Macroeconomic Effects of Oligopolistic Competition with Wage Bargaining

Modelling oligopoly in general equilibrium is about understanding the aggregate effects of the strategic behavior that nonatomistic agents may exhibit in their markets. Real-world economies appear to be characterized by (monopoly) power-endowed agents behaving strategically - namely, firms and unions. By abstracting from this behavior, we risk missing some important features of the macroeconomy. We develop a general equilibrium model of unionized oligopoly aimed at addressing this point. We evaluate the macroeconomic effects of supply-side shocks under alternative product and labor market structures. In addition, the micro foundations of the model capture an alternative channel for the development of strategic interactions among firms, unions and the monetary authority. This channel creates a transmission mechanism for real effects of monetary policy-related shocks, which we investigate. Finally, in the light of the predictions of the model, we discuss macroeconomic performance in Continental Europe over the 1990s.

RV POSEIDON Cruise Report POS420 COWACSS Biological observation and sampling of cold-water corals to investigate impacts on climate change

Trondheim – (Kristiansund) – Kiel 08. – (25.) – 30.09.201

Impact of Caffeine on Ethanol-Induced Stimulation and Sensitization: Changes in ERK and DARPP-32 Phosphorylation in Nucleus Accumbens

Background: Caffeine is frequently consumed with ethanol to reduce the impairing effects induced by ethanol, including psychomotor slowing or incoordination. Both drugs modulate dopamine (DA)-related markers in accumbens (Acb), and Acb DA is involved in voluntary locomotion and locomotor sensitization. The present study determined whether caffeine can affect locomotion induced by acute and repeated ethanol administration in adult male CD-1 mice. Methods: Acute administration of caffeine (7.5 to 30.0 mg/kg) was evaluated for its effects on acute ethanol-induced (1.5 to 3.5 g/kg) changes in open-field horizontal locomotion, supported rearing, and rearing not supported by the wall. DA receptor-dependent phosphorylation markers were assessed: extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK), and dopamine-and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein Mr32kDa phosphorylated at threonine 75 site (pDARPP-32-Thr75) in Acb core and shell. Acutely administered caffeine was also evaluated in ethanol-sensitized (1.5 g/kg) mice. Results: Acute ethanol decreased both types of rearing. Caffeine increased supported rearing but did not block ethanol -induced decreases in rearing. Both substances increased horizontal locomotion in a biphasic manner, and caffeine potentiated ethanol-induced locomotion. Although ethanol administered repeatedly induced sensitization of locomotion and unsupported rearing, acute administration of caffeine to ethanol-sensitized mice in an ethanol-free state resulted in blunted stimulant effects compared with those seen in ethanol-naïve mice. Ethanol increased pERK immunoreactivity in both subregions of the Acb, but coadministration with caffeine blunted this increase. There were no effects on pDARPP-32(Thr75) immunoreactivity. Conclusions: The present results demonstrated that, after the first administration, caffeine potentiated the stimulating actions of ethanol, but did not counteract its suppressant or ataxic effects. Moreover, our results show that caffeine has less activating effects in ethanol-sensitized animals

Factores asociados a repercusiones perinatales desfavorables en gestantes con oligohidramnios en el Hospital de Vitarte, periodo 2016 – 2019

Introducción: El oligohidramnios es la presencia deficiente del volumen de líquido amniótico, presenta una frecuencia mundial de 0,5% a 5,5% aproximadamente, como condición que complica el embarazo. Se ha asociado a mayor riesgo de morbimortalidad perinatal. Objetivo: Identificar los factores asociados a repercusiones perinatales desfavorables en gestantes con oligohidramnios en el hospital de Vitarte, periodo 2016 - 2019.  Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio analítico, retrospectivo, caso - control. La población de estudio fueron las gestantes con diagnóstico de oligohidramnios, por método ILA menor a 5cm, atendidas en el servicio de hospitalización de Ginecobstetricia en el hospital de Vitarte, durante el periodo 2016 – 2019; conformada por 97 casos y controles (1:1). Los casos fueron los que presentaron resultados perinatales desfavorables. En el análisis bivariado se utilizó la prueba de chi cuadrado, con un nivel de significancia de 0,05. Se calcularon los OR con un Intervalo de confianza al 95% a través del programa SPSS. Resultados: Los neonatos con repercusiones desfavorables se presentaron en el 47%. El tipo de parto más frecuente fue cesárea (76%), evidenciándose asociación estadísticamente significativa con la resultante perinatal adversa (OR=2,25; IC95%=1,21-4,19; p=0,009). No se encontró asociación con variables sociodemográficas maternas, inicio de parto, edad gestacional, número de controles prenatales, paridad, comorbilidad materna ni sexo del recién nacido. Conclusiones: La morbimortalidad perinatal es frecuente en gestantes con diagnóstico de oligohidramnios. Culminar el embarazo por cesárea es un factor asociado a repercusiones perinatales desfavorables. Además, la indicación de cesárea es innecesario solo por el hallazgo de oligohidramnios, ésta debe ser guiada por la patología subyacente

Seleção para la tolerância ao encharcamento na variedade de milho CMS54 - Saracura.

