Roll out the red carpet and they will come : investment promotion and FDI inflows

As red tape in host countries and information asymmetries constitute a significant obstacle to investment flows across international borders, an important policy question is: what can aspiring FDI destinations do to reduce such barriers? This study uses newly collected data on 124 countries to examine the effects of investment promotion on inflows of US FDI. We test whether sectors explicitly targeted by investment promotion agencies in their efforts to attract FDI receive more investment in the post-targeting period, relative to the pre-targeting period and non-targeted sectors. The results of our analysis are consistent with investment promotion leading to higher FDI flows to countries in which red tape and information asymmetries are likely to be severe. The data suggest that investment promotion works in developing countries but not in industrialized economies

Growth and the Quality of Foreign Direct Investment: Is All FDI Equal?

In this paper we distinguish different "qualities" of FDI to re-examine the relationship between FDI and growth. We use 'quality' to mean the effect of a unit of FDI on economic growth. However this is difficult to establish because it is a function of many different country and project characteristics which are often hard to measure Hence, we differentiate "quality FDI" in several different ways. First, we look at the possibility that the effects of FDI differ by sector. Second, we differentiate FDI based on objective qualitative industry characteristics including the average skill intensity and reliance on external capital. Third, we use a new dataset on industry-level targeting to analyze quality FDI based on the subjective preferences expressed by the receiving countries themselves. Finally, we use a two-stage least squares methodology to control for measurement error and endogeneity. Exploiting a new comprehensive industry level data set of 29 countries between 1985 and 2000, we find that the growth effects of FDI increase when we account for the quality of FDI.foreign direct investment, economic growth, industry data, spillovers,instrumental variables

Roll out the Red Carpet and They Will Come: Investment Promotion and FDI Inflows

As red tape in host countries and information asymmetries constitute a significant obstacle to investment flows across international borders, an important policy question is: what can aspiring FDI destinations do to reduce such barriers? This study uses newly collected data on 124 countries to examine the effects of investment promotion on inflows of US FDI. We test whether sectors explicitly targeted by investment promotion agencies in their efforts to attract FDI receive more investment in the post-targeting period, relative to the pre-targeting period and non-targeted sectors. The results of our analysis are consistent with investment promotion leading to higher FDI flows to countries in which red tape and information asymmetries are likely to be severe. The data suggest that investment promotion works in developing countries but not in industrialized economies.foreign direct investment, investment promotion, investment incentives, emerging markets, information asymmetries, red tape

Fifteen new risk loci for coronary artery disease highlight arterial-wall-specific mechanisms

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although 58 genomic regions have been associated with CAD thus far, most of the heritability is unexplained, indicating that additional susceptibility loci await identification. An efficient discovery strategy may be larger-scale evaluation of promising associations suggested by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Hence, we genotyped 56,309 participants using a targeted gene array derived from earlier GWAS results and performed meta-analysis of results with 194,427 participants previously genotyped, totaling 88,192 CAD cases and 162,544 controls. We identified 25 new SNP-CAD associations (P < 5 × 10(-8), in fixed-effects meta-analysis) from 15 genomic regions, including SNPs in or near genes involved in cellular adhesion, leukocyte migration and atherosclerosis (PECAM1, rs1867624), coagulation and inflammation (PROCR, rs867186 (p.Ser219Gly)) and vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation (LMOD1, rs2820315). Correlation of these regions with cell-type-specific gene expression and plasma protein levels sheds light on potential disease mechanisms

Thinking locally: Exploring the importance of a subsidiary-centered model of FDI-related spillovers in Brazil

This paper investigates FDI-related spillovers in Brazil for the period 1996-2005. In contrast to most previous recent studies, which have failed to identify any significant effects in emerging economies, we found that horizontal spillovers did arise in Brazil. However, they did not arise simply as a consequence of general FDI-mediated technology transfer from MNC headquarters, as the standard approach presumes. Nor were they associated with expected inter-industry differences in technological intensity, or with differences in domestic firms’ absorptive capability. Instead, spillovers were associated with the existence of particular kinds of localized knowledge-creation activities undertaken by subsidiaries. We discuss the theory and policy implications that emerge from these results.FDI spillovers, subsidiaries, heterogeneity, localized innovation, Brazil, productivity, innovation

