Trade economists traditionally study the effect of lower variable trade costs. While increasingly important politically, technical barriers to trade (TBTs) have received less attention. Viewing TBTs as fixed regulatory costs related to the entry into export markets, we use a model with heterogeneous firms, trade in differentiated goods, and variable external economies of scale to sort out the rich interactions between TBT reform, input diversity, firm-level productivity, and aggregate productivity. We calibrate the model for 14 industries in order to clarify the theoretical ambiguities. Overall, our results tend to suggest beneficial effects of TBT reform but also reveal interesting sectoral variation.
14 pags., 6 figs., 6 tabs. -- This article belongs to the Special Issue Terahertz Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Low-Frequency Modes Involving Large Amplitude Molecular Motions ; Torsional and rotational spectroscopic properties of pyruvic acid are determined using highly correlated ab initio methods and combining two different theoretical approaches: Second order perturbation theory and a variational procedure in three-dimensions. Four equilibrium geometries of pyruvic acid, Tc, Tt, Ct, and CC, outcome from a search with CCSD(T)-F12. All of them can be classified in the C point group. The variational calculations are performed considering the three internal rotation modes responsible for the non-rigidity as independent coordinates. More than 50 torsional energy levels (including torsional subcomponents) are localized in the 406–986 cm region and represent excitations of the ν (skeletal torsion) and the ν (methyl torsion) modes. The third independent variable, the OH torsion, interacts strongly with ν . The A /E splitting of the ground vibrational state has been evaluated to be 0.024 cm as it was expected given the high of the methyl torsional barrier (338 cm ). A very good agreement with respect to previous experimental data concerning fundamental frequencies (ν − ν ~ 1 cm ), and rotational parameters (B CAL − B < 5 MHz), is obtained. ; This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 872081. This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Inovación y Universidades of Spain through the grants EIN2019-103072 and FIS2016-76418-P. This work has received funding from the CSIC i-coop+2018 program under the reference number COOPB20364. The author acknowledges the CTI (CSIC) and CESGA and to the "Red Española de Computación" for the grants AECT-2020-2-0008 and RES-AECT-2020-3-0011 for computing facilities.
The aim: to study the morphological and morphometric changes in the myocardium against the background of cellular cardiomyoplasty in experimental myocardial infarction. Materials and methods: the experiment was carried out on 142 Wistar-Kyoto rats weighing 200-220 g, which were kept in the vivarium of the Department of Experimental Surgery of the State Institution "Institute of Emergency and Reconstructive Surgery named after V. K. Gusak of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine" in the period from 2012 to 2013. The Wistar-Kyoto breed was used because it is inbred, which minimizes the rejection reaction, due to its genetic homogeneity. The animals were kept in a vivarium under conditions of 12-hour daylight hours, room temperature and access to water and food at libitum at an air temperature of +20 – + 22 °C, humidity no more than 50 %, in a light mode - day-night. The use of animals in the experiment was carried out in accordance with the rules regulated by the "European Convention for the Supervision and Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes" (Strasbourg, 1986), Directives of the Council of the European Union of November 24, 1986 and the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 32 dated 02.22.88. The induction of myocardial infarction (MI) was carried out according to the technique developed by us under general anesthesia. A separate group consisted of 20 males, whom we used as donors of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for further research on the Y chromosome of cell homing in the body. Cultivation of MSCs was carried out in a mixture of nutrient media DMEM / F12, 1:1, (Sigma, USA). The material for morphological studies was the sections of the myocardium of laboratory animals. To assess the morphometric parameters, histochemical methods were performed according to the recipes, which are given in the instructions for histochemistry. Immunohistochemical study was performed on paraffin sections with a thickness of 5-6 μm by the indirect Koons method ...
This paper focuses on the pricing behavior of Japanese and United States firms selling their identical products in New York City, Chicago, Osaka, and Tokyo. The authors utilize some simple models of international price dispersion and market segmentation that generate predictions about testable prices. The dataset, which consists of prices of identical products in the Japanese and American cities, was collected and accepted by both governments. Using this data, versions of international price dispersion theories are tested and some empirical evidence to support the view that simple international price dispersion models can partly explain the observed prices is found.
Recent theoretical literature studies how labor market reforms in one country can affect labor market outcomes in other countries, thereby rationalizing widely-held policy beliefs and empirical evidence. But what is the quantitative relevance of such spillover effects? This paper combines two recent workhorse models: the canonical search-and-matchingframework and the heterogeneous firms international trade model. Qualitatively, the framework confirms that labor market reforms in one country benefit its trading partners, replicating the stylized facts. However, when wages are bargained flexibly, the model quantitatively underestimates the correlation of structural unemployment rates across countries. This mirrors the well-known finding by Shimer (2005) by which thestandard search-and-matching model predicts too small fluctuations of unemployment rates over time. Introducing real wage rigidity remedies this problem.
This paper emphasises the importance of the political-institutional dimension in the understanding of the spatial distribution of economic activity. We introduce the notion of Territorial Authority Scale, which refers to the degree of devolution (towards sub-national tiers of government) involved in the authority to decide on Spatial Policy, and propose a model of 'agglomeration in a system of cities' in which both intra-city trade and inter-city trade are considered. Enriching both the literature on integration/agglomeration and that on city size and formation, we show that: i) devolution results in over-agglomeration (fewer cities, which tend to be over-sized) and low welfare; ii) the higher the level of spatial (i.e. transport costs) and economic (i.e. intensity of trade) integration, the higher is the magnitude of the inefficiency. From a theoretical point of view, the paper represents an attempt to import, into geographical economics, a 'scale approach', which is an established approach to the notion of space in sociology.
The ongoing process of European integration is likely to increase trade and factor mobility thereby increasing interregional competition and affecting the interregional division of labor. From a theoretical standpoint, rising specialization and polarization of European regions may result from this process, and may entail a growing core-periphery-divide of regional income. Such a supposition evokes questions on the need of an accompanying compensatory regional policy and its adequate design. I find that a case for regional policy cannot be denied, but that the EU largely overstates the need for such a policy at EU level, and should abstain from direct structural interventions into regional economies.
Using the border effect approach, our paper examines the influence of the legal framework quality of the Central and Eastern European countries on international trade. This approach offers an evaluation of the borders' impact on trade. A market is fragmented when actual trade differs from the trade that would be expected in an economy without border-related barriers. Recent findings have emphasized informal trade barriers as obstacles to trade flows (Anderson and Marcouiller, 2002; Anderson and Young, 2000; Rauch, 2001). We introduce different measures of the legal framework quality, which appears as a significant informal trade barrier. Actually, in case of conflict between two trade partners, it proves to be difficult for a given partner to get damages. Therefore, incentives to trade could be reduced. We adopt and refine the theoretical monopolistic competition model of trade developed by Head and Mayer (2000) and estimate it focusing on imports of Hungary, Romania, and Slovenia from European Union (EU) and Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries. We find that legal framework quality appears as a strong determinant of export decisions of EU producers. In the opposite, the CEFTA producers seem to be less or not affected by this quality in their decisions of trade.
This paper discusses environmental policies in response to foreign direct investment (FDI) in a symmetrie two-country setting, where firms' behavior affects government policy decisions. We show that two alternative equilibria with FDI are possible: (i) one with unilateral FDI, where one firm is a multinational firm, and the other firm is a national firm; (ii) and one with bilateral FDI, where both firms become multinational firms. With regard to strategic environmental policies, we show that the country attracting FDI introduces a Pigouvian environmental tax, whereas the country served by the local firm only levies a smaller tax rate. Hence, FDI does not lead to ecological dumping. With regard to welfare, we show that the impact on welfare is negative for the country hosting the national firm; positive for the country hosting the multinational firm, if FDI is unilateral; and ambiguous, for both countries, if FDI is bilateral.
