Regional income convergence and regional policy in the European Union

In this paper we use a generalized entropy index such as the Theil index to analyze regional inequalities in Europe. We proved that there is a synchronization between the convergence and catching-up process of objective 1 regions towards the EU15 average with the reform of the EU regional policy. During the period 1982-1988 the Theil index shows that inequalities between objective 1 regions and non-objective 1 regions have increased while from 1989 onwards the reduction in the inequalities between these two groups has been the norm. We also remark the fact that there are high disparate rates of growth among objective 1 regions both within countries and across countries but our computations show also a trend towards a more balanced growth among objective 1 regions within and across EU countries. This success of the European Union regional policy in objective 1 regions will mean a big opportunity for Central and Eastern European countries and hence the increases in competition arising from an enlarged European market combined with a suitable regional development policy should in the future boost the growth of those countries. In the last part of the paper we made a simulation for the funding envelope from 2007, based on the 2000-2006 budget. We show that the figures of the Agenda 2000 provide enough financial support for 90% of the total CEEC population and for 75% of “current” objective 1 population. Key Words: Regional Policy, European Enlargement, Central and Eastern European Countries, Strategic Planning, Regional Growth, Regional Development

Biomechanical analysis of a cranial Patient Specific Implant on the interface with the bone using the Finite Element Method

- New advance technologies based on reverse engineering , design and additive manufacturing, have expanded design capabilities for biomedical applications to include Patient Specific Implants (PSI). This change in design paradigms needs advanced tools to assess the mechanical performance of the product, and simulate the impact on the patient. In this work, we perform a structural analysis on the interface of a cranial PSI under static loading conditions. Based on those simulations, we have identified the regions with high stress and strain and checked the failure criteria both in the implant and the skull. We evaluate the quality of the design of the implant and determine their response given different materials, in order to ensure optimality of the final product to be manufactured

Money and the natural rate of interest: structural estimates for the United States and the Euro area

We examine the role of money, allowing for three competing environments: the New Keynesian model with separable utility and static money demand; a non-separable utility variant with habit formation; and a version with adjustment costs for holding real balances. The last two variants imply forward-looking behavior of real money balances, as it is optimal for agents to allow their forecast of future interest rates to affect current portfolio decisions. We distinguish between these specifications by conducting a structural econometric analysis for the U.S. and the euro area. FIML estimates confirm the forward-looking character of money demand. Using these estimates we find that, in response to preference and technology shocks, real money balances are valuable in anticipating future variations in the natural interest rate.Money ; Interest rates

Contact values of the radial distribution functions of additive hard-sphere mixtures in d dimensions: A new proposal

The contact values $g_{ij}(\sigma_{ij})$ of the radial distribution functions of a $d$-dimensional mixture of (additive) hard spheres are considered. A `universality' assumption is put forward, according to which $g_{ij}(\sigma_{ij})=G(\eta, z_{ij})$, where $G$ is a common function for all the mixtures of the same dimensionality, regardless of the number of components, $\eta$ is the packing fraction of the mixture, and $z_{ij}$ is a dimensionless parameter that depends on the size distribution and the diameters of spheres $i$ and $j$. For $d=3$, this universality assumption holds for the contact values of the Percus--Yevick approximation, the Scaled Particle Theory, and, consequently, the Boublik--Grundke--Henderson--Lee--Levesque approximation. Known exact consistency conditions are used to express $G(\eta,0)$, $G(\eta,1)$, and $G(\eta,2)$ in terms of the radial distribution at contact of the one-component system. Two specific proposals consistent with the above conditions (a quadratic form and a rational form) are made for the $z$-dependence of $G(\eta,z)$. For one-dimensional systems, the proposals for the contact values reduce to the exact result. Good agreement between the predictions of the proposals and available numerical results is found for $d=2$, 3, 4, and 5.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures; Figure 1 changed; Figure 5 is new; New references added; accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phy

Bayesian analysis of 210Pb dating

In many studies of environmental change of the past few centuries, 210Pb dating is used to obtain chronologies for sedimentary sequences. One of the most commonly used approaches to estimate the ages of depths in a sequence is to assume a constant rate of supply (CRS) or influx of `unsupported' 210Pb from the atmosphere, together with a constant or varying amount of `supported' 210Pb. Current 210Pb dating models do not use a proper statistical framework and thus provide poor estimates of errors. Here we develop a new model for 210Pb dating, where both ages and values of supported and unsupported 210Pb form part of the parameters. We apply our model to a case study from Canada as well as to some simulated examples. Our model can extend beyond the current CRS approach, deal with asymmetric errors and mix 210Pb with other types of dating, thus obtaining more robust, realistic and statistically better defined estimates.Comment: 22 Pages, 4 Figure

Experimental food subsidies keep eagles inside protected areas: implications for conservation and resource management

