Deindustrialisation:lessons from the structural outcomes of post-Communist transition

Theoretical and empirical studies show that deindustrialisation, broadly observed in developed countries, is an inherent part of the economic development pattern. However, post-communist countries, while being only middle-income economies, have also experienced deindustrialisation. Building on the model developed by Rowthorn and Wells (1987) we explain this phenomenon and show that there is a strong negative relationship between the magnitude of deindustrialisation and the efficiency and consistency of market reforms. We also demonstrate that reforms of the agricultural sector play a significant role in placing a transition country on a development path that guarantees convergence to EU employment structures.

Deindustrialisation and structural change during the post-Communist transition

The aim of this paper is to model the evolution of employment structure in post-communist economies in the broader context of deindustrialisation. The paper builds on the model of structural change developed by Rowthorn and Wells (1987). We show that the starting point of high industry sector share in total employment and its direct fall when productivity of sectors changes in favour of services can be explained in terms of this framework. Moreover, the model can also describe the phenomenon of a further expansion of the agriculture, observed in countries classified as "less consistent" in the reforms implementation. Hence, we distinguish two development paths, the efficient one, called "horizontal", and the inefficient one called "vertical". We illustrate it with empirical data, using alternative measures of structural change and patterns of structural evolutions during transition. Finally, we discuss the link between the EBRD indicators of reforms and structural change. We show that the "quality" of reforms, not the initial GDP level determines a country's development path.

Dielectric transition of polyacrylonitrile derived carbon nanofibers

The dielectric behavior of polyacrylonitrile derived carbon nanofibers formed at different carbonization temperatures was investigated using impedance spectroscopy. The impedance data are presented in the form of Cole-Cole plots and four equivalent electrical circuits are derived. It is found that by increasing carbonization temperature from 500 to 800 °C, a strong capacitive element in the parallel equivalent circuit is transformed into an inductive element, while the contact resistance and parallel resistance are significantly decreased. Along with the morphological and chemical structural evolution, respectively witnessed by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, the dielectric transition deduced from the transformation of electrical circuits can be correlated to the proposed microstructural changes of polyacrylonitrile derived carbon nanofibers and the interaction/interference among them.

21-residue peptide's dynamics at and between elementary structural transitions

Elementary conformational changes of the backbone of a 21-residue peptide A5(A3RA)3A are studied using molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water. The processes of the conformational transitions and the regimes of stationary fluctuations between them are investigated using minimal perturbations of the system. The perturbations consist of a few degrees rotation of the velocity of one of the systems' atoms and keep the system on the same energy surface. It is found that (i) the system dynamics is insignificantly changed by the perturbations in the regimes between the transitions; (ii) it is very sensitive to the perturbations just before the transitions that prevents the peptide from making the transitions; and (iii) the perturbation of any atom of the system, including distant water molecules is equally effective in preventing the transition. The latter implies strongly collective dynamics of the peptide and water during the transitions.

Ductile fracture mechanisms in a structural steel

Microstructural fracture processes in a BS4360 Grade 50D structural steel with lower sulphur content were studied in smooth tensile specimen tests and Charpy-size bend bar tests. Based on the experimental analysis, an experimental void growth relation with the plastic strain and stress triaxiality and multiplying factor on void growth were determined. Experimental results show that the void growth relation can be reasonably used to estimate the constraint in the specimens containing the notch or crack, also they can be used to evaluate the variations of the stress triaxiality in front of the notch and crack tip under general yielding condition. Side-grooves obviously increase the constraint of the CVN specimens. Strain hardening leads to increasing the stress triaxiality, and decelerating the net void growth. This is especially true for the values of stress triaxiality more than about one. Additionally, the effect of the stress triaxiality on the critical void growth corresponding to the onset of ductile tearing was preliminarily investigated. In this work, a large number of smaller specimens were tested to investigate the ductile-brittle transition behaviour of the structural steel. A void growth rate explanation was suggested for evaluating the temperature transition behaviour. The elastic-plastic fracture tough-ness values based on small specimen tests, such as pre-cracked side-grooved bending specimen and short bar tensile specimen, may give large overestimates of the plane strain fracture toughness.

Corporate governance, managers' independence, exporting, and performance of firms in transition economies

Using data on 157 large companies in Poland and Hungary, this paper employs Bayesian structural equation modeling to examine the relations among corporate governance, managers' independence from owners in terms of strategic decision making, exporting, and performance. Managers' independence is positively associated with firms' financial performance and exporting. In turn, the extent of managers' independence is negatively associated with ownership concentration, but positively associated with the percentage of foreign directors on the firm's board. We interpret these results as indicating that concentrated owners tend to constrain managerial autonomy at the cost of the firm's internationalization and performance, but board participation of foreign stakeholders enhances the firm's export orientation and performance by encouraging executives' decision-making autonomy.

