Does Input Trade Liberalization Boost Downstream Firms Exports? Evidence from the French Agrofood Sector

intermediate good, heterogeneous firms, agrifood sector, trade liberalization., Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

La motivation des étudiants à l’entrée à l’université : quels effets directs ou indirects sur la réussite ?

National audienceL’enjeu de cet article réside dans la mesure du rôle des capacités motivationnelles des étudiants sur la réussite universitaire, en adoptant une démarche quantitative et intégrative. À cette fin, les données récoltées sur des étudiants en première année de licence de trois filières permettent de contrôler un ensemble de facteurs relatifs aux caractéristiques sociodémographiques et scolaires des étudiants. Mesurée dans le cadre de la théorie de l’autodétermination, il ressort des analyses que la motivation intrinsèque exerce une influence positive tandis que l’amotivation se traduit par de moins bonnes performances. Par ailleurs, la motivation est un atout pour les bons étudiants, mais ne joue qu’un rôle plus modéré pour les étudiants moyens et même nul pour les plus faibles. Enfin, la motivation apparaît comme une variable médiatrice qui exprime les effets indirects de l’origine sociale et du passé scolaire sur la réussite

Les déterminants de la réussite à l'université. Quels apports de la recherche en Éducation ? Quelles perspectives de recherche ?

National audienceEn France, l'université est en proie au problème de l'échec, particulièrement en premier cycle. Cet article se propose d'établir, dans une perspective chronologique, une revue de la littérature des apports de la recherche en éducation, dans le contexte français, sur les différents facteurs contribuant à expliquer cet échec. L'objectif est d'une part de montrer comment a évolué la recherche sur les déterminants de la réussite universitaire depuis les années quatre-vingt-dix. Il est, d'autre part, d'examiner quels types de recherches peuvent encore être menées sur le sujet, cela nous conduisant à constater que, malgré une remise en cause depuis plusieurs décennies de la pédagogie universitaire, peu d'écrits ont jusqu'à présent été produits dans le contexte français concernant l'effet des pratiques pédagogiques des enseignants sur la réussite

The Key Predictors of Success in University in France: What Are the Contributing Factors and Possible New Directions in Educational Research?

International audienceIn France, the university has been experiencing a major crisis for several decades in the form of a high rate of student failure, particularly during the licence, or first cycle of studies. This prolonged crisis has led educational researchers to focus on the predictors of student failure in University. This paper reviews the existing literature on both student failure and success in University in the French context. We first conduct a thorough analysis of the various factors explaining failure rates, and then explore in more depth the factors explaining student success, which have thus far been under-researched in France. We identify several types of predicators, including individual-level factors, which have been the focus of extensive research in France over the past number of years, and contextual factors, such as professors' teaching practices, which constitute a relatively novel focus in French educational research

Does input trade liberalization boost downstream firms’ exports? Theory and firm-level evidence

We analyze the impact of input tariffs on the export status and export performance of heterogeneous processing firms. Using a theoretical model with downstream firms exhibiting different levels of productivity, we show that lower input tariffs may increase the export sales of high-productivity firms at the expense of low-productivity firms and may decrease the probability of firms entering foreign markets. We compare the predictions of the theoretical model with firm-level data from the French agrifood sector by developing a two-stage estimation procedure that uses an equation for selection into export markets in the first stage and an exports equation in the second stage. The liberalization of agricultural trade appears to favor the reallocation of market share from low- to high-productivity agrifood firms. In addition, our results suggest that, whether lower input tariffs increase total exports sales (and jobs), a large fraction of the least productive exporting firms may lose from an additional decrease in agricultural input tariffs

Pre-dive Whole-Body Vibration Better Reduces Decompression-Induced Vascular Gas Emboli than Oxygenation or a Combination of Both

Purpose: Since non-provocative dive profiles are no guarantor of protection against decompression sickness, novel means including pre-dive “preconditioning” interventions, are proposed for its prevention. This study investigated and compared the effect of pre-dive oxygenation, pre-dive whole body vibration or a combination of both on post-dive bubble formation. Methods: Six healthy volunteers performed 6 no-decompression dives each, to a depth of 33 mfw for 20 min (3 control dives without preconditioning and 1 of each preconditioning protocol) with a minimum interval of 1 week between each dive. Post-dive bubbles were counted in the precordium by two-dimensional echocardiography, 30 and 90 min after the dive, with and without knee flexing. Each diver served as his own control. Results: Vascular gas emboli (VGE) were systematically observed before and after knee flexing at each post-dive measurement. Compared to the control dives, we observed a decrease in VGE count of 23.8 ± 7.4% after oxygen breathing (p < 0.05), 84.1 ± 5.6% after vibration (p < 0.001), and 55.1 ± 9.6% after vibration combined with oxygen (p < 0.001). The difference between all preconditioning methods was statistically significant. Conclusions: The precise mechanism that induces the decrease in post-dive VGE and thus makes the diver more resistant to decompression stress is still not known. However, it seems that a pre-dive mechanical reduction of existing gas nuclei might best explain the beneficial effects of this strategy. The apparent non-synergic effect of oxygen and vibration has probably to be understood because of different mechanisms involved

2011 SOSORT guidelines: Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The International Scientific Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), that produced its first Guidelines in 2005, felt the need to revise them and increase their scientific quality. The aim is to offer to all professionals and their patients an evidence-based updated review of the actual evidence on conservative treatment of idiopathic scoliosis (CTIS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All types of professionals (specialty physicians, and allied health professionals) engaged in CTIS have been involved together with a methodologist and a patient representative. A review of all the relevant literature and of the existing Guidelines have been performed. Documents, recommendations, and practical approach flow charts have been developed according to a Delphi procedure. A methodological and practical review has been made, and a final Consensus Session was held during the 2011 Barcelona SOSORT Meeting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The contents of the document are: methodology; generalities on idiopathic scoliosis; approach to CTIS in different patients, with practical flow-charts; literature review and recommendations on assessment, bracing, physiotherapy, Physiotherapeutic Specific Exercises (PSE) and other CTIS. Sixty-five recommendations have been given, divided in the following topics: Bracing (20 recommendations), PSE to prevent scoliosis progression during growth (8), PSE during brace treatment and surgical therapy (5), Other conservative treatments (3), Respiratory function and exercises (3), Sports activities (6), Assessment (20). No recommendations reached a Strength of Evidence level I; 2 were level II; 7 level III; and 20 level IV; through the Consensus procedure 26 reached level V and 10 level VI. The Strength of Recommendations was Grade A for 13, B for 49 and C for 3; none had grade D.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These Guidelines have been a big effort of SOSORT to paint the actual situation of CTIS, starting from the evidence, and filling all the gray areas using a scientific method. According to results, it is possible to understand the lack of research in general on CTIS. SOSORT invites researchers to join, and clinicians to develop good research strategies to allow in the future to support or refute these recommendations according to new and stronger evidence.</p

Heterogeneous agrifood firms, agricultural prices and access to foreign markets

We analyze how a change in agricultural input price impacts the selection process and market shares in foreign markets for firms in the final agrifood good sector. To do so we develop a model with heterogeneous firms and intermediate good where input use is technologically constrained. We show that the effect of input price depends on labor productivity and fixed costs. Moreover, we show that a decrease in input price in all countries can decrease the probability to enter foreign markets, through export or horizontal foreign direct investment (HFDI). Finally, we show that the decrease of the intermediate good price always increases the share of HFDI relative to export, even if it can modify the HFDI-Export trade-off in favor of HFDI or export

Biens intermédiaires et commerce international avec firmes hétérogènes : développements théoriques et application au secteur agroalimentaire français

Thèse soutenue le 25 Novembre 2011 Diplôme : Dr. d'UniversitéIn this thesis, we analyze the impact of trade liberalization of intermediate goods on firms in the downstream sector, with a particular focus on the impact of agricultural trade liberalization on French agrifood firms. The contribution of this thesis is both theoretical and empirical. The theoretical framework developed here uses key points of new international trade theories, namely the heterogeneity of firms and the selection of firms in different markets due to the presence of fixed costs. To account for the link between the liberalization of inputs and the structure of the downstream industry, we introduce an intermediate good sector in a model with heterogeneous firms. This theoretical framework is then used to analyze the impact of input trade liberalization on different aspects of the final sector, such as the export performance of firms, the way they serve foreign markets (through exports or direct investment abroad), and finally the entry in and exit from the domestic market. We compare our results with firm level data on French agrifood firms validate the propositions made in the theoretical model. We show that input trade liberalization reduces the probability of in the French agrifood sector, and results in the concentration of market shares in the hands of the most productive firms. We also show that input trade liberalization forces less productive firms to exit the domestic market. Finally, we show that the effects of input trade liberalization depend on the structure of fixed costs to access markets