The Use of Violence in Illegal Markets: Evidence from Mahogany Trade in the Brazilian Amazon

Agents operating in illegal markets cannot resort to the justice system to guarantee property rights, to enforce contracts, or to seek protection from competitors' improper behaviors. In these contexts, violence is used to enforce previous agreements and to fight for market share. This relationship plays a major role in the debate on the pernicious effects of the illegality of drug trade. This paper explores a singular episode of transition of a market from legal to illegal to provide a first piece of evidence on the causal effect of illegality on systemic violence. Brazil has historically been the main world producer of big leaf mahogany (a tropical wood). Starting in the 1990s, policies restricting extraction and trade of mahogany, culminating with prohibition, were implemented. First, we present evidence that large scale mahogany trade persisted after prohibition, through misclassification of mahogany exports as "other tropical timber species." Second, we document relative increases in violence after prohibition in areas with: (i) higher share of mahogany exports before prohibition; (ii) higher suspected illegal mahogany activity after prohibition; and (iii) natural occurrence of mahogany. We believe this is one of the first documented experiences of increase in violence following the transition of a market from legal to illegal.illegal markets, violence, homicide, mahogany, Brazil

CLIMATE FORECASTING AND EMERGENCY POLICIES EVIDENCE OF OPPORTUNITIES FROM CEARÁ, BRAZIL

We take small steps towards the approximation between economic analysis and the science of climate forecasting in the formulation of policies to alleviate the impact of climatic shocks. We do so by estimating the relationship between climate variables and corn production in Ceará, an important State in the Brazilian semi-arid. Using parametric and non-parametric regression models, we first estimate the relationship between contemporaneous sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the local rainfed corn market. Next, we investigate the forecasting potential of future corn production conditional on information on current SSTs. We find strong evidence that climate determinants are important in determining current and future corn production, a key indicator of the climatic stress to which a large number of small farmers are subject in the Brazilian semi-arid. Additionally, corn production in the region is negatively correlated with federal government transfers meant to mitigate the impact of local droughts. These resources have been subject to lethargic bureaucracies, corruption and economic inefficiencies in general. The observation and forecasting of corn production can be invaluable in the design of more efficient, expeditious and transparent policies to mitigate the effects of droughts in the region.

An Item Response Theory and Factor Analytic Examination of Two Prominent Maximizing Tendency Scales

The current study examines the construct validity of the Maximization Scale (MS; Schwartz et al., 2002) and the Maximization Tendency Scale (MTS; Diab et al., 2008) as well as the nomological net of the maximizing construct. We find that both scales of maximizing suffer psychometrically, especially in their proposed dimensionality. Using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory (IRT) we identify and remove three problematic items from the MTS and six problematic items from the MS. Additionally, we find that the MS appears to be measuring difficulty and restlessness with the search for the best alternative, whereas the MTS is more focused on the search for the best option, regardless of choice difficulty. We then examined these revised scales in relation to other psychological constructs in the nomological net for maximizing and found that maximizers may not be unhappy but are generally distressed in the decision-making context. Finally, we suggest that future maximizng research use revised form of the MTS that seems to us to be most consistent with the original concept of maximizing/satisficing

Efeito da evaporação do solvente na cinética de difusão da água e no grau de conversão de sistemas adesivos

