Suchergebnisse

A variety of optimization and simulation models are now com- monly used to help water resource planners and managers identify, evaluate and predict themultiple impacts from va- rious actions or decisions one can make regarding the deve- lopment and management of a region's water resources. Cur- rent developments in computer technology are making it pos- sible to link these models to programs that provide an in- terface betwe- en the decision maker and their models and compu- ters. The volume discusses how these so-called deci- sion support systems can be best developed and used bythose involved in water resources planning and management

Railways were one of the main engines of the Latin American trade boom before 1914. Railway construction often required financial support from local governments, which depended on their fiscal capacity. However, since the main government revenues were trade-related, this generated a two-way feedback between government revenues and railways, with a potential for multiple equilibria. The empirical tests in this article support the hypothesis of such a positive two-way relationship. The main implication of our analysis is that the build-up of state capacity was a necessary condition for railway expansion and also, to a large extent, for export expansion in Latin America during the first globalization.

Musculoskeletal diseases are increasing the prevalence of physical disability worldwide. Within the body, musculoskeletal soft and hard tissues integrate through specific multitissue transitions, allowing for body movements. Owing to their unique compositional and structural gradients, injuries challenge the native interfaces and tissue regeneration is unlikely to occur. Tissue engineering strategies are emerging to emulate the physiological environment of soft-to-hard tissue interfaces. Advances in biomaterial design enable control over biophysical parameters, but biomaterials alone are not sufficient to provide adequate support and guide transplanted cells. Therefore, biological, biophysical, and biochemical tools can be integrated into a multifactorial toolbox, steering prospective advances toward engineering clinically relevant soft-to-hard tissue interfaces. ; The authors acknowledge the financial support from the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON2020 (TEAMING Grant agreement, No 739572 - The Discoveries CTR), the ERC Grant CoG MagTendon (nr 772817), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for the PhD grant of I.C. (PD/BD/128088/2016), and the Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021 through the European Regional Development Fund ...

In two experimental studies, we explored the politicized use of immigrant stereotypes by members of the Portuguese host society. Our goal was to demonstrate that stereotypes strategically vary to support political arguments and mobilize others towards one's political position. In Study 1, the way in which participants described immigrants varied as a function of (a) whether or not they were provided with the opportunity to mobilize an ingroup audience, (b) the direction in which they sought to mobilize that audience, and (c) the instrumentality of particular stereotypical traits in a given argumentative context. Study 2 examined the cognitive processes underlying the strategic expression of stereotypes, by measuring implicit stereotyping and manipulating participants' ability to do cognitive work prior to and during stereotype expression. The findings showed that (a) variability in stereotype expression was matched by a consonant variability in implicit representations of immigrants, and that (b) the ability to do cognitive work was a necessary condition for variability in stereotype expression to emerge. Taken together, these findings suggest that strategic effects in stereotype expression are underpinned by strategic work on intra-psychic representations. We conclude by discussing the complementarity between strategic and cognitive explanations of stereotype expression, as well as by arguing the possibility of a more predictive approach to the politicized use of stereotypes. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

ABSTRACT Purpose: In this study, the notion of absorptive capacity (AC) and its configurations were adopted as a reference with the general goal of understanding the development stage of processes and routines of the acquisition, transformation and application of knowledge in the context of a public research company. Originality/value: One of the mobilizing factors in the agricultural sector in Brazil is the generation of new products and processes. In this case, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Agency (Embrapa) has played a role, especially in the absorption, internalization and generation of agricultural knowledge and innovations. In its processes, it involves its decentralized units and scientific and technological partners through research and development (R&D) processes. Identifying and systematizing the most effective forms and configurations in processes and routines associated with the dynamic of knowledge appropriation in a diverse and dynamic environment such as Embrapa constitutes a major challenge for scholars. However, recent studies have highlighted the growing diffusion of the debate on the AC construct. Design/methodology/approach: For this purpose, a case study was conducted involving Embrapa and three of its R&D projects. The study found evidence of intra-organizational and interorganizational alliances, as well as resulting important innovations. Findings: The principal contribution was identifying, in a public research company, the presence of routines and processes similar to those observed in the configurations of AC analyzed in the literature and the consolidation of routines and processes of knowledge absorption at the intra-organizational and interorganizational levels.

Based on a multidimensional definition of academic expectations (AEs), the authors examine students' AE component scores across countries and genders. Two samples (343 Portuguese and 358 Spanish students) completed the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ) six months after enrolling in their universities. Factorial invariance was ensured across countries and genders, allowing us to study AEs using the APQ for both genders and in both countries. No significant differences in factor means were found between countries, indicating that AEs are not an obstacle to student mobility. Gender differences were found in some AE factor means, Training for employment, Personal and social development, Student mobility, Political engagement and citizenship, and Social pressure, with males exhibiting higher scores. Because these differences are not supported by most literature in this domain, further studies are needed to clarify the causes of women's lower expectations and, therefore, risk of adaptation difficulties.

IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting (2018, Boston) ; This work was supported in part by COST Action TD1301, MiMed; and by the Ministerio de Economía y Competividad (Spanish Government), under the projects TEC2017-86619-R (ARTEINE) and TEC2016-75103-C2-1-R (MYRADA).

Based on a multidimensional definition of academic expectations (AEs), we examine students' AE component scores across countries and genders. Two samples (343 Portuguese and 358 Spanish students) completed the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ) six months after enrolling in their universities. Factorial invariance was ensured across countries and genders, allowing us to study AEs using the APQ for both genders and in both countries. No significant differences in factor means were found between countries, indicating that AEs are not an obstacle to student mobility. Gender differences were found in some AE factor means, Training for employment, Personal and social development, Student mobility, Political engagement and citizenship, and Social pressure, with males exhibiting higher scores. Because these differences are not supported by most literature in this domain, further studies are needed to clarify the causes of women's lower expectations and, therefore, risk of adaptation difficulties.