Dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes Causing Acute Otitis Media Isolated from Children with Spontaneous Middle-Ear Drainage over a 12-Year Period (1999–2010) in a Region of Northern Spain

10 p.

The Economics of "Why is it so hard to save a threatened Language?"

We study the language choice behavior of bilingual speakers in modern societies, such as the Basque Country, Ireland andWales. These countries have two o cial languages:A, spoken by all, and B, spoken by a minority. We think of the bilinguals in those societies as a population playing repeatedly a Bayesian game in which, they must choose strategically the language, A or B, that might be used in the interaction. The choice has to be made under imperfect information about the linguistic type of the interlocutors. We take the Nash equilibrium of the language use game as a model for real life language choice behavior. It is shown that the predictions made with this model t very well the data about the actual use, contained in the censuses, of Basque, Irish and Welsh languages. Then the question posed by Fishman (2001),which appears in the title, is answered as follows: it is hard, mainly, because bilingual speakers have reached an equilibrium which is evolutionary stable. This means that to solve fast and in a re ex manner their frequent language coordination problem, bilinguals have developed linguistic conventions based chie y on the strategy 'Use the same language as your interlocutor', which weakens the actual use of B.1

The Economics of Gasification: A Market-Based Approach

This paper deals with the economics of gasification facilities in general and IGCC power plants in particular. Regarding the prospects of these systems, passing the technological test is one thing, passing the economic test can be quite another. In this respect, traditional valuations assume constant input and/or output prices. Since this is hardly realistic, we allow for uncertainty in prices. We naturally look at the markets where many of the products involved are regularly traded. Futures markets on commodities are particularly useful for valuing uncertain future cash flows. Thus, revenues and variable costs can be assessed by means of sound financial concepts and actual market data. On the other hand, these complex systems provide a number of flexibility options (e.g., to choose among several inputs, outputs, modes of operation, etc.). Typically, flexibility contributes significantly to the overall value of real assets. Indeed, maximization of the asset value requires the optimal exercise of any flexibility option available. Yet the economic value of flexibility is elusive, the more so under (price) uncertainty. And the right choice of input fuels and/or output products is a main concern for the facility managers. As a particular application, we deal with the valuation of input flexibility. We follow the Real Options approach. In addition to economic variables, we also address technical and environmental issues such as energy efficiency, utility performance characteristics and emissions (note that carbon constraints are looming). Lastly, a brief introduction to some stochastic processes suitable for valuation purposes is provided.

Potential Application of Adsorptive Media to Enhance Phosphorus Uptake in Stormwater Basins and Wetlands at Lake Tahoe : literature review. Report to the University of California Davis Tahoe Research Group

Phosphorus removal by wetlands and basins in Lake Tahoe may be improved through designing these systems to filter storm water through media having higher phosphorus removal capabilities than local parent material. Substrates rich in iron, aluminum and calcium oftentimes have enhanced phosphorus removal. These substrates can be naturally occurring, byproducts of industrial or water treatment processes, or engineered. Phosphorus removal fundamentally occurs through chemical adsorption and/or precipitation and much of the phosphorus can be irreversibly bound. In addition to these standard media, other engineered substrates are available to enhance P removal. One such substrate is locally available in Reno and uses lanthanum coated diatomaceous earth for arsenate removal. This material, which has a high positive surface charge, can also irreversibly remove phosphorus. Physical factors also affect P removal. Specifically, specific surface area and particle shape affect filtration capacity, contact area between water and the surface area, and likelihood of clogging and blinding. A number of substrates have been shown to effectively remove P in case studies. Based upon these studies, promising substrates include WTRs, blast furnace slag, steel furnace slag, OPC, calcite, marble Utelite and other LWAs, zeolite and shale. However, other nonperformance factors such as environmental considerations, application logistics, costs, and potential for cementification narrow the list of possible media for application at Tahoe. Industrial byproducts such as slags risk possible leaching of heavy metals and this potential cannot be easily predicted. Fly ash and other fine particle substrates would be more difficult to apply because they would need to be blended, making them less desirable and more costly to apply than larger diameter media. High transportation costs rule out non-local products. Finally, amorphous calcium products will eventually cementify reducing their effectiveness in filtration systems. Based upon these considerations, bauxite, LWAs and expanded shales/clays, iron-rich sands, activated alumina, marble and dolomite, and natural and lanthanum activated diatomaceous earth are the products most likely to be tested for application at Tahoe. These materials are typically iron, calcium or aluminum based; many have a high specific surface area; and all have low transportation costs. (PDF contains 21 pages)

A CE/SE Scheme for Flows in Porous Media and Its Applications

In this paper, a new computational scheme for solving flows in porous media was proposed. The scheme was based on an improved CE/SE method (the space-time Conservation Element and Solution Element method). We described porous flows by adopting DFB (Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy) equation. The comparison between our computational results and Ghia's confirmed the high accuracy, resolution, and efficiency of our CE/SE scheme. The proposed first-order CE/SE scheme is a new reliable way for numerical simulations of flows in porous media. After investigation of effects of Darcy number on porous flow, it shows that Darcy number has dominant influence on porous flow for the Reynolds number and porosity considered.

El Monasterio de La Oliva en la Edad Media (siglos XII al XVI) : historia de un dominio cisterciense navarro

668 p. : il. - Obtuvo por unanimidad la máxima calificación de "apto cum laude" ante el tribunal

Trashumancia “media”, entre las sierras interiores y la costa guipuzcoanas, ¿desde tiempo inmemorial?

