Search

The goal of the Mars Sample Return campaign is to collect soil samples from the surface of Mars and return them to Earth for further study. The samples will be acquired and stored in metal tubes by the Perseverance rover and deposited on the Martian surface. As part of this campaign, it is expected that the Sample Fetch Rover will be in charge of localizing and gathering up to 35 sample tubes over 150 Martian sols. Autonomous capabilities are critical for the success of the overall campaign and for the Sample Fetch Rover in particular. This work proposes a novel system architecture for the autonomous detection and pose estimation of the sample tubes. For the detection stage, a Deep Neural Network and transfer learning from a synthetic dataset are proposed. The dataset is created from photorealistic 3D simulations of Martian scenarios. Additionally, the sample tubes poses are estimated using Computer Vision techniques such as contour detection and line fitting on the detected area. Finally, laboratory tests of the Sample Localization procedure are performed using the ExoMars Testing Rover on a Mars-like testbed. These tests validate the proposed approach in different hardware architectures, providing promising results related to the sample detection and pose estimation., Preprint version only. Final version at IEEE Xplore. Accepted for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

The project CoRob-X develops and demonstrates enabling technologies for multi-agent robotic teams to explore planetary surfaces with a focus on hard-to-reach areas where a collaborative scheme is required to efficiently explore complex environments. Exploring lava tubes is such a challenging environment and requires a team of robots able to collaborate in an autonomous way to find their way to the subsurface tube system, descend through a natural entry hole (the so-called skylight), and explore the interior with payload instruments to provide scientific data. The developed robotic exploration system that will tackle the ambitious goal is composed of three rovers with substantially different technical characteristics. The paper presents the overall approach, i.e., the control architecture, the robotic systems, and the software to be used. It also showcases the selected mission phases that will be demonstrated in a field-test campaign. In addition, a terrestrial mining use case is presented that demonstrates how the developed autonomy-enabling software can be transferred to terrestrial applications. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech.

Future planetary exploration missions are demanding more and more autonomy since these missions are getting more complex. A clear example is the Mars Sample Return mission, where the Sample Fetch Rover needs to collect sample tubes on a remote location, and bring them back to the base station to be launched to Earth. This mission requires to extend the autonomous capabilities onboard. First, the Navigation component needs to be able to detect and locate the sample tubes, and second, the Guidance and Control ones require to place the rover close the sample tubes and move the manipulator to pick them up. These are the main contributions of this paper. The first issue has been solved by the use of Deep Neural Networks, which allow to identify the previously trained sample tubes on images, and the second one has been solved by extending the path planning algorithm within the Guidance component. To demonstrate and validate the proposed methods, two experiments were carried out. A first field test in the Search and Rescue experimental terrain at the University of Malaga, and a second lab test in the Planetary Robotics Lab at the European Space Agency. Both experiments were carried out using the ExoMars Testing Rover owned by the last institution. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The aim of the IBDU is to provide comprehensive care for patients with IBD (1,2). During the COVID-19 pandemic, telephone medical consultations and telemedicine training sessions were implemented to ensure patient safety (3). The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in the degree of satisfaction between face-to-face and telephone care, as well as in the annual patient sessions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telephone medical consultations and telematic training sessions were set up for patients treated in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit of the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, with the joint collaboration of the medical and nursing staff. We conducted a retrospective study to determine the degree of satisfaction between face-to-face and telematic care, showing that the quality of care perceived by patients has been maintained.

[ES] En este proyecto se analiza económicamente y energéicamente cual es el mejor sistema de abastecimiento eléctrico entre dos sistemas híbridos para una vivienda unifamiliar situada en Madrid. El primer sistema híbrido esta compuesto por paneles solares, un generador, baterías e inversores para poder almacenar la energía producida. El segundo sistema híbrido esta compuesto por paneles solares y como sistema de apoyo se encuentra conectado a la red eléctrica española.

En este Trabajo de Fin de Grado se pretende abordar la didáctica de las Ciencias en la etapa de Educación Primaria a través de un recurso innovador: El monocordio. Se investigará la eficacia y la eficiencia de este recurso a la hora de trabajar contenidos propios de las Ciencias Naturales, las Matemáticas y la Educación Artística en modalidades educativas presenciales y no presenciales (debido a la situación producida por la COVID-19). Para ello, se ha ideado una Situación de Aprendizaje con actividades a desarrollar en un aula de manera presencial, a las que se añaden las adaptaciones pertinentes para poder llevarse a cabo en un modelo no presencial. In this End of Degree Project, the aim is to approach the teaching of Sciences in the Primary Education stage through an innovative resource: Monochord. The effectiveness and efficiency of this resource will be investigated when working with specific content of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Art Education in face-to-face and non-face-to-face educational modalities (due to the situation produced by COVID-19). For this, a Learning Situation has been devised with activities to be developed in a classroom in person, to which the appropriate adaptations are added to be carried out in a non-classroom model.

The use of autonomous rovers for planetary exploration is crucial to traverse long distances and perform new discoveries on other planets. One of the most important issues is related to the interaction between the rover wheel and terrain, which would help to save energy and even avoid getting entrapped. The use of reconfigurable rovers with different locomotion modes has demonstrated improvement of traction and energy consumption. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to determine the best locomotion mode during the rover traverse, based on simple parameters, which would be obtained from propioceptive sensors. For this purpose, interaction of different terrains have been modelled and analysed with the ExoTeR, a scale prototype rover of the European ExoMars 2020 mission. This rover is able to perform, among others, the wheel walking locomotion mode, which has been demonstrated to improve traction in different situations. Currently, it is difficult to decide the instant time the rover has to switch from this locomotion mode to another. This paper also proposes a novel method to estimate the slip ratio, useful for deciding the best locomotion mode. Finally, results are obtained from an immersive simulation environment. It shows how each locomotion mode is suitable for different terrains and slopes and the proposed method is able to estimate the slip ratio.

