Why exporters can be financially constrained in a recently liberalised economy? A puzzle based on Argentinean firms during the 1990s

Trade-related characteristics have only been recently started to be included in empirical studies analysing the determinants of the financial constraints faced by firms. A result broadly shared by these studies is that exporting firms tend to be those less financially constrained. In this paper we test this result using panel data built up from quarterly balance sheet information for 74 Argentinean big firms covering the years of the currency board regime (1992-2001). We estimate an investment equation splitting up the sample between exporters and non-exporters. Using three alternative econometric models (random effects, fixed effects and instrumental variables) we find that, contrary to what is commonly stressed in the literature, exporting firms are the ones facing larger financial constraints on investment. We propose an explanation for this original result based on the currency appreciation that follows financial liberalisation processes in emerging countries, particularly in Argentina, which triggers a profit squeeze phenomenon for exportable firms, reducing their investment capacity.financial constraint,investment,foreign trade,Argentine

EVERYDAY ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN THE PIAROA OF ALTO CARINAGUA AND THE VENEZUELAN STATE

This thesis examines the everyday life of the Piaroa people of Alto Carinagua, an Amerindian village in Venezuelan Amazonia, and their interactions with Venezuelan state officials and institutions. It provides ethnographic information about the Piaroa and explores the processes of state formation of the Venezuelan modern state as well as the integration of the Venezuelan Amazonian region to the national territory, and analyzes the everyday interactions between the Piaroa and the state which on occasions can fuse these two entities in complex ways. I argue that the Piaroa of Alto Carinagua are involved in processes of social and cosmological transformations that allow outside resources, including state resources and programs, to be integrated into the social realm of their community thanks to the specialized knowledge of their leader

SEE-ing Results in LibGuide User Testing: Applying the SEE Protocol for LibGuide User Testing

When redesigning LibGuide content for overwhelmed health sciences students, librarians’ user testing methods typically employ task-based user tests graded on a pass-fail rubric. Using a UX lens, this presentation will demonstrate one library’s use of the S.E.E. Protocol that objectively and subjectively surveys user and LibGuide success through qualitative and quantitative measurements of Satisfaction, Effectiveness, and Efficiency. The S.E.E. Protocol expands on previous library usability testing by tracking more than error rates over time (Effectiveness). We recenter the user’s narrative by diving deep and inquiring after the user\u27s perceived mental effort and the gap between their expectations of the guide and fulfillment of their information need. Participants will receive a suggested list of questions and methods to conduct their own user tests and solicit holistic user data

Hamiltonian adaptive resolution simulation for molecular liquids

Adaptive resolution schemes allow the simulation of a molecular fluid treating simultaneously different subregions of the system at different levels of resolution. In this work we present a new scheme formulated in terms of a global Hamiltonian. Within this approach equilibrium states corresponding to well defined statistical ensembles can be generated making use of all standard Molecular Dynamics or Monte Carlo methods. Models at different resolutions can thus be coupled, and thermodynamic equilibrium can be modulated keeping each region at desired pressure or density without disrupting the Hamiltonian framework.Comment: 11 pages, 3 Figure

Effects of an embedding bulk fluid on phase separation dynamics in a thin liquid film

Using dissipative particle dynamics simulations, we study the effects of an embedding bulk fluid on the phase separation dynamics in a thin planar liquid film. The domain growth exponent is altered from 2D to 3D behavior upon the addition of a bulk fluid, even though the phase separation occurs in 2D geometry. Correlated diffusion measurements in the film show that the presence of bulk fluid changes the nature of the longitudinal coupling diffusion coefficient from logarithmic to algebraic dependence of 1/s, where s is the distance between the two particles. This result, along with the scaling exponents, suggests that the phase separation takes place through the Brownian coagulation process.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Europhys. Let

Does any antidepressant besides bupropion help smokers quit?

Q: Does any antidepressant besides bupropion help smokers quite? Evidence-based answer: Yes, nortriptyline approximately doubles smoking cessation rates, an effect comparable to bupropion. Adding nortriptyline to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) doesn't improve rates further (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, systematic review of randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram), venlafaxine, mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs; moclobemide, selegiline), doxepin, and St. John's wort don't improve smoking cessation rates (SOR: A, systematic reviews and RCTs)

A Discrete-to-Continuum Model of Weakly Interacting Incommensurate Two-Dimensional Lattices: The hexagonal case

In this paper, we extend the discrete-to-continuum procedure we developed in our previous work to derive a continuum variational model for a hexagonal twisted bilayer material in which one layer is fixed. We use a discrete energy containing elastic terms and a weak interaction term that could utilize either a Lennard-Jones potential or a Kolmogorov-Crespi potential. To validate our modeling, we perform numerical simulations to compare the predictions of the original discrete model and the proposed continuum model, which also show an agreement with experimental findings for, e.g., twisted bilayer graphene.Comment: 33 pages, 16 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1708.0097