bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Obemat2.0 Study: A Clinical Trial of a Motivational Intervention for Childhood Obesity Treatment
Authors: Luque Veronica , Feliu Albert , Escribano Joaquín , Ferré Natalia , Flores Gemma , Monné Raquel , Gutiérrez-Marín Desirée , Guillen Núria , Muñoz-Hernando Judit , Zaragoza-Jordana Marta , Gispert-Llauradó Mariona , Rubio-Torrents Carme , Núñez-Roig Mercè , Alcázar Mireia , Ferré Raimon , Basora Josep M. , Hsu Pablo , Alegret-Basora Clara , Arasa Francesc , Venables Michelle , Singh Priya , Closa-Monasterolo Ricardo
Published: February 2019

The primary aim of the Obemat2.0 trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent motivational program for the treatment of childhood obesity, coordinated between primary care and hospital specialized services, compared to the usual intervention performed in primary care. This was a cluster randomized clinical trial conducted in Spain, with two intervention arms: motivational intervention group vs. usual care group (as control), including 167 participants in each. The motivational intervention consisted of motivational interviewing, educational materials, use of an eHealth physical activity monitor and three group-based sessions. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI) z score increments before and after the 12 (+3) months of intervention. Secondary outcomes (pre-post intervention) were: adherence to treatment, waist circumference (cm), fat mass index (z score), fat free mass index (z score), total body water (kg), bone mineral density (z score), blood lipids profile, glucose metabolism, and psychosocial problems. Other assessments (pre and post-intervention) were: sociodemographic information, physical activity, sedentary activity, neuropsychological testing, perception of body image, quality of the diet, food frequency consumption and foods available at home. The results of this clinical trial could open a window of opportunity to support professionals at the primary care to treat childhood obesity. The clinicaltrials.gov identifier was NCT02889406.
Iron in Lung Pathology
Authors: Zhang Vida , Nemeth Elizabeta , Kim Airie
Published: February 2019

The lung presents a unique challenge for iron homeostasis. The entire airway is in direct contact with the environment and its iron particulate matter and iron-utilizing microbes. However, the homeostatic and adaptive mechanisms of pulmonary iron regulation are poorly understood. This review provides an overview of systemic and local lung iron regulation, as well as the roles of iron in the development of lung infections, airway disease, and lung injury. These mechanisms provide an important foundation for the ongoing development of therapeutic applications.
DNA Compaction and Charge Neutralization Regulated by Divalent Ions in very Low pH Solution
Authors: Gao Tianyong , Zhang Wei , Wang Yanwei , Yang Guangcan
Published: February 2019

DNA conformation is strongly dependent on the valence of counterions in solution, and a valence of at least three is needed for DNA compaction. Recently, we directly demonstrated DNA compaction and its regulation, mediated by divalent cations, by lowering the pH of a solution. In the present study, we found that the critical electrophoretic mobility of DNA is promoted to around −1.0 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1 to incur DNA compaction or condensation in a tri- and tetravalent counterions solution, corresponding to an about 89% neutralized charge fraction of DNA. This is also valid for DNA compaction by divalent counterions in a low pH solution. It is notable that the critical charge neutralization of DNA for compaction is only about 1% higher than the saturated charge fraction of DNA in a mild divalent ion solution. We also found that DNA compaction by divalent cations at low pH is weakened and even decondensed with an increasing concentration of counterions.
Gelatin Films Modified with Acidic and Polyelectrolyte Polymers—Material Selection for Soft Gastroresistant Capsules
Authors: Maciejewski Bartosz , Sznitowska Małgorzata
Published: February 2019

The following investigation comprised the formation of acid-resistant gelatin-based films, intended for future use in soft-capsule technology. Such film compositions were obtained by including nonionized forms of acid-insoluble polymers in a gelatin-based film-forming mixture. The selected films were additionally modified with small amounts of anionic polysaccharides that have potential to interact with gelatin, forming polyelectrolyte complexes. The obtained film compositions were subjected to, e.g., disintegration tests, adhesiveness tests, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a transparency study. As a result of the performed study, some commercial enteric polymers (acrylates), as well as cellulose acetate phthalate, were selected as components that have the ability to coalesce and form a continuous phase within a gelatin film. The use of a small amount (1.5%) of additional gelling polymers improved the rheological characteristics and adhesive properties of the obtained films, with ί-carrageenan and gellan gum appearing to be the most beneficial.
A Simple Methodology to Estimate the Diffusion Coefficient in Pervaporation-Based Purification Experiments
Authors: Dudek Gabriela , Borys Przemysław
Published: February 2019

A procedure to estimate the diffusion coefficient in solution–diffusion models of hydrophilic membranes used in pervaporation-based purification experiments is presented. The model is based on a series solution of the general permeation problem. It considers a membrane that can be filled with water or with the feed solution before the measurement. Furthermore, the length of the tubing between the permeation cell and the place of cold traps is also addressed. To illustrate the parameter estimation procedure, we have chosen the data for the separation of water and ethanol by chitosan membranes. It is shown that the diffusion coefficient can be estimated effectively from the time course of the transported mass and by the analysis of certain well defined time lags of the permeation curve.
Conducting Polymers, Hydrogels and Their Composites: Preparation, Properties and Bioapplications
Authors: Tomczykowa Monika , Plonska-Brzezinska Marta
Published: February 2019

