Explaining Differences in the Productivity of Capital Across Countries in the Context of 'New' Growth Theory

The purpose of this paper is to explain differences in the productivity of capital across countries taking 84 rich and poor countries over the period 1980-2011, and to test the orthodox neoclassical assumption of diminishing returns to capital. The marginal product of capital is measured as the ratio of the long-run growth of GDP to a countrys investment ratio. Twenty potential determinants are considered using a general-to-specific model selection procedure. Education, government consumption, geography, export growth, openness, political rights and macroeconomic instability turn out to be the most important variables. The data also suggest constant returns to capital, so investment matters for long-run growth

Taking wishes and feelings seriously: the views of people lacking capacity in Court of Protection decision-making

The Mental Capacity Act requires that where a person (P) lacks capacity to make a decision her wishes and feelings be taken into account when deciding what is in her best interests. This article considers how the Court of Protection evaluates evidence from P concerning her wishes and feelings. It finds that the Court ignores evidence regarding current wishes and fails to engage with more ambiguous evidence where P desires conflicting outcomes or may be concealing her true feelings. This is unhelpful since it makes the resulting judgment unconvincing to observers. It is legally problematic, since the Court should be following the practices of other decision-makers under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). And it is ethically problematic since it undermines P's dignity and does not treat P as an actor whose evidence regarding her wishes and feelings has intrinsic status which the Court must make active efforts to engage with or discount rather than ignore

Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Bis(phosphine) Oxides and Their Phosphines via Secondary Phosphine Oxide Precursors

The unsymmetrical bidentate phosphine ligands (Me)2PCH2CH2CH2P(Et)2 (14), (Me)2PCH2CH2CH2P(iPr)2 (15), (Me)2PCH2CH2CH2P(Cy)2 (16), and (Me)2PCH2CH2CH2P(Ph)2 (17) were synthesized using air–stable phosphine oxide intermediates. In the first step, sodium phosphinites formed by deprotonation of (Me)2P(O)H, (Et)2P(O)H, and (iPr)2P(O)H were alkylated by 1-bromo-3-chloropropane. The different substitution rates of the chloride and bromide groups allowed the isolation of the intermediates (Me)2P(O)CH2CH2CH2Cl (2), (Et)2P(O)CH2CH2CH2Cl (3), and (iPr)2P(O)CH2CH2CH2Cl (4). Subsequent reaction of (Me)2P(O)CH2CH2CH2Cl (2) with the sodium phosphinites generated from (Et)2P(O)H, (iPr)2P(O)H, (tBu)2P(O)H, (Cy)2P(O)H, or (Ph)2P(O)H gave unsymmetrical bidentate phosphine oxides; reduction of these oxides yielded the unsymmetrical phosphines. The unsymmetrical bidentate phosphines react with metal salts to form complexes. X-ray crystal structures of cis-Pt((Me)2P(CH2CH2CH2)P(iPr)2)Cl2 (20) and racemic [CuI((Me)2P(CH2CH2CH2)P(Ph)2)]Cl (21) were obtained. The kinetics and scope of the synthetic route were also explored. Experiments showed that the rate of substitution of the alkyl chloride group in (R)2P(O)CH2CH2CH2Cl-type oxides increases relative to unsubstituted alkyl chlorides due to the presence of the phosphonyl group on one end of the molecule. The scope of the reaction involving 1,2-dihaloalkanes was also investigated, and it was found that the reaction mixture of sodium dimethylphosphinite and 1,2-dihaloalkanes formed tetramethylbis(phosphine) monoxide (22), which decomposes on work-up to give complex reaction mixtures

Subsidiary Linkage Patterns: Learning Prospects and Spillover Risks

This paper investigates the pattern of subsidiaries' local vertical linkages under varying levels of competition and subsidiary capabilities. Contrary to most previous literature, we explicitly account for the double role of such linkages as conduits of learning prospects as well as potential channels for spillovers to competitors. We find a curvilinear relationship between the extent of competitive pressure and the quality of a subsidiary's set of local linkages. Furthermore, the extent to which a subsidiary possesses capabilities moderates this relationship: Very capable subsidiaries in strongly competitive environments tend to shy away from high quality linkages. We discuss our findings in light of the literature on spillovers and inter-organizational linkages

