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Using input–output data from Symmetric Input–Output Tables for the year 2010 and relevant price models, this paper provides empirical estimations of medium- and long-run effects of wage and currency devaluations on international price competitiveness and income distribution for two ‘PIIGS economies’, i.e. Greece and Italy. The findings reveal certain differentiated socio-technical production conditions in the economies under consideration casting doubt on the effectiveness of demand-switching policy measures implemented in the post-2010 Eurozone economy. At the same time, however, wage devaluation is found to be a comparatively slow and inefficient process to improve international price competitiveness in the medium-run.

Purpose. The current case series describes three cases of fusion between the 2nd cervical vertebra, the axis (C2), and the 3rd cervical vertebra (C3), creating a C2-C3 osseous complex and highlighting its morphological type of fusion (partial or complete) and morphometric details. The developmental background of this complex is emphasized, pointing out the possible clinical significance. Materials and Methods. The osseous complexes were derived from disarticulated skeletons of body donors and were collected from the osseous collection of the Anatomy Department of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Results. Three blocked vertebral complexes (2 partial and 1 complete C2-C3 osseous masses) were identified. In two cases, the vertebral bodies were partially fused and in one case were completely fused. In the 1st case, the C2-C3 complex had fused spinous processes and distinct transverse processes. Facets were completely fused on the left and partially fused on the right side. In the 2nd case, the C2-C3 complex had partially fused vertebral bodies and distinguishable spinous processes. In the 3rd case, the C2-C3 complex had completely fused vertebral bodies, facets, laminae, and transverse and spinous processes. Conclusions. Among the three (C2-C3) fused osseous complexes, the two were partially and the one was completely ossified. The fused vertebrae were characterized by osteophytic formations (at the dens and C3 area) and osteoporotic lesions. Taking into consideration the C2-C3 fusion, and possible coexisted variants, particular caution should be made in the upper cervical area, to interpret possible neurological manifestations and to reach a safe surgical plan.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the four leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Even though over the past few decades the global scientific community has made tremendous efforts to understand this entity, many questions remain to be raised on this issue and even more to be answered. Epidemiological findings have unveiled numerous environmental and genetic risk factors, each one contributing to a certain degree to the final account of new CRC cases. Moreover, different trends have been revealed regarding the age of onset of CRC between the two sexes. That, in addition to newly introduced therapeutic approaches for various diseases based on androgens, anti-androgens and anabolic hormones has raised some concerns regarding their possible carcinogenic effects or their synergistic potential with other substances/risk factors, predisposing the individual to CRC. Notably, despite the intense research on experimental settings and population studies, the conclusions regarding the majority of anabolic substances are ambiguous. Some of these indicate the carcinogenic properties of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and others, demonstrating their neutral nature or even their protective one, as in the case of vitamin D. Thus, the synergistic nature of anabolic substances with other CRC risk factors (such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and smoking) has emerged, suggesting a more holistic approach.

This paper considers the pure labour theory of value and Böhm-Bawerk’s theory of capital as approximations of Sraffa’s model of single production, and tests them with data from the Symmetric Input-output Tables of the Finnish economy. The results show that (i) in comparison with the labour values, the actual Böhm-Bawerkian production prices are ‘equally’ good or even better approximations of the actual Sraffian production prices and market prices; and (ii) the Sraffian production price-profit rate relationship is, by and large, governed by the differences in the Böhm-Bawerkian average periods of production.

This paper argues that there exists an infinite number of numeraire-free measures (à la Steedman—Tomkins) of price—value deviation. On the empirical side it provides an illustration of those measures using input—output data from the Swedish economy.

This paper applies the principles of the neo-Ricardian (or Sraffian) theory of international trade to certain joint production systems. It is shown that, in contrast with single-product systems, (i) there is not always a pattern of international specialisation, which would entail the increase of the real wage rate in both economies, and (ii) the \"law of comparative advantage\" has no general validity. Furthermore, not only the existence of such a pattern of specialisation but also the validity of this law depend on the values of the variables of distribution of income. The analysis is wholly based on two of the numerical examples formulated by Bidard in 1997, and further generalised in an elementary way only when this is considered necessary. (Original abstract)

This paper applies the principles of the neo-Ricardian (or Sraffian) theory of international trade to certain joint production systems. It is shown that, in contrast with single-product systems, (i) there is not always a pattern of international specialisation, which would entail the increase of the real wage rate in both economies, and (ii) the ‘law of comparative advantage’ has no general validity. Furthermore, not only the existence of such a pattern of specialisation but also the validity of this law depend on the values of the variables of distribution of income. The analysis is wholly based on two of the numerical examples formulated by Bidard in 1997, and further generalised in an elementary way only when this is considered necessary.

This paper expands the spectral analysis of the Sraffian value system, and shows that: (i) the hitherto alternative value theories can be conceived of as “perturbations” of the so-called pure labour value theory; (ii) these theories correspond to specific complex plane locations of the eigenvalues of the vertically integrated technical coefficients matrix; and (iii) the actual economies cannot be coherently analyzed in terms of the traditional value theories, despite the fact that their Krylov (or controllability) matrices are characterized by rather low degrees of regularity-controllability and relatively low numerical ranks. Hence, on the one hand, the Sraffian value theory is not only the most general one but also provides a sound empirical basis, while on the other hand, real-world economies constitute almost irregular-uncontrollable systems, and this explains the specific shape features of the empirical value-wage-profit rate curves.

Using input-output data from the World Input-Output Database (172 Symmetric Input-Output Tables of 43 countries, spanning the period 2000-2014), this paper estimates the degree and rank of Kalman controllability of the relevant Sraffian price systems. The findings suggest that: (i) the degree of controllability is in the range of 10^(–21) to 10^(–18); (ii) for a tolerance of 10^(–4) (of 10^(–2)), the relative numerical rank of controllability is in the range of 7% to 18% (of 4% to 9%); and, therefore, (iii) the price systems are almost uncontrollable. These findings also explain the specific shape features of the empirical price-wage-profit rate curves, which are at the heart of capital theory and, thus, show that the Sraffian theory is not only the most general one but also provides a sound empirical basis.

This paper constructs Bienenfeld's second-order approximation for the wage-profit curve and tests it using data from ten symmetric input-output tables of the Greek economy. The results suggest that there is room for using low-dimensional models as surrogates for actual single-product economies.