Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in Africa.

With the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women higher than 35% in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the number of HIV-infected children will continue to grow. It is estimated that almost 70% of the approximately 500,000 children who became infected with HIV in 1995 were born in sub-Saharan Africa. An effective intervention to prevent the vertical transmission of HIV is therefore most urgently needed in Africa. Following the release of the results of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) 076 study, the routine use of zidovudine (AZT) among HIV-infected pregnant women in the US and Europe has resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of mother-to-child vertical HIV transmission. However, most women in Africa will not benefit from these advances in the immediate future due to inadequate prenatal health care, the unavailability of prenatal HIV testing, and the high cost and complexity of the recommended regimen. Researchers need to build upon the findings of developed countries to identify feasible, effective, and implementable interventions to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV as well as to prevent HIV infection among women and to protect the health of HIV-infected women in Africa. Rates and timing of vertical HIV transmission, risk factors associated with vertical HIV transmission, and prevention interventions are discussed.
Bonus Schemes and Trading Activity

Little is known about how different bonus schemes affect traders' propensity to trade and which bonus schemes improve traders' performance. We study the effects of linear versus threshold bonus schemes on traders' behavior. Traders buy and sell shares in an experimental stock market on the basis of fundamental and technical information (past share price evolution, realized earnings, analysts' earnings forecasts, and evolution of the market index). We find that linear and threshold bonus schemes have different effects on trading behavior: traders make more transactions but of a smaller size under the threshold than under the linear bonus scheme. Furthermore, transaction frequency significantly decreases when bonus thresholds are reached but only after building in a safety margin. Under the threshold scheme, the traders' performance is lower (even when there are no transaction costs) than under the linear bonus scheme as a consequence of poorer market timing. This is especially the case when earning money by trading is relatively difficult (i.e., under low profitability conditions). Nevertheless, under low profitability conditions, traders seem to collect more information about the relationships between share price and market returns, earnings, and earnings forecasts, put more effort into understanding those relationships, and thus eventually learn to perform better.
Interest Rate and Stock Market Returns in Africa

The paper examines the relationship between interest rates and stock market returns for seven African countries. Cointegration tests indicate a long-run relationship between interest rate and stock prices for Kenya and South Africa. The short-run dynamic Vector Error Correction Model Granger causality shows unidirectional causality from stock returns to interest rate in Kenya and bidirectional causality in South Africa. Responses to shocks from impulse response functions have long lasting effects in Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Tunisia and are short-lived in Mauritius.
Why Do Firms Cross-List Their Shares on Foreign Exchanges? A Review of Cross-Listing Theories and Empirical Evidence

Purpose - Financial markets’ integration and technological advances in equity trading may have reduced the potential benefits from listing a firm's shares on a foreign exchange. Nevertheless, a significant number of firms continue to cross-list every year. This paper examines the recent cross-listing trends and reviews the literature on motives to cross-list. Design/methodology/approach - The literature review includes a summary of theoretical studies grouped into cross-listing theories including market segmentation, liquidity, investor recognition, information disclosure, legal bonding, proximity preference and business strategy theories, and also includes a discussion of testable implications and empirical evidence for each of the above mentioned cross-listing theories. Findings - An extensive cross-listing literature offers a number of theories on the motives to cross-list that in most cases complement each other by encompassing different aspects of the complex cross-listing behavior. Nevertheless, continuous market developments, such as significant regulatory and technological changes in the ways capital markets operate, raise new questions on why firms cross-list and call for further research to continue.
Effects of ethical sales behaviour, expertise, corporate reputation, and performance on relationship quality and loyalty

This analysis examines the influence of ethical sales behaviour, salesperson expertise, service performance, corporate reputation, and corporate performance on relationship quality and its consequences from multi-level perspectives in order to identify the nature of mix relationships at different levels. A survey with 505 qualified observations from financial institutions' customers in Taiwan was conducted. A structural equation modelling approach was used. Ethical sales behaviour, salesperson expertise, service performance, corporate reputation, and corporate performance, that is, the antecedents of relationship quality, have significant effects on relationship quality. Relationships exist between salespeople and customers, but customers also establish relationship with the retailers themselves. Satisfactory relationship quality has positive effects on commitment and loyalty. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Capacitive Tactile Sensor for Angle Detection and Its Accuracy Study

This paper proposes a capacitive tactile sensor for applications in normal force, shear force, and xy-plane shear angle sensing. This tactile sensor enabled shear force angle detection with less than 3° tolerance to be realized for the first time. The average sensitivity when applying the normal force was 4.43 pF/N, and the average sensitivity when applying the shear force ranged between 0.13 and 0.85 pF/N, depending on the angle. Angle detection errors caused by planar-, rotational-, and vertical-pattern shifts during the lamination process and operation are detailed. The results of an analysis indicated that both the planar and rotational shift greatly contributed to detection errors, whereas the contribution of the vertical shift was negligible. In addition to the experiment and analysis, simulations were performed to prove that the angle detection methodology yields consistent results in theory and in practice.
Recentralisation through regionalisation in the implementation of Rural Development Policy in Scotland

In environmental policy, good governance is pertinent when inclusive decision making is recurrently associated with effective outcomes. This paper explores the European Union's good governance principles and the extent to which these have been adopted in the Rural Development Policy in Scotland. For the programme period 2007–2013 Scotland's Rural Priorities scheme has moved towards decentralisation by introducing regional decision-making committees. This study assesses the impact of this scheme on multi-level stakeholder relationships and the implications on policy outcomes. To do so, the study adopts a mixed method approach, applying a stakeholder mapping technique, to quantify perceptions of influence and interest and triangulate with data from in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that the attempts to widen decision making has resulted in a number of stakeholders perceiving themselves as less empowered. This analytical approach can provide the baseline against which governance improvements can be measured in the formulation of future policies.
Returns to Market Power in Financial Institutions

ABSTRACT The strong positive relationship between firm profits and size for Thai financial institutions cannot be explained by returns to scale or scope. Evidence for this statement is found by applying both production frontier and function techniques and different model specifications on data covering 1991 to 1995 for Thai banks and finance & securities companies. Increasing returns to market power is the only way to explain the Thai data. A firm enjoys returns to market power if the bigger the firm, the higher the price it can charge and/or the lower the price it has to pay for inputs.
Work-Related Eye Injuries: A Relevant Health Problem. Main Epidemiological Data from a Highly-Industrialized Area of Northern Italy

The province of Modena is one of the most industrialized areas of Northern Italy. The medical records of the Ophthalmological Emergency Department (OED) of Modena University Hospital were studied: there were 13,470 OED accesses in 2014 and in 754 cases that an occupational eye injury occurred. The frequency of work-related eye injuries (3‰) was lower compared to other published studies, but the absolute number is still relevant, showing the need for more adequate prevention, especially in metal work, construction work, and agriculture, where the worst prognoses were observed. Intervention programs must be implemented as early as possible in the working life, considering that the frequency in younger workers is about double that of the oldest age class (3.5‰ vs. 1.8‰), and special attention should also be given to foreigners, who have a 50% higher injury risk. Furthermore, the planning of specific interventions for eye-injured workers may be useful, considering that a previous injury does not appear to encourage the adoption of preventive interventions, and a subgroup of eye-injured workers have a potential risk for new injuries. Finally, the data presented here indicates how OED records, integrated with specific occupational information, can be applied for studies on work-related eye injuries.
Retracted: Chronic nasal exposure to nanoparticulate TiO2 causes pulmonary tumorigenesis in male mice

Chronic inhalation bioassays in rodents are used to assess pulmonary carcinogenicity for purposes of hazard identification and potentially for risk characterization. Numerous studies have been confirmed that exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) may result in chronic pulmonary inflammation in both mice and rats. However, very few studies have focused on the pulmonary tumorigenesis. In this study, to examine whether chronic TiO2 NP exposure induce tumorigenesis in the lung, forty mice (each group) were nasally exposed to 1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg body weight TiO2 NPs for nine consecutive months, lung pathology was then evaluated, and the biochemical function parameters in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and tumor markers in the serum were investigated using an ELISA method. We observed that nasal exposure to TiO2 NPs caused infiltration of inflammatory cells, tumorigenesis in the lung, and accompanied by significant increases of lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and total protein levels in BLAF, significant increases in tumor markers including cytokeratin 19, neuron‐specific enolase, carcinoembryonic antigen, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and cancer antigen‐125 in the serum. It implies that chronic inhaled TiO2 NPs may increase possibility of pulmonary tumor formation for human. Therefore, the production and application of TiO2 NPs should be paid more attention. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1651–1657, 2017.
Insider Trading In A Rational Expectations Economy

It is often argued that efficiency considerations require society to freely permit insider trading. In this article, an opposing efficiency argument is formalized. The model incorporates an investment stage followed by a trading stage. If "outsiders" expect "insiders" to take advantage of them in trading, outsiders will reduce their investment. The insiders' loss from this diminished investor confidence may more than offset their trading gains. Consequently, a prohibition on insider trading may effect a Pareto improvement. Insiders are made better off if they can precommit not to trade on their privileged information; government regulation accomplished exactly this. Copyright 1990 by American Economic Association.
Investors' Trade Size and Trading Responses around Earnings Announcements: An Empirical Investigation

Prior research suggests that the earnings expectations of a segment of the market can be described by the seasonal random‐walk model. Prior research also provides evidence that less wealthy and less informed investors tend to make smaller trades (small traders) than wealthier and betterinformed investors (large traders). I hypothesize that it is the earnings expectations of small traders that are associated with predictions from the seasonal random‐walk model. By directly analyzing the trading activities of small and large traders, this study provides evidence that is largely consistent with the hypotheses. Specifically, small traders' trading response around earnings announcements is increasing in the magnitude of seasonal random‐walk forecast errors, even after controlling for absolute analyst forecast errors, contemporaneous price changes, and market‐wide trading. Supplementary analysis reveals that this effect is largely confined to firms with relatively impoverished information environments (i.e., sm.
Insights to Technological Alliances and Financial Resources as Antecedents of High‐Tech Firms' Innovative Performance

High‐tech firms are triggered to externally acquire and combine additional supplementary and complementary resources to develop innovative capabilities and generate new knowledge, products, and business ideas. Firms may rely on cooperation, alliances, and other interfirm ties as well as on the external acquisition of the stock of resources and capabilities to foster their innovativeness and support their patent activity. This contribution develops and tests a conceptual framework for assessing external sources of a firm's innovative performance in high‐tech industries. By simultaneously evaluating the explanatory power of technological alliances and financial resources in shaping a firm's innovative performance, measured as new patents registered, the paper provides some original outcomes from both conceptual and methodological perspectives. Research hypotheses are tested performing ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models on 90 European‐listed firms operating in the aerospace and defence industry, engaging over 1,300 technological alliances within the 2007–2011 timeframe. The findings demonstrate that high‐tech firms leverage on technological supplementary alliances to innovate and to create new knowledge embodied in artifacts such as patents. In addition, financial slack is proved to be a prerequisite for a successful patent activity in high‐tech industries. Empirical outcomes, discriminating between small and large firms, bring valuable insights both for academics and practitioners.
Viral Coinfections in Children With Invasive Pneumococcal Disease

Background: Respiratory viruses contribute to the seasonal pattern of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), but the impact of viral coinfections on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with IPD have not been well defined. Objective: This study was designed to describe and compare the clinical presentations and outcomes of patients with IPD with or without viral coinfections. Design/Methods: Retrospective analyses of records of all children treated at Children's Medical Center Dallas (CMCD) for IPD from July 2005 to June 2008. Viral studies included viral direct fluorescent antibody staining and culture. For comparisons, patients were classified in 3 groups: with positive, negative, and no viral studies performed. Results: A total of 129 patients were admitted to CMCD with IPD during the 3 year study; 57% were male. Ages ranged from 2 months to 18 years (median 25 months) and 48% were <2 years. Viral studies were performed in 82 (63%) patients, and 28 (34%) had positive results. The most common viruses isolated were influenza (7, 25%), rhinoviruses (6, 21%), adenoviruses (6, 21%), and RSV (5, 18%). Peaks of positive viral studies occurred in February and November which coincided with the peak numbers of patients admitted with IPD. Of 6 with adenovirus coinfection, 5 were admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The most common pneumococcal serotypes were 19A (41, 32.5%), 7F (14, 11%), and 23A (13, 10.3%). Pneumonia (42%), bacteremia (22%), and meningitis (17%) were the most common clinical syndromes. There were no differences in duration of fever before admission, maximum temperatures during hospitalization and white blood cell counts, duration of fever and hospitalization between patients with positive and negative viral studies, but there was a trend for patient with positive viral studies to be admitted to PICU more frequently and to have longer PICU stay. Three of the 6 patients who died had documented viral coinfections (2 adenovirus, 1 parainfluenza 3), and all 3 had no underlying conditions. The other 3 patients who died had no viral studies performed. Duration of treatment ranged from 1 to –210 days (median 14), with no differences among the groups. Conclusions: Viral coinfections were common in children with IPD. Future prospective studies should include new PCR assays to characterize better the impact of viral coinfections in the occurrence and outcome of IPD.
Managing urban parks and gardens in developing countries: a case from an Indian city

The Chandigarh City of India is known for its urban parks, gardens and well planned landscaping. In a research case study undertaken during 2002-2006, an assessment about the annual recreational value of this city's urban greenery was made by using travel cost method on the domestic tourists. The consumer surplus per visit enjoyed by domestic tourists was estimated. Governments in developing countries are generally facing resource crunch for the maintenance of existing parks/gardens and for the creation of new ones. A mechanism of charging a proper entrance fee for the city's parks and gardens has been discussed by meaningfully utilising this consumer surplus on one hand and revenue generation for the local administration, on the other. The results of the study would be useful for green space and urban land use planning as well as for overall sustainable urban development.
Does Concessionary Aid Lead to Higher Investment Rates in Low-Income Countries?

