Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human resource management and performance in a developing country: the case of Eritrea

This study investigates the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational performance. Results based on a sample of 82 organizations from private and public sectors in Eritrea indicate that some of the practices have a significant impact on employee turnover, absenteeism, grievances and productivity. While compensation was the only independent variable found to be statistically significant in affecting grievances, employee selection had no effect across all performance measures. However, the study's results offer support for the assertion that investments in HRM practices results in better organizational performance.
Do all paths lead to Rome? Technology and market orientation influence on the growth of new technology-based firms

Technology commercialization is described as the most dreadful challenge for technology-based entrepreneurs. The scarcity of resources and limited managerial experience make it a daunting task, putting in danger the whole firm emergence. Prior research has often build upon the resource-based view to propose that the new firms' performance is dependent on their initial resource endowments and configurations. Nevertheless, little is known on how the early-stage decisions of the entrepreneur might influence on the growth of the firm. Scholars have suggested that both technology and market orientation actions could influence the performance and growth of firms in this context; nevertheless, there is limited empirical evidence of the influence of these different orientations in the context of new technology-based firms (NTBFs). In this study we propose to explore the influence of technology and demand creation actions adopting a demand-side view. We use a longitudinal study on a panel dataset (2004-2007) with 249 U.S. new high-technology firms to test our hypothesis. The results point towards a rather limited influence of initial resource configurations, as well as an unexpected influence of market and technology orientation in the growth dimensions of an NTBF. The research holds implications for the management of new technology-based firms and for those interested in supporting the development of technology entrepreneurship.
Benzoic Acid Derivatives with Trypanocidal Activity: Enzymatic Analysis and Molecular Docking Studies toward Trans-Sialidase

Chagas, or American trypanosomiasis, remains an important public health problem in developing countries. In the last decade, trans-sialidase has become a pharmacological target for new anti-Chagas drugs. In this work, the aims were to design and find a new series of benzoic acid derivatives as trans-sialidase (TS) inhibitors and anti-trypanosomal agents. Three compounds (14, 18, and 19) sharing a para-aminobenzoic acid moiety showed more potent trypanocidal activity than the commercially available drugs nifurtimox and benznidazole in both strains: the lysis concentration of 50% of the population (LC50) was <0.15 µM on the NINOA strain, and LC50 < 0.22 µM on the INC-5 strain. Additionally, compound 18 showed a moderate inhibition (47%) on the trans-sialidase enzyme and a binding model similar to DANA (pattern A).
Age structure dynamics in Asia and dependence on foreign capital.

Rising fertility and declining mortality have had a profound impact on Asian savings investment and foreign capital dependency since Coale and Hoover wrote in 1958. This article argues that much of the impressive rise in Asian savings rates since the 1960s can be explained by the equally impressive decline in youth dependency burdens. Wherever the youth dependency burden has fallen dramatically Asian countries have relinquished their reliance on foreign capital. Aging will not diminish Japans capacity to export capital in the next century but little of it will go to the rest of Asia; rather the countries in the rest of Asia are expected to become net capital exporters. These conclusions emerge from a model that extends the conventional focus on the dependency rate literature on savings to investment and net capital flows. (EXCERPT) (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)
The distributional effects of austerity measures: A comparison of six EU countries

We compare the distributional effects of austerity measures that have been introduced in 6 EU countries in the period of large government budget deficits following the 2007-8 financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn. We explore the effects of policy changes presented as â€œausterity measuresâ€ in Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal and the UK, using the EU microsimulation model EUROMOD and the Irish national model, SWITCH. The six countries have chosen different policy mixes to achieve varying degrees of fiscal consolidation. We focus on the first round effects of increases in personal taxes, cuts in spending on cash benefits and reductions in public sector pay across the distributions of household income. There is a range of important conceptual and consistency issues to be addressed when doing such analysis, particularly in a comparative setting. These include how to identify â€œausterity measuresâ€ in a consistent manner, the relevant time periods to consider, the assumptions behind the counterfactual scenarios and the scope of the policies considered. Using a set of common assumptions we find that the burden of fiscal consolidation brought about through changes in components of household disposable income is shared differently across the income distribution in the six countries. At one extreme, in Greece, the better off lose a higher proportion of their incomes than the poor and at the other, in Portugal, the poor lose a higher proportion than the rich. Bringing increases in indirect taxes into the picture can alter conclusions about the overall distributional effect, increasing the cost most for those with lower income and making the overall incidence of the measures more regressive.
Prevalence and determinants of human papillomavirus infection in men attending vasectomy clinics in Mexico

