China Financial Research: A Review and Synthesis

We review the financial research on China as a transitional economy over the past fifteen years or so. This review sheds light on several important issues that are pertinent for an emerging financial market - how regulation can affect the prices of different financial assets; how and why markets are segmented; corporate governance effects between major and minor shareholders in an emerging market; the importance of a bank-based financial system; interactions between the financial market and the goods market; how market participants can complete the market; and how an emerging financial market emulates established markets and evolves over time. Many unexplored financial issues remain unexplored, and more research is warranted into, what theories are at work, and what are missing

Remittances, FDI, and Economic Growth in South Asia: Evidence from Panel Data - Rimesse di Denaro, Investimenti Diretti Esteri e Crescita Economica in Sud Asia: Evidenze da Dati Panel

This paper estimates the effect of FDI and remittances on economic growth in South Asia using an aggregate production function model. Time series data from 1976 to 2010 for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is used to create the panel data. Time series properties of the panel data are diagnosed using panel unit root and panel cointegration tests and an error correction model is developed. The model is estimated using fixed effects estimator. The findings suggest that FDI has a positive effect on economic growth but remittances have a negative effect. A decrease in exports due to the Dutch Disease, a decrease in the labor force participation of the remittance receiving family, and public moral hazard problems could be possible reasons for the negative effect of remittances on economic growth

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Not AvailableThis study details about the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli in the fresh community pond water (n = 257) collected from three districts of West Bengal, India. In total, 57 isolates were MDR of which 38 emerged as extended spectrum and 7 as AmpC-type β-lactamase producers in phenotypic assay. Among β-lactamase genes, blaCTXM-1was predominant (87.71%) followed by blaAmpC (77.2%) and blaTEM-1 (22.8%). Six MDR strains carried metallo-β-lactamase (MBL, blaNDM-1) gene. Tissue culture plate assay confirmed strong biofilm (SP) production in four MDR and one non-MDR isolates. In PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT), multiple plasmids of diverse replicon types (Frep, FIB, I1, FIA, K/B, HI1, and Y) were identified. The enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR)-based phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of genetic divergence among the MDR isolates. Multiplex PCR-based phylogrouping categorized 11 isolates as virulent (B2/D/F), which carried blaCTXM-1 gene and three had blaNDM-1 gene. Relative transcriptional activity of AcrAB efflux pump was significantly elevated among the SP and MBL producers. The presence of MDR E. coli isolates, particularly those resistant to carbapenem, in pond water used for daily domestic and household work, is a cause of concern as these pathogens may sneak into human food chain causing life-threatening infections. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Multidrug-resistant biofilm producing E. coli isolated from community pond water. A few of them were carbapenem-resistant and belonged to virulent (B2/D) types. Expression of AcrAB efflux pumps was found significantly elevated among biofilm producers and carbapenem-resistant population.Not Availabl

Polymerase-Mediated Site-Specific Incorporation of a Synthetic Fluorescent Isomorphic G Surrogate into RNA

An enzyme-mediated approach for the assembly of singly modified RNA constructs in which specific G residues are replaced with (th)G, an emissive isomorphic G surrogate, is reported. Transcription in the presence of (th)G and native nucleoside triphosphates enforces initiation with the unnatural analogue, yielding 5′-end modified transcripts that can be mono-phosphorylated and ligated to provide longer site-specifically modified RNA constructs. The scope of this unprecedented enzymatic approach to non-canonical purine-containing RNAs is explored via the assembly of several altered hammerhead (HH) ribozymes and a singly modified HH substrate. By strategically modifying key positions, a mechanistic insight into the ribozyme-mediated cleavage is gained. Additionally, the emissive features of the modified nucleoside and its responsiveness to environmental changes can be used to monitor cleavage in real time by steady state fluorescence spectroscopy