451 research outputs found
Essays on International economics by Sergi Basco.
No full textThesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-160).This dissertation analyzes different aspects of the globalization process. In recent years we witnessed an increasing role of emerging economies in world capital markets. Moreover, there has been a large reduction in trade costs which has allowed production to be offshored to less developed economies. Both elements are part of the globalization process but they have different effects within and between countries. The first essay studies the relationship between globalization and the appearance of rational bubbles. It shows that bubbles cannot appear in a financially developed economy in autarky. In contrast, as globalization progresses, more financially underdeveloped economies have access to world capital markets and the possibility of having a bubble in the financially developed country increases. It also shows that, conditional on having a bubble, globalization raises house prices only when the bubble is attached to houses. The second essay, co-authored with Marti Mestieri, analyzes the distributional effects of two waves of globalization. A First Globalization characterized by trade liberalizations and a Second Globalization characterized by reductions in communication costs. It shows that wage inequality always rises in the South. However, wage polarization emerges in the North during the Second Globalization. Moreover, there exists a complementarity between both globalizations. Wage polarization is delayed by the extent of trade in the First Globalization. It also shows that heterogeneous participation in Second Globalization trade generates a discontinuous pattern of specialization. The third essay studies how financial institution differences affect the offshoring choice of firms. It shows that financial institution differences affect the optimal contract offered to the supplier and are enough to generate a product cycle. Production is kept in North when the good is new and it is shifted to the South as it becomes more standardized.Ph.D
Intervals for the new Brahms Chromogranin A (CGA) assay
No full textneuroendocrine tumours. To improve analytical performance
and decrease test turnaround time, we introduced the new fully
automated Brahms CGA assay performed on Kryptor platform.
As CGA results from different assays are not comparable, we
performed a study for establishing reference intervals for the
new assay.
Methods: Fresh serum samples were obtained from 200
healthy blood donors and immediately measured for CGA.
Shapiro-Wilk and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were employed to
assess distribution of CGA values and compare groups,
respectively. Multiple regression models were used to evaluate
the influence of age and sex on CGA concentrations, including
the interaction between the two factors.
Results: 4 elevated CGA values were statistical outliers and in
3 of those individuals an interfering condition possibly
increasing CGA was identified (hyperthyroidism, vitamin D
supplementation, use of hormonal contraceptives). After their
exclusion the remaining values from 196 subjects [99 males
and 97 females; median age (range) 44 years (19-67)] were
analyzed. Median (range) CGA concentration was 41.6 μg/L
(15.9-146.2), with no gender-related difference. Although
deviating from normal frequency distribution, the visual
examination of data did not suggest log transformation.
Regression analysis confirmed the lack of gender influence,
showing however that CGA concentrations increased with age
(P <0.001). The lack of biological interaction between age and
sex excluded the hypothesis that menopausal status may
influence CGA release. Aiming to decide if reference values
should be partitioned by age, we compared CGA
concentrations in subjects <45 (n=99) and ≥45 years (n=97).
Higher CGA concentrations were found in older people
(mean±SD: 49.1±18.6 μg/L vs. 41.8±19.4 μg/L, P=0.0006).
Accounting for manufacturer’s declared imprecision at CGA
range of 80-120 μg/L (CV <7%) and the estimated upper
reference limit (97.5th percentile - URL) for subjects ≥45 (98.5
μg/L) and <45 (87.0 μg/L), we however decided to adopt a
single URL for overall population (93.7 μg/L; 90%CI: 79.0-
114.1).