This review is focused on current state-of-the-art research on electroactive-based materials and their synthesis, as well as their physicochemical and biological properties. Special attention is paid to pristine intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) and their composites with other organic and inorganic components, well-defined micro- and nanostructures, and enhanced surface areas compared with those of conventionally prepared ICPs. Hydrogels, due to their defined porous structures and being filled with aqueous solution, offer the ability to increase the amount of immobilized chemical, biological or biochemical molecules. When other components are incorporated into ICPs, the materials form composites; in this particular case, they form conductive composites. The design and synthesis of conductive composites result in the inheritance of the advantages of each component and offer new features because of the synergistic effects between the components. The resulting structures of ICPs, conducting polymer hydrogels and their composites, as well as the unusual physicochemical properties, biocompatibility and multi-functionality of these materials, facilitate their bioapplications. The synergistic effects between constituents have made these materials particularly attractive as sensing elements for biological agents, and they also enable the immobilization of bioreceptors such as enzymes, antigen-antibodies, and nucleic acids onto their surfaces for the detection of an array of biological agents. Currently, these materials have unlimited applicability in biomedicine. In this review, we have limited discussion to three areas in which it seems that the use of ICPs and materials, including their different forms, are particularly interesting, namely, biosensors, delivery of drugs and tissue engineering.
Parallel Mechanism of Spectral Feature-Enhanced Maps in EEG-Based Cognitive Workload Classification
Authors: Zhang Yihong , Shen Yuou
Published: February 2019

Electroencephalography (EEG) provides a non-invasive, portable and low-cost way to convert neural signals into electrical signals. Using EEG to monitor people’s cognitive workload means a lot, especially for tasks demanding high attention. Before deep neural networks became a research hotspot, the use of spectrum information and the common spatial pattern algorithm (CSP) was the most popular method to classify EEG-based cognitive workloads. Recently, spectral maps have been combined with deep neural networks to achieve a final accuracy of 91.1% across four levels of cognitive workload. In this study, a parallel mechanism of spectral feature-enhanced maps is proposed which enhances the expression of structural information that may be compressed by inter- and intra-subject differences. A public dataset and milestone neural networks, such as AlexNet, VGGNet, ResNet, DenseNet are used to measure the effectiveness of this approach. As a result, the classification accuracy is improved from 91.10% to 93.71%.
Computer-Based Concept Mapping as a Method for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Concept Learning in Technology-Enhanced Learning
Authors: Aşıksoy Gülsüm
Published: February 2019

Technology enhanced learning is a wide area that covers all uses of digital technology to support learning and teaching activities. The computer-based concept mapping has shown potential in enhancing meaningful learning in education. Concept mapping is an important tool that is used in the field of education to help students in understanding the basic concepts and the relationships between them. This research proposes a computer-based concept mapping (CBCM) environment combined with Google classroom to help students reduce their misconceptions and to improve their problem solving skills. Furthermore, it examines the effect of CBCM on the sustainability of concept learning according to student views. The participants were first-year engineering students. The study was conducted in a physics class, and a true-experimental design was used. The experimental group students learned with the Google classroom combined with computer-based concept mapping (CBCM), while the concept group students learned with Google classroom and the traditional method. Data were collected from a physics concept test, problem solving inventory, and semi-structured interviews. The research results indicated that teaching in the CBCM environment combined with Google Classroom provides meaningful learning by correcting the misconceptions of the students. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the problem solving skills of the experimental group as compared to the control group. According to the students’ views, it was determined that CBCM enhances the sustainability of concept learning. The results of this study can help educators and researchers to integrate computer-based concept mapping (CBCM) techniques into Google Classroom.
Experimental Study on Hydromechanical Behavior of an Artificial Rock Joint with Controlled Roughness
Authors: Choi Seungbeom , Jeon Byungkyu , Lee Sudeuk , Jeon Seokwon
Published: February 2019

Rock mass contains various discontinuities, such as faults, joints, and bedding planes. Among them, a joint is one of the most frequently encountered discontinuities in rock engineering applications. Generally, a joint exerts great influence on the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of rock mass, since it acts as a weak plane and as a fluid path in the rock mass. Therefore, an accurate understanding on joint characteristics is important in many projects. In-situ tests on joints are sometimes consumptive in terms of time and expenses so that the features are investigated by laboratory tests, providing fundamental properties for rock mass analyses. Although the behavior of a joint is affected by both mechanical and geometric conditions, the latter are often limited, since quantitative control on the conditions is quite complicated. In this study, artificial rock joints with various geometric conditions, i.e., joint roughness, were prepared in a quantitative manner and the hydromechanical characteristics were investigated by several laboratory experiments. Based on the results, a prediction model for hydraulic aperture was proposed in the form of ( e h / e m ) 3 = exp ( − 0.0462 c ) × ( 0.8864 ) J R C , which was a function of the mechanical aperture, joint roughness, and contact area. Relatively good agreement between the experimental results and predicted value indicated that the model is capable of estimating the hydraulic aperture properly.
Sustainable Downtown Development for the Tsunami-Prepared Urban Revitalization of Regional Coastal Cities
Authors: Ito Takumi , Setoguchi Tsuyoshi , Miyauchi Takashi , Ishii Akira , Watanabe Norihiro
Published: February 2019

Regional cities in Japan are facing a decline in the downtown area owing to urban expansion and a decrease in the population. Promoting downtown living is indispensable for the realization of downtown revitalization. Since many coastal cities originally developed outward from a port, their downtown areas are located near the coast and are at high risk of tsunamis. The purpose of this research is to reveal the effectiveness of dealing with the above two issues in parallel by evaluating the Deae-ru Saiwai estate, a public housing relocation project in downtown Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan that incorporates a tsunami evacuation facility with questionnaires and a GIS survey. Placing public housing in the downtown area shortens the distance to public facilities and improves the convenience of the surrounding environment for many residents. Installing the tsunami evacuation facility improves the feeling of reassurance of residents who would feel anxiety about immigration with regards to tsunamis. This research has clarified the synergistic effect of dealing with the daily and emergency issues in parallel for promoting downtown living. Planning downtown revitalization and disaster prevention concurrently, which has been separated so far, is a fundamental planning approach for urban revitalization in regional coastal cities.
Mode of Commuting TO and FROM School: A Similar or Different Pattern?
Authors: Herrador-Colmenero Manuel , Escabias Manuel , Ortega Francisco B. , McDonald Noreen C. , Chillón Palma
Published: February 2019

Aims: The aims of this study were: a) to analyse the association between the mode of commuting to go and come back from school and b) to analyse the association between the usual mode of commuting and weekly counts of school trips by mode of commuting to and from school. Methods: A total of 5960 students (7–20 year old) participated in the study fulfilling the Mode and Frequency of Commuting to and from School Questionnaire. This is a self-reported questionnaire that included questions about personal data and the usual and weekly mode of commuting to go and come back from school. Results: There were differences between the modes of commuting to and from school in commuting by car and on foot in children and adolescents and by bus only in adolescents (all p ≤ 0.001). Reporting a usual mode of commuting indicated 7.7 travels/week (the maximum number of journeys is 10) using that same mode. Conclusion: Our results show the importance of assessing the mode of commuting in both directions and only one recall period (i.e., usual or the weekly mode of commuting).
Trade Credit Financing and Sustainable Growth of Firms: Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Huang Li , Ying Qianwei , Yang Shanye , Hassan Hazrat
Published: February 2019

As an effective substitute for bank credit to ease financing constraints, trade credit plays an important role in the operation and growth of enterprises. This paper extends the literature by providing evidence on the relationship between trade credit financing and firm-level sustainable growth. Using the financial statement data of 20,089 Chinese A-share listed firms over the period 2003 to 2017, running a regression using the cross-section regression method and employing the two-stage instrumental-variable regression method in the endogeneity test, the study finds that trade credit has an overall positive and significant impact on the sustainable growth of Chinese firms, especially for firms with higher internal control ability, trade credit financing contributes more to sustainable growth, and the same way with private enterprises, whose growth depends more on trade credit compared to state-owned firms. We further find that the link between trade credit financing and sustainable growth of a firm is stronger in areas with lower access to finance, suggesting that firms with higher dependence on trade credit financing exhibit higher rates of sustainable growth in areas with weaker financial institutions.
Indoor Air Quality Enhancement Performance of Liquid Desiccant and Evaporative Cooling-Assisted Air Conditioning Systems
Authors: Kim Beom-Jun , Park Junseok , Jeong Jae-Weon
Published: February 2019

The main objective of this study is to investigate the indoor air quality enhancement performance of two different liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling-assisted air conditioning systems, such as the variable air volume (VAV) system with the desiccant-enhanced evaporative (DEVap) cooler, and the liquid desiccant system with an indirect and direct evaporative cooling-assisted 100% outdoor air system (LD-IDECOAS), compared with the conventional VAV system. The transient simulations of concentration variations of carbon dioxide (CO2), coarse particles, and fine particles (PM10 and PM2.5) in a model office space served by each system were performed using validated system models that were found in the literature. Based on the hourly thermal loads of the model space predicted by the TRNSYS 18 program, each air conditioning system was operated virtually using a commercial equation solver program (EES). The results indicated that the LD-IDECOAS provided the lowest annual indoor CO2 concentration among all the systems considered in this research, while the VAV system with DEVap cooler exceeded the threshold concentration (i.e., 1000 ppm) during the cooling season (i.e., July, August, and September). For the indoor particulate contaminant concentrations, both liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling-assisted air conditioning systems indicated lower indoor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations compared with the reference system. The LD-IDECOAS and the VAV with a DEVap cooler demonstrated 33.3% and 23.5% lower annual accumulated indoor PM10 concentrations than the reference system, respectively. Similarly, the annual accumulated indoor PM2.5 concentration was reduced by 16% using the LD-IDECOAS and 17.1% using the VAV with DEVap cooler.
Socially Responsible Human Resource Management as a Concept of Fostering Sustainable Organization-Building: Experiences of Young Polish Companies
Authors: Bombiak Edyta , Marciniuk-Kluska Anna
Published: February 2019

