Embedding theorems of function classes, I

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The complexity of random ordered structures

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Stability and asymptotic analysis of a fluid-particle interaction model

We are interested in coupled microscopic/macroscopic models describing the evolution of particles dispersed in a fluid. The system consists in a Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation to describe the microscopic motion of the particles coupled to the Euler equations for a compressible fluid. We investigate dissipative quantities, equilibria and their stability properties and the role of external forces. We also study some asymptotic problems, their equilibria and stability and the derivation of macroscopic two-phase models.

Metrics on diagram groups and uniform embeddings in a Hilbert space

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Doctrinas constitucionales y federalismo en España

Tal vez las ideas dominantes no sean exactamente las de las clases dominantes, pero el trabajo parte de la idea de que las ideas dominantes en las clases tienen una gran influencia. Por ello se estudia la versión que se da del federalismo por parte de los autores más influyentes en el derecho público español desde el siglo XIX hasta nuestros días. Se concluye que del rechazo generalizado y del elogio del centralismo, tras la Constitución de 1978 se pasa a proponer el federalismo como la pauta más favorable para la evolución del Estado autonómico. Ahora bien, se propone la versión más centralizadora del federalismo, cual es la del federalismo cooperativo

Transition modes and institutional outcomes in El Salvador and Guatemala

Institutions affect key dimensions of the political process –policy, stability, and conflict. The choice of institutions is thus consequential. I argue that transition modes affect the choice of institutions in predictable and systematic ways. The more balanced power is between the two main bargaining forces –regime elite and opposition– the likelier that the resulting institutions will be pluralistic. Contrarily, the more unbalanced power is in favour of regime elites vis a vis the opposition, the likelier that institutions will be majoritarian. The argument is tested for El Salvador and Guatemala.

Federalismo e forme di governo. L´inopportunità delle differenziazioni di modello

La legge costituzionale 1/1999 per le Regioni ordinarie (e la successiva 2/2001 per le Speciali) ha rappresentato un punto di svolta fondamentale del regionalismo italiano. Essa ha stabilito il principio dell’elezione popolare diretta del Presidente della Regione, a cui si collega un premio di maggioranza nel Consiglio regionale secondo il cosiddetto modello neo-parlamentare. Qualsiasi interruzione del rapporto fiduciario per dimissioni del Presidente o approvazione di una mozione di sfiducia porterebbe a nuove elezioni, cosa che rappresenta un serissimo deterrente alle crisi. La riforma prevedeva anche la possibilità per le Regioni di derogare col proprio Statuto a tali scelte tornando all’elezione consiliare e a sostituzioni della maggioranza. Nonostante alcuni tentativi di sfuggire alla regola del governo di legislatura utilizzando tale deroga in modo esplicito o surrettizio, seguendo vecchi retaggi assemblearisti, l’elezione diretta si è imposta ovunque, garantendo a tutte le Regioni analoghi e inediti standards di governabilità.

Consenso, constitución y partidos políticos: una reflexión crítica 26 años después

Vint-i-sis desprès de la promulgació de la Constitució espanyola, l’autor fa balanç i arriba a un seguit de conclusions. Entre d’altres, que Espanya viu una etapa de clara partitocràcia que, juntament amb el poder desmesurat dels sindicats, lesiona la vida democràtica; que cal reduir la dualitat suposadament legitimadora entre el Parlament i el carrer; i que malgrat les lloances rebudes, la Constitució de 1976 no ha aconseguit una de les funcions essencials de tota constitució: la tasca integradora.

Composition of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Spain: an Input-Output Analysis

Extending the traditional input-output model to account for the environmental impacts of production processes reveals the channels by which environmental burdens are transmitted throughout the economy. In particular, the environmental input-output approach is a useful technique for quantifying the changes in the levels of greenhouse emissions caused by changes in the final demand for production activities. The inputoutput model can also be used to determine the changes in the relative composition of greenhouse gas emissions due to exogenous inflows. In this paper we describe a method for evaluating how the exogenous changes in sectorial demand, such as changes in private consumption, public consumption, investment and exports, affect the relative contribution of the six major greenhouse gases regulated by the Kyoto Protocol to total greenhouse emissions. The empirical application is for Spain, and the economic and environmental data are for the year 2000. Our results show that there are significant differences in the effects of different sectors on the composition of greenhouse emissions. Therefore, the final impact on the relative contribution of pollutants will basically depend on the activity that receives the exogenous shock in final demand, because there are considerable differences in the way, and the extent to which, individual activities affect the relative composition of greenhouse gas emissions. Keywords: Greenhouse emissions, composition of emissions, sectorial demand, exogenous shock.

A Rembrandt is a Rembrandt

As paintings are assets, we propose to model a painting's price dynamics as a diffusion process, i.e., as the financial literature models share prices, but correcting by size. We show that the influence of size on the artwork price diminishes as the paintings gets older because 1) prices incorporate progressively more noise and 2) for high quality artists, the relative importance of size on price decreases as the artist consolidates and authorship gains importance as explanatory variable. Our theoretical results are consistent with data from a sample of 19th- and 20th-century Catalan painters of similar quality. These findings suggest that an artist's quality and antiquity should be taken into account in order to obtain more efficient estimates of parameters in hedonic art market models.

External sources of innovation and industry-university interaction:evidence from Spanish firms

This paper is about the firm innovation process and the cooperation of the innovative firms with other firms and public institutions. A special attention is paid to the cooperation with universities. We use the Technological Innovation Survey (TIS) from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain) in order to obtain data for 4,159 innovative firms. Our results show that firm's cooperation activities are closely linked to the characteristics of the industry and the firm as well as to the origin of public funds for R&D activities. Key words: Innovation, universities, Spanish economy. JEL code: O31, I20, L60

A note on Spatial Autocorrelation at a Local Level

In this paper we analyze the existence of spatial autocorrelation at a local level in Catalonia using variables such as urbanisation economies, population density, human capital and firm entries. From a static approach, our results show that spatial autocorrelation is weak and diminishes as the distance between municipalities increases. From a dynamic approach, however, spatial autocorrelation increased over the period we analysed. These results are important from a policy point of view, since it is essential to know how economic activities are spatially concentrated or disseminated. Key words: spatial autocorrelation, municipalities. JEL classification: R110, R120

Security prices and market transparency: the role of prior information

This paper analyzes the role of traders' priors (proper versus improper) on the implications of market transparency by comparing a pre-trade transparent market with an opaque market in a set-up based on Madhavan (1996). We show that prices may be more informative in the opaque market, regardless of how priors are modelled. In contrast, the comparison of market liquidity and volatility in the two market structures are affected by prior specification. Key words: Market microstructure, Transparency, Prior information

Ecological and Economic Impacts within the Environmental Input-Output Framework

The environmental input-output approach reveals the channels through which the environmental burdens of production activities are transmitted throughout the economy. This paper uses the input-output framework and analyses the changes in Spanish emission multipliers during the period 1995-2000. By decomposing the global changes in multipliers into different components, it is possible to evaluate separately the economic and ecological impacts captured by the environmental input-output model. Specifically, in this study we distinguish between the effects on multipliers caused by changes in emission coefficients (the ecological impacts) and the effects on multipliers caused by changes in technical coefficients (the economic impacts). Our results show a significant improvement in the ecological impacts of production activities, which contributed negatively to changes in emission multipliers. They also show a deterioration in the economic impacts, which contributed positively to changes in emission multipliers. Together, these two effects lead to a small reduction in global multipliers during the period of analysis. Our results also show significant differences in the individual behaviour of different sectors in terms of their contribution to multiplier changes. Since there are considerable differences in the way individual sectors affect the changes in emission levels, and in the intensity of these effects, this means that the final effects will basically depend on the activity considered. Keywords: emission multipliers, multipliers' changes, ecological impacts, economic impacts.

Memòria del plantejament del projecte PADICAT (Patrimoni Digital de Catalunya)

El projecte PADICAT té l'objectiu de dissenyar i produir un sistema que permeti a la Biblioteca de Catalunya compilar, processar i donar accés permanent a la producció digital catalana. En alguns països s'anomena "dipòsits digitals nacionals" a projectes similars, essent els més coneguts el gegant Internet Archive, l'australià Pandora o el suec Kulturarw3. D'acord amb la tendència generalitzada arreu de les biblioteques nacionals, el model de dipòsit que persegueix la Biblioteca de Catalunya és el sistema híbrid, consistent a: - Compilar massivament els recursos digitals publicats en obert a Internet - Impulsar el dipòsit sistemàtic de la producció web dels agents implicats a Catalunya - Promoure línies de recerca per mitjà de la integració dels recursos digitals de determinats esdeveniments de la vida pública catalana. L'any 2005 ha representat el període de planificació i proves del projecte que lidera la Biblioteca de Catalunya, que té previst sistematitzar el dipòsit digital de la producció web catalana en el període 2006-2008. La Memòria del plantejament del projecte PADICAT presenta el recull d'informes tècnics generats per la Biblioteca de Catalunya durant aquesta fase de planificació i proves. El projecte PADICAT compta amb la col·laboració del CESCA (Centre de Supercomputació de Catalunya) i el DURSI (Departament d'Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació de la Generalitat de Catalunya).