Potential output growth: Some long-term projections

This article examines factors that have affected the growth of potential output since the 1950s and presents three possible scenarios for its growth in the future. The authors conclude that there will be a marked slowing in the future growth of potential output as a result of slow population growth and a reduction in labour force participation as the population ages.

Chronic Healthcare Spending Disease: A Macro Diagnosis and Prognosis

The amount Canadians spend on healthcare is set to rise rapidly over the next two decades and Canadians need to face up to tough choices to deal with this “spending disease.” The study examines the trajectory of total healthcare spending – public and private – in Canada and the policy choices Canadians must make in response. The authors estimate the extent to which healthcare spending is going to absorb a greater fraction of income than Canadians have experienced to date under two scenarios: a baseline scenario drawn from historical experience, and an optimistic scenario, which assumes an unprecedented improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system and large improvement in potential economic growth. Canadians must choose some combination of: 1) a sharp reduction in public services, other than health care; 2) increased taxes to finance the public share of healthcare spending; 3) increased individual spending on healthcare services currently insured by provinces, through some form of co-payment or through delisting of services that are currently publicly financed; 4) or a degradation of publicly insured healthcare standards – longer queues, and services of poorer quality.The Health Papers, healthcare spending, Canada

Exchange Rates and the Canadian Economy

An objective assessment of the effects of the appreciation of the Canadian dollar in 2003 and 2004 on exports and imports requires a detailed review of the numerous other factors which may have been at play. Dion, Laurence, and Zheng discuss the influences that have affected Canada's international trade over the past two years, including exchange rate movements, global and sector-specific shocks, constraints on the domestic supply of a few products, and competition from emerging economies, most notably, China. The analysis is complemented with econometric models developed at the Bank which provide statistically valid estimates of the contribution of the Canadian-dollar appreciation to the recent developments in exports and imports.

The Vela Pulsar Wind Nebula at 6cm

Observations using the Australia Telescope Compact Array at a wavelength of 6 cm have uncovered the radio counterpart to the compact X-ray nebula surrounding the Vela pulsar. Two lobes were found oriented about the spin axis of the pulsar, starting at the edge of X-ray emission, they extend to three times the size. The northern lobe has a bright, defined edge and an integrated flux of 0.14 Jy, while the southern lobe of 0.12 Jy is more diffuse.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To appear in "Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants" (ASP Conference Proceedings), eds P. O. Slane and B. M. Gaensle

Une analyse économétrique de l’ajustement récent de la balance commerciale canadienne (1978-1979)

The Canadian merchandise trade surplus increased rather modestly in 1978 and 1979 given that the depreciation of the real exchange rate since 1977 had considerably reinforced our competitive position. With the aid of an econometric model, we try to measure the respective contributions of the factors influencing the merchandise trade balance during that period.Our partial equilibrium simulations reveal that the depreciation of the Canadian dollar, both in nominal and real terms, substantially improved the merchandise trade surplus. High capacity utilization rates in Canada had a substantial impact on the trade balance through a large increase of imports, especially imports of producers' equipment, and through a significant reduction of exports of manufactured goods other than automotive products.Excluding the automobile sector, which has experienced a "structural" change in the United States, cyclical divergences between the two countries did not influence substantially the evolution of the merchandise trade account over that period. The rapid improvement of the terms of trade in 1979 strongly contributed to the increase of the nominal merchandise trade surplus. Our simulations show that the rise in the prices of certain primary commodities relative to the U.S. prices of manufactured goods was an important factor behind the stronger terms of trade

MCTP is an ER-resident calcium sensor that stabilizes synaptic transmission and homeostatic plasticity.

Presynaptic homeostatic plasticity (PHP) controls synaptic transmission in organisms from Drosophila to human and is hypothesized to be relevant to the cause of human disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of PHP are just emerging and direct disease associations remain obscure. In a forward genetic screen for mutations that block PHP we identified mctp (Multiple C2 Domain Proteins with Two Transmembrane Regions). Here we show that MCTP localizes to the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that elaborate throughout the soma, dendrites, axon and presynaptic terminal. Then, we demonstrate that MCTP functions downstream of presynaptic calcium influx with separable activities to stabilize baseline transmission, short-term release dynamics and PHP. Notably, PHP specifically requires the calcium coordinating residues in each of the three C2 domains of MCTP. Thus, we propose MCTP as a novel, ER-localized calcium sensor and a source of calcium-dependent feedback for the homeostatic stabilization of neurotransmission

Two decades of pulsar timing of Vela

Pulsar timing at the Mt Pleasant observatory has focused on Vela, which can be tracked for 18 hours of the day. These nearly continuous timing records extend over 24 years allowing a greater insight into details of timing noise, micro glitches and other more exotic effects. In particular we report the glitch parameters of the 2004 event, along with the reconfirmation that the spin up for the Vela pulsar occurs instantaneously to the accuracy of the data. This places a lower limit of about 30 seconds for the acceleration of the pulsar to the new rotational frequency. We also confirm of the low braking index for Vela, and the continued fall in the DM for this pulsar.Comment: Isolated Neutron Stars conference, London, April 24-28 200

The Vela pulsar, the key?

Of all pulsars known Vela has been one of the most productive in terms in understanding pulsars and their characteristics. We present the latest results derived from Australian telescopes. These include a more accurate pulsar distance, a more precise pulsar local space velocity, a new model of the spin up and the association of a radio nebula with the X-ray pulsar wind nebula.Comment: Poster presentation at IAU 25th meetin

An Application Lecturing Events Unit Based On Web Services

Web service technology is a technology that allows devices with different platforms can communicate with each other using JSON format (Java Script Object Notation). This technology can be applied to various fields, one of them in the academic field. Students sometimes do not know about what topics will be discussed at the next meeting, and also sometimes they do not know whether there are tasks or exam given by their lecturer. The purpose of this study was to implement PHP JSON Web services technology in android devices so that students can find out in detail about what will be discussed at each meeting and learning, and also be able to know what the task given by the lecturers and when the test will be conducted. This study was prepared by the method of prototyping. This research has been done and has resulted in an application that has been tested. Applications are made to assist students in obtaining detailed information about what to do at each meeting and learning, and also provide benefits for faculty where they can assign tasks to students online