Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Demise of Distance? The Declining Role of Physical Proximity for Knowledge Transmission

The transmission of knowledge diminishes with physical distance, one factor explaining the geographic clustering of scientific and industrial activity. The authors investigate how those distances have stretched over time-between collaborating inventors, and between inventors and the technology that inspires them. While physical distance is still a factor, it is clear that its constraining effects have weakened, especially for particular types of innovators, technologies, and regions of the United States. Copyright 2006 Blackwell Publishing.
Remitting Behaviour of Nepalese Rural-to-Urban Migrants: Implications for Theory and Policy

This article uses data for Nepal to test contemporary hypotheses about the remitting behaviour and associated motives of rural-to-urban migrants and to consider the likely impact of such remittances on rural development. Possibilities for inheritance, degree of family attachment, likelihood of eventual return to place of origin and family investment in the education of the migrants are found to be significant influences on levels of remittances by Nepalese migrants. However, in Nepal, remittances do not seem to result in long-term capital investment in rural areas and so may not promote long-term development of these areas.
Difference in outcomes after antibody‐mediated rejection between abo‐incompatible and positive cross‐match transplantations

Graft survival seems to be worse in positive cross‐match (HLAi) than in ABO‐incompatible (ABOi) transplantation. However, it is not entirely clear why these differences exist. Sixty‐nine ABOi, 27 HLAi and 10 combined ABOi+HLAi patients were included in this retrospective study, to determine whether the frequency, severity and the outcome of active antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR) were different. Five‐year death‐censored graft survival was better in ABOi than in HLAi and ABOi+HLAi patients (99%, 69% and 64%, respectively, P = 0.0002). Features of AMR were found in 38%, 95% and 100% of ABOi, HLAi and ABOi+HLAi patients that had a biopsy, respectively (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.001). After active AMR, a declining eGFR and graft loss were observed more frequently in HLAi and HLAi+ABOi than in ABOi patients. The poorer prognosis after AMR in HLAi and ABOi+HLAi transplantations was not explained by a higher severity of histological lesions or by a less aggressive treatment. In conclusion, ABOi transplantation offers better results than HLAi transplantation, partly because AMR occurs less frequently but also because outcome after AMR is distinctly better. HLAi and combined ABOi+HLAi transplantations appear to have the same outcome, suggesting there is no synergistic effect between anti‐A/B and anti‐HLA antibodies.
Loss of Agro‐Biodiversity, Uncertainty, and Perceived Control: A Comparative Risk Perception Study in Austria and China

The biogeographical centers of origin of important food crops—called Vavilov centers—are considered to be crucial sources of genetic diversity for present and future crop‐breeding programs and thus for human food safety worldwide. Global environmental change and more intensified modes of crop production may cause genetic erosion (loss of traditional crop varieties and loss of crop wild relatives), especially in Vavilov centers. The present study focused on how the risk of genetic erosion (or loss of agro‐biodiversity) is perceived in comparison to 16 other risk topics by experts and lay people in Austria and China. The most striking result was that genetic erosion was perceived to be an exceptionally unknown and uncertain risk topic, given that only genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were perceived as being even more uncertain. As a consequence of the high uncertainty, the idea of applying the precautionary principle to further prevent genetic erosion is discussed. An unprecedented finding—one that differs from Austrian participants—is that the Chinese have a higher perceived control over all risk topics. The increased perception of controllability in China is discussed in light of the theory of reflexive modernization. This theory strives to explain the increased critical attitude in Western countries such as Austria toward scientific innovations and toward the idea that everything can be calculated and mastered at will. By revealing different notions of risk perception, this research also provides additional scientific input to risk communication efforts for public education.
Stimulating Early Adoption of New Products through Channel Disintegration

Conventional wisdom holds that adding layers to a distribution channel is detrimental to the interests of consumers and the channel that serves them. In contrast, our study indicates that a disintegrated channel structure can be desirable in some instances. When consumers have valuation uncertainty prior to consuming a product, having an independent retailer may boost both channel profits and consumer surplus relative to direct selling by an integrated firm. The quandary in selling such products is that after early adopters make their purchase decisions, the seller may alter prices in such a way that makes early adopters' decisions appear suboptimal in hindsight. Since the seller cannot credibly commit to future prices, customers are reluctant to adopt early, choosing instead to delay their purchase decisions. This delay is certainly detrimental to the interest of the distribution channel, but the rejection of the early adoption discount can equally reduce consumer surplus. This problem can be mitigated by introducing an independent retailer. The familiar double marginalization “problem” from channel disintegration can credibly assure customers of unfavorable future prices for late adoption. This assurance attracts more customers to seek early adoption, leading to lower overall retail prices, increased supply, and higher consumer and producer surpluses.
Tax Competition and Economic Integration

