Assessing welfare impacts of some debt-consolidation episodes in the European Union

This paper aims at characterizing debt consolidation processes put forward by some European countries in order to assess welfare and, in particular, the inequality effects involved. For that we built a general equilibrium heterogeneous-agent model capable of exploring the relationship between fiscal policy variables and the endogenous crosssection distribution of income and wealth. Results show that, with the exception of the Belgian case, all consolidation strategies entail positive welfare gains. The transition costs affect all episodes and are determinant in sorting among the welfareenhancing strategies. Our results confirm the superiority of the adjustments based on unproductive expenditures over those based on tax increases or social transfer reductions. Finally, all strategies involve lower welfare inequality costs.fiscal consolidation dynamics, European Union, heterogeneous agent model, inequality, welfare.

Welfare-improving Government Behaviour and Inequality - Inspection Using a Heterogeneous-agent Model

Governments behavior is expected to be non-neutral in terms of impacts on both welfare and inequality. In spite of their multivariate form, a tentative assessment of such inequality impacts can be provided by using a general equilibrium model with heterogeneous-agents and where wealth and income distribution is determined endogenously. Using a model capable of exploring the relationship between fiscal policy variables and the endogenous cross-section distribution of income, wealth, consumption and leisure, this paper produces a welfare and inequality analysis of several equilibriums resulting from different combinations of debt levels and of government budget variables. Moreover, such assessment is based on the empirical reality of the EU countries.government budget composition and debt, heterogeneous agent model, idiosyncratic shock, inequality, welfare.

Market Impact of International Sporting and Cultural Events

This paper investigates the impact of international sporting and cultural events on national stock markets. We study market reaction to the announcements of the selected country hosting the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the World Football Cup, the European Football Cup and World and Specialized Exhibitions. We also measure the market effects of the announcement of the nomination of the European Cultural City. First, we evaluate the abnormal returns of winning bidders at (and around) the announcement date using an event study methodology. We study the impact at market and industry-levels. Second, we analyze the determinants of the variation in abnormal returns across events and industries on the basis of a set of variables found important by previous studies and control for the prior probability of observing the event. Third, on the basis of a simple model of partial anticipation, we reexamine the abnormal returns observed for the winning and losing countries and perform a series of tests to disentangle the different theoretical arguments that could account for the observed stock market behavior. Our initial results suggest that the abnormal returns measured at the announcement date and around the event are not consistently different from zero. Further, when we look at particular industries, we find no evidence supporting that industries, that a priori were more likely to extract direct benefits from the event, observe positive significant effects. Yet when we control for the prior expectations, the announcement of these mega-events is associated with a positive market reaction in the nominated country and a negative reaction in the losing country. Overall we interpret our findings as supportive of rational asset pricing and partial anticipation.Market efficiency; Event studies; Mega-events

Market Impact of International Sporting and Cultural Events

This paper investigates the impact of international sporting and cultural events on national stock markets. We study market reaction to the announcements of the selected country hosting mega-events such as the Olympic Games, the World and the European Football Cups and World Exhibitions. First, we evaluate the abnormal returns of winning bidders at (and around) the announcement date at market and industry-levels. Second, we analyze the determinants of the variation in abnormal returns across events and industries and control for the prior probability of observing the event. Third, on the basis of a simple model of partial anticipation, we reexamine the abnormal returns observed for the winning and losing countries. Our initial results suggest that the abnormal returns are not consistently different from zero. Further, when we look at particular industries, we find no evidence supporting that industries, that a priori were more likely to extract direct benefits from the event, observe positive significant effects. Yet when we control for the prior expectations, the announcement of these megaevents is associated with a positive stock market reaction in the nominated country and a negative reaction in the losing country. Overall we interpret our findings as supportive of rational asset pricing and partial anticipation.Market efficiency; Event studies; Mega-events

The Impacts of Structural Changes in the Labor Market: a Comparative Statics Analysis Using Heterogeneous-agent Framework

In this paper we aim at analyzing the impacts on welfare and wealth and consumption distribution across different labor market structural features. In particular, we pursue a steady-state analysis to assess the impacts of unit vacancy costs, unemployment replacement ratio or the job destruction rate, when they are changed in order to promote a given reduction in the unemployment rate. We combine a labor market search and matching framework with unions, based on Mortensen and Pissarides (1994) with a heterogeneous-agent framework close to Imrohoroglu (1989) in a closed economy model. Such approach enables the joint assessment of macroeconomic welfare and inequality together with implications derived from institutional changes in labor market. Moreover, the transition matrix between worker's states is endogenous, fully derived from labor market conditions. Using feasible calibration to the Euro Area, we conclude that different institutional changes to promote unemployment reduction have non-neutral and differentiated effects on welfare and inequality. While changing unit vacancy costs and job destruction can be ranked, changes in the unemployment benefit replacement ration involve a trade-off between gains in welfare and in consumption/income distribution.Labor market institutions, search and matching models, heterogeneous-agent models, welfare and inequality.

The Tourism Observatory of Alentejo: a support instrument for foresight and strategic planning in the Tourist Sector in the region.

It is the aim of this work to make a brief reference to the current situation of 'observatories' in Portugal as well as the change of their status, before developed through closed research circuits which included the Administration and Universities; nowadays characterized by the proliferation of more flexible and interactive structures very often as a result of private initiatives or public-private partnerships. We are also going to make a mention of two regional tourism observatories in Portugal - Lisbon and Azores - already established. Finally, it offers an overview of the new Tourism Observatory of Alentejo (presented in July 14th, 2010) as a result of a submission to an Incentive Scheme for Class Actions Program (SIAC) – InAlentejo, which the main promoter is Alentejo Tourism, ERT, in partnership with the Polytechnics Institutes of Beja and Portalegre, the University of Évora and the regional business associations.

Alimentación y Nutrición en la Educación Primaria

Treball Final de Grau en Mestre o Mestra d'Educació Primària. Codi: MP1040. Curs acadèmic: 2016/2017Una alimentación correcta y equilibrada, junto con unos hábitos saludables y de actividad física, permiten una vida más saludable, por ello, debemos facilitar a nuestro organismo la ingesta de todos los nutrientes necesarios para poder obtener la energía necesaria, y que así, este pueda trabajar de manera correcta. La actividad física también tiene sus ventajas, no solo facilita el correcto funcionamiento del organismo, sino que permite un correcto equilibrio mental, por ello, es importante que nuestros sujetos de estudio, sean conscientes de que estos dos factores son de gran importancia en sus vidas. En esta investigación pretendemos conocer los hábitos en cuanto a la salud, más concretamente los hábitos alimenticios y de actividad física de los niños de quinto y sexto de primaria del aulario Jérica, perteneciente al CRA Palancia - Mijares. Para poder cumplir este objetivo, hemos realizado una serie de cuestionarios a los padres, madres y/o tutores de dicho alumnado, con la finalidad de realizar y llevar a cabo dentro del aula, tras las conclusiones del estudio realizado, un plan de intervención para corregir las conductas no saludables, fomentar las más saludables de este ciclo y conocer la importancia que recibe una alimentación correcta y equilibrada

Comparação de metodologia analítica na determinação de fósforo em fertilizante

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas. Curso de Química.Fertilizante é toda substância mineral ou sintética, fornecedora de um ou mais nutrientes e é aplicado no solo para repor os nutrientes que ficam escassos pelo uso intensivo. O Brasil produz por ano, 300 milhões de toneladas de fertilizantes e para garantir a qualidade da produção e comercialização, conta com a colaboração do Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA) e dos estados. Por isso, faz-se necessário também a revisão das metodologias, tanto para seu aprimoramento como a inclusão de novas técnicas. Neste trabalho, estão sendo avaliadas as metodologias para determinação de fósforo solúvel em Citrato Neutro de Amônio pelo método gravimétrico oficial adotado pelo MAPA, o método gravimétrico simplificado e o método espectrofotométrico. Comparando o método gravimétrico oficial, o método simplificado leva a metade do tempo para a determinação e metade dos reagentes, podendo substituí-lo com a mesma qualidade. Assim como o método espectrofotométrico também pode substituir o método oficial, diminuindo o tempo para realização das amostras fornecendo maior precisão aos resultados

Use of the rPET system as an educational tool

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that enhances clinician’s ability to diagnose and treat diseases non-invasively by detecting metabolic processes within the body. Currently it is mainly used in areas such as oncology, cardiology and neurology. Getting to know how this nuclear imaging systems work is of great importance, especially for biomedical engineers who need to have a good command of the different medical imaging techniques. The goal of this project is to prepare an experimental rPET prototype and have its hardware and mechanical system ready for teaching purposes. The project was carried out in the Biomedical Engineering laboratories of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The rPET was an undocumented laboratory system and it was necessary to gather all the existing information referring to the device and compile it in a user’s manual to facilitate future work with the system. In order to set up the mechanical system, the system’s source supply and the external connections coming out from the control motor box were rewired. The prototype lacked of a bed system, so a completely new one was installed into the device. In order to facilitate the rPET control, a joystick that allows the user to manipulate the bed and ring of detector’s movement was implemented. This joystick also contains security measures such as a deadman push button and LEDs to inform about fault states. It was also necessary to check the proper functioning of the detectors to correct offsets or any other possible failure. The mechanical system of the rPET can be controlled either with the implemented joystick or by means of commands in a Linux terminal. The software of the rPET was already implemented but it was required to verify the communication between the CPU and the control system, update the necessary parameters in order to match the renewed bed system and check the functioning of the motor controller’s and acquisition software.Ingeniería Biomédic