5,145 research outputs found
Is Exporting a Source of Productivity Spillovers?
This paper investigates whether exporting generates positive productivity spillover effects on other plants operating in the same industry and whether exporting affects productivity of plants in vertically related industries. Using plant-level data from Chile we find that exporters improve productivity of their local suppliers but not of plants that purchase intermediate inputs from them. We also find evidence of horizontal spillovers from exporting. Exporting by foreign-owned plants generates positive spillovers in all directions: to their suppliers, customers, and to other plants in the same industry. Domestic exporters increase productivity of their suppliers and, to a lesser extent, that of plants in the same sector.exporting, spillovers, productivity, vertical linkages, Chile
Entry and Exit in International Markets: Evidence from Chilean Data
Several studies examine the patterns and determinants of entry and exit in manufacturing industries. Not much work exists on entry and exit in international markets. This paper uses Chilean data to analyze the determinants of entry and exit in and out of export markets. We find that entry and exit rates differ across industries; vary over time; and are positively correlated. The econometric analysis shows that within-industry heterogeneity, measured by differences in productivity or other firm characteristics, has a significant effect on plant turnover in international markets. Our findings reveal that trade costs, factor intensities, and fluctuations in the real exchange rate play a minor role explaining entry and exit. This last result is consistent with hysteresis in international markets.Treatment Entry, Exit, International Markets, Chile
Trade Liberalization and Industry Dynamics: A Difference in Difference Approach
Recent models of trade with firm heterogeneity predict that opening to trade reduces the number of firms, increases the average size of firms, and decreases firms’ markups. This paper uses a large dataset for 28 manufacturing industries and 46 countries to test these predictions. The econometric analysis based on the treatment effects literature shows that on average, trade liberalizations do not decrease the number of firms nor increase the average size of firms. Markups appear to decrease during the three years after the liberalization. We also find that the number of firms and the average size of firms increase in comparative advantage industries.Trade Liberalization, Industry Dynamics, Treatment Effects
Trade Reforms and Manufacturing Industry in Chile
The Chilean economy underwent a deep structural change in the mid-seventies, through several economic reforms. Among these, the most impressive one was trade liberalization. This process caused a string of bankruptcies in the manufacturing industry and a reduction in the share of this sector in GDP, which some authors have used to imply that Chile has become a less industrialized economy. This paper describes the main policy changes that are relevant to understand the evolution of the manufacturing industry in Chile after the reforms, and analyzes the evolution of productivity using plant-level data. Our findings challenge the hypothesis that trade liberalization stifled the manufacturing sector and pushed the economy toward exporting raw materials. Also, our results show that the Chilean industry, after these economic reforms, became more efficient and competitive.
Relative Topological Integrals and Relative Cheeger-Simons Differential Characters
Topological integrals appear frequently in Lagrangian field theories. On
manifolds without boundary, they can be treated in the framework of (absolute)
(co)homology using the formalism of Cheeger--Simons differential characters.
String and D--brane theory involve field theoretic models on worldvolumes with
boundary. On manifolds with boundary, the proper treatment of topological
integrals requires a generalization of the usual differential topological set
up and leads naturally to relative (co)homology and relative Cheeger--Simons
differential characters. In this paper, we present a construction of relative
Cheeger--Simons differential characters which is computable in principle and
which contains the ordinary Cheeger--Simons differential characters as a
particular case.Comment: 49 pages, Plain TeX, no figures, requires AMS font files AMSSYM.DEF
and amssym.tex; final versio
Balance histórico de nitrógeno, fósforo y azufre de la región pampeana