There has been increased interest over recent years in socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) oriented at developing good relations with employees as a function fostering sustainable organization-building. This is a consequence of our awareness of the fact that employees and personnel processes play a vital role in translating the policy of sustainable development into practice. The objective of this research has been to diagnose the activity of young Polish enterprises in the area of SRHRM as an important corporate social responsibility (CSR) component and to assess relations between SRHRM practices and the sustainable development of organizations. The studies conducted on a representative sample of 150 entities demonstrate both the scope of SRHRM practical implementation and the fields which have disparity in this respect. It has been determined that SRHRM practices are quite frequently adopted by young Polish enterprises. Research has shown that there is a correlation between the assessment of the relationship of SRHRM practices with the sustainable development of organizations and their practical implementation. It has been established that the higher the assessment of the strength of the relations of a given practice, the more often it is implemented in the enterprises studied. Simultaneously, the research has demonstrated a low level of maturity with respect to SRHRM implementation, as evidenced by the adoption of basic practices.
Co-CEOs and Asymmetric Cost Behavior
Authors: Lee Jiyeon , Park Jin-Ha , Hyeon Jiwon
Published: February 2019

This study investigates the effect of co-CEO structure on asymmetric cost behavior. A firm’s cost behavior reflects managers’ decision making about resources, which can be influenced by various factors. One of them relates to a manager’s decision to inefficiently reallocate their company’s resources when sales decline in pursuit of their incentives for empire-building and disincentives for downsizing. These inefficient resource allocations may result in asymmetric cost behavior, and ultimately be harmful to a firm’s sustainability. We consider the co-CEO structure as an alternative corporate governance mechanism that prevents managers from making inappropriate decisions. By doing so, we investigate whether the degree of cost stickiness differs between co-CEO and single-CEO structures, and whether the former complements external governance mechanisms, particularly foreign ownership, in mitigating cost stickiness. We analyze data from Korean listed companies for 2000–2013, and find that the cost stickiness is lower in the co-CEO structure than in the single-CEO structure. Thus, the co-CEO structure works as an alternative corporate governance mechanism to control the agency problem by inducing mutual monitoring among co-CEOs. Furthermore, the reduction in cost stickiness is greater for firms with higher foreign ownership, indicating that the co-CEO structure complements external governance mechanisms.
β–Hyers–Ulam–Rassias Stability of Semilinear Nonautonomous Impulsive System
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Arif Muhammad , Zada Akbar
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we study a system governed by impulsive semilinear nonautonomous differential equations. We present the β –Ulam stability, β –Hyers–Ulam stability and β –Hyers–Ulam–Rassias stability for the said system on a compact interval and then extended it to an unbounded interval. We use Grönwall type inequality and evolution family as a basic tool for our results. We present an example to demonstrate the application of the main result.
A Dunkl–Type Generalization of Szász–Kantorovich Operators via Post–Quantum Calculus
Authors: Nasiruzzaman Md. , Mukheimer Aiman , Mursaleen M.
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we define the ( p , q ) -variant of Szász–Kantorovich operators via Dunkl-type generalization generated by an exponential function and study the Korovkin-type results. We also obtain the convergence of our operators in weighted space by the modulus of continuity, Lipschitz class, and Peetre’s K-functionals. The extra parameter p provides more flexibility in approximation and plays an important role in symmetrizing these newly-defined operators.
Generalized Permanental Polynomials of Graphs
Authors: Liu Shunyi
Published: February 2019

The search for complete graph invariants is an important problem in graph theory and computer science. Two networks with a different structure can be distinguished from each other by complete graph invariants. In order to find a complete graph invariant, we introduce the generalized permanental polynomials of graphs. Let G be a graph with adjacency matrix A ( G ) and degree matrix D ( G ) . The generalized permanental polynomial of G is defined by P G ( x , μ ) = per ( x I − ( A ( G ) − μ D ( G ) ) ) . In this paper, we compute the generalized permanental polynomials for all graphs on at most 10 vertices, and we count the numbers of such graphs for which there is another graph with the same generalized permanental polynomial. The present data show that the generalized permanental polynomial is quite efficient for distinguishing graphs. Furthermore, we can write P G ( x , μ ) in the coefficient form ∑ i = 0 n c μ i ( G ) x n − i and obtain the combinatorial expressions for the first five coefficients c μ i ( G ) ( i = 0 , 1 , ⋯ , 4 ) of P G ( x , μ ) .
A Robust and Automatic Method for the Best Symmetry Plane Detection of Craniofacial Skeletons
Authors: Di Angelo Luca , Di Stefano Paolo , Governi Lapo , Marzola Antonio , Volpe Yary
Published: February 2019

The accurate location of the mid-sagittal plane is fundamental for the assessment of craniofacial dysmorphisms and for a proper corrective surgery planning. To date, these elaborations are carried out by skilled operators within specific software environments. Since the whole procedure is based on the manual selection of specific landmarks, it is time-consuming, and the results depend on the operators’ professional experience. This work aims to propose a new automatic and landmark-independent technique which is able to extract a reliable mid-sagittal plane from 3D CT images. The algorithm has been designed to perform a robust evaluation, also in the case of large defect areas. The presented method is an upgraded version of a mirroring-and registration technique for the automatic symmetry plane detection of 3D asymmetrically scanned human faces, previously published by the authors. With respect to the published algorithm, the improvements here introduced concern both the objective function formulation and the method used to minimize it. The automatic method here proposed has been verified in the analysis of real craniofacial skeletons also with large defects, and the results have been compared with other recent technologies.
31P NMR Investigations on Roundup Degradation by AOP Procedures
Authors: Kudzin Marcin H. , Żyłła Renata , Mrozińska Zdzisława , Urbaniak Paweł
Published: February 2019

The reactions of (N-(PhosphonoMethyl)Glycine) PMG with H2O2 in homogenous systems were investigated using 31P NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). These reactions were carried out in two reaction modes: without UV radiation and under UV radiation. The reactions of PMG with H2O2 without UV radiation were carried out in two modes: the degradations of PMG (0.1 mmol) by means of 5–10 molar excess of hydrogen dioxide (PMG-H2O2 = 1:5 and 1:10) and the degradation of PMG (0.1 mmol) in homogenous Fenton reactions (PMG-H2O2-Fe2+ = 1:10:0.05 and 1:10:0.1). All reactions were carried out at ambient temperature, at pH 3.5, for 48 h. The reactions of PMG (in Roundup herbicide composition, 12 mmol) with H2O2 under UV radiation (254 nm) were carried out using 5 × molar excess of H2O2 (60 mmol), in the pH range of 2 ≤ pH ≤ 12, for 6 h. In this mode of PMG oxidation, the splitting of C-P was observed in the ratios dependent on the applied pH of the reaction mixture.
Identification of Water Body Extent Based on Remote Sensing Data Collected with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Tymków Przemysław , Jóźków Grzegorz , Walicka Agata , Karpina Mateusz , Borkowski Andrzej
Published: February 2019

The paper presents an efficient methodology of water body extent estimation based on remotely sensed data collected with UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The methodology includes the data collection with selected sensors and processing of remotely sensed data to obtain accurate geospatial products that are finally used to estimate water body extent. Three sensors were investigated: RGB (Red Green Blue) camera, thermal infrared camera, and laser scanner. The platform used to carry each of these sensors was an Aibot X6—a multirotor type of UAV. Test data was collected at 6 sites containing different types of water bodies, including 4 river sections, an old river bed, and a part of a lake shore. The processing of collected data resulted in 2.5-D and 2-D geospatial products that were used subsequently for water body extent estimation. Depending on the type of used sensor, the created geospatial product, and the type of the water body and the land cover, three strategies employing image processing tools were developed to estimate water body range. The obtained results were assessed in terms of classification accuracy (distinguishing the water body from the land) and geometrical planar accuracy of the water body extent. The product identified as the most suitable in water body detection was four bands RGB+TIR (Thermal InfraRed) ortho mosaic. It allowed to achieve the average kappa coefficient of the water body identification above 0.9. The planar accuracy of water body extent varied depending on the type of the sensor, the geospatial product, and the test site conditions, but it was comparable with results obtained in similar studies.
Polymorphic self-assembly of pyrazine-based tectons at the solution–solid interface
Authors: Jana Achintya , Mishra Puneet , Das Neeladri
Published: February 2019

Exploring the surface self-assembly of small molecules that act as building blocks (tectons) for complex supramolecular structures is crucial for realizing surface-supported functional molecular devices. Here, we report on the synthesis and surface self-assembly of a new pyrazine-derived molecule with pyridine pendants. Ambient scanning tunneling microscopy investigation at the solution–solid interface reveals polymorphic self-assembly of these molecules on a HOPG substrate. Two different molecular packing structures with equal distribution are observed. Detailed analysis of the STM images emphasizes the crucial role of weak intermolecular hydrogen bonding, and molecule–substrate interactions in the formation of the observed polymorphs. Such weak hydrogen bonding interactions are highly desirable for the formation of modular supramolecular architectures since they can provide sufficiently robust molecular structures and also facilitate error correction.
L’Europe numérique
Authors: Gaglio Cyrielle , Guillou Sarah
Published: February 2019

L’activité numérique des économies est devenue un marqueur de leur compétitivité et de leur capacité à relever les défis technologiques futurs. Cette activité s’est clairement intensifiée depuis les années 2000 et a entraîné de nombreuses mutations. La pénétration croissante des nouvelles technologies de l’information et des communications dans les usages est à l’origine de la transformation des modes de production, de consommation, de communication et ouvre la voie à de nouvelles formes de partage, de création, de collaboration et d’innovation. Elle s’est accompagnée d’une montée de la contribution à la production nationale des secteurs des services informatiques et numériques. Cet article s’intéresse à la place de l’Europe dans la révolution numérique en comparaison de celle des États-Unis et de la Chine. Pour ce faire, nous mobilisons trois approches complémentaires : la première, macro-sectorielle, évalue le tissu productif numérique, la deuxième, microéconomique, discute le rôle des acteurs de l’économie des plateformes, la troisième couvre les environnements financier et institutionnel. Il apparaît que l’Europe peine à se constituer en puissance numérique. Elle est marquée par des disparités entre ses États membres et par un retard vis-à-vis des États-Unis et de la Chine dans les secteurs associés à la révolution numérique. Toutefois, à certains égards, l’économie européenne dispose d’atouts pro-metteurs, notamment dans les services. La valeur ajoutée des services informatiques et numériques explique 36 % de la valeur ajoutée numérique totale créée en Europe. Avec 48 % des parts de marché détenues, l’Europe s’impose sur le marché mondial des services numériques. Elle devance les États-Unis et la Chine dans la consommation numérique des activités financières (9,5 %). Forte de son vaste marché de consommateurs qualifiés, l’Europe se montre très active en matière de régulation numérique et de prise en compte des enjeux sociétaux. Les efforts entrepris par les institutions européennes dans le cadre du marché unique numérique et pour la construction d’une Europe numérique restent à intensifier.
France-Allemagne : retour au travail
Authors: Challe Édouard , Ragot Xavier
Published: February 2019

Cet article vise à clarifier le débat sur l’excédent courant allemand en comparant la compétitivité-prix et les performances à l’exportation de l’Allemagne et de la France. Nous avançons qu’un déterminant fondamental des déséquilibres entre les deux pays est la divergence des coûts salariaux unitaires entre ces deux pays à partir des années 2000. Cette divergence procède de trois facteurs. Tout d’abord, les réformes sur le marché du travail en Allemagne à partir de la fin des années 1990 ont conduit à une hausse de l’offre de travail, accompagnée d’une modération salariale, voire d’une baisse des salaires réels. Ce gain de compétitivité-prix s’est ensuite amplifié en raison, d’une part, de la fixité du taux change nominal et, d’autre part, de rigidités salariales nominales en France. Nous construisons un modèle simplifié de commerce international afin d’identifier le rôle de la concurrence pour la demande mondiale dans une union monétaire. Ce mécanisme est absent de nombreux travaux analysant les déséquilibres au sein de la zone euro (qui considèrent l’Europe comme une économie fermée). Une hausse de l’inflation et une meilleure coordination des politiques salariales contribueraient à faciliter une reconvergence européenne.
Où en sommes-nous des bulles de prix d’actifs en zone euro ?
Authors: Blot Christophe , Hubert Paul , Odry Rémi
Published: February 2019

Cet article propose de calculer des indicateurs de bulles boursières et immobilières pour la zone euro dans son ensemble et pour ses quatre plus grands pays : Allemagne, France, Italie et Espagne. Sur la base de la méthode proposée par Blot, Hubert et Labondance (2018), nous estimons des composantes bulles issues des différents modèles utilisés dans la littérature et construisons un indicateur synthétique par prix d’actifs. Nos estimations permettent clairement d’identifier la bulle internet des années 2000 ainsi que la surévaluation des indices boursiers en 2007. Les marchés immobiliers des quatre pays de la zone présentent cependant des caractéristiques plus hétérogènes. Sur la période récente, les indicateurs suggèrent que la zone euro est caractérisée par une surévaluation sur les marchés actions et immobiliers ; la surévaluation boursière étant cependant très faible et de bien moindre ampleur que celle observée en fin d’année 2007. La bulle immobilière reflète en réalité la situation du marché immobilier allemand puisqu’aucune bulle positive n’est identifiée pour les trois autres pays de la zone euro. La corrélation des indicateurs de bulle sur les marchés boursiers est bien plus importante. Ces indicateurs permettent d’évaluer les risques d’instabilités financières dans la zone euro, ce qui constitue une information essentielle pour la politique économique qui vise à maintenir la stabilité financière. Néanmoins se pose la question de l’instrument le plus approprié pour freiner le développement de ces bulles et du mode de coordination de la politique de stabilité financière dans une union monétaire décentralisée. D’une part, l’efficacité d’une stratégie de politique monétaire de « leaning against the wind » n’est pas garantie ; d’autre part, la politique monétaire de la BCE n’est probablement pas un outil approprié pour influencer des bulles hétérogènes entre les pays comme c’est le cas pour le marché immobilier. Il y a donc un rôle important pour la mise en œuvre d’une politique macroprudentielle, en particulier pour limiter les bulles sur les marchés immobiliers des pays de la zone euro.
Normalisation de la politique monétaire de la Banque centrale européenne
Authors: Blot Christophe , Creel Jérôme , Hubert Paul
Published: February 2019

