Parametric Decomposition of Output Growth: An Input-Distance Function Approach

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

PARAMETRIC DECOMPOSITION OF OUTPUT GROWTH

This paper proposes a tractable approach for analyzing the sources of TFP changes (i.e., technical change, changes in technical and allocative inefficiency, and the scale effect) in a multi-output setting, while retaining the single-equation nature of the econometric procedure used to estimate the parameters of the underlying technology. The proposed approach relies on Bauer’s cost function based decomposition of TFP changes and the duality between input distance and cost functions. The empirical results are based on a sample of 121 UK livestock farms observed over the period 1983-92 and a translog input distance function. It is found that improvements in technical efficiency appear to provide greater potential for enhancing farm returns than that which may be obtained from shifting the production frontier itself. In addition, scale economies and allocative inefficiency are also important sources for TFP changes on UK livestock farms.Cost function based decomposition of TFP, input distance function; UK livestock farms

Finance and economic growth: financing structure and non-linear impact JRC Working Papers in Economics and Finance, 2017/7

There is growing evidence that the impact of financial development on economic growth might be non-linear and hump-shaped, exhibiting a turning point. However, such findings are typically established using total finances (mostly: credit), and the apparent non-linear impact of totals can stem from a substantial structural change in the composition of finances, that has been taking place during the recent decades. Though there are some studies going beyond total finances, they usually look at the impact of certain financing components separately or using ratios, which may bias the estimation and lead to incorrect conclusions. Finally, the findings are typically based on a global pool of countries, and may be driven by a developing versus developed country differential. Focusing on groups of high-income countries (from the OECD, EU, and EMU), this study shows that the finding of a non-linear, hump-shaped impact of financing on economic growth is robust to controlling for financing composition in terms of the sources (bank credit, debt securities, stock market) and the recipients of finances (households, non-financial and financial corporations), or both. In particular, we obtain the following results. (1) The non-linear impact of total bank credit is more pronounced than that of either household credit alone, or the sum of bank credit, debt securities, and stock market financing. (2) Credit to non-financial corporations tends to have a positive, while credit to households a negative impact on growth, even after allowing for non-linearities. (3) Debt-securities and stock market-based financing have a different impact on growth. (4) The estimated turning point of the non-linear relationship is close to that found by Cournède and Denk (2015) for the OECD countries, and lower than that established by Arcand et al. (2015) for a broad set of countries.JRC.B.1-Finance and Econom

Torsion-induced gravitational θ\theta term and gravitoelectromagnetism

Motivated by the analogy between a weak field expansion of general relativity and Maxwell's laws of electrodynamics, we explore physical consequences of a parity violating $\theta$ term in gravitoelectromagnetism. This is distinct from the common gravitational $\theta$ term formed as a square of the Riemann tensor. Instead it appears as a product of the gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic fields in the Lagrangian, similar to the Maxwellian $\theta$ term. We show that this sector can arise from a quadratic torsion term in nonlinear gravity. In analogy to the physics of topological insulators, the torsion-induced $\theta$ parameter can lead to excess mass density at the interface of regions where $\theta$ varies and consequently it generates a correction to Newton's law of gravity. We discuss also an analogue of the Witten effect for gravitational dyons.Comment: 5 pages, two-column format, v2: references added; minor corrections; revised journal versio

Human Cell Atlas and cell-type authentication for regenerative medicine

In modern biology, the correct identification of cell types is required for the developmental study of tissues and organs and the production of functional cells for cell therapies and disease modeling. For decades, cell types have been defined on the basis of morphological and physiological markers and, more recently, immunological markers and molecular properties. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing have opened new doors for the characterization of cells at the individual and spatiotemporal levels on the basis of their RNA profiles, vastly transforming our understanding of cell types. The objective of this review is to survey the current progress in the field of cell-type identification, starting with the Human Cell Atlas project, which aims to sequence every cell in the human body, to molecular marker databases for individual cell types and other sources that address cell-type identification for regenerative medicine based on cell data guidelines

Strain through the neck linker ensures processive runs: a DNA-kinesin hybrid nanomachine study

The motor protein kinesin has two heads and walks along microtubules processively using energy derived from ATP. However, how kinesin heads are coordinated to generate processive movement remains elusive. Here we created a hybrid nanomachine (DNA-kinesin) using DNA as the skeletal structure and kinesin as the functional module. Single molecule imaging of DNA-kinesin hybrid allowed us to evaluate the effects of both connect position of the heads (N, C-terminal or Mid position) and sub-nanometer changes in the distance between the two heads on motility. Our results show that although the native structure of kinesin is not essential for processive movement, it is the most efficient. Furthermore, forward bias by the power stroke of the neck linker, a 13-amino-acid chain positioned at the C-terminus of the head, and internal strain applied to the rear of the head through the neck linker are crucial for the processive movement. Results also show that the internal strain coordinates both heads to prevent simultaneous detachment from the microtubules. Thus, the inter-head coordination through the neck linker facilitates long-distance walking

Considerations in hiPSC-derived cartilage for articular cartilage repair

Background: A lack of cell or tissue sources hampers regenerative medicine for articular cartilage damage. Main text: We review and discuss the possible use of pluripotent stem cells as a new source for future clinical use. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have several advantages over human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Methods for the generation of chondrocytes and cartilage from hiPSCs have been developed. To reduce the cost of this regenerative medicine, allogeneic transplantation is preferable. hiPSC-derived cartilage shows low immunogenicity like native cartilage, because the cartilage is avascular and chondrocytes are segregated by the extracellular matrix. In addition, we consider our experience with the aberrant deposition of lipofuscin or melanin on cartilage during the chondrogenic differentiation of hiPSCs. Short conclusion: Cartilage generated from allogeneic hiPSC-derived cartilage can be used to repair articular cartilage damage

The specificity and patterns of staining in human cells and tissues of p16INK4a antibodies demonstrate variant antigen binding

The validity of the identification and classification of human cancer using antibodies to detect biomarker proteins depends upon antibody specificity. Antibodies that bind to the tumour-suppressor protein p16INK4a are widely used for cancer diagnosis and research. In this study we examined the specificity of four commercially available anti-p16INK4a antibodies in four immunological applications. The antibodies H-156 and JC8 detected the same 16 kDa protein in western blot and immunoprecipitation tests, whereas the antibody F-12 did not detect any protein in western blot analysis or capture a protein that could be recognised by the H-156 antibody. In immunocytochemistry tests, the antibodies JC8 and H-156 detected a predominately cytoplasmic localised antigen, whose signal was depleted in p16INK4a siRNA experiments. F-12, in contrast, detected a predominately nuclear located antigen and there was no noticeable reduction in this signal after siRNA knockdown. Furthermore in immunohistochemistry tests, F-12 generated a different pattern of staining compared to the JC8 and E6H4 antibodies. These results demonstrate that three out of four commercially available p16INK4a antibodies are specific to, and indicate a mainly cytoplasmic localisation for, the p16INK4a protein. The F-12 antibody, which has been widely used in previous studies, gave different results to the other antibodies and did not demonstrate specificity to human p16INK4a. This work emphasizes the importance of the validation of commercial antibodies, aside to the previously reported use, for the full verification of immunoreaction specificity