Social Security, Education, Retirement and Growth

In this paper we analyze the effects of social security policies in an unfunded, earnings-related social security system on the incentives to education investment and voluntary retirement, on growth and on income inequality. Growth is endogenously driven by human capital investment, individuals differ in their innate (learning) ability at birth, and the pension scheme includes a minimum pension. More skilled individuals spend more on education, minimum pensions reduce low skill individuals' incentives to invest in human capital, there is no monotonic relationship between per capita growth and income inequality.

Study and comparison of four forest structures on Mt. Chortiatis (northern Greece)

EL proyecto estudia y analiza la estructura de cuatro bosques en el monte Chortiatis, Grecia.

Distribution of Healthcare resources II.Study and Comparison of a Linear Programming Problem and its Dual. Resolution and Evaluation of a Practical Case and its Programming using Excel and Win QSB.

[EN]This research had as primary objective to model different types of problems using linear programming and apply different methods so as to find an adequate solution to them. To achieve this objective, a linear programming problem and its dual were studied and compared. For that, linear programming techniques were provided and an introduction of the duality theory was given, analyzing the dual problem and the duality theorems. Then, a general economic interpretation was given and different optimal dual variables like shadow prices were studied through the next practical case: An aesthetic surgery hospital wanted to organize its monthly waiting list of four types of surgeries to maximize its daily income. To solve this practical case, we modelled the linear programming problem following the relationships between the primal problem and its dual. Additionally, we solved the dual problem graphically, and then we found the optimal solution of the practical case posed through its dual, following the different theorems of the duality theory. Moreover, how Complementary Slackness can help to solve linear programming problems was studied. To facilitate the solution Solver application of Excel and Win QSB programme were used.

Dispersion of gamma-Alumina Nano-Sized Spherical Particles in a Calamitic Liquid Crystal. Study and Optimization of the Confinement Effects

We report an experimental study on confined systems formed by butyloxybenzylidene octylaniline liquid crystal (4O.8) + gamma-alumina nanoparticles. The effects of the confinement in the thermal and dielectric properties of the liquid crystal under different densities of nanoparticles is analyzed by means of high resolution Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. First, a drastic depression of the N-I and SmA-N transition temperatures is observed with confinement, the more concentration of nanoparticles the deeper this depression is, driving the nematic range closer to the room temperature. An interesting experimental law is found for both transition temperatures. Second, the change in shape of the heat capacity peaks is quantified by means of the full width half maximum (FWHM). Third, the confinement does not noticeably affect the molecular dynamics. Finally, the combination of nanoparticles and the external applied electric field tends to favor the alignment of the molecules in metallic cells. All these results indicate that the confinement of liquid crystals by means of gamma-alumina nanoparticles could be optimum for liquid crystal-based electrooptic devices.