La demanda de bienes y servicios para la Corona y la navegación ultramarina en el complejo portuario rioplatense y la dinamización de la economía regional. 1680-1810

El propósito de estas investigaciones es acercarme a la estructura socio-económica del Río de la Plata en el siglo XVIII, enriqueciendo lo conocido en torno al mercado de trabajo regional y qué lo dinamiza. Se observará un sector social poco conocido, un "sector medio" que está entre la elite y los esclavos. Para ello propongo analizar un sector social del mercado de trabajo portuario regional que vivía de la provisión de bienes y servicios para la navegación del servicio real y para el abasto de las tropas asentadas en el Río de la Plata, o en tránsito hacia otros destinos, en el largo siglo XVIII (1680-1810). Los análisis del gasto público han servido para entender la naturaleza del estado, conocer la capacidad de éste para conseguir ingresos fiscales, estudiar las políticas públicas, ver qué aspectos fueron prioritarios para ese estado, las consecuencias que puede traer su distribución, para justificar deudas o nuevos impuestos, conocer desequilibrios presupuestarios, ver las características del régimen político. Sin embargo, en esta tesis, que no analiza la fiscalidad en sí, se utiliza una parte del gasto público como fuente para analizar cómo este gasto en determinados bienes y servicios pudo dinamizar la economía rioplatense y distribuir beneficios entre todos los sectores de la sociedad. Esta perspectiva permite ver el impacto que la satisfacción de estas demandas provocó en la economía y la sociedad rioplatense, pues facilita conocer a los que trabajaron en las mismas en virtud de ese gasto y si lograron algún grado de prosperidad en función del mismo. Propongo, en primer lugar, que la Corona, a través de los gastos que generaba el funcionamiento del aparato burocrático-militar, no fue solamente un agente explotador, sino que fue también generadora de recursos, dinamizadora de la economía local. Una peculiaridad de la región Río de la Plata, como se desprende de los escasos análisis sobre la fiscalidad, es que la corona gasta en ella mucho más de lo que recauda, con lo que la dinamización aludida deriva de la presión extractiva sobre otras sociedades. En segundo lugar, que los sectores sociales, que vivían de proveer las embarcaciones de la navegación ultramarina y las tropas asentadas o en tránsito hacia otros destinos, gozaron en este período de una relativa prosperidad. Ambas demandas fueron constantes a lo largo del período y, en el caso de que una decayera, el mismo sector proveedor seguía abasteciendo el mismo bien y/o servicio a la demanda alternativa. Con respecto a este sector social proveedor de bienes y/o servicios, se intenta pensar en función de los actores involucrados dando respuestas a diversas preguntas: ¿cuántos son?, ¿qué porcentaje representan dentro de la población del complejo portuario rioplatense en diversos momentos?, ¿Son proveedores especializados en un solo bien y/o servicio, o van rotando sus provisiones?; ¿cuál es la periodicidad de sus abastecimientos?; ¿son proveedores directos o son ?intermediarios? entre éstos y los destinatarios de los bienes y/o servicios?; ¿qué incidencia económica tienen sus provisiones dentro de los gastos totales del acontecimiento testigo estudiado? Abordar de modo detallado y sistemático cada uno de los aspectos mencionados a lo largo de más de un siglo resulta una tarea imposible de realizar para una tesis de doctorado. Por ello establecí como estrategia el análisis de casos-testigo de cada una de las esferas económicas dinamizadas por el gasto público que sirven para sostener mis hipótesis generales dado que la historiografía nos muestra que a lo largo del período observado la presencia de la corona española en Río de la Plata no sólo no decayó, sino que se reforzó. Desde la Guerra de la Liga de Augsburgo hasta la crisis del comienzo del siglo XIX, Río de la Plata estuvo presente en todas las guerras de la monarquía, como teatro de operaciones o como frontera que había que reforzar ante posibles ataques. Para concretar el análisis opté por relevar documentación existente en el Archivo General de la Nación de la República Argentina, presentes en sala IX y sala XIII, el Archivo Histórico de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, a través del archivo de Real Audiencia y repositorios de la República Oriental del Uruguay: el Archivo General de la Nación, el ex Archivo y Museo Histórico, el Archivo Judicial, el ex Archivo General Administrativo, la Escribanía de Gobierno y Hacienda y Archivos Particulares. Trabajé con material édito como los Acuerdos del Cabildos de Buenos Aires, los padrones de Montevideo publicados por Apolant así como los de la ciudad y campaña de Buenos Aires (1726-1810), diccionarios biográficos. Las fuentes utilizadas fueron contratos de asientos, cartas y notificaciones de los asentistas, recibos contables de sus negocios, legislación vigente para este tipo de transacciones, protocolos de Marina, registros de protocolizaciones, testamentarías, tasaciones de venta existentes en diferentes repositorios, los registros de navíos. El libro de Caja y el Balance general del Proveedor del sitio a Colonia de Sacramento de 1735-1737, así como los recibos individuales firmados por cada persona a la que éste le pagó el producto o servicio y el Libro de Carenas de las Fragatas-correo. El desarrollo de esta tesis consta del capítulo 1, donde se presenta el Río de la Plata en el siglo XVIII, su espacio y su gente, prestando especial atención a los individuos que vivían de proveer a las tripulaciones de la navegación ultramarina y/o a las tropas asentadas en el Río de la Plata o en tránsito hacia otros destinos. En el capítulo 2, se describen las demandas que dinamizan la economía rioplatense: la navegación ultramarina y las tropas asentadas en el Río de la Plata o en tránsito hacia otros destinos; haciendo una presentación de los distintos bienes y servicios que estas demandas generaron en el complejo portuario rioplatense. Atendemos en esta perspectiva a la división entre los estímulos al mundo de la producción y al área de los servicios. En el capítulo 3 se presenta a los asentistas del complejo portuario rioplatense y a sus estrategias de negociación, divididos en asentistas de Víveres, de Herrería y Cerrajería, de Medicinas simples y compuestas. En el capítulo 4 se describe un caso testigo de los conflictos bélicos como dinamizadores de la economía; allí se detalla el sitio a Colonia del Sacramento de 1735-1737. En el capítulo 5 se detalla un caso concreto de satisfacción de las demandas de la navegación: el carenado y calafateado de las Fragatas-correo en Montevideo entre 1767-1802. Por último, se detallan las conclusiones, la bibliografía total citada y el anexo documental

Determinants of biological activity of nanomaterials in innate immunity cells: the role of aspect ratio, environmental contaminants and protein corona

As defined by the European Union, “ ’Nanomaterial’ (NM) means a natural, incidental or manufactured material containing particles, in an unbound state or as an aggregate or agglomerate, where, for 50 % or more of the particles in the number size distribution, one or more external dimensions is in the size range 1 nm-100 nm ” (2011/696/UE). Given their peculiar physico-chemical features, nanostructured materials are largely used in many industrial fields (e.g. cosmetics, electronics, agriculture, biomedical) and their applications have astonishingly increased in the last fifteen years. Nanostructured materials are endowed with very large specific surface area that, besides making them very useful in many industrial processes, renders them very reactive towards the biological systems and, hence, potentially endowed with significant hazard for human health. For these reasons, in recent years, many studies have been focused on the identification of toxic properties of nanostructured materials, investigating, in particular, the mechanisms behind their toxic effects as well as their determinants of toxicity. This thesis investigates two types of nanostructured TiO2 materials, TiO2 nanoparticles (NP), which are yearly produced in tonnage quantities, and TiO2 nanofibres (NF), a relatively novel nanomaterial. Moreover, several preparations of MultiWalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT), another nanomaterial widely present in many products, are also investigated.- Although many in vitro and in vivo studies have characterized the toxic properties of these materials, the identification of their determinants of toxicity is still incomplete. The aim of this thesis is to identify the structural determinants of toxicity, using several in vitro models. Specific fields of investigation have been a) the role of shape and the aspect ratio in the determination of biological effects of TiO2 nanofibres of different length; b) the synergistic effect of LPS and TiO2 NP on the expression of inflammatory markers and the role played therein by TLR-4; c) the role of functionalization and agglomeration in the biological effects of MWCNT. As far as biological effects elicited by TiO2 NF are concerned, the first part of the thesis demonstrates that long TiO2 nanofibres caused frustrated phagocytosis, cytotoxicity, hemolysis, oxidative stress and epithelial barrier perturbation. All these effects were mitigated by fibre shortening through ball-milling. However, short TiO2 NF exhibited enhanced ability to activate acute pro-inflammatory effects in macrophages, an effect dependent on phagocytosis. Therefore, aspect ratio reduction mitigated toxic effects, while enhanced macrophage activation, likely rendering the NF more prone to phagocytosis. These results suggest that, under in vivo conditions, short NF will be associated with acute inflammatory reaction, but will undergo a relatively rapid clearance, while long NF, although associated with a relatively smaller acute activation of innate immunity cells, are not expected to be removed efficiently and, therefore, may be associated to chronic inflammatory responses. As far as the relationship between the effects of TiO2 NP and LPS, investigated in the second part of the thesis, are concerned, TiO2 NP markedly enhanced macrophage activation by LPS through a TLR-4-dependent intracellular pathway. The adsorption of LPS onto the surface of TiO2 NP led to the formation of a specific bio-corona, suggesting that, when bound to TiO2 NP, LPS exerts a much more powerful pro-inflammatory effect. These data suggest that the inflammatory changes observed upon exposure to TiO2 NP may be due, at least in part, to their capability to bind LPS and, possibly, other TLR agonists, thus enhancing their biological activities. Finally, the last part of the thesis demonstrates that surface functionalization of MWCNT with amino or carboxylic groups mitigates the toxic effects of MWCNT in terms of macrophage activation and capability to perturb epithelial barriers. Interestingly, surface chemistry (in particular surface charge) influenced the protein adsorption onto the MWCNT surface, allowing to the formation of different protein coronae and the tendency to form agglomerates of different size. In particular functionalization a) changed the amount and the type of proteins adsorbed to MWCNT and b) enhanced the tendency of MWCNT to form large agglomerates. These data suggest that the different biological behavior of functionalized and pristine MWCNT may be due, at least in part, to the different tendency to form large agglomerates, which is significantly influenced by their different capability to interact with proteins contained in biological fluids. All together, these data demonstrate that the interaction between physico-chemical properties of nanostructured materials and the environment (cells + biological fluids) in which these materials are present is of pivotal importance for the understanding of the biological effects of NM. In particular, bio-persistence and the capability to elicit an effective inflammatory response are attributable to the interaction between NM and macrophages. However, the interaction NM-cells is heavily influenced by the formation at the nano-bio interface of specific bio-coronae that confer a novel biological identity to the nanostructured materials, setting the basis for their specific biological activities.

Assessment of the impact of discharges from surface water sewers on receiving water quality

A broad based approach has been used to assess the impact of discharges to rivers from surface water sewers, with the primary objective of determining whether such discharges have a measurable impact on water quality. Three parameters, each reflecting the effects of intermittent pollution, were included in a field work programme of biological and chemical sampling and analysis which covered 47 sewer outfall sites. These parameters were the numbers and types of benthic macroinvertebrates upstream and downstream of the outfalls, the concentrations of metals in sediments, and the concentrations of metals in algae upstream and downstream of the outfalls. Information on the sewered catchments was collected from Local Authorities and by observation of the time of sampling, and includes catchment areas, land uses, evidence of connection to the foul system, and receiving water quality classification. The methods used for site selection, sampling, laboratory analysis and data analysis are fully described, and the survey results presented. Statistical and graphical analysis of the biological data, with the aid of BMWP scores, showed that there was a small but persistent fall in water quality downstream of the studied outfalls. Further analysis including the catchment information indicated that initial water quality, sewered catchment size, receiving stream size, and catchment land use were important factors in determining the impact. Finally, the survey results were used to produce guidelines for the estimation of surface water sewer discharge impacts from knowledge of the catchment characteristics, so that planning authorities can consider water quality when new drainage systems are designed.

Clustering epileptiform discharges in the interictal electroencephalogram with topography preserving maps

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

Industrial Discharges of Metals in Kigali, Rwanda, and the Impact on Drinking Water Quality

Rwanda is a landlocked country located in Africa's Central-East Great Lakes region. It has a population of 7.5 million which occupies 26,338 km'. Its population density (285/km') is one of the highest in the world and has prompted fear of a rapid degradation of the ecosystem. There are no central sewer systems in Rwanda. The use of pit latrines and septic tanks is common in urban and rural areas. People still defecate in the fields (World Bank, 1989). Less than half of the urban population is served by a central water supply. The majority of people get their water untreated from rivers that have been polluted by chemicals and human excreta. In and around the capital city of Kigali, there is a concentration of people, farms, and industries which discharge wastewater into the Nyabarongo River and its tributaries. The Nyabarongo River, a tributary of the Nile, empties into the Akagera River which flows into Lake Victoria. Nyabarongo River water is used for drinking water, cooking, bathing, and agriculture in the Kigali area. There has been very little monitoring of the water quality of the Nyabarongo River and of industrial outfalls located on tributaries of the Nyabarongo River. As a first step in understanding the water quality of the Nyabarongo River, wastewater samples were collected in 1993 from industrial outfalls located on tributaries of the Nyabarongo River. Most of the facilities sampled had no wastewater treatment. The impact of these discharges on the water quality of the Nyabarongo River was evaluated.

The Inner Corona Algebra of a C0(X)-Algebra

Date of Acceptance: 15/07/2015

The Inner Corona Algebra of a C0(X)-Algebra

Date of Acceptance: 15/07/2015

La Corona y el control del reconocimiento nobiliario: la actividad del fiscal de la Real Chancillería de Granada a examen. Análisis y documentos

Se analizan y estudian aquí las averiguaciones hechas en 1590 sobre las actuaciones en pleitos de hidalguía de los fiscales de Granada desde 1579 a 1590, así como se edita una colección documental que viene a resumir la misma. Averiguaciones efectuadas por el oidor Benavente de Benavides, estuvieron centradas en el fiscal Diego de Amézaga y están insertas en la Visita de don Juan de Acuña a la Chancillería de Granada. La minuciosidad de esta actuación, su naturaleza netamente jurídica y las consecuencias que tuvo, aportan una nueva visión sobre estos contenciosos que en determinados casos han sido definidos por la historiografía como meros trámites y que sin embargo poseyeron una complejidad y una dureza, en cierto modo, hasta ahora inadvertida.

