Asymmetries and Common Cycles in Latin America: Evidence from Markov-Switching Models

Markov-switching models are estimated to characterise expansions and contractions for Latin American countries. In general, univariate analysis results imply that recessions are deeper in absolute magnitude, less persistent, and more volatile than expansions. From an international perspective, it is found that there is not a common Latin American cycle, but there exists some evidence about common regime shifts and cycles between Brazil-Peru and Chile-United States. However, it seems that their causes are very different and related to common shocks and similar policies. Therefore, it is concluded that individual business cycles are largely independent in Latin America.

Fluctuaciones cíclicas en la producción maquiladora de México

En este documento se utiliza la metodología de análisis de los ciclos económicos propuesta por Kydland y Prescott (1990) para estudiar la relación entre las fluctuaciones cíclicas de la producción maquiladora de México y las de otras variables clave de la economía doméstica y del sector externo del país. Uno de los resultados más importantes es que las fluctuaciones cíclicas de la producción maquiladora siguen una dinámica diferente a las de la producción de la industria nacional, por lo que responden de manera distinta a las diferentes variables macroeconómicas. Por otro lado, los efectos de la economía estadounidense no parecen ser homogéneos a través del tiempo y a través del cicl

Fluctuaciones cíclicas en México y en el Estado de México en el contexto del TLCAN: ¿cuáles son los hechos?

En este documento se analizan las fluctuaciones cíclicas de México y del Estado de México -para el periodo 1993-2005- empleando el enfoque de los ciclos de crecimiento. La comparación de nuestros resultados con los publicados previamente indica cambios en la magnitud y naturaleza de las relaciones del ciclo y diversas variables macroeconómicas, lo que sugiere la posible existencia de un cambio estructural hacia la primera mitad de los años noventa. Adicionalmente, los ciclos de México y del Estado de México son muy similares, en particular en su relación con las variables nacionales. Por su parte, las variables estatales guardan relaciones moderadas, en el mejor de los casos, con el indicador del ciclo y nunca lo anteceden, lo cual podría evidenciar la importancia de los choques nacionales en las fluctuaciones cíclicas estatales

Electrorotation of semiconducting microspheres

We study experimentally the electrorotation (ROT) of semiconducting microspheres. ZnO microspheres obtained by a hydrothermal synthesis method are dispersed in KCl aqueous solutions and subjected to rotating electric fields. Two ROT peaks are found in experiments: a counterfield peak and a cofield peak at somewhat higher frequencies. These observations are in accordance with recent theoretical predictions for semiconducting spheres. The counterfield rotation is originated by the charging of the electrical double layer at the particle-electrolyte interface, while the cofield rotation is due to the Maxwell-Wagner relaxation. Additionally, we also found that some microspheres in the sample behaved differently and only showed counterfield rotation. We show that the behavior of these particles can be described by the so-called shell model. The microstructure of the microspheres is analyzed with electron microscope techniques and related to the ROT measurements.Spanish Government Ministry MICINN under Contract No. PGC2018-099217-B-I00Junta de Andalucía Contract No. PEJUS-

Modeling the AC Electrokinetic Behavior of Semiconducting Spheres

We study theoretically the dielectrophoresis and electrorotation of a semiconducting microsphere immersed in an aqueous electrolyte. To this end, the particle polarizability is calculated from first principles for arbitrary thickness of the Debye layers in liquid and semiconductor. We show that the polarizability dispersion arises from the combination of two relaxation interfacial phenomena: charging of the electrical double layer and the Maxwell–Wagner relaxation. We also calculate the particle polarizability in the limit of thin electrical double layers, which greatly simplifies the analytical calculations. Finally, we show the model predictions for two relevant materials (ZnO and doped silicon) and discuss the limits of validity of the thin double layer approximation

Dipolophoresis and Travelling-Wave Dipolophoresis of Metal Microparticles

We study theoretically and numerically the electrokinetic behavior of metal microparticles immersed in aqueous electrolytes. We consider small particles subjected to non-homogeneous ac electric fields and we describe their motion as arising from the combination of electrical forces (dielectrophoresis) and the electroosmotic flows on the particle surface (induced-charge electrophoresis). The net particle motion is known as dipolophoresis. We also study the particle motion induced by travelling electric fields. We find analytical expressions for the dielectrophoresis and induced-charge electrophoresis of metal spheres and we compare them with numerical solutions. This validates our numerical method, which we also use to study the dipolophoresis of metal cylinders.Spanish Research Agency MCI under contract PGC2018-099217-B-I00