Labor Market Regulations and Productivity: Evidence from Chilean Manufacturing Plants

This paper analyzes the effect of minimum wage and labor market regulations on productivity. The main hypothesis to be tested is that an increase in the relative minimum wage could have a negative effect on total factor productivity (TFP) if there are important costs of adjustment like firing costs. Using data for the Chilean manufacturing industry for the period 1992 2005, we find that the effect of relative minimum wage is negative and significant. The quantitative effect on cumulative TFP for an industry in the 25th percentile of relative minimum wage increase was a decline of 5.3% for the period 1998-2005, but for an industry in the 75th percentile of relative minimum wage increase, the cumulative reduction in TFP was 10.2%, over the same period. We also find that the continuous reduction in unilateral trade restrictions and through free trade agreements has been productivity enhancing. This is especially true for those sectors with larger exposure to international trade.TFP, minimum wage, firing costs, slowdown

Paths of Development, Specialization, and Natural Resources Abundance

This paper addresses three main questions; how can a country specialized in primary goods become an exporter of manufacturing goods? How does factor abundance affect the possibilities of achieving comparative advantages in manufactures? Does the type of natural resource abundance make any difference to the path of development? Based on factor-endowment-driven specialization, we study the trade patterns along the paths of development (defined as capital accumulation) for a large sample of countries in the last four decades. Consistently with the idea that countries are located in different cones of diversification, we find that net exports are a non-linear function of the capital/labor ratio of the economy. The pattern of gaining comparative advantages in manufacturing goods as a country develops depends not only on whether it is natural resource abundant or not, but also on its type of natural resources abundance. This paper shows that mineralabundant countries are positioned in a diversification cone with low levels of capital per worker and they are net importers of all manufacturing goods. In contrast to countries with comparative advantages in forestry and agricultural products, mining countries are the least likely group to change their specialization pattern towards manufacturing goods. On the other hand when we use human capital instead of physical, we find that mineral abundant countries will move to a cone where they produce and export capital intensive manufactures. The forest abundant countries will attain comparative advantages in machinery as they accumulate human capital. Looking at the mineral abundant countries we find some differences in the path of development for oil exporters and non-oil exporters.

Entry into Export Markets and Product Quality Differences

Using a rich dataset of Chilean exporters, we analyze several issues related to the relationship between entry into export markets and product quality. We find that every year a large number of new exporting relationships are initiated, with either new firms or existent ones that begin exporting, but the survival rate of these entries is very low and declines over time. Using unit values as a proxy for product quality, our estimations show that entry is generally associated with higher product quality. This higher product quality, however, tends to decline over time and eventually disappears three years after entry. To better identify this effect, we explore whether there are systematic differences across sectors. As expected, for sectors in which quality differentiation may be important, our findings reveal that reference-price and differentiated products show a higher price in the year of entry and it takes longer to converge to the incumbent prices. These results hold after controlling for potential sample selection bias.

Entry into Export Markets and Product Quality Differences

Using a rich dataset of Chilean exporters, we analyze several issues related to the relationship between entry into export markets and product quality. We find that every year a large number of new exporting relationships are initiated, but the survival rate of these entries is very low and declines over time. Using unit values as a proxy for product quality, our estimations show that entry is generally associated with higher product quality. This higher product quality, however, tends to reduce over time and eventually disappears three years after entry. To better identify this effect, we explore whether there are systematic differences across sectors. As expected, for sectors in which quality differentiation may be important, our findings reveal that reference-price and differentiated products show a higher price in the year of entry and it takes longer to converge to the incumbent prices. These results hold after controlling for potential sample selection bias.Unit-value exports, product quality, price dynamics

Patterns of Specialization and Economic Growth in Chile by Sector

This paper discusses the implications on sector growth within the context of a specialization model based on factor endowment. The empirical literature is examined, which reveals that the only way for the economy to alter its specialization patterns toward the production of goods that are characteristic of higher development is to change its endowment of resources accordingly. For that, investment in both human and physical capital must be increased. The paper also studies growth patterns by sectors and finds a high degree of heterogeneity. More aggregate results, separating between tradables and nontradables over the years of fast economic growth (1986-1998), show that the contribution of TFP is as important as the accumulation of capital and labor in explaining the years of fast growth of the nontradable sector (1987-1991), while in 1992-1998, this sector’s expansion was due only to factor accumulation. On the contrary, the tradable sector increased thanks to the accumulation of capital and labor, with almost no increase in productivity in 1987-1991, while TFP was significant in explaining growth between 1992 and 1998.

