Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The will to give: charitable bequests, inter vivos gifts and community building in the Dutch Republic, c. 1600–1800

ABSTRACT This article explores the role of different social groups in early modern Dutch towns in organising and financing poor relief. Examining both the income structure of Dutch urban poor relief organisations and voluntary donations and bequests by citizens reveals what motivations lay behind their involvement, and how and why these changed over time. In the seventeenth century, ‘middle groups’ donated more often and higher mean amounts, reflecting their efforts to contribute to urban community building. In the eighteenth century, the elite became relatively more involved in charitable giving. Also, the urge to give to one's own religious group seems to have increased in this period. La volonté de donner: legs caritatifs, donations entre vifs et construction communautaire dans la République hollandaise (1600–1800) Cet article explore le rôle de groupes sociaux différents, dans les villes hollandaises de l'époque moderne, dans l'organisation et le financement de l'aide aux pauvres. L'auteur examine à la fois comment étaient structurés les revenus des institutions caritatives urbaines en Hollande, les donations et les legs individuels faits par des citoyens. Elle révèle quelles motivations étaient invoquées pour leur participation et comment et pourquoi ces motivations changèrent au fil du temps. Au dix-septième siècle, c'étaient les classes moyennes qui faisaient don le plus souvent et les dons étaient élevés, reflétant leur souci de contribuer à la construction communautaire urbaine. Au dix-huitième siècle, l'élite est devenue relativement plus impliquée dans le don aux institutions caritatives. Et aussi, dans cette période, la forte envie de donner à son propre groupe religieux semble s'être imposée de plus en plus. Der Wille zu geben: wohltätige Stiftungen, Geschenke unter Lebenden und städtische Gemeinschaftsbildung in der Niederländischen Republik, ca. 1600–1800 Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Rolle, die verschiedene soziale Gruppen in frühneuzeitlichen Städten in den Niederlanden für die Organisation und die Finanzierung der Armenfürsorge spielten. Sieht man sich sowohl die Einkommensstruktur der städtischen Armenfürsorgeeinrichtungen als auch freiwillige Spenden und Stiftungen von Bürgern an, so erkennt man die ihnen zugrundeliegenden Motivationen, aber ebenso, inwiefern und warum sie sich im Laufe der Zeit veränderten. So stifteten im 17. Jahrhundert die,, Mittelschichten“ häufiger und höhere Beträge, was ihre Anstrengungen reflektiert, zur Bildung einer städtischen Gemeinschaft beizutragen. Im 18. Jahrhundert dagegen finden wir im Bereich der mildtätigen Spenden ein stärkeres Engagement der städtischen Elite, wobei in dieser Zeit auch das Verlangen zugenommen zu haben scheint, innerhalb der eigenen religiösen Gruppe zu spenden.
Accounting for Pre-production Costs: Extracting Consensus

Accounting for the extractive industries has recently been added to the work program of the LASC, suggesting that Australian standard-setters will soon reconsider the relevant Australian standards. The method to be used to account for pre-production costs is likely to be a major concern in these deliberations. This paper discusses the available alternative accounting methods, including the change in regulation that SAC 4 would suggest is required. The paper reviews the development of the existing standard and presents evidence of significant diversity in mining companies' accounting practices. With this background in mind, the future of accounting regulation in the area is considered.
Family-friendly management, organizational performance and social legitimacy

Research on family-friendly practices has concentrated on the predictors of their use, particularly from the perspective of either institutional theory or the high involvement or commitment management vogue. This paper first shows how such perspectives can be used to generate hypotheses about the link between family-friendly management and organizational performance. Second, the paper reports research designed to test these, using data from a national representative sample of workplaces across the British economy, the Workplace Employment Relations Survey of 2004 (WERS2004). The results support the high commitment thesis that family-friendly management will strengthen the relationship between commitment and key economic outcomes, as the relationships between workforce commitment and productivity or quality are stronger in organizations when friendly management is high, which is consistent with social exchange theory. Family-friendly management is not, however, related to the human resource outcomes of labour turnover and absenteeism. Nor does the study find support for the argument that its use in conjunction with high involvement management enhances the performance effects of both. Equally, there is no support for the hypothesis from the institutional thesis that family-friendly management has positive effects on the legitimacy of the organization.
A dominant CD4(+) T-cell response to Helicobacter pylori reduces risk for gastric disease in humans.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Immunodominance is an important feature of antiviral, antitumor, and antibacterial cellular immune responses, but it is not well demonstrated in the immune responses against Helicobacter pylori. Antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells protect mice against infection with H pylori. We investigated the immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell response to neuraminyllactose-binding hemagglutinin (HpaA), which is a conserved, H pylori-specific colonization factor that is being investigated as an antigen for vaccination strategies. METHODS HpaA-specific CD4(+) T cells were expanded with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells that had been incubated with recombinant HpaA and characterized using overlapping synthetic peptides. We compared the percentage of CD4(+) T cells with specificity for HpaA(88-100), restricted to HLA-DRB1*1501, among 59 H pylori-infected subjects with different gastric diseases. RESULTS We identified and characterized several immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell epitopes derived from HpaA. The immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell responses specific to HpaA(88-100) were observed in most H pylori-infected individuals who expressed HLA-DRB1*1501 and were significantly more abundant in patients with less severe diseases (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS The HLA-DRB1*1501-restricted immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell response to HpaA(88-100) is associated with reduced risk of severe gastric diseases. Further study of these and other immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell responses to H pylori will provide insight into mechanisms of protective immunity and aid in vaccine design.
The Long-run Effects of Household Liquidity Constraints and Taxation on Fertility, Education, Saving, and Growth

This paper investigates economic growth under liquidity constraints by taking into account the choices of fertility, human capital and saving. In a model of four overlapping generations, parents are altruistic towards their offspring and finance their education investment. The government provides education subsidies to young adult parents and levies taxes on income of the adult generation. Sensitivity analysis on borrowing limits and tax parameters highlights effects with opposite sign on the main endogenous variables at steady state. A lift in liquidity constraints decreases savings and capital accumulation and this effect is responsible for the ambiguous sign of comparative statics on the rate of fertility and on human capital investment. From model simulation, we derive an inverted U-shaped curve relating the borrowing limit with fertility, education and growth, meaning that financial reforms in the less developed countries have positive effects on the economy in the long-run, even if they raise fertility and reduce savings. Greater government subsidies to human capital investments and lower income taxes have positive effects on savings and fertility. The same parameters present ambiguous effects on education investments and growth. Numerical simulations show that a) human capital investment has an inverted U-shaped relation with income taxes and education subsidies ; b) economic growth decreases with greater income taxes and increases with higher education subsidies. Jel codes: O40, O16, J13, D91.
The Effects of Xiangqing Anodyne Spray on Treating Acute Soft-Tissue Injury Mainly Depend on Suppressing Activations of AKT and p38 Pathways

Objectives. In the present study we try to elucidate the mechanism of Xiangqing anodyne spray (XQAS) effects on acute soft-tissue injury (STI). Methods. Acute STI model was established by hammer blow in the rat hind leg muscle. Within 8 hours, instantly after modeling and per 2-hour interval repeated topical applications with or without XQAS, CP or IH ethanol extracts spray (CPS and IHS) were performed, respectively; muscle swelling rate and inflammation-related biochemical parameters, muscle histological observation, and mRNA and protein expression were then examined. Results. XQAS dose-dependently suppressed STI-caused muscle swelling, proinflammatory mediator productions, and oxidative stress as well as severe pathological changes in the injured muscle tissue. Moreover, CPS mainly by blocking p38 activation while IHS majorly by blocking AKT activation led to cytoplastic IκBα degradation with NF-κB p65 translocated into the nucleus. There are synergistic effects between CP and IH components in the XQAS on preventing from acute STI with suppressing IκBα degradation, NF-κB p65 translocation, and subsequent inflammation and oxidative stress-related abnormality. Conclusion. Marked effects of XQAS on treating acute STI are ascribed to strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidative actions with a reasonable combination of CP active components, blocking p38-NF-κB pathway activated, and IH active components, blocking AKT-NF-κB pathway activated.
Study of understanding the internalized stigma of schizophrenia in psychiatric nurses in Japan

Aim: ‘Internalized stigma’ is a construct that reflects the degree to which a person accepts beliefs endorsed by society about mental illness. Among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, internalized stigma has been found to moderate the associations between insight and social function, hope, and self‐esteem. Among families of patients with schizophrenia, internalized stigma may not only hinder help‐seeking but also result in the families attempting to provide care themselves, without assistance from mental health services. Little is known about internalized stigma among service providers, especially psychiatric nurses in Japan. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between internalized stigma and ‘beliefs about the most appropriate form of hospitalization’ among psychiatric nurses.
STOCK MARKET REACTION TO ETHICAL INITIATIVES OF DEFENSE CONTRACTORS: THEORY AND EVIDENCE

