Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exchange Rate Pass Through To Import Prices: Panel Evidence From Emerging Market Economies

This paper investigates the size and nature of exchange rate pass through to import prices for a panel of 14 emerging economies. We firstly set out a stylized model in which import prices are dependent upon the exchange rate, marginal cost and the mark up. We employed methods which account for panel heterogeneity, distinguish between long and short run pass through effects and allow for asymmetries. Our results show that import prices respond on average positively, but incompletely, to the exchange rate. However, there are important differences between Latin American and Asia once we take account of asymmetry.
Screening for depressive symptoms among older adults in Taiwan: Cutoff of a short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

Screening for elders at risk for depression is crucial for promoting mental health in later life. The present study investigates the cutoff score of a short form of the CES-D for screening of depressive symptoms in the elderly population of Taiwan. This particular short form of CES-D is repeatedly used in the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA), a national survey of representative older adults in Taiwan, and is therefore referred to as the TLSA form. Data collected from five waves of TLSA were analyzed in this study. Participant responses repeatedly measured in 1989 and 1993 were used to identify a cutoff for the TLSA form of the CES-D with sensitivity and specificity using the cutoff of 4 on the Boston form of the CES-D as the criterion. Longitudinal data from the years 1996, 1999, and 2003 were used to validate the proposed cutoff by comparing the prevalence rates for depressive symptoms among older Taiwanese estimated from the identified cutoff and reported in previous studies. The score of 10 on the TLSA form of the CES-D was suggested, yielding a specificity of 0.93 and a sensitivity of approximately 0.96. The estimated prevalence rates for depressive symptoms among Taiwanese elders based on the suggested cutoff were between 18.9% and 23.7%, which are similar to previously reported rates. The cutoff score of 10 on the TLSA form of the CES-D is therefore recommended for screening depressive symptoms among older adults in Taiwan.
Nrf2 Activation by SK-119 Attenuates Oxidative Stress, UVB, and LPS-Induced Damage

Background/Aims: The Nrf2 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in neutralizing excess reactive oxygen species formation and therefore enhancing the endogenous cellular protection mechanism. Thus, activating this pathway may provide therapeutic options against oxidative stress-related disorders. We have recently applied a computer-aided drug design approach to the design and synthesis of novel Nrf2 enhancers. The current study was aimed at investigating the potential beneficial impact of (E)-5-oxo-1-(4-((2,4,6-trihydroxybenzylidene)amino)phenyl)pyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid (SK-119) in skin oxidative damage models. Methods: SK-119, tested initially in PC-12 cells, attenuated oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity concomitantly with Nrf2 activation. The potential impact of this compound was evaluated in skin-based disease models both in vitro (HaCaT cells) and ex vivo (human skin organ culture). Results: The data clearly showed the marked anti-inflammatory and photoprotection properties of the compound; SK-119-treated cells or tissues displayed a reduction in cytokine secretion induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in a manner comparable with dexamethasone. In addition, topical application of SK-119 was able to block UVB-induced oxidative stress and attenuated caspase-mediated apoptosis, DNA adduct formation, and the concomitant cellular damage. Conclusion: These results indicate that SK-119 is an Nrf2 activator that can be used as a prototype molecule for the development of novel treatments of dermatological disorders related to oxidative stress.
Translation-Invariant DeNoising

De-Noising with the traditional (orthogonal, maximally-decimated) wavelet transform sometimes exhibits visual artifacts; we attribute some of these – for example, Gibbs phenomena in the neighborhood of discontinuities – to the lack of translation invariance of the wavelet basis. One method to suppress such artifacts, termed “cycle spinning” by Coifman, is to “average out” the translation dependence. For a range of shifts, one shifts the data (right or left as the case may be), De-Noises the shifted data, and then unshifts the de-noised data. Doing this for each of a range of shifts, and averaging the several results so obtained, produces a reconstruction subject to far weaker Gibbs phenomena than thresholding based De-Noising using the traditional orthogonal wavelet transform. Cycle-Spinning over the range of all circulant shifts can be accomplished in order n log2(n) time; it is equivalent to de-noising using the undecimated or stationary wavelet transform. Cycle-spinning exhibits benefits outside of wavelet de-noising, for example in cosine packet denoising, where it helps suppress ‘clicks’. It also has a counterpart in frequency domain de-noising, where the goal of translation-invariance is replaced by modulation invariance, and the central shift-De-Noise-unshift operation is replaced by modulate-De-Noise-demodulate. We illustrate these concepts with extensive computational examples; all figures presented here are reproducible using the WaveLab software package.
Work Behavior of the World's Poor: Theory, Evidence and Policy