This paper introduces a motion planning strategy aimed at the coordination of a rover and manipulator. The main purpose is to fetch samples of scientific interest that could be placed on difficult locations, requiring to maximize the workspace of the combined system. In order to validate this strategy, a simulation environment has been built, based on the VORTEX Studio platform. A virtual model of the ExoTer rover prototype, owned by the European Space Agency, has been used together with the same robot control software. Finally, we show in this paper the benefits of validating the proposed strategy on simulation, prior to its future use on the real experimental rover. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Los elementos que soportan las funciones y servicios de los ecosistemas son insuficientemente conocidos, mermando nuestra capacidad para planificar la conservación, restauración y manejo de los ecosistemas. Entre dichos elementos, el papel de la avifauna es especialmente relevante al ser especies de gran movilidad (high mobile link species) que conectan distintas unidades del paisaje. Este trabajo analiza servicios ecosistémicos importantes dependientes de interacciones biológicas mediadas por la avifauna en mosaicos agroforestales. Abordamos tres objetivos específicos: el papel de (1) los córvidos en la dispersión y reclutamiento de quercíneas, (2) la avifauna insectívora en la regulación de plagas en cultivos leñosos y (3) las aves rapaces en la regulación de avifauna-plaga en viñedos. Nuestros resultados evidencian que la avifauna realiza funciones y servicios claves para la regeneración forestal y la regulación de plagas en mosaicos agroforestales. Identificamos especies que se desconocía que realizaban una función relevante, en particular la urraca (Pica pica), cuya actividad resulta en una dispersión efectiva de nueces y bellotas, y el abejero europeo (Pernis apivorus), con un elevado consumo de avispa asiática (Vespa velutina). La instalación de cajas-nido en cultivos leñosos aumenta las poblaciones de aves insectívoras que regulan plagas; sin embargo, la capacidad de regulación de las plagas es moderada y depende del contexto ambiental o estudio de caso. Las rapaces diurnas existentes en los paisajes estudiados contribuyen al control de plagas agrícolas como la del estornino negro (Sturnus unicolor). Proponemos integrar los servicios que proporcionan las aves en la ordenación del territorio para alcanzar modelos de desarrollo más sostenibles., The elements that support functions and ecosystem services are not well known yet, and this gap reduces our capacity to plan the conservation, restoration, and management of ecosystems. Among these elements, the role of avifauna is especially relevant as birds are high-mobile link species that connect different landscape units. This article analyzes important ecosystem services driven by biological interactions that are mediated by birds in farmland and forest mosaics. We propose three specific goals: to assess the role of (1) corvids in the dispersal and recruitment of oak species, (2) insectivorous birds in pest regulation of woody crops, and (3) raptors in regulation of plague birds in vineyards. Our results show that the avifauna performs key functions and services for forest regeneration and pest regulation in agroforestry mosaics. We identified species that were not known to perform relevant functions, particularly the magpie (Pica pica) and its effective dispersion of nuts and acorns, and the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) and its high consumption of Asian black hornet (Vespa velutina). The installation of nest-boxes in woody crops increases the populations of insectivorous birds that regulate pests; however, the capacity of pest control is moderate and depends on the environmental context or case study. The diurnal raptors thriving in the studied landscapes contribute to the control of agricultural pests such as the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor). We propose to integrate the services provided by birds in landscape planning to achieve more sustainable development systems., Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, REMEDINAL, Universidad de Alcalá

Predictive regressions are a widely used econometric environment for assessing the predictability of economic and financial variables using past values of one or more predictors. The nature of the applications considered by practitioners often involve the use of predictors that have highly persistent smoothly varying dynamics as opposed to the much noisier nature of the variable being predicted. This imbalance tends to affect the accuracy of the estimates of the model parameters and the validity of inferences about them when one uses standard methods that do not explicitly recognise this and related complications. A growing literature that aimed at introducing novel techniques specifically designed to produce accurate inferences in such environments ensued. The frequent use of these predictive regressions in applied work has also led practitioners to question the validity of viewing predictability within a linear setting that ignores the possibility that predictability may occasionally be switched off. This in turn has generated a new stream of research aiming at introducing regime specific behaviour within predictive regressions in order to explicitly capture phenomena such as episodic predictability.

Background Sevelamer is a phosphate binder widely used in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Sevelamer, as well as other resin-based binders, can crystallize leading to the formation of concretions. Sevelamer crystals (SC) have been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal injury. We describe three new cases of GI lesions associated with SC and review previously reported cases. Methods We describe three new cases of GI lesions associated with SC and review previously reported cases. Results We found 16 previously reported cases of SC-induced GI lesions. The mean patient age was 61 years (interquartile range 51.5–71.75), 62.5% were females and 10 patients were diabetic. In 13 cases, SC was found inside the GI mucosa. Six patients had history of major abdominal surgery. GI bleeding was the most common clinical symptom (n = 7), with three patients presenting with acute abdomen requiring surgical intervention. Although, SC-induced lesions were observed in all GI segments, intestine was involved in 81% of the cases. Endoscopic examination revealed mainly erosions and ulcerations (n = 7) and pseudoinflammatory polyps (n = 5). No association between sevelamer doses and the severity of GI lesions was found. However, diabetics patients seemed to develop GI lesions with smaller doses of sevelamer as compared with non-diabetic patients, in spite of their fewer GI comorbidities. Conclusions SC-induced GI lesions should be considered in CKD patients treated with sevelamer who present GI symptoms, especially lower GI bleeding, once other causes have been ruled out. Diabetics seem more prone to develop SC- associated GI lesions. Sevelamer therapy should be avoided if possible in patients with a history of major abdominal surgery or chronic constipation, because of the high risk of serious GI complications.

Does global warming exist? The answer to this question is the starting point for all the other issues involved in climate change analysis. In this paper, global warming is defined as an increasing trend in certain distributional characteristics (moments, quantiles, etc) of global temperatures, and not only on the average. Temperatures are seen as a functional stochastic process from which we obtain distributional characteristics as time series objects. We present a simple robust trend test and prove that it is able to detect the existence of an unknown trend component (deterministic or stochastic) in these characteristics. Applying this trend test to daily Central England temperatures (1772-2016) and to Global cross-sectional temperatures (1880-2015), we obtain the same strong conclusions: (i) there is an increasing trend in all the distributional characteristics (time series and cross-sectional) and this trend is larger in the lower quantiles than in the mean, median and upper quantiles; (ii) there is a negative trend in the characteristics measuring dispersion (lower temperatures approach the median faster than the higher ones).The paper concludes by clearly answering the opening question in the afirmative and showing that global-local warming is not only a phenomenon of an increase in the average temperature but also of a larger increase in the lower temperatures producing a decreasing dispersion. This type of warming has more serious consequences than the one found by using only the average. We thank seminar participants at Econometric Models of Climate Change (Aarhus), 11th World Congress of the Econometric Society (Montreal), IAAE (London), Time Series Econometrics Workshop (Zaragoza), CFE-ERCIM (Oviedo), EUI (Firenze), ESSEC (Paris), Loughborough, Notthingham, Nuffield College and INET (Oxford), Erasmus School of Economics (Rotterdam), Manchester, Lancaster and Durham for suggestions. Financial support from the Spanish MINECO (grants ECO2013-46395, ECO2016-78652, ECO2014-58991-C3-1-R and ECO2014-58991-C3-2-R and Maria de Maeztu grant MDM 2014-0431), Bank of Spain (ER grant program), and MadEco-CM (grant S2015/HUM-3444) is gratefully acknowledged.

Quantile FactorModels (QFM) represent a new class of factor models for high-dimensional panel data. Unlike Approximate Factor Models (AFM), where only mean-shifting factors can be extracted, QFM also allow to recover unobserved factors shifting other relevant parts of the distributions of observed variables. A quantile regression approach, labeled Quantile Factor Analysis (QFA), is proposed to consistently estimate all the quantile-dependent factors and loadings. Their asymptotic distribution is then derived using a kernel-smoothed version of the QFA estimators. Two consistent model selection criteria, based on information criteria and rank minimization, are developed to determine the number of factors at each quantile. Moreover, in contrast to the conditions required for the use of Principal Components Analysis in AFM, QFA estimation remains valid even when the idiosyncratic errors have heavy-tailed distributions. Three empirical applications (regarding climate, financial and macroeconomic panel data) provide evidence that extra factors shifting quantiles other than the means could be relevant in practice. Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.71703089), The Open Society Foundation, The Oxford Martin School, the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grants ECO2016-78652 andMaria de Maeztu MDM 2014-0431), Bank of Spain (ER grant program), and MadEco-CM (grant S205/HUM-3444) is gratefully acknowledged.

Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado de la UAH en el año académico 2016-2017, Resumen: Esta tesis estudia la ecología trófica y la selección de hábitat de una población densa de azor que nidifica en plantaciones exóticas de eucaliptos con baja intensidad de manejo en el noroeste de España (Galicia). Se abordan cuatro aspectos fundamentales que coinciden con cuatro artículos de investigación originales: I. Métodos de estudio de la dieta de rapaces durante el periodo reproductor. Se evalúa la utilidad del uso de cámaras de foto-trampeo para caracterizar la dieta del azor y compararla con otros métodos indirectos de estudio de la dieta (análisis de restos de presas y egagrópilas). Las cámaras registraron el mayor número de presas y probablemente fueron el método menos sesgado para estimar la composición de la dieta, pero su uso en los nidos debe realizarse con precaución para minimizar posibles impactos negativos de las actividades de investigación.- II. Dieta y preferencias de presa del azor. Se estudia la dieta del azor durante el periodo reproductor, las preferencias de presa y los cambios en la dieta entre los años 80 del siglo pasado y la actualidad. El azor fue principalmente ornitófago. La paloma bravía fue la especie presa más importante. La dieta de los azores ha cambiado en las últimas décadas, reflejando variaciones en la abundancia de las especies presa preferidas (aves de 100-400 g).- III. Relación del dimorfismo sexual inverso (RSD) con el comportamiento trófico. Se analizan diferentes procesos del ciclo vital (adquisición de territorio, éxito reproductor) y los mecanismos implicados (eficiencia de caza, dieta, condición corporal, selección de pareja) en relación con el tamaño de ambos sexos. El mayor éxito reproductivo de los machos más pequeños y el mayor reclutamiento de las hembras más grandes podrían ser mecanismos importantes para explicar el RSD del azor.- IV. Preferencias de hábitat de nidificación del azor. Se estudian las preferencias de hábitat de nidificación del azor y su relación con el éxito reproductor. Las plantaciones presentaron una densa población reproductora de azor, con una distribución espacial de los territorios muy regular y un éxito reproductivo elevado, proporcionando un hábitat de nidificación adecuado para la especie. La fuerte preferencia del azor por las manchas forestales más maduras apoyaría el uso de este top predator como especie diana para identificar formas de manejo forestal que favorezcan la biodiversidad en las plantaciones.

