The Multiple Impacts of the Exchange Rate on Export Diversification

There is evidence that suggests that one of the channels through which the exchange rate could have an impact on growth is export product diversification. I distinguish between the variety and concentration dimensions of export diversification and review the theoretical and empirical literature relating these two dimensions to the level and the volatility of the exchange rate. Using disaggregated trade data for a long panel of countries, I investigate these relationships employing an econometric methodology that allows for heterogeneity of coefficients across countries, and discuss two sources of bias which are often overlooked. I find that the variety dimension of export diversification is positively related to a weaker exchange rate and negatively related to exchange rate volatility. These relationships seem to be stronger for goods with higher technological intensity. I do not find a clear relationship between the exchange rate and the concentration of exports

Synthesis and Properties of Vanadium Substituted Bismuth Tungstates with Fluorite-like Structure

The samples of vanadium substituted bismuth tungstates with a cubic structure were obtained by solid state method. The unit cell volume of the compounds slightly contracts with increasing tungsten content and in case of vanadium doping. Thermal expansion coefficient of bismuth tungstate is equal to 13×10-6 °C-1. The electrical conductivity was investigated using ac impedance spectroscopy. The results showed that the substitution of tungsten with vanadium ions increased electrical conductivity values by one order of magnitude

Formation of Marketing Strategy at Environmentally Determined Enterprise

Actuality of this research is caused by necessity for implementation into practice of economic activities of Russian enterprises of modern methods of ecological marketing which should adequately reflect ecological aspects of enterprise’s activity of its operative component (preparation and implementation of the process of production and provision of services) and of the sphere of management (including cooperation of enterprise with external environment as to problems of ecology and its obligations, including waste recovery), for the purpose of maximal reduction of possible negative consequences for ecosystem and human. Under modern market conditions, ecological marketing is gaining larger significance in the formation and implementation of functions of ecological policy of enterprise, which is caused by increase of responsibility of producers of goods and services before consumers and society in whole. Ecological marketing gives the possibility not only to implement the process of strategic target setting but also shows solutions to many difficulties related do emergence of ecological risk. At that, perceiving of ecological risk by society largely determines the relation of specific enterprise (or type of technology, products, or services) in no lesser way than actual characteristic of influence of production process. This circumstance, which characterizes the actuality and importance of a problem, determined the topic of this article. The conducted research pursued scientific & practical goals which correspond to tasks of formation of modern marketing strategies at environmentally determined enterprise. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s1p36

Antiferromagnetic coupling in CdSe/ZnMnSe quantum dot structures

Spin polarization of nonmagnetic CdSe quantum dots (QDs) coupled to adjacent ZnMnSe diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) is investigated by CW and time-resolved magneto-optical spectroscopy under tunable laser excitation. Efficient enhancement in the degree of σ− circular polarization of photoluminescence from the CdSe QDs is observed under optical excitation at the σ+-active exciton state of the DMS. The fact that the enhancement persists much longer than the exciton lifetime of the DMS rules out a role of the DMS excitons. A possible explanation is discussed in terms of antiferromagnetic coupling between the excitons in QDs and aligned Mn ions in DMS.funding agencies|Swedish Research Council|621-2007-4568621-2011-42542008-6582|Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT)||Japan Society for the Promotion of Science||</p

Investigating the role of specific LEF/TCF transcription factors in colorectal cancer

We have shown that LEF-1 protein is expressed in both HCT116 and SW480 colorectal cancer cell lines, consistent with its expression in colorectal cancer tissue, and, using PCR, have examined the expression of specific <i>Tcf-1, Lef-1, Tcf-3 </i>and <i>Tcf-4 </i>isoforms in these cells.  this analysis showed that repressive <i>Tcf-1 </i>isoforms are expressed in colorectal cancer cells, whilst extensive alternative splicing produces a variety of<i> Lef-1 </i>and <i>Tcf-4 </i>isoforms. To assess the role that <i>Tcf-4</i> and <i>Lef-1 </i>were playing in colorectal cancer, siRNA mediated knockdown of these genes was used in colorectal cancer cells to investigate effects on cell proliferation, cell morphology and downstream target genes.  To reduce total Wnt signalling, β-catenin siRNA was used, and the effects compared with specific Tcf-4 and Lef-1 siRNAs. Our results showed that Tcf-4 siRNA reduced cell proliferation, halting cells in G2 phase of the cell cycle, and reducing the expression of genes involved in the cell cycle.  In contrast, Lef-1 siRNA hardly affected cell proliferation, but did affect cell morphology, causing cells to become larger and more spread out.  Consistent with this finding, Lef-1 siRNA also reduced the expression of genes possibly involved in cell morphology, whilst Tcf-4 siRNA did not.  In addition, it seems that alternative Lef/Tcf isoforms have varying effects on target genes, since siRNA that targeted specific isoforms had different effects on Wnt target gene expression.  These results suggest that Lef-1 and Tcf-4 mediate different events in colorectal cancer, a difference which may be important for the progression of the cancer.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo