Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discrimination and selection in the Belgian private rental market

Abstract In this paper, the results are presented of a study on discrimination and selection in the private rental market in Belgium. In contrast to other studies on the subject, we focus on different grounds of discrimination (ethnicity, disability, and gender) and selection (financial means). Two approaches in the field of behavioral experimental testing were used to measure the degree of discrimination/selection: a telephone and an email approach. In both approaches, a different experimental design was applied, with fictitious applicants for each discrimination ground and the control group. The fictional rental home seekers asked the landlord—by phone or e-mail—if the vacant dwelling was still available and if they could make an appointment for a visit. In the telephone approach, a sample of 684 online ads was used in a paired-testing design, in which the landlords were contacted by both the control and experimental applicant. In the e-mail approach, a random-assignment design with a sample of 1769 online advertisements was used. The analyses revealed that discrimination for getting an appointment is found for each discrimination/selection ground in the email approach (only results for men), whereas people with Moroccan/Turkish names and disabled people were not found to be discriminated in the telephone approach. Furthermore, gender proved to be an important factor, as men with a Moroccan/Turkish background were discriminated in the phone-call approach (in contrast to women), whereas regarding financial means, women were treated more negatively than men.
Assessing corporate social and financial performance in China

Purpose - This study aims to examine corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSD) in China. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines the extent to which firm size and financial performance impacts social disclosure by examining published financial information and social disclosure information in annual reports. Findings - Results indicate a positive relationship between firm size and disclosure but no relationship between firm profitability and disclosure. Research limitations/implications - Only 2008 annual reports with a relatively small sample size are used. Longitudinal studies in the future may be warranted. Practical implications - CSD has become widespread in the west but is only now taking hold in the east. As many global firms expand operations in China, this paper will add to research in the area addressing CSD in that country. Originality/value - Most studies have examined CSD in the west. This study makes a contribution to the corporate social responsibility literature by investigating an emerging market in China.
HPV infection in women: psychosexual impact of genital warts and intraepithelial lesions.

INTRODUCTION Genital Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most commonly occurring sexually transmitted viral infection in humans. HPV is a wide family of DNA viruses, which may cause benign skin and mucosal tumors (genital, anal, or oral warts), intraepithelial neoplasias, and/or malignant cancers in different organs. Women are more susceptible to the oncogenic effect of HPVs, mostly at the genital site on the uterine cervix. AIMS This review analyzes the impact of: (i) genital warts (GWs) and their treatment; (ii) HPV-related genital, oral, and anal precancerous lesions on women's sexual function. METHODS A Medline search was carried out. Search terms were HPV, GWs, intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer, anal cancer, oral cancer, epidemiology, HPV risk factors, sexual dysfunctions, desire disorders, arousal disorders, dyspareunia, vulvar vestibulitis, vulvodynia, orgasmic difficulties, sexual repertoire, couple sexual problems, depression, anxiety, pap smear, screening program, therapy, and vaccines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sexual consequences of HPV infection in women, specifically GWs and intraepithelial HPV-related neoplasia. RESULTS Psychosexual vulnerability increases with number of recurrences of HPV infections. Depression, anxiety, and anger are the emotions most frequently reported. However, to date, there is no conclusive evidence of a specific correlation between HPV infection and a specific female sexual disorder. The relationship between HPV and vulvar vestibulitis/vulvodynia-related dyspareunia seems not to be direct. Counseling problems, the role of anti-HPV vaccine, and the concept of the high-risk partner are discussed. The reader is offered a practical approach with clinically relevant recommendations that may prove useful in his/her daily practice when dealing with HPV-infected women and couples. CONCLUSION The evidence of psychosexual consequences of HPV-related GWs and intraepithelial lesions is limited. Specific research on the sexual impact of GWs and intraepithelial HPV-related lesion in women is urgently needed.
CSR-based Differentiation Strategy of Export Firms From Developing Countries

This study investigates the influences of the strategy tripod, an established concept in the international business (IB) literature, on a corporate social responsibility (CSR)-based differentiation strategy for export firms. This strategy is conceived as consisting of product-level and firm-level CSR. Using a sample of 195 Brazilian export firms, the authors find that innovation capabilities, international market exposure, and institutional pressures significantly influence product-level CSR; however, the latter two factors influence firm-level CSR only through their mediating effects on product-level CSR. This study contributes to the existing CSR and IB literature in three ways. First, it integrates and systematizes the factors influencing CSR-based strategies into the three categories represented by the legs of the strategy tripod to help elucidate the previous research on the factors that drive CSR. Second, it suggests that exporters’ CSR strategies can be affected by social and environmental institutions based outside their home countries. Third, this study contributes to filling an important empirical gap in the research on CSR by focusing on export ventures from emerging countries.
OUT-OF-SAMPLE TESTS FOR GRANGER CAUSALITY

Clive W.J. Granger has summarized his personal viewpoint on testing for causality in numerous articles over the past 30 years and has outlined what he considers to be a useful operational version of his original definition of Granger causality, which he notes is partially alluded to in the Ph.D. dissertation of Norbert Wiener. This operational version of Granger causality is based on a comparison of the one-step-ahead predictive ability of competing models. However, Granger concludes his discussion by noting that it is common practice to test for Granger causality using in-sample F-tests. The practice of using in-sample type Granger causality tests continues to be prevalent. In this paper we develop simple (nonlinear) out-of-sample predictive ability tests of the Granger non-causality null hypothesis. In addition, Monte Carlo experiments are used to investigate the finite sample properites of the test. An empirical illustration shows that the choice of in-sample versus out-of-sample Granger causality tests can crucially affect the conclusions about the predictive content of money for output.
Marketing through Frequent Flyer Programmes: The Example of China Airlines

Many recent studies document that, although frequent flyer programmes (FFPs) appear to be an excellent example of relationship marketing designed to build customer loyalty, frequent flyer miles rarely act as a primary reason for choosing one carrier over another. A case study of China Airlines (CAL) was undertaken to understand how FFPs have become an integral part of airline marketing and to examine the reasons why airlines have been using FFPs despite research results that indicate their ineffectiveness. The findings of this study indicate that FFPs are shown to be a significant and effective marketing technique in the airline industry with positive implications for the financial performance of both the carriers involved and their partners. The study also reveals the different dimensions and the complex nature of FFPs, including issues related to market mix, market share and regulations.
Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Tunisia: Evidence from a Time Varying Parameter Model

This paper highlights the exchange rate pass-through dynamics in Tunisia using a time-varying parameters model. The results show that contrary to what has been generally observed in emerging and transitional economies, pass-through has been increasing steadily during the last decade. This acceleration is due to the implemented exchange rate policy, the absence of credible nominal anchor for monetary policy and the efforts made to reduce subsidies on administered products.
Dynamic enhanced CT: is there a difference between liver metastases of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and adenocarcinoma

This study proposed to evaluate the feasibility of dynamic enhanced CT in differentiation of liver metastases of gastroenteropancreatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (GEP NETs) from GEP adenocarcinomas based on their characteristic features. CT images of 23 well-differentiated (G1 or G2) GEP NETs and 23 GEP adenocarcinomas patients with liver metastases were retrospectively reviewed. The distribution type, shape, intra-tumoral neovascularity, enhancement on hepatic artery phase, dynamic enhancement pattern and lymphadenopathy were subjective analyzed. Meanwhile, the size, number, CT value of tumor and adjacent normal liver parenchyma were measured and the metastasis-to-liver ratios were calculated objectively. Compared with GEP adenocarcinomas, the liver metastases of GEP NETs more frequently demonstrated a hyper enhancement on hepatic artery phase, washout dynamic enhancement pattern, absence of lymphadenopathy and higher metastasis-to-liver ratios on both hepatic artery phase and portal venous phase (P=0.017, P<0.001, P =0.038, P <0.001 and P =0.008, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that the dynamic enhancement pattern (P=0.012), and the metastasis-to-liver ratios on hepatic artery phase (P=0.009) were independent CT predictors for liver metastases of GEP NETs. The sensitivity and specificity of combing the two predictors in differentiation of liver metastases of GEP adenocarcinomas from GEP NET were 82.6% (19 of 23) and 91.3% (21 of 23), respectively. CT features are helpful in differentiating liver metastases of well-differentiated GEP NETs from that of GEP adenocarcinomas.
Financial Development on Growth Convergence

This paper investigates whether the impacts of financial development on growth convergence vary with the stage of real development. We implement this analysis through the instrumental variable threshold regression approach proposed by Caner and Hansen. Our empirical evidence shows that financial intermediary development leads to long-run convergence in growth of both economic activity and productivity. Moreover, such convergence-enhancing effects of financial intermediation are stronger for less-developed countries than for the more industrialized. In addition, the data reveal that stock market development assists growth convergence only in low-income countries.
Estonian Tourism and the Accession Effect: the Impact of European Union Membership on the Contemporary Development Patterns of the Estonian Tourism Industry

Abstract In this paper specific attention is placed on analysing the impact the EU accession of May 2004 had on the development trajectory of Estonia's tourism industry. Overall, it can be seen that the Estonian industry benefited significantly from the ‘accession effect’, with the industry roughly expanding by one third in two years. Three categories of positive impacts are defined. First, the accession, as well as NATO membership for the country, increased the perceived security associated with investment in the tourism industry, which in turn increased the supply of infrastructure, such as bed spaces as well tourism product. Secondly, the accession facilitated relaxed border controls and led to the opening of air access to the nation, which in turn led to the entry of low-cost airlines and stimulated a competitive response from the incumbent airline. Finally, the accession stimulated a significant increase in media attention, which resulted in an increase in the level of awareness amongst the general public and tour operators in the other EU states, which in turn stimulated demand. However it was also noted that the impact of the accession effect upon visitation patterns only lasted for a limited number of months.
Direct and indirect effects of insulin in suppressing glucose production in depancreatized dogs: role of glucagon.

We have previously shown that during glucose clamps in moderately hyperglycemic depancreatized dogs: 1) peripheral insulin infusion, resulting in greater systemic insulinemia and greater suppression of glucagon than equidose portal infusion, inhibited glucose production (GP) to a greater extent; and 2) portal and half-dose peripheral infusions, resulting in matched peripheral insulinemia and similar suppression of glucagon, inhibited GP equally. These findings are consistent with an indirect effect of insulin in suppressing GP in diabetic dogs, which might be partly mediated by the differential suppression of glucagon. To address this question, we performed the experimental protocols of the previous study under conditions of constant glucagon levels (approximately 550 ng/liter), achieved by a high rate portal glucagon infusion (5 ng/kg.min). As in the previous study (basal glucagon levels, approximately 170 ng/liter), we used depancreatized dogs and assessed GP with HPLC-purified [6(-3)H]glucose. After obtaining constant basal hyperglycemia (approximately 10 mM) with portal infusions of insulin (4.8 +/- 0.5 pmol/kg.min) and glucagon, an additional infusion of insulin was administered for 180 min, either portally (portal; n = 7) or peripherally (peripheral; n = 8) at the same rate (5.4 pmol/kg.min) or at half that rate peripherally (1/2 periph; n = 5). Plasma glucose and glucose specific activities were clamped at basal levels. Systemic insulin levels increased by 215 +/- 16,310 +/- 26, and 184 +/- 15 pM, and estimated hepatic insulin levels increased by 398 +/- 20, 310 +/- 26, and 184 +/- 15 pM with portal, peripheral, and 1/2 periph, respectively. GP was suppressed to the same extent with portal and peripheral (53 +/- 6% and 50 +/- 6%), but less with 1/2 periph (35 +/- 5%). FFA levels were suppressed to a greater extent with peripheral than portal or 1/2 periph, whereas the responses of lactate alanine and glycerol to insulin infusion were similar in the three groups. Thus, in the present report, unlike in our previous study, 1) suppression of GP was proportional to the hepatic insulin levels; and 2) systemic insulin levels did not dominate suppression of GP. We, therefore, conclude that in hyperglycemic depancreatized dogs 1) glucagon, at concentrations seen in poorly controlled diabetes, can unmask a direct effect of hepatic insulin levels on GP; and 2) the suppression of glucagon may play a role in the peripheral effect of exogenously delivered insulin on GP. This is the first in vivo study to show that the main direct effect of insulin on the liver is to counteract the effect of glucagon.
An Improved TCP Friendly Rate Control Algorithm for Wireless Networks

SUMMARY TCP Friendly Rate Control (TFRC) has been widely used in the Internet multimedia streaming applications. However, performance of traditional TFRC algorithm degrades significantly when d eployed over wireless networks. Although numerous TFRC variants have been proposed to improve the performance of TFRC over wireless networks, designing a TFRC algorithm with graceful performance both in throughput and fairness still remains a great challenge. In this paper, a novel T FRC algorithm, named TFRC-FIT, is proposed to improve the performance of TFRC over wireless environments. In the proposed approach, the behavior of multiple TFRC flows is simulated in single connection, while the number of simulated flows is adjusted by the network queuing delay. Thr ough this mechanism, TFRC-FIT can fully utilize the capacity of wireless networks, while maintaining good fairness and TCP friendliness. Both theoretical analysis and extensive experiments over hardware network emulator, Planetlab test bed as well as commercial 3G wireless networks are carried out to characterize and validate the performance of our proposed approach.
ranscranial direct current stimulation , implicit alcohol associations nd craving ess

Previous research has shown that stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) enhances working memory (e.g. in the n-back task), and reduces craving for cigarettes and alcohol. Stimulation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) improves response inhibition. The underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood, nor is it known whether IFG stimulation also reduces craving. Here, we compared effects of DLPFC, IFG, and sham stimulation on craving in heavy drinkers in a small sample (n = 41). We also
Foundations of sensemaking support systems for humanitarian crisis response

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Unexpected Victims: How Parents' Unemployment Affects Their Children's Life Satisfaction

The effects of unemployment on the subjective wellbeing (SWB) of the unemployed on the unemployed are well documented. Using data from the German SOEP for 17-25 year olds living with their parents, this paper examines the additional indirect effects of parents’ unemployment on their children’s subjective wellbeing in an attempt to capture the full impact of unemployment. The reason for entry (exogenous versus endogenous) into unemployment plays a major role. Fathers who enter unemployment exogenously affect their son’s SWB negatively, as do mothers who enter into unemployment endogenously. Parental unemployment has no impact on daughters’ SWB.
Agrifood Sector Liberalisation and the Rise of Supermarkets in Former State-Controlled Economies: A Comparative Overview

Former state-controlled economies (FSCEs) have become the most important destination of global retail chain investments. These economies, which spread from North Africa, across Central and Eastern Europe, to East Asia, include more than one and a half billion consumers and a large share of the world's agricultural area and poor farmers. They have undergone an often radical transformation of their agrifood system over the past decade. The take-off of supermarkets in FSCEs started seriously in the mid-late 1990s, and is now moving fast. This article compares FSCE experience in the supermarket revolution and considers its implications for policy-makers and rural development practitioners.
Thermodynamic analysis of Jun–Fos coiled coil peptide antagonists

Dimerization of the Jun–Fos activator protein‐1 (AP‐1) transcriptional regulator is mediated by coiled coil regions that facilitate binding of the basic regions to a specific promoter. AP‐1 is responsible for the regulation of a number of genes involved in cell proliferation. We have previously derived peptide antagonists and demonstrated them to be capable of binding to the Jun or Fos coiled coil region with high affinity (KD values in the low nm range relative to μm for the wild‐type interaction). Use of isothermal titration calorimetry combined with CD spectroscopy is reported to elucidate the thermodynamic parameters that drive the interaction stability of peptide antagonists with their cJun and cFos targets. We observe that the free energy of binding for antagonist–target complexes is dominated by the enthalpic term, is opposed by unfavourable entropic contributions consistent with reduced conformational freedom and that these values in turn correlate well (r = −0.97) with the measured helicity of each dimeric pair. The more helical the antagonist–target complex, the more favourable the change in enthalpy, which is in turn opposed more strongly by entropy. Antagonistic peptides are predicted to represent excellent scaffolds for further refinement. By contrast, the wild‐type cJun–cFos complex is dominated by a favourable entropic contribution, owing partially to a decrease in buried hydrophobic groups from cFos core residues and an increase in the conformational freedom.
Oxhide Ingots, Recycling and the Mediterranean Metals Trade

Recent research on the Late Bronze Age metals trade in the Mediterranean has focused on the long distance transport of the so-called 'oxhide' ingots, artefacts which are widely distributed on sites dated between the 16th and 12th centuries BC. The distribution and provenance of these ingots have important implications for our understanding of trade links and political organisation, but appear to be an area where conclusions based on scientific data conflict with established archaeological understanding. This paper presents a radical reassessment of the available scientific information and shows that this conflict stems from an inflexible and dogmatic interpretation of data which in reality remain ambiguous. An alternative hypothesis, which acknowledges the limitations of the applied techniques, is put forward for discussion.
Comorbidity of a Serious Mental Illness with an Addiction to Psychoactive Substances

Available data from literature show that among patients suffering from serious mental illnesses it was observed that about 50% of them abused psychoactive substances during their lives (Kessler et al., 1996). And the dependence on such substances like cannabis, amphetamine, or cocaine is more common in patients suffering from schizophrenia than in other psychiatric patients (May-Majewski, 2002). It was found that in the North American population every fourth person suffering from schizophrenia abused alcohol (Helzer & Pryzbeck, 1998). The objective of this study is to analyze data from literature concerning the reasons for psychoactive substance abuse by persons suffering from psychiatric disorders and to discuss the most effective treatment strategies for them. A very important part of this analysis is the so called self-treatment hypothesis formulated by Khantzian (1985). Its definition embraces two elements. Firstly ill persons use psychoactive substances, because they decrease their psychological discomfort. On the other hand there is a great degree in psychopharmacological specificity in choosing the abused substance.
Spheres of collectivism: Group action and perspectives on trade unions among the low-paid unorganized with problems at work

Drawing on a 2004 survey of 501 low-paid, non-unionized workers with problems at work, this paper explores the types of difficulties encountered and responses to these, including expressions of collectivism. It finds that not only did most workers take action to resolve their problems, but a quarter did so collectively. However, such spontaneous collectivism did not develop into effective mobilization of power. The paper also explores workers’ views on trade unions. While most workers were broadly pro-union, this was no more likely among those who attempted collective resolutions than it was among others. The relationship between collectivism in consciousness, and action and positive attitudes to union representation, remains as complex a problem among today’s unorganized workers as ethnographic studies demonstrated several decades ago.