of muon-induced neutrons in the rock, (1.73 +- 0.22(stat) \+- 0.69(syst)) x 10^{-9} cm^{-2} s^{-1}, or the rate of neutron production by muons in the lead shielding, (4.8 +- 0.6 (stat) +- 1.9 (syst)) x 10^{-9} cm^{-3} s^{-1}.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, elsart document class; final version to appear in Astroparticle Physic