An index of political support for decentralization: the Spanish case.

This paper presents a method to make measurable what was not: the discourses of politicians regarding decentralization. For this purpose, we develop a “matrix of arguments” and a set of indexes, and apply them to provide a snapshot of the politicians’ views on the “General Law of Budgetary Stability”, a landmark for the process of decentralization in Spain.political party, matrix of decentralization, arguments, index of decentralization.

E-commerce and territorial development in the Objective-1 spanish regions

The information and communication technologies constitute one of the main forces of the globalization. In this framework, the e-commerce takes advantage of Internet to improve the competitiveness of the companies and territories. In the nowadays scenario, the e-commerce opens development posibilities for the regions fewer developed, creating a virtual space that saves the geographical barriers. However, the use of its advantages requires infrastructures and equipment, organizational capacity and high formation in new technologies. In spite of the deficit that the objetive 1 spanish regions show in these fields to develop the their own Information Society, the attitude and the efforts of the public and private agents in improving their position in the national and international context, they open optimistic expectations on the future use of the advantages that the e-commerce offers for the growth and the improvement of the regional competitiveness in Spain. Nevertheless, one cannot hope the e-commerce is a decisive element to eliminate the territorial inequalities, not even the technologies of the information in its group, but rather it can be that they originate a restructuring of the spanish and european territorial pattern, where some regions will be able to improve thanks to the extension and deeping of the digital economy and others will worsen its position in the territorial system. In any event, the developed regions leave of a better position. All the analysts coincide in pointing out that the e-commerce is in an incipient phase, for what es expected that its growth in next years is very important. In this sense, this communication seeks to analyze the use of the possibilities that the e-commerce offers as tool of improvement of the competitiveness in the objetive 1 spanish regions in the framework of the regional development. To get this objetive, the theoretical linkings are revised among the new information and communication technologies, that allow the use of Internet like a trade channel, and the territorial development, showing the different focuses with those that are come approaching the influences of the Information Society on the regional competitiveness. Also, the current situation and perspectives of the objetive one spanish regions are rewied to face the challenges that outline the technological advances in this field in three environments: infrastructures and equipment; organization, support institutions and administration initiatives; and innovation, knowledge and formation.

Preparação e caracterização de filmes de polivinilpirrolidona/ácidos e de blendas de polivinilpirrolidona/poli(4-vinilpiridina)/ácido

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas, Curso de Química.Neste trabalho foram preparados filmes poliméricos a partir de polivinilpirrolidona (PVP) com ácidos, e blendas de polivinilpirrolidona/poli(4-vinilpiridina) (PVP/P4VP) com ácido fosfórico. Os filmes foram caracterizados por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho, termogravimetria, calorimetria exploratória diferencial, e também realizados estudos de teste de solubilidade e de condutividade elétrica, para avaliar o potencial de aplicação dos filmes em células a combustível. Para os filmes de PVP/Ácidos, os espectros na região do infravermelho mostraram uma significativa interação polímero/ácido, causando um deslocamento da banda de estiramento C=O da polivinilpirrolidona para menores números de onda à medida que a natureza e a concentração do ácido eram mudadas. As curvas termogravimétricas mostraram que os filmes apresentam estabilidade térmica até temperaturas da ordem de 300 °C. As curvas de calorimetria exploratória diferencial apresentaram uma redução na temperatura de transição vítrea do PVP nos filmes. Os testes de solubilidade mostraram que os filmes são solúveis em água, etanol e possuem uma alta higroscopicidade. Para as blendas de PVP/P4VP/Ácido fosfórico, os espectros vibracionais não são muito conclusivos quanto à interação polímeros/ácido, apenas evidenciando uma incorporação de PVP e P4VP dependentes com a concentração de ácido fosfórico. As curvas de calorimetria exploratória diferencial apresentaram um aumento para os valores de Tg para o P4VP e nenhuma mudança nos valores de Tg do PVP nas blendas contendo ácido fosfórico. Os testes de solubilidade para as blendas mostraram que estas são solúveis em água e parcialmente solúveis em água/etanol e em etanol. As medidas de condutividade elétrica para o filme PVP/ácido e as blendas PVP/P4VP/ácido apresentaram valores da ordem de 10-7 S.cm-1 a 10-8 S.cm-1

