Quantity v/s quality of scientific publications: an analysis for main cities of Spain (2001-2007)

Since the last quarter of the 20th century, most of the world population has experimented an important process of globalization, mainly due to; the accelerated knowledge production, the increase of intangible capital on a macroeconomic scale, the increase in levels of innovation, and the ICT revolution that have democratized access to information and knowledge dissemination. This new economic base, located in cities, is supported on knowledge and information as sources of production and competitiveness. The number of scientific publications on indexed journals is a scale, often used to measure the degree of strength of the scientific sector of a particular place. But this scale ignores the quality of the counted works, i.e. the impact they have generated in the scientific world. This work seeks to highlight the dynamics of scientific production in Spain. Specifically, it aims to analyze the quantity and quality of scientific publications in the period between 2001 and 2007. For this analysis, the quantity is measured by the number of scientific papers published by researchers from a city and the quality by the number of times that works signed by scientists from a city, have been cited by researchers around the world. In this study we establish a bibliometric analysis based on: 1) the number of scientific contributions to municipalities of more than 30,000 people whose information is derived from the SCI-E and 2) the number of citations for the top 10 cities with information derived from Scopus. Finally, we contrast the results of the more representatives cities, with the aim of clarify the relationship between the quantity and quality between quantity and quality of the scientific publication. The results suggest a concentration of quantity and quality of the scientific production in the Spanish metropolitan areas. However, we can provide that ranking who have the main cities in the context of national scientific publication is not similar for both parameters.

Macroeconomic Factors and Micro-Level Bank Risk

The interplay between banks and the macroeconomy is of key importance for financial and economic stability. We analyze this link using a factor-augmented vector autoregressive model (FAVAR) which extends a standard VAR for the U.S. macroeconomy. The model includes GDP growth, inflation, the Federal Funds rate, house price inflation, and a set of factors summarizing conditions in the banking sector. We use data of more than 1,500 commercial banks from the U.S. call reports to address the following questions. How are macroeconomic shocks transmitted to bank risk and other banking variables? What are the sources of bank heterogeneity, and what explains differences in individual banks’ responses to macroeconomic shocks? Our paper has two main findings: (i) Average bank risk declines, and average bank lending increases following expansionary shocks. (ii) The heterogeneity of banks is characterized by idiosyncratic shocks and the asymmetric transmission of common shocks. Risk of about 1/3 of all banks rises in response to a monetary loosening. The lending response of small, illiquid, and domestic banks is relatively large, and risk of banks with a low degree of capitalization and a high exposure to real estate loans decreases relatively strongly after expansionary monetary policy shocks. Also, lending of larger banks increases less while risk of riskier and domestic banks reacts more in response to house price shocks.FAVAR, bank risk, macro-finance linkages, monetary policy, microeconomic adjustment

Macroeconomic factors and micro-level bank risk

The interplay between banks and the macroeconomy is of key importance for financial and economic stability. We analyze this link using a factor-augmented vector autoregressive model (FAVAR) which extends a standard VAR for the U.S. macroeconomy. The model includes GDP growth, inflation, the Federal Funds rate, house price inflation, and a set of factors summarizing conditions in the banking sector. We use data of more than 1,500 commercial banks from the U.S. call reports to address the following questions. How are macroeconomic shocks transmitted to bank risk and other banking variables? What are the sources of bank heterogeneity, and what explains differences in individual banks' responses to macroeconomic shocks? Our paper has two main findings: (i) Average bank risk declines, and average bank lending increases following expansionary shocks. (ii) The heterogeneity of banks is characterized by idiosyncratic shocks and the asymmetric transmission of common shocks. Risk of about 1/3 of all banks rises in response to a monetary loosening. The lending response of small, illiquid, and domestic banks is relatively large, and risk of banks with a low degree of capitalization and a high exposure to real estate loans decreases relatively strongly after expansionary monetary policy shocks. Also, lending of larger banks increases less while risk of riskier and domestic banks reacts more in response to house price shocks. --FAVAR,bank risk,macro-finance linkages,monetary policy,microeconomic adjustment

