Search

This paper furthers and updates the research on the nature of the so-called global trade slowdown. Not only do we explain and discuss the determinants of this phenomenon, but we also offer an empirical description of the recent evolution of trade and trade elasticity. With the purpose of testing whether this is a structural phenomenon or not, we build an Error Correction Model for both world and regional data on trade and income using data from the World Bank for the period 1970-2017. World, OECD and Asian countries trade elasticity figures show a remarkable reduction after the hyperglobalization period (1986- 2001), opposed to those of Latin America where trade volume has not stagnated so much. This slowdown might have major consequences for any country, but especially for those which have relied more intensively on trade as an engine for growth.

The construction of embankments on very soft soils is a challenge due to the low shear strength, low permeability, high compressibility, and high-water content of the subsoil. The surcharge load imposed by the embankment can result not only in a local or total loss of stability but also in unacceptable settlements and horizontal deformations or thrusts, which could endanger nearby structures. To overcome these problems, different construction methods are applicable. One particularly interesting and still innovative foundation system is the use of geotextile encased granular columns, which can be considered “State-of-the-Art” in Europe. It was developed and introduced in 1994, and since then many major projects have been realised using geotextile encased columns (GEC). The overall loads and stress concentrations above the column heads induce outwardly directed radial horizontal stresses in the columns. The particularity of the GEC system is that these stresses are counteracted not only by the inwardly acting pressure of the soft soil but also –most importantly – by the radial resistance of the tensile stiff geotextile casing. This paper briefly describes the GEC system and includes the description of a few notable projects using GEC as a foundation system: land reclamation at the Airbus site in Hamburg, Germany, and the Second Niger Bridge in Africa. The geotechnical challenges, design basis, and what can be considered the most important findings of each of these projects are also discussed in this paper.

Antimicrobial resistance is currently one of the major public health threats. In order to prevent its spread, the WHO, OIE and FAO have formed an alliance to promote the study of antibiotic resistance evolution in human, animal and environmental bacteria posing a public health threat; however, the studies performed in wild animals are scarce so far. The main objective of this study was to assess the antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus spp. isolated from wild mammals in Aragón, Spain.

La Agenda 2030 para el desarrollo sostenible impone grandes desafíos a todas las naciones. Dentro de los programas de formación profesional, asumir estos grandes retos, requieren prácticas pedagógicas que integren técnicas, métodos y metodologías disruptivas. En este sentido, se propone el diseño de secuencias didácticas para la formación de competencias que permitan la comprensión del desarrollo sostenible y la ciudadanía global. A través de las fases de identificación, diseño y propuesta instruccional, se plantea una investigación con enfoque cualitativo, alcance descriptivo y diseño de teoría fundamentada que define las matrices de seguimiento, ejecución y evaluación en una intervención pedagógica. Desde ahí, se concluye que, en el escenario de la Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo, se aportan iniciativas donde se promueve la libertad e igualdad para el desarrollo sostenible, en términos de estilos de vida, prácticas ciudadanas y generación de cultura en la formación profesional.

