2,611 research outputs found
Are Capital Controls and Central Bank Intervention Effective?
Capital controls and intervention in the foreign exchange market are two controversial policy options that many countries have adopted in the past in order to influence the exchange rate and moderate capital flows. Colombia has a long record in the use of these policies with mixed results and often non negligible costs. The objective of this paper is to evaluate for the case of Colombia the effectiveness of capital controls and central bank intervention for depreciating the exchange rate, reducing its volatility, and moderating the exchange rate vulnerability to external shocks. The paper uses high frequency data from 1993 to 2010, and a GARCH model of the peso/US dollar exchange rate return. The main findings indicate that neither capital controls nor central bank intervention used separately were successful for depreciating the exchange rate. On the contrary, they augmented its volatility. Nonetheless, when both policies were used simultaneously, a statistical significant effect was obtained by which the interaction of capital control and intervention in the foreign exchange market were effective to produce a daily average depreciation of the exchange rate, without increasing its volatility. This result however should be taken with caution given the special economic circumstances that characterized 2008, when most of this interaction happened.Capital controls (Tobin tax), central bank intervention, GARCH regression model of the exchange rate return, effectiveness. Classification JEL:F31, F32, E58, C52.
Fiscal Policy Throughout the Cycle: The Colombian Experience
This paper reviews the relationship between the business cycle and public finances in Colombia. The evidence shows that cyclical movements in output systematically affect the situation of public finances. Hence, the distinction between the cyclical and permanent (i.e. structural) components of the fiscal balance may allow fiscal authorities to determine the extent to which the fiscal stance in a particular year reflects their discretionary actions. Our findings indicate that the cyclical component of the central government balance in Colombia has in general been fairly small. For instance, during the recession and recovery period 1999-2003, the cyclical component attained, on average, -0,5% of the GDP which explained only 8% of the actual overall deficit. More recently in 2006, the cyclical component amounted to +0,8% of the GDP, equivalent to 17% of the actual fiscal imbalance. Governments are not usually neutral during the business cycle. Ideally, they ought to practice a counter-cyclical fiscal policy to moderate the magnitude of output fluctuations. However, in emerging economies, counter-cyclical fiscal policies are inhibited by domestic and external factors, such as credit restrictions, quality of institutions, fiscal rules, corruption, voracity effect, etc. Using a standard approach we find that fiscal policy in Colombia has been pro-cyclical over the last 45 years or so, with the primary surplus falling (and the deficit rising) as a share of GDP by approximately 1/5th of a percentage point when the output gap improves by one percentage point.Fiscal Policy, Business Cycle, Stabilization, Deficit, Budget. Classification JEL: E62; E32; E63; H62; H61.
How a General-Purpose Commonsense Ontology can Improve Performance of Learning-Based Image Retrieval
The knowledge representation community has built general-purpose ontologies
which contain large amounts of commonsense knowledge over relevant aspects of
the world, including useful visual information, e.g.: "a ball is used by a
football player", "a tennis player is located at a tennis court". Current
state-of-the-art approaches for visual recognition do not exploit these
rule-based knowledge sources. Instead, they learn recognition models directly
from training examples. In this paper, we study how general-purpose
ontologies---specifically, MIT's ConceptNet ontology---can improve the
performance of state-of-the-art vision systems. As a testbed, we tackle the
problem of sentence-based image retrieval. Our retrieval approach incorporates
knowledge from ConceptNet on top of a large pool of object detectors derived
from a deep learning technique. In our experiments, we show that ConceptNet can
improve performance on a common benchmark dataset. Key to our performance is
the use of the ESPGAME dataset to select visually relevant relations from
ConceptNet. Consequently, a main conclusion of this work is that
general-purpose commonsense ontologies improve performance on visual reasoning
tasks when properly filtered to select meaningful visual relations.Comment: Accepted in IJCAI-1
Un experimento de enseñanza en grado octavo sobre la argumentacıón en un ambıente de geometría dınámıca
El presente artículo reporta resultados de una investigación realizada en el marco de un trabajo de grado que se presentó como requisito para optar al título de magíster en Educación Matemática de la Universidad de Medellín. Se analizó la argumentación de nueve estudiantes de grado octavo de un colegio en Medellín (Colombia) cuando resolvían problemas con el apoyo del programa de geometría dinámica Cabri. Los argumentos de los estudiantes se caracterizaron usando el modelo Toulmin. Además, también se analizaron las acciones que realizó o dejó de hacer el profesor, cuya intención es favorecer la producción de argumentos. Para caracterizar los argumentos se utilizó un conjunto de categorías; unas tomadas de los referentes teóricos y otras emergentes. Como resultado de la investigación, se presentan ideas respecto al uso de geometría dinámica, la propuesta de enseñanza, los argumentos de los estudiantes y las acciones del profesor
Promotion and teaching of pronunciation in a ninth grade of a public school in Pereira Risaralda
La enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la pronunciación es un componente crucial en el aprendizaje de inglés como lengua extranjera. Sin embargo, no hay suficientes estudios que den cuenta de este tema en la región. Por esta razón, este estudio tiene como objetivo presentar el estado del arte en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de la pronunciación inglesa en un grado noveno de un colegio público de Pereira, Colombia. En este estudio se observaron las clases de inglés de un grado noveno perteneciente a un colegio público de Pereira. Para recolectar datos, además, se hizo una entrevista al profesor y una encuesta a los estudiantes. Se encontró que a la pronunciación inglesa no se le daba la importancia que se merece en el aula de inglés y que las pocas ocasiones en las que se trató, el acercamiento no fue efectivo aunque existen muchas estrategias y técnicas para trabajar con el componente fonético. Además, se encontró que las clases eran guiadas en español, lo que redujo significativamente las oportunidades para mejorar esta sub-habilidad. A partir de estos hallazgos, es claro que la enseñanza de la pronunciación -e inglés comunicativo en general- debe de ser considerada e implementada.Pronunciation teaching and learning is a key element of EFL classrooms. However, there is not a significant amount of relevant studies conducted in the region concerning this subject. This is the reason why this study intends to present the state of the art in pronunciation teaching/learning in a ninth grade from a public school in Pereira, Colombia. During this study, classes in a ninth grade from a public high school in Pereira were
observed, the teacher interviewed, and the students surveyed in order to collect data. It was
found that pronunciation was not given the importance it deserves in the EFL classroom
and that the rare occasions to approach it were not effective even though there are plenty of
techniques to be implemented. In addition, pronunciation was not tested, and the students
did not appear to know what pronunciation entails. Also, it was ascertained that classes were guided in Spanish, which minimized the opportunities for upgrading this sub-skill. Out of the aforementioned elements, it is clear that teaching pronunciation-and communicative English in general- should be considered and implemented
La vulneración del debido proceso y la autonomía del Ministerio Publico con la desvinculación judicial de la acusación
El propósito de esta investigación de maestría, se orienta a establecer como
la desvinculación judicial de la pretensión penal, afecta las garantías procesales, entre
ellas la autonomía y facultad del pretensor penal, en el (NCPP)
El numeral uno del artículo 374, del (NCPP), regula, la desvinculación, en
los siguientes términos, en el trámite del juzgamiento, antes de la conclusión de la
actuación, de pruebas, el juez advierte la eventualidad, de una calificación legal de los
hechos, materia de actuación, que no ha sido tomado en cuenta por el persecutor penal,
debería poner en conocimiento, a Este y al acusado, sobre esa eventualidad. Las partes,
expondrán sobre el asunto, observado por el juez penal unipersonal o Colegiado, y en su
caso propondrán la prueba útil que corresponda. Si alguna de las partes pone en
conocimiento que no está preparada, para realizar su pronunciamiento, el juez penal
suspenderá, el debate hasta por cinco días, a fin de que se exponga lo conveniente.
Sobre lo anotado la antes citada figura procesal, afecta el debido proceso, no
solo porque el juzgador está legitimado para realizar, la actividad que le atañe al
Ministerio Publico como es formular la pretensión acusatoria, sino el estadio en la cual
se aplica, sin tener en cuenta las etapas que tiene el proceso penal, promulgado por
decreto legislativo novecientos cincuentaisiete, donde en la etapa de investigación
preparatoria, el Ministerio Publico es el director encargado de conducir la investigación
preparatoria, dispone las diligencias de investigación necesaria para recopilar elementos
de convicción, ya sea con el fin de acusar o pedir el sobreseimiento, y por su parte la
defensa de los demás sujetos procesales en un ejercicio del derecho de defensa y
amparado en lo previsto en el inciso 4, del artículo 337 del NCPP, puede solicitar al
Ministerio Publico, diligencias, actos de investigación para el esclarecimiento de los hechos. Vencida la etapa de investigación preparatoria el Fiscal, amparado en el numeral
uno del artículo trescientos cuarenta y cuatro, puede formular acusación si tiene base
suficiente de lo contrario tendrá que recurrir a formular el sobreseimiento, facultad que lo
ejerce amparado en el numeral dos de la citada norma procesal.
En la etapa intermedia la cual es dirigida por el juez de investigación
preparatoria, en caso de requerirse acusación, Este, programara audiencia para control su
admisibilidad donde se verificara que el Ministerio Publico cumpla con los presupuestos
del artículo 349, del código Adjetivo penal, por su parte las demás partes procesales
podrán observar la acusación, ya sea en el aspecto formular o sustancial, proponiendo
medios de defensa, con el fin de buscar que se concluya en esa etapa el proceso penal,
también ofertaran prueba para un posible juicio oral, de aprobarse el requerimiento
acusatorio, el juez penal de investigación preparatoria, emitirá el auto de enjuiciamiento,
correspondiente, teniendo como fundamento el artículo 353 del NCPP, el mismo que
contendrá, datos del acusado, agraviado, la tipificación penal de los hechos acusados, se
precisara las pruebas admitidas, etc., con la resolución del auto de enjuiciamiento
concluye la segunda etapa del proceso penal, remitiéndose los actuados al juez de
juzgamiento, para la continuación del trámite del proceso penal.
El juzgamiento, considerado la etapa más importante, que se realiza, teniendo
como horizonte o guía, la acusación, de acuerdo al artículo trescientos cincuenta y seis,
con la observancia de las garantías del debido proceso, reconocidas en la Constitución y
normas supranacionales, del cual nuestro país es parte, en el trámite del juicio será de
aplicación obligatoria, la oralidad, la publicidad, inmediación, contradicción, en la
actuación probatoria. Es decir él es medio sobre el cual se va llevar a cabo el
juzgamiento, la misma que ha sido controlada, en una audiencia de etapa intermedia por
un Juez Penal, el mismo también conoce el derecho, esta etapa que considero es la idónea para observar alguna cuestión que haya omitido el Ministerio público, sin
embargo aplicar la desvinculación judicial conforme al numeral 1 del artículo 374 del
NCPP, es efectivamente una afectación a las garantías del proceso, con incidencia al
derecho de defensa toda vez que la defensa deber ser preparada en forma oportuna,
conforme lo exige el articulo decimo del Título Preliminar del NCPP, toda vez que las
partes asumen una posición respecto a la imputación en su contra preparando una
estrategia, para afrontar el proceso penal, sin embargo aplicar la antes citada norma
jurídica a las postrimerías de concluir el proceso, lo que considero, que no se vincula con
el respeto y la tutela del debido proceso en su vertiente el derecho de defensa y el derecho
a la prueba.
Considero que la norma cuestionada debe ser excluida del ordenamiento
adjetivo penal, caso contrario establecer que la desvinculación de la acusación fiscal sea
realizada por el Juez de Investigación Preparatoria, a fin de dotarle al nuevo proceso
penal las garantías de ir a juzgamiento con una acusación debidamente saneada, donde se
puede asumir un juicio con la certeza que los parámetros de control aprobados en la
audiencia de saneamiento procesal o etapa intermedia, son las verdaderas bases para el
debate de juicio oral, sino estaríamos frente a una decisión, que tomaría el juez de juicio,
en desventaja tanto de Ministerio Publico y con mayor dureza para el acusado, porque
recibirá una sanción para la cual no fue advertida en las etapas anteriores al juicio oral.
Efectivamente a partir del cuestionamiento a la norma antes citada no es
pretender buscar la impunidad, sino el respete el debido proceso, toda vez que el espíritu
del proceso penal, que cada parte legitimada ejerza su función con roles delimitados, por
lo que de seguir aplicándose esta norma estaríamos retrocediendo, al antiguo modelo
procesal decreto legislativo 124 y el Código de Procedimientos penales, ley 9040. Es
claramente conocido que el Juez conoce la legislación y está en la obligación de aplicar la norma que corresponde, sino que tal control debe realizarse en un estadio, que permita a
las partes asumir una efectiva defensa, asumir un juicio oral con la pretensión de las
partes debidamente delimitada, e, incluso someterse al principio de conclusión anticipada.The purpose of this master's research is aimed at establishing how the judicial
disengagement from the criminal claim affects the procedural guarantees, including the
autonomy and power of the criminal claim, in the (NCPP).
Numeral one of article 374, of the (NCPP), regulates, the separation, in the
following terms, in the process of the trial, before the conclusion of the action, of
evidence, the judge warns of the eventuality, of a legal qualification of the facts, the
subject of action, which has not been taken into account by the criminal prosecutor,
should inform the latter and the accused of this eventuality. The parties will present on
the matter, observed by the unipersonal or collegiate criminal judge, and where
appropriate they will propose the corresponding useful evidence. If any of the parties
informs that it is not prepared, to make its pronouncement, the criminal judge will
suspend the debate for up to five days, in order to expose what is convenient.
Regarding the aforementioned procedural figure, it affects due process, not
only because the judge is entitled to carry out, the activity that concerns the Public
Ministry, such as formulating the accusatory claim, but the stage in which it is applied,
without having taking into account the stages of the criminal process, promulgated by
legislative decree nine hundred and fifty-seven, where in the preparatory investigation
stage, the Public Ministry is the director in charge of conducting the preparatory
investigation, arranges the necessary investigation procedures to collect elements of
conviction, either in order to accuse or request the dismissal, and for their part, the
defense of the other procedural subjects in an exercise of the right of defense and
protected by the provisions of paragraph 4, article 337 of the NCPP, you can request the Ministry Public, proceedings, investigation acts to clarify the facts. Once the preparatory
investigation stage has expired, the Prosecutor, covered by number one of article three
hundred and forty-four, can file an accusation if he has sufficient basis, otherwise he will
have to resort to formulate the dismissal, a power that is exercised under number two of
the cited procedural rule.
In the intermediate stage which is directed by the preparatory investigation
judge, if an accusation is required, the latter will schedule a hearing to control its
admissibility where it will be verified that the Public Ministry complies with the
requirements of article 349, of the Criminal Adjective code, for On their part, the other
procedural parties may observe the accusation, whether in the formulaic or substantial
aspect, proposing means of defense, in order to seek to conclude the criminal process at
that stage, they will also offer evidence for a possible oral trial, of If the accusatory
requirement is approved, the preparatory investigation criminal judge will issue the
corresponding indictment, based on article 353 of the NCPP, which will contain data of
the accused, aggrieved, the criminal classification of the accused facts, it will be specified
the evidence admitted, etc., with the resolution of the indictment concludes the second
stage of the criminal process, remitting the s acted to the trial judge, for the continuation
of the criminal process.
