Legal form and risk exposure in Spanish firms

It is well-known that the legal form adopted by a firm determines the type of legal responsibility borne by its owners in case of bankruptcy. In this paper we argue that a firm under a limited liability status should be characterized by a higher than average bankruptcy probability, which ultimately captures their risk exposure when output is affected by exogenous shocks. To test this prediction we extend Lee’s (1976) switching regressions model to a panel dataset of 1313 Spanish firms from 1990–1994, separating them into corporate and entrepreneurial forms (with/without limited liability, respectively). We consider both random effects and fixed effects panel data models, taking into account the potential endogeneity between risk exposure and the legal form choice. Our results confirm the hypothesis that firms under limited liability have significant higher risk exposure than firms under unlimited liability.Data and financial support provided by the Fundación Empresa Pública (Madrid)Publicad

The Education Quality Agency of Chile: A comprehensive evaluation policy?

Este artículo analiza el sistema de evaluación de la educación de Chile surgido a partir de la reforma de 2009. La hipótesis de este trabajo plantea que La Agencia de Calidad de la Educación no es un sistema de evaluación integral, como lo afirman sus documentos y leyes del país, sino una reforma basada en estándares que ha empobrecido el currículum nacional, influenciado negativamente el trabajo docente, donde predomina el carácter fiscalizador y el énfasis en los resultados de pruebas estandarizadas, subordinando la orientación para el logro de una formación integral de los estudiantes. Resultado propio de sistemas influenciados por los procesos de globalización y mercantilización de la educaciónThis article analyzes the education evaluation system in Chile that emerged from the reform of 2009. The hypothesis of this work suggests that the Quality of Education Agency is not a system of integral evaluation, as it is affirmed by its documents and laws of the country, but rather it is a reform based on standards that have impoverished the national curriculum, negatively influenced the teaching profession, where the control character dominates and the emphasis is on the results of standardized tests, subordinating the orientation for the achievement of a comprehensive training of students. Resulting in systems influenced by the globalization processes and commercialization of educatio

ANTIOXIDANT AND TOXICITY ACTIVITY IN VITRO OF TWELVE SAFROLE DERIVATIVES

Indexación: Web of Science; Scielo.The aim of this study was to determine the influence of substituents in aromatic ring and the side chain of safrole on the antioxidant capacity and toxicity of twelve synthetic derivatives of safrole (S1-S12). Each compound was analyzed by two antioxidant methods: DPPH and bleaching of β-carotene (DBC). Among the derivates of safrol assayed, S5, S6, S9, S10 and S11 showed the strongest antioxidant capacity: DPPH method, first order specific rate constant (0.0152, 0.0211, 0.0432, 0.0317 and 0.0072) and DBC (22.41 ± 0.13%, 10.71 ± 0.05 %, 9.12 ± 0.89 %, 30.97 ± 0.92 % and 19.08 ± 0.31 %), respectively. The toxicity of the active compounds was evaluated by means of two techniques, Artemia salina, LD50 (4466 ± 1057 ppm, 630 ± 108 ppm, 1513 ± 797 ppm, 1585 ± 317 ppm, 1259 ± 242 ppm) and red cells, Haemolysis (1.58 ± 0.98%, 4.02 ± 2.03%, 8.42 ± 1.38%, 2.59 ± 2.31%, 2.92 ± 0.52%), to provide preliminary information that can be used as a basis for further studies to contribute to the search for new antioxidants.http://ref.scielo.org/9sqp8

Investigación en efectividad y mejora escolar: ¿nueva agenda?

A partir de la reciente publicación del International Handbook of School Effectiveness and Improvement (Townsend, 2007), este comentario discute tanto sobre la dirección que esta tomando la investigación en efectividad y mejora escolar (IEM) en el mundo anglófono como la potencial contribución de una nueva agenda de mejora escolar a las políticas educativas destinadas a los sectores menos privilegiados de la población. Se incorpora un breve comentario sobre el desarrollo del paradigma de la efectividad en Latinoamericana

Temporally-aware algorithms for the classification of anuran sounds

Several authors have shown that the sounds of anurans can be used as an indicator of climate change. Hence, the recording, storage and further processing of a huge number of anuran sounds, distributed over time and space, are required in order to obtain this indicator. Furthermore, it is desirable to have algorithms and tools for the automatic classification of the different classes of sounds. In this paper, six classification methods are proposed, all based on the data-mining domain, which strive to take advantage of the temporal character of the sounds. The definition and comparison of these classification methods is undertaken using several approaches. The main conclusions of this paper are that: (i) the sliding window method attained the best results in the experiments presented, and even outperformed the hidden Markov models usually employed in similar applications; (ii) noteworthy overall classification performance has been obtained, which is an especially striking result considering that the sounds analysed were affected by a highly noisy background; (iii) the instance selection for the determination of the sounds in the training dataset offers better results than cross-validation techniques; and (iv) the temporally-aware classifiers have revealed that they can obtain better performance than their nontemporally-aware counterparts.Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa (Junta de Andalucía, Spain): excellence eSAPIENS number TIC 570

Influence of methionine supplementation of growing diets enriched with lysine on feedlot performance and characteristics of digestion in Holstein steer calves.

