A citation analysis of Catalan literary studies (1974-2003): towards a bibliometrics of humanities studies in minority languages

A citation analysis was carried out on the most important research journals in the field of Catalan literature between 1974 and 2003. The indicators and qualitative parameters obtained show the value of performing citation analysis in cultural and linguistic areas that are poorly covered by the A&HCI. Catalan literature shows a similar pattern to that of humanities in general, but it could still be in a stage of consolidation because too little work has as yet been published.

Factor shares, the price markup, and the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor

[spa] La participación del trabajo en la renta nacional es constante bajo los supuestos de una función de producción Cobb-Douglas y competencia perfecta. En este artículo se relajan estos supuestos y se investiga si el comportamiento no constante de la participación del trabajo en la renta nacional se explica por (i) una elasticidad de sustitución entre capital y trabajo no unitaria y (ii) competencia no perfecta en el mercado de producto. Nos centramos en España y los U.S. y estimamos una función de producción con elasticidad de sustitución constante y competencia imperfecta en el mercado de producto. El grado de competencia imperfecta se mide a través del cálculo del price markup basado en laaproximación dual. Mostramos que la elasticidad de sustitución es mayor que uno en España y menor que uno en los US. También mostramos que el price markup aleja la elasticidad de sustitución de uno, lo aumenta en España, lo reduce en los U.S. Estos resultados se utilizan para explicar la senda decreciente de la participación del trabajo en la renta nacional, común a ambas economías, y sus contrastadas sendas de capital.

Regular population monotonic allocation schemes and the core

A subclass of games with population monotonic allocation schemes is studied, namelygames with regular population monotonic allocation schemes (rpmas). We focus on theproperties of these games and we prove the coincidence between the core and both theDavis-Maschler bargaining set and the Mas-Colell bargaining set

Regular wave propagation out of noise in chemical active media

A pacemaker, regularly emitting chemical waves, is created out of noise when an excitable photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky medium, strictly unable to autonomously initiate autowaves, is forced with a spatiotemporal patterned random illumination. These experimental observations are also reproduced numerically by using a set of reaction-diffusion equations for an activator-inhibitor model, and further analytically interpreted in terms of genuine coupling effects arising from parametric fluctuations. Within the same framework we also address situations of noise-sustained propagation in subexcitable media.

Regular population monotonic allocation schemes and the core

A subclass of games with population monotonic allocation schemes is studied, namelygames with regular population monotonic allocation schemes (rpmas). We focus on theproperties of these games and we prove the coincidence between the core and both theDavis-Maschler bargaining set and the Mas-Colell bargaining set

Regular wave propagation out of noise in chemical active media

A pacemaker, regularly emitting chemical waves, is created out of noise when an excitable photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky medium, strictly unable to autonomously initiate autowaves, is forced with a spatiotemporal patterned random illumination. These experimental observations are also reproduced numerically by using a set of reaction-diffusion equations for an activator-inhibitor model, and further analytically interpreted in terms of genuine coupling effects arising from parametric fluctuations. Within the same framework we also address situations of noise-sustained propagation in subexcitable media.

Factor shares, the price markup, and the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor

[spa] La participación del trabajo en la renta nacional es constante bajo los supuestos de una función de producción Cobb-Douglas y competencia perfecta. En este artículo se relajan estos supuestos y se investiga si el comportamiento no constante de la participación del trabajo en la renta nacional se explica por (i) una elasticidad de sustitución entre capital y trabajo no unitaria y (ii) competencia no perfecta en el mercado de producto. Nos centramos en España y los U.S. y estimamos una función de producción con elasticidad de sustitución constante y competencia imperfecta en el mercado de producto. El grado de competencia imperfecta se mide a través del cálculo del price markup basado en laaproximación dual. Mostramos que la elasticidad de sustitución es mayor que uno en España y menor que uno en los US. También mostramos que el price markup aleja la elasticidad de sustitución de uno, lo aumenta en España, lo reduce en los U.S. Estos resultados se utilizan para explicar la senda decreciente de la participación del trabajo en la renta nacional, común a ambas economías, y sus contrastadas sendas de capital.

Central configurations of nested rotated regular tetrahedra

In this paper we prove that there are only two different classes of central configura- tions with convenient masses located at the vertices of two nested regular tetrahedra: either when one of the tetrahedra is a homothecy of the other one, or when one of the tetrahedra is a homothecy followed by a rotation of Euler angles = = 0 and = of the other one. We also analyze the central configurations with convenient masses located at the vertices of three nested regular tetrahedra when one them is a homothecy of the other one, and the third one is a homothecy followed by a rotation of Euler angles = = 0 and = of the other two. In all these cases we have assumed that the masses on each tetrahedron are equal but masses on different tetrahedra could be different.

