Public Infrastructure and Economic Growth in Mexico

We develop a model where investment in infrastructure complements private investment. We then provide time series evidence for Mexico on both the impact of public infrastructure on output, and on the optimality with which levels of infrastructure have been set. In particular, we look at the long-run effects of shocks to infrastructure on real output. We compute Long-Run Derivatives for kilowatts of electricity, roads and phone lines, and find that shocks to infrastructure have positive and significant effects on real output for all three measures of infrastructure. For electricity and roads, the effect becomes significant after 7 and 8 years, respectively, whereas for phones, the effect on growth is significant only after 13 years. These effects of infrastructure on output are in agreement with growth models where long-run growth is driven by endogenous factors of production. However, our results indicate that none of these variables seem to be set at growth maximizing levels.

Self-fulfilling and Fundamental Banking Crises: A Multinomial Logit Approach

This paper uses a multinomial logit model to examine the factors associated with the occurrence of both self-fulfilling and fundamental banking crises. We find evidence indicating that the two types of crises are indeed different, and are explained by different variables. Self-fulfilling crises tend to occur when bank liabilities relative to reserves are high, when the financial system is liberalized, and for high levels of short-term debt relative to total debt. They are also associated with lending booms and government surpluses. In contrast, fundamental crises are linked to depreciations of the local currency, to financial liberalization and are negatively related to the country's level of development and quality of institutions. Also, countries that experienced multiple crises are more likely to experience fundamental crises.

The role of particle diffusion in the lower transition region: Revised interpretation of emission measures

Our energy-balance models of the lower transit ion region were presented in a previous paper (New Models of the Chromosphere and Transition Region). Here we show the influence of particle diffusion on the calculated hydrogen and helium number densities for a given temperature-density model (model C in the preceding paper). We have also solved the statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer equations for a 13-level He I atom (22 radiative transitions) and a 6-level He II ion (15 radiative transitions) together with He III. The resulting He I and He II level-1 number densities and He III density are shown as functions of temperature. Diffusion substantially increases eta(sub HeI) for T greater than 35,000 K and decreases eta(sub HeI) (while increasing eta(sub(HeII)) between 9,000 and 25,000 K. Including the effects of diffusion also increases eta(sub HeIII) for T less than 60,000 K

Cosmovision and myth: notes for a philosophical approach to the andean world

Un acercamiento filosófico al mundo de los saberes andinos representa un desafío teórico enorme. Sus contenidos, mayormente desconocidos para la circulación universitaria, pero también en la educación primaria y secundaria, implican un abordaje necesariamente interdisciplinario que, a medida que aborda filosóficamente los conocimientos, discursos y categorías que componen elpensamiento indígena, reconstruye unas memorias, historias y culturas oprimidas, unos lenguajes desconocidos y unas formas de conceptualizar y configurar la realidad diferentes a las transitadas en la filosofía occidental, pero también, en el sentido común y cotidiano que organiza el mundo de nuestras relaciones sociales. En este contexto, el presente artículo se propone analizar algunascategorías e ideas centrales para acercarse al complejo mundo andino desde una perspectiva filosófica.A philosophical approach to the world of Andean knowledge represents a huge theoretical challenge. Its contents, mostly unknown to the university circulation, but also in primary and secondary education, imply a necessarily interdisciplinary approach that, as it philosophically approaches the knowledge, discourses and categories that make up indigenous thought, reconstructs memories, histories and cultures oppressed, some unknown languages and some ways of conceptualizing and configuring reality, different from those transited in Western philosophy, but also, in the common and everyday sense that organizes the world of our social relations. In this context, this article aims to analyze some categories and central ideas to approach the complex Andean world, from a philosophical perspective.Fil: Fontenla, Manuel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Centro de Investigaciones María Saleme Burnichón; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Humanidades. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Humanidades; Argentin

Estudio descriptivo del cambio del ocio de las personas con discapacidad física y los principales factores que impiden el desarrollo de dichas actividades

Objetivos: Este estudio tiene por objetivo general conocer si una situación de discapacidad sobrevenida en la edad adulta provoca cambios en la participación en actividades de ocio. También se analizan los factores que limitan dicha participación y la influencia de la edad y el sexo. Metodología: Se ha realizado un estudio descriptivo de prevalencia entre diciembre y mayo del año 2013 en el Centro de Promoción de la Autonomía Personal (CPAP) de Bergondo. La población de estudio ha sido de 36 participantes de entre 18 y 55 años con algún tipo de discapacidad física a los cuales se les pasó un cuestionario sobre las actividades de ocio. Los datos obtenidos se analizaron con el paquete estadístico SPSS. Resultados: La media de edad de la población estudiada es de 36.8 años; el padecer una discapacidad física ha supuesto un cambio en las actividades de ocio en el 75% de los usuarios. Ni la edad ni el sexo influyen en la privación de realizar actividades después de padecer la lesión. Los principales factores que limitan el desempeño de las actividades son las causas físicas derivadas de la discapacidad, accesibilidad, motivación y economía. Conclusiones: Padecer una discapacidad física sobrevenida en la edad adulta conlleva un cambio en la práctica de las actividades de ocio. Esto repercute secundariamente en la participación social ya que el ocio en la mayoría de los casos ejerce de elemento socializador. La edad y el sexo son factores que no actúan negativamente en la realización de actividades de ocio después de haber sufrido una discapacidad; es relevante el dato de que en las actividades de discotecas, bares y pubs, viajar y cultura, el principal obstáculo sean las barreras arquitectónicas.Traballo fin de grao (UDC.FCS). Terapia ocupacional. Curso 2012/201

Are Recessions Good for Everyone's Health? The Association Between Mortality and the Business Cycle by Race in the U.S.

In this paper we study the effect of the business cycle on the mortality rate of the major racial groups in the U.S. Using county-level data from 1999 to 2005, we find that the unemployment rate is negatively related to mortality for whites and latinos but that there is not a statistically significant relationship for blacks. Moreover, the magnitude of this relationship is larger for latinos than for whites. Finally, the relationship becomes more pronounced for latinos and whites as the proportion of population of that race increases. Taken together, these findings suggest that the procyclical association between mortality and the business cycle identified in previous studies of the general U.S. population may vary by race.

The 3-D description of vertical current sheets with application to solar flares

Following a brief review of the processes which have been suggested for explaining the occurrence of solar flares we suggest a new scenario which builds on the achievements of the previous suggestion that the current sheets, which develop naturally in 3-D cases with gravity from impacting independent magnetic structures (i.e., approaching current systems), do not consist of horizontal currents but are instead predominantly vertical current systems. This suggestion is based on the fact that as the subphotospheric sources of the magnetic field displace the upper photosphere and lower chromosphere regions, where plasma beta is near unity, will experience predominantly horizontal mass motions which will lead to a distorted 3-D configurations of the magnetic field having stored free energy. In our scenario, a vertically flowing current sheet separates the plasma regions associated with either of the subphotospheric sources. This reflects the balanced tension of the two stressed fields which twist around each other. This leads naturally to a metastable or unstable situation as the twisted field emerges into a low beta region where vertical motions are not inhibited by gravity. In our flare scenario the impulsive energy release occurs, initially, not by reconnection but mainly by the rapid change of the magnetic field which has become unstable. During the impulsive phase the field lines contort in such way as to realign the electric current sheet into a minimum energy horizontal flow. This contortion produces very large electric fields which will accelerate particles. As the current evolves to a horizontal configuration the magnetic field expands vertically, which can be accompanied by eruptions of material. The instability of a horizontal current is well known and causes the magnetic field to undergo a rapid outward expansion. In our scenario, fast reconnection is not necessary to trigger the flare, however, slow reconnection would occur continuously in the current layer at the locations of potential flaring. During the initial rearrangement of the field strong plasma turbulence develops. Following the impulsive phase, the final current sheet will experience faster reconnection which we believe responsible for the gradual phase of the flare. The reconnection will dissipate part of the current and will produce sustained and extended heating in the flare region and in the postflare loops

The Solar Radius in the EUV during the Cycle XXIII

Aims. To determine the solar transition region and coronal radius at EUV wavelengths and its time evolution during Solar Cycle XXIII. Methods. We use daily 30.4 and 17.1 nm images obtained by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EIT) aboard the SoHO satellite and derive the solar radius by fitting a circle to the limb brightness ring. Results. The weighted mean of the temporal series gives (967''.56 +/- 0''.04) and (969''.54 +/- 0''.02) at 30.4 and 17.1 nm respectively. No significant correlation was found with the solar cycle at any of the two wavelengths. Conclusions. Since the temperature formation of the 30.4 nm line is between (60 - 80) 10^3 K (Transition Region), the obtained result is bigger than that derived from present atmospheric models. On the contrary this height is compatible with radio models.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics minor changes introduced during review proces

The Relation between the Radial Temperature Profile in the Chromosphere and the Solar Spectrum at Centimeter, Millimeter, Sub-millimeter, and Infrared Wavelengths

Solar observations from millimeter to ultraviolet wavelengths show that there is a temperature minimum between photosphere and chromosphere. Analysis based on semi-empirical models locate this point at about 500 km over the photosphere. The consistency of these models has been tested by means of millimeter to infrared observations. In the present work, we show that variations of the theoretical radial temperature profile near the temperature minimum impacts the brightness temperature at centimeter, submillimeter, and infrared wavelengths, but the millimeter wavelength emission remains unchanged. We found a region between 500 and 1000 km over the photosphere that remains hidden to observations at the frequencies under study in this work.Comment: Accepted in Solar Physic