We empirically investigate the short-run impact of anticipated and unanticipated unemployment rates on stock prices. We particularly examine the nonlinearity in the stock market's reaction to the unemployment rate and study the effect at each individual point (quantile) of the stock return distribution. Using nonparametric Granger causality and quantile regression-based tests, we find that only anticipated unemployment rate has a strong impact on stock prices. Quantile regression analysis shows that the causal effects of anticipated unemployment rate on stock returns are usually heterogeneous across quantiles. For the quantile range (0.35, 0.80), an increase in the anticipated unemployment rate leads to an increase in stock market prices. For other quantiles, the impact is generally statistically insignificant. Thus, an increase in the anticipated unemployment rate is, in general, good news for stock prices. Finally, we offer a reasonable explanation for the reason, and manner in which, the unemployment rate affects stock market prices. Using the Fisher and Phillips curve equations, we show that a high unemployment rate is followed by monetary policy action of the Federal Reserve (Fed). When the unemployment rate is high, the Fed decreases the interest rate, which in turn increases the stock market prices. We thank the Editor-in-Chief Prof. Bruce Mizrach and two anonymous referees for their very useful comments. The authors also thank Jean-Marie Dufour, Barbara Rossi, and Enrique Santana for their several useful comments. Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the 65th European Meeting of the Econometric Society in Oslo (2011), the NBER - NSF Time Series Conference in Michigan (2011), the XXVI Simposio of the Spanish Economic Association (SAEe) in Malaga (2011), and the 4th International IFABSB conference on Rethinking Banking and Finance: Money, Markets and Models in Valencia (2012). Financial support from the Spanish MINECO (grant ECO2013-46395) and Maria de Maeztu (grant MDM 2014-0431), Bank of Spain (ER grant program), and MadEco-CM (grant S2015/HUM-3444) is gratefully acknowledged. Some results of this paper were obtained when A. Taamouti was at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

This paper studies the long-term asset allocation problem of an individual with risk aversion coefficient that i) varies with economic conditions, and ii) exhibits different risk attitudes towards the short and the long term. To do this, we propose a parametric linear portfolio policy that accommodates an arbitrarily large number of assets in the portfolio and a piecewise linear risk aversion coefficient. These specifications of the optimal portfolio policy and individual's risk aversion allow us to apply GMM methods for parameter estimation and testing. Our empirical results provide statistical evidence of the existence of a short-term and a long-term regime in the individual's risk aversion. Long-term risk aversion is always higher than short-term risk aversion, and it is more statistically significant as the investment horizon increases. The analysis of the optimal portfolio weights also suggests that the allocation to stocks and bonds is strongly negatively correlated, with the magnitude of the portfolio weights and risk aversion coefficients increasing as the investment horizon expands. We acknowledge seminar participants at Southampton-Surrey Econometric Event and Workshop on Financial Econometrics and Structural Breaks in University of Birmingham. Financial support from the Spanish MINECO under grants ECO2013-46395 and MDM 2014-0431, MadEco-CM grant S2015/HUM-3444 and the Bank of Spain ER program is gratefully acknowledged.

Treating anemia of prematurity is transfused red blood cells and the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. The aim of this article is to determine the correlation between the number of blood transfusions and the use of recombinant human erythropoietin in preterm infants with anemia.A correlation study was performed in 80 cases of patients with anemia treated with transfusions and erythropoietin, were randomized into two groups: one was treated with transfusions (T) and one with transfusions and erythropoietin (E). Demographic variables, hemoglobin and hematocrit at the beginning and end of treatment and number of transfusions received were measured. The correlation was obtained through Spearman Rho, considering p0.05 as statistically significant.The total number of units transfused in each group was lower in group E, which received two units less than the T group (p0.05). The average CE transfused in group E was 4 ± 1.2 and 7 ± 1.2 for the group T. For the group E the correlation between gestational age and number of transfusions was moderately negative (-0348); birth weight and the number of packed red blood cells transfused were slightly negative (-0239). T group for the negative correlation between the same variables moderate slight negative (-0300) and (-0109), respectively.Erythropoietin reduces the number of blood transfusions in preterm infants with anemia. Its use does not preclude the transfusion, the patient remains exposed to the risk of communicable diseases in this way.Introducción: el tratamiento de la anemia del prematuro consiste en la transfusión de glóbulos rojos y el uso de agentes estimulantes de la eritropoyesis. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar la correlación entre el número de transfusiones sanguíneas y el uso de eritropoyetina recombinante humana en prematuros con anemia. Métodos: se realizó un estudio de correlación en 80 expedientes de pacientes con anemia tratados con transfusiones y eritropoyetina, se aleatorizaron en dos grupos: uno fue tratado con transfusiones (T) y otro con transfusiones y eritropoyetina (E). Se midieron variables demográficas, hemoglobina y hematócrito al inicio y al final del tratamiento y número de transfusiones recibidas. La correlación se obtuvo por medio de la Rho de Spearman, considerándose una p0.05 como significativamente estadística. Resultados: el total de unidades transfundidas en cada grupo fue menor en el grupo E, que recibió dos unidades menos que el grupo T (p0.05). El promedio de CE transfundidos en el grupo E fue 4 ± 1.2 y de 7 ± 1.2 para el grupo T. Para el grupo E la correlación entre edad gestacional y número de transfusiones fue negativa moderada (-0.348); el peso al nacimiento y el número de concentrados de eritrocitos transfundidos fue negativa leve (-0.239). Para el grupo T la correlación entre las mismas variables negativa moderada (-0.300) y negativa leve (-0.109). Conclusiones: la eritropoyetina reduce el número de transfusiones sanguíneas en recién nacidos prematuros con anemia. Su uso no excluye la transfusión, el paciente continúa expuesto al riesgo de enfermedades transmisibles por esta vía.

MP Martínez-Montiel, B Casis-Herce , GJ Gómez-Gómez, A Masedo-González, C Yela-San Bernardino, C Piedracoba, G Castellano-Tortajada Division of Gastroenterology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, SpainAbstract: Although corticosteroids are an effective treatment for induction of remission in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), many patients are dependent on or refractory to corticosteroids. This review is based on scrutinizing current literature with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and Cochrane reviews on the management of IBD refractory to corticosteroids. Based on this evidence, we propose algorithms and optimization strategies for use of immunomodulator and biologic therapy in IBD refractory to corticosteroids.Keywords: immunomodulators, anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, drug levels, treatment optimization

In recent years, the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been on the rise, extending to countries where it was infrequent in the past. As a result, the gap between high and low incidence countries is decreasing. The disease, therefore, has an important economic impact on the healthcare system. Advances in recent years in pharmacogenetics and clinical pharmacology have allowed for the development of treatment strategies adjusted to the patient profile. Concurrently, new drugs aimed at inflammatory targets have been developed that may expand future treatment options. This review examines advances in the optimization of existing drug treatments and the development of novel treatment options for IBD.

Diet studies present numerous methodological challenges. We evaluated the usefulness ofcommercially available trail-cameras for analyzing the diet of Northern Goshawks (Accipitergentilis) as a model for nesting raptors during the period 2007&-2011. We compared diet estimatesobtained by direct camera monitoring of 80 nests with four indirect analyses of preyremains collected from the nests and surroundings (pellets, bones, feather-and-hair remains,and feather-hair-and-bone remains combined). In addition, we evaluated the performanceof the trail-cameras and whether camera monitoring affected Goshawk behavior.The sensitivity of each diet-analysis method depended on prey size and taxonomic group,with no method providing unbiased estimates for all prey sizes and types. The cameras registeredthe greatest number of prey items and were probably the least biased method for estimatingdiet composition. Nevertheless this direct method yielded the largest proportion ofprey unidentified to species level, and it underestimated small prey. Our trail-camera systemwas able to operate without maintenance for longer periods than what has been reported inprevious studies with other types of cameras. Initially Goshawks showed distrust toward thecameras but they usually became habituated to its presence within 1&-2 days. The habituation period was shorter for breeding pairs that had previous experience with cameras. Using trail-cameras to monitor prey provisioning to nests is an effective tool for studying the diet of nesting raptors. However, the technique is limited by technical failures and difficulties in identifying certain prey types. Our study also shows that cameras can alter adult Goshawk behavior, an aspect that must be controlled to minimize potential negative impacts., Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad

Programa de Doctorado en Historia del Arte y Gestión Cultural en el Mundo Hispánico, El presente trabajo se adentra al conocimiento de un hecho urbano arquitectónico en particular, el Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Sena de Arequipa, pero a través de él se busca plantear una metodología propicia para aproximarse a cualquier tipo de formación arquitectónica que no esté necesariamente gobernada por leyes y principios previstos con anterioridad a su ejecución y que, por lo general, hacen uso de instrumentos basados en nociones geométricas regulares, sino que son más bien, el resultado de largos procesos formativos en donde los contextos físico y social imponen sus particulares formas de hábitat, asi como una inteligencia constructora colectiva que actúa de una forma asi como eficaz, espontánea. Ante la ausencia de métodos conocidos que planteen una aproximación coherente a estas formaciones urbanas o arquitectónicas no regidas por los mecanismos clásicos de organización, se busca, en una primera parte, construir un cuerpo conceptual capaz de abordar a nuestro objeto de estudio desde diferentes perspectivas que abarquen la complejidad que condicionó su génesis y acompañó su evolución. Sin embargo, pese a que una visión diacrónica de los hechos es fundamental y ocupa una parte importante del estudio, se plantea también abordar la realidad del hecho físico en su estado actual como elemento fundamental que nos permita por un lado, comprender los principios y mecanismos que rigen su estructura, así como también adentrarnos a al análisis de los elementos que son percibidos de manera fragmentada, y secuencial, como lo hace cualquier usuario de la arquitectura y que tiene muchas veces una experiencia emotiva con las formas y los espacios sin acceder por ello a la comprensión global de la estructura. El Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Sena de Arequipa, es seguramente el paradigma de la arquitectura monástica femenina desarrollada en el virreinato del Perú, y para conocerlo nos hemos adentrado a estudiar el sistema de infraestructuras monacales de clausura de la colonia, el sistema de producción arquitectónica utilizado en la región, asi como la estructura urbana y arquitectónica de la ciudad en donde se desarrolló, viendo a nuestro objeto de estudio como parte integrante de estos tres escenarios;pero también hemos visto su desarrollo histórico desde la individualidad de su ser y desde las circunstancias especificas, tanto físicas como sociales, que condicionaron lo que finalmente llegó a ser. La parte concluyente de la presente investigación está dada por el orden fisico del monasterio alcanzado luego de largos periodos, estudiando los diferentes mecanismos presentes de manera implícita y también explícita, llegando a reconocer el origen y el fin de este maravilloso orden encriptado., Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Departamento de Geografía, Historia y Filosofía

This article proposes nonparametric consistent tests of conditional stochastic dominance of arbitrary order in a dynamic setting. The novelty of these tests lies in the nonparametric manner of incorporating the information set. The test allows for general forms of unknown serial and mutual dependence between random variables and has an asymptotic distribution that can be easily approximated by simulation. This method has good finite-sample performance. These tests are applied to determine investment efficiency between U. S. industry portfolios conditional on the dynamics of the market portfolio. The empirical analysis suggests that Telecommunications dominates the other sectoral portfolios under risk aversion. We are also grateful to seminar participants of ECARES (ULB) and to participants of North American Winter Meetings of the Econometric Society, Workshop in Computational and Financial Econometrics in Neuchatel, Far East and South Asia Meetings of the Econometric Society in Singapore, XXXIII Simposium of the Spanish Economic Association in Zaragoza, 4th Tinbergen Institute Conference in Rotterdam, Royal Economic Society in University of Surrey and SOFIE 2009 European conference in Geneva. Financial support from the MICINN ECO2010-19357, ECO2011-22650, NEINVECON 06-11, EXCELECOM-CM grant and Bank of Spain (grant ER program) is gratefully acknowledged.

While co-integration theory is an ideal framework to study linear relationships among persistent economic time series, the intrinsic linearity in the concepts of integration and co-integration makes it unsuitable to study non-linear long run relations among persistent processes. This drawback hinders the empirical analysis of modern macroeconomics, which often addresses asymmetric responses to policy interventions, multiplicity of equilibria, transitions between regimes or polynomial approximations to unknown functions. In this paper, to cope with non-linear relations and consequently to generalise co-integration, we formalise the idea of co-summability. It is built upon the concept order of summability developed by Berenguer-Rico and Gonzalo (2013), which, in turn, was conceived to address non-linear transformations of persistent processes. Theoretically, a co-summable relationship is balanced -in terms of the variables involved having the same order of summability- and describes a long run equilibrium that can be non-linear -in the sense that the errors have a lower order of summability. To test for these types of equilibria, inference tools for balancedness and cosummability are designed and their asymptotic properties are analysed. Their finite sample performance is studied via Monte Carlo experiments. The practical strength of co-summability theory is shown through two empirical applications. Specifically, asymmetric preferences of central bankers and the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis are studied through the lens of co-summability. Financial support from the University of Oxford, Institute for New Economic Thinking, Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grants ECO2010-19357 and Consolider-2010), Comunidad de Madrid (grant Excelecon) and Bank of Spain (grant ER program) is gratefully acknowledged.

While co-integration theory is an ideal framework to study linear relationships among persistent economic time series, the intrinsic linearity in the concepts of integration and co-integration makes it unsuitable to study non-linear long run relations among persistent processes. This drawback hinders the empirical analysis of modern macroeconomics, which often addresses asymmetric responses to policy interventions, multiplicity of equilibria, transitions between regimes or polynomial approximations to unknown functions. In this paper, to cope with non-linear relations and consequently to generalise co-integration, we formalise the idea of co-summability. It is built upon the concept order of summability developed by Berenguer-Rico and Gonzalo (2013), which, in turn, was conceived to address non-linear transformations of persistent processes. Theoretically, a co-summable relationship is balanced -in terms of the variables involved having the same order of summability- and describes a long run equilibrium that can be non-linear -in the sense that the errors have a lower order of summability. To test for these types of equilibria, inference tools for balancedness and cosummability are designed and their asymptotic properties are analysed. Their finite sample performance is studied via Monte Carlo experiments. The practical strength of co-summability theory is shown through two empirical applications. Specifically, asymmetric preferences of central bankers and the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis are studied through the lens of co-summability.

En los trastornos de la población anciana, existe un claro predominio de las demencias, y concretamente de la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Este tipo de enfermedades, requieren una constante vigilancia y programación. Como norma general, son llevadas en los domicilios por los diferentes miembros de la familia, convirtiéndose ésta en uno de los pilares básicos del cuidado de estos pacientes. A nivel de enfermería, las necesidades de cuidados que se pueden encontrar en este tipo de pacientes son muy variadas, por lo que se debe programar éstas teniendo en cuenta los resultados o metas fijadas

Generalised spin structures, or r-spin structures, on a 2-dimensional orbifold \Sigma are r-fold fibrewise connected coverings (also called r-th roots) of its unit tangent bundle ST\Sigma. We investigate such structures on hyperbolic orbifolds. The conditions on r for such structures to exist are given. The action of the diffeomorphism group of \Sigma on the set of r-spin structures is described, and we determine the number of orbits under this action and their size. These results are then applied to describe the moduli space of taut contact circles on left-quotients of the 3-dimensional geometry \tilde{SL}_2., Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures

Financial support from the ESRC is gratefully acknowledged

The order of integration is valid to characterize linear processes; but it is not appropriate for non-linear worlds. We propose the concept of summability (a re-scaled partial sum of the process being Op(1)) to handle non-linearities. The paper shows that this new concept, S (δ): (i) generalizes I (δ); (ii) measures the degree of persistence as well as of the evolution of the variance; (iii) controls the balancedness of non-linear relationships; (iv) opens the door to the concept of co-summability which represents a generalization of co-integration for non-linear processes. To make this concept empirically applicable, an estimator for δ and its asymptotic properties are provided. The finite sample performance of subsampling confidence intervals is analyzed via a Monte Carlo experiment. The paper finishes with the estimation of the degree of summability of the macroeconomic variables in an extended version of the Nelson-Plosser database.

The order of integration is valid to characterize linear processes; but it is not appropriate for non-linear worlds. We propose the concept of summability (a re-scaled partial sum of the process being Op(1)) to handle non-linearities. The paper shows that this new concept, S (δ): (i) generalizes I (δ); (ii) measures the degree of persistence as well as of the evolution of the variance; (iii) controls the balancedness of non-linear relationships; (iv) opens the door to the concept of co-summability which represents a generalization of co-integration for non-linear processes. To make this concept empirically applicable, an estimator for δ and its asymptotic properties are provided. The finite sample performance of subsampling confidence intervals is analyzed via a Monte Carlo experiment. The paper finishes with the estimation of the degree of summability of the macroeconomic variables in an extended version of the Nelson-Plosser database.

We empirically investigate the short-run impact of anticipated and unanticipated unemployment rates on stock prices. We particularly examine the nonlinearity in stock market's reaction to unemployment rate and study the effect at each individual point (quantile) of stock return distribution. Using nonparametric Granger causality and quantile regression based tests, we find that, contrary to the general findings in the literature, only anticipated unemployment rate has a strong impact on stock prices. Quantile regression analysis shows that the causal effects of anticipated unemployment rate on stock return are usually heterogeneous across quantiles. For quantile range (0.35, 0.80), an increase in the anticipated unemployment rate leads to an increase in the stock market price. For the other quantiles the impact is statistically insignificant. Thus, an increase in the anticipated unemployment rate is in general good news for stock prices. Finally, we offer a reasonable explanation of why unemployment rate should affect stock prices and how it affects them. Using Fisher and Phillips curve equations, we show that high unemployment rate is followed by monetary policy action of Federal Reserve (Fed). When unemployment rate is high, the Fed decreases the interest rate, which in turn increases the stock market prices. Financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion through grants ECO2010-19357 and Consolider-2010 and Bank of Spain (grant ER program) is gratefully acknowledged.

This paper proposes nonparametric consistent tests of conditional stochastic dominance of arbitrary order in a dynamic setting. The novelty of these tests resides on the nonparametric manner of incorporating the information set into the test. The test allows for general forms of unknown serial and mutual dependence between random variables, and has an asymptotic distribution under the null hypothesis that can be easily approximated by a p-value transformation method. This method has a good finite-sample performance. These tests are applied to determine investment efficiency between US industry portfolios conditional on the performance of the market portfolio. Our analysis suggests that Utilities are the best performing sectors in normal as well as distress episodes of the market.

Predictive regressions are linear specifications linking a noisy variable such as stock returns to past values of a more persistent regressor with the aim of assessing the presence of predictability. Key complications that arise are the potential presence of endogeneity and the poor adequacy of asymptotic approximations. In this paper we develop tests for uncovering the presence of predictability in such models when the strength or direction of predictability may alternate across different economically meaningful episodes. An empirical application reconsiders the Dividend Yield based return predictability and documents a strong predictability that is countercyclical, occurring solely during bad economic times.

In moments of financial distress downside risk measures like lower partial moments are more appropriate than the standard variance to characterize risk. The goal of this paper is to study how to choose optimal portfolios in these periods. In order to do this we extend the definition of lower partial moments to this environment, derive the corresponding mean-risk dominance set and define the concept of stochastic dominance under distress. The paper shows the close connection between the mean-risk dominance set and the stochastic dominance frontier in these situations. The advantage of using stochastic dominance is that we can readily compare investors' preferences over investment portfolios in a meaningful way regardless their degree of risk aversion. We do this by proposing a hypothesis test. Our novel family of test statistics for testing stochastic dominance under distress makes allowance for testing orders of dominance higher than one, for general forms of dependence between portfolios and can be extended to residuals of regression models. These results are illustrated in an empirical application for data from US stocks. We show that mean- variance strategies are stochastically dominated by meanrisk efficient portfolios in episodes of financial distress.

In moments of financial distress downside risk measures like lower partial moments are more appropriate than the standard variance to characterize risk. The goal of this paper is to study how to choose optimal portfolios in these periods. In order to do this we extend the definition of lower partial moments to this environment, derive the corresponding mean-risk dominance set and define the concept of stochastic dominance under distress. The paper shows the close connection between the mean-risk dominance set and the stochastic dominance frontier in these situations. The advantage of using stochastic dominance is that we can readily compare investors' preferences over investment portfolios in a meaningful way regardless their degree of risk aversion. We do this by proposing a hypothesis test. Our novel family of test statistics for testing stochastic dominance under distress makes allowance for testing orders of dominance higher than one, for general forms of dependence between portfolios and can be extended to residuals of regression models. These results are illustrated in an empirical application for data from US stocks. We show that mean- variance strategies are stochastically dominated by meanrisk efficient portfolios in episodes of financial distress.

