Mudanças nos compostos bioativos e atividade antioxidante de pimentas da região amazônica.

A Embrapa Amazônia Oriental possui um Banco Ativo de Pimenteira com diferentes genótipos do gênero Capsicum, os quais ainda não foram analisados, quanto às suas características funcionais e capacidade antioxidante. Este estudo objetivou determinar os teores de ácido ascórbico, compostos fenólicos, carotenoides totais e a atividade antioxidante total, em frutos imaturos e maduros de genótipos de pimentas Capsicum spp. As concentrações de vitamina C (100,76-361,65 mg 100 g-1 nos frutos imaturos e 36,70-157,76 mg 100 g-1 nos maduros) decresceram com a maturação dos frutos. Carotenoides totais não foram detectados nos frutos imaturos, porém, nos frutos maduros, observaram-se valores de 73,80-1349,97 mg g-1, em função do genótipo. Os teores de compostos fenólicos aumentaram nos frutos maduros (147,40-718,64 mg GAE 100 g-1), para oito dos nove genótipos avaliados. Os frutos de pimenteira apresentaram significativa atividade antioxidante (55,02-92,03 mM trolox g-1 nos frutos imaturos e 39,60-113,08 mM trolox g- 1 nos maduros). Concluiu-se que o grau de maturação dos frutos influenciou nos teores de compostos bioativos dos genótipos estudados. Destacaram-se, como genótipos promissores com potencial para serem utilizados em programas de melhoramento genético, IAN-186301 e IAN-186324, pelos altos teores de carotenoides totais; IAN-186301, IAN-186311, IAN-186312 e IAN-186313, com relação às altas concentrações de ácido ascórbico; IAN-186304 e IAN-186311, pelos altos teores de compostos fenólicos; e IAN-186311, para atividade antioxidante

Output Gaps and Robust Monetary Policy Rules

Policymakers often use the output gap, a noisy signal of economic activity, as a guide for setting monetary policy. Noise in the data argues for policy caution. At the same time, the zero bound on nominal interest rates constrains the central bank's ability to stimulate the economy during downturns. In such an environment, greater policy stimulus may be needed to stabilize the economy. Thus, noisy data and the zero bound present policymakers with a dilemma in deciding the appropriate stance for monetary policy. I investigate this dilemma in a small New Keynesian model, and show that policymakers should pay more attention to output gaps than suggested by previous research

What Fiscal Policy is Effective at Zero Interest Rates?

Tax cuts can deepen a recession if the short-term nominal interest rate is zero, according to a standard New Keynesian business cycle model. An example of a contractionary tax cut is a reduction in taxes on wages. This tax cut deepens a recession because it increases deflationary pressures. Another example is a cut in capital taxes. This tax cut deepens a recession because it encourages people to save instead of spend at a time when more spending is needed. Fiscal policies aimed directly at stimulating aggregate demand work better. These policies include 1) a temporary increase in government spending; and 2) tax cuts aimed directly at stimulating aggregate demand rather than aggregate supply, such as an investment tax credit or a cut in sales taxes. The results are specific to an environment in which the interest rate is close to zero, as observed in large parts of the world today

Identification of two novel powdery mildew resistance loci, Ren6 and Ren7, from the wild Chinese grape species Vitis piasezkii

Descriptive statistics of the phenotypic scores within the base mapping population 11-373. Powdery mildew symptoms in the field were evaluated in two subsequent years. Greenhouse, in vitro experiments and the qPCR-based molecular assay were carried out with three to four biological replicates of each seedling plant in 2014. (DOCX 14ย�kb

On Lower-Bound Traps: A Framework for the Analysis of Monetary Policy in the 'Age' of Central Banks

We present a simple theoretical framework that integrates the notion of the natural or neutral interest rate, liquidity preference theory, and the monetary policy practice by modern central banks. We claim that this theory explains the conditions under which an economy will experience an aggregate demand deficiency problem within a modern institutional setting. Contrary to the predictions of the New Consensus View in macroeconomics, the model suggests that structural factors such as a high saving rate and, especially, a low natural rate of growth increase the chances that an economy experiences an aggregate demand deficiency. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the model predicts that a fall in the NAIRU may lead to a rise in the natural interest rate, and vice versa

Bayesian Averaging over Many Dynamic Model Structures with Evidence on the Great Ratios and Liquidity Trap Risk

A Bayesian model averaging procedure is presented that makes use of a finite mixture of many model structures within the class of vector autoregressive (VAR) processes. It is applied to two empirical issues. First, stability of the Great Ratios in U.S. macro-economic time series is investigated, together with the effect of permanent shocks on business cycles. Second, the linear VAR model is extended to include a smooth transition function in a (monetary) equation and stochastic volatility in the disturbances. The risk of a liquidity trap in the U.S.A. and Japan is evaluated. Although this risk found to be reasonably high, we find only mild evidence that the monetary policy transmission mechanism is different and that central banks consider the expected cost of a liquidity trap in policy setting. Posterior probabilities of different models are evaluated using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques