Social Spending in IMF-supported Programs

This paper analyzes the impact of IMF-supported programs on health and education spending in a large time-series cross-section sample of countries. Using an ARIMA model to model time dynamics and instrumental variables to correct for the well-known endogeneity of IMF-supported programs, the paper finds, contrary to the conventional wisdom, that health and education do not decline in the presence of an IMF-supported program. However, this does not necessarily mean that the poor are protected from the costs of economic adjustment.social spending, IMF-supported programs, health, education

Fiscal Discipline and Social Spending in IMF-supported Programs.

IMF-supported programs, social spending, social expenditures, health, education

Postconflict Countries: Strategy for Rebuilding Fiscal Institutions

This paper reviews the challenges and experiences in rebuilding fiscal institutions in postconflict environments, based on advice from the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department to selected countries. The recommended strategy involved a three-step process of (i) creating a proper legal framework for fiscal management, (ii) establishing a central fiscal authority and a mechanism for co-ordinating foreign assistance, and (iii) designing appropriate tax policies while simultaneously creating simple tax administration and expenditure management arrangements. The advice was tailored to the circumstances of postconflict countries, and in some cases involved transitional measures that were not first best from an efficiency standpoint. In a similar vein, recommendations on revenue administration and expenditure management focused on the most basic tasks and procedures. In providing advice, care was taken to ensure that these measures were consistent with the eventual transformation to a modern fiscal management system.fiscal policy, tax, institutions, conflict

Rebuilding Fiscal Institutions in Post-Conflict Countries

This paper reviews the key challenges in rebuilding fiscal institutions in post-conflict countries. Based on IMF technical assistance advice, it proposes a three-step framework for the creation or re-establishment of well-functioning public finance institutions: (i) creating a proper legal framework for fiscal management, (ii) establishing a central fiscal authority, and (iii) designing appropriate tax policies while simultaneously creating simple tax administration and expenditure management arrangements.post-conflict, fiscal instutions, public expenditure management, tax administration

Mobility and environment improvement of signalized networks through Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications

Traffic signals, even though crucial for safe operations of busy intersections, are one of the leading causes of travel delays in urban settings, as well as the reason why billions of gallons of fuel are burned each year by idling engines, releasing tons of unnecessary toxic pollutants to the atmosphere. Recent advances in cellular networks and dedicated short-range communications make Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications a reality, as individual cars and traffic signals can now be equipped with numerous communication and computing devices. In this thesis, an initial comprehensive literature search is carried out on topics related to traffic flow models, connected vehicles, eco-driving, traffic signal timing, and the application of connected vehicle technologies in improving the operation of signalized networks. Then a car-following model and an emission model are combined to simulate the behavior of vehicles at signalized intersections and calculate traffic delays in queues, vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. Next, a strategy to provide mobility and environment improvements in signalized networks is presented. In this strategy, the control variable is the advisory speed limit, which is designed to smooth vehicles’ speed profiles taking advantage of Vehicle-to-Intersection communication. Finally, the performance of the control system is studied depending on market penetration rate and traffic conditions, as well as communication, positioning and network characteristics. In particular, savings of around 15% in user delays and around 8% in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are demonstrated.Outgoin

Supercell Altermagnets

Altermagnets are compensated magnets with unconvetional $d$, $g$ and $i$-wave spin-channel order in reciprocal space. So far the search for new altermagnetic candidates has been focused on materials in which the magnetic unit cell is identical to the non-magnetic one, i.e. magnetic structures with zero propagation vector. Here, we substantially broaden the family of altermagnetic candidates by predicting supercell altermagnets. Their magnetic unit cell is constructed by enlarging the paramagnetic primitive unit cell, resulting in a non-zero propagation vector for the magnetic structure. This connection of the magnetic configuration to the ordering of sublattices gives an extra degree of freedom to supercell altermagnets, which can allow for the control over the order parameter spatial orientation. We identify realistic candidates MnSe$_2$ with a $d$-wave order, and RbCoBr$_3$, CsCoCr$_3$, and BaMnO$_3$ with $g$-wave order. We demonstrate the reorientation of the order parameter in MnSe$_2$, which has two different magnetic configurations, whose energy difference is only 5 meV, opening the possibility of controlling the orientation of the altermagnetic order parameter by external perturbations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Morfología del polen de especies de Gongylolepis (Mutisieae: Asteraceae) de la Guayana venezolana

Gongylolepis is composed for 15 species, endemic to the Guyana region. This is the largest genus of tribe Mutiseae in the area. Palynological features have been studied for some members of the Mutiseae, but not for Gongylolepis. We studied the pollen morphology of nine species of the genus, using samples from herbarium material. The observations were made in 10 to 15 pollen grains for species and features of the spines, colpus, polar axis, equatorial diameter, exine structure, pollen type, apertures, perforations and P/E ratio to determinate pollen shape, were analyzed. Observations and pictures were made with light microscope and scanning electron microscope. With this information, a matrix and conglomerate analysis was made. Gongylolepis pollen is tricolporate, spheroidal and mainly of great size. Differences in exine ornamentation were enough to discriminate the studied species. Spines are conical, with perforations near of the base, but with differences in the apex shape. The dendogram showed four groups, where the size, shape, exine ornamentation, spines, colpus and perforations were of importance to the classification of the species considered.Gongylolepis está constituido por 15 especies, circunscritas a la región de Guayana, al norte de Suramérica. Es el género más numeroso de la tribu Mutisieae en dicha región, representado en su flora por especies endémicas. Aunque algunas especies de Mutisieae han sido estudiadas palinológicamente por varios investigadores, no hay estudios de las especies de Gongylolepis. En este trabajo se analizan los caracteres morfológicos del polen de nueve especies de Gongylolepis, de la Guayana venezolana. Las muestras de polen provienen de material de distintas colecciones de herbario. Para la observación de los caracteres de polen se usaron de 10 a 15 granos por especie, se analizaron caracteres de las espinas, colpos, eje polar, diámetro ecuatorial, ornamentación y grosor de la exina, tipo de polen, apertura, presencia de perforaciones, y la relación P/E para determinar forma de los granos. Las observaciones y fotografías se realizaron mediante MEB y MEL. Con la información obtenida, se elaboró una matriz y se realizó un análisis de conglomerados. Como resultado, se encontró que el polen de Gongylolepis es tricolporado, con aspecto esferoidal y principalmente de gran tamaño. Presentó diferencias en la ornamentación de la exina, lo cual permitió separar las especies estudiadas. Las espinas son cónicas, sin embargo se encontraron diferencias en cuanto a la forma del ápice, además se observaron perforaciones cercanas a la base de éstas. El dendrograma obtenido mostró cuatro agrupamientos, donde los caracteres analizados, como tamaño, forma, ornamentación, espinas, colpos y perforaciones, fueron de gran importancia para clasificar las especies bajo estudio