Economic diversification in resource rich countries: uncovering the state of knowledge

Diversification is often presented as a desirable policy objective for petroleum rich nations. Yet very little is known about the causes and consequences of diversification in petroleum rich states. In this paper we review the recent literature on diversification in oil-exporting states. We identify gaps and shortcomings in this literature along with documenting some trends in non-oil exports and non-oil private sector employment in hydrocarbon rich countries. We conclude with an agenda for research addressing the potential gaps in the literature

Oil discovery, political institutions and economic diversification

Diversification is touted as a desirable policy objective for oil‐rich nations because it reduces exposure to volatility. However, the empirical relationship between petroleum and diversification is not well understood. Here, we test the effect of giant oil discoveries on diversification using a panel dataset of 136 countries observed over the period from 1962 to 2012. We notice non‐oil sector export concentration 8 years after a discovery. However, we do not observe any effect on the structure of employment in non‐resource and manufacturing sectors. Democratic political institutions moderate the export and employment concentration effects of petroleum discovery

Review of In vitro Toxicity of Nanoparticles and Nanorods: Part 1

The specific use of engineered nanostructures in biomedical applications has become very attractive, due to their ability to interface and target specific cells and tissues to execute their functions. Additionally, there is continuous progress in research on new nanostructures with unique optical, magnetic, catalytic, and electrochemical properties that can be exploited for therapeutic or diagnostic methods. On the other hand, as nanostructures become widely used in many different applications, the unspecific exposure of humans to them is also unavoidable. Therefore, studying and understanding the toxicity of such materials is of increasing importance. Previously published reviews regarding the toxicological effects of nanostructures focuses mostly on the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles and their internalization, activated signaling pathways, and cellular response. Here, the most recent studies on the in vitro cytotoxicity of NPs, nanowires, and nanorods for biomedical applications are reviewed and divided into two parts. The first part considers nonmagnetic metallic and magnetic nanostructures. While part 2 covers carbon structures and semiconductors. The factors influencing the toxicity of these nanostructures are elaborated, to help elucidating the effects of these nanomaterials on cells, which is a prerequisite for their save clinical use

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Economic diversification in resource rich countries: history, state of knowledge and research agenda

Is economic diversification desirable for a resource rich country? Our knowledge on this issue is at best partial. This paper revisits the literature on diversification in resource rich states. It maps the history of diversification, identifies gaps in the literature and documents some trends in the data. In particular, it exposes limitations in the data and catalogues trends in non-oil exports and non-oil private sector employment. It concludes with an agenda for research

Oil discovery, boom-bust cycle and manufacturing slowdown: evidence from a large industry level dataset

We investigate the effects of giant oil discovery and boom-bust price cycle on manufacturing using a large dataset of up to 49481 two-digit industry-years across 136 countries over the period 1962 to 2012. We find that oil discovery reduces growth in manufacturing value added and wages. The effect on employment is insignificant. We also find strong association between oil discovery and manufacturing slowdown episodes. Oil price boom and bust both negatively affects manufacturing perhaps due to increasing input cost (boom) and declining demand (bust). We do not find any evidence in favor of a real exchange rate appreciation driven effect as outlined in standard Dutch Disease models. We speculate that the effect is primarily driven by an increase in the cost of locally sourced manufacturing input.</p

Oil discovery, political institutions and economic diversification

Classical theory predicts that petroleum rich countries would specialise in petroleum products. Yet diversification is touted as a desirable policy objective for petroleum rich nations because it reduces exposure to volatility. Given such theoretical ambiguity, it is important to understand the empirical relationship between petroleum and diversification. In this paper, we test the effect of giant oil discoveries on diversification using a panel dataset covering up to 136 countries and the period 1962 to 2012. After controlling for country and year fixed effects, we find evidence of non-oil export concentration 8 years after a discovery. However, we do not observe any effect on the structure of employment in the non-resource and manufacturing sectors. It appears that democratic political institutions moderate the export concentration effect of petroleum discovery. Countries with weak political institutions experience employment concentration in the non-tradable sector post discovery