What constrains Africa's exports?

This paper examines the effects of transit, documentation, and ports and customs delays on Africa’s exports. The authors find that transit delays have the most economically and statically significant effect on exports. A one-day reduction in inland travel times leads to a 7 percent increase in exports. Put another way, a one-day reduction in inland travel times translates to a 1.5 percentage point decrease in all importing-country tariffs. By contrast, longer delays in the other areas have a far smaller impact on trade. The analysis controls for the possibility that greater trade leads to shorter delays in three ways. First, it examines the effect of trade times on exports of new products. Second, it evaluates the effect of delays in a transit country on the exports of landlocked countries. Third, it examines whether delays affect time-sensitive goods relatively more. The authors show that large transit delays are relatively more harmful because of high within-country variation

What constrains Africa's exports ?

This paper examines the effects of transit, documentation, and ports and customs delays on Africa’s exports. The authors find that transit delays have the most economically and statically significant effect on exports. A one-day reduction in inland travel times leads to a 7 percent increase in exports. Put another way, a one-day reduction in inland travel times translates to a 1.5 percentage point decrease in all importing-country tariffs. By contrast, longer delays in the other areas have a far smaller impact on trade. The analysis controls for the possibility that greater trade leads to shorter delays in three ways. First, it examines the effect of trade times on exports of new products. Second, it evaluates the effect of delays in a transit country on the exports of landlocked countries. Third, it examines whether delays affect time-sensitive goods relatively more. The authors show that large transit delays are relatively more harmful because of high within-country variation.Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Common Carriers Industry,Transport and Trade Logistics,Trade Policy,Economic Theory&Research

Food prices and the multiplier effect of trade policy

This work studies the relationship between trade policy and food prices. We show that when individuals are loss averse, governments may use trade policy to shield the domestic economy from large food price shocks. This creates a complementarity between the price of food in international markets and trade policy. Specifically, unilateral actions give rise to a "multiplier effect": when a shock drives up the price of food, exporters respond by imposing restrictions, while importers wind down protection, thus exacerbating the initial shock and soliciting further trade policy activism. We test the key prediction of the theory with a new dataset that comprises monthly information on trade measures across 77 countries and 32 food products for the period 2008-11, finding evidence of a multiplier effect in food trade policy. These findings contribute to inform the broader debate on the proper regulation of food trade policy within the multilateral trading system

Transitando entre subjetividades e números: práticas de trabalho e sentidos da atuação para psicólogos organizacionais

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Florianópolis, 2015.Considerando as dificuldades históricas de atuação do psicólogo nas organizações e as transformações no mundo do trabalho, as quais têm imposto implicações para os trabalhadores, esta tese objetiva identificar relações entre práticas de trabalho e sentidos da atuação para psicólogos organizacionais. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo multicasos, que utiliza entrevistas semiestruturadas para coleta de informações. Participam do estudo 14 psicólogos que atuam em organizações de seguimentos econômicos, em diferentes cargos, da cidade de Blumenau, Santa Catarina, e entorno. Utilizando-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo, emergiram as categorias: escolha pela Psicologia, atuação em Psicologia Organizacional e do Trabalho, profissão psicólogo e sentidos atribuídos à Psicologia. Escolher Psicologia relacionou-se ao entendimento do comportamento humano, a fim de prestar assistência por meio da oferta de trabalho, da promoção do desenvolvimento e da melhoria das condições de vida, enquanto a escolha pela Psicologia Organizacional foi influenciada pela valorização do trabalho no contexto societário, inserção no mercado de trabalho antes ou no início da graduação, realização de estágio, oferta de emprego, nível salarial e características pessoais. A atuação em Psicologia Organizacional e do Trabalho configurou-se como uma possibilidade para realizar a ajuda de forma diferente de outros campos da Psicologia, envolvendo o processo de pensar, planejar e buscar estratégias concretas que beneficiem o trabalhador em seu dia a dia, a partir do processo de decodificação de informações entre aspectos subjetivos e objetivos. A Psicologia não esteve claramente inserida nas atividades dos entrevistados, e alguns se perceberam como psicólogos, enquanto outros se demonstraram oscilantes, e houve ainda quem não se identifica mais com a profissão. De maneira sutil, a Psicologia foi identificada como presente em determinadas práticas de trabalho, na forma como realizam essas práticas, na percepção da realidade organizacional, na análise dos fenômenos humanos no trabalho e no corpo teórico que subsidia o entendimento do profissional. Não se considerar como psicólogo relacionou-se com as características do desenvolvimento histórico da área e também com a formação acadêmica vivenciada, na medida em que os profissionais se identificam com aquilo que lhes foi apresentado como sendo a profissão. Os sentidos atribuídos à Psicologia versaram sobre: a identidade profissional, elementos da subjetividade, a percepção que essa ciência possibilita para os fenômenos humanos e a produção de sentidos para si e para o outro. Os sentidos atribuídos à Psicologia Organizacional e do Trabalho envolveram: oportunizar trabalho, promover crescimento, preocupar-se com condições de trabalho, oferecer oportunidades de carreira, compromissar-se apenas com a organização e/ou com ela e os trabalhadores, atribuir sentido ao trabalho de outros e incorporar habilidades que permitam atuar em meio a subjetividades no contexto do trabalho. Identificou-se que os profissionais atuavam em todos os níveis de intervenção e executavam diversificadas práticas profissionais. As análises efetuadas permitiram perceber que as relações entre práticas de trabalho e sentidos da atuação profissional se dão em espiral: o psicólogo organizacional e do trabalho transita entre subjetividades e números, movimentando-se entre os diferentes âmbitos e níveis, desde ações pontuais até aquelas com maior amplitude e complexidade.Abstract : Considering historical difficulties of professional action of psychologists within organizations and the transformations in the working world, which have imposed implications for workers, this thesis objectifies identifying relationships between work practices and professional action meanings for organizational psychologists. A qualitative multi-layer type research was conducted using semi-structured interviews for collection of data. Fourteen psychologists working in organizations of important economic segments of Blumenau and surroundings and occupants of different positions participate in the study. Using techniques of content analysis the following categories emerged: choice for Psychology, working in Organizational and Labor Psychology, Profession psychologist and meanings attributed to Psychology. Choosing psychology was related to the understanding of human behavior, in order to offer assistance to others through the offer of work, promotion of human development and the improvement of life conditions; whereas the choice for Organizational Psychology was influenced by the valorization of work within the social context, insertion in the labor market before or at the beginning of the undergraduate course, internships done, job offers, salary levels and personal characteristics. The action in Organizational and Labor Psychology was configured as a possibility from other fields of Psychology to offer help to others, involving the process of thinking, planning and searching for concrete strategies that may benefit the workers in his daily work, based on the process of decoding of information between subjective and objective aspects. Psychology is not clearly inserted in the activities of the interviewed and some perceive themselves as psychologists while others feel unstable and there are still others that do not identify themselves with the profession anymore. Subtly, Psychology was identified by the interviewed as present in certain practices of work, in the manner in which these practices are conducted, in the perception of the organizational reality, in the analysis of human phenomena in work and in the theoretical body that subsidizes the understanding of the professional. To not consider oneself as a psychologist is related with the characteristics of the historical development of the area and also with the academic training experienced, in the sense that professionals identify themselves with what was presented to them as being the profession. Meanings attributed to Psychology expressed about: professional identity, subjectivity elements, the perception that this science makes possible for the human phenomena and the production of meanings for itself and others. Meanings attributed to Organizational and Labor Psychology involved: creating opportunities of work, promoting growth, worrying about work conditions, offering career possibilities, being committed only to the organization and/or with this and workers, attributing meaning to work of others and incorporating abilities that allow working in the middle of subjectivities within the context of work. It was identified that all professionals worked in all levels of intervention and performed diverse professional practices. The analysis conducted demonstrated that relationships between the practices of work and meanings of profession action happen spirally: the organizational and labor psychologist transit between subjectivities and numbers, moving between different ambits and levels, from more simple and punctual actions to those of greater level of amplitude and complexity

Autoconhecimento e informação profissional: implicações para o processo de planejar a carreira de jovens universitários

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia.Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender as implicações do autoconhecimento e da informação profissional sobre o curso escolhido para o processo de planejar a carreira dos jovens universitários, alunos da disciplina de Orientação e Planejamento de Carreira da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Utilizou-se a abordagem qualitativa, e o instrumento para a coleta das informações foi a entrevista semi-estruturada. Foram entrevistados sete jovens, cinco homens e duas mulheres, com idade entre 22 e 29 anos. As informações coletadas foram agrupadas segundo os temas: a disciplina, a carreira, o autoconhecimento e a informação profissional. Desses temas emergiram nove categorias de análise, a saber: (a) as expectativas em relação à disciplina; (b) a avaliação da disciplina; (c) as concepções de carreira e de planejamento de carreira; (d) a construção do planejamento de carreira; (e) o autoconhecimento; (f) o autoconhecimento e o processo de planejar a carreira; (g) a inserção profissional; (h) a informação, a experiência profissional e o processo de planejar a carreira; e (i) a crítica à universidade. Planejar a carreira para esses jovens é pensar sobre a possível trajetória e escolher por uma determinada direção, de forma flexível e adaptável às necessidades pessoais e às condições de trabalho. Para decidir-se por um determinado rumo e encontrar realização pessoal na profissão, é preciso conhecer gostos, interesses e habilidades pessoais, assim como a realidade do mundo profissional. Logo, na opinião dos entrevistados, para planejar a carreira é importante ter autoconhecimento e também conhecer quais as demandas do mercado de trabalho. Considerando-se a informação profissional apenas como o conhecimento teórico, advindo do curso de graduação, sobre as áreas de trabalho da profissão escolhida e as possibilidades de trabalho no mundo material, nesta pesquisa a informação profissional não se mostrou como um fator facilitador do processo de planejar a carreira. No lugar da informação, emergiu a experiência profissional. Os entrevistados que vivenciaram um maior número de atividades práticas da profissão que escolheram foram aqueles que apresentaram um planejamento de carreira mais coerente, mais adaptável às possíveis exigências do mundo do trabalho, com uma definição de escolhas profissionais, uma lista de prioridades, alternativas a possíveis problemas e um procedimento para uma constante auto-análise. Enquanto o indivíduo que nunca vivenciou o fazer de seu curso universitário foi justamente aquele que apresentou mais dúvidas sobre seu futuro profissional. Considerando-se o autoconhecimento como as informações que uma pessoa possui sobre seu modo de ser, nesta pesquisa o conhecimento pessoal emergiu relacionado à experiência profissional e ao processo de planejar a carreira. Os jovens que se demonstraram mais seguros em relação à escolha de um futuro profissional e com maior capacidade de adaptação às possíveis exigências do mundo do trabalho foram aqueles que também vivenciaram o maior número de experiências práticas da profissão que escolheram e que demonstraram um maior conhecimento pessoal. Dessa forma, a experiência profissional gerou o descobrimento de características pessoais e favoreceu o processo de planejar a carreira. The objective of this study is to better comprehend the implications of self-knowledge and professional information concerning the course selected for the career-planning process of young university students taking the subject, "Career Planning and Orientation" at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brasil. A qualitative approach was used, with a semi-structured interview serving as the method for data collection. Seven university student interviewees, aged 22 to 29 years old participated in the study, five of them men and two women. The information collected from their interviews was grouped according to the following themes: the subject, the career, self-knowledge, and professional knowledge. From these themes, nine analysis categories arose: (a) expectations concerning the subject; (b) evaluating the subject; (c) career conceptions and career planning; (d) the construction of career planning; (e) self-knowledge; (f) self-knowledge and the career-planning process; (g) professional insertion; (h) information, professional experience, and the career-planning process; and (i) University critiques. Career-planning to these students signifies thinking about a possible trajectory and choosing a determined direction, but flexible and adaptable to their personal needs and work conditions. In order to decide upon a determined field and find personal satisfaction in their professions, it is important to understand tastes, interests, and personal abilities, as well as the reality of the professional world. Thus, in the opinion of those interviewed, it is important to have self-knowledge in order to engage in career-planning, as well as knowledge concerning the demands of the workplace. Considering professional information merely as theoretical knowledge resulting from undergraduate education about areas of work within the chosen profession and work possibilities in the material world, in this study professional information did not show itself to be a factor which facilitates the career-planning process. In the place of information, professional experience arose. Those interviewed who have lived a greater number of practical activities of their chosen professions were those who presented a more coherent career-planning which is more adaptable to the possible demands of the workplace, with a definition of professional choices, a list of priorities, alternatives, and possible problems which may result, as well as a procedure for constant self-analysis. This compares to the individual who never lived the practice of their university course was exactly he who presented greatest doubts about his/her professional future. Considering self-knowledge as the information which a person possesses about their manner of being, in this study personal knowledge emerged in relationship to their professional experience and the career-planning process. The young people who demonstrated themselves to be more secure with respect to their professional future and with a greater capacity for adaptation to possible demands of the world of work were those who also lived the greater number of practical experiences among their chosen profession and who demonstrated greater personal knowledge. As a result, professional experience generated a discovery of personal characteristics and favored the career-planning process

