Trade Liberalization and the Evolution of Skill Earnings Differentials in Brazil

Skilled labor earnings differentials decreased during the trade liberalization implemented in Brazil from 1988 to 1995. This paper investigates the role of trade liberalization in explaining these relative earnings movements. We perform several independent empirical exercises that check the traditional trade transmission mechanism, using disaggregated data on tari¤s, prices, wages, employment and skill intensity. We find that: i)employment shifted from skilled to unskilled intensive sectors, and each sector increased its relative share of skilled labor; ii) relative prices fell in skill intensive sectors; iii) tariff changes across sectors were not related to skill intensities, but the pass-through from tariffs to prices was larger in skill intensive sectors; iv) the decline in skilled earnings differentials mandated by the price variation predicted by trade is very close to the observed one. The results are compatible with trade liberalization accounting for the observed relative earnings changes in Brazil.Skill Earnings Differentials, Trade Liberalization, Tariffs Pass-through, Stolper-Samuelson

Faculdade de Medicina Graduate Committee: its history and prospects

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Trade liberalization and evolution of skill earnings differentials in Brazil

From 1988 to 1995, when trade liberalization was implemented in Brazil, relative earnings of skilled workers decreased. In this paper, we in-vestigate the role of trade liberalization in explaining these relative earn-ings movements, by checking all the steps predicted by the Heckscher-Ohlin- style trade transmission mechanism. We find that: i) employment shifted from skilled to unskilled intensive sectors, and each sector increased its relative share of skilled labor; ii) relative prices fell in skill intensive sectors; iii) tari .changes across sectors were not related to skill inten-sities, but the pass-through from tari .s to prices was stronger in skill intensive sectors; iv) the decline in skilled earnings di .erentials mandated by the price variation predicted by trade is very close to the observed one. The results are compatible with trade liberalization, accounting for the observed relative earnings changes in Brazil.earnings inequality, trade liberalization

Trade liberalization and the evolution of skill earnings differentials in Brazil

Skilled labor earnings differentials decreased during the trade liberalization implemented in Brazil from 1988 to 1995. This paper investigates the role of trade liberalization in explaining these relative earnings movements. We perform several independent empirical exercises that check the traditional trade transmission mechanism, using disaggregated data on tariffs, prices, earnings, employment and skill intensity. We find that: i) employment shifted from skilled to unskilled intensive sectors, and each sector increased its relative share of skilled labor; ii) relative prices fell in skill intensive sectors; iii) tari¤ changes across sectors were not related to skill intensities, but the pass-through from tariffs to prices was larger in skill intensive sectors; iv) the decline in skilled earnings differentials mandated by the price variation predicted by trade was even larger than the observed one. The results are compatible with trade liberalization accounting for the observed relative earnings changes in Brazil. They also highlight the importance of considering the effects of differentiated pass-through from tariffs to prices.

Laboratory evaluation of pulmonary function

Nesta revisão, é nosso propósito prover informações acerca de alguns testes de função pulmonar, que podem ser úteis para acadêmicos e clínicos que utilizam seus resultados para estudo das disfunções do sistema respiratório. Apesar de múltiplos e diversos, os resultados dos testes funcionais pulmonares devem ser entendidos como uma visão setorial de um processo complexo e ainda não totalmente compreendido, que é o sistema respiratório. Dentro deste processo, abordaremos topicamente alguns assuntos de interesse clínico, representados pelo estudo da espirometria forçada, da medida dos volumes pulmonares, da gasometria arterial e da capacidade de difusão pulmonar.In this review, it was our intention to provide information about pulmonary function testing that would be useful by the physician that uses the results of laboratory to study disordered respiratory physiology for clinical purposes. Despite of multiplicity and diversity, the results of pulmonary function testing would be understood like a sectorial and restricted vision of an complex process not entirely comprehended. Inside this process we boarded specifically some themes of interest represented by the study of: forced spirometry, lung volumes, arterial blood gases and pulmonary diffusion capacity

Protective effect of bronchial challenge with hypertonic saline on nocturnal asthma

Inhalation of hypertonic saline (HS) causes bronchoconstriction in asthmatic subjects. Repeated inhalation of HS leads to substantially reduced bronchoconstriction, known as the refractory period. Refractoriness due to different stimuli has also been described (cross-refractoriness). Nocturnal asthma is defined as an increase in symptoms, need for medication, airway responsiveness, and/or worsening of lung function that usually occurs from 4 to 6 am. Our objective was to determine the effect of refractoriness on nocturnal asthma. The challenge test consisted of inhalations of 4.5% saline with increasing durations until a reduction of 20% in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (PD20HS) or total time of 15.5 min. Twelve subjects with nocturnal asthma were challenged with HS at 16:00 and 18:00 h and FEV1 was measured at 4:00 h. One to 2 weeks later, FEV1 was determined at 16:00 and 4:00 h. LogPD20HS at 18:00 h was significantly greater than logPD20HS at 16:00 h, 0.51 ± 0.50 and 0.69 ± 0.60 mg, respectively (P = 0.0033). When subjects underwent two HS challenges in the afternoon, mean (± SD) FEV1 reduction was 206 ± 414 mL or 9.81 ± 17.42%. On the control day (without challenge in the afternoon) FEV1 reduction was 523 ± 308 mL or 22.75 ± 15.40% (P = 0.021). Baseline FEV1 values did not differ significantly between the control and study days, 2.48 ± 0.62 and 2.36 ± 0.46 L, respectively. The refractory period following HS challenges reduces the nocturnal worsening of asthma. This new concept may provide beneficial applications to asthmatic patients