Mind the Gap: Computing Finance-Neutral Output Gaps in Latin-American Economies

We compute a measure of the finance-neutral potential output for Colombia, Chile and Mexico. Our methodology is based on Borio et al (2013, 2014) and incorporates the cycle of credit, house prices and the real exchange rate on the computation of the output gap. The literature on business cycles in emerging market economies, particularly papers focusing on Latin American economies, has highlighted the importance of including shocks to the interest rate in world capital markets together with financial frictions; terms of trade fluctuations; and a procyclical government spending process. Our results show that around the financial crises of the 1990s the finance-neutral output gap behaved differently than the traditional measures observed by policymakers. In particular, gaps are higher before crises and lower after them

Potential Transference of CP4 EPSPS to Weed Species from Genetically Modified Gossypium hirsutum in Northern Mexico

The family of enzymes 5-enolpiruvil shikimato-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) is found in plants and microorganisms. The substrates of this enzyme are phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and 3-phospho-shikimate and their products are phosphate and 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate that is the biological target of the herbicide glyphosate, which is used in genetically modified crops. The interaction between cultivated genetically modified plants (GMP) and wild plant species could be a transference source of transgenes. Presence of transgenes could be cause and adverse environmental impact on non-target organisms. Gossypium hirsutum genotype Bollgard II® is a GMP with tolerance to herbicide glyphosate and it has been cultivated during 20 years in Mexico and the possibility to gene flow primary in congeners of the Malvaceae family is possible. The objective of this study was to quantify and identify weed species associated to genetically modified cotton fields and to detect the present of glyphosate-insensitive EPSP synthases (CP4 EPSPS) in these species. The results showed that plants of the families Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, Portulacaceae, Solanaceae and Zygophyllaceae are present in the study site. Twenty-five weed species belonging to these botanical families were collected and identified in the site. From these, two species of the Malvaceae family with potential risk of gene flow plants, Anoda cristata and Sida hederacea were identified in the site; however, the CP4 EPSPS protein was not detected in none of the collected weed species and only the GM genotype Bollgard II® was positive to the CP4 EPSPS protein in the study site

Mind the Gap: Computing Finance-Neutral Output Gaps in Latin-American Economies

We compute a measure of the finance-neutral potential output for Colombia, Chile and Mexico. Our methodology is based on Borio et al (2013, 2014) and incorporates the cycle of credit, house prices and the real exchange rate on the computation of the output gap. The literature on business cycles in emerging market economies, particularly papers focusing on Latin American economies, has highlighted the importance of including shocks to the interest rate in world capital markets together with financial frictions; terms of trade fluctuations; and a procyclical government spending process. Our results show that around the financial crises of the 1990s the finance-neutral output gap behaved differently than the traditional measures observed by policymakers. In particular, gaps are higher before crises and lower after them

El mercado mundial del café y su impacto en Colombia

La pérdida de importancia económica de la caficultura en Colombia, tanto en el contexto nacional como en el internacional, se explica, principalmente, por la caída dramática de su productividad; el consiguiente empobrecimiento de los caficultores, así como por el envejecimiento de estos y de los cafetos; la lentitud de los procesos de adopción de nuevas tecnologías y variedades resistentes a las plagas, en especial la roya; y la baja fertilización, entre otros factores. Ejercicios econométricos sugieren que la actividad cafetera, vía consumo, impacta más el crecimiento económico que la industria minera, con la ventaja adicional de que la caficultura emplea grandes porciones de la población y dinamiza la malla productiva de las regiones, siendo un instrumento ideal para sacar a grandes poblaciones rurales de la pobreza. También, se señala que la institucionalidad colombiana ha desaprovechado el actual esquema de libre comercio del grano para recuperar la productividad y las exportaciones. Finalmente, se elaboran recomendaciones, en relación con el cultivo, la comercialización y las instituciones del sector, para fortalecer su capacidad de enfrentar futuros choques de precios y contribuir a atenuar sus efectos sobre la economía.Café-Coffe

Exploración de germoplasma nativo de maíz en Nuevo León, México

En diversos estados del país, como Nuevo León, aún en la actualidad existe una considerable diversidad de variedades de maíz (Zea mays L.) que no han sido exploradas ni estudiadas suficientemente y cuya recolección es necesaria como fuente de germoplasma. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue realizar una recolecta de poblaciones nativas de maíz en las regiones de la Gran Llanura de Norteamérica, Llanura Costera del Golfo Norte y Sierra Madre Oriental, para su conservación ex situ, caracterización y futuro aprovechamiento en diferentes programas de mejoramiento genético. En 2008 se recolectaron 135 poblaciones nativas de maíz, de las cuales 49.63% correspondió a razas puras y 50.33% a cruzas interraciales. Las poblaciones nativas obtenidas provinieron de las regiones de la Sierra Madre Oriental (42%), Llanura Costera del Golfo Norte (30%) y Sierra Madre Oriental (28%). El germoplasma recolectado se conservó en el Banco Central de maíz del INIFAP, en Texcoco, Estado de México. Las recolecciones de germoplasma, como una fuente de diversidad genética deben ser caracterizadas para un manejo eficiente y un aprovechamiento efectivo que permita el mejoramiento y la productividad en el estad

Violencias basadas en género: la otra tragedia de Colombia.

This book presents four chapters from completed research dealing with gender-based violence. The first proposes femicide profiles; the second presents cases of economic violence against women; the third proposes an ecological model to explain femicidal behavior; the fourth analyzes different types of gender-based violence towards migrant women. The presentation of these results is expected to contribute to the generation of knowledge and scientific evidence on gender-based violence since this is one of the limitations when proposing plans, policies, and projects to intervene.PublishedEste libro presenta cuatro capítulos derivados de investigaciones terminadas donde se abordan violencias basadas en género. El primero de ellos realiza una propuesta sobre perfiles de feminicidas; el segundo presenta casos de violencia económica hacia las mujeres; el tercero realiza una propuesta de un modelo ecológico para explicar la conducta feminicida y el cuarto analiza diferentes tipos de violencias basadas en el género hacia las mujeres migrantes. Con la presentación de estos resultados se espera contribuir a la generación de conocimiento y evidencia científica sobre las violencias basadas en género, ya que esta es una de las limitantes a la hora de proponer planes, políticas y proyectos para intervenirlas

Preoperative toxoplasma gondii serostatus does not affect long-term survival of cardiac transplant recipients: analysis of the Spanish Heart Transplantation Registry

[Abstract] Background. It's unclear whether pre-transplant T. gondii seropositivity is associated with impaired survival in heart transplant recipients. Objectives. To test the above-mentioned hypothesis in the Spanish Heart Transplantation Registry. Methods. Post-transplant outcomes of 4048 patients aged > 16 years who underwent first, single-organ heart transplantation in 17 Spanish institutions from 1984 to 2014 were studied. Long-term post-transplant survival and survival free of cardiac death or retransplantation of 2434 (60%) T. gondii seropositive recipients and 1614 (40%) T. gondii seronegative recipients were compared. Results. T. gondii seropositive recipients were older, had higher body mass index, and presented higher prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, COPD and Cytomegalovirus seropositivity than T. gondii seronegative recipients. In univariable analysis, pre-transplant T. gondii seropositivity was associated with increased post-transplant all-cause mortality (non-adjusted HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.04–1.26). However, this effect was no longer statistically significant after multivariable adjustment by recipient's age and sex (adjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92–1.11). Extended multivariable adjustment by other potential confounders showed similar results (adjusted HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.89–1.11). T. gondii seropositivity had no significant effect on the composite outcome cardiac death or retransplantation (non-adjusted HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.95–1.24, p = 0.235). The distribution of the causes of death was comparable in T. gondii seropositive and T. gondii seronegative recipients. No statistically significant impact of donor's T. gondii serostatus or donor-recipient T. gondii serostatus matching on post-transplant survival was observed. Conclusions. Our analysis did not show a significant independent effect of preoperative T. gondii serostatus on long-term outcomes after heart transplantation