Se realizó un balance de superfice de nitrógeno (N), fósforo (P) y azufre (S) para la Región Pampena desde 1870 a 2010, período en que se produjo la expansión agrícola en la región. Para N se computaron como entradas el aporte atmósferico, la fijación simbiótica y la fertilización. Las salidas fueron la exportación en grano y productos animales. Para P y S el balance incluyó como entradas el aporte atmosférico y la fertilización y como salidas las mismas que para N. El balance se calculó en forma anual y acumulada y también se calculó la relación salida/entrada anual. Las bases de datos fueron censos nacionales y estadísticas oficiales para estimar las salidas y se hicieron estimaciones de aporte atmosférico, fijación simbiótica y consumo de fertilizantes. La entrada de N fue de 202 Mt, siendo el aporte atmósférico (36%) y la fijación simbiótica (58%) los componentes principales. La salida fue de 76 Mt, con la exportación en grano como principal factor (83%); resultando en un balance positivo de 126 Mt. Este flujo equivale a un cuarto del stock de N de los suelos hasta 1 m. Otros estudios mostraron que no se produjeron cambios en los stock de N pampeano entre 1960-80 y 2007-2008, período durante el cual el balance de N fue de +52 Mt. En consecuencia, se estimaron pérdidas gaseosas o por lixiviación durante este lapso de 26 kg ha-1 año-1. Para fósforo la entrada fue 4,2 Mt, con mayor peso del componente fertilizantes (67%) y la salida de 12,2 Mt, generado sobre todo por la cosecha de granos (76%), determinando un balance negativo de -8,0 Mt. La entrada de azufre fue de 3,9 Mt, principalmente generada por la atmósfera (81%) y la salida de 5,6 Mt, debido sobre todo a la exportación en grano (82%), con un balance negativo de -1,7 Mt. Estos resultados indican pérdida de P y S desde las reservas de los suelos. La relación salida/entrada de N pasó de 0,2 a 0,7 en el lapso estudiado, mientras que para P y S ha sido mayor a 1 desde hace décadas.A surface balance for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) was performed for the Argentine Pampas during the 1870- 2010 time interval, comprising the agricultural expansion period in the region. Nitrogen inputs accounted in the balance were atmospheric deposition, symbiotic fixation, and fertilization. Outputs included were grain harvest and livestock products. P and S balances included atmospheric deposition and fertilization as inputs and the same outputs than in the case of N balance. Annual and cumulative balances were calculated and also an annual output/input ratio. National information and official statistics were used to determine the nutrient outputs whereas atmospheric deposition, symbiotic fixation, and fertilizer inputs were estimated. Cumulative N input was of 202 Mt, atmospheric deposition (36%) and symbiotic fixation (58%) represented the main components. The output was of 76 Mt, with grain harvest as main factor (83%), thus resulting in a positive N balance of 126 Mt. This nutrient flow is equivalent to one quart of the soil N stock to 1 m depth. As previous studies showed that soil N stock did not changed between 1960-1980 and 2007-2008, period during which a positive N balance of 52 Mt was calculated, this resulted in a loss of 26 kg ha-1 yr-1 due to gas emissions and leaching in recent decades. Phosphorus input was 4.2 Mt, mainly explained by fertilization (67%), and the output was 12.2 Mt, generated mainly by grain harvest (76%), which determined a negative balance of -8.0 Mt. Sulfur input was 3.9 Mt, mainly determined by atmospheric deposition (81%) and the output was 5.6 Mt, mainly due to grain harvest (82%) resulting also in a negative balance of -1.7 Mt. These results indicate P and S losses from soil stocks. The N output/input ratio varied from 0.2 to 0.7 along the study period, while the P and S ratios have been higher than 1 since decades.Fil: Alvarez, Roberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; ArgentinaFil: Steinbach, Haydee S.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: de Paepe, Josefina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentin
La fertilización aumenta el carbono orgánico del suelo en la pampa Argentina pero no mitiga el cambio climático
Soils can act as carbon sinks mitigating global warming. This generates interest in determining how agricultural practices affect the stock of soil organic carbon (SOC). Fertilization increases SOC stocks and its impacts have been calculated at a global level. The aim of this study was to determine if fertilization leads to carbon sequestration in the Pampas of Argentina. A meta-analysis of local studies was performed to determine how fertilization impacts SOC stocks in agricultural soils. Forty studies were compiled presenting data from 27 experiments from which 109 comparisons of SOC stocks between fertilized and unfertilized treatments were extracted. Fertilization caused a significant increase of ca. 3% in the topsoil (0-20 cm) SOC stock. When nutrients application rate could be accurately defined (n= 71), the average increase in SOC stock was ca. 1 t ha-1. Increments were much smaller in comparison with those reported in literature and the carbon footprint of applied nutrients (2.31 t Ceq. ha-1). Even if increments in SOC stock in the subsoil were similar to those measured in the topsoil, greenhouse gas emission from fertilizer application would not be offset by the carbon sequestered in the soil. Fertilization has a low impact on SOC stocks and does not compensate greenhouse gases