Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Does the ECB Target Inflation?

The announced primary objective of the European Central Bank is price stability. While no restrictive reference is given to how the goal should be reached, such a mandate can be thought as a concern to stabilize some relevant macroeconomic aggregates. Accordingly, we frame ECB monetary policy in a general set up that allows policy makers to weight differently positive and negative deviations of inflation and output gaps. The empirical analysis on aggregated Euro area data indicates that ECB monetary policy can be characterized by a nonlinear policy rule. While the objective of price stability is symmetric, the one on real activity is not in that output contractions require larger policy responses. Moreover, the actual Euro interest rate highly commoves with the counterfactual rate that the Bundesbank would have followed if charged to set policy rates for the Euro area.
Employment Effects of Renewable Energy Supply - A Meta Analysis

The paper investigates a central hypothesis of the green economy concept, which states that transitioning to a low-carbon economy is justified on a sound economic basis. We analyze this hypothesis by focussing on employment effects from renewable energy deployment, based on an evaluation of 23 selected impact studies from peer-reviewed journals. The studies are categorized into two clusters, one consisting of studies that represent employment factors of specific renewable technologies, and another that compiles model-based scenario assessments on employment effects from specific renewable policies. Both clusters distinguish the applied methodologies and the type of employment effects considered – direct, indirect, induced, gross or net. Given the heterogeneity of assumptions, the results of the different studies are hardly comparable, although we find that a majority of the investigated scenarios show positive net employment effects. These results crucially depend on the financing of an RES support scheme and the global competitiveness (technological lead) for a specific technology. The positive link between renewable energy deployment and job creation is thus not straightforward, since different assumptions, system boundaries and modelled interactions such as the crowding out of alternative energy production or effects from prices, income and foreign trade influence the results. Further research is needed.
New strategic alliances of wine producers in the Czech Republic.

The paper describes the main reasons for the formation of new regional association of wineries, based on a different origin of wines in the wine region of Moravia in the southeast part of the Czech Republic. This research aim is to create a plan for a new development of such strategic alliances on the basis of results of the localization factors. The coefficient of localization is used for the identification of the cluster. The results are compared with the already operating associations for the appellation in Austria (DAC). There were traced changes in the consumer preferences in the Czech wine market. Consumers are placing more emphasis on the selection of wine on its descent from a particular area, the growing community and the individual grower. The dynamic development of the wine category, major changes in the market and the consumer demand are the main causes for the formation of associations of small and medium-sized wineries. This paper specifically introduces new associations for the appellation system VOC. This alliance is described in the context of the establishment, operation, development and expansion, respectively the possibility of the involvement of additional organizations suppliers and research institutions. The application of the results of research was a plan for the establishment of a new alliance VOC Modre Hory, where there are associated 30 wine producers of wine in 5 villages around the centre Velke Pavlovice. Based on the experience of the newly emerging VOC system of appellations, there was set up a plan of formation of the association with the proposed methodological approach. Open cooperation between the associations VOC appellation and other entities involving suppliers, customers, research institutions and universities has the possibility of creating an institutionalized wine cluster. The plan to create a wine cluster was proposed to establish the cooperation between the newly emerging associations of the VOC at three sub-regions of South Moravia, in order to achieve a competitive advantage.
Prices and Quality in International Trade

The thesis uses information on prices to shed light on four questions. Chapter 1 provides new evidence on trade prices based on firm-level data from France. It finds firms charge higher free-on-board unit values on exports to more distant countries. This behavior explains most of the price premium paid by distant consumers, the rest being due to higher transport costs. This may be rationalized in models with additive rather than iceberg transport costs. Chapter 2 examines the impact of monetary unions on the integration of good markets. It shows the Euro has disproportionably affected large/more productive firms. Taking into account this heterogeneity, it finds a strong impact of the Euro on economic integration. Chapter 3 asks about the impact of low-wage countries' competition on the quality of high-wage countries' exports. Over 1995-2005, the mean quality of France's exports increased by 11%. Increasing pressures from low-wage countries have induced a reallocation of sales from low- to high-quality firms. Chapter 4 measures the sensitivity of domestic prices to changes in imported inputs' prices. The elasticity of domestic prices to imported inputs prices is 12%. The transmission is much lower among firms importing inputs from a related party. On average 9% of the volatility of production prices at the sectoral level is driven by changes in imported inputs' costs.
Overoptimism Among Founders: The Role of Information and Motivation

This study empirically investigates factors that influence overoptimism across nascent entrepreneurs. We distinguish between two main groups of determinants (information, motivation) and three types of overoptimism (income, psychological burden, leisure time). Findings indicate that entrepreneurs who have relevant business information are more realistic and that entrepreneurs with a high level of general knowledge, acquired through education or previous (unrelated) entrepreneurial experience, are more overoptimistic. External advice and business planning do not appear to limit subsequent overoptimism. Entrepreneurs are less overoptimistic about the pecuniary or non-pecuniary benefits of self-employment when these benefits are closely related to the initial motivation for starting up the business.
My changed body: breast cancer, body image, distress and self‐compassion

Bodily changes after breast cancer treatment can lead to long‐term distress. Self‐compassion, the ability to be kind to oneself, is an internal resource that may enhance a woman's ability to adjust to cancer‐related bodily changes. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that self‐compassion mediates the relationship between body image and distress, controlling for alternate plausible mediators.
The Kennedy Round: Evidence on the Regulation of International Trade in the United States

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and provide empirical evidence regarding the regulation of international trade flows. Our goal is to provide an explanation of the changes in the interindustry pattern of trade restrictions which emerged from the Kennedy Round of tariff negotiations. The principal conclusion of the analysis is that the pattern of protection which resulted from the Kennedy Round was shaped to minimize the domestic political disruption resulting from liberalization. Industries which faced significant import threats and whose characteristics enhanced their potential political influence were able to maintain tariff protection in the face of overall liberalization. The potential impact of the agreed-upon tariff reductions was partially undermined by the introduction of offsetting nontariff trade barriers (NTBs). In addition, NTBs were introduced systematically in industries that were becom
A case study investigation into success and failure in Foundation Year Medical School in a Middle Eastern transnational context.

This study utilises Tinto’s (1993) theoretical framework, known as the Model of Longitudinal Departure, to investigate success and failure in Foundation Year medical school in a Middle Eastern transnational location, through considering student background, cultural influence and academic transition. This case study is framed within a social constructivist epistemology utilising mixed methods, including quantitative pre-entry and academic attainment data, and qualitative student and staff interview data. Lack of contextual research combined with high failure rates, which negatively impact on students, institutions, sponsors and governments in this transnational first-year medical school experience, have led to the need to better understand the first-year medical school experience in this Bahraini context. The research questions investigate the student and staff perspectives of academic success and failure, together with the role of previous learning and the resulting implications for programme design. The research constructs a notion termed the ‘state of realisation’, this is the point at which students recognise and implement learning strategies associated with third level learning success. Additional findings include that English language competency measured by the IELTS and previous educational experience and achievement are pre-indicators of academic success. Within this transnational context culture is found to contextualize, frame and influence the students. Academic integration is found to be multi-faceted and complex, whereas social integration appears to be less challenging, seemingly facilitated by a strong culture of belonging. The research refines Tinto’s 1993 model into an appropriate framework for this transnational setting named the Model of Academic Success and Failure in a Transnational Context. It is within this framework that the constructed notion of the ‘state of realisation’ is situated. Findings on gender and academic success are unexpected, showing that males performed better than females in Foundation Year medical school in this transnational context. Further research is recommended to investigate this aspect in-depth.
RIP-Based Near-Oracle Performance Guarantees for SP, CoSaMP, and IHT

This correspondence presents an average case denoising performance analysis for SP, CoSaMP, and IHT algorithms. This analysis considers the recovery of a noisy signal, with the assumptions that it is corrupted by an additive random zero-mean white Gaussian noise and has a K-sparse representation with respect to a known dictionary D . The proposed analysis is based on the RIP, establishing a near-oracle performance guarantee for each of these algorithms. Beyond bounds for the reconstruction error that hold with high probability, in this work we also provide a bound for the average error.
Coarse- Versus Fine-Graded Superpave Mixtures: Comparative Evaluation of Resistance to Rutting

Both coarse- and fine-graded hot-mix asphalt mixtures can be designed within the gradation control points recommended in Superpave® mix design. Some states have begun to specify only coarse-graded mixtures (below the restricted zone), whereas other states are specifying only fine-graded mixtures (above the restricted zone). A study was conducted to compare coarse-graded Superpave mixtures with fine-graded Superpave mixtures in terms of resistance to rutting to determine whether restrictions on gradations (either coarse- or fine-graded mixtures) are justified. Fourteen mixtures were tested containing two nominal maximum aggregate sizes (9.5 and 19.0 mm), two coarse aggregates (granite and crushed gravel), and four fine aggregates (sandstone, limestone, granite, and diabase). Resistance to rutting of both coarse- and fine-graded mixtures was evaluated by three test methods: asphalt pavement analyzer, Superpave shear tester, and repeated load confined creep test. Statistical analyses of the test data obtained by the three performance tests indicate no significant difference in rutting resistance of coarse- and fine-graded Super-pave mixtures. It has been recommended that mix designs not be limited to designing mixes on the coarse or fine side of the restricted zone.
Risk Factors for Postoperative Ileus Following Orthopedic Surgery: The Role of Chronic Constipation

Background/Aims Distinction is vague between severe constipation and postoperative ileus (POI) in terms of pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment options. However, no data are available regarding their associations. Methods After retrospective review of data from patients who underwent orthopedic surgery during the first 6 months of 2011, a total of 612 patients were included. Severe constipation was defined as symptoms of constipation requiring treatment using at least 2 laxatives from different classes for at least 6 months. POI was defined as paralytic ileus lasting more than 3 days post-surgery and associated with 2 or more of the following: (1) nausea/vomiting, (2) inability to tolerate an oral diet over a 24-hour period, and (3) absence of flatus over a 24-hour period. The subjects were divided into non-POI and POI groups, and we compared patient-, surgery-, and pharmaceutical-related factors. Results Thirteen (2.1%) out of 612 experienced POI. In comparisons between the non-POI and POI groups, univariate analysis showed significant differences in the mean age (51.4 vs 71.6 years), mean body mass index (24.1 vs 21.8 kg/m2), severe constipation (5.8% vs 76.9%), co-morbidities (33.2% vs 84.6%), type of orthopedic surgery (spine/hip/limb: 19.4/11.0/65.6% vs 23.1/61.5/15.4%), and estimated blood loss (50 vs 300 mL). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age, body mass index, co-morbidities, type of orthopedic surgery, and estimated blood loss, showed that severe constipation was an independent risk factor for POI (OR, 35.23; 95% CI, 7.72–160.82; P < 0.001). Conclusions Severe constipation is associated with POI after orthopedic surgery.
Identification of peptides from brain and pituitary of Cpefat/Cpefat mice

Cpefat/Cpefat mice have a naturally occurring point mutation within the carboxypeptidase E gene that inactivates this enzyme, leading to an accumulation of many neuroendocrine peptides containing C-terminal basic residues. These processing intermediates can be readily purified on an anhydrotrypsin affinity resin. Using MS to obtain molecular mass and partial sequence information, more than 100 peptides have been identified. These peptides represent fragments of 16 known secretory pathway proteins, including proenkephalin, proopiomelanocortin, protachykinins A and B, chromogranin A and B, and secretogranin II. Many of the identified peptides represent previously uncharacterized fragments of the precursors. For example, 12 of the 13 chromogranin B-derived peptides found in the present study have not been previously reported. Of these 13 chromogranin B-derived peptides, only five contain consensus cleavage sites for prohormone convertases at both the C and N termini. Two distinct chromogranin B-derived peptides result from cleavage at Trp-Trp bonds, a site not typically associated with neuropeptide processing. An RIA was used to confirm that one of these peptides, designated WE-15, exists in wild-type mouse brain, thus validating the approach to identify peptides in Cpefat/Cpefat mice. These “orphan” peptides are candidate ligands for orphan G protein-coupled receptors. In addition, the general technique of using affinity chromatography to isolate endogenous substrates from a mutant organism lacking an enzyme should be applicable to a wide range of enzyme-substrate systems.
Adjustment Costs, Uncertainty, and the Behavior of the Firm

This paper examines the effects of demand and cost uncertainty on a firm's investment, output, and pricing decisions. But unlike most earlier studies in which demand and cost are simply not known at the time an output (or pricing) decision is made, here I consider uncertainties over future demand and costs. It will be seen that the effects of such uncertainties depend critically on the characteristics of the firm's adjustment costs. I treat demand uncertainty in a dynamic context by letting the market-demand function shift randomly but continuously through time according to a stochastic process. This means that today's demand is known exactly, but future demand may be larger or smaller, and has a variance that increases with the time horizon. Likewise, uncertainty over factor costs is characterized by treating those variables as stochastic processes. I combine this characterization of uncertainty with a dynamic model of the firm in which some factor inputs can be adjusted freely in response to stochastic demand changes, but other factors are "quasi fixed" in that adjustment costs are incurred when they are changed. In this model the firm's price and output are random processes, but we can examine the firm's behavior in expected value terms. Of interest is whether the presence of uncertainty should cause competitive or monopolistic firms to invest and produce more or less than they would otherwise, how the effects of uncertainty are influenced by the presence of risk aversion, and how the use of inventories can alter the impact of uncertainty on capacity and sales. Of course these questions have been addressed by others in the past. Among the earliest studies of demand uncertainty are those of Edwin Mills (1959, 1962) and Samuel Karlin and Charles Carr (1962). Mills examined a single period monopolistic firm that sets both output and price, and showed that additive demand uncertainty (i.e., the demand function is of the form q = q( p) + u where u is a random variable) leads to a lower price if marginal cost is constant (so that the firm reduces the expected loss from discarding unsold production). Karlin and Carr confirmed, for both the static case and the multiperiod case with inventory carryover, that additive uncertainty tends to reduce the price and increase the output of a risk-neutral firm, while multiplicative uncertainty does the opposite. Other papers have been concerned with the way in which the error term enters the demand function (additively, multiplicatively, or nonlinearly), the implications of choosing price ex ante instead of output, the implications of risk aversion, and the use of inventories. For example, Agnar Sandmo (1971) and David Baron (1970) showed that a risk-averse competitive firm will produce less when the price is a random variable or subject to an additive error term, but a riskneutral firm will not alter its production. ' Hayne Leland (1972) extended these results to a monopolistic firm whose demand can depend in a general way on a random error term (for example, q = q( p, u)), and showed that uncertainty reduces the production of a
GJ 3236: A NEW BRIGHT, VERY LOW MASS ECLIPSING BINARY SYSTEM DISCOVERED BY THE MEarth OBSERVATORY

We report the detection of eclipses in GJ 3236, a bright (I = 11.6), very low mass binary system with an orbital period of 0.77 days. Analysis of light and radial velocity curves of the system yielded component masses of 0.38 ± 0.02 M☉ and 0.28 ± 0.02 M☉. The central values for the stellar radii are larger than the theoretical models predict for these masses, in agreement with the results for existing eclipsing binaries, although the present 5% observational uncertainties limit the significance of the larger radii to approximately 1σ. Degeneracies in the light curve models resulting from the unknown configuration of surface spots on the components of GJ 3236 currently dominate the uncertainties in the radii, and could be reduced by obtaining precise, multiband photometry covering the full orbital period. The system appears to be tidally synchronized and shows signs of high activity levels as expected for such a short orbital period, evidenced by strong Hα emission lines in the spectra of both components. These observations probe an important region of mass–radius parameter space around the predicted transition to fully convective stellar interiors, where there are a limited number of precise measurements available in the literature.
A SURVEY OF BAYESIAN NET MODELS FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT PREDICTION

This paper discusses recent Bayesian nets built for software development effort prediction. Its aim is to bring closer these models as they may be competitive for other modeling techniques, especially for data-driven machine learning and statistical techniques. Each model has been briefly described and then analyzed in detail in terms of its main purpose, type of structure, data/knowledge base for building a model. Some models have been empirically validated for predictive accuracy and we discuss the results of this validation. The paper also discusses main problems related to building such models by domain experts.
Transaction Cost Economics and Contract Duration: An Empirical Analysis of EDF Coal Contracts

This paper studies duration of inter-firm contracts in a transaction cost perspective. The aim of the paper is to test the propositions that can be derived from a transaction-cost framework. We built a non-truncated database representing the entire contractual relationships of Electricité de France (EDF) with its coal carriers and coal unloaders over the period 1977–1997. Section I explores factors that can explain the choice of contract duration. Section II describes the relationships between EDF and its suppliers. In Section III, we test and confirm most propositions derived from transaction-cost theory that relate contract duration to transaction characteristics. We believe this study to be the first attempt (1) to confirm transaction cost economics propositions using French data and (2) to endogenize asset specificity level at stake in transactions.
Managing energy consumption costs in desktop PCs and LAN switches with proxying, split TCP connections, and scaling of link speed

The IT equipment comprising the Internet in the USA uses about $6 billion of electricity every year. Much of this electricity use is wasted on idle, but fully powered‐up, desktop PCs and network links. We show how to recover a large portion of the wasted electricity with improved power management methods that are focused on network issues. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient Use of Information and Social Value of Information

This paper analyzes equilibrium and welfare for a tractable class of economies (games) that have externalities, strategic complementarity or substitutability, and heterogeneous information. First, we characterize the equilibrium use of information: complementarity heightens the sensitivity of equilibrium actions to public information, raising aggregate volatility, whereas substitutability heightens the sensitivity to private information, raising cross-sectional dispersion. Next, we define and characterize an efficiency benchmark designed to address whether the equilibrium use of information is optimal from a social perspective; the efficient use of information reflects the social value of aligning choices across agents. Finally, we examine the comparative statics of equilibrium welfare with respect to the information structure; the social value of information is best understood by classifying economies according to the inefficiency, if any, in the equilibrium use of information. We conclude with a few applications, including production externalities, beauty contests, business cycles, and large Cournot and Bertrand games. Copyright The Econometric Society 2007.