Essays in International Trade and Quality with Applications to Greek Firms

In the present thesis I investigate the relationship between product quality, innovation, and credit constraints in the case of Greek exporting firms. To this end, I develop a simple theoretical framework in which firms choose their product quality considering their credit constraints and the level of their innovative activities. The model predicts that the relationship between product quality and innovation at the firm level is positive when the firm’s innovation expenditures are above a cut-off point that depends on the firm’s level of credit constraints, but it is negative when its innovation expenditures are below this threshold. To test this prediction, I use a unique combined dataset for Greek exporting firms. I infer unobserved product quality at the firm level applying the estimation strategy put forward by Piveteau and Smagghue (2019). With the quality estimates at hand, using data on firm-level R&D expenditure and credit constraints, I find that, consistent with the theoretical model, the relationship between product quality and innovation is positive for low-credit and medium-credit constrained Greek exporters, but is negative for the highly financially-constrained firms

Export pricing at the firm level with panel data

This chapter reviews the growing empirical literature that explores the determinants of export prices at the firm level. It first presents evidence from empirical studies that link firm export pricing to destination characteristics (‘gravity-type’ models). The main implications of channels that can generate price differentiation, namely quality customization, variable markups and exchange rate pass-through, and financial frictions are then explored. A newly compiled panel dataset from Greek exporting firms is used to present evidence from regressions with export price as the dependent variable and show how the main economic hypotheses derived in theoretical models are nested in empirical specifications

DigiArt: towards a virtualization of Cultural Heritage

DigiArt is a Europe-wide project aimed at providing a new, cost efficient solution to the capture, processing and display of cultural artefacts. The project will change the ways in which the public interact with cultural objects and spaces in a dramatic way. This project is unique in its collaborative approach: cultural heritage professionals working directly with electrical, mechanical, optical and software engineers to develop a solution to current issues faced by the museum sector. The innovations created by the engineers are driven by the demand of the cultural heritage sector. The diversity of the objects and spaces of the three test museums are challenging the engineers to provide a tool useful for a broad variety of indoor and outdoor museums in the future. This goes from using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs or drones) to fly and record large sites, to using scanners to record fine jewellery. As a case study, we present here the use-case of Scladina Cave. At the end of the project, the Scladina Cave Archaeological Centre will offer two different visitor experiences. The first uses virtual reality, which will be available anytime, anywhere, to anyone with an internet connected device. The second will use augmented reality technologies within the cave site. The augmented reality visit of the cave will enhance the tour of Scladina by offering visits that would not be possible where it not for the augmented reality, where 3D objects and animations will contribute to offer a new 3D-immersive experience

The 4C5 Cell-Impermeable Anti-HSP90 Antibody with Anti-Cancer Activity, Is Composed of a Single Light Chain Dimer

MAb 4C5 is a cell impermeable, anti-HSP90 murine monoclonal antibody, originally produced using hybridoma technology. We have previously shown that mAb 4C5 specifically recognizes both the α- and to a lesser extent the β-isoform of HSP90. Additionally, in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that by selectively inhibiting the function of cell-surface HSP90, mAb 4C5 significantly impairs cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Here we describe the reconstitution of mAb 4C5 into a mouse-human chimera. More importantly we report that mAb 4C5 and consequently its chimeric counterpart are completely devoid of heavy chain and consist only of a functional kappa light chain dimer. The chimeric antibody is shown to retain the original antibody's specificity and functional properties. Thus it is capable of inhibiting the function of surface HSP90, leading to reduced cancer cell invasion in vitro. Finally, we present in vivo evidence showing that the chimeric 4C5 significantly inhibits the metastatic deposit formation of MDA-MB-453 cells into the lungs of SCID mice. These data suggest that a chimeric kappa light chain antibody could be potentially used as an anti-cancer agent, thereby introducing a novel type of antibody fragment, with reduced possible adverse immunogenic effects, into cancer therapeutics

Effects of an eight-week creative dance and movement program on motor creativity and motor competence of preschoolers

Introduction: Both motor creativity and motor competence are important features of children’s personality that should be cultivated and enhanced in early years. Creative dance and movement are a valuable educational means; however, research on the outcomes of the implementation of this educational means on young children is limited and has several methodological shortcomings. Purpose: In this study, the effects of an eight-week creative dance and movement program on motor creativity and motor competence of preschoolers were investigated. Methods: A total of 57 preschoolers (49–73 months of age) participated in a controlled trial, with 29 children in the experimental group (EG) and 28 in the control group (CG). Pre–post assessments were conducted using the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement Test (TCAM; Torrance, 1981) and the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2; Bruininks & Bruininks, 2005). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), with age and pre-test scores as covariates, were utilized on children’s total post-TCAM and BOT-2 scores. Results: Regarding motor creativity, a statistically significant superiority of EG (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.36) was revealed; whereas, in motor competence no statistically significant differences were detected between CG and EG, in spite of the improvement of children’s scores. Age was significantly associated with both motor creativity and motor competence scores (p < .001). Conclusion: This study indicates that a creative dance and movement program may substantially boost preschoolers’ creative potential; however, it appears that this type of movement programs, focusing mainly on locomotor activities, does not provide children with enough opportunities to develop a wide range of their motor skills. Moreover, during preschool years, a few months age difference may considerably affect the creative and motor potential of children. This should be taken under consideration when measuring children’s motor creativity and motor competence. © 2021, Editura Universitatii din Pitesti. All rights reserved

BM88 is an early marker of proliferating precursor cells that will differentiate into the neuronal lineage.

Progression of progenitor cells towards neuronal differentiation is tightly linked with cell cycle control and the switch from proliferative to neuron-generating divisions. We have previously shown that the neuronal protein BM88 drives neuroblastoma cells towards exit from the cell cycle and differentiation into a neuronal phenotype in vitro. Here, we explored the role of BM88 during neuronal birth, cell cycle exit and the initiation of differentiation in vivo. By double- and triple-labelling with the S-phase marker BrdU or the late G2 and M-phase marker cyclin B1, antibodies to BM88 and markers of the neuronal or glial cell lineages, we demonstrate that in the rodent forebrain, BM88 is expressed in multipotential progenitor cells before terminal mitosis and in their neuronal progeny during the neurogenic interval, as well as in the adult. Further, we defined at E16 a cohort of proliferative progenitors that exit S phase in synchrony, and by following their fate for 24 h we show that BM88 is associated with the dynamics of neuron-generating divisions. Expression of BM88 was also evident in cycling cortical radial glial cells, which constitute the main neurogenic population in the cerebral cortex. In agreement, BM88 expression was markedly reduced and restricted to a smaller percentage of cells in the cerebral cortex of the Small eye mutant mice, which lack functional Pax6 and exhibit severe neurogenesis defects. Our data show an interesting correlation between BM88 expression and the progression of progenitor cells towards neuronal differentiation during the neurogenic interval

Machine Learning Predicts Drug Metabolism and Bioaccumulation by Intestinal Microbiota

Over 150 drugs are currently recognised as being susceptible to metabolism or bioaccumulation (together described as depletion) by gastrointestinal microorganisms; however, the true number is likely higher. Microbial drug depletion is often variable between and within individuals, depending on their unique composition of gut microbiota. Such variability can lead to significant differences in pharmacokinetics, which may be associated with dosing difficulties and lack of medication response. In this study, literature mining and unsupervised learning were used to curate a dataset of 455 drug–microbiota interactions. From this, 11 supervised learning models were developed that could predict drugs’ susceptibility to depletion by gut microbiota. The best model, a tuned extremely randomised trees classifier, achieved performance metrics of AUROC: 75.1% ± 6.8; weighted recall: 79.2% ± 3.9; balanced accuracy: 69.0% ± 4.6; and weighted precision: 80.2% ± 3.7 when validated on 91 drugs. This machine learning model is the first of its kind and provides a rapid, reliable, and resource-friendly tool for researchers and industry professionals to screen drugs for susceptibility to depletion by gut microbiota. The recognition of drug–microbiome interactions can support successful drug development and promote better formulations and dosage regimens for patients