Bank privatization and productivity : evidence for Brazil

Over the past decade, the Brazilian banking industry has undergone major and deep transformations with several privatizations of state-owned banks, mergers and acquisitions, closing down of troubled banks, entry by foreign banks, and so on. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of these changes in banking on total factor productivity. The authors first obtain measures of bank level productivity by employing the techniques due to Levinsohn and Petrin (2003). They then relate such measures to a set of bank characteristics. Their main results indicate that state-owned banks are less productive than their private peers, and that privatization has increased productivity.

Bank Privatization and Productivity: Evidence for Brazil

Over the last decade, the Brazilian banking industry has undergone major and deep transformations with several privatizations of state-owned banks, mergers and acquisitions, closing down of troubled banks, entry by foreign banks, etc. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of these changes in banking total factor productivity. We first obtain measures of bank level productivity by employing the techniques due to Levinsohn and Petrin (2003). We then relate such measures to a set of bank characteristics. Our main results indicate that state-owned banks are less productive than their private peers, and that privatization has increased productivity.

Quiescent H2 Emission From Pre-Main Sequence Stars in Chamaeleon I

We report the discovery of quiescent emission from molecular hydrogen gas located in the circumstellar disks of six pre-main sequence stars, including two weak-line T Tauri stars (TTS), and one Herbig AeBe star, in the Chamaeleon I star forming region. For two of these stars, we also place upper limits on the 2->1 S(1)/1->0 S(1) line ratios of 0.4 and 0.5. Of the 11 pre-main sequence sources now known to be sources of quiescent near-infrared hydrogen emission, four possess transitional disks, which suggests that detectable levels of H$_2$ emission and the presence of inner disk holes are correlated. These H$_2$ detections demonstrate that these inner holes are not completely devoid of gas, in agreement with the presence of observable accretion signatures for all four of these stars and the recent detections of [Ne II] emission from three of them. The overlap in [Ne II] and H$_2$ detections hints at a possible correlation between these two features and suggests a shared excitation mechanism of high energy photons. Our models, combined with the kinematic information from the H$_2$ lines, locate the bulk of the emitting gas at a few tens of AU from the stars. We also find a correlation between H$_2$ detections and those targets which possess the largest H$\alpha$ equivalent widths, suggesting a link between accretion activity and quiescent H$_2$ emission. We conclude that quiescent H$_2$ emission from relatively hot gas within the disks of TTS is most likely related to on-going accretion activity, the production of UV photons and/or X-rays, and the evolutionary status of the dust grain populations in the inner disks.Comment: 12 pages, emulateapj, Accepted by Ap

Disappearing dissent? Repression and state consolidation in Mexico

Does violent repression strengthen the state? In this paper we explore the legacies of repression by the Mexican government on subsequent state consolidation. We investigate how a particular form of state repression, forced disappearances of alleged leftist dissidents, during the 1960s and 1970s in Mexico had path-dependent consequences for different dimensions of state capacity nearly fifty years later. To do so, we rely on data gathered from suppressed Mexican human rights reports of forced disappearances which, to our knowledge, have not been analyzed by social scientists before. Controlling for a rich set of pre-disappearances covariates, we find that forced disappearances are positively correlated with contemporary measures of fiscal and bureaucratic capacity. However, historical forced disappearances do not help the state to provide security, to consolidate its monopoly over the use of force, or to provide welfare-related public goods in the long run. Moreover, disappearances are negatively correlated with various measures of trust in the government

Аналитическое исследование реализации мнимых функций для координатных систем движения станочного оборудования. Часть 1

У роботі розглянуто концепцію впливу аргументу на типову функціональну залежність при перенесенні її з уявної системи координат до реальної, як міри оцінки розходження між ними. На прикладі простої функції у = kx показано, яким чином відбувається вплив аргументу х на величину коефіцієнта k і, як наслідок, величину у. Окрім цього, показано на конкретному прикладі з технологічного процесу як він реалізується у реальному просторі технологічного обладнання. Наведений приклад вказує на напрямок подальших досліджень, суть яких полягає у визначенні впливу вторинних процесів на загальну ситуацію точності технологічного процесу.In the paper we examine the influence of the argument on the concept of common functional dependency if applied to the imaginary coordinate system to the real one. Introduces the concept of location as a measure of degradation of estimation differences between the imaginary and the real coordinate system. Using a simple mathematical function y = kx shows how there is an influence on the value of the argument x coefficient k and, consequently, the value of y. Shows the mathematical relationships. In addition to the specific example shows the process as it is implemented in real space technology equipment.В работе рассмотрена концепция влияния аргумента на типичную функциональную зависимость при перенесении ее из мнимой системы координат в реальную. Вводится понятие деструкции координаты как меры оценивания расхождения между мнимой и реальной системой координат. На примере простой функции у = kx показано, каким образом происходит влияние аргумента х на величину коэфициента k и, как следствие, на величину у. Кроме этого, на конкретном примере технологического процесса показано, как он реализуется в реальном пространстве технологического оборудования. Приведенный пример только указывает направление дальнейших исследований, суть которых - в определении влияния вторичных процессов на общую ситуацию точности технологического процесса

Antibiotic resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolates from different aquatic environmental sources in Leon, Nicaragua

AbstractAntibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged due to the selective pressure of antimicrobial use in humans and animals. Water plays an important role in dissemination of these organisms among humans, animals and the environment. We studied the antibiotic resistance patterns among 493 Escherichia col/isolates from different aquatic environmental sources collected from October 2008 to May 2009 in Leon, Nicaragua. High levels of antibiotic resistance were found in E. coli isolates in hospital sewage water and in eight of 87 well-water samples. Among the resistant isolates from the hospital sewage, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole was the most common multi-resistance profile. Among the resistant isolates from the wells, 19% were resistant to ampicillin, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid and trimethoprim-sulphameth-oxazole. E. coli producing ESBL and harbouring blaCTX-M genes were detected in one of the hospital sewage samples and in 26% of the resistant isolates from the well-water samples. The blaCTX-M-9 group was more prevalent in E. coli isolates from the hospital sewage samples and the blaCTX-M-1 group was more prevalent in the well-water samples

Evidence for Disk Photoevaporation Driven by the Central Star

The lifetime of isolated protoplanetary disks is thought to be set by the combination of viscous accretion and photoevaporation driven by stellar high-energy photons. Observational evidence for magnetospheric accretion in young sun-like stars is robust. Here we report the first observational evidence for disk photoevaporation driven by the central star. We acquired high-resolution (R~30,000) spectra of the [NeII] 12.81 micron line from 7 circumstellar disks using VISIR on Melipal/VLT. We show that the 3 transition disks in the sample all have [NeII] line profiles consistent with those predicted by a photoevaporative flow driven by stellar extreme UV photons. The ~6 km/s blue-shift of the line from the almost face-on disk of TW Hya is clearly inconsistent with emission from a static disk atmosphere and convincingly points to the presence of a photoevaporative wind. We do not detect any [NeII] line close to the stellar velocity from the sample of classical optically thick (non-transition) disks. We conclude that most of the spectrally unresolved [NeII] emission in these less evolved systems arises from jets/outflows rather than from the disk. The pattern of the [NeII] detections and non-detections suggests that extreme UV-driven photoevaporation starts only at a later stage in the disk evolution.Comment: accepted for publication to Ap

A One Health Framework for the Evaluation of Rabies Control Programmes: A Case Study from Colombo City, Sri Lanka

<div><p>Background</p><p>One Health addresses complex challenges to promote the health of all species and the environment by integrating relevant sciences at systems level. Its application to zoonotic diseases is recommended, but few coherent frameworks exist that combine approaches from multiple disciplines. Rabies requires an interdisciplinary approach for effective and efficient management.</p><p>Methodology/Principal Findings</p><p>A framework is proposed to assess the value of rabies interventions holistically. The economic assessment compares additional monetary and non-monetary costs and benefits of an intervention taking into account epidemiological, animal welfare, societal impact and cost data. It is complemented by an ethical assessment. The framework is applied to Colombo City, Sri Lanka, where modified dog rabies intervention measures were implemented in 2007. The two options included for analysis were the control measures in place until 2006 (“baseline scenario”) and the new comprehensive intervention measures (“intervention”) for a four-year duration. Differences in control cost; monetary human health costs after exposure; Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost due to human rabies deaths and the psychological burden following a bite; negative impact on animal welfare; epidemiological indicators; social acceptance of dogs; and ethical considerations were estimated using a mixed method approach including primary and secondary data. Over the four years analysed, the intervention cost US $1.03 million more than the baseline scenario in 2011 prices (adjusted for inflation) and caused a reduction in dog rabies cases; 738 DALYs averted; an increase in acceptability among non-dog owners; a perception of positive changes in society including a decrease in the number of roaming dogs; and a net reduction in the impact on animal welfare from intermediate-high to low-intermediate.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The findings illustrate the multiple outcomes relevant to stakeholders and allow greater understanding of the value of the implemented rabies control measures, thereby providing a solid foundation for informed decision-making and sustainable control.</p></div

The Photoevaporative Wind from the Disk of TW Hya

Photoevaporation driven by the central star is expected to be a ubiquitous and important mechanism to disperse the circumstellar dust and gas from which planets form. Here, we present a detailed study of the circumstellar disk surrounding the nearby star TW Hya and provide observational constraints to its photoevaporative wind. Our new high-resolution (R ~ 30,000) mid-infrared spectroscopy in the [Ne II] 12.81 {\mu}m line confirms that this gas diagnostic traces the unbound wind component within 10AU from the star. From the blueshift and asymmetry in the line profile, we estimate that most (>80%) of the [Ne II] emission arises from disk radii where the midplane is optically thick to the redshifted outflowing gas, meaning beyond the 1 or 4AU dust rim inferred from other observations. We re-analyze high-resolution (R ~ 48, 000) archival optical spectra searching for additional transitions that may trace the photoevaporative flow. Unlike the [Ne II] line, optical forbidden lines from OI, SII, and MgI are centered at the stellar velocity and have symmetric profiles. The only way these lines could trace the photoevaporative flow is if they arise from a disk region physically distinct from that traced by the [Ne II] line, specifically from within the optically thin dust gap. However, the small (~10 km/s) FWHM of these lines suggest that most of the emitting gas traced at optical wavelengths is bound to the system rather than unbound. We discuss the implications of our results for a planet-induced versus a photoevaporation-induced gap.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap