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This paper aims to provide evidence on whether the specialization of schools in certain teaching strategies contributes to promoting student skills. Specifically, we will focus on comparing those that make intensive use of innovative practices with those specialized in the use of traditional methodologies. By employing propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce potential bias related to the different characteristics of schools, we provide robust evidence that specialization in the use of innovative teaching practices does not lead to better academic performance and may even be harmful to some competencies.

This paper aims to provide evidence on whether the specialization of schools in certain teaching strategies contributes to promoting student skills. Specifically, we will focus on comparing those that make intensive use of innovative practices with those specialized in the use of traditional methodologies. By employing propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce potential bias related to the different characteristics of schools, we provide robust evidence that specialization in the use of innovative teaching practices does not lead to better academic performance and may even be harmful to some competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is extensive literature focused on the evaluation of efficiency in the education sector, both at the micro level, analyzing the performance of students or schools, and at the macro level, exploring the behavior of regions or countries. This type of studieshas been driven by exploiting data available in international large-scale assessments, where output measures are usually represented by the so-called plausible values, understood as a representation of the range of the abilities of each student. In this study, we analyze the different options available to incorporate these plausible values in applied studies focused on measuring efficiency and how the results obtained can be affected according to the selected criterion. To do this, we assess the efficiency of Spanish schools participating in PISA using the two most common methodologies in this field: data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis and considering three different proxies for the educational output: (i) a single plausible value; (ii) an aggregate measure calculated from the ten plausible values available; (iii) an average of the estimates made with the ten plausible values separately. The main conclusion derived from our results is that there are hardly any differences between in the estimates made with different strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the productivity of hotels operating in the two main sun and sand tourism markets in Spain, the Balearic, and the Canary Islands, from 2004 to 2013. In this manner, we can evaluate the impact of the global economic crisis on this sector. To tackle this issue, we apply alternative Malmquist productivity index decompositions to distinguish between different components of productivity. The results reveal that the economic downturn had major negative effects on hotel productivity for 2 years (2008 and 2009). After that period, hotels have increased their productivity levels driven by both technological and catching-up changes. This result provides new evidence supporting the fact that units operating in those destinations might avoid the process of decline predicted by Butler's life cycle model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of the reforms introduced in the structure of the Portuguese local administration after the bailout agreement in 2011 on the efficiency and productivity of municipalities. In order to determine a measure of productivity change, we apply the global Malmquist productivity index to assess the performance of the 278 Portuguese mainland municipalities for the recent 6-year period 2009–2014. The overall results reveal that there was a decrease in the global productivity until 2013 followed by a notable increase in 2014 basically due to technological changes, thus it seems that the reforms have had a positive effect on the productivity of municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Medical imaging is routine in the diagnosis and staging of a wide range of medical conditions. In particular, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is critical for visualizing soft tissue and organs, with over 60 million MRI procedures performed each year worldwide. About one-third of these procedures are contrast-enhanced MRI, and gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are the mainstream MRI contrast agents used in the clinic. GBCAs have shown efficacy and are safe to use with most patients; however, some GBCAs have a small risk of adverse effects, including nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), the untreatable condition recently linked to gadolinium (Gd) exposure during MRI with contrast. In addition, Gd deposition in the human brain has been reported following contrast, and this is now under investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To address a perceived need for a Gd-free contrast agent with pharmacokinetic and imaging properties comparable to GBCAs, we have designed and developed zwitterion-coated exceedingly small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (ZES-SPIONs) consisting of ∼3-nm inorganic cores and ∼1-nm ultrathin hydrophilic shell. These ZES-SPIONs are free of Gd and show a high T1 contrast power. We demonstrate the potential of ZES-SPIONs in preclinical MRI and magnetic resonance angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in various biomedical applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sensing, and drug delivery, requires that their surface be derivatized to be hydrophilic and biocompatible. We report here the design and synthesis of a compact and water-soluble zwitterionic dopamine sulfonate (ZDS) ligand with strong binding affinity to SPIONs. After ligand exchange, the ZDS-coated SPIONs exhibit small hydrodynamic diameters, and stability with respect to time, pH, and salinity. Furthermore, small ZDS coated SPIONs were found to have a reduced nonspecific affinity (compared to negatively charged SPIONs) toward serum proteins; streptavidin/dye functionalized SPIONs were bioactive and thus specifically targeted biotin receptors., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)