Evolution of Design Practice at the Iowa State Highway Commission for the Determination of Peak Discharges at Bridges and Culverts, 1971

This paper carries the rather weighty title of "Evolution of Design Practice at the Iowa State Highway Commission for the Determination of Peak Discharges at .Bridges and Culverts." Hopefully, this evolving process will lead to a more precise definition of a peak rate of runoff for a selected recurrence interval at a particular site. In this paper the author will relate where the Highway Commission has been, is now, and will be going in this art of hydrology. He will then offer some examples at a few sites in Iowa to illustrate the use of the various methods. Finally, he will look ahead to some of the pitfalls still lying in wait for us.

Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman: Role in Involuntary Discharges, November 25, 2014

Iowa law requires that a copy of the Notice of an Involuntary Discharge action given to residents of nursing facilities or residential care facilities also be given to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. In addition, the law requires that a copy of the Notice of an Involuntary Transfer/Eviction action given to tenants of an elder group home or assisted living program also be given to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

The storage and dissipation of magnetic energy in the quiet sun corona determined from SDO/HMI magnetograms

In recent years, higher cadence, higher resolution observations have revealed the quiet-Sun photosphere to be complex and rapidly evolving. Since magnetic fields anchored in the photosphere extend up into the solar corona, it is expected that the small-scale coronal magnetic field exhibits similar complexity. For the first time, the quiet-Sun coronal magnetic field is continuously evolved through a series of non-potential, quasi-static equilibria, deduced from magnetograms observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, where the photospheric boundary condition which drives the coronal evolution exactly reproduces the observed magnetograms. The build-up, storage, and dissipation of magnetic energy within the simulations is studied. We find that the free magnetic energy built up and stored within the field is sufficient to explain small-scale, impulsive events such as nanoflares. On comparing with coronal images of the same region, the energy storage and dissipation visually reproduces many of the observed features. The results indicate that the complex small-scale magnetic evolution of a large number of magnetic features is a key element in explaining the nature of the solar corona.

El mecenazgo regio en la corona de Aragón a fines del medioevo

La actividad literaria y su dimensión más pública a través del espectáculo siempre estuvo muy estrechamente ligada al poder real, especialmente durante la Edad Media. Repasamos aquí aquellos escritores que hicieron su obra bajo los auspicios de la corte catalano-aragonesa a fines del siglo xiv, con los últimos reyes de la dinastía autóctona, y durante el siglo xv, bajo la nueva estirpe de los Trastámara: Bernat Metge, Ausiàs March, Joanot Martorell, Pere Miquel Carbonell, y sobre todo aquellas manifestaciones espectaculares que sirvieron como instrumento de exaltación y propaganda de la monarquía reinante, particularmente el despliegue urbano de Entrada Real y los espectáculos palaciegos de Fiesta de Coronación

Effects of organic fertilizers on the vegetative, nutritional, and productive parameters of blueberries ‘Corona’, ‘Legacy’, and ‘Liberty’

Organic farming does not allow using certain inputs, such as N, which differ in nutrient release rates and dynamics. To evaluate the effect of different organic fertilizers on the vegetative, nutritional, and productive parameters of blueberries ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.), a pot experiment was conducted in three consecutive seasons in a sandy soil of south-central Chile using ‘Corona’, ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’. The following fertilizers were evaluated: compost (CM), Purely Grow (PG), Purely Lysine (PL), Fertil (F), blood meal (BM), lupine meal (LM), along with a control treatment without fertilization (C) and two conventional treatments with urea (CF) and sodium nitrate (S). Results indicate that vegetative growth and leaf N concentration prior to senescence were different among cultivars in the three evaluated seasons. The highest leaf N concentration was recorded in ‘Corona’ followed by ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’ while levels tended to increase in the seasons. Quick-release N sources had greater effects on these parameters but with differences among cultivars. Fruit yield and weight were higher in ‘Corona’ followed by ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’. Fruit yield was generally higher when using LM and F and showed no effect on fruit weight. Leaf chlorophyll content was higher in ‘Corona’ followed by ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’, which increased when using CF, LM, BM, and PG. Finally, the organic fertilizer and blueberry cultivar that obtained the highest values for most of the evaluated parameters were LM and Corona, respectively.