Goedde, Alan G. , "U.S. Multinational Manufacturing Firms: The Determinants and Effects of Foreign Investment," Ph.D. dissertation, Duke University (1978). Grubaugh, Stephen G. , "The Process of Direct Foreign Investment," working paper, Bentley College, Aug. 1986. Helpman, Elhanan, "A Simple Theory of International Trade with Multinational Corporations," Journal of Political Economy 3 (June 1984), 451-471. Horst, Thomas, "Firm and Industry Determinants of the Decision to Invest Abroad: An Empirical Study," this REVIEW 54 (Aug. 1972), 258-266. ____,_ At Home Abroad: A Study of Domestic and Foreign Operations of the A merican Food-Processing Industry (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger, 1974). Hymer, Stephen H. , "The International Operations of National Firms: A Study of Direct Foreign Investment," Ph.D. dissertation, M.I. T. (published by M.I.T. Press, 1976). Judge, George G. , R. Carter Hill, William E. Griffiths, Helmut Lutkepohl, and Tsoung-Chao Lee, Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Econometrics (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1982). Macdougal, G. D. A. , "The Benefits and Costs of Private Investment from Abroad: A Theoretical Approach," Economic Record 36 (Mar. 1960), 13-35. Markusen, James R. , "Multinationals, Multiplant Economies, and the Gains from Trade," Journal of International Economics 3/4 (May 1984), 205-226. Pindyck, Robert S. , and Daniel L. Rubinfeld, Econometric Models and Economic Forecasts, second edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981). Rugman, Allen M. , Inside the Multinationals: The Economics of Internal Markets (New York: Columbia University Press, 1981). Vaupel, James W. , and Joan P. Curhan, The Making of Multinational Enterprise (Cambridge: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1969).
Rethinking the Effectiveness of Public Protected Areas in Southwestern China

Abstract: It is internationally recognized that conservation policies should respect indigenous cultures and consider the livelihoods of people affected by conservation restrictions. Countering this are concerns that human occupation and use of natural reserves is incompatible with conservation aims. But in China today the continued use and management of natural areas by local communities is likely to deliver better conservation outcomes than the current drive to establish public protected areas. The effectiveness of many protected areas in China is compromised by institutional conflicts, lack of ongoing financial and technical support, confusion between the objectives of generating revenue and conservation, dubious scientific definitions, lack of community trust in policies, and obscure user rights and land tenures. Southwestern China—one of the most biologically and ethnologically diverse areas on Earth—is a good illustration of a place where culture and biological diversity are closely linked. The indigenous people in this area have shown that local livelihood practices can be advantageous for the long‐term maintenance of conservation goals. Rather than creating new protected areas, we argue that China is better advised to support ongoing sustainable use of natural areas by the people who have lived and nurtured these environments for generations.
Are Real Interest Differentials Caused by Frictions in Goods or Assets Markets, Real or Nominal Shocks?

The variance of real interest rate differentials (rids) is decomposed between ex post deviations from relative purchasing power parity and uncovered interest rate parity (UIRP) for a set of emerging markets from 1995M5 to 2004M3. The results point out to nominal interest rate differentials and ex post deviations from UIRP as the main source of volatility in rids. In order to uncover the dynamic effects of real and monetary disturbances, I estimated a bivariate VAR with rids and nominal interest rate differentials. Forecast error variance decomposition using short run restrictions on the VAR strongly supports the claim that money shocks are unable to explain the variability of rids at longer horizons. Long-run restrictions results in real shocks as the likely cause of rids. Analysis of impulse response functions demonstrates that the net impact of a (one standard deviation) real shock on rids after 36 months is large.
The Role of the Media in Takeovers: Theory and Evidence

Using text-based media content, this paper develops and empirically confirms a theory that explains how the media predicts takeover outcomes. It shows that positive media content about the acquirer predicts takeover success. Relative to other predictors proposed in the literature, the media measure is the most important explanatory variable in terms of marginal effect, significance, and goodness of fit.