This paper investigates selected short- and mid-term effects in trade in goods between the Visegrad countries (V4: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic) and the Republic of Korea under the framework of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea. This Agreement is described in the "Trade for All" (2015: 9) strategy as the most ambitious trade deal ever implemented by the EU. The primary purpose of our analysis is to identify, compare, and evaluate the evolution of the technological sophistication of bilateral exports and imports. Another dimension of the paper concentrates on the developments within intra-industry trade. Moreover, these objectives are approached taking into account the context of the South Korean direct investment inflow to the V4. The evaluation of technological sophistication is based on UNCTAD's methodology, while the intensity of intra-industry trade is measured by the GL-index and identification of its subcategories (horizontal and vertical trade). The analysis covers the timespan 2001–2015. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that the study of South Korean-V4 trade relations has not so far been carried out from this perspective. Thus this paper investigates interesting phenomena identified in the trade between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and V4 economies. The main findings imply an impact of South Korean direct investments on trade. This is represented by the trade deficit of the V4 with ROK and the structure of bilateral trade in terms of its technological sophistication. South Korean investments might also have had positive consequences for the evolution of IIT, particularly in the machinery sector. The political interpretation indicates that they may strengthen common threats associated with the middle-income trap, particularly the technological gap and the emphasis placed on lower costs of production. ; Artykuł poświęcony jest zbadaniu krótko‑ i średniookresowych efektów w handlu towarowym między krajami Grupy Wyszehradzkiej (V4: Republika Czeska, Węgry, Polska, Słowacja) a Republiką Korei (Koreą Południową) w ramach umowy o wolnym handlu między Unią Europejską a Republiką Korei. W strategii "Trade for All" to porozumienie określono mianem najambitniejszej umowy handlowej kiedykolwiek zawartej i wdrożonej przez UE. Głównym celem analizy jest zidentyfikowanie, porównanie oraz ocena zachodzących zmian w zaawansowaniu technologicznym dwustronnych strumieni eksportu i importu oraz w obrębie struktury handlu wewnątrzgałęziowego. Szerszym kontekstem badań jest ponadto napływ koreańskich inwestycji zagranicznych do krajów V4. Analiza technologicznego zaawansowania oparta jest na podejściu metodologicznym Konferencji Narodów Zjednoczonych ds. Handlu i Rozwoju, podczas gdy intensywność wymiany wewnątrzgałęziowej jest mierzona indeksem Grubela‑Lloyda wraz z określeniem jej kategorii składowych (handlu poziomego i pionowego). Badaniem objęto okres 2001–2015. Nowatorskość opracowania wynika z faktu, że jak dotąd badania nad stosunkami handlowymi między Koreą Południową a krajami V4 nie zostały przeprowadzone w ten sposób. Wnioski sugerują wpływ południowokoreańskich inwestycji bezpośrednich na handel, co znajduje swoje odzwierciedlenie w deficycie handlowym oraz strukturze dwustronnej wymiany w ujęciu jej zaawansowania technologicznego. Inwestycje te mogły mieć także pozytywne skutki dla ewolucji wymiany wewnątrzgałęziowej, zwłaszcza w obrębie przemysłu maszynowego. Polityczna interpretacja wskazuje, że mogą one wzmacniać zagrożenia typowe dla pułapki średniego dochodu, zwłaszcza lukę technologiczną oraz nacisk na niskie koszty produkcji.
Import competition from China is pervasive in the sense that for many good categories, the competitive environment that US firms face in these markets is strongly driven by the prices of Chinese imports, and so is their pricing decision. This paper quantifies the effect of the government-controlled appreciation of the Chinese renminbi vis-à-vis the USD from 2005 to 2008 on the prices charged by US domestic producers. In a panel spanning the period from 1994 to 2010 and including up to 519 manufacturing sectors, import price changes of Chinese goods pass into US producer prices at an average rate of 0.7, while import price changes that can be traced back to exchange rate movements of other trade partners only have mild effects on US prices. Further analysis points to the importance of trade integration, variable markups, and demand complementarities on the one side, and to the importance of imported intermediate goods on the other side as drivers of these patterns. Simulations incorporating these microeconomic findings reveal that a substantial revaluation of the renminbi would result in a pronounced increase of aggregate US producer price inflation.