Large studies of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men are few and mainly include high‐risk groups. We interviewed 779 men who requested a vasectomy in 27 public clinics in 14 states of Mexico. Exfoliated cells were obtained from the scrotum, the shaft of the penis, the top of the penis including the coronal sulcus, the glans and the opening of the meatus. HPV testing was performed using biotinylated L1 consensus primers and reverse line blot. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of being HPV‐positive and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of any type of HPV was 8.7%. HPV positivity was highest among men below age 25 (13.6%), and lowest among men aged 40 years or older (6.0%). The most commonly found HPV types were, in decreasing order, HPV59, 51, 6, 16 and 58. Lifetime number of sexual partners was associated with HPV positivity (OR for ≥4 vs. 1 partner = 3.7, 95% CI: 2.0–6.8), mainly on account of the strong association with number of occasional and sex‐worker partners. Condom use with both regular (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.1–1.0) and sex‐worker (OR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.0–0.3) partners and circumcision (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1–0.4) were inversely associated with HPV positivity. HPV prevalence in Mexican men was similar to the prevalence found in Mexican women of the same age groups. The association between HPV positivity and lifetime number of sexual partners in the present low‐risk male population is one of the strongest ever reported in studies in men. Condom use and circumcision were associated with a strong reduction in HPV prevalence. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Career and international assignment fit: Toward an integrative model of success

This article examines how the fit between career and international assignment is likely to affect the success of the international assignment (IA) at its various stages. We propose an integrative model of IA success that encompasses three stages: pre-expatriation, expatriation, and repatriation. The main objective of this article is to contribute to the understanding of how individuals' career characteristics infl uence IA success during expatriation and repatriation. In our model, IA success is considered from both the individual and organizational perspective. In addition to drawing on the theory of fit to examine IA success during the expatriation and repatriation stages, we also use human capital and signal theory to examine the relationship between expatriation success and repatriation success. The propositions of our conceptual research provide practical and theoretical implications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Indignation or Resignation: The Implications of Transparency for Societal Accountability

International organizations, policy experts, and nongovernmental organizations promote greater governmental transparency as a crucial reform to enhance accountability and curb corruption. Transparency is predicted to deter corruption in part by expanding the possibilities for public or societal accountability, that is, for citizens and citizens associations to monitor, scrutinize, and act to hold public office holders to account. Although the societal accountability mechanism linking transparency and good government is often implied, it builds on a number of assumptions seldom examined empirically. This article unpacks the assumptions of principal-agent theories of accountability and suggests that the logic of collective action can be used to understand why exposure of egregious and endemic corruption may instead demobilize the demos (i.e., resignation) rather than enhance accountability (i.e., indignation). We explore these theoretical contentions and examine how transparency affects three indicators of indignations versus resignation—institutional trust, political involvement, and political interest—given different levels of corruption. The empirical analyses confirm that an increase in transparency in highly corrupt countries tends to breed resignation rather than indignation.
Masculinity, gender, and rural policy

This paper explores the operation of gender relations in the context of rural policy. Framed by debates on new rural governance, it considers how both the content and the culture of recent rural regeneration policy reflect highly masculine values and the maintenance of traditional power relations. New forms of decision making in rural areas promote a style of policy making that values and grants priority to male networks in the construction of elite groups and styles of management, and devalues community participation. We use examples from the United Kingdom to demonstrate the implications of shifts in the mechanisms and practice of policy making and implementation for men's and women's differential involvement and experience with rural regeneration. We go on to show how gender relations are also reflected in the content of contemporary rural regeneration policy. Decisions concerning the most appropriate types of initiative are predicated on a male-oriented view of previous economic activity and local labor markets, and represent a highly masculinist approach to regeneration.
Turkish migrants and native Germans compared: The effect of inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic friendships on the transition from unemployment to work

In this paper, we analyse whether having inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic friendships can be associated with a shorter duration of unemployment, comparing Turkish migrants and native residents in Germany. This allows us to examine the degree to which the returns from bridging and bonding social capital differ for the two groups. On the basis of the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) data, we find that for native Germans, intra-ethnic friendships shorten the duration of spells of unemployment, whereas inter-ethnic friendships do not. For the Turkish migrants, inter-ethnic friendships reduce the duration of unemployment, whereas intra-ethnic friendships do not. In other words, only friendships with German natives facilitate the transition to employment, but in particular for Turkish migrants. This effect is largest for migrants with a low level of education.
Neuroticism Increases PTSD Symptom Severity by Amplifying the Emotionality, Rehearsal, and Centrality of Trauma Memories.

