Openness to International Trade and Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Empirical Investigation

In this paper, we revisit the empirical evidence on the relationship between trade openness and long-run economic growth over the sample period 1960-2000. In contrast to previous studies focusing mainly on the period 1970-1990, this paper reassesses the openness-growth nexus over a much longer sample period, enabling us to better account both trade policy stance and long-run growth dynamics. We carry out our empirical investigation by employing various openness measures suggested in the literature rather than relying on a few proxy variables. We also construct three additional composite trade policy indexes directly measuring trade policy stance. Our findings indicate that many openness variables are positively and significantly correlated with long-run economic growth. However, in some cases, this result is driven by the presence of a few outlying countries. Adding to the fragility of the openness-growth association, the significance of openness variables disappears once other growth determinants, such as institutions, population heterogeneity, geography and macroeconomic stability are accounted for

Cross-Country Growth Empirics and Model Uncertainty: An Overview

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of empirical cross-country growth literature. The paper begins with describing the basic framework used in recent empirical cross-country growth research. Even though this literature was mainly inspired by endogenous growth theories, the neoclassical growth model is still the workhorse for cross-country growth empirics. The second part of the paper emphasises model uncertainty, which is indeed immense but generally neglected in the empirical cross-country growth literature. The most outstanding feature of the literature is that a large number of factors have been suggested as fundamental growth determinants. Together with the small sample property, this leads to an important problem: model uncertainty. The questions which factors are more fundamental in explaining growth dynamics and hence growth differences are still the subject of academic research. Recent attempts based on general-to-specific modeling or model averaging are promising but have their own limits. Finally, the paper highlights the implications of model uncertainty for policy evaluation

Facile synthesis of boronic acid-functionalized nanocarriers for glucose-triggered caffeic acid release

In this study, boronic acid-functionalized methacrylate-based nanoparticles were synthesized via surfactant-free emulsion polymerization in one pot. Uniform (polydispersity index < 0.05) sub-100 nm nanoparticles were obtained. The changes of average hydrodynamic diameter and polydispersity index of nanoparticles against boronic acid content in total monomer and acetone percentage in the solvent mixture were investigated. Polymerization kinetics in terms of monomer conversion rate was monitored by gravimetric method. The nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The boron content in the nanoparticles was confirmed by electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Further, the nanoparticles were combined with caffeic acid. Caffeic acid carrying nanoparticles were titrated against glucose or fructose in which caffeic acid is released by the displacement reaction in a controlled manner. The displacement of caffeic acid and glucose was monitored by UV-visible spectral change. Furthermore, in vitro biocompatibility of nanoparticles was tested in NIH-3T3 cells, which resulted no significant toxicity effect on the cells.Selcuk University Scientific Research Fund (S.U. BAP)Selcuk University [12201077]; TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [112M096, COST TD1004]This work was supported by Selcuk University Scientific Research Fund (S.U. BAP No. 12201077) and TUBITAK (Project No.112M096, COST TD1004). The authors are grateful to Advanced Technology Research and Application Center of Selcuk University for their kind help regarding with analysis studies (SEM, EDX, DLS, UV-Vis). The authors thank to Dr. Pembegul UYAR for providing 3T3 cells as a kind gift and her valuable guidance and to Huseyin Sakalak for his help in experimental studies