emissions in the Pampas. Rates of SOC increments resulting from fertilization identified in other regions of the world should not be applied in this region.Los suelos pueden actuar como sumideros de carbono y mitigar el calentamiento global. Esto genera interés en determinar cómo las prácticas agrícolas afectan las reservas de carbono orgánico del suelo (COS). La fertilización produce aumentos en el COS y se han calculado coeficientes de su impacto a nivel global. El objetivo fue determinar si la práctica de la fertilización conduce al secuestro de carbono en la Región Pampena de Argentina. Se realizó un metanálisis de estudios locales para determinar cómo la fertilización afecta el COS en los suelos agrícolas. Se compilaron cuarenta estudios que presentaban datos de 27 experimentos de los cuales se extrajeron 109 comparaciones de existencias de COS entre tratamientos fertilizados y no fertilizados. La fertilización determinó un aumento significativo de ca. 3% en la reserva de COS de la capa superior del suelo (0-20 cm). En los casos en los que la dosis de nutrientes aplicados estuvo bien definida (n= 71), el aumento promedio en el COS fue de ca. 1 t ha-1. Este aumento fue mucho menor que los aumentos de COS informados en la literatura y que la huella de carbono de los nutrientes aplicados (2,31 t Ceq. ha-1). Incluso suponiendo que el aumento relativo del COS en el subsuelo fuera similar al medido en la capa superficial, las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero procedentes de la aplicación de fertilizantes no serían compensadas por el carbono secuestrado en el suelo. La fertilización es una práctica que tiene bajo impacto en el COS y no mitiga el calentamiento global en la Región Pampeana. En esta región no se deben aplicar los coeficientes de aumento de carbono por fertilización determinados en otras regiones del mundo.Fil: Alvarez, Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso de la Tierra. Cátedra de Fertilidad y Fertilizantes; Argentin
Innovation, R&D Investment and Productivity in Chile
This paper uses two sources of information and different methodologies to analyze the causal effect of product and process innovation on productivity in the Chilean manufacturing industry during the past decade. In general, the evidence suggests there is not a contemporaneous effect of product innovation on productivity, but there is a positive effect of process innovation. This notsignificant effect of product innovation contrasts with evidence of studies for other countries. However, the results show the presence of lagged effects product innovation on productivity two years after innovation. Compared with the case of developed countries, this evidence might be consistent with a very slow process of “learning by doing” on the part of Chilean firms with regard to mastering new technologies. These slow and frequently uncertain gains in productivity could help to explain the low levels of investment in research and development (R&D) activities by Chilean firms.Productivity, Innovation, Investment, Research and development, Chile
V, R, I and Halpha photometry of circumnuclear star forming regions in four galaxies with different levels of nuclear activity
V,R,I continuum bands and Halpha + [NII] photometry for circumnuclear star
forming regions (CNSFR) is presented, for galaxies with different kinds of
nuclear activity: NGC 7469 (Sy 1), NGC 1068 (Sy 2), NGC 7177 (LINER) and NGC
3310 (Starburst). Their Halpha luminosities (0.02 - 7x10**40 erg/s; uncorrected
for internal extinction), are comparable to those observed in other galaxies.
No systematic differences in the broad band colours are found for the CNSFR in
the different galaxies, except for those in NGC 3310 which are considerably
bluer, partially due to a younger stellar population. Using theoretical
evolutionary synthesis models some colours can be reproduced by single
populations (between 7 and 300 Myr) and extinction 0.5-1.5 mag). However, in
many cases, the observed equivalent width of Halpha, require a younger
population. NGC 1068, 7177 and 7469, are fitted by a two-burst population model
at solar metallicity; the age difference between both populations is around 5-7
Myr and the younger burst involves 3 - 61% of the total mass of the
cluster,consistent with the younger burst being originated by supernova
activity from the previous one. NGC 3310, requires younger ionizing population
ages and lower metallicity. An excess (R-I) observed/predicted, not consistent
with a normal reddening law can be atributted to red supergiants present in the
older population, and not properly accounted for by the models. The
two-population scenario seems to show a trend of the evolutionary state of the
CNSFR with the nuclear type of the parent galaxy that remains to be explored.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 22pages, 11 figure
Role of selected coal and petroleum based additives in low and high temperature co pyrolysis with coal blends
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