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Over the last decade, many countries in Latin America have eliminated interest rate ceilings, reduced reserve requirements, and stopped direct credit controls. These market-oriented reforms have encouraged financial deepening, thereby producing considerable economic benefits to the countries. This paper explores the determinants of bank spreads in a systematic way for Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay during the mid-1990s. The analysis shows that high operating costs raise spreads as do high levels of non-performing loans, although the size of these effects differs across the countries. (DSE/DÜI)

The manufacturing of semiconducting films using solution-based approaches is considered a low cost alternative to vacuum-based thin film deposition strategies. An additional advantage of solution processing methods is the possibility to control the layer nano/microstructure. Here, we detail the production of mesoporous CuGaS2 (CGS) and ZnS layers from spin-coating and subsequent cross-linking through chalcogen-chalcogen bonds of properly functionalized nanocrystals (NCs). We further produce NC-based porous CGS/ZnS bilayers and NC-based CGS–ZnS composite layers using the same strategy. Photoelectrochemical measurements are used to demonstrate the efficacy of porous layers, and particularly the CGS/ZnS bilayers, for improved current densities and photoresponses relative to denser films deposited from as-produced NCs. ; This work was supported by the European Regional Development Funds and the Spanish MINECO project SEHTOP (ENE2016-77798-C4-3-R). T.B. thanks the FI-AGAUR Research Fellowship Program, Generalitat de Catalunya (2015 FI_B 00744). This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 712949 (TECNIOspring PLUS) and the Government of Catalonia's Agency for Business Competitiveness(ACCIÓ). S.B. acknowledges the U.S. National Science Foundation, CHE-1361741. J.L. is a Serra Hunter Fellow and is grateful to the ICREA Academia program and grants MINECO/FEDER ENE2015-63969-R and GC 2017 SGR 128 for support.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives influence internal customers' preference and turnover intention. The mediating effect of brand preference on the relationship between CSR initiatives and turnover intention has also been studied.Design/methodology/approach– A survey was conducted and questionnaires were distributed to a sample in Macau in 2012. Out of these, 138 valid samples were collected among casinos' mid- and senior-level employees having managerial positions (hereafter "managers"). Regression tests were performed in order to validate the hypotheses.Findings– Managers' preference for the casino brand of their employer can be enhanced by perceptions associated with CSR initiatives. Two CSR initiatives (CSR to stakeholders and to society) significantly decrease managers' turnover intentions, with the impact of CSR directed at stakeholders exerting a stronger influence. Brand preference is a significant mediator of perceptions associated with CSR initiatives and turnover intention.Originality/value– The current study tries to not only investigate how perceptions associated with CSR initiatives influence an internal customer's turnover intention but is also aimed at understanding how brand preference as a mediator influences turnover intention. Extending the realm of study is important because multiple theories predict different benefits, and assessing the value of CSR therefore requires multiple approaches.

Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) compete with molecular catalysts in the field of homogenous catalysis, offering an easier recyclability and a number of additional functionalities. Using high throughput printing technologies, colloidal NCs can be also supported onto substrates to produce cost-effective electronic, optoelectronic, electrocatalytic and sensing devices. In these two broad areas, NCs surface chemistry and supracrystal organization are key parameters determining final performance. Here, we study the influence of the surface ligands and the NC organization on the catalytic properties of In2S3, both in colloidal form and as a supported layer. In solution, well dispersed NCs stabilized in solution by inorganic ligands show the highest photocatalytic activities. On the other hand, when NCs are supported on a substrate, their organization becomes an essential parameters determining performance, and NC-based films produced through a gelation process provided five-fold higher photocurrent densities than those obtained from dense films produced by the direct printing of NCs. ; This work was supported by the European Regional Development Funds and the Spanish MINECO project BOOSTER. TB thanks FI-AGAUR Research Fellowship Program, Generalitat de Catalunya (2015 FI_B 00744). This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 712949 (TECNIOspring PLUS) and the Government of Catalonia's Agency for Business Competitiveness (ACCIÓ).