Objetivo: Los parámetros bioquímicos siguen siendo la opción más utilizada para el seguimiento de pacientes con alteraciones metabólicas óseas. El objetivo del estudio fue valorar la asociación de algunos marcadores bioquímicos del metabolismo óseo con aparición y progresión de calcificaciones aórticas. Material y métodos: Se seleccionaron aleatoriamente 624 hombres y mujeres mayores de 50 años que cumplimentaron un cuestionario y a los que se realizaron dos radiografías laterales dorso-lumbares y densitometría ósea. Cuatro años más tarde, en 402 sujetos se repitieron los mismos estudios junto con un estudio bioquímico. Resultados: La edad y la proporción hombres fue superior en los que tuvieron “progresión global” de calcificación aórtica (progresión de las ya existentes más las nuevas). Los niveles séricos de calcio y calcitriol fueron significativamente superiores y los de osteocalcina significativamente inferiores en los que se observó “progresión global” de calcificación aórtica. El análisis multivariante mostró que únicamente la osteocalcina se asoció de forma independiente con “progresión global” de calcificación aórtica, con una disminución del 18% por cada incremento de 1 ng/mL en los niveles de osteocalcina (odds ratio (OR)=0,82; intervalo de confianza del 95% (IC 95%): 0,71-0,92). La categorización de la osteocalcina en terciles mostró que los sujetos del primer tercil (6,40 ng/mL). Conclusión: Los niveles séricos de osteocalcina podrían ser un marcador bioquímico para evaluar la aparición y/o a evolución de la calcificación aórtica. No obstante, se necesita determinar con mayor precisión como podría ejercer este efecto protector en el proceso de calcificación vascular.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. It has been studied in humans and domestic animals, but there is a lack of data on wild animals. The objective of this study is the elucidation of its patterns in Staphylococcus spp. isolated from wild mammals of the Autonomous Community of Aragón (Spain).

A controlled re-saturation of a heated 50 cm long column made of MX-80 bentonite pellets in the CIEMAT laboratory facilities (Madrid, Spain) has been running for 10 years (2011-2021). The experimental data on the saturation state and the swelling response of the bentonite material at high temperatures provided useful information for the verification of a double-porosity approach that considers the hydro-mechanical coupling between the micro- and macro-pore levels and the definition of retention curves for each structural domain. The numerical modelling with this double-porosity model has shown to be able to reproduce the main behaviour features observed in the lab test.

Bentonite barriers are a key component in may designs of deep geological repositories for high level nuclear waste. During the hydration stage, the bentonite undergoes non-uniform changes in dry density that may persist even after reaching a fully saturated state. Since dry density controls the properties of the bentonite that ensure the functions of safety of the barrier, the potential of bentonite for homogenization or otherwise is a matter of high relevance. The paper presents the results and the analyses of two hydration tests on initially heterogenous samples, especially designed to explore the phenomena and processes underlying the homogenisation of bentonite materials. The formulation and constitutive model used in the analyses are briefly presented followed by a description of the tests. Subsequently, the experimental dataobtained from the tests are discussed together with the results of the hydromechanical analyses performed. Particular attention is given to the degree of homogenization of the specimens achieved at the end of the tests. The simulations have resulted in a very satisfactory agreement with test observations, especially egarding the final state of the samples, thus enhancing the confidence in the numerical tool employed.

The study of the interaction of biological tissue with polarized light leads to relevant information of physical properties (dichroism, retardance and depolarization) of samples. Polarimetric analysis of different characteristics in tissues is useful for applications such us tissue classification, contrast enhancement or pathology detection. By means of polarimetric imaging techniques we can characterize the polarimetric signature of biological samples in a noninvasive and nondestructive way. We have found that depolarization information is of special interest in turbid media such as plant tissue. In this manuscript we use polarimetric observables for plant inspection. In particular, we provide enhanced visualization of certain plant pathologies by constructing depolarization based pseudocolored images of pathological leaves where the pathological areas are revealed.

This paper proposes a new method for the analysis of continuous and periodic event-based state-feedback plus static feed-forward controllers that regulate linear time invariant systems with time delays. Measurable disturbances are used in both the control law and triggering condition to provide better disturbance attenuation. Asymptotic stability and L2-gain disturbance rejection problems are addressed by means of Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, leading to performance conditions that are expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The proposed controller offers better disturbance rejection and a reduction in the number of transmissions with respect to other robust event-triggered controllers in the literature.

The paper analyses the monetary policy responses of the European Central Bank (ECB) to the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. Our goals are on the one hand to explain chronologically the main measures in conventional and unconventional policies adopted by the ECB and on the other hand to analyse their effects on key interest rates, monetary aggregates and the money multiplier. The assessment is that the ECB’s monetary policy responses to the crisis have been “too little, too late”, constrained by the institutional framework, which prevents the ECB from acting as a true central bank with the role of lender of last resort.

