Four essays on economic geography, trade and development

RESUME Cette thèse se situe à la frontière de la recherche en économie du développement et du commerce international et vise à intégrer les apports de l'économie géographique. Le premier chapitre s'intéresse aux effets de création et de détournement de commerce au sein des accords régionaux entre pays en développement et combine une approche gravitaire et une estimation non paramétrique des effets de commerce. Cette analyse confirme un effet de commerce non monotone pour six accords régionaux couvrant l'Afrique, l'Amérique Latine et l'Asie (AFTA, CAN, CACM, CEDEAO, MERCO SUR et SADC) sur la période 1960-1996. Les accords signés dans les années 90 (AFTA, CAN, MERCOSUR et SADC) semblent avoir induis une amélioration du bien-être de leurs membres mais avec un impact variable sur le reste du monde, tandis que les accords plus anciens (CEDEAO et CACM) semblent montrer que les effets de commerce et de bien-être se réduisent pour finir par s'annuler à mesure que le nombre d'années de participation des Etats membres augmente. Le deuxième chapitre pose la question de l'impact de la géographie sur les échanges Sud-Sud. Ce chapitre innove par rapport aux méthodes classiques d'estimation en dérivant une équation de commerce à partir de l'hypothèse d'Armington et en intégrant une fonction de coût de transport qui prend en compte la spécificité des pays de l'UEMOA. Les estimations donnent des effets convaincants quant au rôle de l'enclavement et des infrastructures: deux pays enclavés de l'UEMOA commercent 92% moins que deux autres pays quelconques, tandis que traverser un pays de transit au sein de l'espace UEMOA augmente de 6% les coûts de transport, et que bitumer toutes les routes inter-Etat de l'Union induirait trois fois plus de commerce intra-UEMOA. Le chapitre 3 s'intéresse à la persistance des différences de développement au sein des accords régionaux entre pays en développement. Il montre que la géographie différenciée des pays du Sud membres d'un accord induit un impact asymétrique de celui-ci sur ses membres. Il s'agit d'un modèle stylisé de trois pays dont deux ayant conclu un accord régional. Les résultats obtenus par simulation montrent qu'une meilleure dotation en infrastructure d'un membre de l'accord régional lui permet d'attirer une plus grande part industrielle à mesure que les coûts de transport au sein de l'accord régional sont baissés, ce qui conduit à un développement inégal entre les membres. Si les niveaux d'infrastructure domestique de transport sont harmonisés au sein des pays membres de l'accord d'intégration, leurs parts industrielles peuvent converger au détriment des pays restés hors de l'union. Le chapitre 4 s'intéresse à des questions d'économie urbaine en étudiant comment l'interaction entre rendements croissants et coûts de transport détermine la localisation des activités et des travailleurs au sein d'un pays ou d'une région. Le modèle développé reproduit un fait stylisé observé à l'intérieur des centres métropolitains des USA: sur une période longue (1850-1990), on observe une spécialisation croissante des centres urbains et de leurs périphéries associée à une évolution croissante puis décroissante de la population des centres urbains par rapport à leurs périphéries. Ce résultat peut se transférer dans un contexte en développement avec une zone centrale et une zone périphérique: à mesure que l'accessibilité des régions s'améliore, ces régions se spécialiseront et la région principale, d'abord plus importante (en termes de nombre de travailleurs) va finir par se réduire à une taille identique à celle de la région périphérique.

The burden of hospital malnutrition in Spain: methods and development of the PREDyCES® study

It is well known that hospital malnutrition is a highly prevalent condition associated to increase morbidity and mortality as well as related healthcare costs. Although previous studies have already measured the prevalence and/or costs of hospital nutrition in our country, their local focus (at regional or even hospital level) make that the true prevalence and economic impact of hospital malnutrition for the National Health System remain unknown in Spain. The PREDyCES® (Prevalence of hospital malnutrition and associated costs in Spain) study was aimed to assess the prevalence of hospital malnutrition in Spain and to estimate related costs. Some aspects made this study unique: a) It was the first study in a representative sample of hospitals of Spain; b) different measures to assess hospital malnutrition (NRS2002, MNA as well as anthropometric and biochemical markers) where used both at admission and discharge and, c) the economic consequences of malnutrition where estimated using the perspective of the Spanish National Health System.

Examination of Curing Criteria for Cold In-Place Recycling (Phase 3: Calibration of Moisture Loss Indices and Development of Stiffness Gain Model), TR-609, 2011

In the previous study, moisture loss indices were developed based on the field measurements from one CIR-foam and one CIR-emulsion construction sites. To calibrate these moisture loss indices, additional CIR construction sites were monitored using embedded moisture and temperature sensors. In addition, to determine the optimum timing of an HMA overlay on the CIR layer, the potential of using the stiffness of CIR layer measured by geo-gauge instead of the moisture measurement by a nuclear gauge was explored. Based on the monitoring the moisture and stiffness from seven CIR project sites, the following conclusions are derived: 1. In some cases, the in-situ stiffness remained constant and, in other cases, despite some rainfalls, stiffness of the CIR layers steadily increased during the curing time. 2. The stiffness measured by geo-gauge was affected by a significant amount of rainfall. 3. The moisture indices developed for CIR sites can be used for predicting moisture level in a typical CIR project. The initial moisture content and temperature were the most significant factors in predicting the future moisture content in the CIR layer. 4. The stiffness of a CIR layer is an extremely useful tool for contractors to use for timing their HMA overlay. To determine the optimal timing of an HMA overlay, it is recommended that the moisture loss index should be used in conjunction with the stiffness of the CIR layer.

Basement lithostratigraphy of the Adula nappe: implications for Palaeozoic evolution and Alpine kinematics

The Adula nappe belongs to the Lower Penni- nic domain of the Central Swiss Alps. It consists mostly of pre-Triassic basement lithologies occurring as strongly folded and sheared gneisses of various types with mafic boudins. We propose a new lithostratigraphy for the northern Adula nappe basement that is supported by detailed field investigations, U-Pb zircon geochronology, and whole-rock geochemistry. The following units have been identified: Cambrian clastic metasediments with abundant carbonate lenses and minor bimodal magmatism (Salahorn Formation); Ordovician metapelites associated with amphibolite boudins with abundant eclogite relicts representing oceanic metabasalts (Trescolmen Formation); Ordovician peraluminous metagranites of calc-alkaline affinity ascribed to subduction-related magmatism (Ga- renstock Augengneiss); Ordovician metamorphic volcanic- sedimentary deposits (Heinisch Stafel Formation); Early Permian post-collisional granites recording only Alpine orogenic events (Zervreila orthogneiss). All basement lithologies except the Permian granites record a Vari- scan ? Alpine polyorogenic metamorphic history. They document a complex Paleozoic geotectonic evolution consistent with the broader picture given by the pre- Mesozoic basement framework in the Alps. The internal consistency of the Adula basement lithologies and the stratigraphic coherence of the overlying Triassic sediments suggest that most tectonic contacts within the Adula nappe are pre-Alpine in age. Consequently, me ́lange models for the Tertiary emplacement of the Adula nappe are not consistent and must be rejected. The present-day structural complexity of the Adula nappe is the result of the intense Alpine ductile deformation of a pre-structured entity.

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan for Iowa FFY 2014-2015, December 16, 2013

Chief Executive Officer of the State (or Territory), to represent the State (or Territory) as the Lead Agency. The Lead Agency agrees to administer the program in accordance with applicable Federal laws and regulations and the provisions of this Plan, including the assurances and certifications appended hereto. **********Names, phone numbers, emails addresses may not be current or correct any longer****************

Evolution and functional characterisation of the IR chemosensory receptors in the Drosophila larval gustatory system

Chemosensory receptor gene families encode divergent proteins capable of detecting a huge diversity of environmental stimuli that are constantly changing over evolutionary time as organisms adapt to distinct ecological niches. While olfaction is dedicated to the detection of volatile compounds, taste is key to assess food quality for nutritional value and presence of toxic substances. The sense of taste also provides initial signals to mediate endocrine regulation of appetite and food metabolism and plays a role in kin recognition. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a very good model for studying smell and taste because these senses are very important in insects and because a broad variety of genetic tools are available in Drosophila. Recently, a family of 66 chemosensory receptors, the Ionotropic Receptors (IRs) was described in fruit flies. IRs are distantly related to ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), but their evolutionary origin from these synaptic receptors is unclear. While 16 IRs are expressed in the olfactory system, nothing is known about the other members of this repertoire. In this thesis, I describe bioinformatic, expression and functional analyses of the IRs aimed at understanding how these receptors have evolved, and at characterising the role of the non-olfactory IRs. I show that these have emerged at the basis of the protostome lineage and probably have acquired their sensory function very early. Moreover, although several IRs are conserved across insects, there are rapid and dramatic changes in the size and divergence of IR repertoires across species. I then performed a comprehensive analysis of IR expression in the larva of Drosophila melanogaster, which is a good model to study taste and feeding mechanisms as it spends most of its time eating or foraging. I found that most of the divergent members of the IR repertoire are expressed in both peripheral and internal gustatory neurons, suggesting that these are involved in taste perception. Finally, through the establishment of a new neurophysiological assay in larvae, I identified for the first time subsets of IR neurons that preferentially detect sugars and amino acids, indicating that IRs might be involved in sensing these compounds. Together, my results indicate that IRs are an evolutionarily dynamic and functionally versatile family of receptors. In contrast to the olfactory IRs that are well-conserved, gustatory IRs are rapidly evolving species-specific receptors that are likely to be involved in detecting a wide variety of tastants. - La plupart des animaux possèdent de grandes familles de récepteurs chimiosensoriels dont la fonction est de détecter l'immense diversité de composés chimiques présents dans l'environnement. Ces récepteurs évoluent en même temps que les organismes s'adaptent à leur écosystème. Il existe deux manières de percevoir ces signaux chimiques : l'olfaction et le goût. Alors que le système olfactif perçoit les composés volatiles, le sens du goût permet d'évaluer, par contact, la qualité de la nourriture, de détecter des substances toxiques et de réguler l'appétit et le métabolisme. L'un des organismes modèles les plus pertinents pour étudier le sens du goût est le stade larvaire de la mouche du vinaigre Drosophila melanogaster. En effet, la principale fonction du stade larvaire est de trouver de la nourriture et de manger. De plus, il est possible d'utiliser tous les outils génétiques développés chez la drosophile. Récemment, une nouvelle famille de 66 récepteurs chimiosensoriels appelés Récepteurs Ionotropiques (IRs) a été découverte chez la drosophile. Bien que leur orogine soit peu claire, ces récepteurs sont similaires aux récepteurs ionotropiques glutamatergiques impliqués dans la transmission synaptique. 16 IRs sont exprimés dans le système olfactif de la mouche adulte, mais pour l'instant on ne connaît rien des autres membres de cette famille. Durant ma thèse, j'ai effectué des recherches sur l'évolution de ces récepteurs ainsi que sur l'expression et la fonction des IRs non olfactifs. Je démontre que les IRs sont apparus chez l'ancêtre commun des protostomiens et ont probablement acquis leur fonction sensorielle très rapidement. De plus, bien qu'un certain nombre d'IRs olfactifs soient conservés chez les insectes, d'importantes variations dans la taille et la divergence des répertoires d'IRs entre les espèces ont été constatées. J'ai également découvert qu'un grand nombre d'IRs non olfactifs sont exprimés dans différents organes gustatifs, ce qui leur confère probablement une fonction dans la perception des goûts. Finalement, pour la première fois, des neurones exprimant des IRs ont été identifiés pour leur fonction dans la perception de sucres et d'acides aminés chez la larve. Mes résultats présentent les IRs comme une famille très dynamique, aux fonctions très variées, qui joue un rôle tant dans l'odorat que dans le goût, et dont la fonction est restée importante tout au long de l'évolution. De plus, l'identification de neurones spécialisés dans la perception de certains composés permettra l'étude des circuits neuronaux impliqués dans le traitement de ces informations.

Iowa Highway Research Board Research and Development Activities FY 2015

This report, entitled Iowa Highway Research and Development Activities FY 2015, is submitted in compliance with Iowa Code section 310.36 and 312.3A, which direct the submission of a report of the Secondary Road Research Fund and the Street Research Fund, respectively. It is a report of the status of research and development projects in process on June 30, 2015. It is also a report on projects completed during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014 and ending June 30, 2015. Detailed information on each of the research and development projects mentioned in this report is available from the office of Research and Analytics, Performance and Technology Division, Iowa Department of Transportation. All approved reports are also online for viewing at http://www.iowadot.gov/research/pdf/IHRBAnnualReport.pdf.

Gas exchange rates, plant height, yield components, and productivity of upland rice as affected by plant regulators

The objective of this work was to evaluate gas exchange rates, plant height, yield components, and productivity of upland rice, as affected by type and application time of plant growth regulators. A randomized block design, in a 4x2 factorial arrangement, with four replicates was used. Treatments consisted of three growth regulators (mepiquat chloride, trinexapac-ethyl, and paclobutrazol), besides a control treatment applied at two different phenological stages: early tillering or panicle primordial differentiation. The experiment was performed under sprinkler-irrigated field conditions. Net CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, plant transpiration, and water-use efficiency were measured four times in Primavera upland rice cultivar, between booting and milky grain phenophases. Gas exchange rates were neither influenced by growth regulators nor by application time. There was, however, interaction between these factors on the other variables. Application of trinexapac-ethyl at both tillering and differentiation stages reduced plant height and negatively affected yield components and rice productivity. However, paclobutrazol and mepiquat chloride applied at tillering, reduced plant height without affecting rice yield. Mepiquat chloride acted as a growth stimulator when applied at the differentiation stage, and significantly increased plant height, panicle number, and grain yield of upland rice.

