Escherichia coli EHEC Germany outbreak preliminary functional annotation using BG7 system

We have annotated the European outbreak E. coli EHEC genome sequenced by BGI (6-2-2011) and assembled with MIRA by Nick Loman (6-2-2011 ). Our system BG7, Bacterial Genome annotation of Era7 Bioinformatics, predicts ORFs and annotates them based on fragments of similarity with Uniprot proteins. We have predicted 6327 genes, 6156 encoding proteins y 171 corresponding to ribosomal and tRNA. Based on the preliminary results of our semi-automated method of annotation we have selected some predicted proteins with potential implications in pathogenicity and virulence.
There are 33 predicted genes annotated as toxins and we have found three putative hemolysins: Hemolysin E, a putative hemolysin expression modulating protein and a channel protein, hemolysin III family. We have found 31 predicted genes that could be related to specific antibiotic resistance: beta-lactamic, aminoglycoside, macrolide, polymyxin, tetracycline, fosfomycin and deoxycholate, novobiocin, chloramphenicol, bicyclomycin, norfloxacin and enoxacin and 6-mercaptopurine. This strain is rich in adhesion, secretion systems, pathogenicity and virulence related proteins. It seems to have a restriction-modification system, many proteins involved in Fe transport and utilization (siderophores as aerobactin and enterobactin), lysozyme, one inhibitor of pancreatic serine proteases, proteins involved in anaerobic respiration, antimicrobial peptides, and proteins involved in quorum sensing and biofilm formation that could confer competitive advantage to this strain

Development of multifunctional titanium-base alloys

Nano-structurated and Multifunctional Materials Laboratory of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain) develops advanced alloys with improved properties for new technological applications. This is made producing materials with ultrafine grain size, or with a homogenous dispersion of nano-particles. Our Lab is interested in some type of scientific and technical collaboration with research centres or companies involved in this kind of developments

Bounds on the dragging rate and on the rotational mass-energy in slowly and differentially rotating relativistic stars

For relativistic stars rotating slowly and differentially with a positive angular velocity, some properties in relation to the positiveness of the rate of rotational dragging and of the angular momentum density are derived. Also, a new proof for the bounds on the rotational mass-energy is given.Comment: 23 pages, latex. Submitted to J. Math. Phy

Do nonreciprocal preference regimes increase exports?

This paper investigates whether and to what extent nonreciprocal preference regimes have increased developing countries’ exports to richer countries. Moreover, it analyzes how they have affected donors’ exports to beneficiary countries. Using recent developments in the econometric analysis of the gravity equation over the period 1990-2008, we find robust evidence that, on the whole, nonreciprocal preference regimes and GSP schemes have had an economically significant effect on exports from developing countries. However, the estimation of catch-all dummies masks heterogeneous results for the individual schemes. Finally, we find that nonreciprocal regimes have also increased exports from donors to beneficiary countries.

WHICH COST OF DEBT SHOULD BE USED IN FORECASTING CASH FLOWS?

ABSTRACTFrequently, analysts and teachers use the capitalized rate of interest for the cost of debt when forecasting and discounting cash flows. Others estimate the interest payments when forecasting annual financial statements or cash flows based on the average of debt calculated with the beginning and ending balance. Others use the end of year convention that calculates the yearly interest multiplying the beginning balance times its contractual cost. The use of one or other methods is critical for the definition of the tax savings. These approaches are illustrated with examples and the differences in using them. A simple proposal to solve the problem is presented.Cost of debt, forecasting financial statements, seasonality.

Modelling Discourse-related terminology in OntoLingAnnot’s ontologies

Recently, computational linguists have shown great interest in discourse annotation in an attempt to capture the internal relations in texts. With this aim, we have formalized the linguistic knowledge associated to discourse into different linguistic ontologies. In this paper, we present the most prominent discourse-related terms and concepts included in the ontologies of the OntoLingAnnot annotation model. They show the different units, values, attributes, relations, layers and strata included in the discourse annotation level of the OntoLingAnnot model, within which these ontologies are included, used and evaluated

Research-informed strategies to address educational challenges in a digitally networked world

This special issue represents the scholarly work that emerged from the EDUsummIT 2013. EDUsummIT is a growing and active community of researchers, policy makers and practitioners that is committed to promote research-informed strategies to effectively integrate ICT in educational policy and practice. First the background and aim of EDUsummIT is presented, followed by an overview of the contributions to this special issue

POTENTIAL DIVIDENDS AND ACTUAL CASH FLOWS IN EQUITY VALUATION. A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Practitioners and most academics in valuation include changes in liquid assets (potential dividends) in the cash flows. This widespread and wrong practice is inconsistent with basic finance theory. We present economic, theoretical, and empirical arguments to support the thesis. Economic arguments underline that only flows of cash should be considered for valuation; theoretical arguments show how potential dividends lead to contradiction and to arbitrage losses. Empirical arguments, from recent studies, suggest that investors discount potential dividends with high discount rates, which means thatchanges in liquid assets are not value drivers. Hence, when valuing cash flows, we should consider only actual payments.Cash flow to equity, potential dividends, equity value.

Export market integration in the European Union

This paper examines the degree and recent evolution (1988-2001) of export-price dispersion among European Union countries. It also explores the effect of exchange rates on exportprice dispersion by reviewing the experience of some European countries that participated in the exchange rate stability zone. The results indicate that export-price dispersion across European Union countries was usually lower than across OECD countries. Moreover, although there is little evidence of convergence, this is stronger across European Union countries. Finally, even though price dispersion was often lower across European Union countries where exchange rates have been relatively stable than across countries with relatively volatile exchange rates, exchange-rate stability has not significantly contributed to export-price convergence across participating countries over the sample period.export market integration, European Union, exchange rates