Introduction: Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimuri-um variant 5- is a pathogen closely related to animals, especially pigeons, which has been also associ- ated in rare cases with sporadic infections in humans. However, epidemiological surveillance systems have enabled the detection of this variant in human out- breaks. Objective: To characterize by means of phenotypic and genotypic techniques the isolates of Salmonella Typhimurium variant 5- associated with an outbreak of food-borne disease in Paz de Rio, Boyacá, Colombia (2010), in order to establish their molecular relationships. Materials and methods: Twelve isolates of Salmonella -spp., were analyzed by biochemical, serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with Xball Blnl enzymes was used to establish their molecular relationships Results: All isolates were confirmed as Salmonella spp. They were resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin and sensitive to the rest of antibiotics tested. Eleven isolates were identified as Salmonella Typhimurium variant 5- and grouped in COIN10.JPX.X01.0168 pattern using the enzyme Xball two isolates in this group were confirmed using the enzyme Blnl with the COIN10.JPX.A26.0002 pattern. One isolate was identified as Salmonella Typhimurium with COIN10.JPX.X01.0221 pattern with the enzyme Xbal Conclusion: This is the first outbreak in Colombia of foodborne illness epidemiologically associated with isolates of Typhimurium variant 5 -, which Epidemiologic Sur were phenotypically and genetically related.

Research on China’s role in the globalization of economic activity focuses mainly on its involvement in trade and on its competitiveness as a manufacturing location for foreign investors. However, since the mid-1990s China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has become an important part of its integration into the global economy. This dimension is poorly understood, and few empirical studies about the drivers behind Chinese OFDI have been published thus far. After reviewing critically the empirical literature, which provides ambiguous results about the explanatory power of some of the large list of determinants put forward, we aim to provide a more accurate description of the motives behind Chinese OFDI. Using a panel data approach for the period 1995 to 2009 and for a large host country sample, we identify some key drivers. We find that host market size, natural resources and FDI openness are of paramount relevance. However, the asset seeking hypothesis is not confirmed.

Abstract The objective of this study was to search for polymorphisms in the coding region of the estrogen receptors 1 and 2 (ESR1 and ESR2 )and to analyze the effects of these variants and the well known intronic ESR1 Pvu II polymorphism on litter size in a Chinese-European pig line. We identified five silent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the ESR1 cDNA: c.669T > C (exon 3), c.1227C > T (exon 5), c.1452C > T (exon 7), c.1665T > C and c.1755A > G (exon 8). One pair of these SNP (c.1665T > C and c.1755A > G) co-segregated in the analyzed line, and the SNP c.669T > C showed the same segregation pattern as the Pvu II polymorphism. These polymorphisms were tested in this study, although the c.1452C > T SNP within exon 7 was not analyzed due to its low informativeness. In the ESR2 cDNA, one missense SNP was found within exon 5, which caused an amino acid substitution in the coded protein: "c.949G > A (p.Val317Met)" and was tested on sow litter size. Information on 1622 litter records from 408 genotyped sows was analyzed to determine whether these SNP influenced the total number of piglets born (TNB) or the number of born alive (NBA). The polymorphisms ESR1: [Pvu II; c.669T > C], ESR1: [c.1665T > C; c.1755A > G] and ESR2: c.949G > A showed no statistically significant association with litter size. However, the ESR1: c.1227T allele was significantly associated with TNB. The additive substitution effect was estimated to be 0.40 piglets born per litter (P < 0.03), and no dominance effects were observed. This SNP could be useful in assisted selection for litter size in some pig lines, as a new genetic marker in linkage disequilibrium with the causative mutation.

Se estudió el efecto de la altura de corte del seudotallo de la planta recién cosechada sobre el crecimiento y producción del siguiente ciclo de producción en plantas de banano cultivar Gran enano. El experimento se realizó en la región de Urabá (Antioquia, Colombia), en dos fincas comerciales de banano y durante dos épocas del año, con un mismo promedio de precipitación. Los tratamientos comprendieron tres alturas de corte desde la superficie del suelo (2, 1,2 y 0 m) al momento de la cosecha de la planta madre. Las alturas de corte de 2 y 1,2 m aumentaron la altura y el diámetro del seudotallo del hijo de sucesión y disminuyeron el tiempo hasta la floración, en comparación con los hijos de sucesión de las plantas madres a las que se les eliminó la totalidad del seudotallo. En las dos fincas, los hijos de sucesión de la altura de corte de 2 m incrementaron significativamente el peso del racimo, comparados con los hijos de sucesión sin seudotallo de la planta madre. La longitud y el calibre de los dedos no fueron afectados por los tratamientos. Los resultados indican que existe una influencia del seudotallo de la planta madre cosechada sobre el hijo de sucesión. Esto favorece el crecimiento temprano del hijo de sucesión, debido al suministro de reservas y agua por parte de esta estructura, lo que se refleja en el incremento del rendimiento.

Ha sido interpretada la sección geológica entre las ciudades de Ibagué y Armenia basada en observaciones geofísicas y estructurales en busca de establecer el estilo estructural dominante y la configuración del basamento en profundidad. Inicialmente se realizaron mediciones gravimétricas y magnetométricas levantadas cada 500 m entre estas ciudades, las cuales permitieron soportar el desarrollo del experimento sísmico "Armenia-Quake". El alcance del experimento sísmico permitió detectar reflectores hasta aproximadamente 17 km de profundidad en un área de influencia de aproximadamente 25 km. La interpretación integral de la información geológica y geofísica permite concluir que el Complejo Cajamarca define una estructura sinclinal amplia cerca al Municipio de Cajamarca. Partiendo de dicha información se pudo reconocer la presencia de un basamento compuesto por cuñas de rocas basálticas y sedimentarias asociadas a las formaciones Quebradagrande y Arquía. Igualmente se reconoce la existencia de una gran flexión de la paleo-placa oceánica relacionada a la formación Barroso, la cual se encuentra limitada al occidente por la falla Cauca-Almaguer. La estructura en flexión y la evolución compresiva del estado de esfuerzos en esta región de América del Sur podrían ser las responsables del depósito y posterior plegamiento de la formación Cinta de Piedra que constituye en gran medida la Serranía de Santa Bárbara.

Three new spirostanic brassinosteroid analogues have been synthesized for the first time from diosgenin: (25R)-2alpha,3alpha-epoxy-5alpha-hydroxyspirostan-6-one (3), (25R)-2beta,3alpha,5alpha-trihydroxyspirostan-6-one (5) and (25R)-2beta-methoxy-3alpha,5alpha-dihydroxyspirostan-6-one (6). In the radish hypocotyl elongation and cotyledon expansion bioassay compound 3 showed plant growth promoting activity whereas 6 was shown to be phytotoxic.

Abstract One QTL affecting backfat thickness (BF), intramuscular fat content (IMF) and eye muscle area (MA) was previously localized on porcine chromosome 6 in an F2 cross between Iberian and Landrace pigs. This work was done to study the effect of two positional candidate genes on these traits: H-FABP and LEPR genes. The QTL mapping analysis was repeated with a regression method using genotypes for seven microsatellites and two PCR-RFLPs in the H-FABP and LEPR genes. H-FABP and LEPR genes were located at 85.4 and 107 cM respectively, by linkage analysis. The effects of the candidate gene polymorphisms were analyzed in two ways. When an animal model was fitted, both genes showed significant effects on fatness traits, the H-FABP polymorphism showed significant effects on IMF and MA, and the LEPR polymorphism on BF and IMF. But when the candidate gene effect was included in a QTL regression analysis these associations were not observed, suggesting that they must not be the causal mutations responsible for the effects found. Differences in the results of both analyses showed the inadequacy of the animal model approach for the evaluation of positional candidate genes in populations with linkage disequilibrium, when the probabilities of the parental origin of the QTL alleles are not included in the model.