In Search for Yield? New Survey-Based Evidence on Bank Risk Taking

There is growing consensus that the conduct of monetary policy can have an impact on financial and economic stability through the risk-taking incentives of banks. Falling interest rates might induce a “search for yield” and generate incentives to invest into risky activities. This paper provides evidence on the link between monetary policy and commercial property prices and the risk-taking incentives of banks. We use a factor-augmented vector autoregressive model (FAVAR) for the U.S. for the years 1997-2008. We include standard macroeconomic indicators and factors summarizing information provided in the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Terms of Business Lending. These data allow modeling the reactions of banks’ new lending volumes and the riskiness of new loans. We do not find evidence for a risk-taking channel for the entire banking system after a monetary policy loosening or an unexpected increase in property prices. This masks, however, important differences across banking groups. Small domestic banks increase their exposure to risk, foreign banks lower risk, and large domestic banks do not change their risk exposure.FAVAR, bank risk taking, macro-finance linkages, monetary policy, commercial property prices

Socioeconomic segregation of students

School segregation may be questioning the equity of the Spanish educational system. In this research, we analyse the school segregation by socioeconomic status using the Hutchens Index. Specifically, we decompose the effect of attending public vs semiprivate schools in terms of segregation. The analyses is based on data collecting information from the population of Andalusian students attending 5th grade. We found significant differences in the level of segregation between both schools types. Particularly, the results show that students from high socioeconomic and cultural status are more segregated in public schools, while students from a low socioeconomic and cultural status are more segregated in semiprivate schools. These differences provide evidence of the inequity of the education policy, which should rethink funding mechanisms as a means to fight against inequality.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. The data used in this research has been provided by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Andalucía. This work has been partly supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under Research Project ECO2017-88883-R; Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía under PAI group SEJ-532. Claudia Prieto Latorre acknowledges the scholarship FPU2017 00432 of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports [Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte] and the training received from the University of Malaga PhD Program in Economics and Business [Programa de Doctorado en Economía y Empresa de la Universidad de Malaga]

Is grade retention the solution for failing?

The convenience of grade retention for students’ adequate progression in the education system has been the focus of great debate. However, the characteristics that the grade retention variable presents when explaining students’ academic achievement has prevented most of the research works to delve into the effect of this policy. Because of that, in the present research work we intend to get as close as possible to endogeneity free estimate by the use of rich census and longitudinal data, together with a student fixed-effects within students between-academic years strategy. We find that grade retention affects students’ academic performance. Autores: Luis Alejandro Lopez-Agudo, Claudia Prieto Latorre, Oscar David Marcenaro-Gutierrez Palabras clave: grade retention, repetion, academic performance.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Parents' and Children's Gender: the effect of parental expectations in children's performance

Parental expectations have been found in the literature to explain their children’s academic achievement. Nevertheless, most of the evidence on this issue is the result of the endogeneity of parental expectations when explaining students’ performance. In this context, we propose to solve this issue by using longitudinal data for the education period of the transition between primary and secondary education, employing time fixed effects to analyse the effect of parental expectations on students’ progression – being the latter measured by students’ academic achievement and their likelihood of grade repetition. We go more into depth on this issue by the study of gender differences of this effect, using all possible combinations between parents’ and children’s genders. Our results have shown that higher fathers’ and mothers’ expectations improve students’ progression, but parents seem to be more demanding with girls in terms of levels of education.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Control al doping Compromiso de Colombia

Este documento da a conocer la importante noticia de la aprobación, por parte del Comité Olímpico Internacional (COl), de un laboratorio colombiano, para el control al doping, a la vez que aprovecha la oportunidad para ampliar alguna información sobre este tema

Promoting autonomous foreign language learning: an experience with european language portofolio (ELP).

Esta investigación es un estudio cualitativo desde la perspectiva de Flick Kardoff y Steinke (2004) y Nunan (1992). Se trata de un estudio de investigación de acción basado en las teorías de Kemmis y McTaggart (1988), y siguiendo las cuatro fases previstas por Burns (2010): actuar, planificar, observar y reflexionar. El PEL (ELP), desarrollado por el Consejo de Europa para apoyar el desarrollo de la autonomía del alumno (entre otros objetivos), se utilizó como estrategia pedagógica para ayudar a los estudiantes a planificar, organizar, supervisar y evaluar su proceso de aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras. El ELP fue adaptado al contexto. La aplicación incluye dos cuestiones importantes: un proceso continuo de reflexión y autoevaluación, y el desarrollo de cinco unidades orientadas a fomentar los cinco niveles de autonomía propuesto por Nunan (2000), mientras que realizan las tareas de lenguaje. Los datos se recogieron usando diferentes métodos empíricos que se combinaron y se interrelacionan para triangular la información. Se contrastó tres voces: la voz de los estudiantes, tomados del plan de aprendizaje, el formato de evaluación por pares y la Encuesta Reflexión final; La voz del maestro, tomada de características de la malla Evaluación de la cartera de Hetero; y la voz de la cartera, tomada de la red de evaluación de la cartera de Hetero también. Dos afirmaciones relevantes del análisis de datos: 1. Cuando los estudiantes ven a sí mismos como aprendices de lenguas extranjeras, la identificación de su aprendizaje estilos y la elección de los recursos o materiales que se adapten a ellas; que son capaces de hacer un trabajo más conscientes y comprometidos. 2. ELP es una herramienta precisa para promover la autonomía, ya que da a los estudiantes la oportunidad de planificar, organizar, supervisar y evaluar sus procesos de aprendizaje de idiomas extranjeros. Se dejó que los estudiantes tener criterios para tomar decisiones, fijar sus objetivos de aprendizaje y definir estrategias de aprendizaje a cumplirlos, esto significa tomar las riendas de su propio proceso de aprendizaje. Este estudio es una contribución a los profesores que quieren promover la autonomía en su aula. El uso de los niveles de autonomía es una forma precisa de medir las habilidades necesarias para convertirse estudiantes de lenguas extranjeras autónomas. Para los estudiantes de la estrategia ELP les enseña cómo ser organizada y establecer prioridades para ver un progreso real en el aprendizaje de idiomas.This research is a qualitative study from the perspectives of Flick Kardoff and Steinke (2004) and Nunan (1992). It is an action research study based on Kemmis and McTaggart’s theories (1988), and following the four phases provided by Burns (2010): act, plan, observe and reflect. The European Language Portfolio (ELP), developed by the Council of Europe to support the development of learner autonomy (among other objectives), was used as a pedagogical strategy to help students plan, organize, monitor and evaluate their foreign language learning process. The ELP was adapted to the context. The implementation included two important issues: a continuous process of reflection and self-assessment, and the development of five units oriented to foster the five levels of autonomy proposed by Nunan (2000) while doing language tasks. Data was collected using different empirical methods that were combined and interrelated to triangulate information. It was contrasted three voices: Students’ voice, taken from the Learning Plan, the Peer Assessment format and the Final Reflection Survey; Teacher’s voice, taken from comments on the Portfolio Hetero Evaluation grid; and Portfolio’s voice, taken from the Portfolio Hetero Evaluation grid too. Two main conclusions are drawn from data analysis: 1. When students see themselves as foreign language learners, identifying their learning styles and choosing the resources or materials that would fit them; they are able to do work more aware and engaged. 2. ELP is an accurate tool to promote autonomy since it gives students the opportunity to plan, organize, monitor and evaluate their foreign language learning processes. It let students have criteria to make decisions, set their learning goals and define learning strategies to accomplish them, it means taking charge of their own learning process. This study is a contribution to teachers who want to promote autonomy in their classroom. Using the levels of autonomy is a precise way to measure skills needed to become autonomous foreign language learners. For students the ELP strategy teaches them how to be organized and establish priorities to see a real progress in the language learning

Polycentrism in the Spanish metropolitan system: an analysis for 7 metro areas

Polycentrism is becoming one of the dominant structures in contemporary metropolises. Concentrated decentralization and the integration of formerly independent cities by the reduction of travel time are behind of such a process. In this paper, the spatial structure of the seven biggest metro areas in Spain is depicted. By analyzing employment density and travel-to-work data the polycentric structure of them is detected at the time that the functional borders are delimited. Results suggest a very heterogeneous image where Barcelona and Bilbao emerge as the most polycentric areas at the time that Madrid, Seville and Zaragoza have a structure more orientated towards monocentrism. Clearly polycentric structure seems to be influenced by the orographic nature in which each metropolitan area lays in.