Does FDI promote regional development? Evidence from local and regional productivity spillovers in Greece

Studies on the productivity spillovers of FDI have concentrated on the nationalsectoral level. As a result, little is known about the impact of FDI on absolute and relative regional economic performance. In this paper we examine this issue by relying on a unique dataset of over 20,000 Greek firms for the period 2002-2006 covering all sectors of economic activity. We examine the spatial distribution of foreign-owned firms in the country and analyse the effect that their presence – at the local, regional and national levels – has on the productivity of domestic firms. We find strong evidence suggesting that foreignowned firms self-select into regions and sectors of high productivity. Net of this selection effect, the impact of foreign presence on domestic productivity is negative – although at the very local level some positive spillover effects are identifiable. The bulk of the effects concentrate in non-manufacturing activities, high-tech sectors, and medium-sized high-productivity firms. Importantly, this effect is not constant across space however. Productivity spillovers tend to be negative in the regions hosting the main urban areas in the country but positive in smaller and more peripheral regions. In this way, despite the tendency of FDI to concentrate in a limited number of areas within the country – those of the highest level of development – the externalities that FDI activity generates to the local economies appear to be of a rather equilibrating character. Key words: regional development, FDI, productivity spillovers, Greece, spatial heterogeneity

Firm-level characteristics and the impact of COVID-19 : Examining the effects of foreign ownership and international trade

Using a large multi-country firm-level data set from the World Bank Enterprise Survey, we examine whether multinational corporations (MNCs) differ from domestic firms in the prevalence and size of the impact of COVID-19 on sales. Our findings reveal significant differences between MNCs and domestic firms, especially when accounting for the interplay between foreign ownership and international trade. Exporting MNCs are significantly less likely to experience a negative sales impact; this finding is robust to controlling for firm characteristics including size, age and productivity and the use of a propensity score reweighting approach based on the likelihood that a firm was foreign owned prior to the onset of the pandemic. Regarding the impact of the pandemic on the level of sales decrease, trading MNCs experience a significantly smaller negative impact. However, MNCs with joint high levels of imports and exports sustain a larger negative effect. MNCs operating in countries and sectors characterised by a high degree of participation in international production networks are less affected by the pandemic. When controlling for the interaction between MNCs and international trade, we also find a direct positive effect of foreign ownership on the size of sales decrease, representing a liability of foreignness effect

Supply chain risks and smallholder fresh produce farmers in the Gauteng province of South Africa

A survey of 52 smallholder fresh produce farmers was conducted in the Gauteng province of South Africa to grasp how risk and its management affect the mainstreaming of smallholder farmers into formal, high-value markets. The study employed a supply chain analysis approach, which focused on the functions and risks that occur along the fresh produce chain. The results highlight the risks that impede the participation of smallholder farmers in formal, high-value chains. At the production level, risk is prominent from input procurement through to the post-harvest stage of the chains. At the retail and consumption level, risks are linked to the adherence to quality and quantity standards, including prescribed packaging, grading, labelling and traceability and transport requirements. As a result of these risks across the formal chain, smallholder farmers often resort to distributing their products in low-value informal markets. The consequence is that smallholder farmers tend to remain trapped in poverty, in part, because of their risk appetites and their ability to bear risk.Further research is required in the areas pertaining to smallholder farmers’ risk appetite and risk-bearing ability and mechanisms to deal with the particular risks in the value chain that impede their all-round ability to escape the “smallholder dilemma”.Keywords: Smallholders, supply chain risks, fresh produce, high-value market

Die gebruik van die metadiskoerskategorie “bewyse” as voorvereiste vir suksesvolle argumentatiewe skryfwerk op tersiêre vlak

Hierdie artikel werp lig op die gebruik van Hyland (2004:139) se metadiskoerskategorie “bewyse” in eerstejaar-universiteitstudente se akademiese, argumentatiewe skryfwerk. ʼn Kwasi-eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp is gebruik ten einde kwantitatiewe data in te samel rakende die invloed wat ʼn intervensie sal hê op die deelnemers se gebruik van en verwysing na bronne volgens die Noordwes-Universiteit se amptelike verwysingstyl. Ten einde eties om te gaan met akademiese bronne, is dit belangrik dat studente reeds vroeg in hulle universiteitsloopbaan bewus gemaak behoort te word van die erkenning van bronne wat in tekste geraadpleeg word. ʼn Handontleding en vergelyking van twee korpora, bestaande uit 109 tekste elk (woordtotale van onderskeidelik 54 586 en 56 151), is gedoen. Daar is bevind dat, ten spyte van die beperkte hoeveelheid tyd wat aan die onderrig van die metadiskoerskategorie “bewyse” afgestaan is, dit wel ʼn positiewe invloed het op die erkenning van bronne en die korrekte verwysing daarna volgens die Harvardstyl.Sleutelwoorde: Metadiskoers, Akademiese Argumentasie, Plagiaat, Bewyse, Akademiese Geletterdheid, Eerstejaar-universiteitstudente, Kwasi-eksperimen

Strategies for the support of successful land reform: a case study of Qwa Qwa emerging commercial farmers

Beneficiaries of Land Reform programs and new farmers entering an intolerant agricultural environment with challenges unparalleled to previous challenges resulted in the need for audacious actions and plans to support these farmers. Liberization of the agricultural economic environment necessitates efficient management principles with no room for error from farmers to ensure sustainability. This article highlights problems and challenges encountered by emerging commercial farmers in the Qwa Qwa region. The lack of production finance and proper extension support experienced by respondents are emblematic of problems encountered by other Land Reform beneficiaries. The need for proper extension programs and structures are highlighted in this paper. The successful execution of the Land Reform program in South Africa relies heavily on integrated and coordinated efforts from all role-players to deliver efficient support programs for newly settled farmers. This can only be achieved by means of visionary actions directed by strong leadership. South African Jouran of Agricultural Extension Vol.32 2003: 1-1

Alcohol Induced Psychotic Disorder: a comparitive study in patients with alcohol dependance, schizophrenia and normal controls

Thesis(DMed (Psychiatry))-- University of Stellenbosch, 2007.Alcohol-induced psychotic disorder (also known as alcohol hallucinosis) is a complication of alcohol abuse that requires clinical differentiation from alcohol withdrawal delirium and schizophrenia. Although extensively described, few studies utilized standardized research instruments and brain-imaging has thus far been limited to case reports. The aim of this study was to prospectively compare four population groups (ie. patients with alcohol-induced psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, uncomplicated alcohol dependence and a healthy volunteer group) according to demographic, psychopathological and brainimaging variables utilizing (i) rating scales and (ii) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The third component of the study was designed to investigate the (iii) effect of anti-psychotic treatment on the psychopathology and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) before and after six weeks of treatment with haloperidol. Effort was made to ensure exclusion of comorbid medical disorders, including substance abuse. The study provides further supportive evidence that alcohol-induced psychotic disorder can be distinguished from schizophrenia. Statistically significant differences in rCBF were demonstrated between the alcohol-induced psychotic disorder and other groups. Changes in frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, thalamic and cerebellar rCBF showed statistically significant negative correlations with post-treatment improvement on psychopathological variables and imply dysfunction of these areas in alcohol-induced psychotic disorder. The study was unable to distinguish between pharmacological effects and improvement acccomplished by abstinence from alcohol.Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Universit

Біологічна активність похідних тетрагідроізохіноліну

1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) is a common scaffold of many alkaloids isolated from several plants and mammalian species. THIQ derivatives possess a broad spectrum of biological activities, including antitumor, antitubercular, antitrypanosomal, antibacterial, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer, and anticonvulsant ones.Aim. To cover updated studies on the biological properties of THIQ derivatives, as well as their structure-activity relationship (SAR), in order to highlight the effect of diverse functional groups responsible for the manifestation of the desired activity.Results and discussion. We have presented the review on biological activities of THIQ. The SAR studies show that the electron-donating, electron-withdrawing and some heterocyclic functional groups on the backbone plays a vital role in modulating the biological potential of the compounds synthesized.Conclusions. This review will help pharmaceutical researchers to synthesize novel and potent compounds containing THIQ scaffold.1,2,3,4-Тетрагідроізохінолін (ТГІХ) є розповсюдженим каркасом багатьох алкалоїдів, виділених з кількох видів рослин і ссавців. Похідні ТГІХ мають широкий спектр біологічних активностей, зокрема протипухлинну, протитуберкульозну, протитрипаносомну, антибактеріальну, анти-ВІЛ, протизапальну, протисудомну дію, а також є перспективними агентами для лікування хвороби Альцгеймера.Мета. Цей огляд охоплює оновлені дослідження з біологічних властивостей похідних ТГІХ, а також взаємозв’язок між їхньою структурою та активністю (SAR), щоб підкреслити вплив різноманітних функціональних груп, відповідальних за прояв бажаної активності.Результати та їх обговорення. У роботі наведено огляд біологічної активності ТГІХ. SAR дослідження свідчать, що електронодонорні, електроноакцепторні та деякі гетероциклічні функціональні групи, зв’язані з каркасом ТГІХ, відіграють дуже важливу роль у модулюванні біологічного потенціалу синтезованих сполук.Висновки. Цей огляд допоможе дослідникам у галузі фармацевтики синтезувати нові та ефективні сполуки, що містять базову структуру ТГІХ