Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying the Effects of Simultaneous Monetary Policy Shocks

type="main" xml:id="coep12111-abs-0001"> Many central banks, particularly in the developing world, aim for exchange rate stability as a macroeconomic goal. However, most are reluctant to relinquish monetary policy autonomy, so they end up operating through both interest rate and foreign exchange interventions. But the use of multiple policy instruments does not necessarily equip monetary authorities with better tools to achieve their targets. On the contrary, their effects can potentially offset each other. Using daily data from the Central Bank of Colombia during the period of 1999–2012, I study the effects of simultaneous policies by first deriving new measures of monetary shocks and then determining their impact on economic activity. The main findings indicate that (a) while interest rate interventions have a significant impact on real and nominal variables, foreign exchange interventions tend to have limited effects; and (b) empirical anomalies, such as the positive relationship between output growth, inflation, and the policy rate are eliminated when properly accounting for the systematic responses of policy. (JEL E43, E52, E58, F31)
Integration of fenoxycarb into a German cockroach (Orthoptera: Blattellidae) management program.

An insect growth regulator (IGR), fenoxycarb, was used with conventional insecticides to suppress biotic potential of German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), and thereby reduce population levels. Monthly applications of chlorpyrifos, fenvalerate, acephate, acephate with 0.5% synergized pyrethrins, and acephate plus fenoxycarb were compared; fenoxycarb was added to the acephate treatment every other month. Addition of the IGR resulted in cockroach populations at 80% below levels before treatment. The percentage of adults with twisted wings increased rapidly beginning 4 mo after treatment and remained at 60-90% (or the duration on the study (1 yr). When the IGR was applied less frequently than every other month, the percentage of adults with twisted wings decreased. Thus, unlike hydroprene, the first commercial IGR for cockroaches, fenoxycarb should be applied every other month to maintain a high level of sterility.
Socio‐demographic basic factors of German customers as predictors for sustainable consumerism regarding foodstuffs and meat products

An important step in promoting sustainable purchase behaviour is to explore the understanding of responsible consumerism from the consumers’ point of view. For this purpose, a study among 1040 German consumers was carried out using a two-pronged approach. First, open-ended questions were used to explore the characteristics of sustainable food consumption in general as well as the willingness and meaningfulness of a low-meat diet from the consumers’ point of view. After that the interactive structure behind the term was studied using a quantitative empirical method. As standard of evaluation the four underlying socio-demographic factors gender, age, wealth and education are used. Apart from the consumers’ financial situation, the applied statistics show significant correlations of the propensity for sustainable consumerism to each of the above factors. Women, middle-aged and well-educated consumers show a greater tendency to purchase environmentally and socially sustainable products. Accordingly, the suitability of socio-demographic factors is confirmed in this study. The open-ended questions fathom what attributes consumers connect with sustainable food consumption, in particularly with regard to the consumption of meat. It is clear that attributes that affect consumers directly and attributes which can be directly influenced by their actions are better perceived by the consumer. Altruistic factors or abstract aspects of food consumption (e.g. climate protection) are generally of less significance. Conversely, factors which concern the value added chain, like for example, origin and processing, have priority. To conclude, the findings enable the identification of the variables determining the sustainability construct. This allows policy makers to develop customized incentive systems. Similarly, private sector stakeholders are enabled to adapt marketing activities and their product mix to consumer demands.
Case‐control study of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in Peruvian children hospitalized for diarrhea: possible association with malnutrition and nosocomial infection

A retrospective, hospital-based case-control study was used to investigate whether there were any clinical characteristics that could distinguish Cryptosporidium parvum-infected children with diarrhea from other non-C. parvum-infected children with diarrhea. Ten percent (24 of 248) of children admitted to a rehydration ward at Cayetano Heredia University Hospital, Lima, Peru, were infected with C. parvum. The 24 patients infected with C. parvum (cases) were matched to an equal number of noninfected patients (controls). C. parvum-in-fected patients were more likely to be malnourished than were children without this infection (P < 0.05). Also nosocomial infection caused by C. parvum occurred in three severely malnourished patients, two of whom died. No other clinical or laboratory characteristics were found that would distinguish children with diarrhea caused by C. parvum from other children with diarrhea. In children hospitalized for diarrhea C. parvum infection occurs most frequently in malnourished children.
Expanding the destination image: wine tourism in the Canary Islands

Tourism to the Canary Islands is centred around competitively priced holidays focused on the sun and beach mass tourism experience. A restructure of the islands' wine industry offers opportunities for developing new tourism alternatives based on gourmet products and traditional landscapes. This paper examines the potential of wine tourism from winery operators' perspectives. Challenges to overcome in the development of a successful sustainable local wine tourism industry include the need for expansion of the destination image to reflect the region's wine-making history and scenic qualities; a shift towards independent high-yield travellers; and reintroducing local produce in the mass tourism product. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resource Rents, Governance, and Conflict

Case studies as well as cross-country studies suggest that countries with an abundance of natural resources are more prone to violent conflict. This collection of articles analyzes the link between natural resources and civil war in a number of different ways. So far the literature falls broadly into two camps. First, in the economics literature the well-documented “resource curse” leads to low-income growth rates and low levels of income. These in turn constitute low opportunity costs for rebellion and make civil war more likely. On the other hand, political science literature concentrates on the link between natural resources and weak institutions. States with natural resources often rely on a system of patronage and do not develop a democratic system based on electoral competition, scrutiny and civil rights. Based on further empirical evidence in this volume we conclude with a brief overview of current policy initiatives.
A Framework for Understanding Opportunity Recognition

The issue of opportunity recognition, as opposed to opportunity evaluation, has received far less attention. Yet it is opportunity recognition that often drives deals. This article presents and tests six hypotheses on opportunity recognition against a sample of 262 respondents divided among financiers and entrepreneurs. The hypotheses measure the differences between respondents' views on the following topics: alertness to opportunities; creativity and idea generation; search process and strategies; causes of opportunities; opportunity sources; evaluation; and “feel. ” In general, both groups had similar responses, but several interesting differences were discovered.
Thyroid surgery performed on an overnight basis: a 17 years of experience.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the results of thyroid surgeries with hospitalization periods shorter than 18 hours performed in a surgical endocrinology service, correlating these results with type of procedure, the definitive diagnosis and complications associated with the procedure. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The procedures performed, complications associated, hospitalization period, and relationships among these variables were assessed in consecutive patients subjected to different types of thyroid surgeries from January 1997 to March 2014 by the same group of surgeons. Data were analyzed by frequency, and the associations between the hospitalization period and other variables were analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test and Fisher's exact test, using a multiple comparisons test with Bonferroni correction. RESULTS Among the 3,411 surgeries performed, 799 of them were malignant neoplasia, 2,505 were benign tumors and 107 were Graves' disease. The following procedures were performed: total thyroidectomy (1597 patients); total thyroidectomy with neck exploration (369 patients); lobectomy plus isthmectomy (1084 patients); total thyroidectomy complementation (145 patients); total thyroidectomy with neck dissection (84 patients); modified radical total thyroidectomy (13 patients); nodulectomy (11 patients); unresectable (9 patients); central neck dissection (48 patients); lateral neck dissection (38 patients); and others (13 patients). The following surgical complications, characteristic of the procedure: hemorrhage in 41 (1.2%) patients, hypoparathyroidism in 10 (0.3%) patients and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury in 23 (0.7%) patients. Hospitalization shorter than 18 hours was observed in 97% of patients. CONCLUSION Thyroid surgery can be safely performed in virtually all patients on an overnight basis in specialized services.
Phytochemical Screening And Antibacterial Activity Of Yemeni Henna ( Lawsonia Inermis ) Against Some Bacterial Pathogens

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of aqueous, methanol extracts of Yemeni henna (Lawsonia inermis) leaves were tested against three bacterial species including (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) using agar diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as a determination method. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of Alkaloids, Quinones, Glycosides , Tannins and saponins. The mehanolic extract displayed a potential antibacterial activity against all the bacterial species, than the aqueous extract. The maximum activity was observed in methanolic extract against Staphylococcus aureus at inhibition zone of about (27 ± 1 mm) and minimum activity was observed in aqueous extract against Escherichia coli at inhibition zone of about (8.6 ± 1.2). MIC values for all the existing extracts at a concentration of 2.5mg/ml at Staphylococcus aureus and 10 mg/ml at Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The study of the urban microclimate by means of public transport systems