The paper considers growth and fluctuations in the Finnish economy in the post-war period starting from her long-run dual strategy vis-à-vis export markets in Western Europe and Russia. Finland has wanted to utilise the more rapid growth based on deeper integration in the former, but has simultaneously wanted to reap the gains linked to her proximity to the latter. We build a theoretical open economy model based on export supply and demand and then for the whole economy and analyse the role of economic policies, notably exchange rate policies in this connection. Empirically, we estimate the relationships using the SVAR methodology identifying the relevant demand and supply shocks and shocks in policy responses. The results clearly show that shifts in competitiveness have played a key role in boosting both categories of exports. However, firms have been able to shift on their own in exports from the Russian market to the West when needed. Productivity gains have been linked to Western exports, but not to exports to Russia. From a macroeconomic point of view exchange rate policies have been roughly as important as fiscal policies to explain economic fluctuations, although the conclusion on this quite sensitively depends on the SVAR model used. However, economic policies have been less important than the aggregate demand and supply shocks. ; Tutkimus tarkastelee kasvua ja sen vaihteluita Suomen taloudessa sodan jälkeisenä aikana lähtien liikkeelle maan kaksinaisesta strategiasta suhteessa vientimarkkinoihin lännessä ja idässä. Suomi on halunnut päästä mukaan syvenevään ja nopean kasvun tuottaneeseen integraatioon lännessä, mutta samalla hyötyä läheisyydestään idän markkinoihin nähden. Rakennamme teoreettisen avoimen talouden mallin, joka rakentuu vientitarjonnan ja -kysynnän varaan, ja sen pohjalta makromallin, jossa erittelemme talouspolitiikan, erityisesti valuuttakurssipolitiikan roolin. Empiirisesti estimoimme riippuvuudet käyttäen rakenteellisen vektoriautoregressiivisen eli SVAR-mallin menetelmää ja identifioimme siinä relevantit kysyntä- ja tarjontashokit sekä innovaatiot politiikanteossa. Tulokset osoittavat, että kilpailukyvyn siirtymät ovat olleet keskeisiä molemmille vientikategorioille. Kuitenkin yritykset ovat kyenneet siirtymään omaehtoisesti viennissään Venäjän markkinoilta lännen markkinoille tarvittaessa ja eliminoimaan näiden shokkien vaikutuksen kokonaisvientiin. Tuottavuuden lisäykset ovat olleet peräisin länsiviennistä, mutta eivät Venäjän-viennistä. Makrotaloudelliselta kannalta valuuttakurssipolitiikka on ollut karkeasti yhtä merkittävää taloudellisten vaihteluiden kannalta kuin finanssipolitiikka, vaikkakin tämä johtopäätös on herkkä käytetyn mallispesifikaation suhteen. Toisaalta talouspolitiikan rooli on ollut vähäisempi kuin yleensä kysyntä- ja tarjontashokkien vaikutukset.
Entrepreneurs who decide to enter an industry are faced with different levels of effective entry costs in different countries. These costs are heavily influenced by economic policy. What is not well understood is how international trade affects the government incentive to impact on entry costs, and how entry subsidies can be used strategically in open economies. We present a general equilibrium model of monopolistic competition with two (potentially) asymmetric countries and heterogeneous firms where government subsidizes entry of domestic entrepreneurs. Under autarky the entry subsidy indirectly corrects for the monopoly pricing distortion. In the autarky equilibrium these subsidies trigger entry, but they eventually do not lead to more but to better firms in the market. In the open economy there is another, strategic motive for entry subsidies as the tightening of domestic market selection also affects exporting decisions for domestic and foreign firms. Our analysis shows that entry subsidies in the Nash-equilibrium are first increasing, then decreasing in the level of trade openness. This implies a U-shaped relationship between openness and effective entry costs. Merging cross-country data on entry costs with international trade openness indices we empirically confirm this theoretical prediction.
This paper presents a survey of the so-called 'New Economic Geography' (NEG) approach to International Trade, giving particular emphasis to the impact of labour mobility on the spatial distribution of economic activities across integrated countries. The liberalisation of international trade boosts industrial concentration according to a core-periphery pattern. However, when some factors of production, especially labour, are internationally immobile, a further reduction in trade costs scales up the importance of price and wage spatial differentials in the cost function of a typical firm compared to the importance of backward and forward linkages. This deters producers from setting up economic activities in the core and might in the end lead firms to a new dispersion towards less developed and more peripheral regions. In surveying the most recent contributions in this area, the paper sheds light on several shortcomings of the NEG literature in order to point out new directions for further research, with particular reference to studies concerning the European Union (EU).
Цель: исследовать морфологические и морфометрические изменения миокарда на фоне клеточной кардиомиопластики при экспериментальном инфаркте миокарда.Материалы и методы: Эксперимент выполнялся на 142 крысах линии Вистар-Кайота, весом 200-220 г, которые содержались в условиях вивария отдела экспериментальной хирургии ГУ «Институт неотложной и восстановительной хирургии им. В.К. Гусака НАМН Украины» в период с 2012 по 2013 гг. Породу Вистар-Кайота использовали потому, что она является инбредной, что минимизирует реакцию отторжения, благодаря её генетической однородности. Животные содержались в виварии в условиях 12-часового светового дня, комнатной температуры и доступа к воде и пище at libitum при температуре воздуха +20 - + 22 ° С, влажности не более 50 %, в световом режиме - день-ночь. Использование животных в эксперименте проводилось в соответствии с правилами, регламентированными «Европейской конвенцией по надзору и защите позвоночных животных, используемых в экспериментальных и других научных целях» (Страсбург, 1986), Директивы Совета Европейского Союза от 24.11.86 г. и распоряжения МОЗ Украины № 32 от 22.02.88 г. Индукцию инфаркта миокарда (ИМ) осуществляли по разработанной нами методике в условиях общего обезболивания. Отдельную группу составляли 20 самцов, которых мы использовали в качестве доноров мезенхимальных стволовых клеток (МСК) для дальнейшего исследования по Y-хромосоме хоуминга клеток в организме. Культивирования МСК проводили в смеси питательных сред DMEM / F12, 1:1, (Sigma, США). Материалом для морфологических исследований были участки миокарда лабораторных животных. Для оценки морфометрических показателей выполняли гистохимические методики по прописям, которые приведены в указаниях по гистохимии. Иммуногистохимическое исследование проводили на парафиновых срезах толщиной 5-6 мкм непрямым методом Кунса по методике Brosman (1979 г.).Результаты. Было установлено, что клеточная кардиомиопластика значительно улучшает структуру постинфарктного сердца, проявляется в уменьшении зоны рубца и соединительной ткани соответственно, увеличении количества сосудов и процента сохранившихся мышечных волокон. Наилучшие результаты были достигнуты при интрамиокардиальном введении, что требует подтверждения данного факта при клиническом исследовании.Выводы. Клеточная кардиомиопластика при любом способе введения клеточного трансплантата положительно влияет как на морфологический субстрат сердца в виде уменьшения размеров рубца при постинфарктном ремоделировании, увеличение количества новообразованных сосудов и увеличение процента сохранившихся кардиомиоцитов. Это происходит за счет хоуминга МСК в зону ишемии и общности двух механизмах – непосредственного дифференцирования в клетки эндотелия сосудов сердца, а также за счет паракринного эффекта ; Мета: дослідити морфологічні і морфометричні зміни міокарда на тлі клітинної кардіоміопластики при експериментальному інфаркті міокарда.Матеріали та методи: Експеримент виконувався на 142 щурах лінії Вістар-Кайота, вагою 200-220 г, які містилися в умовах віварію відділу експериментальної хірургії ДУ «Інститут невідкладної і відновної хірургії ім. В.К. Гусака НАМН України» в період з 2012 по 2013 рр. Породу Вістар-Кайота використовували тому, що вона є інбредною, що мінімізує реакцію відторгнення, завдяки її генетичної однорідності. Тварини утримувались у віварії в умовах 12-годинного світлового дня, кімнатної температури і доступу до води та їжі at libitum при температурі повітря +20 - +22°С, вологості не більше 50 %, в світловому режимі – день-нічь. Використання тварин в експерименті проводилось відповідно з правилами, регламентованими «Європейською конвенцією по нагляду і захисту хребетних тварин, які використовуються в експериментальних та інших наукових цілях» (Страсбург, 1986), Директиви Ради Європейської Співдружності від 24.11.86 г. та розпорядження МОЗ України №32 від 22.02.88 р. Індукцію інфаркту міокарда (ІМ) здійснювали за розробленою нами методикою в умовах загального знеболення. Окрему групу становили 20 самців, яких ми використовували в якості донорів мезенхімальних стовбурових клітин (МСК) задля подальшого дослідження по Y-хромосомі хоумінга клітин в організмі. Культивування МСК проводили в суміші живильних середовищ DMEM / F12, 1:1, (Sigma, США). Матеріалом для морфологічних досліджень були ділянки міокарда лабораторних тварин. Для оцінки морфометричних показників виконували гістохімічні методики за прописами, які наведені у вказівках з гістохімії. Імуногістохімічне дослідження проводили на парафінових зрізах, товщиною 5–6 мкм непрямим методом Кунса за методикою Brosman (1979 р.).Результати. Було встановлено, що клітинна кардіоміопластіка значно покращує структуру постінфарктного серця, що проявляється в зменшенні зони рубця і сполучної тканини відповідно, збільшенні кількості судин і відсотка збережених м'язових волокон. Найкращі результати були досягнуті при інтраміокардіальному введенні, що вимагає підтвердження даного факту при клінічному дослідженні.Висновки. Клітинна кардіоміопластіка при будь-якому способі введення клітинного трансплантата позитивно впливає як на морфологічний субстрат серця у вигляді зменшення розмірів рубця при постінфарктному ремоделюванні, збільшення кількості новостворених судин і збільшення відсотка збережених кардіоміоцитів. Це відбувається за рахунок хоумінга МСК в зону ішемії та спільності двох механізмах - безпосереднього диференціювання в клітини ендотелію судин серця, а також за рахунок паракринного ефекту ; The aim: to study the morphological and morphometric changes in the myocardium against the background of cellular cardiomyoplasty in experimental myocardial infarction.Materials and methods: the experiment was carried out on 142 Wistar-Kyoto rats weighing 200-220 g, which were kept in the vivarium of the Department of Experimental Surgery of the State Institution "Institute of Emergency and Reconstructive Surgery named after V. K. Gusak of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine" in the period from 2012 to 2013. The Wistar-Kyoto breed was used because it is inbred, which minimizes the rejection reaction, due to its genetic homogeneity. The animals were kept in a vivarium under conditions of 12-hour daylight hours, room temperature and access to water and food at libitum at an air temperature of +20 – + 22 °C, humidity no more than 50 %, in a light mode - day-night. The use of animals in the experiment was carried out in accordance with the rules regulated by the "European Convention for the Supervision and Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes" (Strasbourg, 1986), Directives of the Council of the European Union of November 24, 1986 and the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 32 dated 02.22.88. The induction of myocardial infarction (MI) was carried out according to the technique developed by us under general anesthesia. A separate group consisted of 20 males, whom we used as donors of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for further research on the Y chromosome of cell homing in the body. Cultivation of MSCs was carried out in a mixture of nutrient media DMEM / F12, 1:1, (Sigma, USA). The material for morphological studies was the sections of the myocardium of laboratory animals. To assess the morphometric parameters, histochemical methods were performed according to the recipes, which are given in the instructions for histochemistry. Immunohistochemical study was performed on paraffin sections with a thickness of 5-6 μm by the indirect Koons method according to the Brosman method (1979).Results: it was found that cellular cardiomyoplasty significantly improves the structure of the postinfarction heart, manifests itself in a decrease in the scar area and connective tissue, respectively, in an increase in the number of vessels and the percentage of preserved muscle fibers. The best results were achieved with intramyocardial injection, which requires confirmation of this fact in a clinical study.Conclusions: cellular cardiomyoplasty with any method of introducing a cell graft has a positive effect both on the morphological substrate of the heart in the form of a decrease in the size of the scar during postinfarction remodeling, an increase in the number of newly formed vessels and an increase in the percentage of preserved cardiomyocytes. This occurs due to the homing of MSCs into the ischemic zone and the commonality of two mechanisms – direct differentiation into endothelial cells of the heart vessels, as well as due to the paracrine effect
