The export performance of emerging economy firms: the influence of firm capabilities and institutional environments

We advance a two-stage theoretical model which contends that the export performance of emerging economy firms (EEFs) will depend both upon their firm-specific capabilities and their home institutional environments. Specifically, we argue that EEFs will be more likely to export when facing more uncertainty at home from greater political instability, substantial informal competition, and high corruption. Furthermore, we hypothesize that firms’ export intensities will be contingent upon specialized internal capabilities such as a skilled workforce, top managerial experience, and access to external technologies. We test these hypotheses using a dataset of more than 16,000 firms from the four BRIC economies (i.e., Brazil, Russia, China and India). Our results confirm that political instability and informal competition have robust effects on the export propensity of EEFs, whilst export intensity is contingent upon the availability of skilled workers and access to external technologies via licensing

Self-cleaning on a higher order mode in ytterbium-doped multimode fiber with parabolic profile

We experimentally demonstrate polarization-dependent Kerr spatial beam self-cleaning into the LP11 mode of an Ytterbium-doped multimode optical fiber with parabolic gain and refractive index profiles

Podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs): double burden of neglected tropical diseases in Wolaita zone, rural southern Ethiopia

Background Both podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections occur among barefoot people in areas of extreme poverty; however, their co-morbidity has not previously been investigated. We explored the overlap of STH infection and podoconiosis in Southern Ethiopia and quantified their separate and combined effects on prevalent anemia and hemoglobin levels in podoconiosis patients and health controls from the same area. Methods and Principal Findings A two-part comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from adult patients presenting with clinically confirmed podoconiosis, and unmatched adult neighborhood controls living in the same administrative area. Information on demographic and selected lifestyle factors was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Stool samples were collected and examined qualitatively using the modified formalin-ether sedimentation method. Hemoglobin level was determined using two different methods: hemoglobinometer and automated hematology analyzer. A total of 913 study subjects (677 podoconiosis patients and 236 controls) participated. The prevalence of any STH infection was 47.6% among patients and 33.1% among controls (p<0.001). The prevalence of both hookworm and Trichuris trichiura infections was significantly higher in podoconiosis patients than in controls (AOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25 to2.42, AOR 6.53, 95% CI 2.34 to 18.22, respectively). Not wearing shoes and being a farmer remained significant independent predictors of infection with any STH. There was a significant interaction between STH infection and podoconiosis on reduction of hemoglobin level (interaction p value = 0.002). Conclusions Prevalence of any STH and hookworm infection was higher among podoconiosis patients than among controls. A significant reduction in hemoglobin level was observed among podoconiosis patients co-infected with hookworm and ‘non-hookworm STH’. Promotion of consistent shoe-wearing practices may have double advantages in controlling both podoconiosis and hookworm infection in the study area

Neck pain following laminoplasty

Cervical laminoplasty, a surgical technique pioneered in Japan, is used increasingly in the United States. Axial neck pain following laminoplasty has been previously reported.1–9 This concern over postoperative neck pain may deter som

Enhanced real-time pose estimation for closed-loop robotic manipulation of magnetically actuated capsule endoscopes

Pose estimation methods for robotically guided magnetic actuation of capsule endoscopes have recently enabled trajectory following and automation of repetitive endoscopic maneuvers. However, these methods face significant challenges in their path to clinical adoption including the presence of regions of magnetic field singularity, where the accuracy of the system degrades, and the need for accurate initialization of the capsule's pose. In particular, the singularity problem exists for any pose estimation method that utilizes a single source of magnetic field if the method does not rely on the motion of the magnet to obtain multiple measurements from different vantage points. We analyze the workspace of such pose estimation methods with the use of the point-dipole magnetic field model and show that singular regions exist in areas where the capsule is nominally located during magnetic actuation. Since the dipole model can approximate most magnetic field sources, the problem discussed herein pertains to a wider set of pose estimation techniques. We then propose a novel hybrid approach employing static and time-varying magnetic field sources and show that this system has no regions of singularity. The proposed system was experimentally validated for accuracy, workspace size, update rate and performance in regions of magnetic singularity. The system performed as well or better than prior pose estimation methods without requiring accurate initialization and was robust to magnetic singularity. Experimental demonstration of closed-loop control of a tethered magnetic device utilizing the developed pose estimation technique is provided to ascertain its suitability for robotically guided capsule endoscopy. Hence, advances in closed-loop control and intelligent automation of magnetically actuated capsule endoscopes can be further pursued toward clinical realization by employing this pose estimation system