La mise en œuvre des politiques monétaires non conventionnelles a entraîné une forte augmentation de la taille du bilan des banques centrales. Alors que le temps de la normalisation de la politique monétaire semble être venu – la BCE a d’ores et déjà annoncé la fin de sa politique ultra-accommodante et la baisse de la taille de son bilan pourrait intervenir en début d’année 2019 –, une question importante reste en suspens : quelle est la taille « normale » du bilan de la BCE ? S’agit-il de celle qui prévalait avant la crise de 2007-2008 ou pas ? En effet, alors même que les mesures non conventionnelles des banques centrales étaient supposées être exceptionnelles et temporaires, un débat s’est engagé sur l’opportunité d’intégrer certaines de ces mesures à la liste des instruments usuels de la politique monétaire. En d’autres termes, de nombreux économistes, notamment, s’interrogent sur l’opportunité pour les banques centrales de conserver des tailles de bilan importantes, plus grandes en tout cas que celles d’avant-crise, pour assurer leurs missions. Au-delà des canaux de transmission différenciés qu’elles offrent, les mesures non-conventionnelles sont en effet aussi susceptibles de renforcer la capacité des banques centrales à assurer la stabilité financière. La question d’adopter des politiques de bilan permanentes pour les banques centrales se pose d’autant plus que le contexte institutionnel a évolué depuis la crise : les missions des banques centrales ont été élargies et les préoccupations à l’égard de la stabilité financière sont croissantes. Cet article présente ainsi des scénarios de réduction de la taille du bilan de l’Eurosystème ainsi que les arguments en faveur de la pérennisation de certaines des mesures non conventionnelles. Si les arguments sont nombreux, il faut bien reconnaître que les économistes n’ont pas encore complètement analysé l’effet potentiel des politiques de bilan sur la stabilité macroéconomique et financière. Ceci ne devrait pourtant pas empêcher les banques centrales de recourir à ces politiques pour compléter l’arsenal des instruments à leur disposition pour faire face aux besoins de liquidité des banques commerciales, pour atténuer la fragmentation bancaire et pour assurer la fourniture d’actifs liquides sans risque dans la zone euro.
Comment achever l’union bancaire ?
Authors: Véron Nicolas
Published: February 2019

L’union bancaire, engagée à la mi-2012 au moment le plus critique de la crise de la zone euro, est d’abord et avant tout une réponse au défi existentiel que représente le « cercle vicieux banques- souverains » tel qu’il a été révélé au cours de la crise. Elle se compose actuellement de deux nouveaux dispositifs : le « mécanisme de supervision unique » qui centralise la surveillance prudentielle des banques à la Banque centrale européenne, et le « mécanisme de résolution unique » qui organise la résolution future des crises bancaires les plus importantes autour d’une nouvelle agence européenne. Ces réformes sont positives. S’il est encore trop tôt pour se prononcer sur le mécanisme de résolution, la nouvelle architecture de surveillance fonctionne et sa performance apparaît sensiblement supérieure à celle du système antérieur des superviseurs nationaux. Mais l’union bancaire est un chantier inachevé, qui ne peut encore que très partiellement remplir sa mission de rupture du cercle vicieux banques-souverains. Pour atteindre cet objectif, plusieurs réformes interdépendantes restent à engager. Les principales sont la réduction des expositions excessives des banques au risque souverain de leur pays d’origine, atteignable par une modification appropriée de la réglementation sur les exigences de fonds propres ; la mise en place d’une assurance des dépôts intégrée pour l’ensemble de la zone euro ; et le démantèlement des pratiques de confinement (ring-fencing) pays par pays du capital et de la liquidité des groupes bancaires transfrontaliers à l’intérieur de la zone euro. Avec des dispositions transitoires et un calibrage approprié, ces réformes peuvent être effectuées à traités constants et sans risque pour la stabilité financière.
Les règles budgétaires
Authors: Aldama Pierre , Creel Jérôme
Published: February 2019

Nous estimons des fonctions de réaction budgétaires afin de capturer deux objectifs de la politique budgétaire : la stabilisation du cycle macroéconomique et la stabilisation de la dette publique, selon la position de l’économie dans le cycle, avec une attention particulière aux années de crise (2009-2013) et en fonction de l’appartenance ou non à la zone euro. Nous utilisons des données révisées et en temps réel entre 1996 et 2018 pour les 15 premiers pays membres de l’UE plus 4 économies avancées de l’OCDE. Les données en temps réel aident à identifier les déterminants effectifs des États au moment de leurs décisions budgétaires. Nous ne trouvons aucune preuve empirique d’un comportement budgétaire « irresponsable », du point de vue de la soutenabilité budgétaire, des pays de la zone euro. Le solde primaire et le solde structurel primaire s’accroissent respectivement de 0,7 et 0,5 point de PIB à la suite d’une hausse de 10 points de PIB de la dette publique, toutes choses égales par ailleurs. Pendant la crise, les États extérieurs à la zone euro ne réagissent plus à la dette publique, contrairement à ceux de la zone euro. Nous trouvons ensuite que la politique budgétaire est contra-cyclique, en haut de cycle et en dehors des années de crise ; cependant, sa composante discrétionnaire est plutôt pro-cyclique, particulièrement en bas de cycle et pendant les années de crise. La principale différence entre les États de la zone euro et les autres tient au caractère pro-cyclique de la consolidation budgétaire des premiers après la crise de 2008-2009. Les résultats pour la zone euro plaident pour une réforme des règles budgétaires, mais pas forcément dans le sens le plus généralement admis. En effet, la question de la discipline de marché ne semble pas primordiale : les États assurent, par leurs politiques budgétaires, la soutenabilité de leurs finances publiques. Cela concourt sans doute à des politiques pro-cycliques qui retardent la stabilisation macroéconomique parce qu’elles pèsent, via les effets multiplicateurs, sur l’activité et accélèrent, au lieu de la ralentir, l’accumulation des dettes publiques. Les politiques budgétaires européennes ont donc grand besoin d’être plus souples, moins normatives, centrées sur les propriétés de stabilisation. Cela passera par une attention moins grande portée à l’objectif de dette publique au bénéfice de politiques discrétionnaires de stabilisation.
Construire une politique énergétique et climatique européenne cohérente
Authors: Rivera Gissela Landa , Malliet Paul , Saussay Aurélien , Reynès Frédéric
Published: February 2019

L’Union européenne (UE) a acquis au cours des deux dernières décennies une position de leader dans la lutte contre le changement climatique. Cependant, malgré les progrès significatifs réalisés en matière de réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) au cours de cette période, l’efficacité du pilotage de la politique climatique et énergétique au niveau de l’UE demeure insatisfaisante. Dans cet article, nous nous efforçons d’identifier le rôle que l’UE peut jouer pour faciliter la mise en œuvre de politiques de transition énergétique ambitieuses. Tout d’abord, si la gestion des projets liés à la transition énergétique est généralement mieux adaptée au niveau local ou national, le niveau européen reste le plus approprié pour collecter des fonds ou piloter des infrastructures transnationales de réseaux d’énergie et de transport. Ceci est mis en évidence par une analyse des projets financés par le Fonds européen pour les investissements stratégiques (EFSI). Deuxièmement, au-delà des objectifs au niveau de l’UE, la coordination entre les États membres sur la définition de leurs infrastructures énergétiques est essentielle. Un déploiement réussi des énergies renouvelables nécessite un haut niveau d’intégration pour surmonter les difficultés liées à l’intermittence. Des stratégies opposées peuvent avoir des effets négatifs, ralentir la tendance actuelle des investissements dans les capacités renouvelables et empêcher ainsi l’UE de respecter les engagements déterminés par ses États membres au niveau national (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, INDC). La coordination entre les politiques énergétiques nationales devrait être assurée au niveau de l’UE, qui pourrait associer plus efficacement les différentes sources de financement, constituer un marché de capacité et même définir une politique commune de la taxe carbone à côté du système d’échange de quotas d’émissions (Emissions Trading System, ETS). Enfin, la conception des politiques d’atténuation du changement climatique devrait mettre davantage l’accent sur les bénéfices commerciaux potentiels que l’UE peut tirer de sa position de leader dans ce domaine. La quasi-disparition de l’industrie photovoltaïque européenne face à leurs concurrents chinois devrait faire prendre conscience aux autorités européennes que l’avantage actuel est fragile. Malgré une position significative de leader dans de nombreux domaines de lutte contre le changement climatique, les dividendes économiques dont l’UE pourrait profiter ne sont pas assurés par les politiques actuellement mises en œuvre. Il s’agit notamment d’aller au-delà de la recherche en R&D en consacrant davantage d’efforts à la commercialisation de produits et technologies innovants liés à la transition énergétique.
Pour une Europe du bien-être
Authors: Laurent Éloi
Published: February 2019

L’Union européenne a deux bonnes raisons d’embrasser la transition vers le bien-être et la soutenabilité : d’une part, elle s’est historiquement construite comme un pouvoir normatif et post-matérialiste ; d’autre part, dans le contexte géopolitique actuel, elle doit prendre son « destin en main » et inventer un modèle original et robuste de développement. Cette transition vers le bien-être a un sens précis : au lieu de la croissance, les décideurs devraient se préoccuper du bien-être (le développement humain), de la résilience (la résistance aux chocs, notamment écologiques) et de la soutenabilité (le souci du bien-être futur). Il existe à cet égard un véritable paradoxe européen en ce qui concerne les indicateurs de bien-être depuis la « grande récession » : d’une part, l’UE a tenté de capitaliser sur le mécontentement à l’égard de l’économie standard et de faire sien l’agenda « au-delà du PIB » qu’elle a contribué à lancer. D’autre part, les institutions européennes sont devenues encore plus rigides dans l’application de ses critères de finance publique. Cet article présente d’abord les enjeux de la transition du bien-être avant d’indiquer des voies possibles d’ancrage de cette transition dans les politiques publiques de l’Union européenne, à tous les niveaux de gouvernance. On peut de ce point de vue envisager au moins trois niveaux d’action pour inscrire les indicateurs de bien-être, de résilience et de soutenabilité dans les politiques publiques de l’Union européenne : le niveau européen, le niveau national et le niveau local. On peut de plus croiser ces niveaux de gouvernance avec trois lieux de l’action politique : la démocratie représentative, la démocratie réglementaire et la démocratie participative. Au niveau européen notamment, tout reste ainsi à faire pour intégrer les indicateurs de bien-être aux procédures budgétaires : l’UE pourrait concevoir et organiser, au cours du semestre européen, un débat au Parlement européen et dans tous les parlements des États membres, informé des indicateurs de bien-être et de soutenabilité, orienté par les valeurs européennes et les priorités nationales visant à déterminer les choix budgétaires au-delà des seuls critères de discipline fiscale.