Agriculture Public Spending and Growth:The Example of Indonesia

This note analyzes the trends and evolution of public spending in the agriculture sector in Indonesia, as well as its impact on the growth of agriculture during the period 1976–2006. Public spending on agriculture and irrigation had a positive impact on agriculture growth during that period, whereas public spending on fertilizer subsidies had the opposite effect. As Indonesia continues its efforts to revitalize the agriculture sector, public spending should be directed at improving the provision of public services rather than at subsidizing private inputs.Agriculture, Public Spending, Growth, Indonesia, irrigation, public services, private inputs, subsidies, farming, developing countries

A Review of the Role and Impact of Export Processing Zones in World Trade : the Case of Mexico

While the number of export processing zones has risen to about 850 in 2000, their success in expanding employment and trade is mixed. The aim of this paper is to make a review of the role and the impact of EPZ in world trade and its likely impact on host countries' economies, especially in terms of foreign exchange earnings potential, FDI, technology transfer, and employment effects on the local and national economies. To this end we will be looking at Mexico where export processing zones are very developed. Mexico seems an appropriate case study to assess to which extent the predictions of economic theory are realised both because of the abundance and quality of available data and because of its proximity to the US, which makes it a very good example of the international division of labour. We will analyse how the parameters mentioned above (employment, foreign exchange earnings potential, FDI and technology) have evolved over the last 10-15 years and how much of the change can be traced back to the maquila industry. The main source of data is INEGI, the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Geografica e Informatica of the Mexican Government.export processing zones; foreign exchange earnings potential; Mexico; technology spillovers

Teaching students about chemical elements using daily-life contexts

Learning the names and symbols for chemical elements is a task that students often find dull, although it is of crucial importance for understanding chemistry. In this respect, the use of games or similar play activities could make the learning experience more enjoyable. This paper presents the results of a study in which two tasks involving play (TIPs) and based on daily-life contexts (football and the home) were used to teach the names and symbols of chemical elements. The experimental group comprised 38 year-10 students who studied this topic through a teaching unit built around the TIPs. A control group of 67 year-10 students followed a traditional teaching approach to the same topic. The effectiveness of the TIPs was assessed using three items, administered pre- and post-test, that explored students’ knowledge about metallic and non-metallic elements and their ability to identify them in their everyday environment. Following the TIP-based teaching unit, students in the experimental group gave a higher percentage of appropriate answers, with the Wilcoxon test indicating significant post-test differences for all three items. However, the Kolgomorov-Smirnov test indicated that the experimental and control groups only differed significantly at post-test in their ability to give the names and symbols of non-metals, with the experimental group performing better. Memorising the names and symbols of chemical elements is a complex task for students, and identifying their presence in everyday environments appears to be particularly difficult. However, the results suggest that the use of TIPs linked to daily-life contexts could help students with their learning of this topic.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Proyecto ‘I+D Excelencia’ EDU2013-41952-

Who is benefiting from fertilizer subsidies in Indonesia ?

Using the Agricultural Census 2003 and the Rice Household Survey 2008 for Indonesia, this paper analyzes the distribution of benefits from fertilizer subsidies and their impact on rice production. The findings suggest that most farmers benefit from fertilizer subsidies; however, the 40 percent largest farmers capture up to 60 percent of the subsidy. The regressive nature of the fertilizer subsidies is in line with research carried out in other countries, the result of larger farms using a larger volume of fertilizer. This paper confirms that fertilizer used in adequate quantities has a positive and significant impact on rice yields, but it also provides evidence that over-using fertilizer has an adverse impact on yields (an inverted U-curve relationship).Fertilizers,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Economic Theory&Research,Regional Economic Development,Rural Poverty Reduction

Agriculture public spending and growth in Indonesia

This paper analyzes the trends and evolution of public spending in the agriculture sector in Indonesia, as well as the impact of public spending on agricultural growth. It finds that, in line with empirical work undertaken in other countries, public spending on agriculture and irrigation during the period 1976-2006 had a positive impact on agricultural growth, while public spending on fertilizer subsidies had the opposite effect. The composition of spending patterns in Indonesia over the past decade can partly explain why significant increases in public spending for agriculture have not resulted in a commensurate increase of agricultural production. The paper is structured as follows. Section I presents analytical and empirical findings about the impact of overall public spending on growth, with a particular focus on Indonesia, followed by an analysis of the government's role in agriculture. More precisely, it discusses how public spending can contribute to higher productivity and faster growth in the sector. The section draws lessons from the empirical literature and country examples worldwide, exploring the implications of some of these findings in the Indonesia context. Section II presents the results of an empirical analysis of the impact of agriculture public spending on agriculture gross domestic product per capita growth in Indonesia, using time series analysis with both ordinary least squares and generalized method of moments econometric techniques. Section III analyzes in detail agriculture public spending trends in Indonesia over the period 2000-08, highlighting that a large and increasing share of the spending is being allocated to subsidies (fertilizer, credit, seeds) and to fund transfers to farmers and farmers'groups.Economic Theory&Research,Public Sector Economics,Agricultural Research,Rural Development Knowledge&Information Systems,Agribusiness

Uso de Internet para analizar las relaciones entre drogas y salud bucodental. Una experiencia en 4º de ESO

La salud se considera un tema prioritario en la educación. Por este motivo, dentro del seno de un proyecto de investigación de la Universidad de Málaga para el desarrollo de la competencia científica, se ha diseñado e implementado una unidad didáctica para concienciar al alumnado de secundaria de la importancia de la salud e higiene bucodental. Una de las tareas de dicha unidad gira en torno a la influencia del consumo del alcohol, el tabaco y otras drogas en la aparición de la caries. Se pretende que el alumnado sea capaz de interesarse y reflexionar sobre la influencia de este tipo de drogas en la salud bucodental basándose en datos, así como de analizar y valorar la credibilidad y fiabilidad de los datos y evidencias disponibles en Internet sobre dicha relación. El trabajo tenía que concretarse en un informe escrito y en una exposición oral. Se ha realizado el seguimiento de su puesta en práctica con dos grupos de 4º de E.S.O. mediante las grabaciones en vídeo de algunas clases, el diario del profesor y las producciones de los alumnos. En esta comunicación se presentan los resultados obtenidos con respecto a la segunda finalidad de esta tarea que muestran que la mayoría de los alumnos son capaces, con las ayudas pertinentes, de valorar adecuadamente la fiabilidad de las fuentes de Internet, a la vez que toman conciencia de que el consumo de drogas es perjudicial para su propia salud.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Efecto de las micro-osteoperforaciones en el movimiento dentario ortodóncico en ratas adultas

Tesis (Cirujano Dentista)Objetivo: Determinar el efecto de MOPs en la aceleración del movimiento dentario ortodóncico en ratas adultas. Materiales y Métodos: Un total de 16 ratas Sprague-Dawley machos adultas de 32 semanas de edad fueron analizados en esta investigación. En cada rata se instalaron aparatos ortodóncicos en el maxilar superior. La fuerza se aplicó por medio de un coil de Nitilol ubicado entre el 1º molar superior e incisivo central superior, utilizando una fuerza de 25 gr. El lado izquierdo fue sometido a MDO + MOPs, la cual fue analizada y comparada con el lado derecho, que fue sometido solo a MDO. Las 16 ratas fueron agrupadas según día de experimentación en días 7, 14, 21 y 28. Resultados: El lado MOP fue el que tuvo mayor movimiento y velocidad las primeras dos semanas, pero a partir del día 21 el lado experimental tuvo una desaceleración, mientras que el lado control tuvo mayor movimiento y velocidad. Ninguno de los cambios fue estadísticamente significativo. Conclusiones: El tratamiento de MOPs es capaz de aumentar la velocidad del MDO en ratas adultas en las tres primeras semanas de aplicar el estímulo, pero no es estadísticamente significativo en períodos cortos de tiempo. Se hace necesaria la intervención periódica de perforaciones para reactivar el Fenómeno Aceleratorio Regional.Objective: To determine the effect of MOPs on the acceleration of orthodontic tooth movement in adult rats. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 Adult Sprague-Dawley rats of 32 weeks of age were analyzed in this investigation. In each rat orthodontic appliances were installed in the upper jaw. The force was applied by means of a coil of Nitilol located between the upper 1 molar and upper central incisor, using a force of 25 gr. The left side was subjected to ODM + MOPs, which was analyzed and compared with the right side, which was only subjected to ODM. The 16 rats were grouped according to day of experimentation on days 7, 14, 21 and 28. Results: The MOP side was the one that had the most movement and speed during the first two weeks, but from day 21 the experimental side had a deceleration, while the control side had more movement and speed. None of the changes was statistically significant. Conclusions: The treatment of MOPs is able to increase the speed of the ODM in adult rats in the first two weeks of applying the stimulus, but it is not statistically significant in short periods of time. Periodic intervention of perforations is necessary to reactivate the Regional Accelerator Phenomenon

Identification and Functional Analysis of Healing Regulators in Drosophila

© 2015 Álvarez-Fernández et al. Wound healing is an essential homeostatic mechanism that maintains the epithelial barrier integrity after tissue damage. Although we know the overall steps in wound healing, many of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Genetically amenable systems, such as wound healing in Drosophila imaginal discs, do not model all aspects of the repair process. However, they do allow the less understood aspects of the healing response to be explored, e.g., which signal(s) are responsible for initiating tissue remodeling? How is sealing of the epithelia achieved? Or, what inhibitory cues cancel the healing machinery upon completion? Answering these and other questions first requires the identification and functional analysis of wound specific genes. A variety of different microarray analyses of murine and humans have identified characteristic profiles of gene expression at the wound site, however, very few functional studies in healing regulation have been carried out. We developed an experimentally controlled method that is healing-permissive and that allows live imaging and biochemical analysis of cultured imaginal discs. We performed comparative genome-wide profiling between Drosophila imaginal cells actively involved in healing versus their non-engaged siblings. Sets of potential wound-specific genes were subsequently identified. Importantly, besides identifying and categorizing new genes, we functionally tested many of their gene products by genetic interference and overexpression in healing assays. This non-saturated analysis defines a relevant set of genes whose changes in expression level are functionally significant for proper tissue repair. Amongst these we identified the TCP1 chaperonin complex as a key regulator of the actin cytoskeleton essential for the wound healing response. There is promise that our newly identified wound-healing genes will guide future work in the more complex mammalian wound healing response.CAF and FP were supported by the EU FP6 STREP project WOUND and ST held a Spanish FPU PhD studentship. Research in the EMB laboratory is funded by grants of the EU (FP6 STREP project WOUND), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (DGI and CONSOLIDER grants) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR)Peer Reviewe