This paper offers an Investor Decision Framework (IDF) to describe and measure investor behavior toward social responsibility information. This framework seeks to explain how investors perceive the effects of social responsibility information on firm value. The formation in 1986 by 32 major defense contractors of the Defense Industries Initiative (DII) provides an ideal example to assess stock market reaction to an ethical initiative. The performance of the DII firms was compared with that of a control group of non-DII defense firms, which did not sign the agreement, in order to measure and determine the extent to which the market placed substance on the DII as a public commitment to ethics. We initially posited that the DII firms stock price would move in a significantly positive direction. However, when our analysis revealed a significant negative impact not only on DII, but also on non-DII defense stock prices, we were forced to reject thisa priorihypothesis. The market interpreted this ethical initiative as (i) a precursor of future sanctions towards firms engaged in defense contracting or (ii) as a penalty for social irresponsibility imposed by socially conscious investors. Either way, it would have a negative impact upon future cash flows.
Preference of Female Mosquitoes for Natural and Artificial Resting Sites

ABSTRACT At a wetland study site in Tuskegee National Forest, AL, resting female mosquitoes were collected from natural and artificial resting sites to identify species-specific resting sites and to evaluate various artificial resting sites for their utility in collecting resting mosquitoes. Natural resting sites included small tree cavities, large tree cavities, and understory vegetation. Artificial resting sites included resting boxes, fiber pots, and plastic trash cans. We collected 12,888 female mosquitoes, representing 23 species in 8 genera, during the 6-month study. Each mosquito species demonstrated a preference for a particular type of resting site. Resting Aedes vexans females were collected almost exclusively from understory vegetation, while the great majority of Anopheles quadrimaculatus females were aspirated from large tree cavities. Culex erraticus and Cx. peccator females preferred trash cans over other available resting sites. Females of Cx. territans, although collected most commonly in large tree cavities, were also collected frequently from understory vegetation and trash cans. A multiple regression of resting-site parameters (excluding vegetation), including volume, surface area, and opening size, indicated that 50% and 20% of the variability associated with An. quadrimaculatus and Cx. territans collections, respectively, could be explained by opening size. Inner surface area and volume accounted for 33% and 12% of variation in Cx. erraticus and Cx. peccator collections, respectively. Thus, female mosquitoes generally preferred larger resting sites over smaller resting sites. Similarly shaped artificial resting sites (fiber pots and trash cans) yielded comparable numbers of females per unit of volume (for those species that preferred artificial resting sites), indicating that shape of the resting site is an important factor in resting-site preference. In addition, trash cans proved to be a valuable novel tool for collecting resting female mosquitoes.
Bacterial transformations of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrodibenzothiophene and dibenzothiophene

The transformations of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrodibenzothiophene (THDBT) were investigated with pure cultures of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. Metabolites were extracted from cultures with dichloromethane (DCM) and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with flame photometric, mass, and Fourier transform infrared detectors. Three 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN)-utilizing Pseudomonas strains oxidized the sulfur atom of THDBT to give the sulfoxide and sulfone. They also degraded the benzene ring to yield 3-hydroxy-2-formyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzothiophene. A cell suspension of a cyclohexane-degrading bacterium oxidized the alicyclic ring to give a hydroxy-substituted THDBT and a ketone, and it oxidized the aromatic ring to give a phenol, but no ring cleavage products were detected. GC analyses with an atomic emission detector, using the sulfur-selective mode, were used to quantify the transformation products from THDBT and dibenzothiophene (DBT). The cyclohexane degrader oxidized 19% of the THDBT to three metabolites. The cometabolism of THDBT and DBT by the three 1-MN-grown Pseudomonas strains resulted in a much greater depletion of the condensed thiophenes than could be accounted for in the metabolites detected by GC analysis, but there was no evidence of sulfate release from DBT. These 1-MN-grown strains transiently accumulated 3-hydroxy-2-formylbenzothiophene (HFBT) from DBT, but it was subsequently degraded. On the other hand, Pseudomonas strain BT1d, which was maintained on DBT as a sole carbon source, accumulated 52% of the sulfur from DBT as HFBT over 7 days, and, in total, 82% of the sulfur from DBT was accounted for by the GC method used. Lyophilization of cultures grown on 1-MN with DBT and methyl esterification of the residues gave improved recoveries of total sulfur over that obtained by DCM extraction and GC analysis. This suggested that the further degradation of HFBT by these cultures leads to the formation of organosulfur compounds that are too polar to be extracted with DCM. We believe that this is the first attempt to quantify the products of DBT degradation by the so-called Kodama pathway.
Corporate competitive strategies in a transitional manufacturing industry: an empirical study

Purpose – This study aims to take a strategic approach to analyze how the US technical textile companies manage their business operations and to determine whether there are differences on competitive priorities between high‐ and low‐performing companies.Design/methodology/approach – A competitive priority model consisting of four latent constructs – low cost, quality, delivery performance, and flexibility – was utilized to construct the analysis. Primary data were collected through a survey of senior executives in the US technical textile companies. Using 202 eligible survey returns, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis within structural equation modeling were carried out to assess adequacy of the measurements and validity of the model.Findings – The competitive priority model is proven valid and the four constructs account for the most variance in corporate competitive strategies. High‐performing companies placed greater emphasis on quality and delivery performance strategies than.
Cost-effective primary care-based strategies to improve smoking cessation: more value for money.

BACKGROUND Evidence from cost-effective smoking cessation programs is scarce. This study determined the cost-effectiveness of 3 smoking cessation strategies as provided by general practitioners (GPs) in Germany. METHODS In a cluster-randomized smoking cessation trial, rates and intervention costs for 577 smoking patients of 82 GPs were followed up for 12 months. Three smoking cessation treatments were tested: (1) GP training plus GP remuneration for each abstinent patient, (2) GP training plus cost-free nicotine replacement medication and/or bupropion hydrochloride for the patient, and (3) a combination of both strategies. Smoking abstinence at 12 months was the primary outcome used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and net monetary benefits. RESULTS Intervention 1 was not effective compared with treatment as usual (TAU). Interventions 2 and 3 each proved to be cost-effective compared separately with TAU. When applying a 95% level of certainty of cost-effectiveness against TAU, euro 9.80 or euro 6.96, respectively, had to be paid for each additional 1% of patients abstinent at 12 months (maximum willingness to pay). That means that in intervention 2, euro 92.12 per patient in the program must be invested to gain 1 additional quitter (as opposed to euro 39.10 paid per patient during the trial). In intervention 2, the cost was euro 82.82, as opposed to euro 50.04. Neither of these 2 cost-effective treatments proved to be superior to the other. The cost-effectiveness of both treatments was stable against TAU in sensitivity analyses. (The exchange rate from October 1, 2003, was used; euro1 = $1.17.) CONCLUSIONS Both treatments have a high potential to reduce smoking-related morbidity at a low cost. It is highly recommended that they be implemented as a routine service offered by GPs because in many countries, health insurance plans currently do not fund nicotine replacement therapy.
The role of chronic prostatic inflammation in the pathogenesis and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Several different stimuli may induce chronic prostatic inflammation, which in turn would lead to tissue damage and continuous wound healing, thus contributing to prostatic enlargement. Patients with chronic inflammation and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have been shown to have larger prostate volumes, more severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and a higher probability of acute urinary retention than their counterparts without inflammation. Chronic inflammation could be a predictor of poor response to BPH medical treatment. Thus, the ability to identify patients with chronic inflammation would be crucial to prevent BPH progression and develop target therapies. Although the histological examination of prostatic tissue remains the only available method to diagnose chronic inflammation, different parameters, such as prostatic calcifications, prostate volume, LUTS severity, storage and prostatitis‐like symptoms, poor response to medical therapies and urinary biomarkers, have been shown to be correlated with chronic inflammation. The identification of patients with BPH and chronic inflammation might be crucial in order to develop target therapies to prevent BPH progression. In this context, clinical, imaging and laboratory parameters might be used alone or in combination to identify patients that harbour chronic prostatic inflammation.
Is the stock market efficient in bad times and inefficient in good times?

This article examines the cross sectional predictability of stock returns within the framework of time varying risk premia and asymmetric risk. In bad times, small, value and cyclical stocks are riskier than big, growth and noncyclical stocks, thereby explaining the value, size and cyclical premia. In contrast, in good times, value, big and noncyclical stocks generate higher average returns than do growth, small and cyclical stocks, despite the fact that they are not riskier. Furthermore, empirical tests of macroeconomic models highlight that average returns are commensurate with risk only in bad times. These results are robust to different measures of risk and different sets of test assets.
The relationship among board of director characteristics, corporate social performance and corporate financial performance

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between qualitative measures of a firm's Board of Directors and its corporate social performance (CSP). Design/methodology/approach - CSP is a function of qualitative measures of a firm's Board of Directors, as well as firm risk and financial performance. A longitudinal sample of 104 Canadian firms is used. Findings - Board independence is positively related to social performance but shareholder orientation is not. In addition, a positive relationship between social performance with both financial performance and debt is found. Research limitations/implications - Although the sample is small and restricted to Canadian firms, the results are quite robust. Future studies should consider using qualitative measures on a larger international sample of firms. Originality/value - This paper uses qualitative measures – the degree of independence of the Board and the Board's level of shareholder orientation – to examine the interrelationship between a firm's Board of Directors and its CSP.
Examining the nature of the gains from investment in the emerging stock markets of the Central and Eastern European region

This article examines the nature of any gains from investing in the emerging stock markets of Central and Eastern Europe using disaggregated data for 187 shares from eight stock exchanges over the period 1998 to 2003. The results suggest that gains exist; these gains are largest when diversification occurs across countries rather than via investment in different industries. However, the analysis also suggests that the returns earned by equities in these countries vary dramatically over time and, as such, may hamper the efforts of investors attempting to exploit this diversification ‘free lunch’.