Firm Exit and Armed Conflict in Colombia

This paper uses two unique panel data sets to study the causal effect that armed conflict has over entrepreneurial activity in Colombia. Using a fixed effect estimation methodology at the plant level and controlling for the possible endogeneity of armed conflict through the use of instrumental variables, we find that a one standard deviation in the number of guerrilla and paramilitary attacks in a municipality increases the probability of firm exit in 8.1 percentage points. This effect is stronger for smaller plants and has a differential impact with respect to firms’ age.conflict, firm exit, entrepreneurship, Colombia

Assessing Young Males\u27 Perspectives On The Cultural Competency Of Juvenile Justice Staff And Predicting Psychosocial Functioning

The theory of symbolic interactionism explains how social interactions influence behavior. In this study, it is reasoned that culturally sensitive interactions may be associated with adjudicated youth behavior. The purpose of this project is to (1) examine the differences in adjudicated male youths\u27 perceptions of the level of cultural competency in juvenile justice staff members and (2) to identify whether staff members\u27 cultural competency is related to self-restraint, distress, and delinquent behavior in adjudicated male youth. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, adjudicated youths enrolled in a variety of re-entry and transitional programs were surveyed. Youths retrospectively assessed the cultural competency of law enforcement and correctional officers in New York and New Jersey. Since cultural competency has never been measured in the juvenile justice field, instruments from counseling psychology measuring the cultural competency of therapists were modified to assess the same construct in juvenile justice professionals. Instruments from psychology and juvenile justice fields were employed to assess self-restraint, distress, and delinquency, respectively. The findings for this study shed light on the relationship between youths\u27 appraisal of the juvenile justice professionals\u27 level of cultural competency and their psychosocial functioning. The results provide some support that there are differences in demographic characteristics of adjudicated male youth and their perceptions of officers\u27 levels of cultural competency. No relationship exists between appraisals and delinquency. Self-restraint is not significantly related to youths\u27 appraisals of officers. In addition, self-restraint is not a mediating factor between appraisals and delinquency. Distress is significantly related to youths\u27 appraisals of correctional officers. Recommendations to improve the juvenile justice system by making juvenile justice professionals more culturally competent are provided. Replication of this study with a larger sample will be needed to assess the generalizability of these findings

‘Maybe we can turn the tide’ : an explanatory mixed-methods study to understand how knowledge brokers mobilise health evidence in low- and middle-income countries

Background: Little is known about how knowledge brokers (KBs) operate in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to translate evidence for health policy and practice. These intermediaries facilitate relationships between evidence producers and users to address public health issues. Aims and objectives: To increase understanding, a mixed-methods study collected data from KBs who had acted on evidence from the 2015 Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Mexico. Methods: Of the 1000 in-person participants, 252 plus 72 online participants (n=324) from 56 countries completed an online survey, and 20 participants from 15 countries were interviewed. Thematic analysis and application of knowledge translation (KT) theory explored factors influencing KB actions leading to evidence uptake. Descriptive statistics of respondent characteristics were used for cross-case comparison. Findings: Results suggest factors supporting the KB role in evidence uptake, which include active relationships with evidence users through embedded KB roles, targeted and tailored evidence communication to fit the context, user receptiveness to evidence from a similar country setting, adaptability in the KB role, and action orientation of KBs. Discussion and conclusions: Initiatives to increase evidence uptake in LMICs should work to establish supportive structures for embedded KT, identify processes for ongoing cross-country learning, and strengthen KBs already showing effectiveness in their roles

A fully integrated paperfluidic molecular diagnostic chip for the extraction, amplification, and detection of nucleic acids from clinical samples

Paper diagnostics have successfully been employed to detect the presence of antigens or small molecules in clinical samples through immunoassays; however, the detection of many disease targets relies on the much higher sensitivity and specificity achieved via nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT). The steps involved in NAAT have recently begun to be explored in paper matrices, and our group, among others, has reported on paper-based extraction, amplification, and detection of DNA and RNA targets. Here, we integrate these paper-based NAAT steps into a single paperfluidic chip in a modular, foldable system that allows for fully integrated fluidic handling from sample to result. We showcase the functionality of the chip by combining nucleic acid isolation, isothermal amplification, and lateral flow detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 DNA directly from crude cervical specimens in less than 1 hour for rapid, early detection of cervical cancer. The chip is made entirely of paper and adhesive sheets, making it low-cost, portable, and disposable, and offering the potential for a point-of-care molecular diagnostic platform even in remote and resource-limited settings.U54 EB015403 - NIBIB NIH HHS; U54 EB015408 - NIBIB NIH HHS; U54-EB015403-S1 - NIBIB NIH HH

Armed conflict characteristics and its effects on firm exit

This paper uses two unique panel data sets to study the causal effect that different characteristics of the armed conflict have over firm exit in Colombia. Using a fixed effects estimation methodology at the plant level and controlling for the possible endogeneity of armed conflict through the use of instrumental variables, we find that the particular armed group that operates in a given region, the level of polarization of the conflict as well as the specific target of the attack impact in a differential manner the probability of firm exit. This poses important implications for policy recommendations and actions in the different regions of the country

Firm exit and armed conflict in Colombia

This paper uses two unique panel data sets to study the causal effect that armed conflict has over entrepreneurial activity in Colombia. Using a fixed effect estimation methodology at the plant level and controlling for the possible endogeneity of armed conflict through the use of instrumental variables, we find that a one standard deviation increase in the number of guerrilla and paramilitary attacks in a municipality increases the probability of plant exit in 5.2 percentage points or 0.26 standard deviations. This effect is stronger for younger manufacturing plants, with a smaller number of workers and low levels of capital