Do Migrants Improve Governance at Home? Evidence from a Voting Experiment

This paper tests the hypothesis that international migration experiences may promote better institutions at home by raising the demand for political accountability. In order to examine this question, we use a simple postcard voting experiment designed to capture the population’s desire for better governance. Using data from a tailored household survey, we examine the determinants of voting behavior in our experiment, and isolate the positive effect of international emigration on the demand for political accountability. We find that this effect can be mainly attributed to the presence of return migrants, particularly to those who emigrated to countries with better governance.international migration, governance, political accountability, institutions, effects of emigration in origin countries, household survey, Cape Verde, sub-Saharan Africa

Do Migrants Improve Governance at Home? Evidence from a Voting Experiment

Can international migration promote better institutions at home by raising the demand for political accountability? In order to examine this question, we designed a behavioral measure of the population's desire for better governance. A postcard was distributed to households with the pledge that, if enough postcards were mailed back, results from a survey module on perceived corruption would be made public in the national media. Using data from a tailored household survey, we examine the determinants of our behavioral measure of demand for political accountability (i.e. of undertaking the costly action of mailing the postcard), and isolate the positive effect of international emigration using locality level variation. The estimated effects are robust to the use of instrumental variables, including both past migration and macro shocks in the migrant destination countries. We find that the estimated effects can be mainly attributed to those who emigrated to countries with better governance, especially return migrants.international migration, governance, political accountability, institutions, effects of emigration in origin countries, household survey, Cape Verde, sub-Saharan Africa.

Do Migrants Improve Governance at Home? Evidence from a Voting Experiment

This paper tests the hypothesis that international migration experiences may promote better institutions at home by raising the demand for political accountability. In order to examine this question, we use a simple postcard voting experiment designed to capture the population’s desire for better governance. Using data from a tailored household survey, we examine the determinants of voting behavior in our experiment, and isolate the positive effect of international emigration on the demand for political accountability. We find that this effect can be mainly attributed to the presence of return migrants, particularly to those who emigrated to countries with better governance.international migration, household survey, governance, political accountability, institutions, effects of emigration in origin countries, Cape Verde, Sub-Saharan Africa

Testing the 'Brain Gain' Hypothesis: Micro Evidence from Cape Verde

Does emigration really drain human capital accumulation in origin countries? This paper explores a unique household survey purposely designed and conducted to answer this research question. We analyze the case of Cape Verde, a country with allegedly the highest 'brain drain' in Africa, despite a marked record of income and human capital growth in recent decades. Our micro data enables us to propose the first explicit test of 'brain gain' arguments according to which the prospects of own future migration can positively impact educational attainment. According to our results, a 10pp increase in the probability of own future migration may improve the average probability of completing intermediate secondary schooling by 8pp for individuals who do not migrate before age 16. Strikingly, this same 10pp increase may raise the probability of completing intermediate secondary schooling by 11pp for an individual whose parents were both non migrants when the educational decision was made. Our findings are robust to the choice of instruments and econometric model. Overall, we find that there may be substantial human capital gains from lowering migration barriers.household survey, Cape Verde, brain drain, brain gain, international migration, human capital, effects of emigration in origin countries, sub-Saharan Africa

Does repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation have positive effects on adults with eating disorders and/or excessive weight?

Background Eating disorders (ED) are chronic illnesses with treatments of limited proven efficacy. Re-petitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been investigated as a therapeutic tool for neuropsychiatric illnesses and is already certified for major depression disorder (MDD). There is evidence that when the left dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (dlPFC) is targeted, the ED sympto-matology is improved. Objectives This article is a systematic review that intends to assess the validity of rTMS as a therapy for ED and food craving. Methods We conducted a literature search using the following search terms: rTMS, ED, anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder and excessive weight. Articles published in English and indexed in the following databases were searched: Pubmed, Embase, hinari; inasp; eIFL; Cochrane Library; EBSCO; CINAHL; Current Contents; DARE; metacrawler; PsycINFO. Results All studies (5 in total) assessed the effects of rTMS on dlPFC. Van den Eynde et al. (1), showed that the real rTMS group with BN (n=17) had a significant reduction in cue-induced food craving (p=0.028). Walpoth and colleagues (2) studied 14 women with BN in whom the average number of binges per day did not declined significantly in the active group (n=7) relatively to placebo (p=0,211). Gay et al. (3) concluded that there were no significant improvements in binge-ing/purging symptoms in BN patients (p=0.96). Kim et al. (4) examined the effects of four rTMS sessions (n=57) in overweight patients, showing a significant weight loss in the intervention group (p=0.002). McClelland et al. (5) studied the effects of one session of rTMS and concluded that there was no significant reduction of core anorexia symptoms (p>0.05). Given the heterogeneity of par-ticipants/pathologies and results it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis. Conclusions Excitatory rTMS appears to have a positive effect in changing ED sympotms. More studies, especially RCT with large samples, are needed.Background Perturbações alimentares (PA) são patologias com tratamentos de eficácia limitada. A es-timulação magnética transcraniana repetitiva (rTMS) tem sido estudada como terapia para pato-logias neuropsiquiátricas como a perturbação depressiva major (PDM). Há evidências sobre a sua eficácia na melhoria da sintomatologia das PA quando aplicada ao córtex pré-frontal dorsolateral (dlPFC) esquerdo. Objetivos Esta tese é uma revisão sistemática sobre o uso de rTMS como terapia para bulimia, ano-rexia e perturbação de binge eating, bem como o desejo por comida em indivíduos com excesso de peso. Materiais e métodos Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática de ensaios clínicos randomizados (ECR) com base na pesquisa bibliográfica eletrónica utilizando os termos: rTMS, bulimia, anorexia, binge-eating e overweight. Os critérios de inclusão foram: ECR em inglês, qualquer sexo ou étnia, 18 anos ou mais, IMC superior a 25 kg/??2, diagnostico de PA; uso de rTMS. Resultados Os estudos incluídos (5 no total) incidem sobre o efeito da rTMS no dlPFC esquerdo. Van den Eynde et al. (1) mostraram que o grupo de BN tratado por rTMS (n=17) teve uma redução significativa nas compulsões alimentares (p=0,028). Walpoth et al. (2) estudaram 14 mulheres com BN nas quais o número médio de compulsões alimentares por dia não diminuiu no grupo de inter-venção (n=7) relativamente ao de placebo (p=0,211). Gay et al. (3) investigaram 47 mulheres com BN e concluíram que não houve melhoria significativa nos sintomas de compulsão alimentar (p=0,96). Kim et al. (4) examinaram os efeitos de 4 sessões de rTMS (n=57), em doentes com excesso de peso tendo o grupo estimulado apresentado perda de peso significativa (p=0,002). McClelland et al. (5) estudaram os efeitos de uma sessão de rTMS em 49 pacientes com AN, con-cluindo que não houve efeitos significativos na redução dos sintomas nucleares de AN (p>0.05). Dada a heterogeneidade dos participantes/patologias e resultados, não foi possível realizar uma meta-análise. Conclusão A estimulação no dlPFC esquerdo por rTMS parece ter um papel positivo na modulação dos sintomas das perturbações alimentares. Mais estudos, especialmente com ECR e com amostras maiores são necessários

Testing the 'Brain Gain' Hypothesis: MIcro Evidence from Cape Verde

Does emigration really drain human capital accumulation in origin countries? This paper explores a unique household survey purposely designed and conducted to answer this research question. We analyze the case of Cape Verde, a country with allegedly the highest ‘brain drain’ in Africa, despite a marked record of income and human capital growth in recent decades. Our micro data enables us to propose the first explicit test of ‘brain gain’ arguments according to which the prospects of own future migration can positively impact educational attainment. According to our results, a 10pp increase in the probability of own future migration improves the average probability of completing intermediate secondary schooling by 8pp. Our findings are robust to the choice of instruments and econometric model. Overall, we find that there may be substantial human capital gains from lowering migration barriers.

Novel Alginate-Chitosan Aerogel Fibres For Potential Wound Healing Applications

Aerogels are very interesting materials with high porosity whose wound healing applications are arousing great interest. In particular, aerogels produced from marine polymers are of particular interest due to their attractive properties such as the antimicrobial activity of chitosan or the capacity to provide a moist environment of alginate. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential for wound healing applications of alginate-chitosan aerogels in the form of fibres. To produce the fibres, a polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel of both polymers was made by the emulsion-gelation method. Through solvent exchange an alcogel was obtained which was then dried with supercritical CO2. Once the fibres were produced, the characterization of its solid state, biocompatibility, cell migration stimulation and antimicrobial activity were carried out. To characterize the solid state, determination of the fibre’s chitosan content was first performed. Then, the morphology, its textural properties and the ionic interaction between both polymers was also analysed. Fibres biocompatibility and stimulation of cell migration were evaluated by two in vitro methods, the direct contact method described in ISO 10993-5 and the scratch assay, respectively, using in both methods the mouse fibroblast NCTC clone 929 cell line. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae by two standard methods (dynamic and static) described in ASTM E 2149-01 and in ISO 20743:2013, respectively. In this work, the influence of chitosan’s molecular weight and content on the fibre characteristics was also evaluated. In addition, in order to compare with a consumer product already on the market, cell and antibacterial assays were also performed for a dry calcium-sodium alginate wound dressing. The obtained results suggest that these alginate-chitosan aerogel fibres are good candidates for wound healing applications

Chinese economic statecraft and China's oil development finance in Brazil

Over the last years, Brazil and China's oil-related finance activities have expanded substantially. Between 2007 and 2019, Brazilian companies received approximately one-fourth of Chinese policy banks overseas oil-related loans, and Chinese financial institutions became Brazil's biggest oil company Petrobras’ main creditor. A deep analysis of these loans highlights their usage as economic statecraft tools, with impacts on the bilateral crude trade and investments. Loan-for-oil mechanisms, content purchase requirements, and a countercyclical lending pattern have helped to influence Brazilian players to behave in a manner conducive to the Chinese state's energy security objectives and strategic goals, namely increase of imports, diversification of sources, and internationalisation of firms. With these loans, China has satisfactorily guaranteed a stable oil supply over time and has helped Chinese equipment makers and service providers to expand their footage in Brazil