Foreign Direct Investment and Inequality in Productivity across Countries

Using data for 93 countries for a period from 1970 to 2000, this paper examines the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on cross-country differences in productivity. We construct a spatial Gini coefficient of labor productivity across countries, and weighted indices of FDI and gross domestic investment (GDI). We then examine their time series properties to explore the relations of FDI and GDI with productivity. Although we find little evidence of FDI flows – which have increased manifold in last three decades – reducing inequality in productivity for the entire sample, our analysis shows that these three variables are cointegrated for developed, high and middle income developing countries, indicating existence of a long-run equilibrium relationships between FDI, GDI and productivity. FDI seems to reduce inequality in productivity among high and middle income developing countries while it widens productivity gaps among developed countries in the long-run though these effects are statistically significant only for high income developing countries. In middle income developing countries, higher GDI seems to have significant effect in reducing productivity differences. Granger causality tests further suggest that FDI causes productivity differences among petroleum exporting countries. Furthermore, GDI granger causes FDI in high income countries and productivity differences Granger cause FDI into the middle income developing countries.

Cloud-based online social network

International audienceOnline social media network has become part of human life by transforming the way users create new social relations or relate with family and friends. Online social network (OSN) has drastically increased the rate at which people interact with each other by simplifying the means of communication. However, privacy is raising a serious concern. All user generated data within the OSN system need to be protected against unauthorized friends or hackers or even against the provider of OSN. Many research works are going on to encounter the privacy issues in OSN. This paper analyses the limitations of the recent work being done in this field and proposes an efficient abstract solution to them

Isolation of cellulose nanocrystals from Gigantochloa scortechinii ASAM pulp

This study aims to characterize the cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) isolated from alkaline sulfite anthraquinone and methanol (ASAM) bamboo (Gigantochloa scortechinii) pulp. The hydrolysis was carried out using 64% (w/w) sulfuric acid at 45 °C for 45 min. The CNC was subjected to field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The measurement of diameter for CNC was done by FESEM and TEM, which was in the range of 10–20 nm. The XRD and FTIR results exhibited that bamboo CNC has higher crystallinity index, 78% compared to bleached ASAM bamboo pulp, 60%

Assessment of the sleep parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with a

Objective: In this study, traffic accident with a history ofobstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patientswith polysomnographic parameters was investigated.Methods: A total of 77 OSAS patients were included inthe study. All-night polysomnographic recordings obtainedfrom patients with enuresis parameters and thepresence of traffic accidents recorded in standard form.Results: The mean age of patients was 45.15 ± 11.53years. 53% of the patients were male and 47% female.The mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) in patients was13.54 events/h. History of traffic accidents was found in12% patients. Apnea hypopnea index, supine AHI, arousalindex and oxygen desaturation index were found significantlydifferent parameters between history of trafficaccidents group and non-history of traffic accidents group(p <0.05).Conclusion: In this study, patients with OSAS severity ofthe disease with a history of traffic accidents were associatedthe relationship between the parameters. This relationshipwith the severity of the disease might be due tothe negative effects on attention. J Clin Exp Invest 2013;4 (2): 204-207Key words: OSAS, traffic accident, AH

Role of compliance in Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment : Results of the European Registry on H. pylori management

Peer reviewe

Helicobacter pylori Diagnostic Tests Used in Europe : Results of over 34,000 Patients from the European Registry on Helicobacter pylori Management

Funding Information: This study was funded by Richen; however, clinical data were not accessible and the company was not involved in any stage of the Hp-EuReg study (design, data collection, statistical analysis, or manuscript writing). We want to thank Richen for their support. This project was promoted and funded by the European Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group (EHMSG), the Spanish Association of Gastroenterology (AEG) and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd). The Hp-EuReg was co-funded by the European Union programme HORIZON (grant agreement number 101095359) and supported by the UK Research and Innovation (grant agreement number 10058099). The Hp-EuReg was co-funded by the European Union programme EU4Health (grant agreement number 101101252). Acknowledgments We want to especially thank Sylva-Astrik Torossian for her assistance in language editing. Natalia García Morales is the first author who is acting as the submission’s guarantor. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Functional genetic polymorphisms and female reproductive disorders: Part II—endometriosis

BACKGROUNDEndometriosis has a strong genetic component, and numerous genetic studies have been reported.METHODSWe have systematically reviewed these studies and included 114 in our final selection.RESULTSWe found no consistent evidence linking endometriosis with specific polymorphisms in genes encoding inflammatory mediators, proteins involved in sex steroid metabolism, vascular function and tissue remodelling. Although a number of polymorphisms have been associated with endometriosis in selected populations, the associations have not been independently confirmed, either because only single studies were carried out on these markers/genes or because other studies reported no association. The most solid evidence linking specific polymorphisms to endometriosis came from studies investigating glutathione-S-transferase, a phase II detoxification enzyme. Carriage of the GSTT1 null deletion variant showed consistent association with endometriosis with a 29% increased risk; however, it cannot be excluded that this result was due to publication bias, and this association should be independently confirmed in large-scale, well-designed case\u2013control studies.CONCLUSIONSThe evidence of an association between genetic polymorphisms and endometriosis is weak. Carriage of the GSTT1 null deletion may moderately increase the risk of this disease. We suggest that the methodology of association studies should be improved in order to identify and validate associations in endometriosis

Examining the association between exposome score for schizophrenia and functioning in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study.

Background. A cumulative environmental exposure score for schizophrenia (exposome score for schizophrenia [ES-SCZ]) may provide potential utility for risk stratification and outcome prediction. Here, we investigated whether ES-SCZ was associated with functioning in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, unaffected siblings, and healthy controls. Methods. This cross-sectional sample consisted of 1,261 patients, 1,282 unaffected siblings, and 1,525 healthy controls. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale was used to assess functioning. ES-SCZ was calculated based on our previously validated method. The association between ES-SCZ and the GAF dimensions (symptom and disability) was analyzed by applying regression models in each group (patients, siblings, and controls). Additional models included polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS-SCZ) as a covariate. Results. ES-SCZ was associated with the GAF dimensions in patients (symptom: B = 1.53, p-value = 0.001; disability: B = 1.44, p-value = 0.001), siblings (symptom: B = 3.07, p-value < 0.001; disability: B = 2.52, p-value < 0.001), and healthy controls (symptom: B = 1.50, p-value < 0.001; disability: B = 1.31, p-value < 0.001). The results remained the same after adjusting for PRS-SCZ. The degree of associations of ES-SCZ with both symptom and disability dimensions were higher in unaffected siblings than in patients and controls. By analyzing an independent dataset (the Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis study), we replicated the results observed in the patient group. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that ES-SCZ shows promise for enhancing risk prediction and stratification in research practice. From a clinical perspective, ES-SCZ may aid in efforts of clinical characterization, operationalizing transdiagnostic clinical staging models, and personalizing clinical management

Replicated evidence that endophenotypic expression of schizophrenia polygenic risk is greater in healthy siblings of patients compared to controls, suggesting gene-environment interaction. The EUGEI study

Background First-degree relatives of patients with psychotic disorder have higher levels of polygenic risk (PRS) for schizophrenia and higher levels of intermediate phenotypes. Methods We conducted, using two different samples for discovery (n = 336 controls and 649 siblings of patients with psychotic disorder) and replication (n = 1208 controls and 1106 siblings), an analysis of association between PRS on the one hand and psychopathological and cognitive intermediate phenotypes of schizophrenia on the other in a sample at average genetic risk (healthy controls) and a sample at higher than average risk (healthy siblings of patients). Two subthreshold psychosis phenotypes, as well as a standardised measure of cognitive ability, based on a short version of the WAIS-III short form, were used. In addition, a measure of jumping to conclusion bias (replication sample only) was tested for association with PRS. Results In both discovery and replication sample, evidence for an association between PRS and subthreshold psychosis phenotypes was observed in the relatives of patients, whereas in the controls no association was observed. Jumping to conclusion bias was similarly only associated with PRS in the sibling group. Cognitive ability was weakly negatively and non-significantly associated with PRS in both the sibling and the control group. Conclusions The degree of endophenotypic expression of schizophrenia polygenic risk depends on having a sibling with psychotic disorder, suggestive of underlying gene–environment interaction. Cognitive biases may better index genetic risk of disorder than traditional measures of neurocognition, which instead may reflect the population distribution of cognitive ability impacting the prognosis of psychotic disorder