Business Cycles, Core and Periphery in Monetary Unions: Comparing Europe and North America

We compare Europe with the USA and Canada as regards business cycle synchronization and core-periphery patterns. A long sample (1950-2005) makes it possible to study how these aspects have evolved over time. Results support the economic viability of EMU. Average cyclical correlations among European countries have risen significantly, reaching levels close to, or even higher than, those of North American regions. Applying fuzzy clustering to the analysis of core-periphery issues, we find Europe to actually outperform North America: the core-periphery divide is milder, and peripheral status seems generally less protracted.European Union, Canada, United States, Monetary Unions, Business Cycles, Fuzzy Clustering.

Responses of CYP450 dependent system to aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons body burden in transplanted mussels from South coast of Portugal

Mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were cross-transplanted at South Portugal from a reference site (site 1) to a site more contaminated with hydrocarbon compounds (site 2), and vice versa, in an active biomonitoring (ABM) concept, to assess the biotransformation capacity catalyzed by the mixed function oxygenase (MFO) system. Total alkanes (TAlk), the unresolved complex mixture (UCM), and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAHs) concentration increased respectively 6, 4.4 and 4.2 fold relatively to control, in mussels transplanted from site 1 to 2. In the cross-transplant, a 48, 57 and 62% depuration of TAlk, UCM and TPAHs concentrations occurred by the end of the 3-4th week. Petrogenic and biogenic (marine and terrigenous) sources of AHs, and petrogenic and pyrolitic (biomass and oil/fuel incomplete combustion) sources of PAHs were detected at both sites. CYP450, CYT b (5) and NADPH-RED in mussels transplanted from site 1 to 2 were induced from day 0 to 28, with a total increase of 35, 32 and 35%, respectively, while biochemical equilibrium to lesser environmental contamination occurs in mussels transplanted from site 2 to 1. A significant relationship between CYP450 and NADPH-RED was found with TPAH, with distinctive behavior at the two sites. MFO system components increase with exposure time at one site and decreases in the other, reflecting an adaptation to distinct environmental hydrocarbon loads. The ABM strategy proved to be useful to understand the environment real impact on the biochemical responses in mussels' local populations. In this study, CYP450 and NADPH-RED are a useful biomarker for hydrocarbon exposure.FCT: PRAXIS XXI/BD/3740/94info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of Lorentz-violating terms on a two-level system

The influence of Lorentz- and CPT-violating terms of the extended Standard Model on a semi-classical two-level system is analyzed. It is shown that the Lorentz-violating background (when coupled with the fermion sector in a vector way) is able to induce modifications on the Rabi oscillation pattern, promoting sensitive modulations on the usual oscillations. As for the term involving the coefficient coupled in an axial vector way, it brings about oscillations both on energy states and on the spin states (implied by the background). It is also seen that such backgrounds are able to yield state oscillations even in the absence of the electromagnetic field. The foreseen effects are used to establish upper bounds on the Lorentz-violating coefficients.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, revtex style

Explaining growth in African countries – what matters?

In this work we analyze the role of the traditional determinants of economic growth, pointed by the literature, in African countries in the period between 1950 and 2012, using growth regressions. Due to the specificity and the single nature of each one of these countries, methods that take into account observed and unobserved heterogeneity are used. Results highlight the relevance of the growth rate of the capital stock to economic growth in African countries in the short-run, which is significant in all regressions. The growth rate of the government to GDP ratio is also important in all but one of the regressions in which appears, and its growth is harmful for the growth of GDP per capita in the short-run. On the other hand, variables related to the public debt do not present any relationship with economic growth. Human capital has a positive relationship with economic growth in regressions that do not include public debt. The growth rate of real GDP per capita also depends (negatively) on its past value, i.e., the lower the real GDP per capita the higher will be its growth rate.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Modelos de crescimento e governação das transacções no sector das embalagens: três casos portugueses