The Department of Energetics and Environmental Researches (DREAM) of the University of Palermo has implemented a new technique for the assessment of the urban microclimate using data acquisition equipments installed on vehicles of the urban transport system. These instruments, equipped with various kinds of sensors, are able to measure the most important weather and climate quantities and the most relevant pollution parameters and to save the position data (latitude, longitude, altitude, speed) by means of a Global Positioning System (GPS). Data can be downloaded from a remote station through the GSM mobile phone network. These equipments, continuously moving across the urban area, could integrate the data from existing fixed stations, and create a virtual network of hundreds of measuring points. In the field of the pollution control they can contribute to the characterization of causes, the localization of sources and to the application and check of control strategies with a relevant spin-off to traffic planning. In the paper the first results of the measuring campaigns carried out in the towns of Palermo and Messina and some applications of the acquired data are reported.
China's Large and Rising Net Foreign Asset Position

China's emergence as a major player in world trade is well known, but its growing role in global finance might have been underappreciated. China is the second largest creditor in the world today, with a net creditor position of 30 percent of GDP in 2008. We test the importance of the growth differential, demographics, government debt, financial depth and the exchange rate in shaping China's net foreign asset position. Our empirical results highlight the sharp fall in the young-age dependence as one key driver behind China's puzzlingly large net lender position and also confirm the neoclassical prediction that faster growth attracts more capital inflows. Looking ahead, our findings suggest that China will unlikely turn into a meaningful net debtor nation over the next two decades.
Feeding nursing home patients with severe dementia: a qualitative study.

AIM To describe the nature of problems nurses face when feeding nursing home patients with severe dementia, and how they deal with these problems. BACKGROUND In our study on starting or withholding artificial nutrition and hydration for nursing home patients with dementia, we found that many problems in feeding arose (long) before any decision was made about artificial feeding, namely from the first moment a patient needed help with meals. Because 'ordinary feeding' was experienced as a daily recurring problem for nurses, we decided to investigate this within the study. METHODS Participant observation by two researchers in two Dutch nursing homes. FINDINGS Nurses interpreted the aversive behaviour of patients differently, and a link between interpretation and responses (stop or continue feeding) was observed. Differences in interpretation with regard to the same patient were observed in nurses in five of the seven units. Only in three units did nurses discuss their different interpretations in an attempt to find out why a patient avoided food and fluids and how to deal with these problems. CONCLUSIONS Nurses' interpretations of aversive behaviour of patients differ. No definite conclusions can be drawn about the causes of the aversive behaviour observed, because they cannot be verified. We recommend that interpretations of the behaviour of particular patients should be discussed by nurses with physicians, other disciplines and the patient's family to obtain more insight into all its possible causes and to determine together the most likely interpretation and appropriate way in which to deal with the aversive behaviour. This would give nurses more confidence and improve the quality and continuity of care provided. To structure the search for possible causes of aversive behaviour, we developed a framework of causes of aversive behaviour and domains of functioning.
Internationalization of Firms from China and India: Theory, Evidence and Policy

India and China have emerged as important sources of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in the global economy. The increasing presence of their enterprises in the advanced countries has posed a challenge both to theory of internationalization of firms and public policy alike to explain why this has happened. In this paper, an attempt is made to examine, in a comparative framework, the trends, patterns and determinants of OFDI from India and China. The critical review of theory and empirical evidence related to internationalization of firms clearly brings out that unlike firms of advanced countries, there are multiple sources of the strength of Chinese and Indian firms that drives overseas investment. The study covers the period from 1990 to 2010. The major finding that emerged from the analysis is the dramatic rise of stocks and flows of OFDI from India compared to that from China. The outward to inward FDI ratio for India has increased at a higher rate during 2000-2007 but this ratio was much higher for China between 2008 and 2010. China’s OFDI was more concentrated in financial services and Asian countries, whereas in case of India, it was predominantly in manufacturing sector and advanced countries. Internationalization of firms from China and India has been driven by push factors that enable firms to acquire resources, markets and technologies. The public policy regarding OFDI has undergone substantial transformation from merely permissive to encouraging in both the countries. The pattern of investment abroad and internationalization of firms from both India and China seems to have been largely determined and guided by the state policy.
Wages, Nonwage Job Characteristics, and Labor Mobility

This paper examines the effects of a set of nonwage job characteristics on the quit decisions of young and middle-aged men. The data set was constructed by merging data in the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young and Mature Men with data from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles file and the Bureau of Economic Analysis file on fringe benefits. The empirical analysis shows that some nonwage job attributes have significant influence on worker quit behavior and that there are important differences in the effects of the nonwage job characteristics across age groups. Young men are significantly more likely than older men to quit repetitive jobs, for example, whereas the presence of bad working conditions is a more important factor in the quit decisions of the older cohort. The results also indicate that, for the older men, fringe benefits have a stronger effect on quit decisions than wages do. Further evidence on age differences is provided through an analysis of panel data from the Quality of Employment Survey.
Stimulation of breathing movements in fetal sheep by inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis.

We studied the effects of inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis on fetal breathing movements on 17 occasions in 11 lambs (gestational age 125-141 days). We gave 12 h infusions of sodium mechlofenamate (8.6-22.2 mg.kg-1) in 13 studies and indomethacin (21.8-38.8 mg.kg-1) in four studies. Results were similar with both agents and did not correlate with drug dosage. There were no changes in fetal arterial blood pressure, pH or blood gas tensions. We assessed fetal breathing movements by measurements of tracheal pressure for a control period of 224 h prior to and 208 h during the infusion of inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis; their administration caused a marked stimulation of fetal breathing movements judged from the following four variables: (1) incidence of fetal breathing movements increased from 38.4 to 69.2% of the time (P < 0.001); (2) average amplitude of change in tracheal pressure during fetal breathing movements increased from 4.1 to 6.0 torr (P < 0.01); (3) maximal amplitude of change in tracheal pressure during fetal breathing movements increased from 8.8 to 13.4 torr (P < 0.01); and (4) the duration of the longest continuous episode of fetal breathing movements increased from 37 to 229 min (P < 0.05). Two fetuses had electrocorticogram (ECoG) recordings. In control periods, fetal breathing movements occurred only during low voltage, high frequency ECoG activity; however, during infusions of inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis, fetal breathing movements occurred also during high voltage, low frequency ECoG activity. We conclude that inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis stimulate fetal breathing movement in fetal sheep. These results suggest that a component of the prostaglandin system is a factor which inhibits breathing movements during fetal life.
Foreign interest rate shocks and exchange rate regimes in East Asia

Using a theoretical dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model and an empirical panel vector autoregression, we assess the transmission of foreign real interest rate shocks on the volatility of various key macroeconomic variables in nine small open economies in East Asia taking into account the role of exchange rate regimes. Both the theoretical and empirical findings confirm the hypothesis that flexible exchange rate may work as a shock absorber when the economy is hit by foreign real interest rate shocks. The findings suggest a clear trade-off between the volatility of real exchange rate and real output to foreign interest rate shocks, both the US and G7 real interest rates, where the responses of real output are mitigated in countries that have more flexible exchange rate regime.
Effect of Ionizing Radiation Induced Damage of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Vascular Regeneration

Objective—A number of studies have revealed that stress signaling and subsequent stress responses in stem/progenitor cells are responsible for attenuated regeneration or degenerative disease. Because ionizing radiation (IR), which sensitizes diverse types of stem cells, reportedly induces cardio-circulatory diseases, we hypothesized that IR-induced vascular abnormalities are associated with defects in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that are responsible for vascular homeostasis. Methods and Results—We used an irradiated mouse model to mimic the IR effect on vasculogenesis. Mouse EPCs isolated from irradiated mice and human EPCs exposed to IR were used for functional analysis and gene expression study. Under IR exposure, EPCs were depleted, and their function for vasculogenesis in vitro and in vivo was significantly reduced. In such IR-mediated stress responses, upregulating p21Cip1 and downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were mediated by p53 transcriptional activity. Conclusion—The results of the present study suggest that suppression of p53 would be clinically applicable to (1) minimize the functional defects in EPCs in order to prevent the onset of vascular diseases caused by radiation therapy or radiation exposure and also to (2) provide novel insight into the mechanisms of IR-induced vascular damage and a possible strategy to minimize vascular damage by IR.
Male migration and decision making: are women finally being included?

In a mixed methods interdisciplinary case study approach, this paper explores the role of decision making for women who remain in their rural communities when male migration is considered and, on occasion, acted upon. In a unique approach in the field of migration studies, this paper considers not only women whose husbands have migrated – absent husbands – but also the impact of male migration on women whose husbands have returned – most often from the United States – as well as women whose husbands have never left – anchored husbands. The findings from this study of women in San Juan Guelavía, Oaxaca, Mexico, suggest that women’s involvement in migration decision making pertaining to imminent or potential emigration of husbands remains, in large part, the domain of husbands, but generational differences are shown that may begin to erode men’s traditional patriarchal role. Women with anchored husbands often implement strategies – consciously or subconsciously – to retain husbands in the home and with the family, especially if decision making power is weak on the part of wives.