Microclimate and development of 'Conilon' coffee intercropped with rubber trees

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of intercropping 'Conilon' coffee (Coffea canephora) with rubber trees on coffee tree microclimate, nutrition, growth, and yield. Rubber trees were planted in two double rows 33 m apart, with 4x2.3 m spacing between plants. Treatments consisted of the distances from the coffee plants to the rubber trees: 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 m. Measurements of atmospheric variables (temperature, irradiance, and relative humidity), leaf nutrient concentration, internode length of plagiotropic and orthotropic branches, individual leaf area, chlorophyll content, and yield were performed. Intercropping promotes changes in the microclimatic conditions of coffee plants close to rubber trees, with reduction of temperature and irradiance level and increase in air relative humidity. The proximity of the coffee tree to the rubber trees promotes the elongation of the plagiotropic and orthotropic branches and increases the individual leaf area; however, it does not affect leaf concentrations of N, K, Mg, Fe, Zn, and B in 'Conilon' coffee and does not have a negative impact on yield.

The structure and development of Russia's food retail sector from the point of view of Finnish food industry

Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena on selvittää Venäjän ruoan vähittäiskaupan rakenne ja sen tuleva kehitys. Tällä hetkellä se on yksi maailman nopeimmin kasvavista markkinoista. Kasvun syynä on korkea öljyn hinta, jokaon kumuloitunut ihmisten palkkoihin. Kuitenkin vaikka tulot kasvavat, ruokaan käytetty osuus tuloista on pysynyt suhteellisen vakaana. Kulutus on siis siirtymässä laadukkaampiin ja arvokkaampiin tuotteisiin Modernien kauppojen osuus markkinoista on vielä pieni, koska Venäjän vähittäiskauppasektori on yhä hajaantunut perinteisiin kauppaformaatteihin kuten kioskeihin, toreille ja pieniin ruokakauppoihin. Kauppaketjut ovat kuitenkin tulossa merkittävämmiksi. Suurin markkina-alue vähittäiskauppiaille on Moskova, mutta tällä hetkellä ketjut laajentavat toimintojaan nopeasti myös muille Venäjän alueille. Parhaat kasvunäkymät ovat alueilla, vaikka Moskovan markkinat eivät olekaan kyllästyneet. Tärkein kasvua rajoittava tekijä Moskovassa on rakennustonttien ja kiinteistöjen saatavuus. Vähittäiskauppamarkkinat lähestyvät kyllästymispistettä, josta seuraa markkinoiden konsolidaatio. Tämä prosessi on jo alkanut, mutta kovin paljon yritysostoja ei ole vielätehty. Toistaiseksi kauppaketjut ovat tyytyneet muodostamaan alliansseja. Ketjut pyrkivät parantamaan asemaansa hintaneuvotteluissa muodostamalla osto-alliansseja, luomalla omia brändejä ja käyttämällä alueellista laajentumista lyömäaseena. Jotta ruoan tuottaja pääsisi myös alueellisille markkinoille, on sen ehkä suostuttava myymään tuotteitaan edullisempaan hintaan. Tavarantoimittajat ovat vahvassa asemassa silloin, kun heillä on toimiva jakeluverkko, kyky JIT-toimituksiin,kunnollinen dokumentaatiokäytäntö, vahva brändi ja edullinen hinta. Ns. listausmaksun suuruus voi määrittää tuottajan tuotteilleen saaman hyllytilan koon.