Die Bedeutung einer Ausfallbedrohtheit von Versicherungskontrakten - ein Beitrag zur Behavioral Insurance

Kahneman/Tversky 1979 haben das theoretische Konstrukt der Probabilistic Insurance Kontrakte in die Literatur eingeführt. Hiermit werden Versicherungsverträge bezeichnet, deren Erfüllung im Leistungsfalle aufgrund einer möglichen Insolvenz des Versicherungsunternehmens nicht gewährleistet ist. In Ausweitung einer Studie von Wakker/Thaler/Tversky 1997 wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit eine experimentelle Untersuchung durchgeführt, wobei die Zahlungsbereitschaft potentieller Versicherungsnehmer in Abhängigkeit des Ratings des den Versicherungskontrakt anbietenden Unternehmens festgestellt wird. Dabei zeigt sich, daß diese ausfallbedrohte Versicherungsprodukte relativ zu ausfallfreien Verträgen mit erheblichen Prämienabschlägen sanktionieren. Der Preisabschlag nimmt dabei mit sinkender Unternehmensbonität (erhöhter Ausfallgefahr) zu. Die Befragungsergebnisse zeigen zudem das neuartige Phänomen, daß mit zunehmender Ausfallbedrohtheit immer weniger Personen bereit sind, ausfallbedrohte Versicherungsprodukte überhaupt zu akzeptieren. Schließlich werden Schlußfolgerungen für die Steuerung von Versicherungsunternehmen diskutiert

Genome-wide expression changes induced by bisphenol A, F and S in human stem cell derived hepatocyte-like cells

Acknowledgments BLV and DCH were funded by an award from the Chief Scientist Office (TCS 16/37). This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 681002 (EU-ToxRisk) and from TransQST (no. 116030).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Mission moves

This scholarly book is the final result of a team-research project, done by ten Practical Theologians from three denominations in the Reformed tradition in South Africa. The authors posed the following research problem and-question: What would be the relationship (if any) between preaching (and the liturgy of which it is a part) and the development of missional congregations? And secondly, what kind of preaching and preacher would best serve (even facilitate) such a process of missional congregational development in preaching and worship

Victim, perpetrator, family, and incident characteristics of infant and child homicide in the United States Air Force

Objective: The present study describes factors related to fatal abuse in three age groups in the United States Air Force (USAF). Method: Records from 32 substantiated cases of fatal child abuse in the USAF were independently reviewed for 60 predefined factors. Results: Males were over-represented in young child victims (between 1 year and 4 years of age) and child victims (between 4 years and 15 years of age) but not in infant victims (between 24 hours and 1 year of age). African-American infant victims and perpetrators were over-represented. Younger victims were more likely to have been previously physically abused by the perpetrator. Perpetrators were predominantly male and the biological fathers of the victims. Infant and young child perpetrators reported childhood abuse histories, while child perpetrators reported the highest frequency of mental health contact. Victims’ families reported significant life stressors. Families of young child victims were more likely divorced, separated, or single. Incidents with infants and young children tended to occur without witnesses; incidents with child victims tended to have the victim’s sibling(s) and/or mother present. Fatal incidents were more frequent on the weekend, in the home, and initiated by some family disturbance. Conclusions: Differences among groups in factors related to infant and child homicide across age groups may assist in the development of more tailored abuse prevention efforts and may also guide future investigations

Evaluation of Clinical and Immunological Markers for predicting Virological Failure in a HIV/AIDS treatment cohort in Busia, Kenya

In resource-limited settings where viral load (VL) monitoring is scarce or unavailable, clinicians must use immunological and clinical criteria to define HIV virological treatment failure. This study examined the performance of World Health Organization (WHO) clinical and immunological failure criteria in predicting virological failure in HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART)