Firm Investment and Monetary Policy Transmission in the Euro Area.

We present a comparable set of results on the monetary transmission channels on firm investment for the four largest euro-area countries (Germany, France, Italy and Spain). With particularly rich micro datasets for each country containing over 215,000 observations from 1985 to 1999, we ex-plore what can be learned about the interest channel and the broad credit channel. For each of those countries, we estimate neo-classical investment relationships, explaining investment by its user cost, sales and cash flow. We find investment to be sensitive to user cost changes in all those four countries. This implies an operative interest channel in these euro-area countries. We also find in-vestment in all countries to be quite sensitive to cash flow movements. However, only in Italy do smaller firms react more to cash flow movements than large firms, implying that a broad credit channel might not be equally pervasive in all countries.Investment, Monetary transmission channels, User cost of capital.

Twenty Years of Timing SS433

We present observations of the optical ``moving lines'' in spectra of the Galactic relativistic jet source SS433 spread over a twenty year baseline from 1979 to 1999. The red/blue-shifts of the lines reveal the apparent precession of the jet axis in SS433, and we present a new determination of the precession parameters based on these data. We investigate the amplitude and nature of time- and phase-dependent deviations from the kinematic model for the jet precession, including an upper limit on any precessional period derivative of $\dot P < 5 \times 10^{-5}$. We also dicuss the implications of these results for the origins of the relativistic jets in SS433.Comment: 21 pages, including 9 figures. To appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Национальная модель мира в живописном мифотворчестве Владимира Кабаченко

Urinary bladder cancer is a historical disease of rubber workers often been associated with exposure to aromatic amines such as 2-naphthylamine. While exposure to these compounds has decreased markedly over time, the bladder cancer risk has not decreased in direct proportion. Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) are candidates for urinary bladder cancer causation. We determined pre- and post-exposure urinary levels of 2-napthol (2NAP), the major metabolite of a model volatile PAC, in a group of non-smoking rubber workers. Pre- and post-exposure urine samples were collected from 43 non-smoking workers. Overall mean post-shift 2-naphthol levels were increased (13.95 ± 28.4 μg/l), but non-significantly compared to samples collected pre-exposure (7.97 ± 22.1 μg/l; p=0.29). The greatest difference was observed in the curing department where post-exposure samples were 4.5 fold higher, post shift samples were significantly higher in production workers as compared to non-production workers (p=0.02). Levels of 2NAP were not correlated with levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts in exfoliated urothelial cells nor with other estimates of exposure or effect. These data suggest that post-shift urinary 2NAP levels are increased, particularly in the curing department. However, the differences were not significantly different overall and urinary 2NAP levels did not predict the level of carcinogen DNA adducts in exfoliated urothelial cells

R&amp;D, Foreign Technology and Technical Efficiency in Developing Countries

This study investigates the relationship between firms’ innovation activities and efficiency in manufacturing firms in developing countries. We examine whether innovation activities including internal research and development (R&D) and adoption of foreign technology have differential effects on technical efficiency. We hypothesize that the relation between internal R&D and technical efficiency is positive; the relation between adoption of foreign technology and technical efficiency is negative and lastly, internal R&D in combination with the adoption of foreign technology have a positive effect on technical efficiency. We use cross-sectional firm level survey data from the 2013 World Bank Enterprise Survey and the linked 2014 Innovation Follow-up Survey for examining the effect of innovation activities on firms’ technical efficiency. We test our hypothesis using cross-sectional stochastic frontier analysis. We find that internal R&D has a negative and significant effect on technical efficiency. Adoption of foreign technology on the other hand does not have a significant effect on technical efficiency. Nevertheless, the combination of internal R&D and adoption of foreign technology has a negative and significant effect on technical efficiency. We conclude that internal R&D may have dynamic effects on technical efficiency. Furthermore, efficiency may be observed in firms conducting internal R&D but results in relative inefficiency for firms not conducting R&D giving rise to overall inefficiency in the manufacturing industry. Lastly, low rates of human capital hamper R&D activity and the adoption of foreign technology in manufacturing firms in developing countries

Institutions, Resources and Innovation in Developng Countries:A Firm Level Approach

This study examines how firm-level resources interact with regional institutional quality to explain innovation in developing countries. We hypothesize that the institutional environment within which the firm operates moderates the effect of firm-level resources on innovative output. We examine the moderating role of institutions with regards to the transformation of firm-level resources including internal research and development, employee level of education and quality certification into innovative output using firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey and the Innovation Follow-up Survey that includes the innovation module for the years 2010 through 2012. We test our hypotheses using a multilevel logistic model. We find that the effects of firm-level resources vary depending on the institutional environment and that regional institutional quality positively moderates the effects of the firm-level resources. The positive effects of internal research and development on innovative output are substantially reinforced by regional institutional quality

The properties of the gamma-ray blazars in the CJ-F VLBI sample

We present first results from the analysis of multi-epoch VLBI observations of the EGRET detected sources [9] in the CJ-F sample (Caltech Jodrell-Flat-spectrum, [10]). These objects form a subsample of 14 sources within the 293 AGN of the full CJ-F sample. 5 GHz VLBI snapshot observations of the CJ-F sources are continuously being performed in order to create a valid database for thorough statistical tests of pc-scale jet motion in AGN. All gamma-bright CJ-F AGN have been observed at least twice with the VLBA, which enables us to investigate jet component motions and paths. In particular, we concentrate on the analysis of those properties supposed to be essential for gamma-ray production, i.e., superluminal motion and bending. A paper discussing the possible relation between morphological changes and gamma-ray flaring/production is in preparation

Monitoring the Bi-Directional Relativistic Jets of the Radio Galaxy 1946+708

We report on a multi-frequency, multi-epoch campaign of Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations of the radio galaxy 1946+708 using the VLBA and a Global VLBI array. From these high-resolution observations we deduce the kinematic age of the radio source to be $\sim$4000 years, comparable with the ages of other Compact Symmetric Objects (CSOs). Ejections of pairs of jet components appears to take place on time scales of 10 years and these components in the jet travel outward at intrinsic velocities between 0.6 and 0.9 c. From the constraint that jet components cannot have intrinsic velocities faster than light, we derive H_0 > 57 km s^-1 Mpc^-1 from the fastest pair of components launched from the core. We provide strong evidence for the ejection of a new pair of components in ~1997. From the trajectories of the jet components we deduce that the jet is most likely to be helically confined, rather than purely ballistic in nature.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, accepted to Ap

Treatment of gastrointestinal hemorrhage

Background: We assessed the value of selective arteriography in the diagnosis and management of acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Methods: We reviewed the records of 107 consecutive patients who had gastrointestinal hemorrhage and underwent selective arteriography between January 1992 and October 2003: 10 had upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 79 had lower gastrointestinal bleeding, and 18 had varicose bleeding with portal hypertension. Selective embolization was attempted in 15 patients to obtain hemostasis. Angiographic findings were reviewed and prospective reports were compared with the final diagnosis and outcome. Results: Of 129 angiographic studies, 36 correctly revealed the bleeding site and 93 were negative. Extravasation was seen in 24 cases at the level of stomach (n = 2), duodenum (n = 1), small bowel (n = 5), or colon (n = 16). Indirect signs of bleeding sources were identified in 12 patients (stomach in one, small bowel in four, large bowel in four, liver in three). Transcatheter embolization induced definitive hemostasis in 11 of 15 patients (73%), namely in the stomach (n = 2), small bowel (n = 3), colon (n = 7), and liver (n = 3). Three patients required surgery after embolization. Conclusion: Abdominal arteriography may localize gastrointestinal bleeding sources in approximately one-third of cases. Selective embolization may provide definitive hemostasis in most instance