Business cycle – growth nexus: a review

Frequent reversals in business cycles pose the question whether country can achieve macroeconomic stability and/or economic growth by coordinating its economic policies. Thus, what is the role of economic policy within the short/long run in amplifying or dampening shocks? Business cycle – economic growth relationship is rather ambiguous and has, thus, attracted controversy. In this sense the (dis)belief that there indeed exists a relationship between the economic growth and business cycle, and their long-run convergence brings us to three important hypotheses that: (1) the evaluation of cycle-growth bond is inconclusive, (2) empirical testing of cycle synchronization is exaggerated and (3) the hypothesis of coupling/decoupling is ambiguous and can be misleading. Economic growth is a complex process and cannot be attributed to a single factor of observance hence this essay is just a tool of theoretical reasoning with firm grip on empirical circumstances that lead us to consider some issues that dwell the “growth economists” these days. Our study suggests a conclusion that discussions on the cycle-growth nexus are far from over, revealing us some remarkable confrontations within empirical domain

Does industrial concentration impact on the relationship between policies and volatility?

It is usually recommended that countries diversify their economies to guard against any negative shocks that might impact on one industry. However, previous research has not identified how concentration can impact on the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies. This paper attempts to evaluate the relationship between industrial concentration, policies and economic volatility for a sample of 147 countries for the period 1970 to 2005. The study reports that less concentrated countries tend to have lower rates of output, consumption and investment growth volatility. In addition, while trade and capital account openness variables alone tend to diminish economic volatility, in concentrated economies opening both the capital and trade account can increase economic volatility.diversification, volatility, policies, E3, E60, C23,

Erlernen der chirurgischen Knoten- und Nahttechnik - Effekte verschiedener Trainingsformen in einer kontrolliert-randomisierten Studie mit Studierenden der Zahnmedizin

Objective: The acquisition of surgical skills requires motor learning. A special form of this is intermanual transfer by transferring motor skills from the nondominant hand (NDH) to the dominant hand (DH). The purpose of this study was to determine the learning gains that can be achieved for the DH by training with the DH, the NDH, and by non-surgical alternative training (AT).Methods: 124 preclinical (n=62) and clinical (n=62) dental students completed surgical knot tying and suturing technique training with the DH, with the NDH, and an AT in a controlled randomized trial. Results: A statistically significant learning gain in knot tying and suture technique with the DH was evident only after training with the DH when compared to training with the NDH (p=4 OSATS points, 46.4% (n=32) benefited in their knot tying technique with the DH from training with the DH, 29.0% (n=20) from training with the NDH, and 24.6% (n=17) from an AT while 45.7% (n=32) benefited in their suturing technique with the DH from training with the DH, 31.4% (n=22) from training with the NDH, and 22, 9% (n=16) from an AT.Conclusions: Training with the DH enabled significantly better learning gains in the surgical knot tying and suturing techniques with the DH.Zielsetzung: Der Erwerb chirurgischer Fertigkeiten erfordert motorisches Lernen. Eine Sonderform davon ist der intermanuelle Transfer durch Übertragung motorischer Fertigkeiten von der nicht-dominanten Hand (NDH) auf die dominante Hand (DH). Mit Hilfe dieser Studie sollte ermittelt werden, welcher Lernzuwachs durch ein Training mit der DH, der NDH und durch ein nicht-chirurgisches, alternatives Training (AT) für die DH erzielt werden kann.Methodik: 124 Studierende des vorklinischen (n=62) und des klinischen Studienabschnitts (n=62) der Zahnmedizin absolvierten ein Training der Naht- und Knotentechnik mit der DH, mit der NDH und ein AT in einer kontrolliert randomisierten Studie. Ergebnisse: Ein statistisch signifikanter Lernzuwachs in der Knoten- und Nahttechnik mit der DH zeigte sich nur nach dem Training mit der DH im Vergleich zum Training mit der NDH (p=4 Punkte) profitierten 46,4% (n=32) von einem Training mit der DH, 29,0% (n=20) von einem Training mit der NDH und 24,6% (n=17) von einem AT. Bei der Nahttechnik mit der DH profitierten 45,7% (n=32) von einem Training mit der DH, 31,4% (n=22) von einem Training mit der NDH und 22, 9% (n=16) von einem AT.Schlussfolgerungen: Ein Training mit der DH zeigte einen statistisch signifikanten Lernzuwachs bei der chirurgischen Knoten- und Nahttechnik mit der DH