Application of GIS on Environmental Degradation Due to the Offshoots of Highway Development Projects: Central Ethiopian Highlands

Physical land degradation after road building has been observed in Central Ethiopian highlands through gully erosion. In this research work by using a number of methods such as Field observation, gully measurement, GIS technique, the 1997 and 2006 topomap and socio-economic questionnaires, the impacts of the road on land degradation has been studied. It investigates how highway construction in the Ethiopian Highlands affects the gully erosion risk by quantifying the catchment area before and after road construction, the number of gullies created, and its characteristics in two selected cases: Addis Ababa-Fiche and Addis Ababa-Ambo. Accordingly; since the building of the road, 17 new gullies were created immediately down slope of the studied road segments and 8 other gullies at a radical change in its dimensions. The average catchment area is now 58.28 hectares and 74.52 on the road segments of Fiche and Ambo respectively, which is significantly different (p&lt;0.001) from the average pre-road catchment area of 8.45 and 14.52 hectares (paired average). The total surface area occupied by gullies in the side of Fiche road and in the side of Ambo road transects was about 63,892.6 m2 and 59,214.25 m2 respectively. The volume of soil loss was calculated between 12,530.38 m3 and 71,420 m3 from each road segments. The result of statistical analysis indicates that variation of the gully length contributed 95% of variation in the volume of soil loss. The Gully density (5.7m/ha to 14.06m/ha) implies that the sampled roadside areas were moderately to severely degraded. The damages and associated problems of the gullies, as explained by farmers, include loss of land, dissection of farms, and deposition of sediments on growing crops and in extreme cases putting agricultural fields out of production. Hence roads should be designed in a way that keeps runoff interception, concentration and deviation minimal. Techniques must be used to spread concentrated runoff in space and time and to increase its infiltration instead of directing it straight onto unprotected slopes.Key words: Gully erosion Risk, catchment area, Road design, Ecological destruction

Consequences of gender-based violence on female high school students in eastern Ethiopia