Evolution and sedimentology of a channel fill in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River and its comparison to the deposits of an adjacent compound bar

The depositional stratigraphy of within-channel deposits in sandy braided rivers is dominated by a variety of barforms (both singular `unit' bars and complex `compound' bars), as well as the infill of individual channels (herein termed `channel fills'). The deposits of bars and channel fills define the key components of facies models for braided rivers and their within-channel heterogeneity, knowledge of which is important for reservoir characterization. However, few studies have sought to address the question of whether the deposits of bars and channel fills can be readily differentiated from each other. This paper presents the first quantitative study to achieve this aim, using aerial images of an evolving modern sandy braided river and geophysical imaging of its subsurface deposits. Aerial photographs taken between 2000 and 2004 document the abandonment and fill of a 1 3 km long, 80 m wide anabranch channel in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River, Canada. Upstream river regulation traps the majority of very fine sediment and there is little clay (<1%) in the bed sediments. Channel abandonment was initiated by a series of unit bars that stalled and progressively blocked the anabranch entrance, together with dune deposition and stacking at the anabranch entrance and exit. Complete channel abandonment and subsequent fill of up to 3 m of sediment took approximately two years. Thirteen kilometres of ground-penetrating radar surveys, coupled with 18 cores, were obtained over the channel fill and an adjacent 750 m long, 400 m wide, compound bar, enabling a quantitative analysis of the channel and bar deposits. Results show that, in terms of grain-size trends, facies proportions and scale of deposits, there are only subtle differences between the channel fill and bar deposits which, therefore, renders them indistinguishable. Thus, it may be inappropriate to assign different geometric and sedimentological attributes to channel fill and bar facies in object-based models of sandy braided river alluvial architecture.

Research and development, where people are exposed to nanomaterials

OBJECTIVES: Many nanomaterials (materials with structures smaller than 100 nm) have chemical, physical and bioactive characteristics of interest for novel applications. Considerable research efforts have been launched in this field. This study aimed to study exposure scenarios commonly encountered in research settings. METHODS: We studied one of the leading Swiss universities and first identified all research units dealing with nanomaterials. After a preliminary evaluation of quantities and process types used, a detailed analysis was conducted in units where more than a few micrograms were used per week. RESULTS: In the investigated laboratories, background levels were usually low and in the range of a few thousand particles per cubic centimeter. Powder applications resulted in concentrations of 10,000 to 100,000 particles/cm(3) when measured inside fume hoods, but there were no or mostly minimal increases in the breathing zone of researchers. Mostly low exposures were observed for activities involving liquid applications. However, centrifugation and lyophilization of nanoparticle-containing solutions resulted in high particle number levels (up to 300,000 particles/cm(3)) in work spaces where researchers did not always wear respiratory protection. No significant increases were found for processes involving nanoparticles bound to surfaces, nor were they found in laboratories that were visualizing properties and structure of small amounts of nanomaterials. CONCLUSIONS: Research activities in modern laboratories equipped with control techniques were associated with minimal releases of nanomaterials into the working space. However, the focus should not only be on processes involving nanopowders but should also be on processes involving nanoparticle-containing liquids, especially if the work involves physical agitation, aerosolization or drying of the liquids.

Evolution and cellular function of monothiol glutaredoxins: involvement in iron-sulphur cluster assembly

A number of bacterial species, mostly proteobacteria, possess monothiol glutaredoxins homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial protein Grx5, which is involved in iron–sulphur cluster synthesis. Phylogenetic profiling is used to predict that bacterial monothiol glutaredoxins also participate in the iron–sulphur cluster (ISC) assembly machinery, because their phylogenetic profiles are similar to the profiles of the bacterial homologues of yeast ISC proteins. High evolutionary cooccurrence is observed between the Grx5 homologues and the homologues of the Yah1 ferredoxin, the scaffold proteins Isa1 and Isa2, the frataxin protein Yfh1 and the Nfu1 protein. This suggests that a specific functional interaction exists between these ISC machinery proteins. Physical interaction analyses using low-definition protein docking predict the formation of strong and specific complexes between Grx5 and several components of the yeast ISC machinery. Two-hybrid analysis has confirmed the in vivo interaction between Grx5 and Isa1. Sequence comparison techniques and cladistics indicate that the other two monothiol glutaredoxins of S. cerevisiae, Grx3 and Grx4, have evolved from the fusion of a thioredoxin gene with a monothiol glutaredoxin gene early in the eukaryotic lineage, leading to differential functional specialization. While bacteria do not contain these chimaeric glutaredoxins, in many eukaryotic species Grx5 and Grx3/4-type monothiol glutaredoxins coexist in the cell.

Advances in research and development of mango industry

World mango production is spread over 100 countries that produce over 34.3 million tons of fruit annually. Eighty percent of this production is based in the top nine producing nations that also consume upward of 90% of their production domestically. One to 2 percent of fruit is traded internationally in to markets in the European Community, USA, Arabian Peninsula and Asia. This paper outlines some of the recent research and development advances in mango breeding and genomics, rootstock development, disease management and harvest technologies that are influencing the production and quality of mango fruit traded domestically and internationally.