In moments of distress downside risk measures like Lower Partial Moments (LPM) are more appropriate than the standard variance to characterize risk. The goal of this paper is to study how to compare portfolios in these situations. In order to do that we show the close connection between mean-risk efficiency sets and stochastic dominance under distress episodes of the market, and use the latter property to propose a hypothesis test to discriminate between portfolios across risk aversion levels. Our novel family of test statistics for testing stochastic dominance under distress makes allowance for testing orders of dominance higher than zero, for general forms of dependence between portfolios and can be extended to residuals of regression models. These results are illustrated in the empirical application for data from US stocks. We show that mean-variance strategies are stochastically dominated by mean-risk efficient sets in episodes of financial distress.

This paper presents an overview of some new results regarding an easily implementable Wald test-statistic (EFDF test) of the null hypotheses that a time-series process is I(1) or I(0) against fractional I(d) alternatives, with d∈(0,1), allowing for unknown deterministic components and serial correlation in the error term. Specifically, we argue that the EFDF test has better power properties under fixed alternatives than other available tests for fractional roots, as well as analyze how to implement this test when the deterministic components or the long-memory parameter are subject to structural breaks.

In this paper we present an equilibrium model of commodity spot (St) and future (Ft) prices, with finite elasticity of arbitrage services and convenience yields. By explicitly incorporating and modeling endogenously the convenience yield, our theoretical model is able to capture the existence of backwardation or contango in the long-run spot-future equilibrium relationship, (St-ß2Ft ). When the slope of the cointegrating vector ß2>1 (ß2

This paper presents an overview of some new results regarding an easily implementable Wald test-statistic (EFDF test) of the null hypotheses that a time-series process is I(1) or I(0) against fractional I(d) alternatives, with d∈(0,1), allowing for unknown deterministic components and serial correlation in the error term. Specifically, we argue that the EFDF test has better power properties under fixed alternatives than other available tests for fractional roots, as well as analyze how to implement this test when the deterministic components or the long-memory parameter are subject to structural breaks.

In moments of distress downside risk measures like Lower Partial Moments (LPM) are more appropriate than the standard variance to characterize risk. The goal of this paper is to study how to compare portfolios in these situations. In order to do that we show the close connection between mean-risk efficiency sets and stochastic dominance under distress episodes of the market, and use the latter property to propose a hypothesis test to discriminate between portfolios across risk aversion levels. Our novel family of test statistics for testing stochastic dominance under distress makes allowance for testing orders of dominance higher than zero, for general forms of dependence between portfolios and can be extended to residuals of regression models. These results are illustrated in the empirical application for data from US stocks. We show that mean-variance strategies are stochastically dominated by mean-risk efficient sets in episodes of financial distress.

This paper analyses the power properties, under fixed alternatives, of a Wald-type test, i.e., the (Efficient) Fractional Dickey-Fuller (EFDF) test of I(1) against I(d), d

Using the conventional VAR identification approach, Cochrane (1994) finds that substantial amounts of variation in GDP growth and stock returns are due to transitory shocks. Following the common trend decomposition of King, et al. (1991), we show that Cochrane's results depend on the assumption of weak exogeneity of one of the variables with respect to the cointegration vector. When this assumption holds both approaches coincide. If not, the shocks Cochrane called transitory are not totally transitory. In this case, the conventional VAR approach with the assumption of the weak exogeneity may overstate the magnitude of transitory shocks and understate that of permanent shocks. We find that the permanent components of GDP and stock prices are much larger than those estimates of Cochrane, although substantial (but much smaller than in Cochrane (1994)) variations in GDP growth and stock returns are attributed to transitory shocks.

This paper uncovers the factors influencing optimal asset allocation for downside-risk averse investors. These are comovements between assets, the product of marginal tail probabilities, and the tail index of the optimal portfolio. We measure these factors by using the Clayton copula to model comovements and extreme value theory to estimate shortfall probabilities. These techniques allow us to identify useless diversification strategies based on assets with different tail behaviour, and show that in case of financial distress the asset with heavier tail drives the return on the overall portfolio down. An application to financial indexes of UK and US shows that mean-variance and downside-risk averse investors construct different efficient portfolios.

This paper uncovers the factors influencing optimal asset allocation for downside-risk averse investors. These are comovements between assets, the product of marginal tail probabilities, and the tail index of the optimal portfolio. We measure these factors by using the Clayton copula to model comovements and extreme value theory to estimate shortfall probabilities. These techniques allow us to identify useless diversification strategies based on assets with different tail behaviour, and show that in case of financial distress the asset with heavier tail drives the return on the overall portfolio down. An application to financial indexes of UK and US shows that mean-variance and downside-risk averse investors construct different efficient portfolios.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are inflammatory, chronic and progressive diseases of the intestinal tract for which no curative treatment is available. Research in other fields with stem cells of different sources and with immunoregulatory cells (regulatory T-lymphocytes and dendritic T-cells) opens up new expectations for their use in these diseases. The goal for stem cell-based therapy is to provide a permanent cure. To achieve this, it will be necessary to obtain a cellular product, original or genetically modified, that has a high migration capacity and homes into the intestine, has high survival after transplantation, regulates the immune reaction while not being visible to the patient's immune system, and repairs the injured tissue.

This paper analyses how to test I(1) against I(d), d

This paper analyses how to test I(1) against I(d), d

In this paper we introduce threshold type nonlinearities within a single equation cointegrating regression model and propose a testing procedure for testing the null hypothesis of linear cointegration versus cointegration with threshold effects. Our framework allows the modelling of long run equilibrium relationships that may switch according to the magnitude of a threshold variable assumed to be stationary and ergodic and thus constitutes an attempt to deal econometrically with the potential presence of multiple equilibria. The framework is flexible enough to accomodate regressor endogeneity and serial correlation.