OBJECTIVE Although it is well established that neuroticism increases the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little is known about the mechanisms that promote PTSD in individuals with elevated levels of neuroticism. Across two studies, we examined the cognitive-affective processes through which neuroticism leads to greater PTSD symptom severity. METHOD Community-dwelling adults with trauma histories varying widely in severity (Study 1) and clinically diagnosed individuals exposed to DSM-IV-TR A1 criterion traumas (Study 2) completed measures of neuroticism, negative affectivity, trauma memory characteristics, and PTSD symptom severity. RESULTS Longitudinal data in Study 1 showed that individuals with higher scores on two measures of neuroticism assessed approximately three decades apart in young adulthood and midlife reported trauma memories accompanied by more intense physiological reactions, more frequent involuntary rehearsal, and greater perceived centrality to identity in older adulthood. These properties of trauma memories were in turn associated with more severe PTSD symptoms. Study 2 replicated these findings using cross-sectional data from individuals with severe trauma histories and three additional measures of neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that neuroticism leads to PTSD symptoms by magnifying the emotionality, availability, and centrality of trauma memories as proposed in mnemonic models of PTSD.
The Political Glass Cliff

An archival study of U.K. General Election results from 2001, 2005, and 2010 revealed that Conservative black and minority ethnic (BME) candidates were less successful than their white counterparts. However, mediation analyses demonstrate that this lack of success can be explained by the lower winnability of BME candidates’ seats, such that the opposition candidate held a seat with a significantly larger majority compared with white candidates’ opponents. Results and implications are discussed in the framework of the “glass cliff,” previously demonstrated for women, in the sense that the seats minority groups contested were harder to win compared with majority groups.
New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Ndm-1 Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae in Slovakia

The rapid spread of NDM-1-positive bacteria proved to be a major challenge for the treatment and control of infectious diseases. The aim of our study was to confirm the presence of Carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamases in the Slovak Republic determinated with molecular-based detection methods. This paper is the first report of MBL NDM-1 in Slovakia. We describe four patients infected by multiresistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae and hospitalized on I.st Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital L. Pasteur Kosice. In these cases the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1-producing Enterobacteriaceae was rapidly detected by phenotypic and genotypic methods. The rapid spread of NDM-1-positive bacteria proved to be a major challenge for the treatment and control of infectious diseases.
Recovery Ratios and Survival Times for Corporate Bonds

This paper analyzes the determinants of the recovery ratios and survival times (time until default) for U. S. corporate bonds. We show that seniority, the type of industry in which the firm operates, and the type of restructuring attempted after default are the major determinants of the cross-sectional distribution of individual bond recovery ratios. On an industry level, physical asset obsolescence, industry growth, and industry concentration are the most important factors. We also analyze survival times for corporate bonds and find that initial time to maturity and the general economic conditions at maturity and default explain a large fraction of the cross-sectional variation of survival times.
Convergence in Public Expenditure Across a Sample of Emerging Countries: Evidence from Club Convergence

Abstract The goal of this article is to investigate convergence in public expenditure for a panel of nineteen emerging countries spanning the period 1990–2012. The study applies the methodology of the club convergence methodology to various categories of public expenditure to assess the presence of convergence clubs. I consider eleven alternative categories of public expenditure. The results do not support the hypothesis that all emerging countries converge to a single equilibrium state in public expenditure. Countries demonstrate a high degree of convergence in the sense that in the majority of the cases, these expenditures form only two or three convergence clubs.
SEPARATIST TERRORISM AND THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN SOUTH‐EASTERN TURKEY

This paper investigates the economic roots of separatist terrorism in Turkey. The political conventional wisdom is that poverty in highly Kurdish‐populated, south‐eastern Turkey is one of the most important causes of separatist terrorism and Turkish–Kurdish conflict in Turkey. Therefore, many economic policies have been implemented to improve the economic conditions in the south‐eastern part of the country. Using the Global Terrorism Database and Vector Autoregression (VAR) methodology, I find that there is no causal relationship between economic conditions in south‐eastern Turkey and separatist terrorism. Therefore policy‐makers should be cautious in using economic measures to prevent separatist terrorism in Turkey.
Information Reliability in Supply Chains: The Case of Multiple Retailers

Inventory decisions made at a centralized level often rely on demand forecast information passed from regional managers within a supply chain. Such managers often have unique insights into the demand patterns at their local sites that can help inform how much inventory to order for the system as a whole. Problems can arise with this setup, however, if these managers have incentives to misreport their forecasts and the central planner (CP), in turn, mistrusts this information. The goal of our research is to shed light on the existence, magnitude, and causes of such coordination problems using a combination of analytical models and behavioral experiments. The analytical analysis reveals that incentives are misaligned in this setting and no truth‐telling equilibrium exists in general, unless inventory competition or demand uncertainty is removed. With this theoretical grounding, we conduct a series of controlled laboratory experiments to test the magnitude of these problems and how they are impacted by inventory competition, strategic concerns regarding the other parties, and the demand environment. We find that inventory competition and market uncertainty harm the efficacy of forecast sharing and channel efficiency, while the possibility that untrustworthy reports are detected (identical local demand information) does not deter regional managers from misreporting their forecasts. Removing strategic concerns regarding the CP (automating the central ordering decision) does not improve profit but reduces order variability. Information sharing appears to be a dominant policy as it significantly improves profit in all treatments compared with no information sharing.
An Empirical Analysis of the Aggregate Export Demand Function in Post-Liberalization India

Abstract This paper focuses on export growth as an engine of growth and, by estimating India’s export demand function, examines whether and to what extent India’s export trend has been affected by external factors, particularly in the post-liberalization period. The empirical results indicate that all estimated coefficients are statistically significant with expected signs and that the absolute value of the coefficient is the largest for the world price, followed by world income and domestic income. Our results reveal that price competitiveness has improved India’s export market. Moreover, the statistically significant world income elasticity suggests that the global economic boom may contribute to an increase in India’s exports, whereas the global recession has likely had an adverse impact on the Indian economy through its trade channel. To ensure that export expansion becomes a stable contributor to economic growth, the Indian government should pursue ongoing diversification in exports in terms of both commodities and markets.
The Labor Supply Consequences of Employment-Limiting Social Insurance Benefits: New Tests for Income Effects

Abstract Studies of moral hazard in employment-limiting social insurance programs such as Unemployment Insurance or Workers Compensation have demonstrated that higher benefits discourage work, emphasizing the price distortion inherent in benefit provision. Utilizing administrative data linking Workers’ Compensation claim records to wage records from an Unemployment Insurance payroll tax database, I explore a different explanation and implement tests for “income effects” that exploit the fact that claimants no longer experience a distorted price of non-employment after an employment-limiting benefit ends. A pair of legislative changes to a Workers’ Compensation benefit rate show little or no evidence of income effects and moderate evidence of income effects, respectively.
Relationship between modern rainfall variability, cave dripwater, and stalagmite geochemistry in Guam, USA

Modern rainwater, cave dripwater and cave stalagmite geochemical time series from a cave in Guam (13°38′N, 144°53′E) are used to better understand how changes in cave stalagmite geochemistry relate to aboveground changes in rainfall at a tropical location. A scientific field team based in Guam collects ∼monthly samples from multiple sites for geochemical analyses at a cave and aboveground rainfall from a nearby location. We compute a transfer function between rainfall amount and oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) of a decrease (increase) of 0.94 ± 0.3 m/year for every 1‰ increase (decrease) in rainfall δ18O, based on data extracted from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Global Networks of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) database and from data generated in this study. Dripwater δ18O and Mg/Ca ratios show annual cyclicity at some, but not all sites, accentuating the complex nature of cave hydrology. A stalagmite δ18O record for the last ∼160 years indicates the existence of droughts of decadal length, when rainfall is estimated to be ∼0.65 ± 0.3 m/year less than average conditions. This estimate of rainfall reduction most likely refers to wet season months, as these months preferentially contribute to groundwater recharge. The proxy‐based climate record at Guam provides new evidence highlighting how a rainy site in the Western Pacific Warm Pool today can experience considerable changes in rainfall on decadal timescales.
The Most Important Book on the Most Important Topic of Our Day: A Review of after War: The Political Economy of Exporting Democracy, by Christopher J. Coyne

Efforts to export democracy and liberty through military intervention have often been ineffective and have resulted in unintended and undesirable consequences. Countries are free because of belief systems, and institutions that follow from those beliefs, which support and reinforce political and economic freedom. Rational constructivist attempts at nation building are therefore likely to fail in places where there is no tradition of such beliefs and institutions. In this superb book Coyne argues that principled non-interventionism and free trade have historically had the greatest degree of success and should be our guiding policies today.