[ES] Este artículo pretende analizar la evolución de las prácticas trashumantes en el País Vasco

COLOR-HOLOGRAPHY USING THE ANGULAR SELECTIVITY OF VOLUME RECORDING MEDIA

A display hologram of an object can be recorded and reconstructed in three primary colors if the angular selectivity of volume recording media is exploited. Three holograms are recorded in the same medium, each at a different primary color. These three holograms are reconstructed by simultaneous illumination of the hologram with the original reference beams. By proper choice of the angles that the reference beams make to the hologram, it is possible to suppress strongly cross talk between the different reconstructions (e.g., the red object reconstruction in green light). The technique exhibits high resolution, high diffraction efficiency, and vivid colors. Through the addition of three holographically recorded volume gratings it is possible to reconstruct the hologram with a beam of white light. The saturation and brightness of each primary color in the reconstruction can be adjusted by selection of an appropriate thickness for the corresponding grating.

Media of communication among fishermen around Kainji Lake basin

The findings are presented of a study conducted in the framework of the Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project to examine the role and structure of communication in fishing villages around Kainji Lake in Nigeria. The major aim was to be able to utilize the knowledge at a later stage in the project cycle to pass on fisheries extension messages to fishing communities. The study had the following terms of reference: 1) describe the structure and processes of communication of fishermen around Kainji Lake; 2) identify the formal and informal media of communication used by the fishermen to communicate information concerning their job; 3) describe the problems inhibiting usage of the different media identified; 4) ascertain the extent of use of mass media by fishermen around the lake; and, 5) identify acceptable ways by which fisheries information can be repackaged for the use of extension workers. (PDF contains 58 pages)

El entrenamiento de piragüismo en aguas tranquilas en pruebas de resistencia de corta, media y larga duración

En el presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado se pretende describir la forma de entrenar en el piragüismo de aguas tranquilas en su s diferentes modalidades, para lo cual se analizarán diversas planificaciones diseñad as para el entrenamiento de distancias cortas, medias y largas.

Adapting to climate change: Combining economics and geomorphology in coastal policy

How is climate change affecting our coastal environment? How can coastal communities adapt to sea level rise and increased storm risk? These questions have garnered tremendous interest from scientists and policy makers alike, as the dynamic coastal environment is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Over half the world population lives and works in a coastal zone less than 120 miles wide, thereby being continuously affected by the changes in the coastal environment [6]. Housing markets are directly influenced by the physical processes that govern coastal systems. Beach towns like Oak Island in North Carolina (NC) face severe erosion, and the tax assesed value of one coastal property fell by 93% in 2007 [9]. With almost ninety percent of the sandy beaches in the US facing moderate to severe erosion [8], coastal communities often intervene to stabilize the shoreline and hold back the sea in order to protect coastal property and infrastructure. Beach nourishment, which is the process of rebuilding a beach by periodically replacing an eroding section of the beach with sand dredged from another location, is a policy for erosion control in many parts of the US Atlantic and Pacific coasts [3]. Beach nourishment projects in the United States are primarily federally funded and implemented by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) after a benefit-cost analysis. Benefits from beach nourishment include reduction in storm damage and recreational benefits from a wider beach. Costs would include the expected cost of construction, present value of periodic maintenance, and any external cost such as the environmental cost associated with a nourishment project (NOAA). Federal appropriations for nourishment totaled $787 million from 1995 to 2002 [10]. Human interventions to stabilize shorelines and physical coastal dynamics are strongly coupled. The value of the beach, in the form of storm protection and recreation amenities, is at least partly capitalized into property values. These beach values ultimately influence the benefit-cost analysis in support of shoreline stabilization policy, which, in turn, affects the shoreline dynamics. This paper explores the policy implications of this circularity. With a better understanding of the physical-economic feedbacks, policy makers can more effectively design climate change adaptation strategies. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Economics of co-managing water quality and invasive species for California and Baja California coastal boats

Regulatory action to protect California’s coastal water quality from degradation by copper from recreational boats’ antifouling paints interacts with efforts to prevent transport of invasive, hull-fouling species. A copper regulatory program is in place for a major yacht basin in northern San Diego Bay and in process for other major, California boat basins. “Companion” fouling control strategies are used with copper-based antifouling paints, as some invasive species have developed resistance to the copper biocide. Such strategies are critical for boats with less toxic or nontoxic hull coatings. Boat traffic along over 3,000 miles of coastline in California and Baja California increases invasive species transport risks. For example, 80% of boats in Baja California marinas are from the United States, especially California. Policy makers, boating businesses and boat owners need information on costs and supply-side capacity for effective fouling control measures to co-manage water quality and invasive species concerns. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Essays in behavioral and neuro-economics

This thesis examines foundational questions in behavioral economics—also called psychology and economics—and the neural foundations of varied sources of utility. We have three primary aims: First, to provide the field of behavioral economics with psychological theories of behavior that are derived from neuroscience and to use those theories to identify novel evidence for behavioral biases. Second, we provide neural and micro foundations of behavioral preferences that give rise to well-documented empirical phenomena in behavioral economics. Finally, we show how a deep understanding of the neural foundations of these behavioral preferences can feed back into our theories of social preferences and reference-dependent utility.

The first chapter focuses on classical conditioning and its application in identifying the psychological underpinnings of a pricing phenomenon. We return to classical conditioning again in the third chapter where we use fMRI to identify varied sources of utility—here, reference dependent versus direct utility—and cross-validate our interpretation with a conditioning experiment. The second chapter engages social preferences and, more broadly, causative utility (wherein the decision-maker derives utility from making or avoiding particular choices).