Geographical Influences on Long-Run Development

We show that geographical factors influence long-run per capita income directly, as well as indirectly, through the quality of institutions. The direct influence of geography on per capita incomes is robust to the inclusion of a sub-Saharan Africa dummy and other tests. We obtain our results by replacing the usual instrument (settlers’ mortality (SM)) by stronger instruments for institutional quality (latitude, the share of the country in the temperate climatic zone). We also provide evidence that SM suffers from endogeneity with respect to institutional quality for early colonies, because of its dependence on nineteenth-century mortality data.

Connected Life Courses:Influences on and Experiences of 'Midlife' In-Migration to Rural Areas

This paper aims to contribute to the theorisation of midlife migration into rural areas. Although the factors influencing migration are known to be variable at different stages of a person's life, much less well understood is how migration decisions at different stages of the life course are connected and how post-migration experiences may be influenced by an earlier life course stage. We argue that midlife migration decisions are the product of the migrant's lifetime experiences and influences up until that stage in their life alongside their expectations and aspirations for future life course stages. Using a case study of the Glens of Antrim (Northern Ireland), this paper specifically demonstrates the role of childhood memories to explain midlife migration to a rural area. In doing so, it argues that some findings more commonly associated with second-generation transnational migration are also equally relevant to migration within the UK. Roots migration and place attachment alongside the midlife migrant's post-migration sense of belonging and permanency are found to be influenced by the migrant's earlier memories, behaviours, and experiences.

Chemical influences on the luminescence of ruthenium diimine complexes and its response to oxygen

Different luminescent, hydrophillic ruthenium diimine cationic complexes are rendered soluble in the hydrophobic medium of a plasticised polymer through ion-pair coupling with a hydrophobic anion, such as tetraphenyl berate. Based on this approach, a number of different oxygen sensitive films, i.e., luminescent, thin plastic films which respond to oxygen-the latter quenches the luminescence were prepared, using the polymer, cellulose acetate, plasticised with tributylphosphate. Of the resultant thin oxygen sensitive films tested, the one containing the luminescent ion-pair ruthenium (II) tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,IO-phenanthroline) ditetraphenyl berate, [Ru(dpp)(3)(2+)(Ph4B-)(2)], was found to be the most sensitive, and its response characteristics were subsequently studied as a function of plasticiser content, temperature and stability in use, and with age. The major response characteristics, i.e., film sensitivity towards oxygen and response and recovery times, depend very strongly upon the overall level of plasticiser present in film; the film is more sensitive and faster in response and recovery the greater the level of plasticiser employed. Thus, the response of the film towards oxygen can be tuned by varying the level of plasticiser in the film. Film sensitivity towards oxygen is largely independent on temperature, whereas its response and recovery times decrease with increasing temperature (E-a = -10.3+/-0.4 kJ mol(-1)). The sensitivity of a typical luminescent film is very stable when used continuously over a 24-h period, decreases by ca. 20% with age when stored at ambient temperature over a period of 29 days, but very little over the same period of time when stored in the freezer section of a fridge. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.