Muonium Chemistry at Diiron Subsite Analogues of [FeFe]-Hydrogenase

The chemistry of metal hydrides is implicated in a range of catalytic processes at metal centres. Gaining insight into the formation of such sites by protonation and/or electronation is therefore of significant value in fully exploiting the potential of such systems. Here, we show that the muonium radical (Mu·), used as a low isotopic mass analogue of hydrogen, can be exploited to probe the early stages of hydride formation at metal centres. Mu· undergoes the same chemistry as H· and can be directly observed due to its short lifetime (in the microseconds) and unique breakdown signature. By implanting Mu· into three models of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase active site we have been able to detect key muoniated intermediates of direct relevance to the hydride chemistry of these systems

Movement of Exchange Rate on Balance-of-Payments Constrained Growth in South Asia: Panel ARDL

Movement of the exchange rate is highly influential for the balance of payments in South Asia. Underpinning literature reveled both positive and negative impacts of real effective exchange rate on current account deficit. The objective of the paper is to understand the exchange rate movement on current account balance and to estimate the misalignment of exchange rates in South Asia. The study use empirical methods including Pooled mean group (PMG) regression, Mean group (MG) estimation, and Dynamic fixed effects (DFE) regression for estimating the predicted values for the current account deficit. Further, the exchange rate misalignment is estimated on the basis of Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) theory. The empirical results also support the Thirlwall’s hypothesis which states that balance of payments position of the South Asian economies are the main constraint on its economic growth. Panel Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) method is used to estimate the misalignment using net foreign assets and productivity differential. The results show that in the long run of PMG model, Real effective exchange rate is negatively significant while GDP growth, Productivity, Trade openness, and Broad money (M2) are positively significant, imply those variables have positive impacts on current account balance. Since Hausman test revealed PGM as the efficient model to predict the relationship, in short run, EC and Real Effective Exchange Rate are negatively and Productivity and Trade openness are positively significant. The results of DEF model suggest that Real effective exchange rate is also negative, meanwhile GDP growth, Productivity, Net foreign assets, Trade openness, Terms of trade are positively predict the impacts on current account balance. Panel estimation of BEER model shows that the productivity differential and net foreign assets are significant positive predictors of the real effective exchange rate. Total misalignment is the difference between the fitted and actual value of the real exchange rate. These determinants of current account balance imply the effectiveness of targeting one of the variables in influencing the long run behavior of other variables by policymakers

Movement of Exchange Rate on Balance-of-Payments Constrained Growth in South Asia: Panel ARDL

Movement of the exchange rate is highly influential for the balance of payments in South Asia. Underpinning literature reveled both positive and negative impacts of real effective exchange rate on current account deficit. The objective of the paper is to understand the exchange rate movement on current account balance and to estimate the misalignment of exchange rates in South Asia. The study use empirical methods including Pooled mean group (PMG) regression, Mean group (MG) estimation, and Dynamic fixed effects (DFE) regression for estimating the predicted values for the current account deficit. Further, the exchange rate misalignment is estimated on the basis of Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) theory. The empirical results also support the Thirlwall’s hypothesis which states that balance of payments position of the South Asian economies are the main constraint on its economic growth. Panel Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) method is used to estimate the misalignment using net foreign assets and productivity differential. The results show that in the long run of PMG model, Real effective exchange rate is negatively significant while GDP growth, Productivity, Trade openness, and Broad money (M2) are positively significant, imply those variables have positive impacts on current account balance. Since Hausman test revealed PGM as the efficient model to predict the relationship, in short run, EC and Real Effective Exchange Rate are negatively and Productivity and Trade openness are positively significant. The results of DEF model suggest that Real effective exchange rate is also negative, meanwhile GDP growth, Productivity, Net foreign assets, Trade openness, Terms of trade are positively predict the impacts on current account balance. Panel estimation of BEER model shows that the productivity differential and net foreign assets are significant positive predictors of the real effective exchange rate. Total misalignment is the difference between the fitted and actual value of the real exchange rate. These determinants of current account balance imply the effectiveness of targeting one of the variables in influencing the long run behavior of other variables by policymakers

Nexus of Financial Development, Innovation for Green Growth in ASEAN Countries

Albeit economic growth of global economies is increasing, nexus of green economic growth, innovation, and financial development needs to be thoroughly understood to make prudent economic policies for sustainability. The research question intends to identify the green growth promoting policies and impact of innovation and financial systems on sustainable economic growth. Rationale for the research is to provide pragmatic evidences to build up economic systems that lead green growth under the emission control and abatement. Empirical approach is used to (i) estimate augmented-Green-Solow model for ASEAN countries (ii) EKC is also estimated with Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation to reveal the impact of financial development, innovation, and trade openness using World Bank data from 1980 to 2014. The empirical results indicate, across estimation methods and specifications, a strong correlation of the innovation, financial development and CO2 emissions per capita for green growth. Further, increase of innovation and financial structure leads the economies to be sustainable with increase of abatement cost with technological adaptation, and human capital. The implications of the study are to deliberate on the determinants of green growth to promote sustainable development in the economies. Finally, the paper guides policymakers to reform financial and innovation systems to achieve advancement in green technologies adapting sustainable economic policies for green growth

