Sequencing lifeline repairs after an earthquake: an economic approach

Recoveries after recent earthquakes in the U.S. and Japan have shown that large welfare gains can be achieved by reshaping current emergency plans as incentive-compatible contracts. We apply tools from the mechanisms design literature to show ways to integrate economic incentives into the management of natural disasters and discuss issues related to the application to seismic event recovery. The focus is on restoring lifeline services such as the water, gas, transportation, and electric power networks. We put forward decisional procedures that an uninformed planner could employ to set repair priorities and help to coordinate lifeline firms in the post-earthquake reconstruction.

Post-market environmental monitoring of Bt maize in Spain: Non-target effects of varieties derived from the event MON810 on predatory fauna

The Spanish Government has established post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) as mandatory for genetically modified (GM) crop varieties cultivated in Spain. In order to comply with this regulation, effects of Bt maize varieties derived from the event MON810 on the predatory fauna were monitored for two years in northeast and central Spain. The study was carried out with a randomized block design in maize fields of 3-4 ha on which the abundance of plant-dwelling predators and the activity-density of soil-dwelling predators in Bt vs. non-Bt near-isogenic varieties were compared. To this end, the plots were sampled by visual inspection of a certain number of plants and pitfall traps 6 or 7 times throughout two seasons. No significant differences in predator densities on plants were found between Bt and non-Bt varieties. In the pitfall traps, significant differences between the two types of maize were found only in Staphylinidae, in which trap catches in non-Bt maize were higher than in Bt maize in central Spain. Based on the statistical power of the assays, surrogate arthropods for PMEM purposes are proposed; Orius spp. and Araneae for visual sampling and Carabidae, Araneae, and Staphylinidae for pitfall trapping. The other predator groups recorded in the study, Nabis sp. and Coccinellidae in visual sampling and Dermaptera in pitfall trapping, gave very poor power results. To help to establish a standardized protocol for PMEM of genetically modified crops, the effect-detecting capacity with a power of 0.8 of each predator group is given.

The relevance of post-match LTC: why has the Spanish labor market become as volatile as the US one?

We present a Search and Matching model with heterogeneous workers (entrants and incumbents) that replicates the stylized facts characterizing the US and the Spanish labor markets. Under this benchmark, we find the Post-Match Labor Turnover Costs (PMLTC) to be the centerpiece to explain why the Spanish labor market is as volatile as the US one. The two driving forces governing this volatility are the gaps between entrants and incumbents in terms of separation costs and productivity. We use the model to analyze the cyclical implications of changes in labor market institutions affecting these two gaps. The scenario with a low degree of workers’ heterogeneity illustrates its suitability to understand why the Spanish labor market has become as volatile as the US one.

Efectes de la post-descàrrega del plasma en teixits de llana i poliamida6

Els teixits de llana presenten l’inconvenient de feltrar (encongir) degut a la presència d’escates i a les característiques hidrofòbiques de la seva superfície. Els tractaments amb plasma (gas ionitzat) són una alternativa ecològica als tractaments tradicionals d’anti feltratge de la llana. També són una innovació en el camp de les fibres sintètiques ja que incrementen la hidrofìlia i/o la rugositat. Malgrat les seves avantatges, l’elevat cost de la maquinària de plasma de baixa temperatura existent per a la indústria tèxtil ha frenat la seva aplicació. Basant-se en estudis preliminars, s’ha avaluat l’efecte de la post-descàrrega del plasma sobre l’encongiment dels teixits de llana, així com els seus efectes en la modificació de la morfologia superficial de llana i poliamida 6.

The generic Hanna Neumann conjecture and post correspondence problem

"Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document del fitxer adjunt."

Productive efficiency and regulatory reform: The case of vehicle inspection services

Measuring productive efficiency provides information on the likely effects of regulatory reform. We present a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) of a sample of 38 vehicle inspection units under a concession regime, between the years 2000 and 2004. The differences in efficiency scores show the potential technical efficiency benefit of introducing some form of incentive regulation or of progressing towards liberalization. We also compute scale efficiency scores, showing that only units in territories with very low population density operate at a sub-optimal scale. Among those that operate at an optimal scale, there are significant differences in size; the largest ones operate in territories with the highest population density. This suggests that the introduction of new units in the most densely populated territories (a likely effect of some form of liberalization) would not be detrimental in terms of scale efficiency. We also find that inspection units belonging to a large, diversified firm show higher technical efficiency, reflecting economies of scale or scope at the firm level. Finally, we show that between 2002 and 2004, a period of high regulatory uncertainty in the sample’s region, technical change was almost zero. Regulatory reform should take due account of scale and diversification effects, while at the same time avoiding regulatory uncertainty.

