Two-way relationship between inequality and growth within fiscal policy channel : an empirical assessment for European countries

We investigate the role of fiscal policy, through several measures of government revenues and expenditures and redistribution, on disposable and market income inequality and economic growth as well as the interaction between inequality and growth for 31 European countries from 1995 to 2019. In this article, we employ SUR regressions and SEM models, and we conclude that: i) while post-tax and transfers inequality has a negative impact on public expenditure variables and redistribution, pre-tax and transfers inequality has a positive impact; ii) public expenditure variables and direct taxation negatively influence economic growth; iii) average post-tax and transfers inequality has a negative effect on growth and average pre-tax and transfers inequality has a positive impact; iv) growth contributes to the reduction of average post-tax and transfers inequality and to the increase in average pre-tax and transfers inequality; and v) fiscal policy allows for the attenuation of disposable income inequality. The different results between the role of pre and post-tax and transfers inequality levels lead us to suggest tax progressivity as an important feature to take into account when analyse the trivariate relationship between fiscal policy, growth, and inequalities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How inequality drives growth : an investigation of the transmission channels for OECD countries

This paper assesses the relationship between inequality and growth for 34 advanced OECD countries between 1990 and 2019 using recent Gini coefficients from Solt (2020) database and through a dynamic panel technique of two-step system GMM (Generalized Method of Moments). We find that the Gini coefficient of disposable income has a positive and significant impact, at a 10% level of significance, on subsequent economic growth over the five-year period. This result is explained based on the fiscal policy and saving channels, and also through the role of investment. More specifically, inequality translates into lower shares of public consumption and direct taxation on GDP, which boosts economic growth. Furthermore, inequality encourages saving and stimulates investment, which results in greater growth of the income per capita level.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Subsídios para a compreensão das obrigações naturais

As Obrigações Naturais vêem sua concepção há longos anos, no Direito Romano. São, dequalquer perspectiva, uma forma jurídica única, partilhando o seu território com a Moral, oDireito, e as regras vinculativas entre os indivíduos.Como conceber um tipo de obrigação, que falece, no entanto, no seu pressuposto deexecução forçada? Como são elas reconhecidas pela lei, e quais os seus efeitos efundamentos? Que uso podem ter na busca por justiça?Para responder a estas questões tem, necessariamente, que perceber-se o nascimento eevolução do conceito, as suas formas ao longo do tempo e como chegam aos dias de hoje.Tal é o objecto deste trabalho.Começa, portanto, com o amanhecer deste instituto e o seu desenvolvimento nas pistas daHistória e nas suas posições doutrinais fundamentais.Finalmente é feita uma sinopse da experiência legislativa portuguesa e na leitura própria dasua pertença sistemática explicativa.Este caminho mostra-nos indubitavelmente que apesar da longa tradição nos textoslegislativos, é plural a sua concepção, conceito e utilidade

How economic growth impinges on income inequalities

Performing a panel data analysis for OECD countries, during the period between 1990 and 2019, this dissertation investigates the relationship between economic growth and income inequalities. The main objective is to understand how the GDP and GNI per capita affect income inequality and how they differ. The results suggest a U-shaped relationship of both measures of economic growth with the market and disposable Gini indexes, the Palma and S80S20 ratios, and the income of the wealthier 10% of population, which contradicts the Kuznets hypothesis. Regarding the thresholds’ analysis, there is evidence that when GDP per capita is used, inequality is higher, leading to the conclusion that countries with policies that inflate GDP rather than GNI are the main contributors to the rise in inequalities in the last years. Furthermore, the results also show a behavioral similarity between the income of the richest 10% of population and income inequality. Lastly, there is also a possibility to promote GNI per capita increasing policies, which could lead to higher economic growth while minimizing income inequalities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinants of the degree of fiscal sustainability

We assess the link between fiscal sustainability coefficients, namely the responses of the primary government balance and the global government balance to the debt-to-GDP ratio, and the response of government revenues to government expenditures. For 22 OECD developed countries we use annual data between 1950 and 2019. Other determinants of fiscal responses are also studied in the context of quantile regressions. We find that the output gap contributes to increasing fiscal sustainability by positively influencing the responsiveness of the primary and global government balances; the responses of the primary and global government balances to the debt ratio and the response of government revenues to government expenditures depend on the level of the debt ratio. In addition, from the quantile analysis, the influence of the response of government revenues to government expenditures is negative and increasing over the deciles, confirming the existence of a negative cross-relationship between the fiscal sustainability coefficients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reflexões sobre a formação acadêmica na Educação Física à luz das tecnologias de si em Foucault

