An Analysis of Urban Size and Territorial Location Effects on Employment Probabilities: The Spanish Case

The probability of being employed varies depending on several factors. Many of these are related to personal characteristics such as educational level, age, gender, or number and age of children. Nevertheless, other factors may be relevant, in particular the geographical environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relevance of urban size and the position of each territory (in terms of its distance from large metropolises) for the probability of being employed in the Spanish economy. Following the set of economic regions suggested by Polése, Shearmur and Rubiera (2007 ), we try to explain the spatial patterns of employment distribution. Our results show some relevant differences between these alternative economic areas. We find that municipalities with similar sizes and located at a similar distance from a metropolis but belonging to different Autonomous Communities or provinces share similar employability patterns.     

Effect of tillage practices on irrigation requirement,weed control and yield of lowland rice

Dry soil bulk density increased from 1.42 g/cm³ with ordinary ploughing to 1.69 g/cm³ with puddling twice and to 1.80 g/cm³ with soil compaction. Consequently, saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased from 113 mm/day with ordinary ploughing to 48 mm/day with puddling twice and to 29 mm/day with soil compaction. The irrigation requirement was 2295 mm with ordinary ploughing compared with 1350 mm with soil compaction. Dry weight of weeds was only 0.6 and 0.7 t/ha with puddling twice and soil compaction, respectively, and 3.9 t/ha with ordinary ploughing. The highest grain yield of rice (4.5 t/ha) was obtained with puddling twice, due to effective weed control. Weeds shared 57 and 35% of the nutrient (N+P+K) with ordinary ploughing and puddling once, respectively, as compared with only 8 and 15% with puddling twice and soil compaction, respectively. The ratio of total biological yield (grain + straw + weeds) to total nutrient (N+P+K) uptake was 59.0 with puddling twice and soil compaction as compared with 53.5 with puddling once and 50.0 with ordinary ploughing. This suggests that tillage practices may affect the efficiency of the use of soil and applied nutrients by the rice crop.     

Antidiabetic activity of Caesalpinia bonducella seed extracts in rats

The seed extracts of Caesalpinia bonducella were subjected to screening of antidiabetic activity in alloxan induced hyperglycemia. The oral administration of the extracts (300 mg/kg) produced significant antihyperglycemic action as well as it lowered the BUN levels significantly. In the same study the action of the extracts on diabetes induced hyperlipidemia was analyzed where the extracts significantly lowered the elevated cholesterol as well as LDL level. The antihyperglycemic action of the extracts may be due to the blocking of glucose absorption. The drug has the potential to act as antidiabetic as well as antihyperlipidemic.     

The percolation phase transition in sea Ice

Sea ice exhibits a marked transition in its fluid transport properties at a critical brine volume fraction pc of about 5 percent, or temperature Tc of about -5 degreesC for salinity of 5 parts per thousand. For temperatures warmer than Tc, brine carrying heat and nutrients can move through the ice, whereas for colder temperatures the ice is impermeable. This transition plays a key role in the geophysics, biology, and remote sensing of sea ice. Percolation theory can be used to understand this critical behavior of transport in sea ice. The similarity of sea ice microstructure to compressed powders is used to theoretically predict pc of about 5 percent.