Emissions distribution in post-Kyoto international negotiations: a policy

An abundant scientific literature about climate change economics points out that the future participation of developing countries in international environmental policies will depend on their amount of pay offs inside and outside specific agreements. These studies are aimed at analyzing coalitions stability typically through a game theoretical approach. Though these contributions represent a corner stone in the research field investigating future plausible international coalitions and the reasons behind the difficulties incurred over time to implement emissions stabilizing actions, they cannot disentangle satisfactorily the role that equality play in inducing poor regions to tackle global warming. If we focus on the Stern Review findings stressing that climate change will generate heavy damages and policy actions will be costly in a finite time horizon, we understand why there is a great incentive to free ride in order to exploit benefits from emissions reduction efforts of others. The reluctance of poor countries in joining international agreements is mainly supported by historical responsibility of rich regions in generating atmospheric carbon concentration, whereas rich countries claim that emissions stabilizing policies will be effective only when developing countries will join them.Scholars recently outline that a perceived fairness in the distribution of emissions would facilitate a wide spread participation in international agreements. In this paper we overview the literature about distributional aspects of emissions by focusing on those contributions investigating past trends of emissions distribution through empirical data and future trajectories through simulations obtained by integrated assessment models. We will explain methodologies used to elaborate data and the link between real data and those coming from simulations. Results from this strand of research will be interpreted in order to discuss future negotiations for post Kyoto agreements that will be the focus of the next. Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. A particular attention will be devoted to the role that technological change will play in affecting the distribution of emissions over time and to how spillovers and experience diffusion could influence equality issues and future outcomes of policy negotiations.

Implementación de aplicaciones y herramientas de post-procesamiento de imágenes médicas vía web

Con la creciente generación de resonancias magnéticas, los servicios de radiología necesitan aplicaciones que les faciliten el trabajo de acceso remoto a los datos y a las herramientas que utilicen para la extracción de datos para realizar sus diagnósticos. El objetivo de este proyecto es el de estudiar e integrar en la plataforma web del grupo de Imagen Médica del PIC llamada PICNIC (PIC NeuroImaging Center) un conjunto de aplicaciones para el estudio y procesamiento de neuroimagen con la implementación de herramientas software en la plataforma grid del PIC.

La Primavera Àrab, primera gran crisi de l’acció exterior Post-Lisboa: la visibilitat, l’eficàcia i la coherència del nou marc institucional a prova

La reforma de Lisboa va establir un nou marc institucional en l'àmbit l'Acció Exterior de la Unió Europea. Un nou marc que ha de permetre a la UE consolidar-se com a actor global en el nou panorama internacional. S'espera que els canvis de Lisboa corregeixin algunes de les deficiències que la política exterior europea havia mostrat en crisis anteriors, mancances de visibilitat, eficàcia i coherència. Un any després de la seva entrada en vigor, les revoltes dels països àrabs durant la primavera de 2011 són la primera gran crisi que l'Acció Exterior post-Lisboa ha d'afrontar i l'oportunitat per avaluar si s'ha aconseguit corregir aquestes mancances del passat.

Análisis de supervivencia post-trasplante hepático por Cirrosis post-hepatitis C en pacientes coinfectados VIH/VHC, en comparación con monoinfectados por VHC.

La TARGA (terapia antirretroviral de gran activitat) ha camviat el pronóstic dels pacients infectats pel VIH. Actualment la cirrosi per VHC y el hepatocarcinoma son les principales causes de mort. El trasplantament hepátic (TH) es una indicació recent en aquests pacients. Objectius: Comparar la supervivència post-TH en pacients coinfectats VHC/VIH front a monoinfectats VHC. Conclusions: Els resultats preliminars en el nostre centre son inferiors en pacients coinfectats en comparació amb els controls, que podría ser degut a contraindicacions para el tractament antiviral i a una menor eficacia del mateix.

Agile onboard : post-its virtuals

Agile onBoard és una aplicació basada en la idea d’un sistema de post-its virtuals per grups de treball d'una empresa que facin ús d'Scrum, amb la finalitat de veure fàcilment les tasques per projecte, la seva assignació de personal y el seu estat. A més a més, Agile onBoard ofereix possibilitats addicionals per l’usuari tals la personalització d'estats, creació de projectes o limitació de projectes per grups. És una aplicació senzilla d’utilitzar, i que no incorpora un seguit d’opcions i requisits que presenten altres alternatives que no fan més que dificultar i entorpir el senzill i directe procés d'escriure un post-it i penjar-lo a la pissarra tal i com es fa en un entorn real. L’aplicació està dissenyada seguint una estructura jeràrquica que defineix els permisos i les opcions que són accessibles a cada tipus d’usuari, per tal d’oferir una eina útil per tot tipus de projectes.

Valoración de la impedancia miocárdica transesofágica como técnica diagnóstica de rechazo cardíaco post-trasplante

L'objectiu del present estudi va ser desenvolupar una nova tècnica d'impedància miocàrdica transesofàgica (IMT) i valorar la seva utilitat en el diagnòstic de rebuig cardíac post-trasplantament. Es va mesurar la IMT prèviament a la realització de les biòpsies endomiocàrdiques (BEM) a 19 pacients trasplantats de cor, un 10% de les BEM realitzades van presentar rebuig grau 3A. Els pacients van catalogar la mesura de IMT de 8'9 vegades més còmoda i 9,1 vegada menys molesta que la BEM. En la present sèrie, no es van observar diferències significatives entre els valors de IMT en funció de la presència o no de rebuig