Corporate governance, managers' independence, exporting and performance of firms in transition economies

Using data on 157 large companies in Poland and Hungary this paper employs Bayesian structural equation modeling to examine interrelationships between corporate governance, managers' independence from owners in terms of strategic decision-making, exporting and performance. It is found that managers' independence is positively associated with firms' financial performance and exporting. In turn, the extent of managers' independence is contingent on the firm's corporate governance parameters: it is negatively associated with ownership concentration, but positively associated with the percentage of foreign directors on the firm's board. We interpret these results as an indication that (i) risk averse, concentrated owners tend to constrain managerial autonomy at the cost of the firm's internationalization and performance, (ii) board participation of foreign stakeholders, on the other hand, enhances the firm's export orientation and performance by encouraging executives' decision-making autonomy.

De-industrialisation and the post-communist transition:Rowthorn and Wells' model revisited

In this paper we present a simple three-sector model explaining the structural change in employment, which is a modified version of Rowthorn-Wells (1987). We supplement the theoretical analysis with simple econometric tests, which illustrate how the modified Rowthorn-Wells model can be used to (i) motivate empirical estimates of the link between the level of development and structures of employment, (ii) illustrate structural distortions under the command economies, and the structural adjustment that happened during the post-Communist transition. We demonstrate that in the case of these economies, the transition process leads to an adjustment to the employment structures predicted by the model.

Dissociable brain structural changes associated with predisposition, resilience, and disease expression in bipolar disorder

Genetic factors are important in the etiology of bipolar disorder (BD). However, first-degree relatives of BD patients are at risk for a number of psychiatric conditions, most commonly major depressive disorder (MDD), although the majority remain well. The purpose of the present study was to identify potential brain structural correlates for risk and resilience to mood disorders in patients with BD, type I (BD-I) and their relatives. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 30 patients with BD-I, 50 of their firstdegree relatives (28 had no Axis I disorder, while 14 had MDD) and 52 controls. We used voxel-based morphometry, implemented in SPM5 to identify group differences in regional gray matter volume. From the identified clusters, potential differences were further examined based on diagnostic status (BD-I patients, MDD relatives, healthy relatives, controls). Whole-brain voxel-based analysis identified group differences in the left hemisphere in the insula, cerebellum, and substantia nigra. Increased left insula volume was associated with genetic preposition to BD-I independent of clinical phenotype. In contrast, increased left substantia nigra volume was observed in those with the clinical phenotype of BD-I. Changes uniquely associated with the absence of a clinical diagnosis in BD relatives were observed in the left cerebellum. Our data suggest that in BD, genetic and phenotype-related influences on brain structure are dissociable; if replicated, these findings may help with early identification of high-risk individuals who are more likely to transition to syndromal states. Copyright © 2009 Society for Neuroscience.

[Fe(μ-btzmp)2(btzmp)2](ClO4)2:a doubly-bridged 1D spin-transition bistetrazole-based polymer showing thermal hysteresis behaviour

The reaction of btzmp (1,2-bis(tetrazol-1-yl)-2-methylpropane) with Fe(ClO4)2 generates a 1D polymeric species, [Fe(μ-btzmp)2(btzmp)2](ClO4)2, showing a steep spin transition (T½↑ = 136 K and T ½↓ = 133 K) with a 3 K thermal hysteresis. The crystal structure at 100 and 200 K reveals that, in contrast to other bistetrazole based spin-transition systems such as [Fe(endi)3](BF4)2 and [Fe(btzp)3](ClO4)2, the present compound has only two ligands bridging the metallic centres, while the other two coordination positions are occupied by two mono-coordinated (non-bridging) btzmp ligands. This peculiarity confers an unprecedented crystal packing in the series of 1D bistetrazole based polymers. The change in spin state is accompanied by an order/disorder transition of the ClO4- counterion. A careful examination of the structural changes occurring upon the spin transition indicates that this order/disorder is most likely affected by the modification of the [tetrazole-centroid]-ND-Fe angle (which is typical of bistetrazole spin-transition materials). Apart from X-ray analysis, also magnetic susceptibility, Mössbauer and UV-vis spectroscopies have been used to characterise the HS and the LS states of [Fe(µ-btzmp)2(btzmp)2](ClO4)2. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.