The Relationship between Risk and Expected Return in Europe

Revised: 2006-07

¿Es tan perjudicial la televisión que ven los jóvenes y adolescentes?

[Es] En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de un estudio piloto realizado en la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco con una muestra de sujetos con edades comprendidas entre 12 y 40 años. Dentro de una investigación más amplia donde se pretende relacionar la dieta televisiva y los valores implícitos y explícitos que se perciben en los contenidos televisivos, se exponen algunas diferencias y semejanzas respecto a los hábitos y dieta televisiva de los diferentes grupos de edad. Los datos encontrados nos permiten concluir que los programas más visionados no son los más perniciosos para adolescentes y jóvenes, ni tampoco que el visionado de la televisión impida el desarrollo de otro tipo de actividades.

Student Engagement in the School: Interpersonal and Inter-Center Differences

Traducido al castellano e inglés

Candida albicans Increases Tumor Cell Adhesion to Endothelial Cells In Vitro: Intraspecific Differences and Importance of the Mannose Receptor

The dimorphic fungus Candida albicans is able to trigger a cytokine-mediated pro-inflammatory response that increases tumor cell adhesion to hepatic endothelium and metastasis. To check the intraspecific differences in this effect, we used an in vitro murine model of hepatic response against C. albicans, which made clear that tumor cells adhered more to endothelium incubated with blastoconidia, both live and killed, than germ tubes. This finding was related to the higher carbohydrate/protein ratio found in blastoconidia. In fact, destruction of mannose ligand residues on the cell surface by metaperiodate treatment significantly reduced tumor cell adhesion induced. Moreover, we also noticed that the effect of clinical strains was greater than that of the reference one. This finding could not be explained by the carbohydrate/protein data, but to explain these differences between strains, we analyzed the expression level of ten genes (ADH1, APE3, IDH2, ENO1, FBA1, ILV5, PDI1, PGK1, QCR2 and TUF1) that code for the proteins identified previously in a mannoprotein-enriched pro-metastatic fraction of C. albicans. The results corroborated that their expression was higher in clinical strains than the reference one. To confirm the importance of the mannoprotein fraction, we also demonstrate that blocking the mannose receptor decreases the effect of C. albicans and its mannoproteins, inhibiting IL-18 synthesis and tumor cell adhesion increase by around 60%. These findings could be the first step towards a new treatment for solid organ cancers based on the role of the mannose receptor in C. albicans-induced tumor progression and metastasis.

Expected Fair Allocation in Farsighted Network Formation

I consider cooperation situations where players have network relations. Networks evolve according to a stationary transition probability matrix and at each moment in time players receive payoffs from a stationary allocation rule. Players discount the future by a common factor. The pair formed by an allocation rule and a transition probability matrix is called expected fair if for every link in the network both participants gain, marginally, and in discounted, expected terms, the same from it; and it is called a pairwise network formation procedure if the probability that a link is created (or eliminated) is positive if the discounted, expected gains to its two participants are positive too. The main result is the existence, for the discount factor small enough, of an expected fair and pairwise network formation procedure where the allocation rule is component balanced, meaning it distributes the total value of any maximal connected subnetwork among its participants. This existence result holds for all discount factors when the pairwise network formation procedure is restricted. I finally provide some comparison with previous models of farsighted network formation.

Role of G protein coupled inwardly rectifier K+ channels (GIRK) on the neurobiology depression

353 págs.

Comparison of marketing policies applied by the same company in different countries and analysis of the reasons for the differences

The focus of this project is going to be, as the title indicates, on the comparison of marketing policies applied by the same company in different countries and analysis of the reasons for the differences. In order to do that, I have selected the company Nestlé to analyze the marketing decisions it makes across national boundaries to market the brand of Kit Kat and keep it as a leader snack worldwide. After having analyzed the brand in all continents, I can say the execution of the strategy used by Nestlé with Kit Kat really matches the planning of the strategy which is to think globally and act locally. Nestlé uses global brand identity but, from the internal point of view, it uses local ingredients and gives autonomy to its local branches based in different countries to make pricing and distributions decisions and therefore satisfy different consumers’ needs and preferences in local environments where changes happen very rapidly. The “glocal” approach to marketing is an effective way for Nestlé Kit Kat to stay focused on the consumer in worldwide markets.

International communication strategy followed by Ikea : analysis of campaigns in different countries, features and possible justifications of the differences

International communication strategy followed by Ikea analysis of campaigns in different countries, features and possible justifications of the differerences.

Analysis of the differences between the rates of inflation associated with two aggregate price level: The case of the euro area and the United States

Idioma: Inglés Abstract: This project focuses on two indicators of prices, the GDP deflator and the consumer price index (CPI), and analyzes the differences and similarities they present. These price indexes have been chosen taking into account its great representativeness and importance to economic and social level, and its direct relationship to the overall functioning of the economy and, in particular, inflation. It should be also mentioned that this study was conducted for cases of the euro area and the United States, as the impact of these economies in the economic and social situation at international level is very significant.

Analysis of multivariate stochastic signals sampled by on-line particle analyzers: Application to the quantitative assessment of occupational exposure to NOAA in multisource industrial scenarios (MSIS)

In multisource industrial scenarios (MSIS) coexist NOAA generating activities with other productive sources of airborne particles, such as parallel processes of manufacturing or electrical and diesel machinery. A distinctive characteristic of MSIS is the spatially complex distribution of aerosol sources, as well as their potential differences in dynamics, due to the feasibility of multi-task configuration at a given time. Thus, the background signal is expected to challenge the aerosol analyzers at a probably wide range of concentrations and size distributions, depending of the multisource configuration at a given time. Monitoring and prediction by using statistical analysis of time series captured by on-line particle analyzers in industrial scenarios, have been proven to be feasible in predicting PNC evolution provided a given quality of net signals (difference between signal at source and background). However the analysis and modelling of non-consistent time series, influenced by low levels of SNR (Signal-Noise Ratio) could build a misleading basis for decision making. In this context, this work explores the use of stochastic models based on ARIMA methodology to monitor and predict exposure values (PNC). The study was carried out in a MSIS where an case study focused on the manufacture of perforated tablets of nano-TiO2 by cold pressing was performed

Occupational exposure to nano-TiO2 in the life cycle steps of new depollutant mortars used in construction

The present work is focused on the measurement of workers exposure to nano-TiO2 in the life cycle steps of depollutant mortars. It has been done in the framework of the SCAFFOLD project, which aims at the management of potential risks arising from the use of manufactured nanomaterials in construction. Main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) The occupational exposure to nano-TiO2 is below 0.3 mg/m(3) for all measured scenarios. The highest concentrations were measured during the cleaning task (in the nano-TiO2 manufacturing process) and during the application (spraying) of depollutant coatings on a wall. (2) It was found a high release of particles above the background in several tasks as expected due to the nature of the activities performed. The maximum concentration was measured during drilling and during adding powder materials (mean total particle concentration up to 5.591E+04 particles/cm(3) and 5.69E+04 particles/cm(3)). However, considering data on total particle concentration released, no striking differences have been observed when tasks have been performed using conventional materials in the sector (control) and when using materials doped with nano-objects.