Regionalization and Labour Market Rigidities in Developing Countries: A CGE Analysis of UEMOA

In this study, we analyse the impact of the creation of a customs union among UEMOA (Western African Economic and Monetary Union)countries, with a special emphasis on the labour market structure. The implementation of the customs union reform will translate in most of these countries, into a greater openness, even with third party countries. This greater openness raises concerns in these countries as regards its potential impact on welfare, production and employment. In this study, in contrast to many other papers, we relax the assumption of a perfect functioning of the labour market. We consider the presence of a dualism in the labour market and the existence of a minimum wage for the formal workers. We use a multi-country and multi-sectoral computable general equilibrium model (CGE) to assess the impact of the reform. We find that the presence of a minimum nominal wage for the formal workers may significantly reduce the gains stemming from the customs union reform. Our simulation results indicate that the costs induced by this rigidity may exceed 45%, in some cases, in terms of the reduction in the welfare gains obtained without rigidity.Economic integration, Customs union, Labor market, Dualism, Wage rigidity

The metabolic use of fat and protein in late gestation and its effect on colostrum yield in sows

Piglets are born with limited energy reserves, agammaglobulinemic and with an immature gastro-intestinal tract. Colostrum is the sole external nutrient resource for piglets after birth, provides the piglets with maternal immunity and also contains several factors that stimulate the development of the gastro-intestinal tract and other organs (chapter 1). Colostrum thus has important functions and insufficient CI is a major cause of pre-weaning mortality and reduced daily weight gain (chapter 3.4.), both causing major economic losses in modern sow herds. Approximately 30% of sows do not produce sufficient colostrum for their litter (chapter 3.1.) and the CY is independent of litter size (chapter 3.4.). Consequently, insufficient CY in sows is a major problem and becomes even more pronounced in high-prolific sows. Research on CY in sows is scarce and mainly focused on the hormonal regulation (chapter 1). Very limited information is available on how the sow’s use of energy and protein derived from the feed or body reserves affects CY. The general aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of energy and protein from feed or body reserves during gestation in relation to CY in sows. In a first study (chapter 3.1.), we identified 2 periods in late gestation during which the use of body energy reserves was correlated with CY. The BF change between d 85 and 108 of gestation was negatively correlated with CY (r = -0.346, P = 0.032) whereas the BF change the week prior to farrowing was positively correlated with CY (r = 0.391, P = 0.017). In this study, we also collected sow serum samples 3-4 days before farrowing and at d 1 of lactation and blood analyses confirmed that the use of body energy and protein reserves just prior to farrowing was negatively correlated with CY. This study also showed that there was no correlation between CY and colostrum composition, which is interesting as this suggests that improving CY should not be at cost of the colostrum composition. Causal relationships between CY and the change of body reserves could not be established with this study design. Therefore, the 2 identified periods of interest were further investigated. In the second study (chapter 3.2.), we focused on the positive correlation between CY and the BF change 1 week before farrowing. Sows were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups at d 108 of gestation. The first group (L, n = 28) received 1.5 kg feed per day, the second group (H, n = 22) received 3 times 1.5 kg feed per day until farrowing. Based on BF at d 108, sows were divided into 3 BC groups: skinny ( 23 mm, n = 14). The H-group tended to have a greater total CY (P = 0.074) and had a greater CY per kg liveborn piglet (P = 0.018) than the L-group. Compared to sows in moderate BC, fat sows had a lower total CY (P = 0.044), and a lower CY per kg liveborn piglet (P = 0.005). The H-group had a greater concentration of lactose (P = 0.009) and n-3 PUFA (P < 0.001) but a lower concentration of protein (P = 0.040) in colostrum than the L-group. The concentration of IgG and IgA did not differ between treatment and BC groups. The H-group mobilized less body fat (NEFA: P = 0.002) and protein (creatinine: P < 0.001, C4: P = 0.016) reserves but had a greater ratio urea:NEFA (P < 0.001) and less ketone bodies (3-OH-C4: P < 0.001) compared to the L-group before farrowing. This indicates a more balanced entry of metabolites in the citric acid cycle and thus a better support of the maternal peripartal metabolism in the H-group. This study showed that both CY and composition can be influenced by the peripartal feeding strategy and BC. Management of the peripartal feeding strategy and BC thus offer short-term strategies to improve the CY and composition. In the third study (chapter 3.3.), we tried to unravel the negative correlation between CY and the BF change between d 85 and 108 of gestation. We proposed 2 hypotheses based on literature (chapter 1) 1) the BF change was an indicator of energy use for mammogenesis and a BF loss thus indicated more gestational mammogenesis resulting in a higher CY during the observed period, and 2) the BF change was correlated with the sow’s insulin sensitivity and as such might affect the direction of glucose towards the mammary gland. At d 85 of gestation, 47 sows were stratified for BF and parity, and randomly divided into 6 groups differing in daily feed allowance between d 85 and 108 of gestation. Group 1 was allowed 1.8 kg feed per sow per day. Feed allowance for each next group increased with 300 g feed per sow per day and reached 3.3 kg feed per sow per day in group 6. From d 108 of gestation until weaning, all sows were managed and fed similarly. The CY was correlated with BF change between d 85 and 108 of gestation (r = -0.446, P = 0.002) but not with daily feed allowance between d 85 and 108 of gestation (r = -0.156, P = 0.312). We found 3 indications to support the hypothesis of mammogenesis: 1) gestational mammogenesis occurs between d 85 and 108 of gestation. A BF loss between d 85 and 108 of gestation might partially evolve from an increased mammogenesis; 2) colostrum composition was not correlated with CY or BF change between d 85 and 108 of gestation (P > 0.10) which is indicative for more functional mammary tissue; 3) piglets’ daily weight gain was correlated with BF change between d 85 and 108 of gestation up to d 3 of lactation (r = -0.359, P = 0.019) which is right before the start of lactational mammogenesis. Although BF change between d 85 and 108 of gestation and daily feed allowance between d 85 and 108 of gestation affected the glucose and insulin metabolism, CY was not correlated with the changes in insulin (r = 0.025, P = 0.876) and glucose (r = -0.149, P = 0.359) between d 85 and 108 of gestation which makes this hypothesis less evident. Improving mammogenesis in sows thus seems promising as a long term strategy to increase CY in sows. In the fourth study (chapter 3.4.) we investigated the effects of CI on piglet performance (survival and daily weight gain) during lactation. All piglets born to 37 PIC sows were observed until weaning and 4 piglets per litter were randomly selected for serum collection 24-30 h after birth. The daily weight gain was positively correlated with BWB and CI/kg BWB, and negatively with time between birth and first suckle until d 3 of lactation (R² = 0.39, P 60 min (P < 0.01). The CI/kg BWB was negatively correlated with urea (P = 0.002), positively to some free AA (P < 0.05) but not to creatinine, NEFA, IgG and IgA in piglets’ serum. The daily weight gain was negatively correlated with urea and positively to leucine until d 3 of lactation (R² = 0.19, P < 0.001), until d 7 of lactation (R² = 0.13, P < 0.001) and until weaning (R² = 0.08, P < 0.001). A lower CI/kg BWB was accompanied by a higher catabolism of protein that did not seem to originate from the piglets’ body reserves. It seems that piglets with a lower CI/kg BWB use a larger proportion of colostral protein as a substrate for energy production rather than for other purposes such as lean growth, as there was a negative correlation between parameters indicating protein catabolism and daily weight gain at least until weaning. Sufficient CI is thus essential for piglet performance at least until weaning. This underlines the importance of improving CY in sows and distribution of the available CY within a litter. In conclusion, this thesis showed that CY in sows and CI in piglets are highly variable and also insufficient for a considerable number of the animals. The results also documented the importance of sufficient CI for piglet’s performance during the entire lactation period. Next to elucidating the importance of insufficient CY and intake, the thesis also showed that the use of body reserves during late gestation is correlated with CY. A negative energy balance the week prior to farrowing should be avoided. A high peripartal feeding strategy the week prior to farrowing resulted in decreased negative energy balance, less imbalance at the entry of the citric acid cycle and a higher CY. The use of body energy reserves between d 85 and 108 of gestation was negatively correlated with CY and several indications were presented showing that this correlation might be due to better gestational mammogenesis. The thesis provided opportunities for both short-term and long-term strategies to improve CY in sows

Le modèle scandinave et l’économie canadienne

In the Scandinavian model of wages and prices determination a fundamental distinction is drawn between sheltered and exposed industries. Exposed industries are exposed to strong competition from abroad, and sheltered industries are those whose products are sold at home under conditions that protect them from strong foreign competition. In the second section, our criteria to classify exposed and sheltered industries will be presented. In the third section, the construction and evolution of the main sectoral macro-variables will be discussed. The fourth section includes derivation of wages and prices equations for both industries and presents an econometric estimation. En vue de rendre compte des mécanismes de transmission de l’inflation au Canada, notre étude applique une distinction entre les industries abritées et les industries exposées. Ces dernières sont soumises à une forte concurrence de leurs compétiteurs étrangers, alors que les industries abritées en sont préservées. Les critères de classification des branches exposées et abritées sont présentés dans la deuxième section de l’article, tandis que dans la section 3, nous discutons du mode de construction et l’évolution des principales variables macro-sectorielles. La section finale traite des équations du modèle et présente les résultats des estimations économétriques.

FUTURE TRADE RESEARCH AREAS THAT MATTER TO DEVELOPING COUNTRY POLICYMAKERS

Income, welfare, poverty, consumer price, compensation

The poverty impacts of the Doha Round in Cameroon : the role of tax policy

The authors aim to assess the possible impacts of the Doha Round of negotiations on poverty in Cameroon. During the recent period of economic recovery, Cameroon enjoyed a sharp decline in poverty, with the headcount index falling from 53.3 percent of inhabitants in 1996 to 40.2 percent in 2001, mostly due to economic growth rather than redistribution. Will the current trade negotiations under the Doha Round reinforce or curb this trend? They apply a computable general equilibrium (CGE) microsimulation model that involves 10,992 households in order to address this question. The authors find the Doha Round to be poverty-reducing for Cameroon. For the whole country, the estimate of the net number of people who are lifted out of poverty is 22,000 following this scenario. Further investigations indicate that more ambitious world trade liberalization leads to greater poverty alleviation at the national level, while Cameroon's domestic trade liberalization has adverse poverty and inequality impacts-despite giving rise to higher aggregate welfare. Under the Doha scenario, the cuts in Cameroon's tariffs are very small (the average tariff rate moves from 11.79 percent in the base run to merely 11.66 percent) so that world trade liberalization effects on prices more than offset the adverse own liberalization effects in this scenario. If the rest of the world and Cameroon full trade liberalizations are combined, the adverse impacts of own liberalization outweigh the favorable outcomes of the world trade liberalization. The results suggest furthermore that the choice of tax replacement instrument can have an important bias in poverty impacts: poverty gets worse in the country case study when using an imperfect value-added tax instead of a neutral replacement tax to compensate lost tariff revenue, and gets even worse when using a consumption tax. Key reasons here are the supplementary distortions which are nil in case of a neutral tax and greatest in the case of a consumption tax. In addition, accompanying measures should be considered to avoid poverty increases in the framework of Economic Partnership Agreements currently in negotiation between African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union, which propose a drastic dismantlement of ACP tariffs over the next few years.Rural Poverty Reduction,Economic Theory&Research,Free Trade,Poverty Assessment,Achieving Shared Growth

A Contemporary Dressing of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler

The following thesis describes the process of creating the costume designs for the production of Hedda Gabler that was produced at the University Theatre at The University of Arkansas in the spring of 2023. In this thesis, I will explain the process, from my initial response to the script to the final stage production. Included is a full script analysis, an extrapolation of the stages of design, from research to rough sketches and preliminary renderings, final color renderings, the process of turning renderings into fully realized costumes, and finally an evaluation of the entire process

Characterization and Control of Aggression and Reproduction in the Male Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)

Clouded leopards are a striking and elusive cat species whose secretive nature has made it difficult to gather information on population statistics and behavior in the wild, where the population is in decline. While captive populations are intended as a hedge against extinction, breeding clouded leopards ex situ has been a challenge, primarily due to extreme male aggression toward females. Despite the importance of aggression in this species, there has as yet been no systematic study characterizing the basis of aggressive episodes. Two mechanisms seem to underlie the aggressive behavior in clouded leopards: degree of anxiety and circulating testosterone levels. Three studies were conducted to characterize mechanisms modulating aggression in male clouded leopards. In Study 1, sixteen adult male clouded leopards were categorized as `anxious' or `calm' using a keeper questionnaire and fecal endocrine (androgen and glucocorticoid) profiles; these measures were correlated with behavior rates and frequencies before, during, and after a series of behavioral reaction tests aimed at assessing an individual's response to stress-inducing situations. In Study 2, the behavioral and endocrine responses to the same tests were compared in the same clouded leopards following three treatments: 1) an anxiety-reducing psychotropic drug (clomipramine, n = 4); 2) a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (deslorelin, n = 5), or 3) no treatment (n = 4). In Study 3, the long-term effects of the drug treatments on spermatogenesis and hormone concentrations were compared in clouded leopards (n = 2/treatment) and domestic cats (n = 5/treatment), a model for non-domestic felid reproduction. Studies revealed important findings about the basis of aggressive behavior in male clouded leopards. First, two of the behavioral reaction tests - `mirror image stimulation' and `unfamiliar people' - were effective tools for evaluating temperament and eliciting a behavioral response. Second, treatment with both clomipramine and deslorelin reduced anxious and aggressive behaviors (e.g. `tail flicking' and `growling') indicating multiple physiological mechanisms likely modulate aggression in this species. Finally, deslorelin temporarily suppressed hormone concentrations and reproductive function, while clomipramine had no clear effect on either. Ultimately, this information provides important tools for improving male-female pairing success and the overall management of captive clouded leopards

La formation des prix et les industries canadiennes exposées et abritées

Following the bursts of inflation registered in the 1970s, many authors pointed to a generalization of the phenomenon of inflation and claimed that in a small economy highly integrated into international markets, the steady rise in general price levels might be attributable to foreign causes. In this context, the "Scandinavian School" gave renewed credibility to the division of the economy into two major categories: sectors exposed to strong international competition and those protected from such competition.

Poverty Analysis Within a General Equilibrium Framework

The main objective of this paper is to show how Social Accounting Matrices (SAM) and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Models can be used to highlight and address issues related to income distribution and poverty. The paper is divided into two major parts. Part 1 presents the concept of the SAM as a comprehensive, consistent and disaggregated data system and shows how the SAM methodology can be used to analyze issues related to income distribution and, in a much more limited way, poverty. Part 2 is devoted to the presentation of a CGE model calibrated on an archetype African SAM (same as above). One innovation in the specification of the present CGE is that it goes part way in endogenizing the poverty line and the resulting poverty incidence among the different socioeconomic household groups and representing income distribution with a flexible Beta distribution function and using the F-G-T additively decomposable class of poverty measures. The model is used to simulate the impact of two exogenous shocks (a fall in the price of the export crop and an import tariff reform) specifically on poverty.Poverty, Computable General Equilibrium Model, Input Output Models