Price and quantity indicators of Latin American and Caribbean Trade

This document serves as a discussion of the methodology of the Inter-American Bank Integration and Trade Sector (INT) Export and Import External Trade Indices in the context of the greater theoretical and Latin American context. Part One of this document serves as a theoretical review on the best practices and characteristics of the indices. Part Two follows with examples from Latin America on methodologies from national institutes, highlighting Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay. A table in this section also offers a snapshot of the range of years and frequency of the national indices available in the region. Part Three delves into the methodology of the indicators that INT created in 2014 for all Latin American countries with publically available data, explaining not only the data collection and formulas used, but also the method of data correction. Last, the document presents a comparison between INT and other existing indices, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of the indicators and their products. The analysis concludes that INT indices are comparable to both CEPAL and national methodologies, but have the advantage of being based completely on national data, and as a result fully reflect the prices received and paid for by all national economies

Essays in Energy Economics: A global empirical examination of decarbonization policies and of trade in energy technology materials

Deep reductions in CO2 emissions are needed in energy production and use, which constitute two-thirds of the emissions responsible for climate change. Achieving such reductions requires concerted government policy in all countries, with attention to interrelated challenges like inclusive and sustainable growth. Introductory Chapter 1 of this dissertation on the economics of decarbonization proposes that the four stand-alone analytical chapters can be understood together along the cross-disciplinary technology innovation process: (1) the evolution public energy research, development, and demonstration (ERD&D) across technologies and countries (Chapter 2); (2) the effects of policies aimed at creating markets for low carbon energy on decarbonization (Chapter 3); and, (3) the changes in trade of materials used in energy technologies (energy technology materials, ETMs) for technologies in early adoption and diffusion (Chapters 4 – 5). Existing statistical and econometric studies on these topics tend to focus on high-income (World Bank classification) OECD countries, which we define as “developed.” Instead, this dissertation takes a broad geographical view by creating new datasets, using existing ones in new ways, and proposing changes to established methodologies to better understand the developments and challenges of the energy transition in a wider set of countries. Chapter 2 ascertains that the evolution of global ERD&D is several times too small compared to existing estimates of what is needed to meet climate goals, even when accounting for previously unavailable data on China and India. Volatility of funding by country and technology groups (fossil fuels, nuclear, and clean plus (CP)) points towards innovation systems patterns over the United States/United Kingdom, continental Europe, and Asia. With some caveats, the years after two windows of opportunity for changes in funding patterns were not associated with significant changes in funding allocation towards CP. Chapter 3 finds that the policies with the most immediate positive impact on energy decarbonization in developing countries from 1980-2018 dealt with counterparty risk, referring to the bankability of private participation. The impacts on decarbonization of other policy instrument categories (e.g. legal frameworks for renewable energy) are low but tend to increase with time, and we discuss possible reasons why. Chapter 4 identifies 30 traded products related to ETMs. It finds that over the two decades between 1998-2018, trade trends (such as growth, volatility, importer concentration, and exporter concentration) in two groups, clean and refined products, display relatively beneficial changes for exporters than traditional and unrefined products do. In accordance with existing literature, however, developing countries are underrepresented as exporters of clean and refined products. The results make a case for enhancing clean and refined ETM trade and capabilities in developing countries. Chapter 5 proposes a methodological modification to the estimation of existing structural trade demand price elasticities (defined as a change in quantity traded due to change in price). The modification allows for a comparison of the trade demand price elasticities for exporter-ETM pairs in almost 30 traded products and 20 major developing and developed country exporters over the two decades between 1998-2018. We find, amongst other things, a convergence between developing and developed countries over the past two decades and discuss possible reasons for this pattern. Chapter 6 considers the implications of the results and reflects on directions for future research

Assessing the Impact of Renewable Energy Policies on Decarbonization in Developing Countries

This study offers the first consistent attempt to identify how energy sector decarbonization policies have affected the energy mix over the last four decades across more than 100 developing countries. It applies systematic regression analysis to five energy sector decarbonization outcomes and 75+ policy instruments aggregated into seven policy packages. Combining instrumental variables with country interactions and country and time-fixed effects in regional panels helps address potential endogeneity issues. Only a handful of energy policy packages significantly affect decarbonizing developing countries' energy mix, and they more often achieve a negligible or opposite result than intended three years after implementation. Policies that address counterparty risk have the highest immediate effect. Effects of renewable policies on different decarbonization outcomes improve slightly five and seven years after their implementation

Electroweak parameters of the z0 resonance and the standard model

Contains fulltext : 124399.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Long-term proactive management of psoriasis with calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate foam: an Italian consensus through a combined nominal group technique and Delphi approach

none85Background: Although long-term management of psoriasis is paramount, this approach is challenging in clinical practice. In the recent PSO-LONG trial, a fixed-dose combination of betamethasone dipropionate (BD) and calcipotriol (Cal) foam applied twice a week on non-consecutive days for 52 weeks (proactive treatment) reduced the risk of relapse. However, the role of Cal/BD foam in the long-term management of psoriasis needs further clarifications. The ProActive Management (PAM) program, a nationwide Italian project, aims at reaching a consensus on the role of proactive management of psoriasis. Methods: A steering committee generated some statements through the nominal group technique (NGT). The statements were voted by an expert panel in an adapted Delphi voting process. Results: Eighteen statements were proposed, and the majority of them (14/18) reached a consensus during the Delphi voting. The need to provide long-term proactive topical treatment to reduce the risk of relapse for the treatment of challenging diseases sites or in patients where phototherapy or systemic therapies are contraindicated/ineffective was widely recognized. A consensus was reached about the possibility to associate the proactive treatment with systemic and biological therapies, without the need for dose intensification, thus favoring a prolonged remission. Moreover, the proactive treatment was recognized as more effective than weekend therapy in increasing time free from relapses. Approaches to improve adherence, on the other hand, need further investigation. Conclusions: The inclusion in guidelines of a proactive strategy among the effective treatment options will be a fundamental step in the evolution of a mild-moderate psoriasis therapeutic approach.noneDe Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Martella, Alessandro; Campanati, Anna; Campione, Elena; Errichetti, Enzo; Franchi, Chiara; Gambardella, Alessio; Megna, Matteo; Osti, Federica; Ribero, Simone; Zagni, Giovanni; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Amoruso, Giuseppe Fabrizio; Baglieri, Francesco; Biamonte, Anna Silvia; Bianchelli, Tommaso; Bigi, Laura; Bortoli, Jarno; Brunetti, Bruno; Buligan, Cinzia; Cagni, Elisabetta; Calderoni, Ombretta; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Campanati, Anna; Caputo, Alighiero; Carrera, Carlo Giovanni; Carugno, Andrea; Chersi, Karin; Cicchelli, Stefano; De Natale, Flora; De Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Di Maria, Domenico; Errichetti, Enzo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Ferrari, Angelo Salvatore; Fogli, Emanuela; Forconi, Riccardo; Franchi, Chiara; Galeazzi, Augusto; Gambardella, Alessio; Giovannini, Andrea; Giura, Maria Teresa; Iuculano, Massimo; Lazzaretti, Giuseppe; Leporati, Claudia; Magnanini, Massimiliano; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Marconi, Barbara; Martella, Alessandro; Maruccia, Adriana; Megna, Matteo; Miglietta, Roberta; Minuti, Anna; Mocci, Luigi; Modica, Sonia; Narcisi, Alessandra; Odorici, Giulia; Osti, Federica; Pazzaglia, Massimiliano; Peila, Rossana; Pertusi, Ginevra; Pezza, Michele; Pezzullo, Elio; Puccia, Nunzio; Raulo, Umberto; Ribero, Simone; Rossi, Mariateresa; Rusignuolo, Sergio; Sapienza, Giada; Savarese, Catello; Scalisi, Mariaelena; Strippoli, Davide; Stroppiana, Elena; Tiberio, Rossana; Trischitta, Antonino; Tucci, Maria Giovanna; Vaira, Fabrizio; Verrone, Anna; Villa, Lucia; Zagni, Fabio; Zoccali, AndreaDe Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Martella, Alessandro; Campanati, Anna; Campione, Elena; Errichetti, Enzo; Franchi, Chiara; Gambardella, Alessio; Megna, Matteo; Osti, Federica; Ribero, Simone; Zagni, Giovanni; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Amoruso, Giuseppe Fabrizio; Baglieri, Francesco; Biamonte, Anna Silvia; Bianchelli, Tommaso; Bigi, Laura; Bortoli, Jarno; Brunetti, Bruno; Buligan, Cinzia; Cagni, Elisabetta; Calderoni, Ombretta; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Campanati, Anna; Caputo, Alighiero; Carrera, Carlo Giovanni; Carugno, Andrea; Chersi, Karin; Cicchelli, Stefano; De Natale, Flora; De Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Di Maria, Domenico; Errichetti, Enzo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Ferrari, Angelo Salvatore; Fogli, Emanuela; Forconi, Riccardo; Franchi, Chiara; Galeazzi, Augusto; Gambardella, Alessio; Giovannini, Andrea; Giura, Maria Teresa; Iuculano, Massimo; Lazzaretti, Giuseppe; Leporati, Claudia; Magnanini, Massimiliano; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Marconi, Barbara; Martella, Alessandro; Maruccia, Adriana; Megna, Matteo; Miglietta, Roberta; Minuti, Anna; Mocci, Luigi; Modica, Sonia; Narcisi, Alessandra; Odorici, Giulia; Osti, Federica; Pazzaglia, Massimiliano; Peila, Rossana; Pertusi, Ginevra; Pezza, Michele; Pezzullo, Elio; Puccia, Nunzio; Raulo, Umberto; Ribero, Simone; Rossi, Mariateresa; Rusignuolo, Sergio; Sapienza, Giada; Savarese, Catello; Scalisi, Mariaelena; Strippoli, Davide; Stroppiana, Elena; Tiberio, Rossana; Trischitta, Antonino; Tucci, Maria Giovanna; Vaira, Fabrizio; Verrone, Anna; Villa, Lucia; Zagni, Fabio; Zoccali, Andre