Foreign Direct Investment and Labor Rights: A Panel Analysis of Bilateral FDI Flows

The paper analyses the impact of fundamental labor rights on bilateral FDI flows to 82 developing countries. The results indicate that investments by multinationals are significantly higher in countries that adhere to labor rights, thereby refuting the hypothesis that repression of these rights fosters FDI.FDI, Labor Rights, Developing Countries

FDI Promotion through Bilateral Investment Treaties More Than a Bit

Policymakers in developing countries have increasingly pinned their hopes on bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in order to improve their chances in the worldwide competition for foreign direct investment (FDI). However, the effectiveness of BITs in inducing higher FDI inflows is still open to debate. It is in several ways that we attempt to clarify the inconclusive empirical findings of earlier studies. We cover a much larger sample of host and source countries by drawing on a previously unpublished dataset on bilateral FDI flows. Furthermore, we account for unilateral FDI liberalization, in order not to overestimate the effect of BITs, as well as for the potential endogeneity of BITs. Employing a gravity-type model and various model specifications, including an instrumental variable approach, we find that BITs do promote FDI flows to developing countries. In addition, BITs are likely to act as a substitute for unilateral capital account liberalization. --FDI,Multinational Corporations,Bilateral Investment Treaties

Stochastic simulation algorithm for the quantum linear Boltzmann equation

We develop a Monte Carlo wave function algorithm for the quantum linear Boltzmann equation, a Markovian master equation describing the quantum motion of a test particle interacting with the particles of an environmental background gas. The algorithm leads to a numerically efficient stochastic simulation procedure for the most general form of this integro-differential equation, which involves a five-dimensional integral over microscopically defined scattering amplitudes that account for the gas interactions in a non-perturbative fashion. The simulation technique is used to assess various limiting forms of the quantum linear Boltzmann equation, such as the limits of pure collisional decoherence and quantum Brownian motion, the Born approximation and the classical limit. Moreover, we extend the method to allow for the simulation of the dissipative and decohering dynamics of superpositions of spatially localized wave packets, which enables the study of many physically relevant quantum phenomena, occurring e.g. in the interferometry of massive particles.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures; v2: corresponds to published versio

What drives FDI from non-traditional sources? A comparative analysis of the determinants of bilateral FDI flows

Non-traditional source countries of FDI play an increasingly important role, notably in developing host countries. This raises the question of whether the determinants of FDI differ systematically between traditional and non-traditional source countries. We perform Logit and Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood estimations drawing on UNCTAD's database on bilateral FDI flows, including various emerging and developing countries as sources of FDI outflows. We find that economic geography variables are more relevant for FDI from non-traditional sources, while non-traditional investors appear to be as risk adverse as traditional investors. Access to raw materials represents a less important driving force of FDI from non-traditional sources. The differences are less pronounced for other types of FDI. --FDI flows,types of FDI,source-host country pairs,location choices,gravity-type models

Perceived behavioral control as a potential precursor of walking three times a week: Patient's perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Behavior change theories can identify people's main motivations to engage in recommended health practices and thus provide better tools to design interventions, particularly human centered design interventions. OBJECTIVES: This study had two objectives: (a) to identify salient beliefs about walking three times a week for 30 minutes nonstop among patients with hypertension in a low-resource setting and, (b) to measure the relationships among intentions, attitudes, perceived social pressure and perceived behavioral control about this behavior. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews with 34 people living with hypertension were conducted in September-October 2011 in Lima, Peru, and data analysis was performed in 2015. The Reasoned Action Approach was used to study the people's decisions to walk. We elicited people's salient beliefs and measured the theoretical constructs associated with this behavior. RESULTS: Results pointed at salient key behavioral, normative and control beliefs. In particular, perceived behavioral control appeared as an important determinant of walking and a small set of control beliefs were identified as potential targets of health communication campaigns, including (not) having someone to walk with, having work or responsibilities, or having no time. CONCLUSIONS: This theory-based study with a focus on end-users provides elements to inform the design of an intervention that would motivate people living with hypertension to walk on a regular basis in low-resource settings

3D Micron-scale Imaging of the Cortical Bone Canal Network in Human Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI)

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder leading to increased bone fragility. Recent work has shown that the hierarchical structure of bone plays an important role in determining its mechanical properties and resistance to fracture. The current study represents one of the first attempts to characterize the 3D structure and composition of cortical bone in OI at the micron-scale. A total of 26 pediatric bone fragments from 18 individuals were collected during autopsy (Nc=5) or routing orthopaedic procedures (NOI=13) and imaged by microtomography with a synchrotron light source (SRµCT) for several microstructural parameters including cortical porosity (Ca.V/TV), canal surface to tissue volume (Ca.S/TV), canal diameter (Ca.Dm), canal separation (Ca.Sp), canal connectivity density (Ca.ConnD), and volumetric tissue mineral density (TMD). Results indicated significant differences in all imaging parameters between pediatric controls and OI tissue, with OI bone showing drastically increased cortical porosity, canal diameter, and connectivity. Preliminary mechanical testing revealed a possible link between cortical porosity and strength. Together these results suggest that the pore network in OI contributes greatly to its reduced mechanical properties

Perceived behavioral control as a potential precursor of walking three times a week: Patient’s perspectives

Background: Behavior change theories can identify people’s main motivations to engage in recommended health practices and thus provide better tools to design interventions, particularly human centered design interventions. Objectives: This study had two objectives: (a) to identify salient beliefs about walking three times a week for 30 minutes nonstop among patients with hypertension in a low-resource setting and, (b) to measure the relationships among intentions, attitudes, perceived social pressure and perceived behavioral control about this behavior. Methods: Face-to-face interviews with 34 people living with hypertension were conducted in September-October 2011 in Lima, Peru, and data analysis was performed in 2015. The Reasoned: Action Approach was used to study the people’s decisions to walk. We elicited people’s salient beliefs and measured the theoretical constructs associated with this behavior. Results: Results pointed at salient key behavioral, normative and control beliefs. In particular, perceived behavioral control appeared as an important determinant of walking and a small set of control beliefs were identified as potential targets of health communication campaigns, including (not) having someone to walk with, having work or responsibilities, or having no time. Conclusions: This theory-based study with a focus on end-users provides elements to inform the design of an intervention that would motivate people living with hypertension to walk on a regular basis in low-resource settings

FDI promotion through bilateral investment treaties: more than a bit?

Policy makers in developing countries have increasingly pinned their hopes on bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in order to improve their chances in the worldwide competition for foreign direct investment (FDI). However, the effectiveness of BITs in inducing higher FDI inflows is still open to debate. It is in several ways that we attempt to clarify the inconclusive empirical findings of earlier studies. We cover a much larger sample of host and source countries by drawing on an extensive data set on bilateral FDI flows. Furthermore, we account for unilateral FDI liberalization, in order not to overestimate the effect of BITs, as well as for the potential endogeneity of BITs. Employing a gravity-type model and various model specifications, including an instrumental variable approach, we find that BITs do promote FDI flows to developing countries. BITs may even substitute for weak domestic institutions, though probably not for unilateral capital account liberalization

Self-regulation of the Peruvian food industry: health message cues in the context of food and beverage advertisements

One strategy to prevent the onset of non-communicable diseases is to motivate healthy lifestyles through health media messages. In Peru, the food industry is currently implementing such strategy with health message cues, in the form of a small icon of a walking person or a healthy dish, appearing on televised food and beverage advertisements. Yet the extent of this practice is unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was three-fold: to identify (1) the food and beverage advertisements showing health cues, (2) the types of health cues, and (3) their length in time