Nous descobriments en el procés d'expansió de l'ictus

L'ictus, una alteració -trencament o obstrucció- dels vasos sanguinis cerebrals, és la primera causa de mort en les dones i la segona en homes a Espanya, a més de causar incapacitat en la majoria de persones que en sobreviuen. Investigadors del Laboratori d'Investigació Neurovascular de l'Hospital Vall d'Hebron han realitzat estudis post-mortem d'aquesta afecció, investigant unes molècules implicades en el procès d'expansió de l'infart o de l'hematoma cerebral, amb l'objectiu d'aturar-ne el seu creixement i millorar-ne el tractaments actuals. I han obtingut resultats esperançadors.El ictus, una alteración -rotura u obstrucción- de los vasos sanguíneoscerebrales, es la primera causa de muerte en las mujeres y la segundaen hombres en España, además de causar incapacidad en la mayoríade personas que sobreviven. Investigadores del Laboratorio deInvestigación Neurovascular del Hospital Vall d'Hebron han realizadoestudios post-mortem de esta afección, investigando unas moléculasimplicadas en el proceso de expansión del infarto o del hematomacerebral, con el objetivo de detener su crecimiento y mejorar lostratamientos actuales. Y han obtenido resultados esperanzadores

Migration Flows and Intra-Industry Trade Adjustments.

In this paper we analyse the link between trade and migration. Focusing in the experience of Spain, we relate a marginal index of intra-industry trade with the stock of foreign workers - classified according to their country of origin and their situation in the Spanish labour market. We focus on the possibility that existing networks of foreign workers and their connections with their countries of origin could stimulate trade with the host country. Our results show a significant impact of the number of immigrants with work permits on intra-industry trade adjustment. However, this impact being positive or negative depends on whether foreign workers are employees or self-employed, the duration of the work permits and the type of job they occupy.migration, intra-industry trade, networks.

The effects of immigration on the productive structure of Spanish regions

Immigrants have increased their participation in Spanish labour supply from less than 3 percent in 1996 to more than 13 percent in 2005. Using the factor proportion model of production, this paper analyses whether this labour supply shock has affected the industrial structure of Spanish regions. Our best specification suggests the need to include time varying region-specific effects to capture differences in technology and prices across regions. Our results confirm that, first, labour endowment differences across regions help to explain the pattern of industry specialisation across region. Second, immigrants and natives act as complementary factors in most industries. Third, the importance of factor endowment changes is relatively small compared to production technique changes and idiosyncratic industry changes in explaining the overall changes in industrial structure over 1996-2005, being only important in the case of Building, a sector where foreign workers represent an important share of its total labour force.

La Caspasa-3 pot indicar a temps el creixement d'un infart cerebral

L'ictus és un trastorn que es produeix com a conseqüència d'una alteració aguda en el flux dels vasos sanguinis cerebrals. Malgrat ser un dels problemes sanitaris més importants a l'Estat espanyol, el seu tractament és molt limitat. Les conclusions d'aquest treball suggereixen l'ús de la caspasa-3 com a biomarcador per pronosticar l'evolució de la patologia i el creixement d'infart, i indiquen el seu paper en el reclutament de teixit isquèmic.El ictus es un trastorno producido como consecuencia de una alteración aguda en el flujo de los vasos sanguíneos cerebrales. A pesar de ser uno de los problemas sanitarios más importantes del estado español, su tratamiento es muy limitado. Las conclusiones de este trabajo sugieren el uso de la Caspasa-3 como biomarcador para pronosticar la evolución de la patología y el crecimiento de infarto, e indican su papel en el reclutamento de tejido isquémico

Homeward Bound FDI: Are Migrants a Bridge over Trouble Finance?

Migrants can lower cross-border investment barriers, help investors by providing information about their homeland and reduce transaction costs by sharing expertise on regulations, customs and procedures. In addition to generating these well-known networking effects, migrants can also provide valuable information about local finance, thereby easing the credit constraints foreign investors faced during the 2007 financial crisis. This paper sheds new light on the underlying mechanisms through which migration may affect foreign investment in the migrant's homeland by distinguishing between the effects on FDI's intensive and extensive margins. Gravity estimates for 140 countries for the period 2003–2012 suggest that migrants exert a positive effect on bilateral FDI. However, financial constraints moderate this effect, primarily through the extensive margin. Additionally, quantile regression reveals that the interaction between migration and credit constraints is significant only for the lower levels of FDI. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the interplay among migration, financial constraints and FDI.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (ECO2011-27619; ECO2014-58975-P; ECO2015-68057-R), Pla de Promociói de la Inves- tigació, Universitat Jaume I (P1.1B2013-22) and from the Catholic University of Valencia (PRUCV/2015/652). They are also indebted to valuable comments from an anonymous referee as well as Frederic Docquier, Amandine Aubry, Farid Toubal and the participants at the 4th Meeting of International Economics organized by the Instituto de Economía Internacional (Universitat Jaume I of Castellón, September 2015

Migration and fdi: the role of job skills

Using a multi-country gravity framework, this paper models and quantifies the relevance of migrants' job position in fostering Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). High-skilled migrants are defined as those individuals born in the investors' home/host country occupying managerial or professional positions in the host/home country of investment. Our estimates show that higher shares of migrants with management skills in a given country promote FDI into that country. In contrast, an increase in the share of migrants in non-qualified positions (regardless of their educational attainment) has a negative impact on FDI decisions. These findings highlight that the FDI-enhancing effect of migrants is related to a shift in their skill composition due to their occupation. We test our model on a new global panel data set of Greenfield bilateral investment with a wide variety of specifications, both at the extensive and intensive margins. Additionally, we provide new insights into the mechanisms by which migration influences FDI flows, with particular attention to the relevance of FDI level and activity

Aportació al coneixement de l'evolució geològica recent de la plana del Ter (Baix Empordà)

El rebliment de la plana del Ter és el resultat d'una sedimentació de tipus al·luvial controlada per les oscil·lacions del nivell del mar durant els darrers esta­dis del quaternari. Aquest treball descriu la dinàmica sedimentària en funció de Teustatisme i intenta establir una cronologia relativa basada en les corbes eustàtiques existents.The infilling of the river Ter Plain was produced by alluvial systems under the control of sea-level changes during the Quaternary. This paper describes the sedimentary evolution of the plain, and attemps to present a chronology of the recent geological events based on eustatic curves

Matrix metalloproteinases in human spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: an update

Background: In default of a plausible and satisfactory causal treatment for hemorrhagic stroke, a role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases has recently been widely discussed. The well-known impact of MMPs on extracellular matrix destruction triggered by inflammation as a foundation for several diseases, including stroke, is very much in evidence. Newly, some additional aspects of MMP function considering their intracellular activity crucial for neuronal death following ischemic brain damage have emerged. The effect of blood-brain barrier disruption caused by MMPs on the prognosis in patients suffering from spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has been of interest since it throws a new light upon the pathogenesis, course and possible therapeutic approaches for this least treatable and at the same time most life-threatening form of stroke. Hence, we primarily aimed to review the current clinical knowledge on the significance of metalloproteinase activation in the course of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in humans. We also provide a brief characterization of the MMP enzyme family and report on the latest findings on issues arising from experimental studies. Methods: A Medline search using the following key words was performed: matrix metalloproteinases + spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage/intracranial hemorrhage/bleeding/hemorrhagic stroke. We accepted studies reporting on MMP expression in adult patients with spontaneous ICH, as well as its relation to radiological and clinical features and patients’ outcome. For the final review, 18 clinical studies were considered. MMP inhibition was reviewed on the basis of 11 relevant experimental studies. Also, some relevant reports on the biology of MMPs and their pathophysiology in ICH were reviewed. Results and Conclusions: Many studies provide convincing evidence of a detrimental role of MMPs in ICH, stressing their association with neuroinflammation. The role of MMPs in hemorrhagic stroke appears critical for hematoma and brain edema growth as well as for neuronal death, which are understood as secondary brain injury and may have a considerable clinical impact. Although data on human spontaneous ICH are scarce and mostly based on small populations, they reveal the apparent correlation between MMPs and clinical and radiological ICH features as well as the functional outcome, which might rationalize future therapeutic strategies. However, attempts at MMP inhibition in spontaneous ICH have solely been made under experimental conditions and were associated with a wide range of possible side effects. Therefore, further comprehensive, elucidating investigations in this field are vital before any conclusions could be translated to humans. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base