Institutional distance and FDI: Chinese and US investment in Africa

Using data on China and US FDI flows to 17 African countries over seven years, I analyse the effect of institutional distance on foreign investment location decisions. Institutional distance is a relatively under-researched topic and thus requires more rigorous empirical testing. From a series of OLS estimations the results indicate that distance on the rule of law dimension is important for Chinese investors, whereas political stability distance is related to US FDI in Africa. However, in each case no other institutional variables are found to influence FDI. Although, institutional distance overall doesn’t appear to be a robust determinant of FDI, these two key findings are important first steps to further investigating this new construct in the African investment context

Successful snakebite treatment in three juvenile African wild dogs (<i>Lycaon pictus</i>) with polyvalent antivenom: A Namibian case report

This article reports the first documented treatment of venomous snakebite with a polyvalent snake antivenom from the South African Institute for Medical Research in endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Three juvenile male animals (6.5 months of age) showed clinical signs after being bitten by an unidentified venomous snake. The signs included loss of appetite, disorientation, impaired locomotion, excessive facial swelling, profuse salivation, reduced respiratory effort and an apparent depressed mental state. Intravenous treatment with isotonic Ringer lactate solution, hetastarch 6% and dexamethazone, subcutaneous administration of procaine benzylpenicillin and benzathine benzylpenicillin, and ultimately intravenous administration of the polyvalent snake antivenom resulted in the complete recovery of all three wild dogs

Optic Nerve Tilt, Crescent, Ovality, and Torsion in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort of Young Adults With and Without MyopiaONH Characteristics With and Without Myopia

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to evaluate optic nerve head (ONH) characteristics in an ethnically diverse cohort of young U.S. adults.MethodsIn this study, 409 myopes and 206 nonmyopes (median age 22 years) completed measures including biometry and spectral domain optical coherence tomography from enface (ovality and torsion) and cross-sectional (tilt and crescent width) scans. Associated factors were evaluated using multivariable models.ResultsIn myopic versus nonmyopic right eyes, median tilt (6.0° vs. 2.4°; P &lt; 0.0001) and frequency of crescents (49% vs. 10%; P &lt; 0.0001) were higher in myopes. Right eyes with crescents had higher median tilts (8.8° [myopic], 9.0° [nonmyopic]) than those without crescent (2.5° [myopic], 2.1° [nonmyopic]), irrespective of refractive group (both P &lt; 0.0001). Torsion was similar between groups, with a slight difference in ovality (0.89 vs. 0.91; P &lt; 0.03). Data in the left eyes were similar, and modeling was done only for the right myopic eyes. Multivariable models showed that an increased tilt was associated with ethnicity (P &lt; 0.001), the presence of crescent (P &lt; 0.001), and smaller ONH diameter (P &lt; 0.0031), with interactions between ethnicity and crescent (P = 0.002). Specifically, ONH tilt was significantly higher in Asian eyes without crescent (P &lt; 0.0001 for all comparisons), and crescent width was associated with increased tilt in non-Asian eyes (P &lt; 0.02). Crescent width was associated with ethnicity (greatest in Asians) and disc tilt. Interactions were observed between tilt and ethnicity, whereby tilt had a greater effect on crescent width in non-Asian eyes, and crescent width was associated with increased tilt in non-Asian eyes.ConclusionsThe data clarify the influence of ethnicity and myopia on ONH characteristics in young adults and may inform future studies of biomechanical properties or of retinal pathology of the myopic eye

Choroidal Thickness Profiles in Myopic Eyes of Young Adults in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial Cohort.

PurposeTo examine the relationship of choroidal thickness with axial length (AL) and myopia in young adult eyes in the ethnically diverse Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) cohort.DesignCross-sectional, multicenter study.MethodsIn addition to measures of myopia by cycloplegic autorefraction and AL by A-scan ultrasonography, participants underwent optical coherence tomography imaging of the choroid in both eyes at their last visit (14 years after baseline). Using digital calipers, 2 independent readers measured choroidal thickness in the right eye (left eye if poor quality; n = 37) at 7 locations: fovea and 750, 1500, and 2250 μm nasal (N) and temporal (T) to the fovea.ResultsChoroidal thickness measurements were available from 294 of 346 (85%) imaged participants (mean age: 24.3 ± 1.4 years; 44.9% male) with mean myopia of -5.3 ± 2.0 diopters and mean AL of 25.5 ± 1.0 mm. Overall, choroidal thickness varied by location (P &lt; .0001) and was thickest at the fovea (273.8 ± 70.9 μm) and thinnest nasally (N2250, 191.5 ± 69.3 μm). Multivariable analyses showed significantly thinner choroids in eyes with more myopia and longer AL at all locations except T2250 (P ≤ .001) and presence of peripapillary crescent at all locations except T1500 and T2250 (P ≤ .0001). Choroidal thickness varied by ethnicity at N2250 (P &lt; .0001), with Asians having the thinnest and African Americans the thickest choroids.ConclusionChoroids are thinner in longer, more myopic young adult eyes. The thinning was most prominent nasally and in eyes with a crescent. In the furthest nasal location, ethnicity was associated with choroidal thickness. The findings suggest that choroidal thickness should be evaluated, especially in the nasal regions where myopic degenerations are most commonly seen clinically

Choroidal Thickness Profiles in Myopic Eyes of Young Adults in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial Cohort.

PurposeTo examine the relationship of choroidal thickness with axial length (AL) and myopia in young adult eyes in the ethnically diverse Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) cohort.DesignCross-sectional, multicenter study.MethodsIn addition to measures of myopia by cycloplegic autorefraction and AL by A-scan ultrasonography, participants underwent optical coherence tomography imaging of the choroid in both eyes at their last visit (14 years after baseline). Using digital calipers, 2 independent readers measured choroidal thickness in the right eye (left eye if poor quality; n = 37) at 7 locations: fovea and 750, 1500, and 2250 μm nasal (N) and temporal (T) to the fovea.ResultsChoroidal thickness measurements were available from 294 of 346 (85%) imaged participants (mean age: 24.3 ± 1.4 years; 44.9% male) with mean myopia of -5.3 ± 2.0 diopters and mean AL of 25.5 ± 1.0 mm. Overall, choroidal thickness varied by location (P &lt; .0001) and was thickest at the fovea (273.8 ± 70.9 μm) and thinnest nasally (N2250, 191.5 ± 69.3 μm). Multivariable analyses showed significantly thinner choroids in eyes with more myopia and longer AL at all locations except T2250 (P ≤ .001) and presence of peripapillary crescent at all locations except T1500 and T2250 (P ≤ .0001). Choroidal thickness varied by ethnicity at N2250 (P &lt; .0001), with Asians having the thinnest and African Americans the thickest choroids.ConclusionChoroids are thinner in longer, more myopic young adult eyes. The thinning was most prominent nasally and in eyes with a crescent. In the furthest nasal location, ethnicity was associated with choroidal thickness. The findings suggest that choroidal thickness should be evaluated, especially in the nasal regions where myopic degenerations are most commonly seen clinically