Power Relationships along the Value Chain: Multinational Firms, Global Buyers, and Local Suppliers' Performance

There is an growing literature exploring the increasing fragmentation of production processes and the evolution of internationally-dispersed but functionally-integrated economic activities. However, most of this literature appears to neglect an important part of the story, that is the form and the organization of the relationships (the governance) among the various actors involved in these activities, and their implications for development. We develop this analysis in this paper, and explore it empirically with a new dataset on Thailand. In order to address this issue, we study global and domestic value chains in Thailand, and develop a quantitative measure of their governance, which takes into account different levels and types of buyers' involvement with suppliers' activities. We then use this measure to explore econometrically its relationship with suppliers' performance. An important finding is that the relationships MNCs have with their suppliers is multifold and generally more intense than for domestic value chains. Our estimates suggest that more intense buyers' involvement with local suppliers, not only in the definition of products' characteristics, design and quality, but also in technology dissemination and R&D is generally associated with higher suppliers' productivity. However, the governance of the value chain appears to affect the productivity of domestic value chains' suppliers to a greater extent than for firms supplying MNCs or for exporters. We suggest that this result may be explained by the different nature of the information and knowledge being exchanged, and by the gaps between the leader and its suppliers.North-South, Keywords: Global Value Chains, Multinational Corporations, Foreign Direct Investment, Upgrading, Productivity

Micronutrients and Brain Development

Purpose of review: This review summarizes the most recent evidence regarding the effects of micronutrients on brain development. Recent findings: Emerging evidence indicates that nutrition in the early life can profoundly influence neurodevelopment, affecting later life health outcomes, neurocognitive performances, and disease risks. Inadequate early life nutrition has been associated with some neuropsychiatric disorders. Epigenetic mechanisms could play a crucial role, imprinting the genomes in early life making the individual more susceptible to develop diseases later in life. Children adequately nourished are more likely to reach their developmental potential in cognitive, motor, and socioemotional abilities, with positive societal repercussions. Data from further clinical trials are needed before more definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding the efficacy of dietary interventions for improving neurocognitive and social outcomes and preventing some neuropsychiatric illnesses. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to make recommendations to our patients to adopt certain dietary habits to optimize early life nutritional status in order to avoid long-term adverse consequences. Strategies of prevention should focus on ensuring more quality food to preconceptional, pregnant, lactating women and to children in their early life, not only in those areas where malnutrition is common but also in developed countries

WHY DO RESEARCHERS COLLABORATE WITH INDUSTRY? AN ANALYSIS OF THE WINE SECTOR IN CHILE, SOUTH AFRICA AND ITALY

This paper explores the determinants of the linkages between industry and research organizations – including universities. We present new evidence on three wine producing areas – Piedmont, a region of Italy, Chile, South Africa - that have successfully reacted to the recent structural changes experienced in the industry worldwide. Based on an original data-set, we carry out an econometric exercise to study the microeconomic determinants of researchers' collaborations with industry. The evidence reveals that individual researcher characteristics, such as embeddedness in the academic system, age and sex, matter more than their publishing record or formal degrees.University-Industry Linkages, Innovation System, Wine Sector, Emerging Economies

Trade Openness and Vulnerability in Central and Eastern Europe

international trade, vulnerability, volatility, Central and Eastern European countries

From cultural distance to cultural archetypes: an innovative approach to define cultural patterns

The purpose of this thesis is to present an innovative approach in the field of cultural studies, which emerges as the most recent and successful attempt to describe cultural patterns within and across countries. In 2015, cultural archetypes established as an alternative approach to the cultural distance construct, introduced by Geert Hofstede in the 1980s.ope