A variedade de milho CMS 54 e um composto sintetizado no CNPMS/EMBRAPA em 1986, a partir de mistura balanceada de sementes de 36 populacoes de milho. Esta variedade vem sendo selecionada para tolerancia ao encharcamento do solo, sendo que em 1996 foi obtido a nono ciclo de selecao massal. Em 1996 foram conduzidos dois experimentos para avaliar o ganho de selecao tanto sob encharcamento, quanto em condicao nao encharcada (normal). Os 9 primeiros ciclos de selecao foram avaliados sob encharcamento num delineamento em blocos ao acaso com 7 repeticoes. Do ciclo 1 para o ciclo 9 e o peso de espigas aumentou em 25% com um ganho medio estimado por ciclo (coeficiente de regressao) de 3,2% (p<0.01), equivalente a 164 kg/espigas/ha/ciclo. Em um segundo ensaio, os 8 primeiros ciclos de selecao foram avaliados em condicao nao encharcada. Houve diferenca significativa (p<0.05) para peso de espigas entre ciclo, com um aumento de 14% do ciclo 1 para o ciclo 8. Entretanto os ganhos por ciclo quando avaliados sob condicao nao encharcado nao foram lineares ja que o coeficiente de regressao de 1.3% nao foi significativo. No ano agricola 96/97 a variedade CMS 54-Saracura foi distribuido para teste a cerca de 2000 produtores em areas sujeitas a encharcamento no Brasil. Sua producao comercial deve iniciar-se no verao 97/98

Gene Silencing of \u3ci\u3eArgonaute5\u3c/i\u3e Negatively Affects the Establishment of the Legume-Rhizobia Symbiosis

The establishment of the symbiosis between legumes and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia is finely regulated at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional and posttranslational levels. Argonaute5 (AGO5), a protein involved in RNA silencing, can bind both viral RNAs and microRNAs to control plant-microbe interactions and plant physiology. For instance, AGO5 regulates the systemic resistance of Arabidopsis against Potato Virus X as well as the pigmentation of soybean (Glycine max) seeds. Here, we show that AGO5 is also playing a central role in legume nodulation based on its preferential expression in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and soybean roots and nodules. We also report that the expression of AGO5 is induced after 1 h of inoculation with rhizobia. Down-regulation of AGO5 gene in P. vulgaris and G. max causes diminished root hair curling, reduces nodule formation and interferes with the induction of three critical symbiotic genes: Nuclear Factor Y-B (NF-YB), Nodule Inception (NIN) and Flotillin2 (FLOT2). Our findings provide evidence that the common bean and soybean AGO5 genes play an essential role in the establishment of the symbiosis with rhizobia

Effort-Related Motivational Effects of the VMAT-2 Inhibitor Tetrabenazine: Implications for Animal Models of the Motivational Symptoms of Depression

Motivated behaviors are often characterized by a high degree of behavioral activation, and work output and organisms frequently make effort-related decisions based upon cost/benefit analyses. Moreover, people with major depression and other disorders often show effort-related motivational symptoms such as anergia, psychomotor retardation, and fatigue. It has been suggested that tasks measuring effort-related choice behavior could be used as animal models of the motivational symptoms of depression, and the present studies characterized the effort-related effects of the vesicular monoamine transport (VMAT) inhibitor tetrabenazine. Tetrabenazine produces depressive symptoms in humans and, because of its selective inhibition of VMAT-2, it preferentially depletes dopamine (DA). Rats were assessed using a concurrent fixed-ratio 5/chow feeding choice task that is known to be sensitive to dopaminergic manipulations. Tetrabenazine shifted response choice in rats, producing a dose-related decrease in lever pressing and a concomitant increase in chow intake. However, it did not alter food intake or preference in parallel free-feeding choice studies. The effects of tetrabenazine on effort-related choice were reversed by the adenosine A2A antagonist MSX-3 and the antidepressant bupropion. A behaviorally active dose of tetrabenazine decreased extracellular DA in nucleus accumbens and increased expression of DARPP-32 in accumbens medium spiny neurons in a pattern indicative of reduced transmission at both D1 and D2 DA receptors. These experiments demonstrate that tetrabenazine, which is used in animal models to produce depression-like effects, can alter effort-related choice behavior. These studies have implications for the development of animal models of the motivational symptoms of depression and related disorders