Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Search of the Government in Local Government: Coalition Agreements and Office Payoffs in Norway

The politics of European local government is often assumed to take place in a rather depoliticised and non-partisan environment. This feature is especially apparent in Norway, where local government institutions are designed to create a high degree of consensus and accommodation. No local cabinet takes office, and therefore no formal roles of a majority government and an opposition are offered. This paper tells a different story, however. Following the 1999 elections many municipalities are now experiencing partisan cooperation based on binding political agreements. In these cases the common practice of proportional distribution of the important political positions is replaced with a ‘winner takes all’ principle, as only the majority constellation is rewarded with office payoffs. Given that this form of cooperation is the closest analogue to any cabinet formation at the local level, it is clearly of interest to uncover under which conditions it occurs. The empirical analysis therefore uses variation in structural, socioeconomic and political characteristics to predict the local coalition behaviour. The empirical model captures some important determinants in the variation of structural characteristics, and, as expected, explicit and binding coalition agreements are found in the large and central municipalities. Socioeconomic setting is furthermore important, since municipalities with a high degree of financial autonomy and poor policy performance experience this kind of formalised cooperation more frequently. Systematic effects are also found for political characteristics, with electoral volatility, party fragmentation and functional organisation models all increasing the probability of coalition agreements.
A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Environmental Contamination and Positive Amenities on Residential Real Estate Values

This paper addresses the effects of environmental contamination and positive amenities on proximate residential real estate property values in the United States. Contamination sources include leaking underground storage tanks, superfund sites, landfills, water and air pollution, power lines, pipeline ruptures, nuclear power plants, animal feedlots and several other urban nuisance uses. The study summarizes a literature review of 75 peer-reviewed journal articles and selected case studies, and generates a data set of about 290 observations that contain information about each studyâ€™s loss (the dependent variable), with the independent variables being distance from the source, type of contamination, urban or rural environment, geographic region, market conditions and several other variables. Ordinary least squares is used to determine the effect of the contamination variables on reduction in property value. Broad contamination types, amenities, selected economic regions, distance from the source, information, research method and several other variables are statistically significant.
Knowledge sharing and innovation performance

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to test empirically the degree of influence of different knowledge‐sharing mechanisms on the innovation capability of firms, as well as to analyse the degree of relevance of each innovation capability dimension to value creation. Additionally, the role of technology intensity as a moderator variable of the aforementioned relationships is examined.Design/methodology/approach – An ad hoc questionnaire was designed and addressed to the CEOs of the companies making up the target population of the research (Spanish manufacturing firms with more than 50 employees and R&D activities). Structural equation modeling (SEM) based on partial least squares (PLS) was then applied in order to test the main hypotheses of the research.Findings – The results obtained show that knowledge sharing is a key issue in order to enhance the innovation capability of firms. Nevertheless, depending on the innovation capability dimension being considered and on the technology intensity of the firm, th.
Arginine methyltransferase Capsuléen is essential for methylation of spliceosomal Sm proteins and germ cell formation in Drosophila

Although arginine modification has been implicated in a number of cellular processes, the in vivo requirement of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) in specific biological processes remain to be clarified. In this study we characterize the Drosophila PRMT Capsuléen, homologous to human PRMT5. During Drosophila oogenesis, catalytic activity of Capsuléen is necessary for both the assembly of the nuage surrounding nurse cell nuclei and the formation of the pole plasm at the posterior end of the oocyte. In particular, we show that the nuage and pole plasm localization of Tudor, an essential component for germ cell formation, are abolished in csul mutant germ cells. We identify the spliceosomal Sm proteins as in vivo substrates of Capsuléen and demonstrate that Capsuléen, together with its associated protein Valois, is essential for the synthesis of symmetric di-methylated arginyl residues in Sm proteins. Finally, we show that Tudor can be targeted to the nuage in the absence of Sm methylation by Capsuléen, indicating that Tudor localization and Sm methylation are separate processes. Our results thus reveal the role of a PRMT in protein localization in germ cells.
The Acute Exercise-Induced Inflammatory Response: A Comparison of Young-Adult Smokers and Nonsmokers

Purpose: This study examined postexercise inflammatory and leukocyte responses in smokers and nonsmokers, as well as the effects of cigarette smoking on the acute postexercise inflammatory and leukocyte response in habitual smokers. Method: Eleven recreationally active male smokers and 11 nonsmokers matched for age and aerobic fitness were familiarized and underwent baseline fitness testing. Participants then completed 40 min of cycling at 50% peak aerobic workload. Smokers performed 2 randomized exercise sessions, including an acute postexercise smoking condition (2 cigarettes in 15 min of 12 mg tar and 1 mg nicotine) and a no-smoking condition, while nonsmokers performed 1 exercise session without smoking. Venous blood was obtained preexercise and postexercise for analysis of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist (ra), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and c-reactive protein (CRP). Results: No differences existed between groups for resting CRP (d = 0.25–0.46; p = .374–.617). Despite no baseline difference (d = 0.03–0.07; p = .141–.70), exercise-induced increases were observed for IL-1 ra in smokers (d = 0.50; p = .024–.033), which was not observed in the never-smoker group. No between-group difference was observed for IL-6 across all points (d = 0.09–0.5; p = .102–.728); however, all groups observed significant within-group change (d = 0.27–1.09; p = .001–.042). Further, TNF-α for smokers smoking was elevated above both smokers not smoking and nonsmokers at baseline and across the protocol (d = 1.20–1.80; d = 0.20–1.0; p = .001–.035). Additionally, a marked postexercise increase in leukocyte and neutrophil concentrations was evident in smokers smoking compared with nonsmokers and smokers not smoking as indicated by a moderate-to-large effect size (d = 0.72; d = 0.78). Conclusion: Consequently, male smokers exhibit an altered postexercise proinflammatory profile compared with age- and fitness-matched nonsmokers.
Price-Level Targeting versus Inflation Targeting: A Free Lunch?

Price level targeting (without base drift) and inflation targeting (with base drift) are compared with persistence in output (generated by sticky prices, for instance). Counter to conventional wisdom, price level targeting results in lower short-run inflation variability than inflation targeting (if output is at least moderately persistent). Price level targeting also eliminates any average inflation bias. Even if the preferences of society correspond to inflation targeting, it may nevertheless prefer to assign price level targeting to the central bank. Price level targeting thus appears to have more advantages than what is commonly acknowledged.
REVIEW ARTICLE: RESILIENCE, POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENT

Resilience has become prominent in academia where it is used as a central framework in disciplines such as ecology, climate change adaptation or urban planning. Policy makers and international development agencies also increasingly refer to it. The objective of this paper is to assess the advantages and limits of resilience in the context of development. Although the review highlights some positive elements—for example, the ability to foster an integrated approach—it also shows that resilience has important limitations. In particular, it is not a pro‐poor concept, in the sense that it does not exclusively apply to, or benefit, the poor. As such, resilience building cannot replace poverty reduction. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Small Steps that Matter: Incremental Learning, Slack Resources and Organizational Performance

This paper examines the antecedents, consequences and moderators of incremental learning capabilities, understood as an organization's ability to gradually adapt and expand its knowledge base. Conceptualized as a dynamic capability, incremental learning is expected to be a vital driver of organizational adaptation. As dynamic capabilities consist of bundles of relatively stable routines, it is proposed that an organization's level of incremental learning capabilities will be highly persistent over time. It is also argued that building and exercising incremental learning capabilities is resource intensive and will as such tend to rely on the availability of sufficient slack resources. Last, it is suggested that incremental learning will be positively related to organizational performance, especially when the underlying business model is labour rather than capital intensive. To test these theoretical ideas, the authors draw on extensive panel data from all public non‐specialist hospitals in England and find broad support for their hypotheses.
Expected utility hypotheses and the Allais Paradox : contemporary discussions of decisions under uncertainty with Allais' rejoinder

Introductory Survey. - The Foundations of a Positive Theory of Choice involving Risk and a Criticism of the Postulates and Axioms of the American School. - CriticaI Examination of the New Foundation of Utility. - A Short Confirmation of My Standpoint. - Utilities, Psychological Values, and Decision Makers. - Some Reflections on Utility. - A Reply to Allais. - Utility and Stochastic Dominance. - Maximizing Expected Utility and the Rule of Long Run Success. - Adaptive Utility. - On the Nature of Expected Utility. - The St. Petersburg Puzzle. - Towards a Positive Theory of Preferences Under Risk. - The Naturalistic Versus the Intuitionistic School of Values. - Utility Theory: Axioms versus 'Paradoxes'. - Comparison of Decision Models and some Suggestions. - The So-called Allais Paradox and Rational Decisions Under Uncertainty. - Subject Indexes. - - Parts I (Foreword), II and V. - - Allais' notation. - - Parts I (Introductory Survey), III and IV. - Name Index.
Trading Activity in the Equity Market and Its Contingent Claims: An Empirical Investigation

Little is known about the joint dynamics of volume across the various contingent claims on the equity market. We study the time-series of trading activity in the cash S&P 500 index and its derivatives (options, the legacy and E-mini futures contracts, and the ETF), and consider their dynamic relation with the macroeconomy, over more than 3000 trading days during 1997–2009. Legacy futures volume has trended downward while other series have trended upward. Total futures volume has increased, suggesting that the trading in the legacy contract has been at least partially supplanted by trading in the E-mini contract. All series are highly cross-correlated and jointly dependent. Signed and absolute trading activity in contingent claims (most prominently, options) predicts shifts in aggregate state variables such as the short interest rate, and the term and credit spreads, as well as signed and absolute returns around major macroeconomic announcements. Overall, consistent with the informational role of options, their volume innovations have the strongest forecasting ability for fluctuations in the macroeconomic environment.
Theories of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and the Business Cycle

This paper discusses several prominent economic theories which link entrepreneurs and their innovations to the creation and magnitude of business cycles. I distinguish three broad classes of theories: models of creative destruction; models of innovation and implementation cycles; and models of production under asymmetric information. Key insights of the theories are identified, policy implications are drawn, and suggestions for future research are proposed.
Financial Capital, Human Capital, and the Transition to Self‐Employment: Evidence from Intergenerational Links

We use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys to investigate the relative importance of family financial and human capital in the transition into self‐employment. Specifically, we estimate the impacts of individual's own wealth and human capital and parental wealth and self‐employment experience on the probability that an individual transits from wage‐and-salary to self‐employment. We find young men's own financial assets exert a statistically significant but quantitatively modest effect on the transition. In contrast, parents' capital exerts a large influence. Parents' strongest effect runs, not through financial means, but rather through their own self‐employment experience and business success.
Trust and Credit: The Role of Appearance in Peer-to-peer Lending

Although it is well known that appearance-based impressions affect labor market and election outcomes, little is known about the role appearance plays in financial transactions. We address this question using photographs of potential borrowers from a peer-to-peer lending site. Consistent with the trust-intensive nature of lending, we find that borrowers who appear more trustworthy have higher probabilities of having their loans funded. Moreover, borrowers who appear more trustworthy indeed have better credit scores and default less often. Overall, our findings suggest that impressions of trustworthiness matter in financial transactions as they predict investor, as well as borrower, behavior. A man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom. --John Pierpont Morgan, 1913 The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. , Oxford University Press.
Natural variation of cervical range of motion: a one-way repeated-measures design.

OBJECTIVE To describe the natural variation of the active and passive cervical range of motion (ROM) in asymptomatic subjects over a 3-wk period. STUDY DESIGN One-way repeated measures of active and passive cervical ROM. SETTING Institute of Medical Biology (Center of Biomechanics) at Odense University, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS Forty asymptomatic students from the University of Odense. Male/female ratio, 20:20; mean age, 23.9 yr (range, 20-30 yr). INTERVENTION Measurements of the active and passive cervical ROM were taken using the electrogoniometer CA-6000 Spine Motion Analyzer. Each subject was measured six times during a 3-wk period. The measurements were performed at the same time of the day. The device gives the maximum end ROM for the motion plane examined. RESULTS The natural variation in active and passive ROM was found to be in the order of chi +/- 20 degrees for flexion/extension, chi +/- 12 degrees for lateral flexion and chi +/- 14 degrees for rotation. CONCLUSION In asymptomatic subjects, the individual natural variation is quite large for active and passive cervical flexion/extension, lateral flexion and rotation. When measuring individual patients, one should allow for a natural variation of 12-20 degrees.
The myth of democratic failure

This book refutes one of the cornerstone beliefs of economics and political science: that economic markets are more efficient than the processes and institutions of democratic government. Wittman first considers the characteristic of efficient markets—informed, rational participants competing for well-defined and easily transferred property rights—and explains how they operate in democratic politics. He then analyzes how specific political institutions are organized to operate efficiently. "Markets" such as the the Congress in the United States, bureaucracies, and pressure groups, he demonstrates, contribute to efficient political outcomes. He also provides a theory of institutional design to explain how these political "markets" arise. Finally, Wittman addresses the methodological shortcomings of analyses of political market failure, and offers his own suggestions for a more effective research strategy. Ultimately, he demonstrates that nearly all of the arguments claiming that economic markets are efficient apply equally well to democratic political markets; and, conversely, that economic models of political failure are not more valid than the analogous arguments for economic market failure.
Experiences of emergency cesarean section: A phenomenological study of 53 women.

BACKGROUND Childbirth by emergency cesarean section can be a traumatic experience, but since the result is often a healthy mother and baby, its seriousness is open to doubt. METHOD Fifty-three women were interviewed approximately two days after emergency cesarean section to ascertain whether or not the trauma met the stressor criterion of posttraumatic stress disorder. A time-spatial model from disaster psychiatry was used to chart the women's thoughts and feelings during consecutive phases of the delivery process. The women's causal attributions of the event were also assessed. RESULTS Generally speaking, the feeling of the women after they had arrived at the delivery ward changed from one of confidence and safety to one of fear. The decision to undertake a cesarean section brought a feeling of relief, but this was again replaced by fear as the operation approached. The women's thoughts centered around the impending delivery and operation until after the event, when the newborn baby occupied their attention and happiness predominated. In retrospect, 55 percent of the women experienced intense fear for their own life or that of their baby. Eight percent felt very badly treated by the delivery staff and were angry. Almost all the women had adequate knowledge of the reasons for the emergency cesarean section. One in four blamed themselves to some extent for the event. CONCLUSIONS The stressor criterion of DSM IV is applicable to the trauma of emergency cesarean section. Even if and when a new mother is happy to meet her baby, negative feelings, such as fear, guilt, or anger, may dominate her memories of the birth.
Plasma Testosterone Levels Increase with Expression of Male Ornaments During Mating, but not Incubation, in Japanese Barn Swallows

Recent experimental studies involving the manipulation of sexual traits have demonstrated that sexual trait expression feeds back to testosterone levels, perhaps via social interactions, reinforcing the linkage between sexual trait expression and testosterone levels during the mating period. However, information on this reinforcement under the natural variation of sexual traits remains limited. Using Japanese barn swallows, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, in which extra-pair paternity is quite rare (< 3%), we studied the relationship between plasma testosterone level and a male sexual trait, throat patch size, during the mating and incubation periods. Given the importance of social interaction, we predicted that this relationship should be intense during the mating period, but not the incubation period, due to reduced social interaction during the latter. We found low plasma testosterone levels during the incubation period compared with those in the mating period, and plasma testosterone levels were significantly positively related to throat patch area during the mating period, but not the incubation period. Similar relationships were found in another sexual trait, the size of white tail spots. During the incubation period, body condition, instead of male sexual trait expression, was negatively related to plasma testosterone level, indicating that an intrinsic link, rather than reinforcement, is important during this period. These relationships are consistent with the hypothesis that social interaction reinforces the relationship between sexual traits and plasma testosterone levels. The current study provides evidence for a highly variable relationship between testosterone and ornamentation across breeding periods in the natural variation of sexual traits.
An integrative model for competency development in organizations: the Flemish case

The prominent role of competency development in enhancing the success of employees and organizations has drawn the attention of practitioners leading them to introduce competency development as a central part of their human resource practices. Unfortunately, this strong managerial interest has not been fully translated into the academic world, creating a gap between theory and practice. The main purpose of this study is to fill this gap by exploring the nature of competency development in 22 Flemish organizations through a longitudinal multiple case study design. By using a grounded theory approach, a framework has emerged mapping out the different steps of competency development in the participating organizations. As such, this study can be an important first step toward closing the gap between practice and theory concerning competency development in organizations.
Putting Technology into Strategic Planning

Technology is often not a full partner in the development of the business strategy. When this occurs neither the business nor the technological contribution is optimized. The experience of successful companies shows that there are four key steps to creating a partnership between technology and strategy: defining the key technological strengths, understanding what technology contributes to success in the marketplace, coordinating business goals and technological implications, and ensuring that all the elements of the organization support the strategy. This framework has been successfully applied to a wide range of organizations, both large and small, in a variety of industries.
Natural course of chronic hepatitis B is characterized by changing patterns of programmed death type-1 of CD8-positive T cells.

AIM To investigate if and how programmed death type-1 (PD-1) expression affects the natural course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. METHODS Sixty-four patients in different natural stages of chronic HBV infection were enrolled in this study. PD-1 expression in total T cells was detected by flow cytometry. Levels of total CD8+ T cell responses and proliferation in relation to PD-1 expression levels were analyzed with intracellular staining and PD-1/PD-L1 blockage. RESULTS The PD-1 expression in T cells was dynamically changed during the natural course of chronic HBV infection, did not significantly increase in the immune tolerance phase, and returned to normal in the inactive virus carrier stage. Blockage of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway could not affect the T-cell response in the immune tolerance and inactive virus carrier stages of chronic HBV infection. However, it could significantly restore the T-cell response in the immune clearance stage of chronic HBV infection. Furthermore, the PD-1 expression level in T cells was associated with the alanine aminotransferase level during the immune clearance stage of chronic HBV infection. CONCLUSION The PD-l/PD-L1 pathway plays a different role in T-cell response during the natural course of chronic HBV infection.