The trial, considered the most important stage, which is carried out, having as
a horizon or guide, the accusation, according to article three hundred and fifty-six, with
the observance of the guarantees of due process, recognized in the Constitution and
supranational norms, of the to which our country is a party, orality, publicity, immediacy,
contradiction, in the evidentiary action will be mandatory in the trial process. That is to say, he is the means on which the trial will be carried out, the same that has been
controlled, in an intermediate stage hearing by a Criminal Judge, he also knows the law,
this stage that I consider is the suitable to observe any issue that the Public Ministry has
omitted, however applying the judicial separation according to numeral 1 of article 374 of
the NCPP, is effectively an affectation to the guarantees of the process, with an impact on
the right of defense since the defense must be prepared in a timely manner, as required by
Article 10 of the Preliminary Title of the NCPP, since the parties assume a position
regarding the accusation against them, preparing a strategy to face the criminal process,
however apply the aforementioned rule legal law after the conclusion of the process,
which I believe is not related to the respect and protection of due process in its aspect, the
right of defense and the right to evidence.
I consider that the challenged norm should be excluded from the criminal
adjective, otherwise establish that the dissociation of the prosecution is carried out by the
Preparatory Investigation Judge, in order to give the new criminal process the guarantees
of going to trial with a duly accusation healthy, where a trial can be assumed with the
certainty that the control parameters approved in the hearing on procedural reorganization
or intermediate stage, are the true bases for the oral trial debate, otherwise we would be
facing a decision, which would be made by the court judge. trial, to the disadvantage of
both the Public Ministry and with greater harshness for the accused, because he will
receive a sanction for which he was not warned in the stages prior to the oral trial.
Indeed, from the questioning of the aforementioned norm, it is not to try to seek
impunity, but to respect due process, since the spirit of the criminal process, that each
legitimated party exercises its function with delimited roles, so to continue applying This rule would be going back to the old procedural model, legislative decree 124 and the
Code of Criminal Procedures, Law 9040. It is clearly known that the Judge knows the
legislation and is obliged to apply the corresponding rule, but that such control must be
carried out in a stage that allows the parties to assume an effective defense, to undertake
an oral trial with the claim of the parties duly delimited, and even to submit to the
principle of early conclusion.Tesi
Generating Co-occurring Facial Nonmanual Signals in Synthesized American Sign Language
Translating between English and American Sign Language (ASL) requires an avatar to display synthesized ASL. Essential to the language are nonmanual signals that appear on the face. In the past, these have posed a difficult challenge for signing avatars. Previous systems were hampered by an inability to portray simultaneously-occurring nonmanual signals on the face. This paper presents a method designed for supporting co-occurring nonmanual signals in ASL. Animations produced by the new system were tested with 40 members of the Deaf community in the United States. Participants identified all of the nonmanual signals even when they co-occurred. Co-occurring question nonmanuals and affect information were distinguishable, which is particularly striking because the two processes move an avatar’s brows in a competing manner. This breakthrough brings the state of the art one step closer to the goal of an automatic English-to-ASL translator.
Conference proceedings from the International Conference on Computer Graphics Theory and Applications and International Conference on Information Visualization Theory and Applications, Barcelona, Spain, 21-24 February, 2013.
Edited by Sabine Coquillart, Carlos Andújar, Robert S. Laramee, Andreas Kerren, José Braz. Barcelona, Spain. SciTePress 2013. 407-416
Combining Emotion and Facial Nonamanual Signals in Synthesized American Sign Language
Conference proceedings from the the 14th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers and accessibility-2012. ASSETS \u2712. Boulder, CO, USA, October 22 - 24, 2012. New York, NY, USA: ACM. 249-250
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