Nexus of Financial Development, Innovation for Green Growth in ASEAN Countries

Albeit economic growth of global economies is increasing, nexus of green economic growth, innovation, and financial development needs to be thoroughly understood to make prudent economic policies for sustainability. The research question intends to identify the green growth promoting policies and impact of innovation and financial systems on sustainable economic growth. Rationale for the research is to provide pragmatic evidences to build up economic systems that lead green growth under the emission control and abatement. Empirical approach is used to (i) estimate augmented-Green-Solow model for ASEAN countries (ii) EKC is also estimated with Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation to reveal the impact of financial development, innovation, and trade openness using World Bank data from 1980 to 2014. The empirical results indicate, across estimation methods and specifications, a strong correlation of the innovation, financial development and CO2 emissions per capita for green growth. Further, increase of innovation and financial structure leads the economies to be sustainable with increase of abatement cost with technological adaptation, and human capital. The implications of the study are to deliberate on the determinants of green growth to promote sustainable development in the economies. Finally, the paper guides policymakers to reform financial and innovation systems to achieve advancement in green technologies adapting sustainable economic policies for green growth

Effect of Dress Code of Sri Lankan Female School Teachers on their Job Performance

The study examined how clothing of Sri Lankan female school teachers affects their job performances. A representative sample was selected among school teachers from Western and Central provinces. A Sequential Explanatory design integrating quantitative survey (n=100) along with qualitative interviews (n=15) and secondary data were used. Results revealed that evolution and current practices of female dress were more into promote nationalism/culture. Though the current dresses of Sri Lankan school teachers are the Saree (for Sinhalese and Tamil teachers) and Abaya (for Muslim teachers), the majority of the respondents preferred to wear casual dresses (54%). Wilcoxon Signed Rank test showed significant differences in terms of perceived comfort and performing given four tasks (washing, ironing, dressing and walking after dressed) in favour of casual dress over traditional dress. Thirty percent of respondents have faced accidents due to their current dress. Aforementioned suggested that, teaching and performing extra-curricular activities would be more productive if they wear casual dresses.  Key words: Dress Code, Job performance, Females, School teachers Cite this paper: U.G.L.B. Jayasooriya, Saliya De Silva, W.A.D.P. Wanigasundera. (2021), Effect of Dress Code of Sri Lankan Female School Teachers on their Job Performance, Vidyodaya Journal of Management, 7(1), 105-132

Revised Macro-Mincer Model for Human Capital Investment in Economic Growth

Theoretical verdict of the economic growth evolved extensively over last decades in the growth literature. Despite the numerous explanations of growth empiric, macro economic perspectives to understand the role of human capital in economic growth needs to be thoroughly understood to make prudent economic policies for investment. The paper intends to identify the empirical specification and estimation for effect of human capital on economic growth. The rationale for the research is to provide pragmatic evidences that lead economic growth under the human capital investment policies. Empirical approach is applied to (i) construct revised-Macro-Mincer model (ii) estimate revised Macro-Mincer model with instrumental variable 2SLS approach to reveal the effect of human capital growth on economic growth using macroeconomic data from ASEAN and South Asian region from 1960 to 2014. The revised Macro-Mincer model provides theoretical specification and empirical validation of the human capital in economic growth derived from Solow growth model. Then, it is used for finding the signaling effect of the Investment, dependency, industry-services and rural-urban population changes of the Macro-Mincer model. Further, the revised version is applied for the Lucasian growth model to confirm the effects of human capital in economic growth progress. The revised Macro-Mincer model, across estimation methods and specifications, predicts a strong relationship between human capital and economic growth, and estimates the coefficients robustly than recent models in the literature. The results of the model exposes that, in addition to the growth of the previous year and its difference, human capital also paly a significant role on the growth rate of the economy. Further, life expectancy and trade openness included in new version of the model are significant predictors of growth rate of GDP per capita. Insignificance of the binary for regional variation implies that spatial disparities are not a driver of economic growth. The implications of the study are to deliberate on the investment in human capital to promote economic growth in the economies. Finally, the paper guides policymakers to reform human capital, in terms of educational reforms in human development policies to achieve advancement in economic growth

Macroeconometric Approach: Optimal Taxation Policies for Economic Growth in Emerging Asia

Innovative and evidence-based public economic policies are vital for the provision of efficient public services in emerging economies. Many developing countries require privation of optimal taxation system to promote economic growth. The research question intends to identify the optimal taxation policies and impact of taxation on economic growth in emerging Asia. Rationale for the research is to provide pragmatic evidences to build up tax systems that generate optimal tax revenues in an equitable manner and facilitation of taxation for economic growth. Macroeconometric approach is used to (i) estimate the Laffer curve for Asia with Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) in factors affecting optimal taxation. (ii) Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS), Dynamic OLS (DOLS) and Conical Cointegration Regression (CCR) are used to estimate the cointegration equation for the impact of taxation on economic growth using the World Bank data from 1990 to 2015. The empirical results indicate, across estimation methods and specifications, that the determinants of optimal taxation over estimation of Laffer curve are tax-rate, tax-rate2 and debt negatively significant, while tax-rate*debt, unemployment rate, foreign direct investment, and openness are positively significant. Further, comparative empirical evidences show that the positive economic growth promoting factors is tax revenue, trade openness and foreign direct investment, whereas negatively significant factors are tax-rate, unemployment rate and debt. The implications of the study are to deliberate on the macroeconomic determinants of the optimal taxation for reform the tax systems in emerging Asia. Finally, the paper guides policymakers to reform tax systems with empirical evidences on impacts of public economic policies to improve optimal taxation for the economic growth in Asia