UK and The European Union: Exports of Car Components From 1994 to 2016

The UK has become increasingly reliant on international trade, especially with other European Union countries. This paper investigates UK exports, focusing on components for making cars. Large (often multinational) corporations are central to the process of car manufacture; such firms often operate across national boundaries. The European Union appears to have helped the UK economy to develop, by providing access to large consumer markets for UK-based firms: many UK jobs rely (at least partly) on exports. This paper reports evidence on links between UK factories making car components, and factories in other EU countries which use such components to make cars – in particular, focusing on German, French, and Italian car manufacturers. Insights are provided into the ‘Just-in-time’ approach to production, which is popular in many industries. Employment data from UK government surveys shed light on some characteristics of employees in UK factories making car components

Domestic Violence against Women: Higher Tax on Alcohol Could Protect Women

Domestic violence against women is a very widespread problem, thought to affect about a third of women worldwide: hence, there may be a billion victims. The consequences of violence within the home can be devastating—often leaving women permanently injured, and sometimes resulting in her death. This paper reports recent evidence on the problem, confirming the link between alcohol consumption and violence. Governments can do more to support women: a new tax on alcohol could pay for services to protect violence

Structure of FcRY, an avian immunoglobulin receptor related to mammalian mannose receptors, and its complex with IgY

Fc receptors transport maternal antibodies across epithelial cell barriers to passively immunize newborns. FcRY, the functional counterpart of mammalian FcRn (a major histocompatibility complex homolog), transfers IgY across the avian yolk sac, and represents a new class of Fc receptor related to the mammalian mannose receptor family. FcRY and FcRn bind immunoglobulins at pH ≤6.5, but not pH ≥7, allowing receptor–ligand association inside intracellular vesicles and release at the pH of blood. We obtained structures of monomeric and dimeric FcRY and an FcRY–IgY complex and explored FcRY's pH-dependent binding mechanism using electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering. The cryoEM structure of FcRY at pH 6 revealed a compact double-ring “head,” in which the N-terminal cysteine-rich and fibronectin II domains were folded back to contact C-type lectin-like domains 1–6, and a “tail” comprising C-type lectin-like domains 7–8. Conformational changes at pH 8 created a more elongated structure that cannot bind IgY. CryoEM reconstruction of FcRY dimers at pH 6 and small-angle X-ray scattering analysis at both pH values confirmed both structures. The cryoEM structure of the FcRY–IgY revealed symmetric binding of two FcRY heads to the dimeric FcY, each head contacting the CH4 domain of one FcY chain. FcRY shares structural properties with mannose receptor family members, including a head and tail domain organization, multimerization that may regulate ligand binding, and pH-dependent conformational changes. Our results facilitate understanding of immune recognition by the structurally related mannose receptor family and comparison of diverse methods of Ig transport across evolution

UK Government From 2010 to 2015: A Case Study in Management

This paper investigates the effects of changing UK government policies from 2010 to 2015. It considers government spending, and the effects this had on UK government debt. Evidence in this paper suggests there was a critical period around 2012, which may have taken UK from sustainable growth to the edge of financial crisis. Future governments can learn from what happened in UK between 2010 and 2015: this paper is intended to shed light on the effects of choices made by the coalition government. A particular sequence of events may have shaped the UK economy‟s future: staff shortages, overwork, and illness, leading to poor judgement. Keynes [1] suggested we should learn from history: “I do not know which makes a man more conservative – to know nothing but the present, or nothing but the past”

Delayed Effects of Graduate Education on Increased Productivity

Human Capital Theory’ shows that education is a vital part of improving productivity. This paper investigates effects of tertiary education (post-school education: at universities, higher-education colleges, and similar institutions) on how productive an employee is. A problem with such research is to identify which variable is the cause, and which is the effect. This paper uses time-series regression analysis of World Bank data, on the fraction of a country’s workforce with tertiary education, and productivity. This paper also uses Britain as a case study: the British Household Panel Study shows what happens to a graduate in the years after they leave university. The delayed effects of education on output makes clear that education is a cause (rather than an effect) of improvements in productivity. In conclusion, university-level education is beneficial to economic growth

Gender-Based Violence is a growing problem in India

This paper uses Indian household surveys and crime data, to study Gender-Based Violence (GBV): husband's domestic violence, to control wife/partner. Different types of violence are examined separately, using 2005-6 Demographic and Health Survey & other surveys from 1992 to 2017. Much domestic violence seems to be husbands attempting to control wives. India's 2005 "Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act" appears partially successful in reducing GBV. There is evidence of a long-term increase in GBV risk, in India: some possible explanations are investigated

The Phillips Curve and Oil Prices

This paper investigates the “Phillips curve”, a controversial topic in macroeconomics. Many economists claim the Phillips curve is unreliable; recent evidence suggests economists should reconsider the Phillips curve. In particular, this paper investigates a modified Phillips curve, broadly consistent with the 1958 paper by Phillips: it includes import prices as an important influence on inflation. Analysis begins with UK data, as a case study: three Figures are shown, with a discussion on effects of OPEC global oil prices-rises in 1970s. This paper reports regression evidence, for nine countries, which support the idea that the Phillips curve is clearer if we control for import prices

Trends in Gender Equality in the UK 1968-2011: Four Barriers to 'Equal Pay' for Women

This paper disaggregates the pay gap between men and women into four possible ‘barriers’: access to paid work; part-time versus full-time jobs; entrance into higher-paid jobs; and similar pay for equivalent work. UK data from 1968 to 2012 are analyzed, to investigate these possible barriers. All four barriers have persisted for decades, and all four ‘barriers’ tend to work in favour of men. There is evidence of progress in gender equality since 1968 – for example, the 1970 ‘Equal Pay Act’ and 1975 ‘Sex Discrimination Act’ seem to have reduced inequality; but some forms of discrimination seem immune to attempted equality legislation and change

Gender-Based Violence and Christianity: Catholic Prevention of Divorce Traps Women in an Abusive Marriage

This paper reports evidence on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), violence against women by husband or male partner, based on household surveys from many countries. A woman’s risk of experiencing domestic violence varies, within a country and between countries, for many reasons. This paper focuses on religion: in particular, comparing Catholics with Protestants. It reports evidence that Catholic women have a higher risk of GBV than Protestant women. A possible explanation for this higher risk is investigated: the ban on divorce by the Catholic Church. Household surveys confirm that Catholics are less likely than Protestants to divorce. Divorce is a possible escape-route for a woman abused by her husband; preventing divorce keeps many women trapped in marriage to a violent husban

Are Europeans working in UK ‘bargaining chips’? Education experiences

This paper investigates ‘Brexit’, the decision by UK voters to leave the European Union in the June 2016 referendum. After discussing various perspectives, this paper analyses evidence on the number of graduates employed in UK who are citizens of other EU countries. Evidence in this paper suggests the UK government should re-think their approach to Brexit: EU migrants to UK may be expensive and difficult to replace