This article examines the role of tax competition and economic integration in a core–periphery setting, where agglomeration forces are present. I present a New Economic Geography model, which accounts for firm entry/exit and international mobility of skilled labor employed in the public R&D sectors. In contrast to other literature on tax competition, I focus on its impact on labor migration and net earnings of skilled and unskilled labor. Economic integration is modeled as trade liberalization, an easing of factor mobility restrictions and technology diffusion. I find that tax competition favors skilled labor when trade costs are reduced. In contrast, unskilled labor benefits when factor mobility restrictions are eased and technology diffusion is enhanced.
Lifetime Risk and Duration of Chronic Disease and Disability

Objective: To estimate risk and duration of chronic conditions and disability for all older Americans and demographic subgroups. Method: Analysis of National Mortality Followback Survey data for survivors to age 65 to project lifetime risk and duration of selected conditions and examine their relationship with life expectancy and disability. Results: For women, Blacks, and non-Blacks, arthritis is most common and has the longest average duration, followed by diabetes and COPD. Among men, diabetes duration is longest, followed by COPD. Disability risk is elevated for all conditions studied, except heart attack. Those very overweight most of life and persons with dementia have the greatest disability risk and relatively long disability durations. Among women, those very overweight most of life can expect to die 3.1 years sooner and have above average disability duration. Discussion: Findings provide new information about the relative burden of common chronic diseases among all older Americans and major subgroups.
A framework to assess performance measurement systems in SMEs

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework that small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) can use to assess their performance measurement system (PMS) in order to identify the main weaknesses and take corrective measures. Design/methodology/approach - Starting from a review of the recommendations provided in literature regarding performance measurement in companies, a list of general characteristics of a “good” PMS is defined. The identified PMS general features are then tailored to SME needs through an analysis of the characteristics of SMEs and a survey of their performance measurement current practice. Finally all the requirements are included in a framework designed to support SMEs in critically reviewing their PMS and enabling its effective use. Findings - The main characteristics of SMEs are reviewed and classified; the general characteristics of a “good” PMS are collected from the literature and then adapted to the SME context, thus obtaining a list of PMS requirements for SMEs; moreover a tool for PMS self-assessment is developed. Research limitations/implications - Research is still at an early stage and applications of the tool in real settings will offer the possibility to refine and validate it. Practical implications - The tool proposed codifies best practices and makes them accessible by SMEs in a simple way, thus supporting companies in the process of continuous improvement of their PMS. Originality/value - The field of performance measurement in SMEs is an emergent area of study. The paper highlights the necessity of PMS assessment instruments suitable for SMEs and defines a new tool starting from the analysis of SME needs and characteristics.
Broad-spectrum antiviral activity of 2-beta-D-ribofuranosylselenazole-4-carboxamide, a new antiviral agent

The relative in vitro antiviral activities of three related nucleoside carboxamides, ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide), tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide), and selenazole (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylselenazole-4-carboxamide), were studied against selected DNA and RNA viruses. Although the activity of selenazole against different viruses varied, it was significantly more potent than ribavirin and tiazofurin against all tested representatives of the families Paramyxoviridae (parainfluenza virus type 3, mumps virus, measles virus), Reoviridae (reovirus type 3), Poxviridae (vaccinia virus), Herpes-viridae (herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2), Togaviridae (Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus, yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus), Bunyaviridae (Rift Valley fever virus, sandfly fever virus [strain Sicilian], Korean hemorrhagic fever virus), Arenaviridae (Pichinde virus), Picornaviridae (coxsackieviruses B1 and B4, echovirus type 6, encephalomyocarditis virus), Adenoviridae (adenovirus type 2), and Rhabdoviridae (vesicular stomatitis virus). The antiviral activity of selenazole was also cell line dependent, being greatest in HeLa, Vero-76, and Vero E6 cells. Selenazole was relatively nontoxic for Vero, Vero-76, Vero E6, and HeLa cells at concentrations of up to 1,000 micrograms/ml. The relative plating efficiency at that concentration was over 90%. The effects of selenazole on viral replication were greatest when this agent was present at the time of viral infection. The removal of selenazole from the medium of infected cells did not reverse the antiviral effect against vaccinia virus, but there was a gradual resumption of viral replication in cells infected with parainfluenza type 3 or herpes simplex virus type 1 (strain KOS). However, the antiviral activity of ribavirin against the same viruses was reversible when the drug was removed.
CAPM and Time-Varying Beta: The Cross-Section of Expected Returns

