A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: The Canada-United States Relationship in the Context of Free Trade.

This paper asks a simple question: Did Wilfred Laurier’s dream of free trade with the United States, when it came to fruition in 1989, also impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) into Canada by US multinationals? This paper argues that the customary static econometric approach found in the FDI literature, along with the assumption that policy changes influence only the intercept term, are inadequate to address the question. Instead we introduce an innovative dynamic framework to support the testing of hypotheses on behavioural changes in the variables using a structural break framework. A key conclusion is that prior to signing the free trade agreement US FDI responded only to current growth in the Canadian economy, in a unitary fashion, and current exchange rate shifts. This can be described as a static relationship. The implementation of the free trade agreements between Canada and the USA increased the responsiveness of US FDI to growth in the Canadian economy by a factor greater than two. Furthermore, dynamics are found in the form of a lagged effect for changes in the growth in the Canadian economy and interest rate differentials. These conclusions challenge the dominant view, including that in official policy circles, that the free trade agreement had no impact on US firms’ FDI decisions in Canada. Note: Previous versions of this paper were entitled: “A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: Did Canada Benefit From the Free Trade Agreements with the United States?”Canada-United States, foreign direct investment, empirical relationship

Forward-Backward Correlations and Event Shapes as probes of Minimum-Bias Event Properties

Measurements of inclusive observables, such as particle multiplicities and momentum spectra, have already delivered important information on soft-inclusive ("minimum-bias") physics at the Large Hadron Collider. In order to gain a more complete understanding, however, it is necessary to include also observables that probe the structure of the studied events. We argue that forward-backward (FB) correlations and event-shape observables may be particulary useful first steps in this respect. We study the sensitivity of several different types of FB correlations and two event shape variables - transverse thrust and transverse thrust minor - to various sources of theoretical uncertainty: multiple parton interactions, parton showers, colour (re)connections, and hadronization. The power of each observable to furnish constraints on Monte Carlo models is illustrated by including comparisons between several recent, and qualitatively different, PYTHIA 6 tunes, for pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 900 GeV.Comment: 13 page

Cytoplasmic Intron Sequence-Retaining Transcripts Can Be Dendritically Targeted via ID Element Retrotransposons

SummaryRNA precursors give rise to mRNA after splicing of intronic sequences traditionally thought to occur in the nucleus. Here, we show that intron sequences are retained in a number of dendritically-targeted mRNAs, by using microarray and Illumina sequencing of isolated dendritic mRNA as well as in situ hybridization. Many of the retained introns contain ID elements, a class of SINE retrotransposon. A portion of these SINEs confers dendritic targeting to exogenous and endogenous transcripts showing the necessity of ID-mediated mechanisms for the targeting of different transcripts to dendrites. ID elements are capable of selectively altering the distribution of endogenous proteins, providing a link between intronic SINEs and protein function. As such, the ID element represents a common dendritic targeting element found across multiple RNAs. Retention of intronic sequence is a more general phenomenon than previously thought and plays a functional role in the biology of the neuron, partly mediated by co-opted repetitive sequences

Supersymmetry and Generic BSM Models in PYTHIA 8

We describe the implementation of supersymmetric models in PYTHIA 8, including production and decay of superparticles and allowing for violation of flavour, CP, and R-parity. We also present a framework for importing generic new-physics matrix elements into PYTHIA 8, in a way suitable for use with automated tools. We emphasize that this possibility should not be viewed as the only way to implement new-physics models in PYTHIA 8, but merely as an additional possibility on top of the already existing ones. Finally we address parton showers in exotic colour topologies, in particular ones involving colour epsilon tensors and colour sextets.Comment: 20 page

QCD Coherence and the Top Quark Asymmetry

Coherent QCD radiation in the hadroproduction of top quark pairs leads to a forward--backward asymmetry that grows more negative with increasing transverse momentum of the pair. This feature is present in Monte Carlo event generators with coherent parton showering, even though the production process is treated at leading order and has no intrinsic asymmetry before showering. In addition, depending on the treatment of recoils, showering can produce a positive contribution to the inclusive asymmetry. We explain the origin of these features, compare them in fixed-order calculations and the Herwig++, Pythia and Sherpa event generators, and discuss their implications.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

Living together apart: Perceived concealment as signal of exclusion in marital relationships

This article examines how perceiving concealment in close relationships influences marital well-being. It suggests that the perception of concealment from a partner signals separateness from one's partner and contributes to feelings of perceived partner exclusion. These feelings of exclusion, in turn, should negatively affect relational quality. These predictions are tested in a prospective study among 199 newlywed couples. Results suggest that perceiving concealment reduced marital adjustment and trust and increased conflict over time. Importantly, change in perceived partner exclusion mediated these effects. This article demonstrates that the perception of concealment (a) has deleterious effects on relational well-being in the long run and (b) is harmful in part because it elicits feelings of exclusion. © 2009 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc

Internalisation Theory and outward direct investment by emerging market multinationals

The rise of multinational enterprises from emerging countries (EMNEs) poses an important test for theories of the multinational enterprise such as internalisation theory. It has been contended that new phenomena need new theory. This paper proposes that internalisation theory is appropriate to analyse EMNEs. This paper examines four approaches to EMNEs—international investment strategies, domestic market imperfections, international corporate networks and domestic institutions—and three case studies—Chinese outward FDI, Indian foreign acquisitions and investment in tax havens—to show the enduring relevance and predictive power of internalisation theory. This analysis encompasses many other approaches as special cases of internalisation theory. The use of internalisation theory to analyse EMNEs is to be commended, not only because of its theoretical inclusivity, but also because it has the ability to connect and to explain seemingly desperate phenomena

No Effect of a Whey Growth Factor Extract during Resistance Training on Strength, Body Composition, or Hypertrophic Gene Expression in Resistance-Trained Young Men

Growth factors can be isolated from bovine milk to form a whey growth factor extract (WGFE). This study examined whether WGFE promoted activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway enabling increased lean tissue mass and strength in resistance trained men. Forty six men with \u3e6 months of resistance training (RT) experience performed 12 weeks of RT. Participants consumed 20 g/day of whey protein and were randomised to receive either 1.6 g WGFE/day (WGFE; n = 22) or 1.6 g cellulose/day (control, CONT; n = 24). The primary outcome was leg press one-repetition maximum (LP1-RM) which was assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. At baseline and 12 weeks body composition was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and muscle protein synthesis and gene expression were assessed (vastus lateralis biopsy) in a sub-sample (WGFE n = 10, CONT n = 10) pre- and 3 hr post-training. RT increased LP1-RM (+34.9%) and lean tissue mass (+2.3%; p \u3c 0.05) with no difference between treatments (p \u3e 0.48, treatment x time). Post-exercise P70s6k phosphorylation increased acutely, FOXO3a phosphorylation was unaltered. There were no differences in kinase signalling or gene expression between treatments. Compared with CONT, WGFE did not result in greater increases in lean tissue mass or strength in experienced resistance trained men

Microcavity controlled coupling of excitonic qubits

Controlled non-local energy and coherence transfer enables light harvesting in photosynthesis and non-local logical operations in quantum computing. The most relevant mechanism of coherent coupling of distant qubits is coupling via the electromagnetic field. Here, we demonstrate the controlled coherent coupling of spatially separated excitonic qubits via the photon mode of a solid state microresonator. This is revealed by two-dimensional spectroscopy of the sample's coherent response, a sensitive and selective probe of the coherent coupling. The experimental results are quantitatively described by a rigorous theory of the cavity mediated coupling within a cluster of quantum dots excitons. Having demonstrated this mechanism, it can be used in extended coupling channels - sculptured, for instance, in photonic crystal cavities - to enable a long-range, non-local wiring up of individual emitters in solids