Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Changing Spatial Concentration of Income and Poverty among Suburbs of Large US Metropolitan Areas

After developing a longitudinal data-base of civil divisions within 27 large metropolitan areas (MSAs) from the 1970-1990 US censuses, this study examines changes in the spatial concentration of income and poverty within these MSAs. A series of cross-sectional analyses of geographical and social determinants of poverty rates and median household income are used to analyse whether the determinants are changing over time. Large, older central cities in the north-east and mid-west have experienced increasing poverty and decreases in income relative to their own history and relative to their own suburbs. There is some evidence of economic decline in the inner suburbs of these central cities relative to other suburbs, but not relative to the central cities. The geographical shifts in MSA population among suburbs by income between 1970 and 1990 are analysed relative to initial social characteristics of civil divisions. The study concludes that the filtering of older residential buildings to, and the lower marginal preference for land of, lower-income groups contributes to the rising poverty rates and decreases in median household income for all central cities and for the inner suburbs of the north-eastern and mid-western MSAs. The study finds little evidence that either 'white flight' or the non-poor's avoidance of taxes to support the poor are important factors in the shifts of population among suburbs.
BETTER THAN DYNAMIC MEAN‐VARIANCE: TIME INCONSISTENCY AND FREE CASH FLOW STREAM

As the dynamic mean‐variance portfolio selection formulation does not satisfy the principle of optimality of dynamic programming, phenomena of time inconsistency occur, i.e., investors may have incentives to deviate from the precommitted optimal mean‐variance portfolio policy during the investment process under certain circumstances. By introducing the concept of time inconsistency in efficiency and defining the induced trade‐off, we further demonstrate in this paper that investors behave irrationally under the precommitted optimal mean‐variance portfolio policy when their wealth is above certain threshold during the investment process. By relaxing the self‐financing restriction to allow withdrawal of money out of the market, we develop a revised mean‐variance policy which dominates the precommitted optimal mean‐variance portfolio policy in the sense that, while the two achieve the same mean‐variance pair of the terminal wealth, the revised policy enables the investor to receive a free cash flow stream (FCFS) during the investment process. The analytical expressions of the probability of receiving FCFS and the expected value of FCFS are derived.
Eliciting Users' Preferences for Cultural Heritage and Tourism-Related E-Services: A Tale of Three European Cities

The objective of this paper is to show how surveys are used to elicit users' preferences and willingness to pay for novel packages of e-services used in commercial tourism. The authors analyse data gathered from 5,100 questionnaire survey responses by residents, visitors and service providers in three European cities – Amsterdam, Genoa and Leipzig. The results show that people are willing to pay for some of the proposed e-services, while other services clearly represent a cost. The findings are important for the improvement of decisions in the tourism industry, which often uses various combinations of e-services to promote cultural heritage, enhancing visitors' experiences. In addition, the results may help to identify eventual prices that could be charged for the use of e-services in cultural heritage.
[Increasing prevalence of asthma in school children--ISAAC study (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children)].

UNLABELLED The aim of the study was to assess changes in asthma prevalence between 1994/1995 (study I) and 2001/2002 (study II). Standardized ISAAC questionnaire was used. Randomly assigned population of school children 6-7 and 13-14 yrs of age was surveyed in Kraków and Poznań. RESULTS The prevalence of wheezing ever increased significantly in group 6-7 yrs of age from 25.5% to 28.6% in Krakow and from 17.3% to 27.6% in Poznań, respectively in study I and study II. The similar rise was found in group 13-14 yrs of age in Krakow from 14.6% to 21.6%, in Poznań from 17.1% to 22.2%. In both age groups and in both centers the number of children with established asthma diagnosis increased: in group 6-7 yrs of age in Krakow from 4.0% to 5.8%, in Poznań from 1.3% to 5.9%; in group 13-14 yrs of age in Krakow from 2.3% to 6.8%, in Poznań from 2.0% to 5.2%. Analysis of current symptoms (in the last year) confirmed increasing prevalence of wheezing, wheezing after exercise and night cough in Poznań in both age group, in Krakow only in older children. In younger children in Kraków significant difference concerned only wheezing after exercise. The most frequent symptom reported by children was nocturnal cough in the last year. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of the asthma symptoms and established asthma diagnosis increased during last 7 years. However significant number of children presenting asthma symptoms remains still underdiagnosed.
Photometric redshifts for the next generation of deep radio continuum surveys – I. Template fitting

We present a study of photometric redshift performance for galaxies and active galactic nuclei detected in deep radio continuum surveys. Using two multi-wavelength datasets, over the NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey Bootes and COSMOS fields, we assess photometric redshift (photo-z) performance for a sample of 4; 500 radio continuum sources with spectroscopic redshifts relative to those of 63; 000 non radio-detected sources in the same fields. We investigate the performance of three photometric redshift template sets as a function of redshift, radio luminosity and infrared/X-ray properties. We find that no single template library is able to provide the best performance across all subsets of the radio detected population, with variation in the optimum template set both between subsets and between fields. Through a hierarchical Bayesian combination of the photo-z estimates from all three template sets, we are able to produce a consensus photo-z estimate which equals or improves upon the performance of any individual template set.
Exploring the nexus between financial openness and informational efficiency – does the quality of institution matter?

This article examines the empirical link between financial openness and informational efficiency of stock markets in 27 emerging markets. Improving on earlier papers, this study has used World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) as the proxy of institutional development in dynamic panel data models estimated by generalized method of moments (GMM). Our results show, first, financial liberalization by itself has no impact on enhancing efficiency of stock market. Second, for countries with high level of institutional development, the interaction of trade openness and financial openness become significant. Third, for the same group of countries, interaction effect of financial liberalization and institutional development leads to more efficiency in stock market. Hence, our finding demonstrates the utmost importance of institutional development and its role on liberalization. Our results conclude that institutional development and trade openness are pre-requisites for a country to benefit from financial openness. Our study further provides empirical evidence to theoretical model proposed by Basu and Morey (2005) that governance is the missing link between stock market efficiency and financial liberalization. Our findings suggest that policy makers in developing economies should enhance the quality of their institution in order to optimize the benefits of financial liberalization.
Construction de la Nation et Pluralisme Suisses: Idéologie et Pratiques

Resume Par l'exemple de la construction nationale suisse, l'objectif est de montrer comment les nations modernes oscillent entre les poles ethnique et civique, ou, pour reprendre Tonnies, entre "communaute et societe". La Suisse, en raison de nombreuses forces centrifuges (diversite confessionnelle, linguistique, sociale, etc.), n'echappe pas a un processus de "nationalisation" ou de "communalisation" au sens weberien. L'invention de mythes nationaux renvoie a une construction de type ethnique, concretisee par l'idee d'exceptionnalite ou d'insularite. L'analyse politologique selon le modele consociatif – dont les limites sont relevees – s'inscrit dans une meme perspective. L'examen du droit de la nationalite conforte a son tour le constat de la predominance de la conception ethnique, davantage que civique, de la nation suisse. En conclusion, les difficultes actuelles face a l'ouverture a l'exterieur et particulierement a l'Union europeenne, sont interpretees comme une accentuation de la dimension communautaire de la nation suisse et un retrait de la dimension civique.
Prostitution and Trafficking of Women and Children from Mexico to the United States

ABSTRACT The historical background of sex trafficking from the United States to Mexico is briefly described. We also summarize two case examples that illustrate the complexity of providing physical and emotional safety, as well as immigration protection to victims of trafficking. We emphasize the importance of understanding the varied cultural contexts in which sexual exploitation, rape, prostitution and trafficking occur. Two agencies: Arte Sana in Dripping Springs, Texas and the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition in San Diego, California, offer a range of culturally appropriate services to Latina survivors of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, prostitution, and trafficking.
Vitamin B-6, Independent of Homocysteine, Is a Significant Factor in Relation to Inflammatory Responses for Chronic Kidney Disease and Hemodialysis Patients

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether plasma pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and homocysteine were dependent on or independent of each other in order to be associated with inflammatory markers in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or those receiving hemodialysis treatment. This was a cross-sectional study. Sixty-eight stage 2–5 CKD patients and 68 hemodialysis patients had one time fasting blood drawn for measurements of plasma PLP, pyridoxal (PL), homocysteine, and several inflammatory markers. Early CKD stage (stages 2-3) patients showed significantly lower plasma PLP levels and homocysteine concentrations than patients in an advanced CKD stage (stages 4-5) and those undergoing hemodialysis. Plasma PLP significantly correlated with CRP levels (partial rs = −0.21, p < 0.05) and plasma PL significantly correlated with IL-10 levels (partial rs = −0.24, p < 0.01), while plasma PLP plus PL significantly correlated with both CRP levels (partial rs = −0.20, p < 0.05) and interleukin-1β (partial rs = 0.22, p < 0.05) levels after adjusting for plasma homocysteine and other potential confounders. Plasma homocysteine displayed no significant correlations with any inflammatory markers. Vitamin B-6 status, rather than homocysteine, appeared to be a significant factor in relation to inflammatory responses for CKD and hemodialysis patients.
Video game play and dream bizarreness

In a series of studies, Gackenbach has been mapping the effects of heavy video game play on consciousness including dreaming. The reason that gamers are being investigated is that they represent a group of people who are engaging in the most immersive media experience widely available today. With its audio and visual interactive nature as well as the long hours often required to master a game, they are an opportune group to study media effects upon consciousness. In this study, the focus was on dream bizarreness. Dream bizarreness has been variously thought to be the differentiator between waking and dreaming thought, an indication of creativity, and, most recently, as a model for solving the binding problem in consciousness. Using the Revonsuo and Salmivalli’s scale for dream content analysis it was found that high-end gamers evidenced more bizarre dreams than low-end gamers in two of three types of bizarreness categories.
Clinical statistics analysis on the characteristics of pneumoconiosis of Chinese miner population.

BACKGROUND Pneumoconiosis is one of the most common occupational diseases, which shows the progressive and irreversible pathological changes. It ultimately can induce pulmonary failure and lead to death. To date, these patients have no curative treatment option under the current standard of care, so it is especially important to delay the onset of the disease and slow down its progression. Therefore, understanding of clinical features of pneumoconiosis is particularly critical for medical intervention. METHODS We collected the clinical data from 118 pneumoconiosis cases of miners admitted in hospital and processed the statistics analysis by using the Chi-square test and the risk assessment. RESULTS Compared to other types of miners, gold miners are liable to cause Broncho-pulmonary co-infection with Chi-square value 18.748 and the P value <0.001. However, unexpectedly, the smoking miners displayed a better Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) compared to non-smokers, which showed 19.318 of Chi-square score and less than 0.001 of P value. And this connection was associated with the dust exposure time (P<0.05), showing the increasing risk of non-smoking miners occurred as the increasing time exposed to dust. In addition, our analysis indicated that the probability of smoking miners suffered from Broncho-pulmonary co-infection was less than non-smoking miners with Chi-square value 8.044 and P<0.01, which was also associated with the dust exposure time tendentiously, though P>0.05. Moreover, smoking history exhibited a deteriorating effect to the overall survival (OS) with 9.546 of Chi-square value and P<0.05, in accordance with smoking reducing life time. Interestingly, pneumoconiosis drugs could extend the smokers' OS, but not non-smokers'. CONCLUSIONS Our studies suggest that the history of smoking and exposure time of dust play important roles in the development of pneumoconiosis and smoking could be a factor that determines the treatment options depending on patients' smoking history.
A long-term follow-up study of 18 patients with sporadic hemiplegic migraine

Objective: Our objective was to study the long-term prognosis of sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM). Methods: We performed a longitudinal follow-up study in 18 patients who were diagnosed with SHM between 1993 and 1996. Follow-up time between the first and second survey ranged from nine to 14 years. These patients were included as part of a genetic study in which we systematically analysed the role of the three known familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) genes. Results: In 12 out of 18 patients the clinical diagnosis was unchanged. In two of the six remaining patients the attacks were no longer associated with hemiplegia; one of them had an ATP1A2 gene mutation (E120A). In the four other patients, the diagnosis changed into FHM, because a family member had developed hemiplegic migraine since the initial diagnosis was made. In two of the four patients a mutation was demonstrated (CACNA1A [R583Q] and ATP1A2 [R834X]). Conclusion: This study shows that the diagnosis of SHM changes into FHM in a considerable percentage of patients (22% [4 of 18]), almost a decade after the initial diagnosis. This indicates that a careful follow-up of SHM patients and their families is advisable for optimal care and counseling. Diagnostic screening of FHM genes in SHM patients can be of value. Our genetic and clinical follow-up studies reinforce the evidence that FHM and SHM are part of the same spectrum of migraine.
The Effect of Corporate Multinationalism on Shareholders' Wealth: Evidence from International Acquisitions

This study presents direct evidence on the effect of international acquisitions on stock prices of U.S. bidding firms. Shareholders of multinational corporations not operating in the target firm's country experience significant positive abnormal returns at the announcement of international acquisitions. Shareholders of U.S. firms expanding internationally for the first time experience insigni ficant positive abnormal returns, while shareholders of multinational corporations operating already in the target firm's country experience insignificant negative abnormal returns. The abnormal returns are larger when firms expand into new industry and geographic markets-especially those less developed than the U.S. economy. Copyright 1988 by American Finance Association.
A Nonlinear Controller for Input Amplitude and Rate Constrained Linear Systems

This technical note presents a nonlinear state feedback controller for systems with linear dynamics subject to an amplitude and rate limited actuator. The nonlinear state feedback facilitates faster convergence compared to linear state feedback while guaranteeing domains of attraction of similar size. The parametrization of the controller is done solving a convex optimization problem based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, an example illustrates that the controller achieves large stability regions and short settling times.
Paradox of Coordination and Control

This article describes the contrasting systems of coordination and control at American and Southwest Airlines. Contrary to popular belief, the best way to achieve coordination in high velocity settings like the airline industry is not to create a flat organization based on performance measurement and little supervision. Rather it is better to build an organization based on cross-functional accountability to diffuse blame, with adequate supervisory staffing to provide coaching and feedback. Coordination benefits from strengthening this role of supervisors while weakening the role of accountability and performance measurement.
Uncertainty and International Trade in the Presence of Stock Markets

Like many other branches of economic theory, international trade theory has experienced growing interest in uncertainty problems during the last few years. Several sources of uncertainty were examined: uncertainty in preferences, which induces uncertainty in the terms of trade ([12]);1 uncertainty in the terms of trade without reference to more basic causes ([1], [3], [15], [16], [17]); and technological uncertainty ([4], [17]). In some cases, trading commitments were assumed to take place before the resolution of uncertainty ([3], [15]); in other cases, trading commitments were assumed to take place only after the resolution of uncertainty ([1], [3], [4], [12], [16], [17]). However, a common (and crucial) feature of all the models used in the above works is that they did not contain international risk-sharing arrangements. The main conclusion of this body of literature was that the basic theorems of international trade theory (Factor Price Equalization, Stolper-Samuelson, Rybczynski and Specialization According to Comparative Advantage) do not carry over to uncertain environments. In this paper, we develop a different model of international trade under conditions of uncertainty. Its main novelty is that it contains stock markets. The model results from an integration of the theory of international trade with recent developments in the theory of financial markets. (For the latter, see [5], [6], [8], [9], [13].) We show that many of the models used by earlier writers can be interpreted as special cases of our model, if we do not allow international trade in securities. Using this interpretation, we explain why the basic theorems of international trade do not carry over to uncertain environments in the absence of international risk-sharing arrangements (Section 4). Then, we show that the basic theorems of international trade do carry over to uncertain environments if international trade in securities is admitted into the model (Section 5). However, it should be emphasized that the stock market model does not enable perfect risk sharing as do the Arrow-Debreu model of contingent commodities and the model of Arrow-type securities; our model contains incomplete markets rather than complete markets. An economy with a stock market is described in Section 2. In Section 3, we apply the framework of Section 2 to the Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin models, assuming that no international trade in shares is allowed to take place. In Section 4, we discuss the implications of our Section 2 models. In Section 5, we introduce international trade in shares and future markets, and discuss their implications. Finally, in Section 6, we discuss limitations and possible extensions of our work.
Bank Loan Officers' Perceptions of Business Owners: The Role of Gender

There is a widely held belief that banks may be discriminating against female business owners. This study was designed to explore the perceptions held by bank loan officers of male and female business owners, using Bourdieu's theory of practice and Kelly's personal construct methodology. The research literature might lead to an expectation that the characteristics of the business owners would be relatively homogenous but that men and women business owners would be construed differently (for example women might be seen to lack drive). However, the results demonstrate heterogeneity in the constructs held by bank loan officers, and a particular concern with the character of the business owner. Significant gender differences were observed in only 20 of the 325 constructs elicited from 35 bank loan officers. Female bank loan officers were as likely as male bank loan officers to draw gender distinctions between business owners. Detailed multivariate analyses confirmed no evidence of systematic gender differences in the constructs held by bank loan officers of business owners.
Financial stress and its physical effects on individuals and communities

Everywhere you look, the symptoms of the current recession are clear: homes lost to foreclosure, job losses across almost every sector of the economy, dwindling retirement portfolios, and frozen credit markets. But the recession has also led to a number of other symptoms that haven? t been getting enough attention: headaches, backaches, ulcers, increased blood pressure, depression and anxiety, just to name a few. Extended periods of stress can take their toll on physical, mental, and emotional health, compounding the difficulties that many low- and moderate-income communities face during troubled economic times. As we think about ways to strengthen health and community development finance at the institutional level, we need to remember the impact that financial instability can have on health outcomes at the individual level.