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant global public health problem and adversely impacts the physical and mental health of women. This study aimed to determine the consequences of GBV (including sexual, physical, emotional, and overall GBV) on female high school students in eastern Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,199 female high school students in eastern Ethiopia using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. This study revealed that more than half (55%) of the study participants had experienced any type of GBV during their lifetime. There were statistically significant differences between the educational status and childhood residence of participants who experienced and participants who did not experience sexual violence, physical violence, emotional violence, and any type of GBV in their lifetime (p&lt;0.001). Students who had experienced sexual violence during their lifetime reported consequences of physical health, including swelling around genitalia (33.7%), unusual vaginal discharge (30.7%), and injury around the genitalia (23.9%). Mental health consequences included self-blame (35.7%), and anxiety (23.3%). Educational consequences included poor school performance (36.1%), absenteeism (34.6%), and dropout (28.9%). Students who had experienced any type of GBV during their lifetime reported consequences of physical violence, including poor school performance (18.7%), and withdrawal from school (9.0%). The main perpetrators of any type of GBV were reported to be family members, students, or boyfriends/husbands. GBV is a severe public health problem among female high school students. Primary and secondary prevention is vital to curb the consequences of GBV. &nbsp; La violence basée sur le genre (VBG) est un problème de santé publique mondial important et a un impact négatif sur la santé physique et mentale des femmes. Cette étude visait à déterminer les conséquences de la VBG (y compris sexuelle, physique, émotionnelle et globale) sur les lycéennes de l'est de l'Éthiopie. Une enquête transversale en milieu institutionnel a été menée auprès de 1 199 lycéennes dans l'est de l'Éthiopie à l'aide d'un questionnaire auto-administré. Des statistiques descriptives ont été calculées. Des tests du chi carré ont été utilisés pour analyser les données. Cette étude a révélé que plus de la moitié (55 %) des participants à l'étude avaient subi tout type de VBG au cours de leur vie. Il y avait des différences statistiquement significatives entre le statut scolaire et la résidence d'enfance des participants qui ont subi et des participants qui n'ont pas subi de violence sexuelle, de violence physique, de violence émotionnelle et de tout type de VBG au cours de leur vie (p&lt;0,001). Les élèves qui ont subi des violences sexuelles au cours de leur vie ont signalé des conséquences sur leur santé physique, notamment un gonflement autour des organes génitaux (33,7 %), des pertes vaginales inhabituelles (30,7%) et des blessures autour des organes génitaux (23,9 %). Les conséquences sur la santé mentale comprenaient l'auto-accusation (35,7%) et l'anxiété (23,3 %). Les conséquences sur l'éducation comprenaient de mauvais résultats scolaires (36, %), l'absentéisme (34,6 %) et le décrochage (28,9 %). Les élèves qui ont subi tout type de VBG au cours de leur vie ont signalé les conséquences de la violence physique, notamment de mauvais résultats scolaires (18,7 %) et le retrait de l'école (9,0 %). Les principaux auteurs de tout type de VBG seraient des membres de la famille, des étudiants ou des petits amis/maris. La VBG est un grave problème de santé publique chez les lycéennes. La prévention primaire et secondaire est vitale pour freiner les conséquences de la VBG

Podoconiosis, trachomatous trichiasis and cataract in northern Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study

Background: Rural populations in low-income countries commonly suffer from the co-morbidity of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Podoconiosis, trachomatous trichiasis (both NTDs) and cataract are common causes of morbidity among subsistence farmers in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. We explored whether podoconiosis was associated with cataract or trachomatous trichiasis (TT) among this population. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in East Gojam region, Amhara, Ethiopia in May 2016 . Data were collected from patients previously identified as having podoconiosis and from matched healthy neighbourhood controls. Information on socio- demographic factors, clinical factors and past medical history were collected by an interview-administered questionnaire. Clinical examination involved grading of podoconiosis by examination of both legs, measurement of visual acuity, direct ophthalmoscopy of dilated pupils to grade cataract, and eyelid and corneal examination to grade trachoma. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to estimate independent association and correlates of podoconiosis, TT and cataract. Findings: A total of 700 participants were included in this study; 350 podoconiosis patients and 350 healthy neighbourhood controls. The prevalence of TT was higher among podoconiosis patients than controls (65 (18.6%) vs 43 (12.3%)) with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.55 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.12 - 2.11), p=0.05. There was no significant difference in 3 prevalence of cataract between the two populations with an adjusted OR 0.83 (95% CI 0.55-1.38), p=0.37. Mean best visual acuity was 0.59 (SD +/- 0.06) in podoconiosis cases compared to 0.44 (SD +/- 0.04) in controls, p=< 0.001. The proportion of patients classified as blind was higher in podoconiosis cases compared with healthy controls; 5.6% vs 2.0%; adjusted OR 2.63 (1.08-6.39), P = 0.03. Conclusions Individuals with podoconiosis have a higher burden of TT and worse visual acuity than their matched healthy neighbourhood controls. Further research into the environmental and biological reasons for this co-morbidity is required. A shared approach to managing these two NTDs within the same population could be beneficial

Future and potential spending on health 2015-40: Development assistance for health, and government, prepaid private, and out-of-pocket health spending in 184 countries

