Exports, Technical Progress and Productivity Growth in Chinese Manufacturing Industries

Theories suggesting either static or dynamic productivity gains derived from exports often assume the prior existence of a perfect market. In the presence of market failure, however, the competition effect and the resource reallocation effect of exports on productive efficiency may be greatly reduced; and there may actually be disincentives for innovation. This paper analyses the impact of exports on total factor productivity (TFP) growth in a transition economy using a panel of Chinese manufacturing industries over the period 1990-1997. TFP growth is estimated by employing a non-parametric approach and is decomposed into technical progress and efficiency change. We have not found evidence suggesting significant productivity gains at the industry level resulting from exports. Findings of the current study suggest that, for exports to generate significant positive effect on TFP growth, a well?developed domestic market and a neutral, outward-oriented policy are necessary.exports, industrial efficiency, technical progress, productivity

Effects of New Zealand general elections on stock market returns

This paper examines stock returns under both National and Labour governments in New Zealand, offering further insight into the existence of the political cycle effect. Findings indicate the existence of a political cycle effect in stock returns, consistent with a number of recent studies performed within both Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand’s right-of-centre National party are found to be associated with significantly higher stock returns during their terms in office than their left-of-centre counterparts, the Labour party. Our findings add to a growing body of literature, particularly outside of the United States, where investors can expect stock returns to vary depending upon the governing political party and can make better investment decisions accordingly

A lower bound for the size of a Minkowski sum of dilates

Let A be a finite non-empty set of integers. An asymptotic estimate of the size of the sum of several dilates was obtained by Bukh. The unique known exact bound concerns the sum |A + k·A|, where k is a prime and |A| is large. In its full generality, this bound is due to Cilleruelo, Serra and the first author. Let k be an odd prime and assume that |A| > 8kk. A corollary to our main result states that |2·A + k·A|=(k+2)|A|-k2-k+2. Notice that |2·P+k·P|=(k+2)|P|-2k, if P is an arithmetic progression.Postprint (author's final draft

Systematic review of new medics’ clinical task experience by country

OBJECTIVES: There is a need for research which informs on the overall size and significance of clinical skills deficits among new medics, globally. There is also the need for a meta-review of the similarities and differences between countries in the clinical skills deficits of new medics. DESIGN: A systematic review of published literature produced 68 articles from Google/Scholar, of which 9 met the inclusion criteria (quantitative clinical skills data about new medical doctors). PARTICIPANTS: 1329 new medical doctors (e.g., foundation year-1s, interns, PGY1s). SETTING: Ten countries/regions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 123 data points and representation of a broad range of clinical procedures. RESULTS: The average rate of inexperience with a wide range of clinical procedures was 35.92% (lower CI 30.84%, upper CI 40.99%). The preliminary meta-analysis showed that the overall deficit in experience is significantly different from 0 in all countries. Focusing on a smaller selection of clinical skills such as catheterisation, IV cannulation, nasogastric tubing and venepuncture, the average rate of inexperience was 26.75% (lower CI 18.55%, upper CI 35.54%) and also significant. England presented the lowest average deficit (9.15%), followed by New Zealand (18.33%), then South Africa (19.53%), Egypt, Kuwait, Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Ireland (21.07%), after which was Nigeria (37.99%), then USA (38.5%), and Iran (44.75%). CONCLUSION: A meta-analysis is needed to include data not yet in the public domain from more countries. These results provide some support for the UK General Medical Council’s clear, detailed curriculum, which has been heralded by other countries as good practice

Proteomics Characterization of Extracellular Space Components in the Human Aorta

The vascular extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for the structural integrity of the vessel wall and also serves as a substrate for the binding and retention of secreted products of vascular cells as well as molecules coming from the circulation. Although proteomics has been previously applied to vascular tissues, few studies have specifically targeted the vascular ECM and its associated proteins. Thus, its detailed composition remains to be characterized. In this study, we describe a methodology for the extraction of extracellular proteins from human aortas and their identification by proteomics. The approach is based on (a) effective decellularization to enrich for scarce extracellular proteins, (b) successful solubilization and deglycosylation of ECM proteins, and (c) relative estimation of protein abundance using spectral counting. Our three-step extraction approach resulted in the identification of 103 extracellular proteins of which one-third have never been reported in the proteomics literature of vascular tissues. In particular, three glycoproteins (podocan, sclerostin, and agrin) were identified for the first time in human aortas at the protein level. We also identified extracellular adipocyte enhancer-binding protein 1, the cartilage glycoprotein asporin, and a previously hypothetical protein, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) spondin. Moreover, our methodology allowed us to screen for proteolysis in the aortic samples based on the identification of proteolytic enzymes and their corresponding degradation products. For instance, we were able to detect matrix metalloproteinase-9 by mass spectrometry and relate its presence to degradation of fibronectin in a clinical specimen. We expect this proteomics methodology to further our understanding of the composition of the vascular extracellular environment, shed light on ECM remodeling and degradation, and provide insights into important pathological processes, such as plaque rupture, aneurysm formation, and restenosis

Two Old Babylonian model contracts

This article presents the edition of a cuneiform tablet recording two Old Babylonian model contracts

The Old Babylonian loan contract "Aegyptus 10.1" (= Boson 1936 n° 300)

The short article offers an updated transliteration, along with a commentary and a photograph, of an Old Babylonian tablet (known as "Aegyptus 10.1") belonging to the cuneiform collection of the library of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan

Fimbriation in enterobacteria

1. It has been possible to transduce the property of fimbriation to a number of permanently non-fimbriate strains of Salmonella typhimurium, using pellicle formation, which occurs on serial subculture in aerobic, static broth, as a selection mechanism. The transduction rate, using lysates prepared on wild -type fimbriate S.typhimurium strains, was calculated as 1 per 5 x 10[7] - 10[8] infected cells. It was shown that before successful transduction was effected, the recipient strain was required to be motile. This requirement was not satisfied by the presence of paralysed flagella, and is a reflection of the need for positive aerotactic movements by the recipient strain, which will result in its transport to the broth surface.2. Among 140 naturally -isolated non-fimbriate strains of S.typhimurium, evidence of non -identical allelism in the fim segment of the chromosome was shown. Reciprocal transduction among the mutants suggested the existence of five transductional groups. The order of the mutations involved in these different groups was not ascertained because of limitations in the selection method and physiological differences inherent in the mutants.3. Reciprocal transduction among 132 non -fimbriate strains of Salmonella typhimurium classified as FIRN, i.e. fin - inl - rha - , did not reveal recombination either to fin+ or rha+. These strains, although epidemiologically independent, are thought to have identical or overlapping mutations in fin and rha. The hypothesis was presented that these arose from a common fin - rha - parent, and that present-day FIRN strains represent a world -wide, successfully distributed typhimurium type.4. There was no evidence of a close linkage between fin and any other markers tested, so that the initial hypothesis of a close genetic linkage between fin and rha, to explain the almost absolute correlation of these characters in S.typhimurium strains, was not valid. With the non-fimbriate, non-flagellate derivatives of S.typhimurium LT -2 by ethyl methane sulphonate treatment, called Dubnau strains, indications of cotransduction of fin and fla were presented, but this phenomenon was not examined in detail.5. One non-fimbriate strain, S.typhimurium Sa 519, produced a small colony fimbriate revertant. Genetic analysis suggested that this was due to suppressor mutation.6. Induced reversion to a fimbriate state was achieved wi the mutagens ultra- violet light and manganous chloride. Limited tests with ethyl methane sulphonate did not induce fimbriate revertants. Of the seven fin - rha + strains of S.typhimurium, three strains reverted to a fimbriate state - Sa 749, 1436 and 1566b. Six of the 132 FIRN strains revert to fimbriate state, and were characterised as FIRN derivat- ives. The value of these findings is discussed. Spon- taneous mutation to fimbriation was never detected with any non -fimbriate S.typhimurium mutants.7. A number of fimbriate, non- haemagglutinating strains of S.paratyphi B was transduced to a haemagglutinating state with traneducing lysates from wild -type fimbriate strains o Salmonella tyohimurium. This was judged indicative of a gene Ha controlling fimbrial function, but alternate inter- pretations were discussed.8. Attempts to demonstrate the presence of a fin episome controlling phase variation in Salmonella typhimurium were without success. Another theory to explain the fin phase variation was presented, and discussed also in relation to the larger number of fimbriate and non-fimbriate types Escherichia coli.9. Competition experiments were devised to investigate the transduction procedure for fimbriate cells on a quantitative basis. Small numbers of fimbriate cells were used to challenge large numbers of non-fimbriate cells, both strains being flagellate, in mixed culture under a range of environmental conditions - static broths incubated (a) aerobically, (b) anaerobically, (c) microaerophilically, artificially aerated broths (d) on a reciprocating shaker at 100 oscillations per min. and (e) on a rotator at 12 rotations per min., and, finally, (f) on agar plates. Buffered and unbuffered media were used. The strains used were naturally isolated fimbriate and non-fimbriate strains of Salmonella typhimurium, and pairs of fimbriate and non-fimbriate strains isolated from a transduction mixture. Under conditions favourable to the formation of a fimbrial pellicle, the fimbriate cells outgrew the non -fimbriate cells and formed as much as 80% of the final population after 48 hr. A small outgrowth by naturally isolated fimbriate strains was sometimes detected, not associated with the formation of a fimbrial pellicle, and due to physiological strain differences. The possible mechanisms of this out- growth are discussed.10. Similar competition experiments in which the challenger fimbriate cells were non -motile showed that, if the challenger cell was phenotypically fimbriate, it could outgrow large numbers of non -fimbriate, non- flagellated challenged cells even in the absence of motility. This outgrowth was accompanied by the formation of a fimbrial pellicle in the later stages of growth.11. Competition experiments also revealed the importance of flagella alone. Small numbers of flagellate, motile cells outgrew large numbers of non -motile cells under aerobic static conditions by their ability to form a flagellar pellicle. The outgrowth, however, was less significant than that associated with the formation of a fimbrial pellicle.12. From these competition experiments and the parallel growth experiments between S.paratyphi B strains with functional and non -functional fimbriae, the advantage bestowed on a cell by its ability to form a pellicle was seen. It is considered that these experiments provide quantitative experimental data supporting the hypothesis that fimbriae are organs of survival.13. Fimbriae from Escherichia coli were isolated in a pure form by differential centrifugation and by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose exchanger at a neutral pH, and elution with a salt gradient. The fimbriae were judged pure by five criteria - electron microscopy, ultraviolet spectrophotometry, chemical analysis, agar gel diffusion and biological activity. The relative values of these criteria are discussed.14. Chemical analysis reîealed that fimbriae were protein structures, unrelated to cell wall, capsule or flagella.15. The range of amino acids detected on two -dimensional chromatography was not suggestive of an atypical protein. The adsorption of fimbriae to DEAE - but not to CM- cellulose suggests a preponderance of acidic amino acids in their structure. The relevance of this finding is discussed in relation to their agglutinating properties and to their resistance to proteolytic enzymes.16. Chromatography of fimbriae from Shigella flexneri FIaI showed a behaviour different from E.coli 2v,. The possible relevance of this to sharing of fimbrial antigens is discussed