Central configurations of nested regular polyhedra for the spatial 2n–body problem

We consider 2n masses located at the vertices of two nested regular polyhedra with the same number of vertices. Assuming that the masses in each polyhedron are equal, we prove that for each ratio of the masses of the inner and the outer polyhedron there exists a unique ratio of the length of the edges of the inner and the outer polyhedron such that the configuration is central.

Central configurations of three nested regular polyhedra for the spatial 3n–body problem

Three regular polyhedra are called nested if they have the same number of vertices n, the same center and the positions of the vertices of the inner polyhedron ri, the ones of the medium polyhedron Ri and the ones of the outer polyhedron Ri satisfy the relation Ri = ri and Ri = Rri for some scale factors R > > 1 and for all i = 1, . . . , n. We consider 3n masses located at the vertices of three nested regular polyhedra. We assume that the masses of the inner polyhedron are equal to m1, the masses of the medium one are equal to m2, and the masses of the outer one are equal to m3. We prove that if the ratios of the masses m2/m1 and m3/m1 and the scale factors and R satisfy two convenient relations, then this configuration is central for the 3n–body problem. Moreover there is some numerical evidence that, first, fixed two values of the ratios m2/m1 and m3/m1, the 3n–body problem has a unique central configuration of this type; and second that the number of nested regular polyhedra with the same number of vertices forming a central configuration for convenient masses and sizes is arbitrary.

Efficiency of informational transfer in regular and complex networks

We analyze the process of informational exchange through complex networks by measuring network efficiencies. Aiming to study nonclustered systems, we propose a modification of this measure on the local level. We apply this method to an extension of the class of small worlds that includes declustered networks and show that they are locally quite efficient, although their clustering coefficient is practically zero. Unweighted systems with small-world and scale-free topologies are shown to be both globally and locally efficient. Our method is also applied to characterize weighted networks. In particular we examine the properties of underground transportation systems of Madrid and Barcelona and reinterpret the results obtained for the Boston subway network.

Microvariation in the languages of the Iberian Peninsula

This issue of the Catalan Journal of Linguistics was conceived with the idea to promote comparative studies of the languages spoken in the Iberian Peninsula. The importance of comparison in linguistics dates back to neogrammarians in the xix century due to their interest of discovering the common roots of most of the languages spoken in Europe. In order to get to that objective, comparison of phonological patterns were crucial to retrieve the common Indo-European origins

Via-configurable transistor array: a regular design technique to improve ICs yield

Process variations are a major bottleneck for digital CMOS integrated circuits manufacturability and yield. That iswhy regular techniques with different degrees of regularity are emerging as possible solutions. Our proposal is a new regular layout design technique called Via-Configurable Transistors Array (VCTA) that pushes to the limit circuit layout regularity for devices and interconnects in order to maximize regularity benefits. VCTA is predicted to perform worse than the Standard Cell approach designs for a certain technology node but it will allow the use of a future technology on an earlier time. Ourobjective is to optimize VCTA for it to be comparable to the Standard Cell design in an older technology. Simulations for the first unoptimized version of our VCTA of delay and energy consumption for a Full Adder circuit in the 90 nm technology node are presented and also the extrapolation for Carry-RippleAdders from 4 bits to 64 bits.

Controlling the spin of metal atoms adsorbed on oxide surfaces: Ni on regular and defective sites of the MgO(001) surface

We have analyzed the relative energy of nonmagnetic and magnetic low-lying electronic states of Ni atoms adsorbed on regular and defective sites of the MgO(001) surface. To this end cluster and periodic surface models are used within density functional theory. For Ni atoms adsorbed on oxygen vacancies at low coverage, the interaction energy between the metal and the support is much larger than on regular sites. Strong bonding results in a diamagnetic adsorbed species and the energy required to reach the high-spin state increases. Moreover, a correlation appears between the low-spin to high-spin energy difference and the interaction energy hypothesizing that it is possible to prepare the surface to tune the high-spin to low-spin energy difference. Magnetic properties of adsorbed thin films obtained upon increasing coverage are more difficult to interpret. This is because the metallic bond is readily formed and dominates over the effect of the atoms directly bound to the vacancy.

English as a medium of instruction in teaching other languages: attitudes and practices

Internationalisation of HE and emergence of English as a global academic lingua franca used by people who share neither a common native tongue nor cultural and educational background have not only offered more opportunities but also raised challenges. According to recent European surveys, the percentage of pupils attaining the level of independent user in English varies from 14% to 82%, which evidences the potential and the complexity for English as a medium of instruction at tertiary level. This study aims to present the model of foreign language instruction at Vytautas Magnus University where one third of 30 languages are taught through English. It investigates the attitudes and practices of teachers in delivering their English-medium language courses by discussing the questions whether teaching other languages through English is psychologically, culturally and educationally preferable for teachers and students, whether it can limit the content taught and require a special methodology, how the teaching process changes with multiple languages used in the classroom and what level of English is necessary for teachers and students to ensure high quality of English-medium language teaching. The study is based on qualitative methodology with 12 language teachers participating as respondents. The results reveal areas in need of improvement.