Effect of Science Teaching Materials Integrated Blended-PBL Models on Students’ 21st Century Skills: A Meta-Analysis

The objective of the study was to analyze the effect size of a number of similar studies on students' 21st century skills. The research method can be classified into meta-analysis. In this meta-analysis method, the effect size of each similar study was determined and the hypotheses were tested from a number of similar studies. In this study, 26 similar articles were analyzed from national journals and international journals. As independent variables are science teaching materials, as moderator variables are types of teaching materials, learning models, and level of education. From the results of the analysis, it can be stated that science teaching materials have a positive effect on 21st century skills based on the type of teaching materials, learning models, and educational level. Therefore, the use of science teaching materials is effective for improving students' 21st century skills both in terms of various types of teaching materials, learning models, and educational level

Molecular Profiling of the Adult Corticospinal Tract Reveals Transcriptional, Anatomical, and Reactive Heterogeneity

The corticospinal tract (CST) is the major descending motor tract responsible for voluntary movement in all mammals. Corticospinal neurons (CSNs) have cell bodies in layer 5 of the primary motor cortex, with axons that descend through the internal capsule, decussate at the medullary pyramids, and innervate every spinal segment along the entire spinal neuro-axis. Injury, disease, and neurodegeneration within this pathway result in chronic, irreversible functional deficits in motor and sensory function due to inhibitory extrinsic substrates, including central nervous system (CNS) myelin and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the extracellular matrix, and poor intrinsic growth capacity. Current strategies for repairing the CST after injury remain woefully incomplete due to the underexplored molecular diversity among neurons in this tract. To study the heterogeneity of uninjured adult CSNs, we developed a method for robust dissociation of cortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons, ensuring optimal cytoplasmic integrity. Using our protocol, we combined retrograde tracing from the cervical and lumbar spinal cord with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to build a transcriptional atlas of adult CSNs. Using publicly available datasets, we ascribed anatomical identity to molecularly distinct CSNs, showing that CSNs segregate based on supraspinal connectivity, in addition to spinal connectivity. By leveraging machine learning tools, we built a classifier that can reliably identify CSNs in M1 from layers 2, 3 and 5 pyramidal neurons. To explore CSN diversity in the context of injury, we performed bulk RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of CSNs from mice that had undergone spinal cord injury (SCI) and coupled it with two models of enhanced plasticity, a genetic knockout of Nogo Receptor 1 (Ngr1) or task-specific rehabilitation. Combining these bulk RNAseq studies with data from the single-cell CSN atlas enabled us to putatively assign each CSN with a plasticity index, revealing that intratelencephalic CSNs have an enhanced, innate plasticity potential. Lastly, by comparing CSNs during uniquely defined phases of postnatal patterning, we identified putative positive and negative regulators of long-distance axon growth. Together, these studies represent the first transcriptional characterization of the CST at the single-cell level. These data enable future studies that will explore the molecular mechanisms associated with CST plasticity and repair, and ultimately facilitate development of therapies that enhance functional recovery for individuals with SCI

Wellbeing in dementia

The portfolio thesis is divided into three parts:Part one is a systematic literature review exploring the relationship between self and staff-proxy assessments of quality of life in dementia. The review aimed to provide an exploration into the relationship between ratings made between self and staff-proxy rating as well as the factors that may explain or predict any differences between ratings. A systematic search of four databases identified 12 relevant studies. The findings of the studies are analysed using narrative synthesis and forest plots. Results are discussed in relation to clinical practices and research.Part two is an empirical paper that explores the subjective understandings and lived experiences of Old Age Psychiatrists in relation to positive wellbeing in dementia. Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Eleven psychiatrists from three NHS Trusts participated in the research. Three super-ordinate themes and nine sub-ordinate themes emerged from the data. These themes are discussed in relation to the wider literature base.Part three comprises the appendices supporting the systematic literature review and empirical paper. It also includes a reflective statement of the primary researcher’s experiences of the research process