Modelos de dose-resposta na avaliação de riscos associados a agentes teratogenicos

Orientador : Armando Mario InfanteDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Ciencia da ComputaçãoResumo: Neste trabalho são discutidos e comparados modelos de dose-resposta para a análise de dados binários gerados em experimentos teratológicos. Primeiramente são considerados modelos que generalizam o estudado por RAI & VAN RY2IN (1985) onde é incorporado o t.amanho das ninhadas geradas no experimento numa tentativa de considerar a presença do efeito de ninhada. Em particular são considerados os modelos que supõe as distribuições de Poisson e binomial negativa p8l'a o t.amanho da ninhada. Em segundo lugar são considerados modelos logísticos linear-es como os sugeridos por WILLIAMS (1987) onde o tamanho da ninhada e a dose podem atuar como covariáveis......Observação: O resumo, na íntegra, poderá ser visualizado no texto completo da tese digitalAbstract: : Dose-response models for the analysis of binary data from teratologic experiments are discussed and compared. Firstly, are considered models generalizing, that studied by RAI a VAN RYZIN (1985), which incorporate the litter sizes as an attempt to account for litter effects. The models considered assume a Poisson or a negative binomial distribution for the litter sizes. Secondly, logistic linear models like those suggested by WILLIAMS (1987) are considered, which contain litter sizes and doses as co variables......Note: The complete abstract is available with the full electronic digital thesis or dissertationsMestradoMestre em Estatístic

In Vivo Metabolic Responses to Different Formulations of Amino Acid Mixtures for the Treatment of Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Funding Information: Conflicts of Interest: This study was financially supported by APR Applied Pharma Research S.A. (Balerna, Switzerland). N.G. and G.R. are employees of APR Applied Pharma Research S.A. (Balerna, Switzerland); L.C. and A.B. work at DIMIVET, an Italian contract research organization associated with Bologna University, with no financial interest in APR Applied Pharma Research S.A.; J.C.R. is a member of the European Nutritionist Expert Panel (Biomarin), the Advisory Board for Applied Pharma Research and Nutricia, and has received honoraria as a speaker from APR, Merck Serono, Biomarin, Nutricia, Vitaflo, Cambrooke, PIAM and Lifediet. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism where the mainstay of treatment is a Phe restricted diet consisting of a combination of limited amounts of natural protein with supplementation of Phe-free or low-Phe protein substitutes and special low protein foods. Suboptimal outcomes may be related to the different absorption kinetics of free AAs, which have lower biological efficacy than natural proteins. Physiomimic Technology™ is a technology engineered to prolong AA (AA-PT) release allowing physiological absorption and masking the odor and taste of free AAs. The aim of these studies was to assess the impact of AA-PT formulation on selected functional and metabolic parameters both in acute and long-term experimental studies. Adult rats in fasting conditions were randomized in different groups and treated by oral gavage. Acute AA-PT administration resulted in significantly lower BUN at 90 min versus baseline. Both BUN and glycemia were modulated in the same direction as intact casein protein. Long-term treatment with AA-PT significantly reduces the protein expression of the muscle degradation marker Bnip3L (−46%) while significantly increasing the proliferation of market myostatin (+58%). Animals dosed for 15 days with AA-PT had significantly stronger grip strength (+30%) versus baseline. In conclusion, the results suggest that the AA-PT formulation may have beneficial effects on both AA oxidation and catabolism with a direct impact on muscle as well as on other metabolic pathways.publishersversionpublishe

Machine learning in international trade research - evaluating the impact of trade agreements

Modern trade agreements contain a large number of provisions in addition to tariff reductions, in areas as diverse as services trade, competition policy, trade-related investment measures, or public procurement. Existing research has struggled with overfitting and severe multicollinearity problems when trying to estimate the effects of these provisions on trade flows. Building on recent developments in the machine learning and variable selection literature, this paper proposes data-driven methods for selecting the most important provisions and quantifying their impact on trade flows, without the need of making ad hoc assumptions on how to aggregate individual provisions. The analysis finds that provisions related to antidumping, competition policy, technical barriers to trade, and trade facilitation are associated with enhancing the trade-increasing effect of trade agreements

Oral and Cutaneous Melanoma: Similarities and Differences

Melanomas are malignant lesions stemming from the disorganized proliferation of melanocytes. This condition is more common on skin, but may also be detected in mucosa, such as in the oral cavity. The aim of the present study was to report similarities and differences between oral and cutaneous melanoma