Methodology for the metric restoration of the historical cartography applied to Francisco Coello's cartografic series of the Royal Site of Aranjuez

Hojas Kilométricas (Kilometric Sheets). Specifically, the study focuses on those sheets referring to the city centre and surrounding area of the Royal Site of Aranjuez, a town in the south of the Province of Madrid. The aim of this study is to restore the actual size and measurements of scanned images of the Hojas Kilométricas. This would allow us, among other things, to reestablish both the format and scale of the original plans. To achieve this goal it is necessary to rectify and then georeference these images, i.e. assign them a geographic reference system. This procedure is essential in the overlaying and comparison of the Hojas Kilométricas of the Royal Site with other historical cartography as well as other sources related to the same area from different time periods. Subsequent research would allow us, for example, to reconstruct the time-evolution of the urban area, to spot new construction and to pinpoint the locations of any altered or missing buildings or architectural features. In addition, this would allow us to develop and integrate databases for GIS models applicable to the management of our cultural heritage

The Determinants of Soccer Player Substitutions: a Survival Analysis of the Spanish Soccer League

This paper analyzes the pattern of player substitutions during a soccer match, using data from the First Division (Primera División) of the Spanish National Soccer League in the 2004-2005 season. To do so, an inverse Gaussian hazard model is adopted to analyze the first substitutions of each team that take place at half-time and in the second half of matches. The results show that the most important factor is the score as it stands prior to the time of the player substitution. Furthermore, defensive substitutions are made later in the match than offensive substitutions. We also find some evidence that the home team makes more substitutions than the visiting team in the halftime interval.hazard model; soccer substitutions; strategy.

Light capsules shaped by curvilinear meta-surfaces

We propose a simple yet efficient method for generating in-plane hollow beams with a nearly-full circular light shell without the contribution of backward propagating waves. The method relies on modulating the phase in the near field of a centro-symmetric optical wavefront, such as that from a high-numericalaperture focused wave field. We illustrate how beam acceleration may be carried out by using an ultranarrow non-flat meta-surface formed by engineered plasmonic nanoslits. A mirrorsymmetric, with respect to the optical axis, circular caustic surface is numerically demonstrated that can be used as an optical bottle

Los Procesos de Desarrollo Local desde la Perspectiva Europea: génesis y transformación

El articulo muestra cómo los procesos de desarrollo local se han articulado desde la particpación de la población local y la introducción de innovaciones en la función de producción territorial.La coopreación, el cambio institucional y un sistema urbano adecuado han sido claves de la aparición de los sistemas productivos locales. Tras una bereve discusión conceptual sobre diferentes aspectos del desarrollo, se realiza el análisis con las principales teorías basadas en los estudios de casos europeos, asi como de las politicas implementadas para conseguir el mantenimiento de la venataja competitiva alcanzada en el paradigma de la globalización, con diferente suerte, según la capacidad de adaptación de cada territorio al entorno. Las conclusiones muestran cómo ventaja competitiva alcanzada debe estimularse con la continua adaptación local a la competencia de otros ámbitos territoriales.Desarrollo local, sistema productivo local, innovación, cambio institucional, territorio, politicas de fomento

Towards Sustainability: Photochemical and electrochemical processes applied for environmental protection

In the last century, public policy around the globe was mainly focused on economic growth leaving out of this perspective, social concerns and the environment detriment that this merely economic approach was causing. It was until the last quarter of the 20th century that people started to be aware of the growing poverty and of the jeopardy of the planet as a result of human being activities. In consequence, the concept of sustainable development emerged in the United Nations as a call to all countries to integrate economic growth with social needs and environmental protection, in such a way that our activities as earth inhabitants stopped compromising the quality of life and needs satisfaction of future generations