Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Circular is the Global Economy?: An Assessment of Material Flows, Waste Production, and Recycling in the European Union and the World in 2005

It is increasingly recognized that the growing metabolism of society is approaching limitations both with respect to sources for resource inputs and sinks for waste and emission outflows. The circular economy (CE) is a simple, but convincing, strategy, which aims at reducing both input of virgin materials and output of wastes by closing economic and ecological loops of resource flows. This article applies a sociometabolic approach to assess the circularity of global material flows. All societal material flows globally and in the European Union (EU‐27) are traced from extraction to disposal and presented for main material groups for 2005. Our estimate shows that while globally roughly 4 gigatonnes per year (Gt/yr) of waste materials are recycled, this flow is of moderate size compared to 62 Gt/yr of processed materials and outputs of 41 Gt/yr. The low degree of circularity has two main reasons: First, 44% of processed materials are used to provide energy and are thus not available for recycling. Second, socioeconomic stocks are still growing at a high rate with net additions to stocks of 17 Gt/yr. Despite having considerably higher end‐of‐life recycling rates in the EU, the overall degree of circularity is low for similar reasons. Our results indicate that strategies targeting the output side (end of pipe) are limited given present proportions of flows, whereas a shift to renewable energy, a significant reduction of societal stock growth, and decisive eco‐design are required to advance toward a CE.
Fetal and Neonatal Programming : Epigenetic Modification of Phenotype Antenatal betamethasone has a sex-dependent effect on the in vivo response to endothelin in adult sheep

Lee J-H, Zhang J, Flores L, Rose JC, Massmann GA, Figueroa JP. Antenatal betamethasone has a sex-dependent effect on the in vivo response to endothelin in adult sheep. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 304: R581–R587, 2013. First published February 13, 2013; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00579. 2012. —Antenatal steroid administration is associated with multiple cardiometabolic alterations, including hypertension; however, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are unclear. The aim of the present study was to ascertain, in vivo, the contribution of the endothelin system to the development of hypertension in the adult offspring and the signaling pathway involved. Pregnant sheep were treated with two doses of betamethasone (n 23) or vehicle (n 22) at 80 days ( 0.55) gestation and allowed to deliver at term. Adult sheep were chronically instrumented under general anesthesia to place vascular catheters and a femoral artery flow probe. Blood pressure and flow were recorded continuously, and femoral artery vascular resistance was calculated before and during administration of endothelin 1 (ET-1). Selective blockers (dantrolene, BQ123, niacinamide) or saline were administered simultaneously. Betamethasone-exposed animals exhibited a significant elevation in mean blood pressure (female: 98 1.8 vs. 92 2.1; males: 97 3.4 vs. 90 2.3; mmHg; P 0.05). ET-1 elicited a significant increase in blood pressure (F 56.4; P 0.001) and in vascular resistance (F 44.3; P 0.001) in all groups. A betamethasone effect in the vascular resistance response to ET-1 (F 25.7; P 0.001) was present in females only, and the effect was partially blunted by niacinamide (F 6.6; P 0.01). Combined administration of niacinamide and BQ123, as well as of dantrolene abolished the betamethasone effect on vascular resistance. No significant differences in mRNA expression of ETA or ETB in endothelial or smooth muscle cells of resistance-size arteries were observed. We conclude that the betamethasone effect on vascular resistance is mediated by an enhanced response to ET-1 through ETA receptor via the cyclic ADPR/ryanodine pathway.
Money Wages, Consumer Prices, and Causality in Australia

This paper exploits recently developed statistical techniques to examine the causal patterns in lag relationships between changes in wages and consumer prices. The analysis uses quarterly data for selected periods and a total historical sample period 1954-82. Causation has generally been unidirectional from wages to prices. However, for the first half of the 1970s bidirectional causation was detected, though the causation from wages to prices was statistically more significant. Brief consideration is given to some policy implications of the results.
The Strategic Hrm Debate and the Resource‐Based View of the Firm

This article examines the implications of the resource-based view of the firm for the theory of strategic HRM. the resource-based view points to the sources of human resource advantage in building organisational capability. In this way, it helps us to identify the various ways in which HRM contributes to the strategic management of the firm. More work must be done, however, to relate resource-based concepts to important premises in employment relations theory. While our existing research base suggests that it will be possible to identify particular firms in any industry and economy which have built human resource advantage, the article argues that comparative research will continue to show important national differences which affect the competitiveness of firms.
Aggregate Earnings, Stock Market Returns and Macroeconomic Activity: A Discussion of 'Does Earnings Guidance Affect Market Returns? The Nature and Information Content of Aggregate Earnings Guidance'