No sector português das embalagens identificámos três casos de modelos estratégicos distintos de crescimento e governação das transacções. Apesar do longo debate sobre onde desenhar as fronteiras da empresa, persiste a ausência de consenso, e diferentes teorias propõem diversas soluções. Este estudo contribui para o debate com o estudo de três casos portugueses. Os modelos estratégicos adoptados pelas três empresas são profundamente diferentes, mas viabilizam elevado desempenho e expansão comercial. Uma empresa assume um modelo clássico de centralização da produção e de serviço dos clientes através de relações de mercado quase puras. Outra empresa, um modelo de elevada integração vertical que corresponde à externalização integral das actividades produtivas dos clientes. A terceira, um modelo especializado de integração com a estrutura produtiva dos clientes, a um nível de quase integração vertical, com a instalação wall to wall de pequenas a médias fábricas. Os três casos parecem evidenciar que o estabelecimento de parcerias e o nível de confiança estabelecido, foram decisivos para a sobrevivência e expansão das empresas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Petrified auricular cartilages pointing the diagnosis of post-partum hypopituitarism in an encephalopathic patient

True ossification of ear auricles is exceptional. We present the first case linking this finding to post-partum hypopituitarism. A 57-year-old female presented with a 2-day history of fever, headache and behavioural disturbances. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal. Since cerebral spinal fluid could not be obtained, she was treated empirically for a meningitis. A urinary tract infection was subsequently identified as the cause of fever but when she improved she remained apathetic. At this time petrified auricles were noticed; histological examination revealed true ossification. Endocrinological screening showed partial hypopituitarism and thyroid autoimmune disorder. Initial symptoms could be dated to the birth of her last child 15 years before, with breast feeding difficulties, loss of body hair, and transient amenorrhoea. The absence of overt peripartum bleeding, resumption of menses 1 year later, preservation or recovery of some hypophyseal function, and presence of an associated autoimmune thyroid disorder and of hypophyseal tissue in a normal sella turca, all suggest lymphocytic hypophysitis rather than Sheehan syndrome as the primary disorder. Of the 15 patients reported to date with auricular ossification, two had Addison disease. The present case suggests that low cortisol is the key factor in this clinical finding

Turbulence modelling of multiphase flow in high-pressure trickle-bed reactors

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TFK-4VB01VS-7/2/7dcce0ca6c1ed57a847371407b038f1

Trickle-bed CFD studies in the catalytic wet oxidation of phenolic acids

An Euler-Euler computational fluid model was developed successfully for the hydrodynamic prediction of a trickle-bed reactor (TBR) designed for advanced wastewater treatment facilities. Catalytic wet air oxidation of phenolic acids was simulated in a TBR by means of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) in the temperature range and pressures . The hydrodynamic model validation was accomplished through the comparison of simulated pressure drop and liquid holdup with experimental data from the literature. In a broad range of gas and liquid flows studied (G=0.10-0.70 and ) at different operation conditions, CFD demonstrated the considerable effect of operating pressure in pressure drop, whereas a minor influence was detected for the liquid holdup. CFD runs were then performed for the catalytic wet air oxidation of aqueous phenolic acids solution. The reactor behaviour was analysed by means of total organic carbon profiles which reflected the influence of temperature, pressure, gas-liquid flows and initial pollutant concentration.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TFK-4PPMXS0-1/1/2dabed7df5e98dfd85f3fef6ef64782

Development of liquid xenon detectors for medical imaging

In the present paper, we report on our developments of liquid xenon detectors for medical imaging, positron emission tomography and single photon imaging, in particular. The results of the studies of several photon detectors (photomultiplier tubes and large area avalanche photodiode) suitable for detection of xenon scintillation are also briefly described.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, presented on the International Workshop on Techniques and Applications of Xenon Detectors (Xenon01), ICRR, Univ. of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan, December 3-4, 2001 (submitted to proceedings