Global Sourcing under Imperfect Capital Markets

We develop a simple model to study the interactions between a supplier’s financial constraints and contract incompleteness in a vertical relationship. Production complexity increases the extent of contract incompleteness and the hold-up problem, which generates a cost when the supplier needs financial participation from the downstream firm. Vertical integration alleviates the impact of financial constraints but reduces the supplier’s incentives. We apply the model to an analysis of multinational firms’ sourcing strategies and predict that (1) complex and specific inputs are more likely to be sourced from financially developed countries and (2) multinationals are more likely to integrate suppliers located in countries with poor financial institutions, especially when trade involves complex goods. We examine and validate these predictions using firm-level trade data on multinational firms with operations in France. We provide evidence that financial development generates a comparative advantage in the supply of complex goods. Moreover, we find higher shares of intra-firm imports of complex inputs from countries with a lower level of financial development. The findings are robust to different measures of complexity and specificity, and are not driven by industry differences in fixed costs or traditional measures of external financial dependence. Quantitatively, we find that financial development is as important as contract enforcement in alleviating hold-up problems.Sourcing, FDI, financial constraints, contractual frictions.

The application of cast SiC/Al to rotary engine components

A silicon carbide reinforced aluminum (SiC/Al) material fabricated by Dural Aluminum Composites Corporation was tested for various components of rotary engines. Properties investigated included hardness, high temperature strength, wear resistance, fatigue resistance, thermal conductivity, and expansion. SiC/Al appears to be a viable candidate for cast rotors, and may be applicable to other components, primarily housings

Association between a single measurement of progesterone and cortisol blood concentrations at two to one week before parturition, and number of fetuses in the Teramana goat

The Teramana goat is an at-risk breed, needing population protection and programs to increase their numbers. The first step for a population increase is the best management of reproduction, leading to an as high as possible number of healthy and viable kids born. To this purpose, beside the optimization of mating, the best possible management of pregnancy and parturition is mandatory. The goat is a prolific farm animal in which single, double, or triple ovulations can occur, leading to singleton, twin or triple pregnancies, and the birth of multiple kids. Twins and triplets are associated to increased risk for perinatal mortality and need a special surveillance and possible assistance at birth. Knowledge of the number of fetuses that have to be delivered from each goat could be a practical tool for a better management of parturition. Among the methods to define the number of fetuses in the goat, the measurement of blood progesterone (P4) concentrations have provided inconsistent results. Therefore, the present study was aimed to assess the possible association between the maternal concentrations of plasma P4 and cortisol (C), two hormones possibly associated to the number of fetuses, measured only once at about two to one week before parturition in Teramana goats, and the number of fetuses. The results, obtained from 23 does, showed that both plasma P4 and C are higher in does bearing multiple fetuses than does with singleton pregnancies. However, the single measurement of plasma C, but not P4, two to one week before the expected parturition in the Teramana goat is useful to distinguish between does bearing singleton and triplet pregnancies for a better surveillance and assistance at delivery. Therefore, it could represent a tool for the best management of reproduction in a breed population at risk for extinctio

Immunohistochemical and molecular detection of equine herpesvirus 1 in Uruguay

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a major cause of epidemic abortion, neonatal mortality, respiratory disease and neurological disorders in horses. In South America, the virus has been isolated in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. In Chile pathological findings from one aborted foetus have been reported, and in Uruguay only serological data about EHV-1 activity have been found. Some pathological findings were reported in Uruguay several years ago, but these data have never been officially confirmed. The present work describes the relevant findings of a study of EHV-1 infections in the Uruguayan equine population using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histological and immunohistochemical analysis techniques. The sequence analysis of a portion of the glycoprotein C gene amplified by PCR confirmed EHV-1 activity. The real-time PCR revealed the association of the virus with the non-neuropathogenic genotype. This study describes for the first time the immunohistochemical and molecular detection of EHV-1 in Uruguay.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Development and validation of the BRIGHTLIGHT Survey, a patient-reported experience measure for young people with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patient experience is increasingly used as an indicator of high quality care in addition to more traditional clinical end-points. Surveys are generally accepted as appropriate methodology to capture patient experience. No validated patient experience surveys exist specifically for adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 13-24 years at diagnosis with cancer. This paper describes early work undertaken to develop and validate a descriptive patient experience survey for AYA with cancer that encompasses both their cancer experience and age-related issues. We aimed to develop, with young people, an experience survey meaningful and relevant to AYA to be used in a longitudinal cohort study (BRIGHTLIGHT), ensuring high levels of acceptability to maximise study retention. METHODS: A three-stage approach was employed: Stage 1 involved developing a conceptual framework, conducting literature/Internet searches and establishing content validity of the survey; Stage 2 confirmed the acceptability of methods of administration and consisted of four focus groups involving 11 young people (14-25 years), three parents and two siblings; and Stage 3 established survey comprehension through telephone-administered cognitive interviews with a convenience sample of 23 young people aged 14-24 years. RESULT: Stage 1: Two-hundred and thirty eight questions were developed from qualitative reports of young people's cancer and treatment-related experience. Stage 2: The focus groups identified three core themes: (i) issues directly affecting young people, e.g. impact of treatment-related fatigue on ability to complete survey; (ii) issues relevant to the actual survey, e.g. ability to answer questions anonymously; (iii) administration issues, e.g. confusing format in some supporting documents. Stage 3: Cognitive interviews indicated high levels of comprehension requiring minor survey amendments. CONCLUSION: Collaborating with young people with cancer has enabled a survey of to be developed that is both meaningful to young people but also examines patient experience and outcomes associated with specialist cancer care. Engagement of young people throughout the survey development has ensured the content appropriately reflects their experience and is easily understood. The BRIGHTLIGHT survey was developed for a specific research project but has the potential to be used as a TYA cancer survey to assess patient experience and the care they receive

Lymphatic drainage mapping with indirect lymphography for canine mammary tumors

Mammary gland tumors are the most common canine neoplasms. They account for 25– 50% of all tumors diagnosed in bitches. Metastases and recurrences develop in about 35–70% of bitches following excision. The presence of regional lymph node metastases is a relevant factor affecting prognosis and treatment in cases of mammary gland tumors. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is the first lymph node (or nodes) in the regional lymphatic basin that receives lymphatic flow from the primary neoplasm. The aim of this study is to investigate the SLN with indirect lymphography for a mammary tumor in dogs. The knowledge of the precise drainage pattern and SLN of the neoplastic mammary glands would provide clinically relevant information to the surgeon and to the oncologist, and it would be of high importance for the surgeon not only for performing the most adequate surgical excision but also for determining an accurate post-surgical prognosis

Pulsed Photoconductive Connected Slot Array Operating at the Sub-mm Wavelength Band

A novel pulsed photoconductive THz source is presented that is able to radiate mW-level average powers, over a large bandwidth by exploiting both the optical and electrical properties of photoconductive sources and the ultrawideband properties of connected antenna arrays. An optical system composed of a micro-lenses array splits the laser beam into N x N spots that host the active excitation of the antenna arrays. An “ad hoc” network has been adopted to bias the array active spots in order to implement a connected antenna array configuration. The array feeds a silicon lens to increase the directivity of the radiated THz beam. A slot array prototype has been designed, fabricated, and measured. The proposed solutions achieve excellent power radiation levels by making use of an accurate electromagnetic design. This solution can offer enhancements to any active system relying on pulsed photoconductive antennas

The secretome derived from mesenchymal stromal cells cultured in a xeno-free medium promotes human cartilage recovery in vitro

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling joint disorder causing articular cartilage degeneration. Currently, the treatments are mainly aimed to pain and symptoms relief, rather than disease amelioration. Human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) have emerged as a promising paracrine mechanism-based tool for OA treatment. Here, we investigate the therapeutic potential of conditioned media (CM) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from hBMSC and grown in a xeno-free culture system (XFS) compared to the conventional fetal bovine serum-culture system (FBS) in an in vitro model of OA. First, we observed that XFS promoted growth and viability of hBMSCs compared to FBS-containing medium while preserving their typical phenotype. The biological effects of the CM derived from hBMSC cultivated in XFS-and FBS-based medium were tested on IL-1α treated human chondrocytes, to mimic the OA enviroment. Treatment with CM derived from XFS-cultured hBMSC inhibited IL-1α-induced expression of IL-6, IL-8, and COX-2 by hACs compared to FBS-based condition. Furthermore, we observed that hBMSCs grown in XFS produced a higher amount of EVs compared to FBS-culture. The hBMSC-EVs not only inhibit the adverse effects of IL-1α-induced inflammation, but play a significant in vitro chondroprotective effect. In conclusion, the XFS medium was found to be suitable for isolation and expansion of hBMSCs with increased safety profile and intended for ready-to-use clinical therapies

Immunohistochemical and molecular detection of equine herpesvirus 1 in Uruguay

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a major cause of epidemic abortion, neonatal mortality, respiratory disease and neurological disorders in horses. In South America, the virus has been isolated in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. In Chile pathological findings from one aborted foetus have been reported, and in Uruguay only serological data about EHV-1 activity have been found. Some pathological findings were reported in Uruguay several years ago, but these data have never been officially confirmed. The present work describes the relevant findings of a study of EHV-1 infections in the Uruguayan equine population using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histological and immunohistochemical analysis techniques. The sequence analysis of a portion of the glycoprotein C gene amplified by PCR confirmed EHV-1 activity. The real-time PCR revealed the association of the virus with the non-neuropathogenic genotype. This study describes for the first time the immunohistochemical and molecular detection of EHV-1 in Uruguay.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria