Processes, information, and accounting gaps in the regulation of Argentina's private railways

Almost a decade after Argentina began privatizing its railways, resolution of conflicts between regulators, users, and operators continues to take longer, and to be more difficult, than expected. The authors contend that many of these conflicts arose because there are no rules for interactions between the key stakeholders: government, regulators, users, unions, and the media. One result of inexperience in setting up concession agreement has been that the agreements did not clearly define the information needed for oversight and regulation. Argentine rail concession contracts were supposed to be specific about the way tariffs, quality, investment, exclusivity, and so on, would change over time. And the newly created regulatory bodies were given some discretion about adjusting the contracts in the face of unforeseen developments. However, initial privatization were carried out in such a way that there was no time to refine terms, so many loopholes remained. Those unforeseen events have happened, and the regulatory agency, the National Commission for Transport Regulation (CNRT), has had to adapt its procedures and decisions to available information. In some cases, alleged modifications of the operating environment have led to renegotiations. Changes have been introduced in the approach to furnishing information to the government for oversight and regulatory accounting. The changes center on clearer definitions in connection with four major issues: a) The measurement of efficiency; b) access prices; and c) the financial model. Circumstances in the Argentine rail industry early in 2001 did not favor dramatic changes, but current renegotiations could be used to adjust information requirements to reflect what has been learned through six yearsof experience.Environmental Economics&Policies,Knowledge Economy,Labor Policies,Decentralization,Financial Intermediation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Financial Intermediation,Banks&Banking Reform,Education for the Knowledge Economy,Knowledge Economy

Macroeconomics effects of private sector participation in Latin America's infrastructure

The authors provide empirical evidence on the impact that private participation in infrastructure has had on key macroeconomic variables in a sample of 21 Latin American countries from 1985-98. Specifically, they look at the effects on GDP per capita, current public expenditures, public investment, and private investment, controlling for country effects and institutional factors. The authors also investigate the relevance of the specific contractual form of private participation contracts on these variables and show differentiated effects according to contract types. The results suggest that: 1) Private sector involvement in utilities and transport have some, but not impressive, positive effects on GDP per capita. 2) There is some degree of crowding-out of private investment resulting from greenfield projects in utilities, and delayed crowding-in from concessions in transport. 3) There is crowding-in of public investment by private participation in utilities, while there is crowding-out by increased private investment in transport. 4) Private participation in utilities decreases recurrent expenditures, while in transport it results in an increase. The net effect on the public sector account is uncertain, but this uncertainty is a major risk. The revelation of this risk may be the main contribution of this paper since it is inconsistent with the fiscal gains expected by many policymakers as they engage in infrastructure privatization programs.Decentralization,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Policies,Health Economics&Finance,ICT Policy and Strategies,Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,ICT Policy and Strategies,Scientific Research&Science Parks,Science Education

Una Autoetnografía Colaborativa sobre Experiencias Raciolingüísticas y la construcción de Identidades Lingüísticas durante un Intercambio Intercultural

This research is a Collaborative Autoethnography based on personal experiences as Au Pairs in the United States.  It aims to analyze the contributions of an intercultural exchange towards the construction of the teacher’s identity. It also seeks to analyze the current foreign language teaching practices in Colombia. We achieved more significant English teaching insights from our reflections, considering a flexible language structure, more comprehensive vocabulary, and English variety. Besides, this life-changing exposed ourselves to a target context that enriched our global notions and enhanced a new linguistic identity. Two years of living abroad made us think about a different teaching ideology founded on developing interest and sensibility for diverse cultures accepting broader linguistic features of the language. The results support the idea that educators shift those traditional strategies to more context-bound and intercultural ones to meet today’s needs and place the language as a means of co-construction of reality.Esta investigación es una autoetnografía colaborativa basada en experiencias personales como Au Pairs en los Estados Unidos. Tiene como objetivo analizar los aportes de un intercambio intercultural a la construcción de la identidad del docente. También busca analizar las prácticas actuales de enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras en Colombia. Logramos conocimientos más significativos sobre la enseñanza del inglés a partir de nuestras reflexiones, considerando una estructura de lenguaje flexible, un vocabulario más completo y una variedad de inglés. Además, este cambio de vida nos expuso a un contexto objetivo que enriqueció nuestras nociones globales y realzó una nueva identidad lingüística. Dos años de vivir en el extranjero nos hicieron pensar en una ideología de enseñanza diferente basada en el desarrollo del interés y la sensibilidad por las diversas culturas que aceptan características lingüísticas más amplias del idioma. Los resultados apoyan la idea de que los educadores cambien esas estrategias tradicionales a estrategias más contextuales e interculturales para satisfacer las necesidades actuales y situar el lenguaje como un medio de co-construcción de la realidad

Análisis doctrinario del fratricidio y la incorporación al Código Penal Peruano

Esta investigación surge a raíz de la siguiente problemática ¿Resulta necesario la Incorporación del Fratricidio al Código Penal Peruano?, teniendo además como objetivo principal Incorporar el Fratricidio a nuestro Código Penal Vigente, para desarrollar nuestro trabajo de investigación hemos revisado Doctrina (Teorías en las que se fundamenta la agravación del Parricidio), Legislación y casos, tanto Nacionales como extranjeros, todo ello con el objetivo de verificar la hipótesis al problema planteado. Con respecto al marco teórico tuvimos a bien estructurarlo en base a capítulos, respecto al tipo de investigación que utilizamos es cualitativa y el Diseño de la Investigación es Jurídico - Propositiva, finalmente llegamos a la conclusión que la tesis que fundamenta la incorporación del fratricidio dentro del delito de Parricidio es la tesis de la mayor Culpabilidad

Leer y reciclar un mundo nuevo por explorar

https://unadvirtualedu-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/hmcampost_unadvirtual_edu_co/EgyYo6ugFT1GsCcHdsivKiYBwIomiUTDkxXZp-FHXmCkxg?e=rEUxB3En el DIMF Mundos Felices, las familias de la UDS Sonrisas de Amor no realizan la selección correspondiente de los diferentes objetos que se pueden reciclar. En la mayoría de las ocasiones, olvidan incluso depositar los desechos en las canastas, provocando incluso más trabajo para el personal de aseo de la institución. De esta forma, es fácil evidenciar que la comunidad no cuenta, ni contaron con la capacitación pertinente sobre la contaminación y el reciclaje, por tal motivo, ellos no son conscientes de importancia del asunto. Por lo anterior, se realizó la presente propuesta pedagógica, diseñando e implementando experiencias de aprendizajes apoyadas en el uso de herramientas didácticas, como actividades lúdicas y haciendo uso de técnicas de enseñanza basadas en la literatura infantil, logrando así que los niños, niñas y las familias en general se sensibilizaran sobre la importancia del reciclaje, al comprender que los seres humanos debemos valorar y cuidar aquellos recursos naturales que la Madre naturaleza nos brinda, para lograr mantener el equilibrio ecológico que es fundamental para nuestras vidas. La intervención pedagógica fue exitosa, se cumplieron los objetivos planteados, como fue crear e implementar un programa de prácticas de reciclaje, reutilización y reducción de residuos, con el qué se logró concientizar a la primera infancia y comunidad en general para la adopción permanente de este hábito y conocer sus beneficios.In the DIMF Mundos Felices, the families of the UDS Sonrisas de Amor do not make the corresponding selection of the different objects that can be recycled. In most cases, they even forget to put the waste in the baskets, causing even more work for the institution's cleaning staff. In this way, it is easy to see that the community does not have, nor did they have the relevant training on contamination and recycling, for this reason, they are not aware of the importance of the issue. Therefore, this pedagogical proposal was carried out, designing and implementing learning experiences supported by the use of didactic tools, such as playful activities and making use of teaching techniques based on children's literature, thus achieving with this proposal that children and families in general become aware of the importance of recycling, understanding that human beings must value and care for those natural resources that Mother Nature gives us, in order to maintain the ecological balance that is fundamental for our lives. The pedagogical intervention was successful, the objectives set were met, as was to create and implement a program of recycling practices, reuse and waste reduction, with which it was possible to raise awareness among early childhood and community in general for the permanent adoption of this habit and to know its benefits

Explaining success and failures in PPP transport projects: an econometric approach

There are a multitude of factors, both internal and external, that may affect the development and success of any transport project. ‘Success’ is both context-dependent and quite difficult to measure. This paper distinguishes between four types of ‘success’ variables: (lack of) cost overruns; (lack of) time delays; (ex-post) level of traffic; and (generated) revenues. Each variable is modeled in a binary way (using discrete choice models), with each model estimating the relevance of various explanatory factors on the probability of success. Internal factors are found to have the greatest effect on that probability, and PPP projects seem to be prone to budget overruns and delays. Governance factors, such as the tender process, renegotiations, and issues related to penalties, among others, can all produce complications. Since the public authority has control over most of these variables, these results could be used to improve the ‘success’ of these projects

Kids YouTubers generation: analysis of YouTube channels of the new child phenomena

YouTube se ha convertido en la plataforma online de visualización de contenido digital por excelencia. En este escenario, se han consolidado ciertos canales, protagoni-zados por niños, como los más visualizados por parte de la población infantil. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido analizar los canales de los niños YouTubers españoles con mayor influencia. Se ha seguido una metodología basada en la técnica de análisis de contenido, la cual nos ha per-mitido obtener datos cuantitativos sobre una serie de va-riables para determinar la influencia y el tipo de contenido que publican. Entre los resultados encontramos que la mayoría de canales cuentan con un soporte empresarial, con fines puramente económicos, donde la imagen del menor es objeto de negocio. La influencia que ejercen los niños YouTubers en otros menores es altísima, debido a que se encuentran en una etapa de construcción de la identidad, este hecho es aprovechado por las marcas para incluir publicidad. Finalmente, se destaca el carácter glo-bal de este fenómeno, el cual sucede en distintos puntos geográficos del planetaYouTube has become the online platform for viewing digital content par excellence. This is, certain kids channels have been consolidated as the most visualized by children. The purpose of this paper has been to analyse the chan-nels of the Spanish YouTubers children with greater influence. We have followed a methodology based on the technique of content analysis, which has allowed us to obtain quantitative data on a series of variables to deter-mine their influence and the type of content. Among the results we found that most channels have a business sup-port, for purely economic purposes, where the image of the child is the object of business. The influence exercised by children YouTubers in other minors is very high, be-cause they are in a stage of identity construction, this fact is used by brands to include publicity. Finally, the global character of this phenomenon is highlighted, which hap-pens in different geographical points of the plane

Designing bioactive porous titanium interfaces to balance mechanical properties and in vitro cells behavior towards increased osseointegration

Titanium implant failures are mainly related to stress shielding phenomenon and the poor cell interaction with host bone tissue. The development of bioactive and biomimetic Ti scaffolds for bone regeneration remains a challenge which needs the design of Ti implants with enhanced osseointegration. In this context, 4 types of titanium samples were fabricated using conventional powder metallurgy, fully dense, dense etched, porous Ti, and porous etched Ti. Porous samples were manufactured by space holder technique, using ammonium bicarbonate particles as spacer in three different ranges of particle size (100–200 μm, 250–355 μm and 355–500 μm). Substrates were chemically etched by immersion in fluorhydric acid at different times (125 and 625 s) and subsequently, were characterized from a micro-structural, topographical and mechanical point of view. Etched surfaces showed an additional roughness preferentially located inside pores. In vitro tests showed that all substrates were biocompatible (80% of cell viability), confirming cell adhesion of premioblastic cells. Similarly, osteoblast showed similar cell proliferation rates at 4 days, however, higher cell metabolic activity was observed in fully dense and dense etched surfaces at 7 days. In contrast, a significant increase of alkaline phosphatase enzyme expression was observed in porous and porous etched samples compared to control surfaces (dense and dense etched), noticing the suitable surface modification parameters (porosity and roughness) to improve cell differentiation. Furthermore, the presence of pores and rough surfaces of porous Ti substrates remarkably decreased macrophage activation reducing the M1 phenotype polarization as well M1 cell marker expression. Thus, a successful surface modification of porous Ti scaffolds has been performed towards a reduction on stress shielding phenomenon and enhancement of bone osseointegration, achieving a biomechanical and biofunctional equilibrium.Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain grant MAT2015-71284-PJunta de Andalucía – FEDER (Spain) Project Ref. P12-TEP-140