The "Perverse Behavior" hypothesis - issues for investigation Inverted "S" - the complete neoclassical labour supply function Poverty and the forward falling labour supply function - a microeconomic analysis A technique for estimating a direct utility function Landholdings, living standards and labour supply functions - evidence from a poor agrarian economy Working poor unemployment and wage rigidity - evidence of economic distress Forward falling labour supply - implications for wage rigidity, unemployment and plan failure (with Gilbert S. Suzawa and Carole F. Miller) A behavioural analysis of the subsistence standard of living Main findings of the study.
Sociodemographic, lifestyle and behavioural factors associated with consumption of sweetened beverages among adults in Cambridgeshire, UK: the Fenland Study

Abstract Objective We aimed to identify sociodemographic, lifestyle and behavioural determinants of consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) among adults in Cambridgeshire, UK. Design Cross-sectional data were obtained from a cohort of 9991 adults born between 1950 and 1975. An FFQ was used to assess consumption of beverages and other dietary factors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine potential determinants of consuming SSB and ASB (≥1 serving/d). Setting Recruitment from general practice surgeries to participate in the ongoing population-based Fenland Study. Subjects Adults (n 9991) aged 30–64 years from three areas of Cambridgeshire, UK. Results Prevalence estimates for daily SSB and ASB consumption were 20·4 % (n 2041) and 8·9 % (n 893), respectively. SSB consumption (OR; 95 % CI) was more common in men than women (1·33; CI 1·17, 1·50) and among those reporting lower income (<£20 000/year) than those reporting higher income (>£40 000/year; 1·31; 1·09, 1·58). In contrast, daily ASB consumption was more common among women than men (1·62; 1·34, 1·96), those on weight-loss diets than those who were not (2·58; 2·05, 3·24) and those reporting higher income than lower income (1·53; 1·16, 2·00). Factors associated with higher consumption of each of SSB and ASB included being a younger adult, being overweight/obese, having shorter education, eating meals or snack foods while watching television, and skipping breakfast (P<0·05 each). Conclusions Frequent consumers of SSB and ASB differ by several sociodemographic characteristics. However, increased BMI, younger age and unhealthy eating behaviours are common to both groups.
Nigerian Inservice Teachers’ Self-Assessment in Core Technology Competences and Their Professional Development Needs in ICT

Abstract It is no longer a question whether or not technology should be used in the classroom. The emphasis is ensuring that teachers use technology effectively to create new opportunities for students to learn and raise their achievement. The use of technology in the classroom requires teachers to be knowledgeable and competent in ICTs and to integrate them into the curriculum, align them with student learning goals, and use them to engage learners in a quest for meaningful academic development. This study was a survey designed to engage postgraduate inservice teachers from selected universities in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria in self-assessment of core technology competence. There were 238 participants, including 108 male and 130 female teachers, who responded to a 61-item Likert-type questionnaire. The study was also designed to determine the professional development needs of the inservice teachers and their preferred mode of professional development. Results revealed that the majority of the inservice teachers lacked competencies in core technology areas, and they all asserted that they need extensive professional development in 17 skill areas in ICT and training in 10 competency areas. The inservice teachers preferred attendance at conferences/seminars, university courses, and mentoring as the major modes of training in ICT skills.
Site-specific glycosaminoglycan content is better maintained in the pericellular matrix than the extracellular matrix in early post-traumatic osteoarthritis

Introduction One of the characteristics of early osteoarthritis (OA) is the loss of fixed charged density (FCD) of glycosaminoglycans in the superficial zone of articular cartilage. However, possible local changes in the FCD content of the pericellular matrix (PCM) are not fully understood. Hence, our aim was to investigate the effect of unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) in rabbit knees on estimated FCD in the PCM compared to that in the ECM, and relate these results with cell morphology. Methods Articular cartilage samples were collected from ACLT, contralateral and intact control knee joints from lateral and medial femoral condyles and tibial plateaus, and from the femoral groove and patella. Histological samples were prepared and stained with Safranin-O to estimate the FCD content around the chondrocytes in the PCM and the ECM with digital densitometry. Results As a result of ACLT, the greatest decreases in the FCD content of the PCM were observed in the superficial zone of the lateral femoral condyle (p = 0.02), medial tibial plateau (p = 0.002) and patellar (p < 0.001) cartilage. The normalized FCD content of the PCM compared to the surrounding ECM was increased most in the femoral condyles (p < 0.01) and medial tibial plateau (p = 0.02) cartilage. The high normalized FCD content of the PCM in the superficial zone of lateral femoral condyle cartilage was consistent with the round cell morphology in that location. Conclusions In conclusion, we suggest that certain sites in the knee joint, particularly the lateral femoral condyle cartilage, experience less FCD loss in the PCM than in the ECM in early post-traumatic OA, which could lead to altered cell shape.
Influence of RTA and LTA on the Optical Propagation Loss in Polycrystalline Silicon Wire Waveguides

To provide flexibility in implementing polySi devices in Si optoelectronic integrated circuits, polySi wire waveguides were fabricated with various low thermal budget solid-phase crystallization (SPC) approaches, i.e., spike rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1050°C for < 1 s, low-temperature annealing (LTA) at 600°C for 15 h, or a combination of both with different sequences. The approach of first LTA and then RTA reaches a relatively low optical loss at 1550 nm: ~ 9.8 dB/cm in 300-nm-wide polySi waveguides after an additional forming gas annealing at 420°C to passivate the dangling bonds, close to that fabricated with the conventional high thermal budget SPC.
Cancer Antigen 125 (CA125, MUC16) Protein Expression in the Diagnosis and Progression of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive carcinoma, with most patients diagnosed at an advanced stage, with a 5-year survival rate of around 5%. An urgent need exists for identifying better diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic markers for this lethal disease. Recently, CA125 has been identified in PDAC, and the aim of this research is to study the changes in CA125 expression during the progression of benign pancreatic tissue (BPT) to PDAC and to assess its value as a biomarker of tumor growth. To address these questions, the cellular levels of CA125 in BPT and PDAC were measured using immunohistochemistry and compared on the basis of tumor staging, and the tissue microarray technology were constructed using resected pancreatic tissues. The staining reactions for each case were evaluated semiquantitatively using the histologic score system. Our investigation demonstrates a consistent and significant upregulation of CA125 during the transition from BPT to PDAC. We also found a direct correlation between CA125 immunohistochemistry score and tumor stage (P=0.02). In conclusion, our data indicate that CA125 plays a direct role in pancreatic carcinogenesis and suggests that it may eventually be used as a diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarker of pancreatic cancer. Prospective studies are recommended to evaluate further the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of CA125 in PDAC, and further studies are warranted to assess the use of CA125 as a therapeutic marker.
Transfusion Volume in Infants With Very Low Birth Weight: A Randomized Trial of 10 Versus 20 mL/kg

Background Although preterm infants often require transfusions of red blood cells for anemia of prematurity, the optimal volume of blood to be transfused has not been established. Observations Infants with birth weights between 500 and 1,500 g were randomly assigned to receive 10 or 20 mL/kg red blood cells. Infants with transfusions of 20 mL/kg had a greater hemoglobin (14.2 ± 1.9 vs. 12.0 ± 1.9 g/dL, P = 0. 003) and hematocrit (41.2 ± 5.9 vs. 32.3 ± 7.1%, P = 0.001) levels after transfusion compared with those who received transfusions of 10 mL/kg. There were no measured differences in pulmonary function in either group after transfusion. Conclusions Transfusion with 20 mL/kg red blood cells produces a significantly greater increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels than does a transfusion with 10 mL/kg, without any detrimental effects on pulmonary function.
Does 'Good' Corporate Governance Help in a Crisis? The Impact of Country‐ and Firm‐Level Governance Mechanisms in the European Financial Crisis

Manuscript Type Empirical Research Question/Issue We examine the effects of firm- and country-level “good” corporate governance prescriptions on firm performance before and during the recent financial crisis, using a large sample of 1,197 firms across 26 European countries. Research Findings/Insights We propose a contextualized agency perspective suggesting that firm- and country-level good governance prescriptions designed to assure managerial oversight may not hold in a financial crisis. This is because firms can benefit from broadening managerial discretion so as to facilitate the exercise of initiative and decisive leadership. Overall, our firm- and country-level findings support this argument. In a crisis, CEO duality is associated with better performance. We also find that the use of incentive compensation and the existence of a wedge between ownership and control rights negatively impacts on firm performance in a crisis. Hierarchical linear modeling shows that 25 percent of the heterogeneity in firm performance is among countries, indicating the importance of including country-level institutions in our analyses. In a crisis, we find that the general quality of the legal system and creditor rights protection are positively related to firm performance, but protection for equity investors is not. Theoretical/Academic Implications The findings challenge the universality of good governance prescriptions and contribute to the growing body of work proposing that the efficacy of governance mechanisms may be contingent upon organizational and environmental circumstances. Practitioner/Policy Implications The study offers insights relevant to policy and practitioner communities, showing that governance mechanisms operate differently in crisis and non-crisis periods. The tendency to respond to a crisis with more stringent rules may be counterproductive since such measures may compromise executives' ability to respond appropriately to systemic shocks. Practitioners are encouraged to optimize rather than maximize their governance choices.
Regulation of measles virus gene expression by P protein coiled-coil properties

Measles virus gene expression requires a precise range of cohesiveness and a kink in the coiled coil of its phosphoprotein. The polymerase of negative-stranded RNA viruses consists of the large protein (L) and the phosphoprotein (P), the latter serving both as a chaperon and a cofactor for L. We mapped within measles virus (MeV) P the regions responsible for binding and stabilizing L and showed that the coiled-coil multimerization domain (MD) of P is required for gene expression. MeV MD is kinked as a result of the presence of a stammer. Both restoration of the heptad regularity and displacement of the stammer strongly decrease or abrogate activity in a minigenome assay. By contrast, P activity is rather tolerant of substitutions within the stammer. Single substitutions at the “a” or “d” hydrophobic anchor positions with residues of variable hydrophobicity revealed that P functionality requires a narrow range of cohesiveness of its MD. Results collectively indicate that, beyond merely ensuring P oligomerization, the MD finely tunes viral gene expression through its cohesiveness.
Negative emotions impact lateral prefrontal cortex activation during theory of mind: An fNIRS study

The lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) plays a critical role in inhibiting self-perspective information, which is necessary for theory of mind (ToM) processing. Additionally, previous research has indicated that negative emotions interfere with lPFC activation during executive tasks. In this study, we hypothesized that negative emotions would inhibit lPFC activation during a ToM task. While female participants performed the director task following the observation of emotionally laden movies (neutral/negative/positive), their prefrontal hemodynamic activity was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. After viewing the neutral movie, bilateral lPFC activity was significantly enhanced during ToM process compared to the control condition. In contrast, after viewing the negative movie, left lPFC activity during ToM process was significantly impaired. These results were interpreted to support the idea that negative emotions interfere with inhibition of self-perspective information through inactivation of the lPFC.
Continuation of Atypical Antipsychotic Medication During Early Pregnancy and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Some atypical antipsychotics are associated with metabolic side effects, which are risk factors for gestational diabetes. The authors examined the risk of developing gestational diabetes associated with the continuation of treatment with aripiprazole, ziprasidone, quetiapine, risperidone, and olanzapine during pregnancy compared with discontinuation of these antipsychotic drugs. METHOD Nondiabetic pregnant women who were linked to a live-born infant and enrolled in Medicaid (2000-2010) and who received one or more prescriptions dispensed for an antipsychotic drug during the 3 months before pregnancy were included in the analyses. Among 1,543,334 pregnancies, some expectant mothers at baseline were receiving treatment with aripiprazole (N=1,924), ziprasidone (N=673), quetiapine (N=4,533), risperidone (N=1,824), or olanzapine (N=1,425). For each antipsychotic drug, women with two or more dispensings ("continuers") were compared with women with no dispensings ("discontinuers") during the first half of pregnancy. A generalized linear model and propensity-score stratification were used to obtain absolute and relative risks of developing gestational diabetes, with adjustment for confounders. RESULTS Women who continued antipsychotic treatment during pregnancy generally had higher comorbidity and longer baseline antipsychotic use. The crude risk of developing gestational diabetes among continuers compared with discontinuers, respectively, was 4.8% and 4.5% for aripiprazole, 4.2% and 3.8% for ziprasidone, 7.1% and 4.1% for quetiapine, 6.4% and 4.1% for risperidone, and 12.0% and 4.7% for olanzapine. The adjusted relative risks were 0.82 (95% CI=0.50-1.33) for aripiprazole, 0.76 (95% CI=0.29-2.00) for ziprasidone, 1.28 (95% CI=1.01-1.62) for quetiapine, 1.09 (95% CI=0.70-1.70) for risperidone, and 1.61 (95% CI=1.13-2.29) for olanzapine. CONCLUSIONS Compared with women who discontinued use of an atypical antipsychotic medication before the start of pregnancy, women who continued treatment with olanzapine or quetiapine had an increased risk of gestational diabetes that may be explained by the metabolic effects associated with these two drugs.
Unemployment and Welfare Consequences of International Outsourcing Under Monopolistic Competition

This paper challenges the conventional academic view that international outsourcing is just another form of gainful trade. Contrary to that view, we show that labourservice outsourcing can reduce the highwage country's welfare even when productmarket trade is beneficial, within a model that combines involuntary unemployment and monopolistic competition. Outsourcing's impact on welfare is worsened by a definite loss of jobs and a possible contraction in the range of varieties produced worldwide. While owners of capital benefit from outsourcing under certain conditions, labour's welfare always falls.
Working for the state: employment relations in the public services

[Publisher's description] The last three decades have witnessed the almost continual reform and re-organisation of the UK's public sector and public services, with yet more reforms underway. The impact of these reforms on the experiences of the public sector's six million workers and those employed in the private sector but providing public services are examined in this book. In so doing, some contributors bring long standing topics up to date, such as worker representation and reward, while others introduce new topics such as management consultants and asistants to professionals.
Building Loyal Relationships Between Customers and Providers

Abstract The increasingly competitive tourism industry has led to a paradigm shift in marketing philosophy from a focus on discrete transactions to one of long-term relationships. This paper proposes a conceptual model of the antecedents of customer loyalty; a construct central to relationship marketing. The model proposed draws from Resource Theory, and the notions of reciprocity and customer equity. According to the proposed model, when customers and providers invest specific profiles of resources in each other, the customers tend to develop a bond with the customer and become dedicated to maintaining a stable relationship. The model is used to discuss the mixed results of current loyalty programs and to outline future research efforts.
What Causes Currency Crises: Sunspots, Contagion or Fundamentals?

This paper is an attempt to explain currency crises and exchange rate movements in open emerging markets during the 1990s. A model is developed that allows a systematic comparison and evaluation of three competing explanations for crises: weak economic fundamentals, contagion and sunspots, i.e. exogenous shifts in agents' beliefs.