Anilowski, Feng and Skinner (Journal of Accounting and Economics, 2006, this issue) examine the relationship between aggregate earnings guidance, aggregate earnings news and market returns. They provide evidence that changes in aggregate proportions of downward or upward earnings guidance are associated with aggregate earnings news and weakly associated with market returns. However, the study is unable to establish causality or the precise nature of the relationship between aggregate earnings guidance and market returns. To better understand the relationship, this paper analyses the relation between aggregate earnings, stock market returns and the macroeconomy. I empirically document that aggregate earnings primarily contain information about future inflation. This inflation information in aggregate earnings causes aggregate earnings to be negatively correlated with stock returns. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.
Mechanical parameters of thermally modified ash wood determined by compression in radial direction

Mechanical parameters of ash wood (Fraxinus excelsior) subjected to compression in radial direction, before and after its thermal modification and measured at moisture content close to the equilibrium moisture content of wood exposed in and outside (4 and 12%) were compared. Thermal modification of wood was performed at 190°C or 200°C for 2 h in industrial conditions. During the measurements, the moisture content of the modified and control samples was identical. The parameters compared included: modulus of elasticity, stress at proportionality limit, relative linear strain at proportionality limit and accumulated elastic energy. Changes in the mechanical parameters of wood induced by its thermal modification were found to depend on the modification temperature and wood moisture content.
Saturation of the biological response to orthodontic forces and its effect on the rate of tooth movement.

OBJECTIVES Investigate the expression and activity of inflammatory markers in response to different magnitudes of orthodontic forces and correlate this response with other molecular and cellular events during orthodontic tooth movement. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION CTOR Laboratory; 245 Sprague Dawley male rats. METHODS AND MATERIALS Control, sham, and 5 different experimental groups received different magnitudes of force on the right maxillary first molar using a coil spring. In the sham group, the spring was not activated. Control group did not receive any appliance. At days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28, the maxillae were collected for RNA and protein analysis, immunohistochemistry, and micro-CT. RESULTS There was a linear relation between the force and the level of cytokine expression at lower magnitudes of force. Higher magnitudes of force did not increase the expression of cytokines. Activity of CCL2, CCL5, IL-1, TNF-α, RANKL, and number of osteoclasts reached a saturation point in response to higher magnitudes of force, with unchanged rate of tooth movement. CONCLUSION After a certain magnitude of force, there is a saturation in the biological response, and higher forces do not increase inflammatory markers, osteoclasts, nor the amount of tooth movement. Therefore, higher forces to accelerate the rate of tooth movement are not justified.
The Entropy Theory of Mind and Behavioral Finance

Rapid accumulation of empirical studies in behavioral finance calls for a unified and consistent theoretical synthesis. Instead of building up a behavioral theory of economics directly, we present the entropy theory of mind, which is an economic theory of mind. Then we integrate the value and cost of information processing into the overall picture in economic decision making. The entropy theory of mind includes a theory of judgment, which provides a common framework to integrate behavioral and informational theories of investment. The theory of judgment provides a quantitative link between investors’ judgment and their trading activities. It offers a simple and unified understanding of major patterns in market activities and investor behaviors. As an application, a simple mathematical model based on the entropy theory of mind is constructed to understand many empirical patterns related to the cycles of momentum and reversals in asset markets. During various phases of the cycles, trading volumes and trading behaviors of investors of different sizes often show distinct characteristics. It has been a long standing challenge to describe the multiple patterns simultaneously from a quantitative theory. In this paper, we show that the predictions derived from the model are consistent with the multiple empirical patterns of trading volumes and investor activities at the different phases of the cycle of momentum and reversal.
Positive and negative meanings are simultaneously ascribed to colorectal cancer: Relationship to quality of life and psychosocial adjustment

Abstract Objective: Experiencing cancer can give rise to existential concerns causing great distress, and consequently drive individuals to make sense of what cancer may mean to their lives. To date, meaning-based research in the context of cancer has largely focused on one possible outcome of this process, the emergence of positive meanings (e.g. post-traumatic growth). However, negative meanings may also be ascribed to cancer, simultaneously with positive meanings. This study focused on the nature of the co-existence of positive and negative meanings in a sample of individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer to find out whether negative meaning had an impact on quality of life and psychosocial adjustment above and beyond positive meaning. Methods: Participants were given questionnaires measuring meaning-made, quality of life, and psychological distress. Semi structured interviews were conducted with a subgroup from the original sample. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that negative meaning-made (i.e. helplessness) was a significant predictor of poor quality of life and increased levels of depression/anxiety above and beyond positive meaning-made (i.e. life meaningfulness, acceptance, and perceived benefits). Correlational analyses and interview data revealed that negative meaning-made was mainly associated with physical and functional disability, while positive meaning-made was mostly related to emotional and psychological well-being. Significance of results: Meanings of varying valence may simultaneously be ascribed to cancer as it impacts different life dimensions, and they may independently influence quality of life and psychosocial adjustment. The presence of positive meaning was not enough to prevent the detrimental effects of negative meaning on psychosocial adjustment and quality of life among individuals taking part in this study. Future attention to negative meaning is warranted, as it may be at least as important as positive meaning in predicting psychosocial adjustment and quality of life following a cancer diagnosis.
Valuing Environmental Quality Changes when Quality is a Weak Complement to a Set of Goods

In practice, it is frequently impossible to identify a single good which is a weak complement to an environmental amenity for which welfare measures are desired. However, a set of goods exhibiting this property sometimes exists, e.g., water-related recreational activities when the nonmarket good to be valued is water quality. A set of weak complements is defined and implications for welfare measurement presented. The proper welfare measure now involves evaluation of a line integral and simple additions of areas under demand curves will not always be correct. However, under certain econometric circumstances, approximate welfare measures can be obtained from estimated functions.
Effects of investments in out-of-school education in Germany and Japan

Abstract The aim of this paper is to clarify in what ways school performance and out-of-school lessons are linked, with special emphasis on social disparities in educational attainment. Previous research about shadow education indicates that out-of-school education may indeed be a factor to improve the academic achievement of school students. On the other hand, it is stated nearly without exception that the socioeconomic background of a student plays a significant role for academic achievement as well. Using data of the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this paper shows new findings in comparing effects of shadow education investments on students’ performance in Japan and Germany. We found that out-of-school education investments in both countries led to four significant outcomes: (i) in Japan, high school students’ academic achievement is increased due to out-of-school lessons; (ii) in both countries there is great variation in how out-of-school lessons affect academic performance according to the types of out-of-school lessons and the area of stay; (iii) out-of-school education determines higher achievement scores in international comparison in a decisive way and therefore provides a reasonable explanation for the Japanese success in PISA; and (iv) since the mid-1990s the system in Japan has advanced from a mixed to a predominantly enrichment out-of-school education system, while the German out-of-school education system is still of remedial character.
Flow-Performance Relationship and Star Effect: New Evidence from Chinese Mutual Funds

In this paper, we reexamine the mutual fund flow-performance relationship and star effect using mutual funds in China that have unique features of high risk and low performance persistence. Confirming prior studies, we find that fund performance is positively related to flows in subsequent periods. However, our results show that funds that performed well in the past do not attract additional inflows after controlling for performance. In addition, a star fund, a fund with a five-star Morningstar rating, does not have any significant effect on the fund's flows. These results suggest that it is important to recognize the difference in investor groups and factors that affect performance persistence when analyzing the mutual fund flow-performance relationship.
Examining finite-sample problems in the application of cointegration tests for long-run bilateral exchange rates

Numerous empirical studies investigate whether exchange rates are related to `economic fundamentals' in the long-run and find a range of relationships through cointegration analysis. We report similar cointegrating relationships for the value of the New Zealand dollar relative to the US dollar (NZD/USD) and for the value of the New Zealand dollar relative to the Australian dollar (NZD/AUD). These include determinants such as commodity prices, 90-day interest rate differentials, and inflation and growth differentials. However, Godbout and van Norden (1997) demonstrate that finite-sample problems may have affected the conclusions of such cointegration studies. Through a simple Monte Carlo study, we consider whether the cointegration coefficients can reasonably be interpreted as `long-run' elasticities of the exchange rate to changes in fundamental variables. The simulation results suggest that given a relatively short span of data it is possible for cointegration analysis to indicate that a long-run relationship has been found when in fact there is only a cyclical relationship. Therefore caution is advised when interpreting the empirical results and making policy assessments about the nature of exchange movements relative to its broad trend.
Lymphocytic thyroiditis on histology correlates with serum thyroglobulin autoantibodies in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma: impact on detection of serum thyroglobulin.

CONTEXT Serum thyroglobulin (Tg), the marker of residual tumor in papillary thyroid carcinoma, can be underestimated in patients with Tg autoantibodies (TgAb). TgAb are due to a coexistent lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) or the papillary thyroid carcinoma per se. TgAb assays are highly discordant. DESIGN We evaluated 141 patients with a clinical diagnosis of nodular thyroid disease, 32 of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and four of Graves' disease, who underwent total thyroidectomy for an associated papillary thyroid carcinoma. Patients were classified as papillary thyroid carcinoma-lymphocytic thyroiditis (PTC-T) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) according to the presence or absence of LT on histology. Tg was measured before thyroid remnant ablation, when it is expectedly detectable, by an immunometric assay (IMA) and TgAb by three noncompetitive IMA and three competitive radioimmunoassays (RIA). The number of lymphocytes was compared with TgAb concentration. RESULTS Seventy-two of 177 patients (40.7%) were classified as PTC-T and 105 (59.3%) as PTC. Although the tumor stage was similar in the two groups, Tg was undetectable in more PTC-T (37 of 72) than PTC (12 of 105) (P < 0.01), and Tg values were lower in the former (0; 0-4.7 ng/ml) (median; 25th to 75th percentiles) than in the latter group (9.7; 2.7-24.2) (P < 0.01). Accordingly, the percent of positive TgAb by the six assays resulted in higher PTC-T (29.2-50.0%) than PTC (1.9-6.7%) (P < 0.01). Among 49 patients with undetectable Tg, TgAb were more frequently positive by IMA (57.1-63.3%) than RIA (30.6-42.9%). The number of lymphocytes correlated with TgAb concentration in all six assays (0.34 < Rho < 0.46) (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS In papillary thyroid carcinoma, LT on histology must be carefully searched for because it is frequently associated with TgAb and therefore mistakenly low or undetectable Tg. TgAb can be missed by some assays. In absence of LT, TgAb are rare.
The Political Economy of Agrarian Labour Relations in Zimbabwe after Redistributive Land Reform

This article examines the reconfiguration of agrarian labour relations in Zimbabwe following extensive land redistribution since 2000. Based on field research, it shows that the new forms of labour utilization that have emerged are structured around new land ownership and material conditions, within a more diversified agrarian economy. The new agrarian structure is characterized by reduced supplies of wage labour, as more of the previously land-short peasants are now self-employed on the land they gained, while part-time wage-labour provision has grown in the differentiated capitalist farms, which have been largely unable to enforce labour tenancy relations. Agrarian politics are increasingly focused on class struggles between capital and labour, in general, and the competition for resources between the different modes of farming.
Consumer concern and behaviour regarding food and health in Norway

This study was undertaken to answer four questions. How widespread is the interest in health issues related to food among consumers in Norway? What types of food-related health risks are the consumers concerned about? How is the concern expressed among different groups and subgroups of the population? How is the interest in food and health expressed in terms of food behaviour? The paper is built on results from two nationwide consumer surveys in Norway: one telephone interview including 1,021 persons and one postal questionnaire including 13,857 persons. The data revealed that 72% of the consumers were very or rather concerned that the food they eat could be harmful to health. Contrary to results from some other studies, the majority of the Norwegian consumers (57%) were mostly concerned that the food they eat could contain too much fat. Even though the fat issue attracted most attention, many were also concerned about food additives (39%) and contaminants from environmental pollution (43%). Logistic regression analyses showed that the expression of concern is different in various subgroups of the population, divided according to age, income, education and place of residence, Data on food behaviour confirmed the heavy emphasis that consumers put on the fat issue and on additives in food.
Path Dependence and Critical Junctures in Irish Rental Policy: From Dualist to Unitary Rental Markets?

Ireland is categorised as an example of the dualist rental system in From Public Housing to the Social Market—Kemeny's (1995) landmark comparative study of rented housing. This article, which examines the historical development of public subsidisation of housing and regulation of tenants' occupancy rights in Ireland, argues that contrary to Kemeny's (1996) assumption, the dualist model has recently unravelled in this country and been replaced by an embryonic unitary rental model. This is evidenced by increasing tenure neutrality of government housing subsidies; equalisation of the secure occupancy rights and minimum standards regulations across most of the rented sector and the recent decline of home ownership and expansion of renting for the first time since records began. Using ‘path dependence’ and other concepts from the historical institutionalist literature, the reasons for these developments are explored as are their implications for Kemeny's (1995) thesis.
The Relative Tax Benefits of Alternative Call Features in Corporate Debt

Abstract This paper examines the differential tax treatment of the borrower and lender at the time debt is called as a potential explanation for the widespread existence of call provisions in corporate debt. This tax effect alone cannot explain the standard call feature because greater tax benefits may be derived for bonds callable at market prices. The equilibrium implications of the model allowing for tax arbitrage opportunities both at the corporate level and the individual level also are considered.