Conclusions: In healthy subjects age but not gender may affect
CGA release. However this does not appear to require agerelated
reference limits
Construir a cidadania digital na rede
No full textA Rede ObLID é um grupo de investigação e intervenção para a Literacia e Inclusão Digital que agrega uma comunidade de agentes coletivos e individuais. Sediada na Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento LE@D, Universidade Aberta, a rede ObLID é dinamizada por investigadores da Universidade Aberta (Portugal), da Universidade Deusto (País Basco, Espanha) e ainda, por outros investigadores e profissionais provenientes de diferentes âmbitos sociais e educativos.LE@D, UID 4372info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Approche quantitative de l'espace agricole Basco-Béarnais
No full textQuantitative approach in the study of the agricultural space in the Basque and Beam provinces. The author, who tries to lay down a typology of the micro rural areas in these provinces, from about ten variables, realizes that the interpretation of the two correlation matrix (variables and observations) is as telling as the principal component analysis and he comes to the conclusion that the main factor in the differentiation of the agricultural space, according to both methods, is the land use.Cherchant à réaliser une typologie des micro-régions agricoles du pays basco-béarnais à partir d'une dizaine de variables, l'auteur constate que l'interprétation des deux matrices de corrélations (des variables et des observations) est aussi efficace que l'analyse en composantes principales et que le facteur essentiel de différenciation de l'espace agricole, tel que le révèlent les deux méthodes, est l'utilisation du sol.Charles Jean. Approche quantitative de l'espace agricole Basco-Béarnais. In: Travaux de l'Institut Géographique de Reims, n°37, 1979. Techniques statistiques et géographie. pp. 3-25
A MODELIZACIÓN DOS CAMBIOS NA LONXEVIDADE DA POBLACIÓN DO PAÍS BASCO E A SÚA ESTIMACIÓN FUTURA
No full textO obxectivo deste traballo é estimar a tendencia futura da mortaldade da poboación doPaís Basco a través da mellora da mortaldade para o período 1991-2013, para o cal oestudo é validable. A investigación realízase a través dun modelo estocástico bietápico aoque realizamos dúas achegas. Por unha banda, unha información inicial supervisada queposibilitará prognosticar mellor o avellentamento da poboación do País Basco baixo oscriterios de Solvencia II. E por outra, na estimación inclúese unha variante na extensión doparámetro do tempo de calendario mediante unha regresión logarítmica lineal no canto dacoñecida “random walk with drift”.
L’inscription ibérique de San Miguel de Liria et le basco-ibérisme en général
No full textThe author forwards a new hypothesis concerning the well-known and enigmatic Iberian inscription of San Miguel de Liria. He takes a fresh look at the “Basque-Iberian” issue, reminding us that this question has not been clarified to any significant degree. Several “Basque-Iberian” toponymic similarities are so clear, obvious and undeniable that they demand an explanation. It would appear that the question of the “Basque-Iberian” link is being posed once more.El autor propone una nueva hipótesis para intentar explicar la inscripción de San Miguel de Liria. Vuelve a plantear la cuestión ‘vasco-ibérica’ al recordar que todavía no ha sido totalmente esclarecida y señala que varias similitudes toponímicas ‘vasco-ibéricas’ requieren por lo menos un intento de explicación.Egileak hipotesi berri bat proposatzen du San Migel Liriako inskripzio iberiar ospetsu eta misteriotsuari buruz. Era berean “euskal-iberiar” auzia ikertzen du berriro eta oraindik argitu gabe dagoela oroitarazten du. Hain garden, begibistako eta ukaezinak dira toponimia-antzekotasun batzuk ezen azaldu beharra baitago. Dirudienez, euskara eta iberiarraren arteko ahaidetasunari eusten ari zaio berriro.L’auteur propose une nouvelle hypothèse en ce qui concerne la célèbre et énigmatique inscription ibère de San Miguel de Liria. Il reprend également la question ‘basco-ibère’ et raffelle que cette question est loin d’être élucidée. Plusieurs similitudes toponymiques ‘basco-ibères’ sont tellement transparentes et évidentes qu’elles demandent á être expliquées. La question de la parenté ‘basco-ibère’ semble à nouveau être posée
Analysis of the Effects due to Ash Fallout from Mt. Etna on Industrial Installations
No full textThe fallout of ash from Mt Etna has caused significant problems to the resident population, road/rail and air traffic and production activities. This work is focused on the study of the potential damage to industrial structures caused by the fallout of volcanic ash and describes the main objectives of a research project aimed at defining the potentially critical scenarios for industrial installations and infrastructures due to eruptions of Mt. Etna. In the first part of this paper, a description of the method used for the analysis of the potential damage to storage tanks due to ash fallout will be given. The second part will provide the results of the application of the method
Potential loading damage to industrial storage tanks due to volcanic ash fallout
No full textThe phenomenon of volcanic fallout ash from Mt. Etna in Sicily (Italy) is well known and frequent in recent years, as in the period 2001–2004. As a consequence, significant problems for the population, road, rail and air traffic and production activities have occurred. The industrial areas of Catania and Augusta-Priolo, located in south eastern Sicily, might be involved during particular weather conditions. This paper aims at determining the potential scenarios of damage to industrial facilities caused by volcanic ash fallout. The work has been focused on the study of both fixed and floating roof storage tanks, containing flammable liquids, and examines extreme failures damage causing the greatest loss of containment for these facilities. To include scenarios arising from natural phenomena (Na-Tech events) in the standard risk assessment procedure, the estimation of the vulnerability of these facilities is necessary. The study has been applied to the area surrounding Mt. Etna, and the procedure can also be extended to other case studies
Essai de biostratigraphie quantitative du Sénonien inférieur du Valle de Losa, bassin basco-cantabrique
No full textThe Losas Formation in the central part of the Basco-Cantabrian Basin has a marly and calcareous nature, with a thickness of 1200 m. or more. It is is dated of lower Coniacian-upper Santonian age. Two composed sections have been studied : fora-minifers and ostracods are the fossil fauna treated. The planktonic foraminifers allow us to recognise the D. concavata Zone and the D. asymetrica Zone. All the studied fauna is characteristic of the shelf, inner westward and outer toward the eastern area. We have choised 20 ostracod species with the greatest biostratigraphical signification, among the 118 ones recognised. Its occurrences or absences in the samples of both sections have been computed after the P2M program (BMDP, Dixon 1981). Type-Q cluster analysis keep on evidence several samples groups related with the lithologie units, or subgroups when nearest samples are considered, both with the choised ostracod species. The study of the structure of a dendrogramme allow us to stablish biostratigraphical units that may be correlated with the planktonic foraminifers ones ; a detailed correlation is stated between both sections when the smallest distances between samples are taken into account.La Formation des Losas, dans la partie centrale du Bassin Basco-Cantabrique, est composée de marnes et de calcaires pouvant atteindre 1200 m d'épaisseur, datée du Coniacien inférieur-Santonien supérieur. Les foraminifères et ostracodes ont été étudiés à partir de deux ensembles de coupes. Les foraminifères plane-toniques permettent de distinguer les zones à D. concavata et D. asymetrica. La faune considérée est caractéristique d'un domaine de plate-forme interne pour l'ouest de la Vallée, et externe pour sa partie est. 20 espèces d'ostracodes ayant une certaine valeur bios-tratigraphique ont été choisis parmi les 118 espèces que nous avons déterminées. Leur présence ou absence dans les échantillons a été computée selon le programme P2M (BMDP, Dixon 1981). L'Analyse de Groupes (Cluster A.) (type-Q) nous permet de reconnaître plusieurs ensembles d'échantillons en relation avec les unités lithologiques, ou bien sous-groupes quand nous considérons des échantillons plus proches, toujours basée sur les espèces d'ostracodes choisies. L'étude de la structure d'un dendogramme permet aussi d'établir des unités biostratigraphiques, qui peuvent être comparées à celles obtenues avec les foraminifères planctoniques ; on peut faire aussi une corrélation détaillée entre les deux ensembles de coupes si l'on considère les minimes distances pour les échantillons analysés dans les dendrogrammes.Rodriguez-Lazaro J.M., Lamolda M.A. Essai de biostratigraphie quantitative du Sénonien inférieur du Valle de Losa, bassin basco-cantabrique. In: Géologie Méditerranéenne. Tome 10, numéro 3-4, 1983. Colloque sur les étages coniaciens à Maastrichtien. Marseille, 26-28 septembre 1983. pp. 155-162
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