Analysis of grid-connection of water wheels using photovoltaic microinverters

Mestrado de dupla diplomação com a UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do ParanáTo reduce the social and environmental impacts generated by energy production, the use of renewable sources has grown significantly in recent years. Small-scale pico-hydro systems have great potential and are following environmental requirements. These systems can be integrated with microgrids and are very promising for presenting production 24 hours a day. Within the scope of the SilkHouse project, a water wheel was built for the production of energy and injection into the electrical microgrid, with powers of the order of 300W. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the integration of pico-hydro systems with microgrids using photovoltaic microinverters. This approach allows the generators to work with variable speed. For this, two different approaches were used, the first uses a protection circuit and a DC/DC boost converter as an interface, and the other only the protection circuit. The experimental validation was implemented on a test workbench in the laboratory, and real context with the water wheel implemented at House of Silk. The data collected during the tests were from three generators, a passive load, and a microinverter. With both approaches validation, the main objective of the thesis was reached. The connection to the grid proved to be stable and the results are encouraging for the exploration of the energetic potential of pico-hydro systems.Com o intuito de reduzir os impactos sociais e ambientais gerados pela produção de energia, a opção por fontes renováveis vem crescendo significativamente em anos recentes. Sistemas pico-hídricos de pequena escala, além de apresentarem grande potencial e utilização, minimizamos impactos ambientais e sociais. Esses sistemas podem ser integrados com microrredes, sendo muito promissores por apresentarem produção durante 24 horas por dia. No âmbito do projeto SilkHouse, foi construída uma roda d’água para a produção de energia e injeção na microrrede elétrica, compotências da ordem de 300W. O principal objetivo desta tese é analisar a integração de sistemas pico-hídricos com microrredes utilizando microinversores fotovoltaicos. Ométodo utilizado permite que os geradores trabalhem com velocidade variável. Para isso foram utilizadas duas abordagens distintas, uma delas utiliza umcircuito de proteção e um conversor CC/CC boost como interface, e a outra somente o circuito de proteção. A validação experimental foi realizada em uma bancada de teste no laboratório e emcontexto real com a roda d’água implementada na Casa da Seda. Os dados coletados durante os testes foram de três geradores, uma carga passiva e um microinversor. Com a validação de ambas as abordagens o objetivo principal da tese foi alcançado. A conexão com a rede se mostrou estável e os resultados são encorajadores para a exploração do potencial energético dos sistemas pico-hídricos

Pediatric Obesity: Looking into Treatment

Prevalence of pediatric obesity continues to rise worldwide. Increasing the number of health care practitioners as well as pediatricians with expertise in obesity treatment is necessary. Because many obese patients suffer obesity-associated cardiovascular, metabolic and other health complications that could increase the severity of obesity, it is fundamental not only to identify the child prone to obesity as early as possible, but to recognize, treat and monitor obesity-related diseases during adolescence. This short review outlines the treatment of pediatric obesity that may have applications in the primary care setting. It examines current information on eating behavior, sedentary behavior, and details studies of multidisciplinary, behavior-based, obesity treatment programs. We also report the less common and more aggressive forms of treatment, such as medication and bariatric surgery. We emphasize that health care providers have the potential to improve outcomes by performing early identification, helping families create the best possible home environment, and by providing structured guidance to obese children and their families

Behind and beyond the pediatric metabolic syndrome

The growing use of the Metabolic Syndrome in pediatric age need a critical approach, on the basis of recent concerns on definition and usefulness for individual management in clinical practice. We reviewed these aspects from a pediatric point of view, providing a set of questions about what the Metabolic Syndrome means in a clinical setting. The new proposed pediatric definition by IDF was discussed, by outlying how it does not fully consider the peculiarities of children and adolescents. The comparison between two cases of obese children was used in order to show how this diagnosis could be confusing for a correct management. We stressed the need for health-related limits for each component of the Metabolic Syndrome instead of percentile-derived cut-points, as well as the opportunity to extend the estimation to other family or individual risk factors by means of a multiple-items screening form. In conclusion, Metabolic Syndrome use in pediatric age suffers at present from important limitations (i.e., adult derived definition, possibility to rule-in but not to rule-out the individual metabolic risk, instability of MetS during adolescence, poor usefulness of the diagnosis for specific treatment). Consequently, a prudent use of Metabolic Syndrome for children and adolescents seems to be the best and honest position for paediatricians, waiting for long term, longitudinal follow-up studies that could clarify the entire question