The LawsAndFamilies questionnaire on legal family formats for same-sex and/or different-sex couples: Text of the questions and of the accompanying guidance document.

This Working Paper of the research project FamiliesAndSocieties contains the text of the LawsAndFamilies questionnaire, plus the text of the guidance document provided to legal experts answering this questionnaire. These texts are preceded by a brief introduction to the background, aims and development of this questionnaire on legal family formats for same-sex and/or different-sex couples. The majority of questions ask if – in the jurisdiction of the legal expert concerned – a specific legal consequence is attached or not to (same-sex and/or different-sex) marriage, registered partnership and/or cohabitation. And it asks since when this is so. The questions are about legal aspects of formalisation, income and troubles, parenting, migration, splitting up and death. The questionnaire is used to create The LawsAndFamilies Database – Aspects of legal family formats for same-sex and different-sex couples, www.LawsAndFamilies.eu, where from early 2017 the answers to the questionnaire provide an overview of the legal situation in more than 20 European countries.Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/320116Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a pluralist worl

Guia práctica de labradores, hortelanos, jardineros y arbolistas : completada con un tratado de economia rural

Marcas: Sello de la Biblioteca Provincial de LeónCopia digital. Valladolid : Junta de Castilla y León. Consejería de Cultura y Turismo, 2009-2010Enc. hol

Structural identifiability of dynamic systems biology models

22 páginas, 5 figuras, 2 tablas.-- This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.A powerful way of gaining insight into biological systems is by creating a nonlinear differential equation model, which usually contains many unknown parameters. Such a model is called structurally identifiable if it is possible to determine the values of its parameters from measurements of the model outputs. Structural identifiability is a prerequisite for parameter estimation, and should be assessed before exploiting a model. However, this analysis is seldom performed due to the high computational cost involved in the necessary symbolic calculations, which quickly becomes prohibitive as the problem size increases. In this paper we show how to analyse the structural identifiability of a very general class of nonlinear models by extending methods originally developed for studying observability. We present results about models whose identifiability had not been previously determined, report unidentifiabilities that had not been found before, and show how to modify those unidentifiable models to make them identifiable. This method helps prevent problems caused by lack of identifiability analysis, which can compromise the success of tasks such as experiment design, parameter estimation, and model-based optimization. The procedure is called STRIKE-GOLDD (STRuctural Identifiability taKen as Extended-Generalized Observability with Lie Derivatives and Decomposition), and it is implemented in a MATLAB toolbox which is available as open source software. The broad applicability of this approach facilitates the analysis of the increasingly complex models used in systems biology and other areasAFV acknowledges funding from the Galician government (Xunta de Galiza, Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria http://www.edu.xunta.es/portal/taxonomy/term/206) through the I2C postdoctoral program, fellowship ED481B2014/133-0. AB and AFV were partially supported by grant DPI2013-47100-C2-2-P from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). AFV acknowledges additional funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 686282 (CanPathPro). AP was partially supported through EPSRC projects EP/M002454/1 and EP/J012041/1.Peer reviewe

A new FDI potential index : design and application to the EU regions.

The aim of this paper is to propose a new way of computing the FDI Potential Index to address the issue of FDI attractiveness at the EU regional level. This new index employs a sound way of selecting the variables involved in its construction, for which a factor analysis is performed. Accordingly, six factors (“economic potential”, “market size”, “labour situation”, “technological progress”, “labour regulation” and “competitiveness”) are identified. Next, by applying the methodology of composite indicators and considering different weighting and aggregation schemes, three versions (un-weighted linear, weighted linear and weighted geometric) of the new FDI Potential Index are computed. Afterwards, the comparison of the weighted linear version of the Potential Index with the conventional FDI Performance Index allows us to apply the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) FDI typology. The results reveal considerable heterogeneity among EU regions in terms of FDI attractiveness, and that regions belonging to the same group of the UNCTAD classification are highly concentrated from a geographical perspective. In view of these findings, we compute an additional version of both the FDI Potential and Performance indices, in which the geographical location of each region plays a key role. Based on these spatial indices, some general policy implications are drawn

Development and tests of a new prototype detector for the XAFS beamline at Elettra Synchrotron in Trieste

The XAFS beamline at Elettra Synchrotron in Trieste combines X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to provide chemically specific structural information of materials. It operates in the energy range 2.4-27 keV by using a silicon double reflection Bragg monochromator. The fluorescence measurement is performed in place of the absorption spectroscopy when the sample transparency is too low for transmission measurements or the element to study is too diluted in the sample. We report on the development and on the preliminary tests of a new prototype detector based on Silicon Drift Detectors technology and the SIRIO ultra low noise front-end ASIC. The new system will be able to reduce drastically the time needed to perform fluorescence measurements, while keeping a short dead time and maintaining an adequate energy resolution to perform spectroscopy. The custom-made silicon sensor and the electronics are designed specifically for the beamline requirements.Comment: Proceeding of the 6YRM 12th-14th Oct 2015 - L'Aquila (Italy). Accepted for publication on Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Potential of MMP-9 based nanoparticles at optimizing the cow dry period: pulling apart the effects of MMP-9 and nanoparticles

