Bailouts in Costa Rica as a Result of Government Centralization and Discretionary Transfers

This paper investigates the inter-relation between the central government and the municipalities in Costa Rica. It examines episodes in which the central government has bailed out the local governments from their obligations. We employ empirical and descriptive methods to show how discretionary grants relate to the degree of fiscal discipline of the municipality to produce hidden bailouts. Political, demographic, and economic variables explain the allocation of these discretionary transfers. We illustrate the effects of the high concentration of decision-making of the central government on the fiscal performance of the municipalities. The municipalities play a limited role and its functioning largely depends upon the central government. We argue that the national administration would face a high political cost if it did not bail out the local government in several of the episodes studied. Using panel data from 1982-1997 on 81 cantones, we find that the fiscal effort of the local government is reduced by the presence of discretionary grants. The local governments finance local expenses with these discretionary transfers according to our empirical results. As expected from the centralization issue, political variables such as the affiliation of the local administration have significant effects on the resources received by the municipalities.

Iatrogenic Cushing syndrome due to drug interaction between inhaled fluticasone and cobicistat

In this paper we report a case of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome due to a pharmacological interaction between fluticasone and cobicistat. Inhaled corticosteroids were previously thought to be safe, but increasing numbers of cases of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome are being reported, especially in patients taking cytochrome P450 inhibitors, including cobicistat. Although the drug interaction between cobicistat and fluticasone has been described elsewhere, to our knowledge we present one of the first descriptions of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome due to this pharmacological interaction

International trends in pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality rates

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a rare disease, with a lifetime risk of 1.45%. However, it is deadly, with a 1-year relative survival rate of 20% and a 5-year rate of 4% in the US. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer are cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, among others. Associated with developed countries, these risk factors are increasing in less developed and economically transitioning countries. Therefore, the objective of this presentation is to show international trends in pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality rates. Method: The pancreatic cancer incidence rates were collected from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) report and the mortality rates were collected from the World Health Organization cancer mortality database, both by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, for the periods 1988-1992 to 1998-2002 (10-year) and 1978-1982 to 1998-2002 (20-year). The statistics are provided countrywide or for specific regions within a country. Results: In America, 50% of evaluated countries/regions showed decreased pancreatic cancer incidence rates in any or both sexes during the 10-year period. In Northern Europe, one-third of the evaluated countries/regions showed decreased pancreatic cancer incidence rates in any or both sexes during the 10-year period. In Southern Europe, 44% of the evaluated countries/regions showed increased pancreatic cancer incidence rates in any or both sexes during the 10-year period. Both Chinese regions show increased pancreatic cancer incidence rates in both sexes during the 20-year period. Twenty-seven percent of the evaluated world countries/regions show decreased pancreatic cancer mortality rates in both sexes during the 20-year period. Discussion: There is international/regional variation in pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality rates. Specific protective or risk (like acquiring developed-country lifestyles or high life expectancy) factors could explain these differences. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence to reassess pancreatic cancer prevention strategies worldwide

Can women strategic management be a source of competitive advantage? : an inductive explanatory study

Throughout the history, there has always been a clear disadvantage of women in relation to men, regarding professional positions and their attainment. Recently, this trend has been progressively reversed, and there has been an increase in the status of women in society. Thus, whereas in the past the top positions in the professional world were dominated by a male presence, there is now clear progress in terms of career and growing prospects for women. Nowadays, many companies are already led by women and the results and consequences of a female’s strategic management may differ from those achieved through strategic male management. Therefore, this dissertation aims, through an exploratory study, to understand whether or not can female strategic management be a source of competitive advantage for companies in Portugal. The study will be focused on the companies from the private sector in Portugal, focused on technology and digital services. For this purpose, a qualitative approach was used, being interviewed a total of 12 employees from two companies with a strong gender predominance in top management (one with a strong female and the other only male). Through the interviews, it was possible to identify four elements that women on the TMT of firms would bring and which result in performance benefits: organization, caring, creativity and innovation. Also, positive impacts on the motivation and inspiration on the employees were some of the identified consequences of that female presence, which in conclusion, was pointed as a possible source of competitive advantage.Ao longo da história, sempre existiu uma clara desvantagem das mulheres em relação aos homens, relativamente aos cargos profissionais e à sua obtenção. Ultimamente, esta tendência tem-se invertido progressivamente e tem-se assistido a um crescimento em termos de estatuto da mulher. Assim, enquanto que no passado as posições de topo no mundo profissional eram dominadas por uma presença masculina, hoje nota-se um claro progresso em termos de carreira e perspetivas de crescimento profissional das mulheres. Atualmente, muitas empresas são já lideradas por mulheres e os resultados e consequências dessa gestão estratégica feminina poderão diferir dos obtidos através de uma gestão estratégica masculina. Assim, esta dissertação tem como objetivo, através de um estudo exploratório, compreender se a gestão estratégica feminina pode ou não ser uma fonte de vantagem competitiva para as empresas em Portugal. O estudo focar-se-á em empresas do setor privado em Portugal ligadas à prestação de serviços digitais e tecnologia, pelo que, para este fim, foi utilizada uma abordagem qualitativa, tendo sido entrevistados um total de 12 trabalhadores de duas empresas com uma predominância de género na gestão de topo (uma com forte presença feminina e a outra somente masculina). Através das entrevistas, foram identificados quatro elementos que as mulheres na TMT das empresas trariam e que resultam e benefícios de desempenho: organização, cuidado, criatividade e inovação. Por outro lado, impactos positivos na motivação e inspiração dos trabalhadores foram algumas das consequências identificadas provenientes dessa presença feminina que, em conclusão, foi apontada como uma possível fonte de vantagem competitiva

Designability of alpha-helical Proteins

A typical protein structure is a compact packing of connected alpha-helices and/or beta-strands. We have developed a method for generating the ensemble of compact structures a given set of helices and strands can form. The method is tested on structures composed of four alpha-helices connected by short turns. All such natural four-helix bundles that are connected by short turns seen in nature are reproduced to closer than 3.6 Angstroms per residue within the ensemble. Since structures with no natural counterpart may be targets for ab initio structure design, the designability of each structure in the ensemble -- defined as the number of sequences with that structure as their lowest energy state -- is evaluated using a hydrophobic energy. For the case of four alpha-helices, a small set of highly designable structures emerges, most of which have an analog among the known four-helix fold families, however several novel packings and topologies are identified.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, to appear in PNA