Stochastic dominance and absolute risk aversion

In this paper we propose the infimum of the Arrow-Pratt index of absolute risk aversion as a measure of global risk aversion of a utility function. We then show that, for any given arbitrary pair of distributions, there exists a threshold level of global risk aversion such that all increasing concave utility functions with at least as much global risk aversion would rank the two distributions in the same way. Furthermore, this threshold level is sharp in the sense that, for any lower level of global risk aversion, we can find two utility functions in this class yielding opposite preference relations for the two distributions.

La Participació del psicomotricista en el joc de l'infant

This study presents a research about the participation of psicomotricist in the play with children to find out what kind of conditions improve the development of their capacitys of relathionship. The research has four parts: 1) A teoretical revision about the terms of game, social participation and relathionship; 2) A case study based on different interviews with experts, psicomotricists and the observed psicomotricist and 4 deep observations 3) The categories of analysis from the triangulation of teoretical and case study sources of information; 4) Discussion and conclusions about general actuations of the psicomotricist, about specifical actuations with the children and about psicomotricist’s believes.

Petrol consumption and redistributive effects of its taxation in Spain

The objective of this paper is to estimate a petrol consumption function for Spain and to evaluate the redistributive effects of petrol taxation. We use micro data from the Spanish Household Budget Survey of 1990/91 and model petrol consumption taking into account the effect that income changes may have on car ownership levels, as well as the differences that exist between expenditure and consumption. Our results show the importance that household structure, place of residence and income have on petrol consumption. We are able to compute income elasticities of petrol expenditure, both conditional and unconditional on the level of car ownership. Non-conditional elasticities, while always very close to unit values, are lower for higher income households and for those living in rural areas or small cities. When car ownership levels are taken into account, conditional elasticities are obtained that are around one half the value of the non- conditional ones, being fairly stable across income categories and city sizes. As regards the redistributive effects of petrol taxation, we observe that for the lowest income deciles the share of petrol expenditure increases with income, and thus the tax can be regarded as progressive. However, after a certain income level the tax proves to be regressive.

Efeito de alguns curares naturais e da d-Tubocurarina retardando o tempo de coagulação e o tempo de protombina do sangue humano

In this paper the author points out to a old question of about 200 years ago in wich two kinds of opinions were discussed. BANCROFT and FONTANA in one hand atributes for the Indian arrow poison (curare) the propriety of uncoagulate the blood, and C. BEBNAHDJ, B. RODRIGUES and others made an contradictory opinion upon this subject. In our experiments, we utilized 4 curares samples from indians who lives near the Brazilian border at Colombia, the famous Ticunas poison, and the alkaloid d-Tubocurarine. These poisons were added in form of emulsion in saline to the blood and blood plasma in order to perform two kinds of experiments. In one serie of experiments we observed the effect of curare on human blood coagulation time according to LEE-WHITE technic puting 0.5 ml of the various poisons emulsions previously into the tube. By this method, we have found that the emulsion containing 0.1 g of the poison in 10 ml saline was the most effective (Table II), therefore we used this curare emulsion concentration in the other serie of experiments, in which we tested the action of these venoms on the human blood plasma prothrombins time, (Quick Technic) adding 0.1 ml of the saline poison emulsion to each 0.1 ml of human blood plasma. Results from these experiments can be seen on Table II. These experiments we have tried on one sample of human blood plasma plus the differents curares samples; and in another opportunity four samples of human blood plasma were tried with the curare from Ticunas indians (the most effective in this respect). Results from these experiments may be seen on Table III. All the poison tried in our experiments was previously tested on toads legs (B. crucifer) to verify his curares action. All times obtained with the experiments above, show highly significant results (P<001) when compared with the blood and blood plasma mixed with in the same volume of saline. Our results, point out that BANCROFT and FONTANA views upon the effect of curare on blood clothing time were correct. Curares enhance the blood clothing time "in vitro". But, in other hand, the work in that matter by NESI (6), and TISTHOUND (7) showing that d-Tubocurarine had no significant effect on blood clothing time of man and dogs "in vivo", made possible to conclude that the observations of C. BERNARD, B. RODRIGUES and others were also true. These discordance of opinions, we believe, may result as BANCROFT and FONTANA researches, were wade "in vitro" whereas C. Bernard, B. Rodrigues and others performed their experiments "in vivo".

A Multisectorial model of prices: the SAM approach

Social Accounting Matrices (SAM) are normally used to analyse the income generation process. They are also useful, however, for analysing the cost transmission and price formation mechanisms. For price contributions, Roland-Holst and Sancho (1995) used the SAM structure to analyse the price and cost linkages through a representation of the interdependence between activities, households and factors. This paper is a further analysis of the cost transmission mechanisms, in which I add the capital account to the endogenous components of the Roland-Holst and Sancho approach. By doing this I reflect the responses of prices to the exogenous shocks in savings and investment. I also present an additive decomposition of the global price effects into categories of interdependence that isolates the impact on price levels of shocks in the capital account. I use a 1994 Social Accounting Matrix to make an empirical application of the Catalan economy. Keywords: social accounting matrix, cost linkages, price transmission, capital account. JEL Classification: C63, C69, D59.

Epireflections and supercompact cardinals

We prove that, under suitable assumptions on a category C, the existence of supercompact cardinals implies that every absolute epireflective class of objects of C is a small-orthogonality class. More precisely, if L is a localization functor on an accessible category C such that the unit morphism X→LX is an extremal epimorphism for all X, and the class of L-local objects is defined by an absolute formula with parameters, then the existence of a supercompact cardinal above the cardinalities of the parameters implies that L is a localization with respect to some set of morphisms.

La tabla del tres: I- Las categorías peirceanas

La evolución del pensamiento peirceano parece experimentar una sucesión de giros y rupturas internas, entre ellos la aparición de la fenomenología en el cambio de siglo, junto con la emergencia de Hegel en lugar de Kant como fuente de inspiración. Sin embargo, si nos tomamos en serio el resultado tanto de sus investigaciones kantianas como de las hegelianas, es decir, las categorías, podemos reconocer una continuidad general dentro del pensamiento de Peirce. En lugar de una confusión de tendencias “empíricas” y “metafísicas,” descubrimos una sistemática transformación empírica de la metafísica. -- L’evolució del pensament peirceà sembla experimentar una successió de girs i ruptures internes, entre ells l’aparició de la fenomenologia amb el canvi de segle, juntament amb l’emergència de Hegel en lloc de Kant com a font d’inspiració. Però si ens prenem seriosament el resultat tant de les seves investigacions kantianes com de les hegelianes, això és, les categories, podem reconèixer una continuïtat general dins del pensament de Peirce. Enlloc d’una confusió de tendències “empíriques” i “metafísiques,” descobrim una sistemàtica transformació empírica de la metafísica

Indicadors de pressió ambiental a les platges de Menorca: prova pilot (IPAPM'pp)

L’augment del turisme experimentat des de principis dels anys 70 a l’illa de Menorca (Illes Balears, Espanya) ha provocat un impacte sobre les seves platges, el seu principal atractiu turístic. Molts d’aquests impactes s’incrementen durant la temporada alta, compresa entre els mesos de maig a octubre. L’objectiu principal d’aquest projecte és l’elaboració d’un sistema d’indicadors de pressió ambiental útils per a l’anàlisi de les platges. La zona objecte d’estudi de la prova-pilot, correspon a les platges del sud-oest de Menorca, aquestes cales són les que actualment es troben sotmeses a una major pressió. Es tracta de catorze platges tipificades en tres categories (A, B, C) segons les característiques del tipus d’espai on es troben situades. Són les platges de: Cala Degollador, Cala Blanca, Cala’n Bosch, Son Xoriguer, Son Saura-Es Banyul, Son Saura-Bellavista, Es Talaier, Cala Turqueta, Cala Macarelleta, Cala Macarella, Cala Galdana, Cala Mitjana, Cala Trebalúger i Cala Escorxada. Partint d’un treball bibliogràfic, s’ha realitzat una selecció de mig centenar d’indicadors potencials dels quals catorze han format part dels IPAPM’pp, mitjançant l’elaboració d’una anàlisi multicriteri. Per a cada un dels IPAPM’pp s’ha desenvolupat una metodologia amb les corresponents fitxes individuals descriptives per al seu seguiment temporal. En aquest primer estudi, l’indicador que presenta un nombre de valors no acceptables en una major proporció de platges, és l’indicador 3. Índex de valoració de les mesures de conservació del sistema natural, seguit de l’indicador 6. Superfície subsistema sorra per usuari. El 2006, les platges de tipologia A, presenten un major percentatge positiu de les variables dels indicadors. Les platges de tipologia B i C presenten un percentatge menor d’acceptabilitat dels valors dels indicadors.

Changes of overweight and obesity in the adult Swiss population according to educational level, from 1992 to 2007.

In many high income developed countries, obesity is inversely associated with educational level. In some countries, a widening gap of obesity between educational groups has been reported. The aim of this study was to assess trends in body mass index (BMI) and in prevalence of overweight and obesity and their association with educational level in the adult Swiss population. Four cross-sectional National health interview surveys conducted in 1992/93 (n = 14,521), 1997 (n = 12,474), 2002 (n = 18,908) and 2007 (n = 17,879) using representative samples of the Swiss population (age range 18-102 years). BMI was derived from self-reported data. Overweight was defined as BMI > or = 25 and <30 kg/m(2), and obesity as BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2). Mean (+/- standard deviation) BMI increased from 24.7 +/- 3.6 in 1992/3 to 25.4 +/- 3.6 kg/m2 in 2007 in men and 22.8 +/- 3.8 to 23.7 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2) in women. Between 1992/3 and 2007, the prevalence of overweight + obesity increased from 40.4% to 49.5% in men and from 22.3% to 31.3% in women, while the prevalence of obesity increased from 6.3% to 9.4% in men and from 4.9% to 8.5% in women. The rate of increase in the prevalence of obesity was greater between 1992/3 and 2002 (men: +0.26%/year; women: +0.31%/year) than between 2002 and 2007 (men: +0.10%/year; women: +0.10%/year). A sizable fraction (approximately 25%) of the increasing mean BMI was due to increasing age of the participants over time. The increase was larger in low than high education strata of the population. BMI was strongly associated with low educational level among women and this gradient remained fairly constant over time. A weaker similar gradient by educational level was apparent in men, but it tended to increase over time. In Switzerland, overweight and obesity increased between 1992 and 2007 and was associated with low education status in both men and women. A trend towards a stabilization of mean BMI levels was noted in most age categories since 2002. The increase in the prevalence of obesity was larger in low education strata of the population. These findings suggest that obesity preventive measures should be targeted according to educational level in Switzerland.

