"The Keynesian Roots of Stock-flow Consistent Macroeconomic Models: Peering Over the Edge of the Short Period"

This paper argues that institutionally rich stock-flow consistent models—that is, models in which economic agents are identified with the main social categories/institutional sectors of actual capitalist economies, the short period behavior of these agents is thoroughly described, and the "period by period" balance sheet dynamics implied by the latter is consistently modeled—are (1) perfectly compatible with John Maynard Keynes's theoretical views, (2) the ideal tool for rigorous post-Keynesian analyses of the medium run, and (3) therefore crucial to the consolidation of the broad post-Keynesian research program.

"Revisiting (and Connecting) Marglin-Bhaduri and Minsky--An SFC Look at Financialization and Profit-led Growth"

Many heterodox strands of thought share both a concern with the study of different phases or growth regimes in the history of capitalism and the use of formal short-run models as an analytical tool. This text suggests that (1) this strategy is potentially misleading; (2) that the stock-flow consistent (SFC) approach, while providing a general framework that may facilitate the dialogue among those currents, is particularly well suited to all those who think that macroeconomic models may illuminate historical quests; and (3) that the main intuitions may be conveyed through the "benchmark" Post Keynesian SFC model presented by Dos Santos and Zezza (2008), dispensing with the complex computer simulations that are normally employed by SFC authors.

A Geo-historical Analysis of Expanding Soybean Frontiers in the Brazilian Cerrado

Until the 1970s, the Brazilian Cerrado was considered an unsuitable agricultural territory. Logistic and infrastructural issues, combined with soil acidity, made the Cerrado a marginal biome for crop production. However, since the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) was created in 1973, the Cerrado has become a national and international hotspot for the food industry. Such a transformation turned this savannah biome into a landmark for the tropical expansion of commodity frontiers, especially in soy production. This research seeks to analyze data on the historical development of soy production volumes and productivity in the Cerrado, considering the complex interrelations between commodity frontier dynamics and its interface within different Brazilian biomes. Comparing data from the Cerrado and other biomes, our results indicate a rapid expansion of the soybean frontier in most Brazilian biogeographic regions. Moreover, it demonstrates how the growth of soy farming in the Brazilian Cerrado is also affecting other biomes such as the Amazon, influencing local and national policies of agrarian expansion and environmental conservation.Until the 1970s, the Brazilian Cerrado was considered an unsuitable agricultural territory. Logistic and infrastructural issues, combined with soil acidity, made the Cerrado a marginal biome for crop production. However, since the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) was created in 1973, the Cerrado has become a national and international hotspot for the food industry. Such a transformation turned this savannah biome into a landmark for the tropical expansion of commodity frontiers, especially in soy production. This research seeks to analyze data on the historical development of soy production volumes and productivity in the Cerrado, considering the complex interrelations between commodity frontier dynamics and its interface within different Brazilian biomes. Comparing data from the Cerrado and other biomes, our results indicate a rapid expansion of the soybean frontier in most Brazilian biogeographic regions. Moreover, it demonstrates how the growth of soy farming in the Brazilian Cerrado is also affecting other biomes such as the Amazon, influencing local and national policies of agrarian expansion and environmental conservation.Until the 1970s, the Brazilian Cerrado was considered an unsuitable agricultural territory. Logistic and infrastructural issues, combined with soil acidity, made the Cerrado a marginal biome for crop production. However, since the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) was created in 1973, the Cerrado has become a national and international hotspot for the food industry. Such a transformation turned this savannah biome into a landmark for the tropical expansion of commodity frontiers, especially in soy production. This research seeks to analyze data on the historical development of soy production volumes and productivity in the Cerrado, considering the complex interrelations between commodity frontier dynamics and its interface within different Brazilian biomes. Comparing data from the Cerrado and other biomes, our results indicate a rapid expansion of the soybean frontier in most Brazilian biogeographic regions. Moreover, it demonstrates how the growth of soy farming in the Brazilian Cerrado is also affecting other biomes such as the Amazon, influencing local and national policies of agrarian expansion and environmental conservation

A percepção de conselheiros de Conselhos Regionais de Saúde do Distrito Federal acerca dos domínios do empoderamento