The failure of the static-beta CAPM to explain the cross-section of returns on portfolios sorted on firm size, book-to-market ratio, momentum, and even portfolios sorted on past CAPM betas, is well documented. In this paper we show that the model's performance dramatically improves when portfolio betas are allowed to be time-varying functions of (lagged) business cycle variables. We use an approach based on Hansen and Richard (1987) to construct a candidate stochastic discount factor (SDF), using the excess return on the market portfolio as the single factor, scaled by a time-varying coe±cient. The result is a model in which the conditional factor risk premium is a non-linear function of the business cycle variables. We assess the performance of our model by computing the R2 of the cross-sectional regression of realized on model-implied expected returns, as for example in Jagannathan and Wang (1996). While this is not a formal test of the model's ability to price the assets correctly, it does provide an informative summary statistic that allows us to compare the performance of our scaled model with that of the static version, and also to compare our findings to those of other similar studies. In the post-1980 period, where the static CAPM is known to perform particularly poorly, our scaled model explains around 60% of the cross-sectional variation in returns on beta and book-to-market portfolios, and 87% for momentum portfolios. Moreover, the model captures 70% of the value premium (the return spread between the highest and lowest book-to-market decile portfolios), and 75% of the momentum premium (the spread between the past 'winner' and 'loser' portfolios). Our results thus confirm the crucial importance of time-varying risk premiums in explaining the cross-section of average returns on these sets of portfolios. Moreover, the conditional market risk premium and hence also the betas implied by our model exhibits considerable non-linearity in the business cycle instruments.
Variations in the mRNA expression of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerases, poly(ADP‐ribose) glycohydrolase and ADP‐ribosylhydrolase 3 in breast tumors and impact on clinical outcome

In order to assess the variation in expression of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) family members and the hydrolases that degrade the poly(ADP‐ribose) polymers they generate and possible associations with classical pathological parameters, including long‐term outcome, the mRNA levels of PARP1, PARP2, PARP3, poly(ADP‐ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) and ADP‐ribosylhydrolase 3 (ARH3) were examined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in 443 unilateral invasive breast cancers and linked to hormonal status, tumor proliferation and clinical outcome. PARP1 mRNA levels were the highest among these five genes in both normal and tumor tissues, with a 2.45‐fold higher median level in tumors compared to normal tissues. Tumors (34.1%) showed PARP1 overexpression (>3 fold relative to normal breast tissues) compared to underexpression (<0.33 fold) in only 0.5%. This overexpression was seen in all breast tumor subgroups, with the highest fraction (51%) seen in the HR‐positive/ERBB2‐positive subgroup and was not highly associated with any other classical predictive factors. No correlation was seen between PARP1 mRNA and PARP‐1 protein levels in a subset of 31 tumors. PARP3 was underexpressed in 10.4% of tumors, more frequently in the HR‐negative tumors (25.4%) than the HR‐positive tumors (5.9%). This PARP3 underexpression was mutually exclusive with a PARP1 overexpression. PARP2 levels were unchanged between normal and tumor tissues and few tumors showed overexpression of PARG (3.8%) or ARH3 (3.4%). Within the subgroup of triple negative tumors, PARG mRNA levels below the median were associated with a higher risk of developing metastases (p = 0.039) raising the possibility this might be marker of clinical outcome.
Gliomatosis Cerebri: A Review of 22 Cases

OBJECTIVEGliomatosis cerebri is an enigmatic diffuse brain neoplasm whose prognosis is grim. We reviewed data for patients with gliomatosis who were treated at the University of California, San Francisco, during a 10-year period. Our focus was on presentation, radiological and pathological features, and outcomes. METHODSWe reviewed hospital and clinic records and magnetic resonance imaging scans for 22 patients with gliomatosis. The diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance imaging findings and tissue confirmation for all patients. Seven patients also underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Eleven patients were male (50%), and the median age at presentation was 49 years (range, 7–79 yr). RESULTSKaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated median lengths of survival as follows: no treatment, 1 month (n = 4); radiotherapy alone, 28 months (95% confidence interval, 5–51 mo; n = 13); radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy, two patients, alive at 28 and 104 months; radiotherapy and chemotherapy simultaneously, three patients, one alive at 18 months and the others dead at 7 and 9 months. There was no significant difference between radiotherapy alone and radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy (P = 0.69). Karnofsky Performance Scale scores of ≥70 and grade were both significantly related to length of survival in univariate analyses (P < 0.05); these correlations were confirmed in the multivariate analysis, although the small numbers of patients and deaths precluded reliable interpretation. CONCLUSIONAlthough the small number of patients in our study and its retrospective nature preclude definitive conclusions regarding the utility of treatment, our findings suggest that biopsies are useful not only for diagnosis but also for prediction of the length of survival.
Food Source Prediction of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Outbreaks Using Demographic and Outbreak Characteristics, United States, 1998-2014.

BACKGROUND Foodborne illness is a continuing public health problem in the United States. Although outbreak-associated illnesses represent a fraction of all foodborne illnesses, foodborne outbreak investigations provide critical information on the pathogens, foods, and food-pathogen pairs causing illness. Therefore, identification of a food source in an outbreak investigation is key to impacting food safety. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to systematically identify outbreak-associated case demographic and outbreak characteristics that are predictive of food sources using Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) outbreaks reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1998 to 2014 with a single ingredient identified. MATERIALS AND METHODS Differences between STEC food sources by all candidate predictors were assessed univariately. Multinomial logistic regression was used to build a prediction model, which was internally validated using a split-sample approach. RESULTS There were 206 single-ingredient STEC outbreaks reported to CDC, including 125 (61%) beef outbreaks, 30 (14%) dairy outbreaks, and 51 (25%) vegetable outbreaks. The model differentiated food sources, with an overall sensitivity of 80% in the derivation set and 61% in the validation set. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the feasibility for a tool for public health professionals to rule out food sources during hypothesis generation in foodborne outbreak investigation and to improve efficiency while complementing existing methods.
Bridges to Cash: The Retail End of M-PESA

M-PESA is a remarkably successful mobile payments system launched in Kenya three years ago. Users are able to send money to each other conveniently from their M-PESA using only their mobile phones. A key to the success of M-PESA is the availability of an extensive network of retail shops that accept M-PESA deposits and withdrawals, i.e. they stand ready to exchange cash and electronic value. It is the stores that provide liquidity to the system, and they are paid a commission by M-PESA for this service. Behind the store is a network of intermediaries that arrange the logistics around cash management. In this paper we look at daily transactional data from six M-PESA stores in Western Kenya in order to better understand the liquidity management needs of these stores. We examine how liquidity needs vary by location and day of week/month, and by the level of service offered by the store.
The Relation Between Voting Power and Policy Impact in the European Union

We examine national effects on the common policies of the European Union (EU). The paper establishes a difference between national influence on voting outcomes and policies. It is assumed that policies of the EU are public goods and Holler's public good power index is applied. The method is extended to cover voting games with coalitions to reveal also the effects of cooperation on policies. We show that small countries have more influence on common policies of the EU than on voting outcomes. Coalition formation can, however, ruin this since even coalitions smaller than the blocking minority can control policy.
Effects of vitamin E on reactive oxygen species‐mediated 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodi‐benzo‐p‐dioxin toxicity in rat testis

This study was undertaken to investigate whether treatment with vitamin E protects rat testis from oxidative stress induced by 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD). Male rats of Wistar strain were administered TCDD at doses of 1, 10 and 100 ng kg−1 body wt. day−1 for 45 days. Other groups of animals were co‐administered TCDD (1, 10 and 100 ng kg−1 body wt. day−1) and vitamin E (20 mg kg−1 body wt. day−1) for 45 days. Animals administered TCDD and those co‐administered TCDD and vitamin E did not show any significant change in body weight. Administration of TCDD decreased the weights of the testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and ventral prostate. The daily sperm production decreased in the animals administered TCDD from the control values of 22.19 ± 2.67 to 13.10 ± 3.16 × 106. There was a significant decline in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase with concomitant increased levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation. Co‐administration of TCDD and vitamin E did not show any significant changes in the weights of the testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and ventral prostate. The daily sperm production remained unchanged in the animals co‐administered TCDD and vitamin E. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation did not change in the animals co‐administered TCDD and vitamin E. The results suggested that administration of TCDD induces oxidative stress in testis, and vitamin E could impart a protective effect against TCDD‐induced oxidative stress. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leisure-service quality and hedonic experiences: Singing at a Karaoke House as a Form of Theatre

Drawing on theories of dramaturgy and environmental psychology, this research intends to (1) develop a more comprehensive framework exploring the links of the marketing drivers and the consequences of hedonic experiences in the context of the leisure services, i.e. Karaoke Houses, (2) examine the effects of three experiential marketing elements (physical environment, employee service, and core service) on hedonic experience outcomes (emotions and word of mouth (WOM) intentions), and (3) test the mediating role of hedonic values (HVs) between the link of emotions and WOM intentions. With 441 valid questionnaires and using structural equation modelling analysis to test the hypotheses, this research found that (1) WOM referral intentions mainly result from both perceived service quality (SQ) and HV, with the former being more important than the latter. (2) While physical environment, employee service and core service simultaneously influence SQ, core service is the most influential determinant. (3) Experiential emotions are evoked by both physical (ambience and facilities) and social servicescapes (interactions with employees), while SQ mediates the relationship between core service and emotions. (4) Perceived HV fully mediates the effect of emotions on WOM.