Mineral resources and national economic security: current features

Purpose is to estimate current mineral and raw material complex and its effect on national economic security basing upon determination and analysis of the integrated index. Methods. Eleven countries of the world with the developed iron-mining industry have been selected as the object of the research. Information database has been formed to calculate integrated index of mineral and raw material security (MRMS). Seven indicators characterizing economic and technical state of iron-ore industry have been specified as performance measures. The indicators have been classified according to their effect on final integrated estimation of MRMS state in a country. The study involves proprietary methodology to calculate integrated index of MRMS. Findings. MRMS has been distinguished in the system of national security. Following indicators have been proposed to be included into the system of national MRMS performance measures: production of mineral resources per capita; resource intensity of the economy; resource-efficiency of the economy; provision with the required mineral resources; export quota; intensity of mineral raw material consumption; and ratio of the volumes of raw material extraction and export of the products of primary processing and recycling (utilization efficiency). Positions and roles of mining industry in terms of provision with resources for the world economy have been evaluated on the basis of system approach (with the emphasis on mining industry). Basic current tendencies in the development of world mining industry have been highlighted including the following ones: increase in the consumption of mineral ore resources; growing intensity of the consumption of mined crude ore deposits and, consequently, depletion of the most commercial deposits; prevailing of mineral carbohydrate raw materials in the world mining industry; and increase in ore reserves consumption by the developing countries. Scientific and methodological approach to estimate the effect of mining industry upon the level of economic security has been approbated; the results have made it possible to evaluate MRMS of 11 leading producers of iron-ore raw material. Originality. It is in the use of innovative complex (integrated) estimation of MRMS level in certain countries which has allowed performing their grouping in term of corresponding security levels and determining the factors effecting economic performance of mineral and raw material component. Practical implications. The proposed integrated approach to the estimation of MRMS level of the countries favours the substantiation of the strategy to strengthen economic security in terms of the mining industry influence.Мета. Оцінка сучасного стану мінерально-сировинного комплексу та його впливу на економічну безпеку країни на основі визначення й аналізу інтегрального показника. Методика. Як об’єкт дослідження обрані 11 країн світу з розвиненою гірничодобувною залізорудною про-промисловістю. Сформована інформаційна база даних для розрахунку інтегрального показника мінерально-сировинної безпеки (МСБ). Як показники оцінки були обрані 7 індикаторів, що характеризують економічний і технічний стан підприємств залізорудної галузі. Індикатори були прокласифіковані відповідно до їх впливу на підсумкову інтегральну оцінку стану МСБ країни. У дослідженні використана авторська методика розрахунку інтегрального показника МСБ. Результати. Виділена МСБ в системі національної безпеки країни й запропоновано включити в систему показників оцінки МСБ країни такі індикатори, як: виробництво мінеральних ресурсів на душу населення; ресурсоємність економіки; ресурсоефективність економіки; забезпеченість необхідними мінеральними ресурсами; експортна квота; інтенсивність використання мінеральної сировини; співвідношення обсягів видобутку сировини і обсягів експорту продукції первинної та вторинної переробки (ефективність використання). Оцінені місця і ролі добувної промисловості в ресурсному забезпеченні світового господарства на основі системного підходу (з акцентом на гірничодобувну промисловість). Виділені основні сучасні тенденції розвитку світової гірничодобувної промисловості, серед яких: зростання обсягів споживання мінеральних рудних ресурсів; підвищення інтенсивності використання покладів викопної рудної сировини і, відповідно, вичерпання найбільш продуктивних родовищ; перевага у світовій добувній промисловості мінеральної вуглеводневої сировини; збільшення обсягів споживання рудних ресурсів країнами, що розвиваються. Здійснено апробацію запропонованого науково-методичного підходу до оцінки впливу добувної галузі на рівень економічної безпеки, за результатами якого оцінена МСБ 11 провідних виробників залізорудної сировини. Наукова новизна. Полягає у використанні нової комплексної (інтегральної) оцінки рівня МСБ країн, що дозволило провести їх групування за відповідними рівнями безпеки й визначити фактори впливу на стан економіки мінерально-сировинної компоненти. Практична значимість. Запропонований інтегральний підхід до оцінки рівня МСБ країн сприяє науковому обґрунтуванню стратегії посилення економічної безпеки в контексті впливу добувної галузі.Цель. Оценка современного состояния минерально-сырьевого комплекса и его влияния на экономическую безопасность страны на основе определения и анализа интегрального показателя. Методика. В качестве объекта исследования выбраны 11 стран мира с развитой горнодобывающей железорудной промышленностью. Сформирована информационная база данных для расчета интегрального показателя минерально-сырьевой безопасности (МСБ). В качестве показателей оценки были выбраны 7 индикаторов, характеризующих экономическое и техническое состояние предприятий железорудной отрасли. Индикаторы были проклассифицированы соответственно их влияния на итоговую интегральную оценку состояния МСБ страны. В исследовании использована авторская методика расчета интегрального показателя МСБ. Результаты. Выделена МСБ в системе национальной безопасности страны и предложено включить в систему показателей оценки МСБ страны такие индикаторы, как: производство минеральных ресурсов на душу населения; ресурсоемкость экономики; ресурсоэффективность экономики; обеспеченность необходимыми минеральными ресурсами; экспортная квота; интенсивность использования минерального сырья; соотношение объемов добычи сырья и объемов экспорта продукции первичной и вторичной переработки (эффективность использования). Оценены места и роли добывающей промышленности в ресурсном обеспечении мирового хозяйства на основе системного подхода (с акцентом на горнодобывающую промышленность). Выделены основные современные тенденции развития мировой горнодобывающей промышленности, среди которых: рост объемов потребления минеральных рудных ресурсов; повышение интенсивности использования залежей ископаемой рудного сырья и, соответственно, исчерпания наиболее продуктивных месторождений; преобладание в мировой добывающей промышленности минерального углеводного сырья; увеличение объемов потребления рудных ресурсов развивающимися странами. Осуществлена апробация предложенного научно-методического подхода к оценке влияния добывающей отрасли на уровень экономической безопасности, по результатам которого оценена МСБ 11 ведущих производителей железорудного сырья. Научная новизна. Заключается в использовании новой комплексной (интегральной) оценки уровня МСБ стран, что позволило провести их группировку по соответствующим уровням безопасности и определить факторы влияния на состояние экономики минерально-сырьевой компоненты. Практическая значимость. Предложенный интегральный подход к оценке уровня МСБ стран способствует научному обоснованию стратегии усиления экономической безопасности в контексте влияния добывающей отрасли.The study carried out by the financial support of the “Russian Foundation for Basic Research” within the framework of the research project 18-410-230033 r a

