bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Protein Kinase Ca and Accumulation of Extracellular Ca2+ During Early Dentin and Enamel Formation
Authors: Bawden J.W. , Rozell B. , Wurtz T. , Fouda N. , Hammarstrom L.
Published: July 2017

Activation of the protein kinase C (PKC)-related signal transduction system has been associated with phenotypic expression in a wide variety of cell types. In in vitro studies, it has often been activated by relatively small increases in the Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]) in the medium. The studies reported here explored the hypothesis that localized increases in the extracellular [Ca2+] and activation of the PKC-related pathway may be involved in early dentin and enamel formation. Whole-head, freeze-dried sections through the developing molars of 5-day-old rats were evaluated by methods that localized non-crystalline Ca2+. Immunohistochemical methods were adapted for use with the freeze-dried sections, and two monoclonal antibodies were used to localize PKCa in the formative cells of the developing teeth.

Low concentrations of extracellular Ca2+ were observed in the early, unmineralized dentin in the area of ameloblast differentiation. Increased concentrations occurred at the point of initial dentin mineralization, immediately before the beginning of enamel matrix deposition. PKCa was localized in the differentiating odontoblasts, at the beginning of dentin matrix deposition. It was intensely localized in the distal borders of the pre-ameloblasts, and appeared to redistribute in the cells during ameloblast differentiation. These observations suggest that local increases in the extracellular [Ca2+] and the PKC signal transduction pathway may be involved in key inductions in the early stages of dentin and enamel formation.
Indentation Cracking of Composite Matrix Materials
Authors: Baran G. , Shin W. , Abbas A. , Wunder S.
Published: July 2017

Composite restorative materials wear by a fatigue mechanism in the occlusal contact area. Here, tooth cusps and food debris cyclically indent the restoration. Modeling this phenomenon requires an understanding of material response to indentation. The question in this study was whether material response depends on indenter size and geometry, and also, whether polymers used in restorative materials should be considered elastic and brittle, or plastic and ductile for modeling purposes.

Three resins used as matrices in proprietary restorative composites were the experimental materials. To ascertain the influence of glass transition temperature, liquid sorption, and small amounts of filler on indentation response, we prepared materials with various degrees of cure; some samples were soaked in a 50/50 water/ethanol solution, and 3 vol% silica was added in some cases. Indentation experiments revealed that no cracking occurred in any material after indentation by Vickers pyramid or spherical indenters with diameters equal to or smaller than 0.254 mm. Larger spherical indenters induced subsurface median and surface radial and/or ring cracks. Critical loads causing subsurface cracks were measured. Indentation with suitably large spherical indenters provoked an elastoplastic response in polymers, and degree of cure and Tg had less influence on critical load than soaking in solution. Crack morphology was correlated with yield strain. Commonly held assumptions regarding the brittle elastic behavior of composite matrix materials may be incorrect.
Effects of Topical Administration of a Bisphosphonate (Risedronate) on Orthodontic Tooth Movements in Rats
Authors: Adachi H. , Igarashi K. , Mitani H. , Shinoda H.
Published: July 2017

In orthodontics, undesirable movement of anchor teeth during tooth movement and relapse of moved teeth after treatment are the main causes of unsuccessful results. If these tooth movements could be prevented with pharmacological agents, a less complex orthodontic force system and less extensive retention would be required. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of topical administration of a bisphosphonate (risedronate), a potent blocker of bone resorption, on orthodontic tooth movements in rats. In the first experiment, both the right and left upper first molars were moved buccally with a standardized expansion spring under administration of risedronate. Risedronate solution was injected into the sub-periosteum area adjacent to the left upper first molar. The right first molar served as a control with an injection of 0.9% NaCl solution. The topical administration of risedronate caused a significant and dose-dependent reduction of tooth movement after the orthodontic force was applied. In the second experiment, the right and left upper molars were first moved buccally for three weeks. The spring was then removed, and administration of risedronate was begun. The topical administration of risedronate inhibited relapse of the tooth in a dose-dependent manner. The administration of risedronate did not affect either overall growth of the animals or longitudinal growth of tibiae. These results suggest that topical application of risedronate may be helpful in anchoring and retaining teeth under orthodontic treatment.
Academic Theology and Ministerial Formation
Authors: Thompson Ross
Published: July 2017

There have been numerous moves to integrate theological training for ministry with universities, and the Hind report, recently endorsed by General Synod, supports this trend.1 This essay is written with a sense that the integration is not necessarily as inevitably positive a move as some would advocate. I shall present, first, a strong case against the move, before setting out a possible basis for integration that could lead the institutions of ministerial formation and academic learning to a challenging and creative interaction. Or such is my somewhat tentative hope.
Latent Meanings
Authors: Sweet John
Published: July 2017

This article re-examines the apparent divergence between the ostensibly pro-Roman orientation of Acts, and the lurid violence directed towards Rome in the Apocalypse. Going beyond the literal surface sense to explore the deeper meanings reveals in Acts a latent critique of Roman arrogance, epitomized by the cult of the emperor, and theomachy (fighting against God). Similarly, the Apocalypse should be read not as an attack on Rome itself, but on those who would compromise with the imperial cult and civic religion. Despite their obvious differences, these texts are united by their call to readers to fear God and keep his commandments.
Can Nations be ‘Christian’?
Authors: Chaplin Jonathan
Published: July 2017

This article explores and challenges the increasingly popular idea that nations can be corporately Christian. Advocates of a ‘Christian nation’ stance hold that a strategic goal of Christian public action is to defend or restore the nation's essentially Christian character. The article expounds this view as expressed in recent statements of British public theologians and church leaders. A core underlying assumption is then identified: that nations today can collectively be addressed by, respond to, and be held accountable to God, along the lines of biblical Israel. It is argued that this grounding lacks adequate biblical support.
On Building a New Christendom
Authors: Torry Malcolm
Published: July 2017

One facet of secularization is the loss of connections between the Church and secular institutions. If secularization is to be tackled then the Church as an institution needs to embody the gospel and new connections need to be forged between the Church and other institutions, for it is across these connections that new relationships between the Church and other institutions can be built. The creation of new faith-based organizations which can mediate between secular and religious institutions can facilitate this process.
The Theology of the elevation in the Eucharist
Authors: Steinberg Burkhard
Published: July 2017

The elevation of the elements at the consecration during the Eucharist has had scant attention since the time when it became the custom for the president to face the congregation during the celebration. The article traces the practice with a look at the theology and history surrounding its introduction. It continues with discussing the options faced by the minister with theological and practical reasons for not elevating, or either performing a high elevation above the head or a low elevation to the chest. Specifically the article stresses the importance that the minister be fully conversant with his or her actions.
Ignatian and silent
Authors: Tyers John
Published: July 2017

The retreat is a devotion which was borrowed from the Roman Catholic Church and its form has always been dependent upon that church. This article surveys three periods of its development within the Church of England. The first is the making of it that church's own, the second its popularization during the first half of the twentieth century and the third is its diversification and decline in use in recent years.
Free church, national church
Authors: Clements Keith
Published: July 2017

Ecumenism at large is in the doldrums, and among the British churches there has been a final loss of nerve over seeking further visible unity. This article proposes that Anglican—Free Church unity has to be brought back onto the agenda, and recalls two voices, Free Church and Anglican, which spoke midway between ‘Edinburgh 1910’ and now. On both sides there is need to look afresh at their respective situations, to drop pretences and to see how being ‘free’ and ‘national’ need not be incompatible.
Contraception and abortion
Authors: Rowlands Sam
Published: July 2017

This article is the fourth in a series of articles on sexuality and sexual health.
Insights into how to conduct a clinical trial in the UK
Authors: Abozguia Khalid , Phan Thanh Trung , Shivu Ganesh Nallur , Maher Abdul , Ahmed Ibrar , Frenneaux Michael P
Published: July 2017

New researchers may find starting and conducting clinical studies in the UK complicated and time-consuming. In this article, we describe our collective experiences and provide some pointers on how to navigate through the various committees and regulatory bodies. The article is intended to aid junior researchers in understanding the study process and to provide them with some insight on how to get through this complex system successfully.
Freud, Foucault and ‘the dialogue with unreason’
Authors: Whitebook Joel
Published: July 2017

The standard interpretations of Foucault’s intellectual biography usually present Sartre as his major adversary. Though it would be difficult to underestimate the importance of Sartre for Foucault’s development, this paper argues that Foucault was involved in an even more intense and deeper contest with Freud. Indeed, Freud was Foucault’s principal adversary and, throughout his career, Foucault was trying to formulate a counter-project to psychoanalysis. The author attempts to demonstrate this claim by examining Foucault’s early psychological writings, Madness and Civilization, his encounter with Kant in The Order of Things and The History of Sexuality. He argues, moreover, that Foucault had articulated a project, namely, ‘the dialogue with unreason’, which not only could have provided a meeting point for his project and Freud’s but can still provide a way of getting beyond the exhausted debate between the advocates of the Enlightenment and the Anti-Enlightenment. Because he could never give up the temptation to valorize transgression, however, Foucault was unable to pursue the dialogue with unreason in a systematic way.
Article Commentary: Chronic rhinosinusitis: An education and treatment model
Authors: Timperley Daniel , Schlosser Rodney J. , Harvey Richard J.
Published: July 2017

Research into chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has rapidly expanded over the last decade, resulting in a plethora of proposed etiologic and disease‐modifying factors. Potentially, advancement of knowledge in this field has developed more than any other disease in otolaryngologic science. However, the teaching and education of this complex and still evolving process has lagged behind. Trainees, students, and residents may find the heterogeneous group of pathophysiologic mechanisms difficult to learn and apply to treatment decision making. Identification of the propagating factor and subsequent microbial, inflammatory, or mucociliary disease‐modifying effects for a specific patient allows individual tailoring of treatment to address these factors. This facilitates a logical strategic process, rather than using one broad, ill‐defined approach for each and every CRS patient. A model of CRS is presented as a teaching aid for residents and those learning about the etiology and directed treatment of this complex problem.
U.S. Vertical and Horizontal Intra-Industry Trade Patterns with the Middle East
Authors: Sussan Aysar Philip , Ekanayake E. M. , D'souza Sabrina , Halawi Leila
Published: July 2017

The main objective of this paper is to examine the extent of the U.S. vertical and horizontal intra-industry trade patterns with the countries in the Middle Eastern region. To deepen our understanding of the development of trade and investment relations between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern countries, we consider both the commodity structure of trade as well as the structure of investment. Based on the hypothesis that intra-industry trade is closely related to offshore production by multinational enterprises, then a model have been develop to capture the main determinants of vertical and horizontal intra-industry trade that explicitly includes the role of the U.S. foreign investment in the region. The model is tested empirically using detailed trade and investment data. The findings of the study indicated that foreign investment plays a significant role in the increase in intra-industry trade in recent years.
Do We Eat Too Much? The Current Economic Crisis as a Result of Overconsumption
Authors: Jaworski Piotr Marek , Weber Jörg
Published: July 2017

Over the past 15 years, a fairly synchronised and steady increase of the current account deficits of the US and the UK has been witnessed, while at the same time real house prices and real wages in these two economies increased sharply. We analyse the offspring of the economic crisis of 2008 within the framework of Minsky's theory of financial crisis, and identify the reasons behind this development as the global imbalances. Our empirical results show that overconsumption in the US and UK caused unsustainable growth, which manifested first in real wage inflation. Within this development, neither the financial sector nor failed regulation is to blame, as financial intermediaries merely fulfilled their requirements as the vehicle between borrowers and lenders. Instead, we argue, our ‘need’ for overconsumption is to blame, and policy makers are required to address this issue as soon as possible in order to avoid another, probably more severe crisis in the long-run.
The Neoclassical Consumer: are they Real or Just Fata Morgana?
Authors: Amir Shmuel
Published: July 2017

A basic assumption of neoclassical macroeconomic theory is that in a market economy, consumers choose bundles of goods to maximize their budget-constrained utilities. A direct conclusion of this assumption is that in picking up their optimal bundles, consumers set their marginal utilities in proportion to the market prices of the goods consumed. In this paper, we show this type of behavior to contradict any behavioral pattern that is consistent with the second law of thermodynamics. This makes the “neoclassical consumer” the only system so far known to be able to evade the governance of this law. Should real consumers behave in agreement with the second law, their demands cannot satisfy the proportionality condition, and their marginal utilities cannot be determined solely by the prices. Since no real system has been found to violate the second law, and it is unlikely that one will ever be found, the need to revise consumer theory is there, even if empirically it has not yet been tested and refuted.

JEL Classification: B41, D11
Subjective Interpretation and Coordination in Two Austrian Perspectives: Schutz’s Phenomenology and Hayek’s Cognitive Psychology
Authors: Yu Tony Fu-Lai
Published: July 2017

The coordination of human actions in the social world remains a central issue in Austrian economics. This paper explains the actor’s subjective interpretation and coordination in two subjectivist traditions: namely, Schutz’s phenomenology and Hayek’s cognitive psychology. This paper starts with a formulation of Schutz’s notion of mental projection. It then argues that intersubjectivity allows actors’ subjective interpretations to be coordinated in the social world. When the agent’s interpretative framework is disrupted by a novel stimulus, the agent will project action in the future perfect tense and form knowledge surrogate. Through a process of typification, a new stock of knowledge is established which enables the actor to solve new problems in everyday life. The society’s stock of knowledge (or human institutions) which actors share serves as a social coordinator. In terms of Hayek’s cognitive psychology, during the perception process, the human mind can identify and classify events coming from the outside world. If the event and sequent stimulus are repeated, a pattern will begin to register in the mind and become a rule of thumb which facilitates decision-making in complex situations. Given a cognitive pattern, a novel event from outside will create new impulses to the perception process. When the established linkages of the mental map fail to give an adequate account of the current environment, the agent is then in a state of conflicting experience. The result is a gradual reclassification of the linkages and new rules are re-established. In Hayek’s view, institutions or ‘rules of doing things’ are common schemes of behaviour, which simplify the complexity of the world and enable us to operate with a certain degree of predictability. They help to solve coordination problems during social interaction. This paper concludes that Schutzian and Hayekian perspectives on actors’ subjective interpretation and coordination are strikingly compatible and consistent. The two subjectivist contributions can be synthesised into fruitful tools to understand social phenomena.
Regulating Water Use in Commercial Forestry in South Africa: Concerns, Issues and Visions
Authors: Tewari D.D.
Published: July 2017

Commercial forestry in South Africa generates a considerable amount of foreign exchange and employment. It is hence considered as one engine of growth of the economy and has enjoyed a special status in the past. However, the success of the industry is based on its use of water. The industry uses some 8% of utilizable available water in the country but does not pay for it. The National Water Act of 1998 treats water as a strategic resource and demands that it should be priced. This has sparked a debate on the issue of water use and pricing in the commercial forestry sector. Should the industry pay for water or rainfall as it reduces run-off to the disadvantage of downstream users? This article explores the historical debate on water use regulation and its effectiveness and discusses the current attempts to address the issue of efficient water use in the commercial forestry industry.
Demilitarising Southern Africa: Lessons from the Central American Experience
Authors: Harris Geoff
Published: July 2017

Demilitarisation means both a significant and sustained reduction in military expenditure and a movement towards a society where conflicts are handled without the use of military force. This article sets out the case for demilitarisation and briefly evaluates eight alternative ways of meeting a country’s security needs. It examines the experience of three Central American countries which have demilitarised, particularly that of Costa Rica, which has social and economic indicators well above those which would be expected, given its GDP per capita. It then considers whether demilitarisation would be feasible for southern African countries and concludes that, at least for some, it would be a logical decision to have no military forces while others would benefit by reallocating resources away from the military towards alternative ways of achieving security.
Is Everything Endogenous?
Authors: Correa Amelia , Correa Romar
Published: July 2017

We explore a nondenominational macroeconomic model along the structural axes of endogeneity, exogeneity, manipulability and comparative statics, The outcome is attention to a least understood aspect of bank portfolio behavior: dynamic liability management.
Trust – a Substitute or Complement for Control? Evidence from Germany
Authors: Schumacher Christoph R.
Published: July 2017

Co-operative agreements are often characterized as unstable, risky or dangerous due to the uncertainty regarding a partner’s future behaviour. However, firms still enter into cooperative relationships as governance structures that promote safety and stability theoretically exist. While standard co-operation theory encourages the use of control measures to reduce the risk of exploitation, scholars have increasingly criticized the strong emphasis on control and stressed the importance of trust. The concepts of trust and control are both well understood. However, little consensus exists regarding whether trust and control are substitutes or complements. This paper attempts to determine the relationship between trust and control by analyzing data from co-operative relationships of 67 German small and medium-sized enterprises. Results indicate that a substitutive relationship between control and trust exists.
Contradictions of Neoliberal Globalisation: The Importance of Ideologies and Values in Political Economy
Authors: O’Hara Phillip Anthony
Published: July 2017

This paper has a simple theme: namely, that many of the major interpreters of neoliberal globalisation are more influenced by their own – mostly deterministic – world views and ideologies than they are of the need for a holistic, critical scrutiny of the dominant tendencies of modern capitalism. The first section analyses some of the major works in favour of neoliberal globalisation, paying special attention to their emphasis on the positive tendencies of the system, and the perspectives that colour the story. The second section examines some of the major works against neoliberal globalisation, where they centre on the negative aspects of global capitalism and the Washington consensus, under serious influence of a one-sided ideology. The next section illustrates that these respective positions are merely different sides of the same coin. A truly endogenous view of neoliberal globalisation recognises that the positives are inextricably linked with the negatives; they are holistically generated together in the fusion of systemic reproduction. Using the values and perspectives associated with an interdisciplinary, critical view of the system is a better method of comprehending neoliberal globalisation than a deterministic, one-sided evaluation of the facts as is more commonly utilised. The governance implications are then analysed, paying particular attention to the conflicts and instabilities that require resolution.
Designing Ecolabels In Order To Mitigate Market Failures
Authors: Bougherara Douadia , Grolleau Gilles
Published: July 2017

For the market for ecofriendly characteristics of agrofood products to function effectively, means of mitigating asymmetric information, informational overload and public goods properties are necessary. Ecolabel success requires a design and an implementation capable of mitigating simultaneously these three sources of market failures. Our contribution differs from many to date by (1) introducing and analyzing the informational overload as a source of market failure and (2) considering the ecolabel, not only as a tool to re-establish information symmetry between the producer and consumer but also as a way to overcome informational overload and public goods problems. We analyze how these sources of market failures may be mitigated by providing information perceived as trustworthy, tying credence and public attributes to verifiable and private attributes and designing the ecolabel as a cognitive support for consumers. We provide an exploratory qualitative study of several French ecolabels to stress how they more or less succeed in attenuating the identified sources of market failures. Several implications for policymakers and managers are stressed. We conclude by suggesting several issues requiring further investigations.

JEL Classification Numbers: D11, D21, L15
Does the 2005 Reform Improve the Japanese Economy? The Current of Japanese Corporate Governance Reform
Authors: Takahashi Eiji , Shimizu Madoka
Published: July 2017

Company law in Japan has recently undergone drastic reform. The 2005 reform is the last of a series of recent reforms in this area of the law. The notable points relating to corporate governance in the 2005 reform are as follows: First, the 2005 reform introduces a new corporate governance option for small stock companies to secure the fairness of the company’s financial statements: the accounting consultant. Second, the liabilities of directors have been modified.

Although the state of the Japanese economy is still uncertain, it is said that the most difficult part is over. We will need to examine the implementation of the new law to see whether the 2005 reform guarantees the soundness of management in Japan and improves the international competitiveness of Japanese companies in a real sense.
Development of Corporate Governance in Japan and Germany: is the two-tiers-system obsolete?
Authors: Takahashi Eiji , Kirchwehm Oliver
Published: July 2017

In this paper, the authors show the evolution of German and Japanese Corporate Governance, the impacts of codetermination in German supervisory boards on the system, and evaluate the latest movement of Japan towards a one-tier-system. Japan originally adopted the two-tiers-system from Germany. Under strong influence of the allies (i.e. America), a one-tier-system was put on top of the two-tiers-system. In the 1970s control function of the supervisory organ had been drastically reinforced, meaning the return to the two-tiers-system in practice. Then with the latest reforms, Japan introduced the possibility of choosing a real one-tier-system.

Considering the specific Japanese prevailing conditions of management, it seems that the reform had not been critical enough; especially in regard to the possibility of abuse of power by the CEO constraints may occur.

Therefore, as a completion of the two-tiers-system, the one-tier-system is advantageous. It is, however, pointless to introduce the new system for all Japanese companies by completely replacing the two-tiers-system with it.
Book Review: Valuing Health in Practice: Priorities, QALYs and Choice
Authors: Haycox Alan
Published: July 2017

Valuing Health in Practice: Priorities, QALYs and Choice, Douglas McCulloch, 2003, Ashgate Publishing, Aldershot, 128 pages, hardback.
Book Review: Economics, Medicine and Health Care
Authors: McCulloch Douglas
Published: July 2017

Economics, Medicine and Health Care, Mooney, G.; Prentice Hall 2003
Book Review: Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan
Authors: Curtin Sean
Published: July 2017

Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, Christopher P. Hood, Routledge, 2006, 288 pages, ISBN 0415320526
The Theory of the Firm and Corporate Governance: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Crossan Kenny
Published: July 2017

The paper considers a test of the theory of the firm and the alternative theories of firm behaviour, using a combination of both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected from 310 managers of UK based firms and the secondary data was collated from the FAME (Financial Analyses Made Easy) database and the FTSE ISS Corporate Governance Index. This data is used in a number of binary probit models to test the validity of competing theories of the firm. Finally, the data is used to test an original hypothesis, that the level of corporate governance is the factor which determines whether the managers of a firm will aim for maximum profits. The results of the probit model show that, regardless of any other variable, a firm with a high degree of corporate governance is more likely to aim for a maximum level of profits than a firm with a lower level of corporate governance.
Entrepreneurship, High-Technology, and Policy Reforms in France
Authors: Goyer Michel
Published: July 2017

This review piece deals with the impact of public policy reforms in the field of high-technology in France since the late 1990s. I investigate whether the series of reforms adopted by policymakers provide the conditions to support the development of entrepreneurship and of high-tech companies. The story of policymaking in high-technology in France is characterized by both successes and shortcomings. I survey evidence to support the argument that French policymakers pursued piecemeal institutional reforms that sought to combine risk-taking without affecting social equality. I argue that the failures in high-tech policies should not be attributed to the piecemeal nature of the reforms – as opposed to those that would have focused on capturing complementarities. A focus on institutional complementarity obscures a fundamental feature of geographical clusters of high-technology firms, namely that institutions are enabling as well as constraining.
Universities in Europe: Innovation and Economic Development
Authors: Smith Helen Lawton
Published: July 2017

This paper reviews the issues concerning the agenda around the relationship between universities in Europe and industry. It places the discussion in the context of the European Union’s Lisbon Agenda (2000) of raising national expenditures on research and development to create the ‘Europe of Knowledge’ and the Bologna Agreement of 1999 on the European Higher Education Area. It sets out to consider what factors might inhibit the success of such strategies designed at overcoming Europe’s problems at the interface between universities and industry, hence universities’ potential impact on innovation and economic development. Examples from some of the EU15 countries illustrate the problems for Europe in developing an integrated strategy.
Static Efficiency of Compulsory Licensing: The Role of Limit Pricing
Authors: Cugno Franco , Ottoz Elisabetta
Published: July 2017

A common argument against compulsory licensing of intellectual property maintains that it facilitates the entry of inefficient producers, which may reduce social welfare independently of any effects on R&D incentives. We study the issue in a model where the innovative firm, under the threat of compulsory licensing, reacts strategically by choosing between quantity and price competition. We show that the risk of a reduction in static welfare due to the entry of highly inefficient firms is avoided if licensing entails a royalty per unit of output and no fixed fees. The rationale behind this result lies in the fact that compulsory licensing threat works as a disciplining device to improve static social welfare, even when the applicant is a high cost inefficient firm.

JEL codes: KOO, L49, 034.
Learning Representative Initiatives in the UK and New Zealand: A Means to “Flexicurity”?
Authors: Lee Bill , Cassell Catherine
Published: July 2017

This paper employs empirical studies to consider whether learning representative initiatives in the UK and New Zealand can help the realisation of flexicurity. Learning representatives are trade union supported lay officials who advise on learning opportunities to their fellow employees at their place of employment. The aspect of flexicurity that is of greatest importance here is the equipping of workers with portable skills so that they may enjoy security of employment – rather than security from a specific job – through their flexibility in moving around the economy. The findings indicate that while government and trade unions in both countries seek to promote workers’ attainment of portable skills through the learning representative initiatives, some employers either favour learning for current jobs only, or oppose the schemes completely. Although the attainment of flexicurity was never an objective of the learning representative initiatives, limited support from employers is one reason why the schemes are not realising their full potential for flexicurity.
The Cost of Internal Control and Corporate Governance in Latin America
Authors: Michelman Jeffrey
Published: July 2017

As organizations hope to take advantage of Thomas Friedman’s flattened world, they must increasingly recognize that corporate governance and internal controls are no longer tools that are solely important for large multinational corporations in the European Union and the United States. This paper explores the interplay between Country Governance and Corporate Governance and how this interplay is critical for successful economic development in Latin America. In particular, it investigates the degree to which the impact of government corruption on the development of disclosure practices by both Multinational Corporations and Small and Medium sized Entities (SMEs) impacts on foreign direct investment. Moreover, these policies often affect the relationships that foreign corporations can facilitate under laws such as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Internal control and Corporate Governance are examined as tools that organizations implement rather than merely talk about.
Emergency Economic Intervention and the Rights of Foreign Investors: US-Argentina Practice
Authors: Palomar Antonio Pastor
Published: July 2017

The article highlights salient issues relating to contemporary investment arbitration, a now distinct category of international economic law. Recent arbitral awards that bear on US foreign investment in Argentina give international lawyers a chance to tackle important economic subject matters underlying international law. The problem of undertaking emergency economic measures vis-à-vis US companies was raised by several ICSID tribunals. Inevitably, these tribunals had to look at general international law, namely the existence and limits of necessity – invoked by Argentina in time of public emergency – to ascertain a correct interpretation of the 1991 US-Argentina bilateral investment treaty.
The EU Custom Union on Trade Specialisation and Labour Market: Implications for Turkish Industries
Authors: Ulusoy Veysel , Cakir Necip
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the labor market implications of the EU Custom Union membership of Turkey by using detailed trade data and presenting a geometric tool on trade specialization. Theories suggest that trade expansion through integration may create inefficiency in labor market due to rigidities in factor prices and mobility of factors. Different formation of trade, such as intra-industry trade (IIT, the export and import of similar goods) may, however, entail smaller labor-market adjustment costs than inter-industry trade. Results show that Turkish membership to the EU Custom Union has not improved the specialization procedure in trade. Results further imply that labor market has encountered big adjustment problems.
Collusion in Government and Corruption
Authors: D’Souza Errol
Published: July 2017

Politicians require bureaucrats to implement policies. Due to information asymmetry about who is to be considered a beneficiary of policy screening devices like red tape are used. This results in opportunism by individuals to portray themselves as deserving beneficiaries of policies and discretion in the hands of the bureaucrat. Bureaucrats and individuals collude to conceal information and transact in bribes. Politicians also collude with bureaucrats and use transfers or postings to reveal the value of bribes transacted. Collusion makes the separation of powers ineffective in providing checks and balances. Public monitoring by the press and civil society then remains the most effective way to deter corruption. Corruption is not so much due to the culture of greed and the dispassionate pursuit of self interest, or due to wrong policies such as low wages in the public sector, but stems from the inherent design of non-market institutions set up to promote the social good.
Human Development in India
Authors: Kamdar Sangita
Published: July 2017

The paper examines the status of human development in India today. With a brief introduction to the concept of human development, the paper compares India’s achievements on human development indicators with neighboring Asian countries and the Millennium Development Goals. With rapid economic growth the need to invest in areas which contribute to human development indicators becomes even more pertinent. The paper therefore attempts to search for factors which contribute to human development attainment and look for solutions to reverse the low attainment situation in India.
Measuring Gender Discrimination: The Indian Experience and a new Index
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Anish Kumar , Chakrabarti Pinaki , Marjit Sugata
Published: July 2017

The problem of gender disparity exists in India as in many other developing and developed countries. There is a growing concern about the falling female-male ratio (FMR), a very important indicator of this inequality. Overall evaluation of the quality of life in the mode of averages puts little weight on the reality of a falling sex ratio. The standard gender development measures capture this inequality inadequately. The literature records a number of contradictory claims and findings on the subject. Strikingly, this falling FMR over time reflects gross deprivation of nearly fifty percent of our population and given that these deprivations are rising, the increasing value of gender development index is highly misleading, possibly concealing a deteriorating quality of life for females. The basic objective of this paper is to construct an aggregative index which will be able to resolve the problem.
Factors Affecting Malaria Epidemics and Its Economic Impacts on Households in Ajegunle, Lagos State, Nigeria
Authors: Tewari D.D. , Braimoh L.A. , Bokana K.G.
Published: July 2017

Malaria is one of the most common and deadly diseases, especially in sub-Saharan and tropical African countries, including Nigeria. Over the years, malaria epidemic affected about 3 million people in Nigeria. The disease does not only affect income or spending of individuals and households but also economic growth of the country. The major objectives of this study are (1) to estimate the costs of malaria to a household living in Ajegunle city, and (2) to build a logistic model which predicts the probability of occurrence of malaria based on a set of variables. One apparent pattern of the cost model was that a few spent more on direct costs of malaria while in terms of indirect costs slightly over 50 percent of respondents forwent income in case of illness or death due to malaria. The logistic model indicated that the use of any form of anti-malarial drugs did not reduce the malarial infection, only quinine among them found some empirical support in this study. Insecticide-treated bednets was the only mechanism which showed a promise to reduce the spread of malarial infection. Households that increased malaria treatment expenditures experienced lower level of probability of malaria occurrence under ceteris paribus conditions.
Economics and Theology
Authors: Beed Clive , Beed Cara
Published: July 2017

Theology and economics have long been regarded as two highly influential domains affecting human behaviour. Nowadays, the two fields are usually thought of as separate and independent from each other, although throughout most of history, this has not been the case. How the two disciplines might interrelate in terms of current understandings and applications of them is investigated here. Prevailing contemporary definitions of economics are explored first, followed by modern interpretations of theology in section two. The two fields are found to contain common aims. How examples of theologically based socio-economic analysis pursue aims similar to those of economics are outlined in section three. More detailed insight into the aims and definitions of the two fields is given in section four by exploring two instances of non-mainstream practice in economics, critical realism and personalist economics. The methodologies of each are found to contain certain similarities with that of current theologically-based approaches to socio-economic investigation.
The Role of Preference Reversals in the Collapse of Fixed Exchange Rate Systems
Authors: Mistri Maurizio
Published: July 2017

This paper draws on the structural instability of fixed exchange rate systems, also referring to Bretton Woods and the European Monetary System. In particular, the collapse of such systems is seen as a consequence of, amongst other things, formational and cognitive factors with an emphasis on the processes of preference reversal. Taking a dynamic view of such processes, the intertemporal nature of decisions made on the issue of exchange rate systems can induce electors and governments to reconsider, in time, the importance of certain major objectives they set themselves. A core issue of the analysis is the still unsolved problem of the relationship between inflation and unemployment. Recent financial crises have demonstrated that even governments “ideologically” oriented to a monetarist approach can adopt, in particular situations, Keynesian policies. This occurs for reasons of a social and political order, outside of economic logic. Therefore, in the analysis developed in this paper, attention is focused on informational and cognitive factors.

The paper is essentially arranged in three parts. In the first part, we examine the role of the forms of exchange rates, seen as social institutions in act by countries that have a two-objective utility function. Subsequently we examine the question of instability of the system of fixed exchange rates with an approach that is focused on incomplete information. Finally, beyond the role of incomplete information, in the third part we examine the role of distortive factors of a cognitive order that are capable of overthrowing exchange rate preferences..

JEL Classification.: D7, E11, E5, E6.
Economics of Gender: Singapore’s Older Generations*
Authors: Mukhopadhaya Pundarik , Shantakumar G.
Published: July 2017

In Singapore, older women (and men) are likely to be ‘marginalized’ by the global labour market. Their higher incidence of disability, smaller savings, short work histories, and lower incomes from less commensurate qualifications and skills contribute to old age insecurity. Widowhood increases their vulnerability and high family dependency, which may not guarantee sustained welfare. Formal old age support by the State is a necessary condition for income security to lessen past inequities and life-course shortcomings. This paper analyses the economic situation of older Singapore women (and men) and focuses on appropriate income security policy, based on two and a half decades of available socio-economic data (1980–2005). Universal suffrage and widespread education, and the Women’s Charter (1961) should translate into women development, but there are gaps through inadequate social security (which is employment-based), exemplifying lack of concerted government effort amidst globalization policies manifested through labour market discrimination and segmented wage systems, unequal benefits and increasing old age disability, calling for long-term healthcare financing and management.

JEL classification: I18, I28, I31, H53, H55
Selection of Minimal Variable Subsets with the help of Genetic Algorithms in Economic Analysis
Authors: Bonakdarian Esmail , Czap Hans J. , Czap Natalia V.
Published: July 2017

In this paper we demonstrate the use of Genetic Algorithms in the selection of significant variables from a large set of available variables used to explain the observed behavior of subjects in an economic experiment. Standard regression analysis requires assumptions on a functional form and may thus prevent us from finding all relevant relationships. When using a more flexible functional form the number of coefficients (corresponding to different variables and their interactions) grows exponentially. Hence, our goal in this paper is to select the smallest set of variables with the largest “explanatory” value. We use a variation of a non-traditional type of Genetic Algorithm, CHC, to “evolve” this preferred minimal set of relevant variables. We compare this approach with estimation based on basic linear (least squares) regression models and regression models chosen by using the stepwise regression method. Additionally, we also evaluate the effectiveness of various fitness criteria in our genetic algorithm’s fitness function. We believe that an evolutionary computation approach provides a useful alternative and supplementary method to more traditional methods by offering potentially new useful subsets of significant variables warranting further exploration and a limit to the number of coefficients in outputs.
The Impact of China’s ‘One-Child’ Policy on the Educational Attainment of Adolescents
Authors: Beal-Hodges Mary , Loh Chung-Ping , Stranahan Harriet
Published: July 2017

In January 1979 the Chinese government implemented a highly controversial ‘one-child’ policy that set strict limits to the number of children that each couple is allowed to have. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of China’s ‘one-child’ policy on educational attainment. This study uses data from multiple waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey on children ages 11–21 that were born both before (pre-cohort) and after (post-cohort) the implementation of the ‘one-child’ policy. A multi-level mixed effects model is used to determine which household, community and demographic factors impact the educational attainment and progress of Chinese children. The results suggest that more lax enforcement of the ‘one-child’ policy through a ‘girl-exception’ or ‘two-child’ policy has resulted in lower rates of growth in educational attainment and lower overall levels of education for older children. The findings also show that children in communities with the ‘one-child’ subsidy have significantly higher rates of growth in educational attainment and more years of overall education for older children.
Book Review: Economic Development and the Role of Women
Authors: Porter Jack
Published: July 2017

Economic Development and the Role of Women, Ruth Taplin, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, Avebury-Gower Publishing Company, 1989. 129 + vi pp., hardcover.
Welfare-to-work: national problems, local solutions?
Authors: Theodore Nikolas , Peck Jamie
Published: July 2017

Local programme design and service delivery are increasingly playing a key role in establishing the policy vocabulary for welfare-to-work. Local experimentation—often described as searching for ‘ideas that work’—is an approach to policy-making which is gaining favour amongst policymakers because it is believed to be a source of innovation and ‘best practice’. As a result, local experimentation has become a leading source of new policy conventions and reform prototypes in welfare-to-work. This article presents a review and critique of the Anglo-American welfare-to-work orthodoxy, focusing on the methodologies and labourmarket implications of six ‘local models’ that frequently are cited as examples of ‘best practice’ in the field. We conclude by assessing the direction in which these local models are moving welfare reform debates both within their home countries and abroad.