Análisis de series temporales pluviométricas en la Cuenca del Duero

Time series of monthly rainfall values, given in mm/m2, for eight stations in the Spanish Duero river basin are analysed. They have been recorded during a long period of time, ranging from 83 to 140 years. Box-Jenkins techniques of identification, estimation and verification are employed to determine seasonal and non seasonal models. The seasonal model for the eight series has been identified as ARIMA (0,1,1) type. The results of the analysis show that the topography is a significant factor and, in some measure, explain higher mean annual values of rainfall in the north and western stations (Burgos 38.6, León 45.0 y Soria 45.4) than in the south and eastern locations; Salamanca 23.0 and Zamora 28.5. The seasonal analysis confirms the known patterns described as dry winters and summers with rainy springs and autumn

Modelación hidráulica de un canal urbano en la ciudad de Bogotá, caso de estudio: Canal Río Negro

Trabajo de InvestigaciónEn este trabajo de investigación se analizara y modelara el comportamiento hidráulico para conocer cotas máximas de desbordamiento. De acuerdo a las herramientas de trabajo se analizara si el canal de confluencia (para nuestro caso Canal Rio Negro) soporta las condiciones y si su diseño es el adecuado para trabajar excesos de escorrentía. Las inundaciones en los canales representan un grave problema en las temporadas de invierno ya que se generan pérdidas económicas en la infraestructura, problemas de comunicación y dificultades en el transporte en donde el peor de los casos ponen en riesgo la vida de la población. Esto se produce debido a los malos estudios, diseños y mala elección de la calidad de los materiales. Finalmente se recomienda que se selecciones del canal deben de tener ajustes para eventos de alta precipitación que traen como resultado problemas de desbordamiento e inundaciones de las secciones transversales del canal Río Negro, el cual se encuentra ubicado a la altura de la AV NQS con Calle 92 (nororiente de Bogotá) y AV 68 con Calle 80(noroccidente de la ciudad).INTRODUCCIÓN 1. ANTECEDENTES Y JUSTIFICACIÓN 2. PLANTEAMIENTO Y FORMULACIÓN DEL PROBLEMA 3. MARCO DE REFERENCIA 4. OBJETIVOS 5. ALCANCES Y LIMITACIONES 6. METODOLOGÍA 7. CRONOGRAMA DE ACTIVIDADES 8. PRESUPUESTO DEL TRABAJO Y RECURSOS FINANCIEROS 9. CONCLUSIONES BIBLIOGRAFÍA ANEXOSPregradoIngeniero Civi

Effect of filler nature and content on the bituminous mastic behaviour under cyclic loads

The role of the filler in asphalt mixtures is particularly important because of its influence on mastic behaviour. The filler improves the resistance properties of bitumen against the action of traffic loads and temperature. However, the filler can also adversely affect bitumen in mastics excessively brittle and stiff due to inappropriate design. For these reasons, it is interesting to investigate the effect of filler type and content on mastic composition. This paper presents results from a strain sweep test applied to bituminous mastics prepared with different filler types and contents at several temperatures. The obtained stiffness modulus and failure strain results provide information to assess the fatigue behaviour of the analysed mastics.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Basement membrane-rich Organoids with functional human blood vessels are permissive niches for human breast cancer metastasis

Metastasic breast cancer is the leading cause of death by malignancy in women worldwide. Tumor metastasis is a multistep process encompassing local invasion of cancer cells at primary tumor site, intravasation into the blood vessel, survival in systemic circulation, and extravasation across the endothelium to metastasize at a secondary site. However, only a small percentage of circulating cancer cells initiate metastatic colonies. This fact, together with the inaccessibility and structural complexity of target tissues has hampered the study of the later steps in cancer metastasis. In addition, most data are derived from in vivo models where critical steps such as intravasation/extravasation of human cancer cells are mediated by murine endothelial cells. Here, we developed a new mouse model to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying late steps of the metastatic cascade. We have shown that a network of functional human blood vessels can be formed by co-implantation of human endothelial cells and mesenchymal cells, embedded within a reconstituted basement membrane-like matrix and inoculated subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice. The ability of circulating cancer cells to colonize these human vascularized organoids was next assessed in an orthotopic model of human breast cancer by bioluminescent imaging, molecular techniques and immunohistological analysis. We demonstrate that disseminated human breast cancer cells efficiently colonize organoids containing a functional microvessel network composed of human endothelial cells, connected to the mouse circulatory system. Human breast cancer cells could be clearly detected at different stages of the metastatic process: initial arrest in the human microvasculature, extravasation, and growth into avascular micrometastases. This new mouse model may help us to map the extravasation process with unprecedented detail, opening the way for the identification of relevant targets for therapeutic intervention