Securities Disclosure As Soundbite: The Case of CEO Pay Ratios

This Article analyzes the history, design, and effectiveness of the highly controversial CEO pay ratio disclosure rule, which went into effect in 2018. Based on a regulatory mandate contained in the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, the rule requires public companies to disclose the ratio between CEO pay and median worker pay as part of their annual filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The seven-year rulemaking process was politically contentious and generated a level of public engagement that was virtually unprecedented in the long history of the SEC disclosure regime. The SEC sought to minimize compliance costs by providing firms with maximum methodological flexibility, expressly foregoing any effort to ensure data comparability across firms. The sizable pay gaps highlighted by the newly reported pay ratios attracted extensive attention from the media and various non-corporate constituencies, fueling public outrage, motivating new proposed legislation, and reinforcing concerns over pay inequity and economic inequality. At the same time, the pay ratio’s role in investor decisionmaking remains uncertain. We suggest that the pay ratio disclosure rule represents a unique approach to disclosure, which we term disclosure-as-soundbite. This approach is characterized by (1) high public salience—the pay ratio is superficially intuitive and resonates with the public to an extent much greater than other disclosure, and (2) low informational integrity—the pay ratio is a relative outlier in terms of certain baseline characteristics of disclosure, meaning that the information is lacking in accuracy, difficult to interpret, and incomplete. We find that in its current formulation, the rule is ineffectual and potentially counterproductive when viewed as a means of generating useful and reliable information for investors, or influencing firm behavior on matters of worker and executive compensation. The pay ratio is more successful in fomenting or contributing to public discourse on broader societal matters relating to pay inequity and economic inequality, though the quality of the underlying information likely limits the quality of the discourse. Given the low probability of legislative action in this area in the near term, we propose that the SEC should seek to improve the rule’s informational integrity by mandating a narrative disclosure approach that provides information about median worker pay and the resulting pay ratio with more context, nuance, and explanation. This would be consistent with the format of existing disclosure requirements relating to executive compensation, and it would represent a positive move away from the disclosure-as-soundbite approach. A related and broader question about the need for disclosure of non-executive compensation and human capital management practices deserves further academic study

Geo-additive models of Childhood Undernutrition in three Sub-Saharan African Countries

We investigate the geographical and socioeconomic determinants of childhood undernutrition in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, three neighboring countries in Southern Africa using the 1992 Demographic and Health Surveys. We estimate models of undernutrition jointly for the three countries to explore regional patterns of undernutrition that transcend boundaries, while allowing for country-specific interactions. We use semiparametric models to flexibly model the effects of selected so-cioeconomic covariates and spatial effects. Our spatial analysis is based on a flexible geo-additive model using the district as the geographic unit of anal-ysis, which allows to separate smooth structured spatial effects from random effect. Inference is fully Bayesian and uses recent Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. While the socioeconomic determinants generally confirm what is known in the literature, we find distinct residual spatial patterns that are not explained by the socioeconomic determinants. In particular, there appears to be a belt run-ning from Southern Tanzania to Northeastern Zambia which exhibits much worse undernutrition, even after controlling for socioeconomic effects. These effects do transcend borders between the countries, but to a varying degree. These findings have important implications for targeting policy as well as the search for left-out variables that might account for these residual spatial patterns

Peroral intestinal biopsy

No Abstrac

A Cell-Based Nasal Model for Screening the Deposition, Biocompatibility and Transport of Aerosolized PLGA Nanoparticles

The olfactory region of the nasal cavity directly links the brain to the external environment, presenting a potential direct route to the central nervous system (CNS). However, targeting drugs to the olfactory region is challenging and relies on a combination of drug formulation, delivery device, and administration technique to navigate human nasal anatomy. In addition, in vitro and in vivo models utilized to evaluate the performance of nasal formulations do not accurately reflect deposition and uptake in the human nasal cavity. The current study describes the development of a respirable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticle (PLGA NP) formulation, delivered via a pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI), and a cell-containing three-dimensional (3D) human nasal cast model for deposition assessment of nasal formulations in the olfactory region. Fluorescent PLGA NPs (193 ± 3 nm by dynamic light scattering) were successfully formulated in an HFA134a-based pMDI and were collected intact following aerosolization. RPMI 2650 cells, widely employed as a nasal epithelial model, were grown at the air-liquid interface (ALI) for 14 days to develop a suitable barrier function prior to exposure to the aerosolized PLGA NPs in a glass deposition apparatus. Direct aerosol exposure was shown to have little effect on cell viability. Compared to an aqueous NP suspension, the transport rate of the aerosolized NPs across the RPMI 2650 barrier was higher at all time points indicating the potential advantages of delivery via aerosolization and the importance of employing ALI cellular models for testing respirable formulations. The PLGA NPs were then aerosolized into a 3D-printed human nasal cavity model with an insert of ALI RPMI 2650 cells positioned in the olfactory region. Cells remained highly viable, and there was significant deposition of the fluorescent NPs on the ALI cultures. This study is a proof of concept that pMDI delivery of NPs is a viable means of targeting the olfactory region for nose-to-brain drug delivery (NTBDD). The cell-based model allows not only maintenance under ALI culture conditions but also sampling from the basal chamber compartment; hence, this model could be adapted to assess drug deposition, uptake, and transport kinetics in parallel under real-life settings.</p

The effect of glycopyrrolate and a combined oxyphencyclimine-hydroxizine preparation on gastric acid secrection

No Abstract

Vertical Field-Effect Transistor Based on Wavefunction Extension

We demonstrate a mechanism for a dual layer, vertical field-effect transistor, in which nearly-depleting one layer will extend its wavefunction to overlap the other layer and increase tunnel current. We characterize this effect in a specially designed GaAs/AlGaAs device, observing a tunnel current increase of two orders of magnitude at cryogenic temperatures, and we suggest extrapolations of the design to other material systems such as graphene

Internationalization as a strategy for small and medium‐sized enterprises and the impact of regulatory environment: An emerging country perspective

This study focuses on identification, categorisation and comparison of regulatory barriers to internationalisation for the SMEs from an emerging market context. Primary data were collected to develop and validate a structural model to assess the salient regulatory barriers of internationalisation with a particular attention to the SMEs in Bangladesh. Structured questionnaire has been used to collect data from 212 SMEs operating in Bangladesh. The results indicate that both administrative and economic regulatory barriers are significant for the internationalisation of SMEs whereby administrative regulatory barriers are slightly more substantial. This study provides further discussion from both theoretical and methodological aspects. By developing and validating structural model, this study contributes to the literature on small business and regulation with particular attention to the emerging markets