Estimando la política cambiaria según la paridad de poder de compra: el caso peruano, colombiano y chileno 1960-2015

El trabajo tiene como objetivo principal evaluar el cumplimiento de la hipótesis de la Paridad de Poder de Compra (PPP) tomando en cuenta una gran amplitud temporal para los países de Chile, Colombia y Perú, para el periodo 1960 al 2015. La elección de estos tres países se debe al comportamiento y tendencias similares en indicadores económicos y demográficos relevantes a través del tiempo, tales como el PBI, el total de reservas internacionales netas y la población, así como la integración comercial y financiera que se inició con la Alianza del Pacífico en la última década. Desde la perspectiva metodológica, se empleó para la estimación de la PPP la versión relativa aproximada, debido a un mejor ajuste de los datos. Ésta es menos restrictiva que la versión absoluta porque no necesita que la conformación de la canasta de índices de precios al consumidor de la economía doméstica sea igual a la extranjera. A partir de la ecuación de la PPP la versión relativa aproximada se procedió a evaluar la PPP aplicando la metodología Lineal y no Lineal. Las variables utilizadas son la inflación trimestral de Perú, Chile, Colombia y Estados Unidos; y la depreciación trimestral de Perú, Chile y Colombia. Para la parte lineal, se evalúa la PPP en su versión relativa mediante la estimación del MCO para el periodo 1960 al 2015. Sin embargo, al trabajar con series extensas que presentan periodos de alta volatilidad y posibles outliers las pruebas de raíz unitaria podrían presentar problemas de potencia. Por ello, es necesaria la aplicación de metodologías que permitan la identificación de outliers. Posteriormente, se vuelve a evaluar la presencia de raíz unitaria considerando la presencia de outliers aditivos. Luego, se realiza la estimación de los vectores autoregresivos y vectores de corrección de errores para las series de Perú, Colombia y Chile para el periodo 1960 al 2015. No se obtuvo evidencia estadística para aceptar la hipótesis de la PPP. Finalmente, en la última etapa de la parte líneal, se evaluar la presencia de posibles quiebres estructurales mediante la Prueba de quiebre estructural de Perron y Yabu. Dicha prueba indica la presencia de quiebres en las series de inflación y depreciación de Perú, Chile y Colombia. Para la parte no Lineal, se evalúa la PPP en su versión relativa mediante los modelos LSTAR. Debido a que los resultados indican que las series no se ajustan de manera adecuada a los modelos LSTAR, se procede a estimar los modelos de Markov Switching. Se obtienen resultados mixtos sobre la PPP para los 3 países. Existe evidencia estadística a favor de la PPP para ciertos periodos de tiempo en Perú y Chile, pero esto se da en periodos de mediana y baja volatilidad. Para Colombia no se logra obtener evidencia estadística consistente a favor de la PPP.Tesi

Assessment of the nutritional status

A desnutrição é reconhecida como um dos principais problemas médicos, especialmente em países em desenvolvimento. Os métodos para avaliar o estado nutricional de indivíduos em grupos populacionais foram extensivamente tratados na literatura médica. O objetivo principal desta revisão foi proporcionar uma análise crítica da avaliação nutricional bioquímica e antropométrica.Malnutrition is recognized as one of the major medical clinical problem, especially in developing countries. The means to assess the nutricional status of individuals or population groups have been extensively discussed in medical literature. The main objective of this review is providing a critical analysis of anthropometric and biochemical nutritional evaluation

Impacto do intemperismo no arenito de revestimento do Teatro Municipal de São Paulo