The cow dry period is a non-milking interval where the mammary gland involutes and regenerates to guarantee an optimal milk production in the subsequent lactation. Important bottlenecks such as the high risk of intramammary infections complicate the process. Antibiotics have been routinely used as a preventive treatment but the concerns about potential antibiotic resistance open a new scenario in which alternative strategies have to be developed. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is an enzyme able to degrade the extracellular matrix, triggering the involution and immune function of cow mammary gland. We have studied the infusion into the mammary gland of MMP-9 inclusion bodies as protein-based nanoparticles, demonstrating that 1.2 mg of MMP-9 enhanced the involution and immune function of the cow mammary gland. However, the comparison of the efects triggered by the administration of an active and an inactive form of MMP-9 led to conclude that the response observed in the bovine mammary gland was mainly due to the protein format but not to the biological activity of the MMP-9 embedded in the inclusion body. This study provides relevant information on the future use of protein inclusion bodies in cow mammary gland and the role of MMP-9 at dry-of.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High Verdet Constant Ga:s:la:o Chalcogenide Glasses For Magneto-optical Devices

The magneto-optical rotation at room temperature was measured for three Ga:S:La:O chalcogenide glasses at several laser lines in the visible. The first sample was a binary system constituted by 70 mol % Ga2S3 and 30 mol % La2O3, whereas in the second and third ones the lanthanum oxide was partially substituted by lanthanum sulfide, keeping the amount of gallium sulfide fixed. A pulsed magnetic field between 50 and 80 kG was used for the Faraday rotation measurements. The Verdet constant for one of the ternary samples was found to be as high as 0.205 min G-1 cm-1 at 543 nm, indicating that these chalcogenide glasses are very promising for magneto-optical applications. The data for each sample were fitted using the expected analytical expression for the magneto-optical dispersion. Measurements of the refractive index of the glasses at 632.8 nm are also reported. Data on the magneto-optical properties of two high Verdet constant, heavy-metal oxide diamagnetic glasses are also included for comparison. © 1999 Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers.382214219Schweizer, T., Hewark, D.W., Payne, D.N., Jensen, T., Huber, G., Rare-earth doped chalcogenide glass laser (1996) Electron. Lett., 32 (7), pp. 666-667Hewark, D.W., Samson, B.N., Medeiros Neto, J.A., Laming, R.I., Payne, D.N., Emission at 1.3 μm from dysprosium-doped GaLaS glass (1994) Electron. Lett., 30 (12), pp. 968-970Kumta, P.N., Risbud, S.H., Rare-earth chalcogenides - An emerging class of optical materials (1994) J. Mater. Sci., 29 (5), pp. 1135-1157De Araujo, M.T., Vermelho, M.V.D., Gouveia Neto, A.S., Sombra, A.S., Medeiros Neto, J.A., Efficient second harmonic generation in praseodymium doped Ga:La:S glass for 1.3 μm optical fiber amplifiers (1996) IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 8 (6), pp. 821-823Schulz, P.A., Wavelength independent Faraday isolator (1989) Appl. Opt., 28 (20), pp. 4458-4464Wunderlich, J.A., DeShazer, L.G., Visible optical isolator using ZnSe (1977) Appl. Opt., 16 (6), pp. 1584-1587Gauthier, D.J., Narum, P., Boyd, R.W., Simple, compact, high-performance permanent-magnet Faraday isolator (1986) Opt. Lett., 11 (10), pp. 623-625Malecki, J., Surma, M., Gibalewickz, J., Measurements of the intensity of transient magnetic fields by the Faraday effect (1957) Acta Phys. Pol., 16 (1-2), pp. 151-156Deeter, M.N., Rose, A.H., Day, G.W., Fast, sensitive magnetic field sensors based on the Faraday effect in YIG (1990) J. Lightwave Technol., 8 (12), pp. 1838-1842Rose, A.H., Deeter, M.N., Day, G.W., Submicroampere-perroot-hertz current sensor based on the Faraday effect in Ga:YIG (1993) Opt. Lett., 18 (17), pp. 1471-1473Ning, Y.N., Jackson, D.A., Faraday effect optical current clamp using a bulk-glass sensing element (1993) Opt. Lett., 18 (10), pp. 835-837Pistoni, N.C., Martinelli, M., Vibration-insensitive fiber-optic current sensor (1993) Opt. Lett., 18 (4), pp. 314-316Wilson, D.K., Optical isolators adapt to communication needs (1991) Laser Focus World, 27 (4), pp. 175-180Balbin Villaverde, A., Munin, E., Pedroso, C.B., Linear displacement sensor based on the magneto-optical Faraday effect (1998) Sens. Actuators A, 70, pp. 211-218Munin, E., Balbin Villaverde, A., Magneto-optical rotatory dispersion of some non-linear crystals (1991) J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, 3 (27), pp. 5099-5106Munin, E., Roversi, J.A., Balbin Villaverde, A., Faraday effect and energy gap in optical materials (1992) J. Phys. D, 25 (11), pp. 1635-1639Boswarva, I.M., Howard, R.E., Lidiard, A.B., Faraday effect in semiconductors (1962) Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A, 269, pp. 125-141Balkanski, M., Amzaliag, E., Langer, D., Interband Faraday rotation of II-IV compounds (1966) J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 27, pp. 299-308Ramaseshan, S., Determination of the magneto-optic anomaly of some glasses (1946) Proc.-Indian Acad. Sci., Sect. A, 24, pp. 426-432Cole, H., Magneto-optic effects in glass I. Some preliminary observations on the application of magneto-optic properties to structural considerations (1950) J. Soc. Glass Technol., 34, pp. 220-237Sivaramakrishnan, V., Dispersion of Faraday rotation in some optical glasses (1957) J. Ind. Inst. Sci., A39, pp. 19-26Borrelli, N.F., Faraday rotation in glasses (1964) J. Chem. Phys., 41 (11), pp. 3289-3293Balbin Villaverde, A., Vasconcellos, E.C.C., Magnetooptical dispersion of HOYA glasses: AOT-5, AOT-44B and FR-5 (1982) Appl. Opt., 21 (8), pp. 1347-1348Borrelli, N.F., Dumbaugh, W.H., Electro- and magneto-optic effects in heavy metal oxide glasses (1987) Infrared Optical Materials and Fibers, Proc. SPIE, 843, pp. 6-9Pedroso, C.B., Munin, E., Balbin Villaverde, A., Aranha, N., Solano Reynoso, V.C., Barbosa, L.C., Magnetooptical rotation of heavy-metal oxide glasses (1998) J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 271, pp. 134-142Petrovskii, G.T., Edelman, I.S., Zarubina, T.V., Malakhovskii, A.V., Zabluda, V.N., Ivanov, M.Yu., Faraday effect and spectral properties of high-concentrated rare earth oxide glasses in visible and near UV region (1991) J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 130 (1), pp. 35-40Barnes, N.P., Petway, L.B., Variation of the Verdet constant with temperature of terbium gallium garnet (1992) J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 9 (10), pp. 1912-1915Van Den Tempel, C.M.N., Model of a new temperature-compensated optical current sensor using Bi12SiO20 (1993) Appl. Opt., 32 (25), pp. 4869-4874Darwin, C.G., Watson, W.H., The constant of the magnetic dispersion of light (1927) Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A, 114, pp. 474-490Ramaseshan, S., The Faraday effect and magneto-optic anomaly of some cubic crystals (1948) Proc.-Indian Acad. Sci., Sect. A, 28, pp. 360-369Munin, E., Pedroso, C.B., Balbin Villaverde, A., Magneto-optical constants of fluoride optical crystals and other AB2 and A2B type compounds (1996) J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans., 92 (15), pp. 2753-2757(1974) Hoya Faraday Rotator Glass Report, , Hoya Optics Inc., TokyoYoshino, T., Compact and highly efficient Faraday rotators using relatively low Verdet constant Faraday materials (1980) Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 19 (4), pp. 745-749Jenkins, F.A., White, H.E., (1957) Fundamentals of Optics, 3rd Ed., p. 491. , McGraw-Hill, New Yor

Plan de negocio para la comercializaci?n de combustible industrial derivado de los residuos oleosos

Durante los ?ltimos a?os, se ha identificado que gran parte de las empresas dedicadas a la producci?n de asfalto utilizan un combustible no convencional para la generaci?n de calor en sus plantas de producci?n, cuyo producto base es la ?borra?. La borra es un residuo oleoso compuesto de agua, sedimentos e hidrocarburos, que se obtiene tanto de la limpieza de los tanques de almacenamiento de las embarcaciones mar?timas como de la recolecci?n realizada por barcazas en el mar; y que, al recibir un adecuado tratamiento, se convierte en un producto ?til para el calentamiento de los calderos, plantas de asfalto u hornos industriales. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo primordial determinaci?n la viabilidad de implementar un plan de negocio orientado a la comercializaci?n de combustible industrial derivado de los residuos oleosos. Para ello, se ha procedido a realizar una muestra no probabil?stica por conveniencia a trav?s de entrevistas a profesionales con experiencia y conocimiento en el mercado de combustibles. Asimismo, utilizar la experiencia y ?know how? de la empresa RECIPESA S.A. con m?s de 20 a?os en el mercado en la comercializaci?n de di?sel y asfalto

General and specified vulnerability to extreme temperatures among older adults

Extreme temperatures pose significant risks to human health and well-being. Older adults are particularly at risk and their susceptibility is a function of vulnerability to general daily life circumstances and to specified events or threats. For the first time, this paper develops a combined general and specified approach to understand the determinants of vulnerability. The findings show that most participants exhibit high levels of heat-related vulnerability, followed by cold-related vulnerability and lastly, general vulnerability. General vulnerability was shown to be primarily shaped by financial, physical and social assets. Whilst, specified vulnerability was found to be mainly shaped by human, physical and placed based assets. Such findings present opportunities to focus on the types of assets that contribute to reducing vulnerability. These findings also suggest that the role assets play in shaping vulnerability must be attended to if we are to fully understand and effectively implement strategies to reduce vulnerability