The conservation and management of mobile species, populations and dynamic habitats, presents significant challenges since such species face diverse threats during various stages of their life cycle. Protected areas (PAs) are essential tools in conservation efforts, aiming to preserve native species and their habitats. However, larger mobile animals, such as the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), may require much larger areas outside PAs for essential life moments, including foraging, resting, and wintering. As a result, the efficacy of PAs in conserving such species may be questionable. We designed an experiment in an eastern Spain PA that is home to nesting Bonelli's eagles to determine if increasing food availability through experimental feeding within the PA could result in an effective reduction of space use outside the protected area by the eagles and lead to reduce death risk. Over the period of 2016 to 2021, we tracked 10 Bonelli's eagles from six different territories using GPS-GSM transmitters. We evaluated their space use before, during, and after the feeding experiment. Our results indicate that the availability of food within PAs restricted the eagles' movement, resulting in a higher concentration of locations inside the PAs. The eagles spent less time outside the PAs when they were fed and less time in highly human-dominated habitats. Consequently, this reduced mortality risks that were higher outside the PAs. Our findings suggest that management decisions aimed at increasing food availability within PAs, could be critical in conserving endangered species populations such as the Bonelli's eagle in Mediterranean landscapes.Fieldwork seasons (2017 – 2018) were partially supported by the Wildlife Service of the Valencian Community Regional Government (Conselleria d'Agricultura, Desenvolupament Rural, Emergència Climàtica i Transició Ecològica, Generalitat Valenciana, Spain). Red Eléctrica de España provided financial support to track Bonelli's eagles under the supplementary feeding project. The corresponding author A. L-P. is supported by a Val I+D predoctoral grant (ACIF/2020/051) and an internship grant (CIBEFP/2021/75), both funded by the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain). This paper is part of the Ph.D. thesis of A. López-Peinado at the University of Valencia (Spain)

Multicomponent fluids of hard hyperspheres in odd dimensions

Mixtures of hard hyperspheres in odd space dimensionalities are studied with an analytical approximation method. This technique is based on the so-called Rational Function Approximation and provides a procedure for evaluating equations of state, structure factors, radial distribution functions, and direct correlations functions of additive mixtures of hard hyperspheres with any number of components and in arbitrary odd-dimension space. The method gives the exact solution of the Ornstein--Zernike equation coupled with the Percus--Yevick closure, thus extending to arbitrary odd dimension the solution for hard-sphere mixtures [J. L. Lebowitz, Phys.\ Rev.\ \textbf{133}, 895 (1964)]. Explicit evaluations for binary mixtures in five dimensions are performed. The results are compared with computer simulations and a good agreement is found.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures; v2: slight change of notatio

Vascular Smooth Muscle-Specific Progerin Expression Accelerates Atherosclerosis and Death in a Mouse Model of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome

Background: Progerin, an aberrant protein that accumulates with age, causes the rare genetic disease Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). Patients who have HGPS exhibit ubiquitous progerin expression, accelerated aging and atherosclerosis, and die in their early teens, mainly of myocardial infarction or stroke. The mechanisms underlying progerin-induced atherosclerosis remain unexplored, in part, because of the lack of appropriate animal models. Methods: We generated an atherosclerosis-prone model of HGPS by crossing apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe(-/-)) mice with Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice ubiquitously expressing progerin. To induce progerin expression specifically in macrophages or vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), we crossed Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS) mice with LysMCre and SM22Cre mice, respectively. Progerin expression was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. Cardiovascular alterations were determined by immunofluorescence and histology in male mice fed normal chow or a high-fat diet. In vivo low-density lipoprotein retention was assessed by intravenous injection of fluorescently labeled human low-density lipoprotein. Cardiac electric defects were evaluated by electrocardiography. Results:Apoe(-/-)Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice with ubiquitous progerin expression exhibited a premature aging phenotype that included failure to thrive and shortened survival. In addition, high-fat diet-fed Apoe(-/-)Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice developed a severe vascular pathology, including medial VSMC loss and lipid retention, adventitial fibrosis, and accelerated atherosclerosis, thus resembling most aspects of cardiovascular disease observed in patients with HGPS. The same vascular alterations were also observed in Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)SM22Cre mice expressing progerin specifically in VSMCs, but not in Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)LysMCre mice with macrophage-specific progerin expression. Moreover, Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)SM22Cre mice had a shortened lifespan despite the lack of any overt aging phenotype. Aortas of ubiquitously and VSMC-specific progerin-expressing mice exhibited increased retention of fluorescently labeled human low-density lipoprotein, and atheromata in both models showed vulnerable plaque features. Immunohistopathological examination indicated that Apoe(-/-)Lmna(LCS/LCS)SM22Cre mice, unlike Apoe(-/-)Lmna(G609G/G609G) mice, die of atherosclerosis-related causes. Conclusions: We have generated the first mouse model of progerin-induced atherosclerosis acceleration, and demonstrate that restricting progerin expression to VSMCs is sufficient to accelerate atherosclerosis, trigger plaque vulnerability, and reduce lifespan. Our results identify progerin-induced VSMC death as a major factor triggering atherosclerosis and premature death in HGPS.Work in Dr Andres' laboratory is supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MEIC) (SAF2016-79490-R) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (AC16/00091, AC17/00067) with co-funding from the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, ``Una manera de hacer Europa´´), the Progeria Research Foundation (Established Investigator Award 2014-52), and the Fundacio Marato TV3 (122/C/2015). The MEIC supported Dr Hamczyk (´´Formacion de Personal Investigador´´ predoctoral contract BES-2011-043938) and Dr Villa-Bellosta (´´Juan de la Cierva´´ JCI-2011-09663 postdoctoral contract). The Instituto Universitario de Oncologia is supported by Obra Social Cajastur. The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) is supported by the MEIC and the Pro-CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (award SEV-2015-0505).S