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, 2013.As Leis Orgânicas de saúde (n.8.080/90 e n.8142/90) institucionalizaram a participação da população mediante o controle social com a criação das conferências e dos conselhos de saúde, nos três níveis de governo. Estes como órgãos colegiados, de caráter permanente, onde a participação da comunidade se dá paritariamente com representantes da gestão, prestadores de serviços e representantes institucionais, com atribuições legais para atuar na formulação de estratégias e no controle da execução da política de saúde. A diversidade de atores em sua composição caracteriza-os como espaço de poder com capacidade de provocar ou de resistir às mudanças, é, portanto, através do exercício de poder e do empoderamento que esses colegiados podem proporcionar mudanças na vida e na saúde da comunidade. O presente estudo analisou a percepção dos conselheiros de quatro Conselhos Regionais de Saúde do Distrito Federal acerca dos domínios do empoderamento. O plano no qual se situa esse estudo é o subjetivo, com uma concepção teórica de abordagem qualitativa em quatro Conselhos Regionais de Saúde (CRS) localizados em Regiões Administrativas (RA) do Distrito Federal (DF). Para o levantamento dos dados apresentados fez-se uso como estratégia metodológica de uma oficina e de um questionário sociopolítico. Trinta e oito conselheiros membros efetivos responderam ao questionário e participaram da identificação, individual e coletivamente, das alternativas que melhor representassem a situação atual do Conselho de Saúde com relação aos domínios e aos níveis do empoderamento, a saber: (1) participação; (2) liderança; (3) estrutura organizacional; (4) problematização da realidade; (5) mobilização de recursos; (6) relacionamento cooperativo entre redes; (7) consciência crítica (8) implementação de programas e projetos; e (9) papel dos especialistas. A maioria dos conselheiros é do sexo masculino, tem entre 50 e 59 anos, possuem nível superior, são funcionários públicos, de primeiro mandato e passaram por algum processo de capacitação. Os quatro conselhos pesquisados encontram-se em estágios distintos quanto aos domínios e escala de classificação do empoderamento. Destaca-se a estrutura organizacional; mobilização de recursos; relacionamento cooperativo entre redes e papel dos especialistas como os domínios que mais sofreram variações entre os conselhos pesquisados. Identifica-se a necessidade de estratégias de qualificação dos conselheiros com a finalidade de gerar conhecimentos pessoais e sociais com efetivo compromisso com as transformações de poderes existentes nos conselhos de saúde e com a produção de sujeitos. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTOrganic Laws of Health (n.8.080/90 and n.8142/90) institutionalized public participation through social control by creating conferences and health councils in the three levels of government. These councils, as permanent collegiate bodies, are the place where community participation occurs equitably with representatives of management, service providers and institutional representatives with legal duties to act in the formulation of strategies and in control of health policy implementation. The diversity of actors in its composition characterize that instance as the space of power with the capacity to cause or resist changes. It is, therefore, through the exercise of power and empowerment that these boards can bring changes in the life and health of the community. The present study analyzed the perceptions of counselors four Regional Boards of Health of the Federal District on the domains of empowerment. This study lies in a subjective level, with a theoretical conception of qualitative approach in four Regional Health Councils (CRS) located in Administrative Regions (RA) of the Federal District (DF). For data collecting, it was used a workshop and a sociopolitical questionnaire as methodological strategies. Thirty-eight counselors sitting members responded to the questionnaire and participated in the identification, individually and collectively, of the alternatives that best represent the current status of the Board of Health, concerning the domains and levels of empowerment, namely: (1) participation, (2 ) leadership, (3) organizational structure, (4) problematization of reality, (5) resource mobilization, (6) cooperative relationship between networks; (7) critical consciousness (8) implementation of programs and projects, and (9) role of specialists . Most counselors are male, have between 50 and 59 years, are graduated, are first term public servants and went through some process of capacitation building. The four councils surveyed are at different stages concerning the rating scale domains and empowerment. Noteworthy are the organizational structure, resource mobilization, cooperative relationship between networks and the role of experts as the areas that suffered the most variations between councils surveyed. Furthermore, it identifies the need for qualification strategies in order to generate knowledge with effective personal and social commitment to the transformation of power distribution in the existing health councils and with the production of subjects

O ENSINO DA PERSPECTIVA SKINNERIANA SOBRE A PERSONALIDADE PELOS FILMES BATMAN BEGINS E O CAVALEIRO DAS TREVAS

A forma tradicional de ensino da Análise do Comportamento nos cursos de graduação em Psicologia tem sido objeto de questionamento, recentemente. O uso de práticas de laboratório envolvendo animais como recurso didático para a aprendizagem de princípios é considerado desmotivador pelos alunos. Por outro lado, o uso de filmes para esse fim tem sido bem-sucedido no ensino de várias disciplinas na Psicologia. Desse modo, o presente estudo objetivou verificar a exequibilidade do uso dos filmes Batman Begins e O Cavaleiro das Trevas para ilustrar o ponto de vista skinneriano acerca da personalidade. Para tanto, ambos os filmes foram analisados a partir da perspectiva analítico-comportamental de personalidade. Os resultados da análise dos filmes evidenciaram que eles ilustram adequadamente a noção analítico-comportamental, segundo a qual a personalidade é um conjunto de vários repertórios de comportamento adquiridos por uma pessoa ao longo da vida. Desse modo, os filmes analisados podem ser utilizados adequadamente como ilustrações didáticas da visão skinneriana de personalidade.Palavras-chave: Personalidade. Análise do comportamento. Recursos didáticos. Ensino de Psicologia. Batman

Effects of volume resuscitation on splanchnic perfusion in canine model of severe sepsis induced by live Escherichia coli infusion

INTRODUCTION: We conducted the present study to investigate whether early large-volume crystalloid infusion can restore gut mucosal blood flow and mesenteric oxygen metabolism in severe sepsis. METHODS: Anesthetized and mechanically ventilated male mongrel dogs were challenged with intravenous injection of live Escherichia coli (6 × 10(9 )colony-forming units/ml per kg over 15 min). After 90 min they were randomly assigned to one of two groups – control (no fluids; n = 13) or lactated Ringer's solution (32 ml/kg per hour; n = 14) – and followed for 60 min. Cardiac index, mesenteric blood flow, mean arterial pressure, systemic and mesenteric oxygen-derived variables, blood lactate and gastric carbon dioxide tension (PCO(2); by gas tonometry) were assessed throughout the study. RESULTS: E. coli infusion significantly decreased arterial pressure, cardiac index, mesenteric blood flow, and systemic and mesenteric oxygen delivery, and increased arterial and portal lactate, intramucosal PCO(2), PCO(2 )gap (the difference between gastric mucosal and arterial PCO(2)), and systemic and mesenteric oxygen extraction ratio in both groups. The Ringer's solution group had significantly higher cardiac index and systemic oxygen delivery, and lower oxygen extraction ratio and PCO(2 )gap at 165 min as compared with control animals. However, infusion of lactated Ringer's solution was unable to restore the PCO(2 )gap. There were no significant differences between groups in mesenteric oxygen delivery, oxygen extraction ratio, or portal lactate at the end of study. CONCLUSION: Significant disturbances occur in the systemic and mesenteric beds during bacteremic severe sepsis. Although large-volume infusion of lactated Ringer's solution restored systemic hemodynamic parameters, it was unable to correct gut mucosal PCO(2 )gap

Improving Regional Dynamic Downscaling with Multiple Linear Regression Model Using Components Principal Analysis: Precipitation over Amazon and Northeast Brazil

In the current context of climate change discussions, predictions of future scenarios of weather and climate are crucial for the generation of information of interest to the global community. Due to the atmosphere being a chaotic system, errors in predictions of future scenarios are systematically observed. Therefore, numerous techniques have been tested in order to generate more reliable predictions, and two techniques have excelled in science: dynamic downscaling, through regional models, and ensemble prediction, combining different outputs of climate models through the arithmetic average, in other words, a postprocessing of the output data species. Thus, this paper proposes a method of postprocessing outputs of regional climate models. This method consists in using the statistical tool multiple linear regression by principal components for combining different simulations obtained by dynamic downscaling with the regional climate model (RegCM4). Tests for the Amazon and Northeast region of Brazil (South America) showed that the method provided a more realistic prediction in terms of average daily rainfall for the analyzed period prescribed, after comparing with the prediction made by set through the arithmetic averages of the simulations. This method photographed the extreme events (outlier) that the prediction by averaging failed. Data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) were used to evaluate the method

Influence of central obesity in estimating maximal oxygen uptake

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of central obesity on the magnitude of the error of estimate of maximal oxygen uptake in maximal cycling exercise testing. METHOD: A total of 1,715 adults (68% men) between 18-91 years of age underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing using a progressive protocol to volitional fatigue. Subjects were stratified by central obesity into three quartile ranges: Q1, Q2-3 and Q4. Maximal oxygen uptake [mL.(kg.min)-1] was estimated by the attained maximal workload and body weight using gender- and population-specific equations. The error of estimate [mL.(kg.min)-1] and percent error between measured and estimated maximal oxygen uptake values were compared among obesity quartile ranges. RESULTS: The error of estimate and percent error differed (mean ± SD) for men (Q1=1.3±3.7 and 2.0±10.4; Q2-3=0.5±3.1 and -0.5±13.0; and Q4=-0.3±2.8 and -4.5±15.8 (