Interpreting the Hours-Technology time-varying relationship

We investigate the time varying relation between hours and technology shocks using a structural business cycle model. We propose an RBC model with a Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) production function that allows for capital- and labor-augmenting technology shocks. We estimate the model with Bayesian techniques. In the full sample, we find (i) evidence in favor of a less than unitary elasticity of substitution (rejecting Cobb-Douglas) and (ii) a sizable role for capital augmenting shock for business cycles fluctuations. In rolling sub-samples, we document that the transmission of technology shocks to hours worked has been varying over time. We argue that this change is due to the increase of the elasticity of factor substitution. That is, labor and capital became less complementary throughout the sample inducing a change in the sign and size of the response of hours. We conjecture that this change may have been induced by a change in the skill composition of the labor input.Hours Worked and Business Cycles, Bayesian Methods.

Seizures of In Transit Generics at the EU Borders: India and Brazil v. the EU

On May 2010 India and Brazil filed a complaint at the WTO claiming that customs rules in the EU, Regulation 1383/2003 in particular, recently allowed customs authorities to detain certain lots of Indian generics in transit to non-EU states. India and Brazil maintain that these measures contradict relevant TRIPS and GATT provisions. The case has spurred a debate because these measures could affect or impede the protection of public health in some countries, namely the African and Latin American states that are usually the final destination of the Indian manufactured generics

The ECJ Rules on Private Copying Levy

On 21 October 2010 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave its decision in Padawan v SGAE, an interesting case regarding the so-called “private copying levy”. The ECJ held that such a levy is in conformity with Directive 2001/79 (on the harmonization of certain aspects of copyright in the information society) when charged on copying devices sold to individuals, as it can reasonably be assumed that those equipments will be used for copying. Yet the levy should not be charged when said devices are sold to companies and professionals

Another One BITes the Dust: The Distance between Luxembourg and the World is Growing after Achmea

The CJEU has become a gatekeeper. Ever since Opinion 1/91, the CJEU has been imposing barriers to the recognition of decisions by foreign jurisdictions. Its recent Achmea decision is the natural consequence of case law so far. This attitude would not be problematic by itself since, through this attitude, the European Union would still be liable at the international plane, even if it did not implement its international obligations (liability- over property rules). This is not the end of the story. The CJEU accepts the, in principle, relevance of decisions by some international jurisdictions. However, the CJEU has repeatedly failed to establish clear criteria to identify ex ante the circumstances under which this will be the case. As things stand, recognition of foreign judgments is more of a line in the sand, than a dictum set in stone. This attitude is hardly reconcilable with the quintessential elements of a Rechtsstaat

Sultans of Swing? The Emerging WTO Case Law on TBT

Following years of silence after EC-Sardines, three cases were adjudicated by Panels under the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in 2011: US-Clove Cigarettes, US-Tuna II (Mexico), and US-COOL. These three cases dealt with key provisions of the Agreement, but the Panels adopted irreconcilable approaches. All three decisions were appealed before the Appellate Body (AB), but even the latter failed to apply a coherent methodology to adjudicate similar. In Section II, we provide a brief account of the facts and the outcomes of the cases, whereas, in Section III we discuss the methodology applied by the WTO judiciary in the three cases

Cerebral hemodynamics on MR perfusion images before and after bypass surgery in patients with giant intracranial aneurysms

Preoperative assessment of the anatomy and dynamics of cerebral circulation for patients with giant intracranial aneurysm can improve both outcome prediction and therapeutic approach. The aim of our study was to use perfusion MR imaging to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics in such patients before and after extraintracranial high-flow bypass surgery. METHODS: Five patients with a giant aneurysm of the intracranial internal carotid artery underwent MR studies before, 1 week after, and 1 month after high-flow bypass surgery. We performed MR and digital subtraction angiography, and conventional and functional MR sequences (diffusion and perfusion). Surgery consisted of middle cerebral artery (MCA)-internal carotid artery bypass with saphenous vein grafts (n = 4) or MCA-external carotid artery bypass (n = 1). RESULTS: In four patients, MR perfusion study showed impaired hemodynamics in the vascular territory supplied by the MCA of the aneurysm side, characterized by significantly reduced mean cerebral blood flow (CBF), whereas mean transit time (MTT) and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) were either preserved, reduced, or increased. After surgery, angiography showed good canalization of the bypass graft. MR perfusion data obtained after surgery showed improved cerebral hemodynamics in all cases, with a return of CBF index (CBFi), MTT, and rCBV to nearly normal values. CONCLUSION: Increased MTT with increased or preserved rCBV can be interpreted as a compensatory vasodilatory response to reduced perfusion pressure, presumably from compression and disturbed flow in the giant aneurysmal sac. When maximal vasodilation has occurred, however, the brain can no longer compensate for diminished perfusion by vasodilation, and rCBV and CBFi diminish. Bypass surgery improves hemodynamics, increasing perfusion pressure and, thus, CBFi. Perfusion MR imaging can be used to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics in patients with intracranial giant aneurysm.BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Preoperative assessment of the anatomy and dynamics of cerebral circulation for patients with giant intracranial aneurysm can improve both outcome prediction and therapeutic approach. The aim of our study was to use perfusion MR imaging to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics in such patients before and after extraintracranial high-flow bypass surgery. METHODS: Five patients with a giant aneurysm of the intracranial internal carotid artery underwent MR studies before, 1 week after, and 1 month after high-flow bypass surgery. We performed MR and digital subtraction angiography, and conventional and functional MR sequences (diffusion and perfusion). Surgery consisted of middle cerebral artery (MCA)-internal carotid artery bypass with saphenous vein grafts (n = 4) or MCA-external carotid artery bypass (n = 1). RESULTS: In four patients, MR perfusion study showed impaired hemodynamics in the vascular territory supplied by the MCA of the aneurysm side, characterized by significantly reduced mean cerebral blood flow (CBF), whereas mean transit time (MTT) and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) were either preserved, reduced, or increased. After surgery, angiography showed good canalization of the bypass graft. MR perfusion data obtained after surgery showed improved cerebral hemodynamics in all cases, with a return of CBF index (CBFi), MTT, and rCBV to nearly normal values. CONCLUSION: Increased MTT with increased or preserved rCBV can be interpreted as a compensatory vasodilatory response to reduced perfusion pressure, presumably from compression and disturbed flow in the giant aneurysmal sac. When maximal vasodilation has occurred, however, the brain can no longer compensate for diminished perfusion by vasodilation, and rCBV and CBFi diminish. Bypass surgery improves hemodynamics, increasing perfusion pressure and, thus, CBFi. Perfusion MR imaging can be used to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics in patients with intracranial giant aneurysm

A fiscal stimulus with deep habits and optimal monetary policy

A New-Keynesian model with deep habits and optimal monetary policy delivers a larger-than-one multiplier and consumption crowding-in. Optimized Taylor-type rules dominate a conventional Taylor rule. Consumption is crowded out if the Taylor rule is sub-optimal or if commitment is absent

Igualdad de los cariotipos ante la Ley

El objetivo general de esta investigación es hacer visible la multiplicidad de cuerpos intersexuales y su exclusión del mundo de lo “natural”, para cuestionar el binario hegemónico heteronormado y las intervenciones normalizadoras cosméticas. Utilizo los registros biológicos jurisprudenciales de Argentina y Colombia entre los años 1994 y 2015.En esta investigación, doy cuenta de la diversidad sexual desde la biología, mostrando, a partir de la noción de cariotipo, la existencia de múltiples sexos diferentes al binario hembra-macho. En esta ocasión, profundizo mi tesis doctoral en la que defendí la posibilidad de que la   intersexualidad sea considerada una postura identitaria, para lo cual, despliego las diferentes formas biológicas de intersexualidad que aparecen en la jurisprudencia.Me interesa evidenciar que existen tantos sexos como cariotipos humanos viables, con cuerpos, genitalidades y erotismos propios, que exceden ampliamente los límites impuestos por el paradigma heteronormativo. Las nociones de diversidad, igualdad y autonomía personal son los cimientos de mi propuesta.AbstractThe general objective of this research is to make visible the multiplicity of intersexual bodies and their exclusion from "natural" world, to put in question the heteronormative hegemonic binary and cosmetic normalizing interventions. I use the biological records of jurisprudence of Argentina and Colombia between the years 1994-2015.In this research, I show the sexual diversity from biology showing, from the notion of karyotype, the existence of multiple sexes different from the male and female binary. Now I deepen my doctoral thesis in which I defended the possibility of intersexuality being considered an identity stance, for which I deployed the different biological forms of intersexuality that appear in jurisprudence.I am interested in evidencing that there are as many sexes as viable human karyotypes with their own bodies, genitalities and erotisms that far exceed the limits imposed by the heteronormative, strengthening the notions of diversity, equality, and personal autonomy.ResumoO objetivo geral desta pesquisa é fazer visível a multiplicidade de corpos intersexuais e sua exclusão do mundo do “natural” para questionar o binário hegemônico heteronormado e as intervenções normalizadoras cosméticas. Utilizo os registros biológicos jurisprudenciais da Argentina e da Colômbia entre os anos 1994-2015.Nesta investigação apresento a diversidade sexual desde a biologia mostrando, a partir da noção de cariótipo, a existência de múltiples sexos diferentes ao binário fêmea-macho. Agora aprofundo minha tese doutoral na qual defendi a possibilidade de que a intersexualidade seja considerada uma posturaidentitária, para isso, desdobro as diferentes formas biológicas de intersexualidade que aparecem na jurisprudência.Meu interesse é evidenciar que existem tantos sexos como cariótipos humanos viáveis com corpos, genitalidades e erotismos próprios que excedem amplamente os limitem impostos pelo paradigma heteronormativo.     Palabras clave:Igualdad – cariotipo- autonomía personal Key words:Equality- karyotype - personal autonomy Palavras chave:Igualdade – cariótipo - autonomia pessoa

Development of gasoline-ethanol blends laminar flame speed correlations at full-load Si engine conditions via 1D simulations

Nowadays, most of the engineering development in the field of Spark-Ignited (SI) Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) is supported by 3D-CFD simulations relying on flamelet combustion models. Such kind of models require laminar flame speed as an input to be specified by the user. While several laminar flame speed correlations are available in literature, for gasoline and pure ethanol at ambient conditions, there is a lack of correlations describing laminar flame speed of gasoline-ethanol blends, for different ethanol volume content, at conditions deemed to be representative of engine-like conditions. Toluene Reference Fuel surrogates with addition of ethanol (ETRF), suitable for representing gasoline-ethanol blends up to 85% vol. ethanol content are formulated. Thanks to these surrogates, 1D premixed laminar flame speed calculations are performed at selected engine-relevant conditions for a E5, E20 and E85 fuels. As a final outcome, three different laminar flame speed correlations based on the chemistry-based calculations are derived for E5, E20 and E85 gasoline-ethanol fuel blends focusing on typical full-load engine conditions. Such kind of correlations can be easily implemented in any 3D-CFD code to provide a chemistry-grounded estimation of laminar flame speed during combustion calculations. Such correlations are of practical use, since they might help in developing the next generation of bio-fuels powered internal combustion engines