The Municipal Theater is one of the post cards of São Paulo city. It was built in 1911 and its frontal façade is revested with Itararé Sandstone. This sandstone comes from the Flona de Ipanema (Ipanema National Forest) area, located in Iperó, São Paulo State. Formerly this place included the Royal Ipanema Iron Factory, and nowadays it is a historical, archaeological and natural heritage site. The theatre façade is quite deteriorated due to the petrographic composition of the rock. The Itararé Sandstone is stratified with sigmoidal features and with grain size ranging from fine to coarse. Petrographically it is a feldspathic sandstone with clayey matrix in variable proportions. X-ray diffractometry analyses revealed that this matrix is constituted mainly by clay minerals of the smectite group with additional contributions of chlorite and illite. Mercury porosimetry shows that the porosity ranges from 10% to 18%. Mapping of the façade identified the following alteration forms: biological colonization, concretion, erosion, peeling, fissure, incrustation, open joint, spalling, stain, plaque, plaquette and vegetation. The industrialization and city growth did not play a significant role in the alteration of the building stone of the São Paulo Municipal Theater. Instead, this process is intrinsic to the petrographic characteristics (presence of expansive clay minerals, high porosity) and structure of the sandstone utilized, making it unsuitable as building stone.Um dos cartões postais da cidade de São Paulo, o Teatro Municipal, construído em 1911, tem sua fachada frontal revestida pelo Arenito Itararé. O arenito é proveniente da área da Flona (Floresta Nacional) de Ipanema em Iperó - SP, outrora Real Fábrica de Ferro de Ipanema, constituindo-se hoje num patrimônio histórico, arqueológico e natural. A fachada está bastante deteriorada, por causa do litotipo escolhido na sua construção. O Arenito Itararé é estratificado, com marcante característica sigmoidal, e tem granulação variada, desde fina a grossa. Petrograficamente, é um arenito feldspático com matriz argilosa em proporção variável. Análises de difração de raios X apontam que a matriz argilosa é constituída por argilominerais do grupo da esmectita, com contribuição de clorita e illita. Apresenta porosidade de 10% a 18%, indicada por porosimetria de mercúrio. O mapeamento da fachada identificou as seguintes formas de intemperismo: colonização biológica, concreção, erosão, escamação, fissura, incrustação, junta aberta, lascagem, mancha, placa, plaqueta e vegetação. A industrialização e o crescimento da cidade não tiveram grande impacto na alteração do revestimento do Teatro Municipal de São Paulo. Este processo é intrínseco, devido às características petrográficas (presença de argilominerais expansivos e alta porosidade) e a estrutura do arenito utilizado, inabilitando-o como pedra de revestimento

Welfare of small ruminants during transport

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with the protection of small ruminants (sheep and goats) during transport. The main focus is on welfare of sheep during transport by road but other means of transport and concerns for welfare of goats during transport are also covered. Current practices related to transport of sheep during the different stages (preparation, loading and unloading, transit and journey breaks) are described. Overall, 11 welfare consequences were identified as being highly relevant for the welfare of sheep during transport based on severity, duration and frequency of occurrence: group stress, handling stress, heat stress, injuries, motion stress, predation stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, restriction of movement, resting problems and sensory overstimulation. These welfare consequences and their animal-based measures are described. A wide variety of hazards, mainly relating to inappropriate or aggressive handling of animals, structural deficiencies of vehicles and facilities, unfavourable microclimatic and environmental conditions and poor husbandry practices, leading to these welfare consequences were identified. The Opinion contains general and specific conclusions in relation to the different stages of transport. Recommendations to prevent hazards and to correct or mitigate welfare consequences have been developed. Recommendations were also developed to define quantitative thresholds for microclimatic conditions within the means of transport and spatial thresholds (minimum space allowance). The development of welfare consequences over time were assessed in relation to maximum journey time. The Opinion covers specific animal transport scenarios identified by the European Commission relating to the export of sheep by livestock vessels, export of sheep by road, roll-on-roll-off vessels and ‘special health status animals’, and lists welfare concerns associated with these.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Welfare of pigs during transport

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with protection of pigs during transport. The welfare of pigs during transport by road is the main focus, but other means of transport are also covered. Current practices related to transport of pigs during the different stages (preparation, loading/unloading, transit and journey breaks) are described. Overall, 10 welfare consequences were identified as highly relevant for the welfare of pigs during transport based on the severity, duration and frequency of occurrence: group stress, handling stress, heat stress, injuries, motion stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, restriction of movement, resting problems and sensory overstimulation. These welfare consequences and their animal-based measures are described. A variety of hazards were identified, mainly relating to factors such as mixing of unfamiliar pigs, inappropriate handling methods and devices, the use of pick-up pens, inexperienced/untrained handlers, structural deficiencies of vehicles and facilities, poor driving conditions, unfavourable microclimatic and environmental conditions and poor husbandry practices leading to these welfare consequences. The Opinion contains general and specific conclusions relating to the different stages of transport of pigs. Recommendations to prevent hazards and to correct or mitigate welfare consequences are made. Recommendations were also developed to define quantitative thresholds for microclimatic conditions and minimum space allowance within means of transport. The development of the welfare consequences over time was assessed in relation to maximum journey duration. The Opinion covers specific animal transport scenarios identified by the European Commission relating to transport of cull sows and ‘special health status animals’, and lists welfare concerns associated with these.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Welfare of cattle during transport

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with protection of cattle (including calves) during transport. Welfare of cattle during transport by road is the main focus, but other means of transport are also covered. Current practices related to transport of cattle during the different stages (preparation, loading/unloading, transit and journey breaks) are described. Overall, 11 welfare consequences were identified as being highly relevant for the welfare of cattle during transport based on severity, duration and frequency of occurrence: group stress, handling stress, heat stress, injuries, motion stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, respiratory disorders, restriction of movement, resting problems and sensory overstimulation. These welfare consequences and their animal-based measures are described. A variety of hazards, mainly relating to inexperienced/untrained handlers, inappropriate handling, structural deficiencies of vehicles and facilities, poor driving conditions, unfavourable microclimatic and environmental conditions, and poor husbandry practices leading to these welfare consequences were identified. The Opinion contains general and specific conclusions relating to the different stages of transport for cattle. Recommendations to prevent hazards and to correct or mitigate welfare consequences have been developed. Recommendations were also developed to define quantitative thresholds for microclimatic conditions within the means of transport and spatial thresholds (minimum space allowance). The development of welfare consequences over time was assessed in relation to maximum journey duration. The Opinion covers specific animal transport scenarios identified by the European Commission relating to transport of unweaned calves, cull cows, the export of cattle by livestock vessels, the export of cattle by road, roll-on-roll-off ferries and ‘special health status animals’, and lists welfare concerns associated with these.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of aliskiren on post-discharge outcomes among diabetic and non-diabetic patients hospitalized for heart failure: insights from the ASTRONAUT trial

Aims The objective of the Aliskiren Trial on Acute Heart Failure Outcomes (ASTRONAUT) was to determine whether aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, would improve post-discharge outcomes in patients with hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) with reduced ejection fraction. Pre-specified subgroup analyses suggested potential heterogeneity in post-discharge outcomes with aliskiren in patients with and without baseline diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods and results ASTRONAUT included 953 patients without DM (aliskiren 489; placebo 464) and 662 patients with DM (aliskiren 319; placebo 343) (as reported by study investigators). Study endpoints included the first occurrence of cardiovascular death or HHF within 6 and 12 months, all-cause death within 6 and 12 months, and change from baseline in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at 1, 6, and 12 months. Data regarding risk of hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, and hypotension, and changes in additional serum biomarkers were collected. The effect of aliskiren on cardiovascular death or HHF within 6 months (primary endpoint) did not significantly differ by baseline DM status (P = 0.08 for interaction), but reached statistical significance at 12 months (non-DM: HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.64-0.99; DM: HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.91-1.47; P = 0.03 for interaction). Risk of 12-month all-cause death with aliskiren significantly differed by the presence of baseline DM (non-DM: HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94; DM: HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.15-2.33; P < 0.01 for interaction). Among non-diabetics, aliskiren significantly reduced NT-proBNP through 6 months and plasma troponin I and aldosterone through 12 months, as compared to placebo. Among diabetic patients, aliskiren reduced plasma troponin I and aldosterone relative to placebo through 1 month only. There was a trend towards differing risk of post-baseline potassium ≥6 mmol/L with aliskiren by underlying DM status (non-DM: HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.71-1.93; DM: HR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.30-4.42; P = 0.07 for interaction). Conclusion This pre-specified subgroup analysis from the ASTRONAUT trial generates the hypothesis that the addition of aliskiren to standard HHF therapy in non-diabetic patients is generally well-tolerated and improves post-discharge outcomes and biomarker profiles. In contrast, diabetic patients receiving aliskiren appear to have worse post-discharge outcomes. Future prospective investigations are needed to confirm potential benefits of renin inhibition in a large cohort of HHF patients without D

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead