Modes of Foreign Entry under Asymmetric Information about Potential Technology Spillovers

This paper studies the effect of technology spillovers on the entry decision of a multinational enterprise into a foreign market. Two alternative entry modes for a foreign direct investment are considered: Greenfield investment versus acquisition. We find that with quantity competition a spillover makes acquisitions less attractive, while with price competition acquisitions become more attractive. Asymmetric information about potential spillovers always reduces the number of acquisitions independently of whether the host country or the entrant has private information. Interestingly, we find that asymmetric information always hurts the entrant, while it sometimes is in favor of the host country

Spin-Nematic Squeezed Vacuum in a Quantum Gas

Using squeezed states it is possible to surpass the standard quantum limit of measurement uncertainty by reducing the measurement uncertainty of one property at the expense of another complementary property. Squeezed states were first demonstrated in optical fields and later with ensembles of pseudo spin-1/2 atoms using non-linear atom-light interactions. Recently, collisional interactions in ultracold atomic gases have been used to generate a large degree of quadrature spin squeezing in two-component Bose condensates. For pseudo spin-1/2 systems, the complementary properties are the different components of the total spin vector , which fully characterize the state on an SU(2) Bloch sphere. Here, we measure squeezing in a spin-1 Bose condensate, an SU(3) system, which requires measurement of the rank-2 nematic or quadrupole tensor as well to fully characterize the state. Following a quench through a nematic to ferromagnetic quantum phase transition, squeezing is observed in the variance of the quadratures up to -8.3(-0.7 +0.6) dB (-10.3(-0.9 +0.7) dB corrected for detection noise) below the standard quantum limit. This spin-nematic squeezing is observed for negligible occupation of the squeezed modes and is analogous to optical two-mode vacuum squeezing. This work has potential applications to continuous variable quantum information and quantum-enhanced magnetometry

A Novel Requirement for Janus Kinases as Mediators of Drug Resistance Induced by Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 in Human Cancer Cells

The development of resistance to chemotherapy is a major cause of cancer-related death. Elucidating the mechanisms of drug resistance should thus lead to novel therapeutic strategies. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 signaling induces the assembly of a multi-protein complex that provides tumor cells with the molecular machinery necessary for drug resistance. This complex, which involves protein kinase C (PKC) ε, v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (B-RAF) and p70 S6 kinase β (S6K2), enhances the selective translation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as B-cell leukaemia/lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) and inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAP) family members and these are able to protect multiple cancer cell types from chemotherapy-induced cell death. The Janus kinases (JAKs) are most noted for their critical roles in mediating cytokine signaling and immune responses. Here, we show that JAKs have novel functions that support their consideration as new targets in therapies aimed at reducing drug resistance. As an example, we show that the Janus kinase TYK2 is phosphorylated downstream of FGF-2 signaling and required for the full phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. Moreover, TYK2 is necessary for the induction of key anti-apoptotic proteins, such as BCL-2 and myeloid cell leukemia sequence (MCL) 1, and for the promotion of cell survival upon FGF-2. Silencing JAK1, JAK2 or TYK2 using RNA interference (RNAi) inhibits FGF2-mediated proliferation and results in the sensitization of tumor cells to chemotherapy-induced killing. These effects are independent of activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1, STAT3 and STAT5A/B, the normal targets of JAK signaling. Instead, TYK2 associates with the other kinases previously implicated in FGF-2-mediated drug resistance. In light of these findings we hypothesize that TYK2 and other JAKs are important modulators of FGF-2-driven cell survival and that inhibitors of these kinases will likely improve the effectiveness of other cancer therapies

Are Amphipod invaders a threat to the regional biodiversity? Conservation prospects for the Loire River

The impact of invasions on local biodiversity is well established, but their impact on regional biodiversity has so far been only sketchily documented. To address this question, we studied the impact at various observation scales (ranging from the microhabitat to the whole catchment) of successive arrivals of non-native amphipods on the amphipod assemblage of the Loire River basin in France. Amphipod assemblages were studied at 225 sites covering the whole Loire catchment. Non-native species were dominant at all sites in the main channel of the Loire River, but native species were still present at most of the sites. We found that the invaders have failed to colonize most of tributaries of the Loire River. At the regional scale, we found that since the invaders first arrived 25 years ago, the global amphipod diversity has increased by 33% (from 8 to 12 species) due to the arrival of non-native species. We discuss the possibility that the lack of any loss of biodiversity may be directly linked to the presence of refuges at the microhabitat scale in the Loire channel and in the tributaries, which invasive species have been unable to colonize. The restoration of river quality could increase the number of refuges for native species, thus reducing the impact of invader

An evolutionary approach to international political economy: the case of corporate tax avoidance

Corporate tax avoidance is both widespread and diverse in its practical mechanics. The scope of the phenomenon often leads economists to conclude that in the jungle of economic competition, tax planning (or optimisation) is among the necessary tools to ensure the survival of the fittest. This theory is increasingly associated with a Darwinian theory of economic evolution. In this paper, I develop a contrasting framework of the evolutionary political economy of corporate tax avoidance. Analysing core concepts of Old Institutionalist Economics (OIE), I examine the core drivers of corporate tax avoidance in a globalised system of states. The major contrast, I find, is between that of the corporate and legal personality and the institutional environment in which it operates. Historically, each corporate entity has been considered a separate legal person, yet a series of ‘mutations’ of incorporations laws created a widening gap between theory and reality, and these, in turn, give rise to tax arbitrage. Narrowing this gap, however, impinges on another venerable historical institution, the institution of sovereignty and sovereign inequality

The need to promote behaviour change at the cultural level: one factor explaining the limited impact of the MEMA kwa Vijana adolescent sexual health intervention in rural Tanzania. A process evaluation

Background - Few of the many behavioral sexual health interventions in Africa have been rigorously evaluated. Where biological outcomes have been measured, improvements have rarely been found. One of the most rigorous trials was of the multi-component MEMA kwa Vijana adolescent sexual health programme, which showed improvements in knowledge and reported attitudes and behaviour, but none in biological outcomes. This paper attempts to explain these outcomes by reviewing the process evaluation findings, particularly in terms of contextual factors. Methods - A large-scale, primarily qualitative process evaluation based mainly on participant observation identified the principal contextual barriers and facilitators of behavioural change. Results - The contextual barriers involved four interrelated socio-structural factors: culture (i.e. shared practices and systems of belief), economic circumstances, social status, and gender. At an individual level they appeared to operate through the constructs of the theories underlying MEMA kwa Vijana - Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action – but the intervention was unable to substantially modify these individual-level constructs, apart from knowledge. Conclusion - The process evaluation suggests that one important reason for this failure is that the intervention did not operate sufficiently at a structural level, particularly in regard to culture. Recently most structural interventions have focused on gender or/and economics. Complementing these with a cultural approach could address the belief systems that justify and perpetuate gender and economic inequalities, as well as other barriers to behaviour change

Oral Thromboprophylaxis Following Total Hip or Knee Replacement: Review and Multicentre Experience with Dabigatran Etexilate

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total knee or hip replacement surgery is high. As a result, thromboprophylaxis is highly recommended. While current thromboprophylactic agents, such as low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) and vitamin K antagonists, are safe and effective their use can be problematic. Therefore, there is a need for alternative anticoagulants that are as safe and effective as conventional agents, but are more convenient and easier to use. Dabigatran etexilate, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is one such anticoagulant. For VTE prevention following major orthopaedic surgery, dabigatran etexilate shows similar efficacy and safety to the LMWH enoxaparin, and is approved for use in more than 75 countries, including Europe and Canada. Here, we summarize and discuss the experiences of four German clinics that have recently introduced dabigatran etexilate into clinical practice. Overall, dabigatran etexilate was well received by patients, surgeons and nurses, and compared favourably with enoxaparin. Staff appreciated the oral, single-dose administration of dabigatran etexilate. Patient satisfaction was high, especially in those individuals who had previously used LMWHs. In this review, we also address a number of questions that were asked by patients or staff; this will be of relevance to orthopaedic surgeons and nurses. We conclude that, in these four German clinics, dabigatran etexilate offered an effective oral alternative to existing thromboprophylactic agents in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

The origin of large molecules in primordial autocatalytic reaction networks

Large molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids are crucial for life, yet their primordial origin remains a major puzzle. The production of large molecules, as we know it today, requires good catalysts, and the only good catalysts we know that can accomplish this task consist of large molecules. Thus the origin of large molecules is a chicken and egg problem in chemistry. Here we present a mechanism, based on autocatalytic sets (ACSs), that is a possible solution to this problem. We discuss a mathematical model describing the population dynamics of molecules in a stylized but prebiotically plausible chemistry. Large molecules can be produced in this chemistry by the coalescing of smaller ones, with the smallest molecules, the `food set', being buffered. Some of the reactions can be catalyzed by molecules within the chemistry with varying catalytic strengths. Normally the concentrations of large molecules in such a scenario are very small, diminishing exponentially with their size. ACSs, if present in the catalytic network, can focus the resources of the system into a sparse set of molecules. ACSs can produce a bistability in the population dynamics and, in particular, steady states wherein the ACS molecules dominate the population. However to reach these steady states from initial conditions that contain only the food set typically requires very large catalytic strengths, growing exponentially with the size of the catalyst molecule. We present a solution to this problem by studying `nested ACSs', a structure in which a small ACS is connected to a larger one and reinforces it. We show that when the network contains a cascade of nested ACSs with the catalytic strengths of molecules increasing gradually with their size (e.g., as a power law), a sparse subset of molecules including some very large molecules can come to dominate the system.Comment: 49 pages, 17 figures including supporting informatio