ObjectiveTwo trials were conducted in order to examine the effects of level of supplemental methionine on productive performance, dietary energetic, plasma amino acid concentration, and digestive function.MethodsDietary treatments consisted of a steam-flaked corn-based diet containing urea as the only source of supplemental nitrogen supplemented with no supplemental amino acid (control), or control plus 1.01% lysine and 0.032%, 0.064%, 0.096%, or 0.128% methionine. In Trial 1, 150 Holstein steer calves (127±4.9 kg) were utilized to evaluate the influence of treatments on growth-performance, dietary energetic, plasma amino acid concentration during the first 112 days of growing period. During the initial 56-d period calves received the 5 experimental diets. During the subsequent 56-d period all calves were fed the control diet.ResultsDuring the initial 56-d period, methionine supplementation increased (linear effect, p<0.01) plasma methionine. In the presence of supplemental lysine, increases on level of methionine in diet did not affect average daily gain. However, increased gain efficiency (quadratic effect, p = 0.03) and estimated dietary net energy (NE; linear effect, p = 0.05). Estimated metabolizable methionine supply was closely associated (R2 = 0.95) with efficiency NE utilization for maintenance and gain. During the subsequent 56-d period, when all calves received the control diet (no amino acid supplementation), plasma amino acid concentrations and growth performance was not different among groups. However, the effects of methionine supplementation during the initial 56-period carried over, so that following a 56-d withdrawal of supplementation, the overall 112-d effects on gain efficiency (quadratic effect, p = 0.05) dietary NE (linear effect, p≤0.05) remained appreciable. In Trial 2, 5 cannulated Holstein steers were used to evaluate treatment effects on characteristics of digestion and amino acid supply to the small intestine. There were no treatment effects on flow of dietary and microbial N to the small intestine. Postruminal N digestion increased (p = 0.04) with increasing level of supplemental methionine. Methionine supplementation linearly increased (p<0.01) duodenal flow of methionine. Likewise, lysine supplementation increased an average of 4.6% (p = 0.04) duodenal flow of lysine. In steers that received non-supplemented diet, observed intestinal amino acid supply were in good agreement with expected.ConclusionWe conclude that addition of rumen-protected methionine and lysine to diets may enhance gain efficiency and dietary energetics of growing Holstein calves. Observed amino acid supply to the small intestine were in good agreement with expected, supportive of NRC (2000, Level 1)

Lagrangian transport in a microtidal coastal area: the Bay of Palma, island of Mallorca, Spain

Coastal transport in the Bay of Palma, a small region in the island of Mallorca, Spain, is characterized in terms of Lagrangian descriptors. The data sets used for this study are the output for two months (one in autumn and one in summer) of a high resolution numerical model, ROMS, forced atmospherically and with a spatial resolution of 300 m. The two months were selected because its different wind regime, which is the main driver of the sea dynamics in this area. Finite-size Lyapunov Exponents (FSLEs) were used to locate semi-persistent Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) and to understand the different flow regimes in the Bay. The different wind directions and regularity in the two months have a clear impact on the surface Bay dynamics, whereas only topographic features appear clearly in the bottom structures. The fluid interchange between the Bay and the open ocean was tudied by computing particle trajectories and Residence Times (RT) maps. The escape rate of particles out of the Bay is qualitatively different, with a 32$$ more of escape rate of particles to the ocean in October than in July, owing to the different geometric characteristics of the flow. We show that LCSs separate regions with different transport properties by displaying spatial distributions of residence times on synoptic Lagrangian maps together with the location of the LCSs. Correlations between the time-dependent behavior of FSLE and RT are also investigated, showing a negative dependence when the stirring characterized by FSLE values moves particles in the direction of escape

Psychometric properties of the Brief-COPE for the evaluation of coping strategies in the Chilean population

The Brief-COPE is an abbreviated version of the COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) Inventory, a self-report questionnaire developed to assess a broad range of coping responses. Currently, it is one of the best validated and most frequently used measures of coping strategies. The aim of this study was to validate a culturally appropriate Chilean version of the Brief-COPE, assess its psychometric properties and construct and congruent validity. The Spanish version of the Brief-COPE was administrated in a community sample of 1847 Chilean adult (60.4% women) exposed to a variety of stressful experiences. The factorial structure of the inventory was examined by comparing four different models found in previous studies in Latin American population. The results of confirmatory factor analyses revealed, as in the original studies, a 14-factor structure of the Brief-COPE. These dimensions showed adequate internal structure and consistency. The factorial invariance comparing women and men confirmed strict invariance. Additionally, the results showed significant correlation between some Brief-COPE scales, such as denial and substance use, with perceived stress and emotional support and active coping with subjective well-being. Overall, the present work offers a valid and reliable tool for assessing coping strategies in the Chilean population.This study was funded by CONICYT/FONDECYT (grant number 1180134) awarded to Felipe E. Garcia