Background: The amount of resources, particularly prepaid resources, available for health can affect access to health care and health outcomes. Although health spending tends to increase with economic development, tremendous variation exists among health financing systems. Estimates of future spending can be beneficial for policy makers and planners, and can identify financing gaps. In this study, we estimate future gross domestic product (GDP), all-sector government spending, and health spending disaggregated by source, and we compare expected future spending to potential future spending. Methods: We extracted GDP, government spending in 184 countries from 1980-2015, and health spend data from 1995-2014. We used a series of ensemble models to estimate future GDP, all-sector government spending, development assistance for health, and government, out-of-pocket, and prepaid private health spending through 2040. We used frontier analyses to identify patterns exhibited by the countries that dedicate the most funding to health, and used these frontiers to estimate potential health spending for each low-income or middle-income country. All estimates are inflation and purchasing power adjusted. Findings: We estimated that global spending on health will increase from US$9.21 trillion in 2014 to$24.24 trillion (uncertainty interval [UI] 20.47-29.72) in 2040. We expect per capita health spending to increase fastest in upper-middle-income countries, at 5.3% (UI 4.1-6.8) per year. This growth is driven by continued growth in GDP, government spending, and government health spending. Lower-middle income countries are expected to grow at 4.2% (3.8-4.9). High-income countries are expected to grow at 2.1% (UI 1.8-2.4) and low-income countries are expected to grow at 1.8% (1.0-2.8). Despite this growth, health spending per capita in low-income countries is expected to remain low, at $154 (UI 133-181) per capita in 2030 and$195 (157-258) per capita in 2040. Increases in national health spending to reach the level of the countries who spend the most on health, relative to their level of economic development, would mean $321 (157-258) per capita was available for health in 2040 in low-income countries. Interpretation: Health spending is associated with economic development but past trends and relationships suggest that spending will remain variable, and low in some low-resource settings. Policy change could lead to increased health spending, although for the poorest countries external support might remain essential

Experimental Study on the Parameters Affecting the Performance of Spiral Tube Pump and Numerical Study on Different Water Wheel Paddle Shapes for Locally Developed Stream Powered Spiral Pump System

A stream powered spiral pump is a water pumping system that combines to old technologies; water wheel and spiral tube pump. It works based on cascaded manometer principle to pump a portion of water from a stream using the stream’s kinetic energy, harnessed by the water wheel. As a result it is commonly categorized under manometric pumps. Mainly under this category there are two types of pumps; coil pump and the spiral pump. Spiral pumps are considered to be a gift from God, because it uses renewable energy source, it has zero emission and operation cost, and it can be manufactured and maintained by local craftsman using available materials. But the problem is because of the emergence of conventional pump it was not well studied so the understanding on this tech was limited. Therefore, this research project’s general objective was to conduct an experimental study on the effect of important parameters on the performance of locally developed spiral pump system so that it can be readily design and applied for local irrigation work. In achieving this specific objectives the study were: to conduct a study on paddle shape of water to select the better; to conduct experimental study on the effect of submergence ratio, rotational speed, outer diameter and number of turns of the spiral tube pump; to compare the performance of coil pump and spiral pump; to optimize the parameters of the spiral pump system; and to clearly describe the design procedure of a spiral pump so that it can be readily developed. The study on paddle shape of the conducted numerically using SolidWorks flow simulation. The experimental study on the important parameters was conducted on Jimma Kito River. The comparison of the spiral and coil pump was done using analytical approach. Also the important parameters levels was optimized using Taguchi method. Finally understanding limitation was solved and then seven step design procedure was developed and stated clearly. Accordingly 22.50 slanted curved shape paddle found to be high velocity yielding for the spiral pump. Regarding to the important parameters submergence ratio and wheel speed mainly affects the pump discharge while the number of spiral turns mainly affects the head, and the outer diameter affects both. Also the coil pump will be better for the need of higher discharge and the spiral pump will give higher head for the same number of coils. Finally the important levels was given as factors for Taguchi method optimization using Minitab software, and pump running by 35 RPM, at 50% submergence, with 6 spiral turns and 1.5m outer diameter found to be the optimum, yielding 21 liters of water per minute to 4.1 meter head