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, 2012.O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de avaliar a influência da evaporação do solvente na cinética de difusão da água (sorção - SO, solubilidade - SL e coeficiente de difusão) e no grau de conversão (GC) de sistemas adesivos. Foram utilizados 2 adesivos autocondicionantes de 1 passo: Clearfil S³ (CS3) e um Experimental L759 (EXL) /3M/ESPE), um adesivo autocondicionante de 2 passos: Clearfil SE Bond (CSE) - grupo controle /Kuraray) e um adesivo convencional de 2 passos: Optibond Solo Plus (OP), Kerr). Discos de adesivos (n = 24) foram obtidos (5.0x1.0mm). Metade das amostras (n = 12) foi evaporada por 30s (E) ou não evaporada (N) (n=12). Os espécimes foram armazenados em água ou em óleo. Os testes de sorção e solubilidade seguiram as normas da ISO4049: 2000. O valor do coeficiente de difusão água (%) foi avaliado através da soma da sorção e solubilidade. Para a avaliação do grau de conversão (GC), foi utilizado um dispositivo com reflectância total atenuada (ATR-FTIR). Foi utilizada uma alíquota de 10 µl de cada adesivo (n=5), que foi previamente evaporado por 30s (E) ou não evaporado (N). Cada amostra foi colocada diretamente sobre a célula do FTIR-ATR para análise do adesivo não polimerizado. Em seguida, os adesivos foram fotopolimerizados por 40s, (450mW/cm2 - Demetron LC, Kerr) e o grau de conversão (%) foi avaliado após 120s. Para análise da sorção e solubilidade, foi utilizada ANOVA a 2 critérios, seguido do teste de Tukey. Para análise do coeficiente de difusão da água, foi utilizado ANOVA a 1 critério. O grau de conversão foi avaliado utilizando ANOVA a 1 critério e teste t de Student (α = 5%). A evaporação do solvente não influenciou na sorção e solubilidade dos adesivos (p =0,21), sendo que somente o fator adesivo teve significância (p=0,01). O adesivo SE apresentou os menores valores de sorção (57,1 μg/mm3 ) e solubilidade (- 2,9 μg/mm3 ) em água com diferença estatística significante dos adesivos avaliados (p <0,05). O SE apresentou o menor valor do coeficiente de difusão da água (5,4%) em comparação aos outros adesivos (p <0,05). Para o GC, o adesivo OP apresentou os maiores valores comparados aos outros adesivos (87,62%) (p< 0,05). Para todos os adesivos avaliados, um maior GC foi encontrado com a evaporação do solvente, exceto para o OP (p>0,05). A evaporação do solvente não influenciou na cinética de difusão da água para os adesivos avaliados. A evaporação influenciou nos valores de GC para a maioria dos adesivos, exceto para o OP. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the solvent evaporation on the kinetics of water diffusion (water sorption-SO, solubility- SL, and net water uptake), and on the degree of conversion (DC) of dental adhesive systems. Two 1-step, self-etching adhesives: (L759 (EXL)/3M/ESPE /, Clearfil S³ Bond (CS3), one 2-step, self-etching adhesives (Clearfil SE Bond (CSE)/Kuraray–control group), and one 2-step, conventional adhesive: Optibond Solo Plus (OP)/Kerr were evaluated. Specimen disks (n=24) were obtained (5.0x1.0mm). Half of the specimens (n=12) was either evaporated for 30s (E) or not evaporated (N) (n=12). Specimens were stored in distilled water or hexadecane mineral oil. The specimens underwent water sorption and solubility tests, according to ISO 4049:2000 standard with the exception of the specimen dimensions. Net water uptake (%) was also calculated as the sum of SO and SL. For the evaluation of DC, a FTIR-ATR spectroscopy was used. The adhesives were dispensed (10µl), the solvents evaporated for 30 s (E) or no evaporated (N), and was placed onto ATR for DC analysis (n=5) as a function of the non polymerized spectrum. The adhesives were photoactivated for 40s, at 450mW/cm2 (Demetron LC, Kerr) and DC (%) evaluated after 120s. Data were submitted to 2-way ANOVA /Tukey's test for water kinetics and one- way ANOVA for net water uptake. DC was analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Student t tests (α=5%). Statistical analysis revealed that only the factor ‘adhesive’ was significant (p=0.01). Solvent evaporation had no influence on the SO and SL of the adhesives (p=0.21) SE (control) showed the lowest values for SO (57.1 μg/mm3 ) and solubility (-2.9 μg/mm3 ) , compared to another adhesives (p0.05). In contrast, the other adhesives showed significantly higher DC after solvent evaporation (p<0.05). Evaporation procedure has no influence on the kinetics of water diffusion for adhesives. The evaporation influences the DC for the majority of the adhesives, with the exception for OP

Socio-economic drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in the brazilian Amazon: new evidence from Santarem, Para

We use a novel and more precise data set on greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the Amazon region to estimate the nexus between local economic indicators and GHGs. We find that urbanization and waste generation emerge as new and important drivers of observed methane emissions. Local nitrous oxides emissions seem to result mainly from agricultural production, and carbon dioxide seems to be driven by deforestation. Given the importance of the Amazon region to global climate, these findings can offer insight into the development of scientific models for the natural environment and the design of effective environmental policies for the region

Effects of solvent evaporation on water sorption/solubility and nanoleakage of adhesive systems

Objective: To evaluate the influence of solvent evaporation in the kinetics of water diffusion (water sorption-WS, solubility-SL, and net water uptake) and nanoleakage of adhesive systems. Material and Methods: Disk-shaped specimens (5.0 mm in diameter x 0.8 mm in thickness) were produced (N=48) using the adhesives: Clearfil S3 Bond (CS3)/Kuraray, Clearfil SE Bond - control group (CSE)/Kuraray, Optibond Solo Plus (OS)/Kerr and Scotchbond Universal Adhesive (SBU)/3M ESPE. The solvents were either evaporated for 30 s or not evaporated (N=24/per group), and then photoactivated for 80 s (550 mW/cm2). After desiccation, the specimens were weighed and stored in distilled water (N=12) or mineral oil (N=12) to evaluate the water diffusion over a 7-day period. Net water uptake (%) was also calculated as the sum of WS and SL. Data were submitted to 3-way ANOVA/Tukey's test (α=5%). The nanoleakage expression in three additional specimens per group was also evaluated after ammoniacal silver impregnation after 7 days of water storage under SEM. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that only the factor "adhesive" was significant (

Nonhomothetic growth models for the environmental kuznets curve

We show the role of the elasticity of substitution between general consumption and the environment in environmental degradation. Specifically, our numerical experiments demonstrate, for a wide range of models, exponential utility generates the environmental Kuznets curve without adding any special assumptions. With exponential utility, the elasticity of substitution and hence the substitution effect between consumption and the environment are both decreasing in income. Hence, when income is low, society (the government) readily gives up environmental quality in return for more consumption, but it does not want to substitute consumption for the environment anymore, once it becomes wealthy enough

Biodiversidade, população e economia: uma região de mata atlântica [Biodiversity, Population, and Economy: a region of atlantic forest]

Minas Gerais; Rio Doce; mata atlântica; atlantic forest; sustainable development; conservation; regional development; environment