Genome of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus provides insight into the oldest plant symbiosis.

The mutualistic symbiosis involving Glomeromycota, a distinctive phylum of early diverging Fungi, is widely hypothesized to have promoted the evolution of land plants during the middle Paleozoic. These arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) perform vital functions in the phosphorus cycle that are fundamental to sustainable crop plant productivity. The unusual biological features of AMF have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. The coenocytic hyphae host a community of hundreds of nuclei and reproduce clonally through large multinucleated spores. It has been suggested that the AMF maintain a stable assemblage of several different genomes during the life cycle, but this genomic organization has been questioned. Here we introduce the 153-Mb haploid genome of Rhizophagus irregularis and its repertoire of 28,232 genes. The observed low level of genome polymorphism (0.43 SNP per kb) is not consistent with the occurrence of multiple, highly diverged genomes. The expansion of mating-related genes suggests the existence of cryptic sex-related processes. A comparison of gene categories confirms that R. irregularis is close to the Mucoromycotina. The AMF obligate biotrophy is not explained by genome erosion or any related loss of metabolic complexity in central metabolism, but is marked by a lack of genes encoding plant cell wall-degrading enzymes and of genes involved in toxin and thiamine synthesis. A battery of mycorrhiza-induced secreted proteins is expressed in symbiotic tissues. The present comprehensive repertoire of R. irregularis genes provides a basis for future research on symbiosis-related mechanisms in Glomeromycota.

Brown representability follows from Rosicky

We prove that the dual of a well generated triangulated category satisfies Brown representability, as long as there is a combinatorial model. This settles the major open problem in [13]. We also prove that Brown representability holds for non-dualized well generated categories, but that only amounts to the fourth known proof of the fact. The proof depends crucially on a new result of Rosicky [14].

La publicidad emocional y su presencia en el sector de la alimentación

El present projecte està orientat a investigar una tendència cada cop més influent dintre del panorama publicitari espanyol i internacional: la Publicitat Emocional. En els últims anys s’ha constatat una important evolució de la comunicació publicitària, que ha anat substituent el seu caràcter principalment informatiu i racional per un altre més emocional que aposta pels sentiments del consumidor. En aquest context, es pretén demostrar la superioritat d’aquest enfocament publicitari a l’hora d’establir una relació més propera, fidel i duradora amb el consumidor. Per això, la primera part del treball abordarà la realitat de les marques davant les noves exigències del mercat, mentre que la de tipus pràctic s’orientarà a analitzar la publicitat de vuit categories d’alimentació amb l’objectiu de determinar quina tipologia publicitària preval i quina és més efectiva per connectar amb el consumidor del s.XXI

Nuevas categorías para nuevas marcas

Aquest treball pretén aprofundir en la relació que s’estableix entre el producte i la marca. En mercats hiperfragmentats, com els actuals, l’extensió de línia no és la millor opció a llarg termini. Mirem al mercat com quelcom fix quan els consumidors pensen en categories. Hem d’innovar, introduir nous productes en un altre context, crear una nova categoria a través del marketing lateral. L’extensió de marca no és la solució si aquesta malmet la coherència de significats, només esdevindrà lícit estirar la marca que ja es té si el seu posicionament ho permet. Una vegada creada la nova categoria és millor introduir el producte sota una nova marca.

Maltsiniotis's first conjecture for K1

We show that K1(E) of an exact category E agrees with K1(DE) of the associated triangulated derivator DE. More generally we show that K1(W) of a Waldhausen category W with cylinders and a saturated class of weak equivalences agrees with K1(DW) of the associated right pointed derivator DW.

A general construction of internal sheaves in algebraic set theory

We present a solution to the problem of defining a counterpart in Algebraic Set Theory of the construction of internal sheaves in Topos Theory. Our approach is general in that we consider sheaves as determined by Lawvere-Tierney coverages, rather than by Grothen-dieck coverages, and assume only a weakening of the axioms for small maps originally introduced by Joyal and Moerdijk, thus subsuming the existing topos-theoretic results.