Exploring Symmetry of Binary Classification Performance Metrics

Selecting the proper performance metric constitutes a key issue for most classification problems in the field of machine learning. Although the specialized literature has addressed several topics regarding these metrics, their symmetries have yet to be systematically studied. This research focuses on ten metrics based on a binary confusion matrix and their symmetric behaviour is formally defined under all types of transformations. Through simulated experiments, which cover the full range of datasets and classification results, the symmetric behaviour of these metrics is explored by exposing them to hundreds of simple or combined symmetric transformations. Cross-symmetries among the metrics and statistical symmetries are also explored. The results obtained show that, in all cases, three and only three types of symmetries arise: labelling inversion (between positive and negative classes); scoring inversion (concerning good and bad classifiers); and the combination of these two inversions. Additionally, certain metrics have been shown to be independent of the imbalance in the dataset and two cross-symmetries have been identified. The results regarding their symmetries reveal a deeper insight into the behaviour of various performance metrics and offer an indicator to properly interpret their values and a guide for their selection for certain specific applications.University of Seville (Spain) by Telefónica Chair “Intelligence in Networks

Conocimientos Actitudes y Practicas sobre la Técnica de Papanicolaou en Mujeres de Edad Fértil con vida sexual activa, que asisten al Centro de Salud Edwin Barahona Colindres del Municipio de Murra, Departamento de Nueva Segovia en el Periodo Octubre-Diciembre del 2016

El cáncer cervical (CaCu), es la segunda neoplasia que más muertes ocasiona entre la población femenina. Se estiman 500.000 casos anuales en el mundo, de los cuales el 80% de ellos corresponden a países en vías de desarrollo En el país se encuentra establecido como la primera causa de morbimortalidad que afecta a las mujeres Nicaragüenses, y se encuentra relacionado a Condiciones Socio Económicas de pobreza, condicionado por factores socio culturales que afectan directamente el manejo y seguimiento de esta patología de forma muy importante. Esto provoca que en la atención primaria exista todavía una baja cobertura, con limitaciones en el diagnóstico precoz, que desarrolla una afectación en la calidad de la atención y seguimiento al grupo de pacientes afectadas, y cuyas condiciones son similares a los reportados en diversos países de América Latina. Se debe impulsar en nuestra población el conocimiento sobre la técnica de Papanicolaou, para que mejore en principio el mal manejo de la información, superando además la influencia de los mitos, tabúes y las complicaciones que esto conlleva. Se realizó un estudio en una muestra de 229 mujeres en edad fértil, con vida sexual activa, para valorar los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre el Papanicolaou y que asisten al Centro de Salud Edwin Barahona Colindres del Municipio de Murra, Departamento de Nueva Segovia en el Periodo Octubre - Diciembre del 2016. .De las 229 mujeres entrevistadas el 57.2% correspondió al grupo de 15 a 26 años, y el 28.4% al grupo de edad de 27 a 38 años. Según el estado civil predominaron las mujeres acompañadas con un 41.9%, seguidas de las solteras con un 31.0%. En cuanto a la religión, las mujeres en estudio un 56.3% profesaban la religión católica y un 34.1% la evangélica, 9.6% pertenecían a otras entidades religiosas. Las mujeres tuvieron una procedencia rural, en el 71.2% de los casos y procedencia urbana en el 28.8%. En la escolaridad encontramos que el 20.9% de los casos eran Analfabetas, 35.5% cursaban Primaria, 26.6% cursaban la secundaria el 33.8%, el 7.0% tenían un nivel técnico y un 10.0% se encontraban en la universidad. De manera general encontramos que el nivel de conocimientos fue bueno en el 67.7%, prevaleció en un 24.4% el nivel de conocimiento regular, y en el 7.9% tuvieron un nivel de conocimiento malo. Los resultados obtenidos nos orientan a indicar la importancia de impulsar Medidas y Programas con intervenciones objetivas a fin de impulsar más el papel que se está desempeñando en materia preventiva para que las mujeres adopten actitudes y prácticas más responsables y seguras en relación al conocimiento sobre la toma de Papanicolaou y el Cáncer del Cérvix Uterino, manteniendo un constante monitoreo durante la toma de decisiones. El personal de salud, así como las Unidades de Salud, juegan un rol importante ya que es en primera instancia en este sitio y con estos actores donde las mujeres destacaron como principal fuente de información acerca del tema de Papanicolaou. Es necesario que la población en general, líderes comunitarios, padres de familia y mujeres tomen conciencia de la magnitud que representa la prevalencia del Cáncer Cervico Uterino en nuestro país, y que representa además un verdadero problema de salud pública en Nicaragua, ya que nos afecta a todos, repercutiendo en la calidad de vida, las oportunidades de desarrollo económico que se ven reflejados desde el mismo núcleo familiar