MSI-based mapping strategies in tumour-heterogeneity

Since the early 2000s, considerable innovations in MS technology and associated gene sequencing systems have enabled the "-omics" revolution. The data collected from multiple omics research can be combined to gain a better understanding of cancer's biological activity. Breast and ovarian cancer are among the most common cancers worldwide in women. Despite significant advances in diagnosis, treatment, and subtype identification, breast cancer remains the world's second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, with ovarian cancer ranking fifth. Tumour heterogeneity is a significant hurdle in cancer patient prognosis, response to therapy, and metastasis. As such, heterogeneity is one of the most significant and clinically relevant areas of cancer research nowadays. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of malignancy that has been widely acknowledged in recent literature. Metabolic heterogeneity in tumours poses a challenge in developing therapies that exploit metabolic vulnerabilities. Consequently, it is crucial to approach tumour heterogeneity with an unlabeled yet spatially specific read-out of metabolic and genetic information. The advantage of DESI-MSI technology originates from its untargeted nature, which allows for the investigation of thousands of component distributions, at a micrometre scale, in a single experiment. Most notably, using a DESI-MSI clustering approach could potentially offer novel insights into metabolism, providing a method to characterise metabolically distinct sub-regions and subsequently delineate the underlying genetic drivers through genomic analyses. Hence, in this study, we aim to map the inter-and intra-tumour metabolic heterogeneity in breast and ovarian cancer by integrating multimodal MSI-based mapping strategies, comprising DESI and MALDI, with IMC (Imaging Mass Cytometry) analysis of the tumour section, using CyTOF, and high- throughput genetic characterisation of metabolically-distinct regions by transcriptomics. The multimodal analysis workflow was initially performed using sequential breast cancer Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX) models and was expanded on primary tumour sections. Moreover, a newly developed DESI-MSI friendly, hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose and polyvinylpyrrolidone (HPMC/PVP) hydrogel-based embedding was successfully established to allow simultaneous preparation and analysis of numerous fresh frozen core-size biopsies in the same Tissue Microarray (TMA) block for the investigation of tumour heterogeneity. Additionally, a single section strategy was combined with DESI-MSI coupled to Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) application to integrate gene expression analysis and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) on the same tissue segment. The developed single section methodology was then tested with multi-region collected ovarian tumours. DESI-MSI-guided spatial transcriptomics was performed for co-registration of different omics datasets on the same regions of interest (ROIs). This co-registration of various omics could unravel possible interactions between distinct metabolic profiles and specific genetic drivers that can lead to intra-tumour heterogeneity. Linking all these findings from MSI-based or guided various strategies allows for a transition from a qualitative approach to a conceptual understanding of the architecture of multiple molecular networks responsible for cellular metabolism in tumour heterogeneity.Open Acces

Quality of service in public transport based on customer satisfaction surveys: A review and assessment of methodological approaches

The growth of literature in the field of quality of service in the public transport (PT) sector shows increasing concern for a better understanding of the factors affecting service quality (SQ) in PT organizations and companies. A large variety of approaches to SQ has been developed in recent years owing to the complexity of the concept; the broad range of attributes required to evaluate SQ; and the imprecision, subjectivity and heterogeneous nature of the data used to analyse it. Most of these approaches are based on customer satisfaction surveys. This paper seeks to summarize the evolution of research and current thinking as it relates to the different methodological approaches for SQ evaluation in the PT sector over the years, and provides a discussion of future directions.This study is sponsored by the Conserjería de Innovación, Ciencia y Economía of the Junta de Andalucía (Spain) through the Excellence Research Project denominated “Q-METROBUS-Quality of service indicator for METROpolitan public BUS transport services”