The Other Side of the Moon: The Data Problem in Analyzing Growth Determinants

Replication of two recent studies of growth determinants shows that results are sensitive to the choice of data from which growth rates are calculated, especially with respect to whether economic convergence has occurred. Previous warnings against using data that has been adjusted to increase cross-country comparability to study within-country patterns over time (growth rates) have been largely ignored at the cost of possibly contaminating the conclusions.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40068/3/wp682.pd

A Rise By Any Other Name? Sensitivity of Growth Regressions to Data Source

Measured rates of growth in real per capita income differ drastically depending on the data source. This phenomenon occurs largely because data sets differ in whether and how they adjust for changes in relative prices across countries. Replication of several recent studies of growth determinants shows that results are sensitive in important ways to the choice of data. Previous warnings against using data adjusted to increase cross-country comparability to study within-country patterns over time (growth rates) have been largely ignored at the cost of possibly contaminating the conclusions.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64394/1/wp889.pd

The Other Side of the Moon: The Data Problem in Analyzing Growth Determinants

Replication of two recent studies of growth determinants shows that results are sensitive to the choice of data from which growth rates are calculated, especially with respect to whether economic convergence has occurred. Previous warnings against using data that has been adjusted to increase cross-country comparability to study within-country patterns over time (growth rates) have been largely ignored at the cost of possibly contaminating the conclusions.Growth; Measurement; Developing Economies

Policies And International Integration: Influences On Trade And Foreign Direct Investment

This paper assesses the importance of border and non-border policies for global economic integration. The focus is on four widely-advocated policies: removing explicit restrictions to trade and FDI; promoting domestic competition; improving the adaptability of labour markets; and ensuring adequate levels of infrastructure capital. The analysis covers FDI and trade in both goods and services, thus aiming to account for the most important channels of globalisation and dealing with most modes of cross-border services supply. It first describes trends in trade, FDI and the four sets of policies using a large set of structural policy indicators recently constructed by the OECD, including the new summary indicators for FDI-specific regulations described in Golub (2003). It then estimates the impact of policies on bilateral trade and bilateral and multilateral FDI. The results highlight that, despite extensive liberalisation over the past two decades, there is scope for further reducing policy barriers to integration of OECD markets. Remaining barriers have a significant impact on trade and FDI, with anticompetitive domestic regulations and restrictive labour market arrangements estimated to curb integration as much as explicit trade and FDI restrictions. Simulating the removal of such barriers suggests that the quantitative effects of further liberalisation of trade, FDI and domestic product and labour markets on global integration could be substantial

Psilocybin microdosing does not affect emotion-related symptoms and processing:: a preregistered field and labbased study

Action Contro

Numerical benchmark campaign of cost action tu1404 – microstructural modelling

This paper presents the results of the numerical benchmark campaign on modelling of hydration and microstructure development of cementitious materials. This numerical benchmark was performed in the scope of COST Action TU1404 “Towards the next generation of standards for service life of cement-based materials and structures”. Seven modelling groups took part in the campaign applying different models for prediction of mechanical properties (elastic moduli or compressive strength) in cement pastes and mortars. The simulations were based on published experimental data. The experimental data (both input and results used for validation) were open to the participants. The purpose of the benchmark campaign was to identify the needs of different models in terms of input experimental data, verify predictive potential of the models and finally to provide reference cases for new models in the future. The results of the benchmark show that a relatively high scatter in the predictions can arise between different models, in particular at early ages (e.g. elastic Young’s modulus predicted at 1 d in the range 6-20 GPa), while it reduces at later age, providing relatively good agreement with experimental data. Even though the input data was based on a single experimental dataset, the large differences between the results of the different models were found to be caused by distinct assumed properties for the individual phases at the microstructural level, mainly because of the scatter in the nanoindentation-derived properties of the C-S-H phase.</jats:p

Single Cell Analysis Facilitates Staging of Blimp1-Dependent Primordial Germ Cells Derived from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

The cell intrinsic programming that regulates mammalian primordial germ cell (PGC) development in the pre-gonadal stage is challenging to investigate. To overcome this we created a transgene-free method for generating PGCs in vitro (iPGCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Using labeling for SSEA1 and cKit, two cell surface molecules used previously to isolate presumptive iPGCs, we show that not all SSEA1+/cKit+ double positive cells exhibit a PGC identity. Instead, we determined that selecting for cKitbright cells within the SSEA1+ fraction significantly enriches for the putative iPGC population. Single cell analysis comparing SSEA1+/cKitbright iPGCs to ESCs and embryonic PGCs demonstrates that 97% of single iPGCs co-express PGC signature genes Blimp1, Stella, Dnd1, Prdm14 and Dazl at similar levels to e9.5–10.5 PGCs, whereas 90% of single mouse ESC do not co-express PGC signature genes. For the 10% of ESCs that co-express PGC signature genes, the levels are significantly lower than iPGCs. Microarray analysis shows that iPGCs are transcriptionally distinct from ESCs and repress gene ontology groups associated with mesoderm and heart development. At the level of chromatin, iPGCs contain 5-methyl cytosine bases in their DNA at imprinted and non-imprinted loci, and are enriched in histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation, yet do not have detectable levels of Mvh protein, consistent with a Blimp1-positive pre-gonadal PGC identity. In order to determine whether iPGC formation is dependent upon Blimp1, we generated Blimp1 null ESCs and found that loss of Blimp1 significantly depletes SSEA1/cKitbright iPGCs. Taken together, the generation of Blimp1-positive iPGCs from ESCs constitutes a robust model for examining cell-intrinsic regulation of PGCs during the Blimp1-positive stage of development

Reprogramming Primordial Germ Cells into Pluripotent Stem Cells

Background: Specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) results in the conversion of pluripotent epiblast cells into monopotent germ cell lineage. Blimp1/Prmt5 complex plays a critical role in the specification and maintenance of the early germ cell lineage. However, PGCs can be induced to dedifferentiate back to a pluripotent state as embryonic germ (EG) cells when exposed to exogenous signaling molecules, FGF-2, LIF and SCF. Methodology and Principal Findings: Here we show that Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylases, is a highly potent agent that can replace FGF-2 to induce dedifferentiation of PGCs into EG cells. A key early event during dedifferentiation of PGCs in response to FGF-2 or TSA is the down-regulation of Blimp1, which reverses and apparently relieves the cell fate restriction imposed by it. Notably, the targets of Blimp1, which include c-Myc and Klf-4, which represent two of the key factors known to promote reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent state, are up-regulated. We also found early activation of the LIF/Stat-3 signaling pathway with the translocation of Stat-3 into the nucleus. By contrast, while Prmt5 is retained in EG cells, it translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it probably has an independent role in regulating pluripotency. Conclusions/Significance: We propose that dedifferentiation of PGCs into EG cells may provide significant mechanistic insights on early events associated with reprogramming of committed cells to a pluripotent state

Defending the genome from the enemy within:mechanisms of retrotransposon suppression in the mouse germline

The viability of any species requires that the genome is kept stable as it is transmitted from generation to generation by the germ cells. One of the challenges to transgenerational genome stability is the potential mutagenic activity of transposable genetic elements, particularly retrotransposons. There are many different types of retrotransposon in mammalian genomes, and these target different points in germline development to amplify and integrate into new genomic locations. Germ cells, and their pluripotent developmental precursors, have evolved a variety of genome defence mechanisms that suppress retrotransposon activity and maintain genome stability across the generations. Here, we review recent advances in understanding how retrotransposon activity is suppressed in the mammalian germline, how genes involved in germline genome defence mechanisms are regulated, and the consequences of mutating these genome defence genes for the developing germline

Damage accumulation in thin ruthenium films induced by repetitive exposure to femtosecond XUV pulses below the single shot ablation threshold

The process of damage accumulation in thin ruthenium films exposed to multiple femtosecond XUV free electron laser FEL pulses below the critical angle of reflectance at the Free electron LASer facility in Hamburg FLASH was experimentally analyzed. The multi shot damage threshold is found to be lower than single shot damage threshold. Detailed analysis of the damage morphology and its dependence on irradiation conditions justifies the assumption that cavitation induced by the FEL pulse is the prime mechanism responsible for multi shot damage in optical coating