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This study primarily examines whether and how a firm's exports are influenced by its own and other firms' foreign direct investment (FDI) in an industry characterized by high proportions of exporters and FDI. A review of 619 firms in Taiwan's electronics industry from 2006 to 2011 indicates the presence of optimal FDI in terms of exports. In addition, results suggest a negative (positive) export spillover from FDI for firms with low (high) FDI, signifying that FDI's congestion/crowding-out effect is greater (less) than the demonstration/imitation effect for such firms. Moreover, a firm's exports generally decrease with other firms' exports particularly when its FDI is low, thus suggesting the predominance of competition's negative effect over its positive effect under such circumstances. Furthermore, export spillover from FDI occurs through the competition effect and technology information effect, where the former (latter) drives a negative (positive) export spillover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores the issue of whether investment in information technology (IT) will bring about the Solow productivity paradox. The semiparametric smooth coefficient approach is applied to implement estimations considering how the non-neutral impact of IT might affect labor productivity and thus contribute to productivity. The empirical results are obtained employing firm-level manufacturing data from Taiwan to show that IT investment has as a significantly positive influence on productivity. Specifically, IT exhibits a significant spillover impact on promoting labor productivity in general, particularly for larger and more IT deepened firms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Research on palladium membrane was started in 1995 by China Technology Consultants Institute (CTCI), Taiwan; there are now more than four groups engaging in various aspects of study and development of palladium membrane and Green Hydrotec Inc. is running fabrication and application of the membrane for commercial development. The author reviews recent discovery in the permeation of hydrogen mixture by palladium membrane in his group. Their main discoveries are (1) new method of preparing strong palladium membrane by electroplating, (2) a new method of measuring hydrogen permeation in the case of mixture to avoid changing hydrogen concentration along the membrane tube, (3) the perturbed hydrogen permeation in the permeation of hydrogen mixture with palladium membrane due to palladium lattice expansion during permeation, (4) the effect of hydrogen spillover on the catalytic membrane reactor to account for the rate enhancement and the hike of reaction conversion when a palladium membrane is incorporated into the catalytic reactor, and (5) production of hydrogen by a 3-in-1 membrane reactor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hospitality and tourism industry is characterized by long and erratic work hours. Many jobs are unsuitable for working at home. The unique features of the lodging industry and the demands of lodging managers' jobs often have interfered with the personal lives and marital relationships of these managers. The situation may even lead to a decision to leave the specific occupation or the industry permanently. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the perspectives of Taiwan hotel managers' regarding work-personal life balance and its relationship to various demographic variables, such as gender, marital status, etc. Results indicate that very few of Taiwanese managers had difficulty balancing work and personal lives. Indeed, the majority of these managers reported their perception of success in balancing work and personal life as from neutral to very successful. No statistically significant differences were found between female and male managers in terms of perceived difficulty or success in work and personal life balance. Neither was there a significant difference among married or single female/male managers. Results also suggested that work interfered with personal life more frequently than personal life did with work. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • The dynamics of SBV cross-infection was investigated using genotype-specific primer sets. • Co-cultured apiaries harbored all variants, including dual SBV genotypes. • AmSBV-AC and AcSBV-AC were the dominant genotypes in the co-cultured apiaries. • A. mellifera serves as an AcSBV reservoir that may contribute to virus spillover. • Impacts of two SBVs on A. cerana larvae revealed fitness costs of cross-infection. Recent outbreaks of sacbrood virus (SBV) have caused serious epizootic disease in Apis cerana populations across Asia including Taiwan. Earlier phylogenetic analyses showed that cross-infection of AcSBV and AmSBV in both A. cerana and A. mellifera seems common, raising a concern of cross-infection intensifying the risk of disease resurgence in A. cerana. In this study, we analyzed the dynamics of cross-infection in three different types of apiaries (A. mellifera -only, A. cerana -only and two species co-cultured apiaries) over one year in Taiwan. Using novel, genotype-specific primer sets, we showed that SBV infection status varies across apiaries: AmSBV-AM and AcSBV-AC were the major genotype in the A. mellifera -only and the A. cerana -only apiaries, respectively, while AmSBV-AC and AcSBV-AC were the dominant genotypes in the co-cultured apiaries. Interestingly, co-cultured apiaries were among the only apiary type that harbored all variants and dual infections (i.e., AC and AM genotype co-infection in a single sample), indicating the interactions between hosts may form a conduit for cross-infection. The cross-infection between the two honey bee species appears to occur in a regular cycle with temporal fluctuation of AmSBV-AC and AcSBV-AC prevalence synchronized to each other in the co-cultured apiaries. Artificial infection of AcSBV in A. mellifera workers showed the suppression of viral replication, suggesting the potential of A. mellifera serving as a AcSBV reservoir that may contribute to virus spillover. Furthermore, the survival rate of A. cerana larvae was significantly reduced after artificial infections of both SBVs, indicating fitness costs of cross-infection on A. cerana and thus a high risk of disease resurgence in co-cultured apiaries. Our field and laboratory data provide baseline information that facilitates understanding of the risk of SBV cross-infection, and highlights the urgent need of SBV monitoring in co-cultured apiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]