This article seeks support in Foucault´s conceptions about ethics and aesthetics of existence to compose reflections about academic formation in Physical Education. To mobilize this intent, the notion of “Self Technologies”, found in the last stage of Michel Foucault´s works, is contextualized. Subsequently, heterogeneous and differential approximations are drawn between the ethical issue posed to the constitution of the subject and academic formation. Although these approximations should be viewed with caution – so as not to take the practices of constitution of ancient subjects as a distant origin to forge and to explain a formative model for modern subjects –, such approximations point to other non-hegemonic rationalities that oppose the enabling logics commonly attributed to academic studies, which tend to be reduced to its instrumental aspects. In this way, the reflections ahead here do not affirm general theories, nor good or bad truths about academic formation, but give visibility to the composition of alternative discursive and non-discursive practices of elaboration and self-improvement, established in the power dynamics that sustain them throughout the formation process.Este artículo busca apoyo en las concepciones de Foucault sobre ética y estética de la existencia para reflexionar sobre la formación académica en Educación Física. Como guía para esta reflexión, se contextualiza la noción de 'tecnologías del yo', que se encuentra en la última etapa de la obra de Michel Foucault. Posteriormente, se establecen aproximaciones heterogéneas y diferenciales entre la cuestión ética planteada en la constitución del sujeto y la formación académica. Aunque estas aproximaciones deben ser vistas con cautela – para no considerar las prácticas de constitución de sujetos antiguos como un origen lejano para forjar y explicar un modelo formativo para los sujetos modernos – tales aproximaciones apuntan a otras racionalidades no hegemónicas que se oponen a las lógicas capacitativas comúnmente atribuidas a la formación académica, que tienden a reducirse a sus aspectos instrumentales. De esta forma, las reflexiones que aquí se adelantan no afirman teorías generales ni verdades absolutas sobre la formación, pero dan visibilidad a la composición de prácticas alternativas, discursivas y no discursivas, de elaboración y transformación del yo, establecidas en los juegos de fuerza que las sustentan a lo largo del camino de la formación.Este artigo busca respaldo nas concepções foucaultianas de ética e estética da existência para compor reflexões sobre a formação acadêmica na Educação Física. Como guisa à mobilização desse intento, se contextualiza a noção de “tecnologias de si”, encontrada na última etapa da obra de Michel Foucault. Na sequência, traçam-se aproximações, heterogêneas e diferenciais, entre a problemática ética colocada à constituição do sujeito e a formação acadêmica. Ainda que essas aproximações devam ser vistas com cautela – para não tomar as práticas de constituição dos sujeitos antigos como origem longínqua para forjar e explicar um modelo formativo para os sujeitos modernos – tais aproximações apontam para outras racionalidades não-hegemônicas que se contrapõem às lógicas capacitativas comumente atribuídas à formação acadêmica, que tendem a ser reduzidas apenas a seus aspectos instrumentais. Deste modo, as reflexões que aqui se avizinham não afirmam teorias gerais, tampouco verdades boas ou ruins sobre a formação, mas dão visibilidade para a composição de práticas discursivas e não-discursivas alternativas de elaboração e lapidação de si, estabelecidas nos jogos de força que as sustentam ao longo do percurso formativo

Disc mechanical characteristics : construction of a finite element mathematical model, first results

Computational mechanics is an invaluable tool to analyze biomechanical systems, either in healthy or degenerative conditions, and to improve our understanding on the events that can trigger trauma or diseases, to design new medical devices to restore working conditions, or even to point out treatment techniques. Numerical methods in general, and the Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) in particular, if properly built and used, can allow an inside view, a rigorous analysis and a qualitative study of any assumption, frequently too much difficult or even impossible to achieve with any in-vivo or in-vitro experimental technique. An Intervertebral Disc (IVD) is a functionally-oriented construction of several soft tissues, supporting a wide range of dynamic and static loads that generate complex stress fields, which experimental study and understanding of its biomechanical behavior is of an enormous complexity. On the one hand, human’s in-vivo study is almost impossible – due to the high degree of uncertainty in applied loads, geometric variability of individuals, complex surrounding musculoskeletal interactions, the role played by electro-chemical phenomena like osmolarity, etc – and post-mortem studies hardly provides accurate information to allow a clear and precise characterization and transposition to in-vivo biomechanics. On the other hand, due to that intrinsic complexity of the IVD, an accurate biomechanical model cannot easily be achieved. It is rather a step-by-step task where, although there are still many open questions, an important effort is being done to bring to the FEA the multi-physics behavior, and the complex interactions between them, in order to accurately model the IVD’s constitutive performance. This work is focused in the most relevant issues and phenomena that shall be taken into account in the development of an accurate biomechanical FEA model of the IVD, either in healthy or degenerated states

Applied colorimetry as instrument in the elaboration of a timber color chart

A cor da madeira é muito instável, estando sujeita a rápidas alterações. Esta instabilidade está intrinsecamente relacionada com os elementos anatômicos constituintes da madeira. Por ser subjetiva, a cor da madeira pode ser interpretada dediversas formas. Neste trabalho estudaram-se as cores de 350 espécies de madeira(402 amostras). Seguiu-se o Sistema CIE La*b* de 1976. Determinaram-se os dados colorimétricos dessas amostras por meio de um espectrofotômetro Datacolor Microflash 200d. Fez-se, por meio de aplicação de um questionário, o levantamento da nomenclatura das cores das madeiras adotadas na tabela. Utilizando-se de análise multivariada, os dados foram classificados em 33 grupos de cores homogêneascom o objetivo de confeccionar uma tabela de cores de madeiras. Constatou-se queo ângulo de tinta (H), no sistema CIE La*b*, de todas as cores das madeiras estudadasse enquadrou de 0º a 90º. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTDue to its subjectivity, color in timber can be interpreted in different ways, in addition to the fact that it is unstable and subjected to alterations caused by weathering. This experiment studied colors and figures of 380. Brazilian tropical wood species based on the CIE La*b* Color System from 1976. Colorimetric data was determined by means of a Datacolor Microflash 200d Spectophotometer. A multivariate statistical analyses by Cluster grouping method was used to determine 25 groups of colors using the Variables L, a*, b* e h, with the objective of creating a wood color chart. A survey was used to define the nomenclature of the colors to be adopted in the chart. It was determined 512 color names for 34 wood specimens studied among 28 surveied. It was observed that the angle of ink (h) in the CIE La*b* System for the species studied was between 0º and 90º (first quadrant)

Proposta de uma demonstração de impacto socioeconómico para uma instituição do sector não lucrativo

As organizações com cariz social têm características únicas e os procedimentos contabilísticos e as Demonstrações Financeiras produzidas não reflectem essa singularidade. Deste modo, o principal objectivo do presente estudo prende-se com a apresentação de uma proposta de Demonstração de Impacto Socioeconómico aplicada à Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Alfândega da Fé, partindo de uma metodologia utilizada para uma entidade do 3.º Sector e promovida por Mook e Quarter (2006). Apesar de evidenciar o mesmo resultado líquido do período, a Demonstração de Impacto Socioeconómico, contrariamente à Demonstração de Resultados convencional, reflecte o valor que os seus voluntários adicionaram à Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Alfândega da Fé no exercício de 2010, ilustra o impacto desta sobre os seus principais intervenientes, sobre a economia social, sobre o sector privado e sobre o sector público

Predictors of positive mental health in higher education students. A cross‐sectional predictive study

Purpose To describe positive mental health (PMH) psychological vulnerability (PV) and identify predictors of PMH in higher education students (HES). Design and Methods A cross-sectional, predictive study was performed with a convenience sample of 3322 students, using an online questionnaire with sociodemographic information, the PMH Questionnaire, and the PV Scale. Findings The majority scored a flourishing level, and 67.7% of the participants scored high levels of PV. The Regression Model found a significant predictive variable for PMH. Practice Implications Gender, age, regular exercise, healthy diet, number of meals per day, and leisure activities are significant positive predictors of PMH. PV is the sole significant negative predictor. Therefore, improving mental health literacy can be a strategy to support HESinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio