Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional Economic Structure and Innovative Behaviour in Switzerland

BRUGGER E. A. and STUCKEY B. (1987) Regional economic structure and innovative behaviour in Switzerland, Reg. Studies 21, 241–254. The following article is a summary of research results gained through various projects which were carried out under the auspices of the Swiss National Research Programme ‘Regional Problems in Switzerland’. The subject dealt with is the relationship between innovative activity at the entrepreneurial level and regional disparities in the Swiss economic landscape. Emphasis is put on product, market, and process innovations. Organizational, management, financial, and sourcing innovations are treated marginally or not at all. The special contribution of the paper lies in the quantity and variety of studies which were available for analysing developments in one small area—the country of Switzerland. BRUGGER E. A. et STUCKEY B. (1987) Structure economique regionale et comportement innovateur en Suisse, Reg. Studies 21, 241–254. L'article qui suit est un resume des resultats des reche.
Monetary Policy Analysis in a Closed Economy: A Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Approach

This paper develops and estimates a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model of a closed economy which approximately accounts for the empirical evidence concerning the monetary transmission mechanism, as summarized by impulse response functions derived from an estimated structural vector autoregressive model, while dominating that structural vector autoregressive model in terms of predictive accuracy. The model features short run nominal price and wage rigidities generated by monopolistic competition and staggered reoptimization in output and labour markets. The resultant inertia in inflation and persistence in output is enhanced with other features such as habit persistence in consumption, adjustment costs in investment, and variable capital utilization. Cyclical components are modeled by linearizing equilibrium conditions around a stationary deterministic steady state equilibrium, while trend components are modeled as random walks while ensuring the existence of a well defined balanced growth path. Parameters and trend components are jointly estimated with a novel Bayesian full information maximum likelihood procedure.
An economic evaluation of valsartan for post-MI patients in the UK who are not suitable for treatment with ACE inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES The overall objective of this study was to estimate the costs and outcomes associated with treatment with valsartan for post-myocardial infarction (post-MI) patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, heart failure, or both, who are not suitable for treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, compared to placebo. METHODS A Markov model, using data drawn from the Valsartan in Acute Myocardial Infarction (VALIANT) trial and other trials, was developed to predict the future health pathways, resource use, and costs for patients who have recently experienced an MI. Patients received either valsartan (mean dose 247 mg) or placebo. Cost data were drawn from national databases and published literature, although health outcome utility weights were derived from existing studies. Patient outcomes were modeled for 10 years, and incremental cost-effective ratios were calculated for valsartan compared with placebo. RESULTS Over a period of 10 years, a cohort of 1000 patients treated with valsartan experienced 147 fewer cardiovascular deaths, 37 fewer nonfatal MIs, and 95 fewer cases of heart failure than a cohort who received placebo. The incremental cost of valsartan, compared with placebo, was 2680 pound per patient, although the incremental effectiveness of valsartan was 0.5021 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained per patient. Therefore, the incremental cost per QALY for treatment with valsartan was 5338 pound. When analysis was undertaken using life-years rather than QALYs, the cost per life-year gained was 4672 pound. CONCLUSIONS For patients who are not suitable for treatment with ACE inhibitors, valsartan is a viable and cost-effective treatment for their management after an MI.
Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Couples: A Community‐Based Study

Background Determination of the correlation of ideal cardiovascular health variables among spousal or cohabitating partners may guide the development of couple‐based interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Method and Results We used data from the HeartSCORE (Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation) study. Ideal cardiovascular health, defined by the American Heart Association, comprises nonsmoking, body mass index <25 kg/m2, physical activity at goal, diet consistent with guidelines, untreated total cholesterol <200 mg/dL, untreated blood pressure <120/80 mm Hg, and untreated fasting glucose <100 mg/dL. McNemar test and logistic regression were used to assess concordance patterns in these variables among partners (ie, concordance in achieving ideal factor status, concordance in not achieving ideal factor status, or discordance—only one partner achieving ideal factor status). Overall, there was a low prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health among the 231 couples studied (median age 61 years, 78% white). The highest concordances in achieving ideal factor status were for nonsmoking (26.1%), ideal fruit and vegetable consumption (23.9%), and ideal fasting blood glucose (35.6%). The strongest odds of intracouple concordance were for smoking (odds ratio, 3.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.9–6.5), fruit and vegetable consumption (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.5–9.3) and blood pressure (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–7.9). A participant had 3‐fold higher odds of attaining ≥3 ideal cardiovascular health variables if he or she had a partner who attained ≥3 components (odds ratio 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.6–5.6). Conclusions Intracouple concordance of ideal cardiovascular health variables supports the development and testing of couple‐based interventions to promote cardiovascular health. Fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking may be particularly good intervention targets.
A structural analysis of external debt and economic growth: some evidence from selected countries in Asia and the Pacific

In an attempt to resolve the existing controversy about the cause and effect relationship between external dept and economic slowdown, Granger causality tests are conducted with data on indebted developing countries of Asia and Pacific. The results of these tests indicate that the Bulow–Rogoff proposition that the external debts of developing countries are a symptom rather than a cause of economic slowdown is rejected. They also indicate that the Dornbush–Krugman proposition that external dept leads to economic slowdown is also rejected. Moreover, a feedback-type relationship is not rejected for two countries. In view of the mixed results, this paper also estimates the nexus of inter-relationship between public and private external dept accumulation, capital accumulation and production within a simultaneous equation system. The estimation results indicate that the full effects of the public and private external depts on GNP are small and of an opposite sign, whereas an increase in the GNP level raises sub.
Consumer adoption of technological innovations

This paper introduces a conceptual model of consumer innovation adoption based on knowledge and compatibility. More specifically, innovation adoption is proposed to be determined by four adopter groups: technovators, supplemental experts, novices, and core experts, and the interaction between their knowledge and compatibility with the technological innovation. Compatibility occurs when a potential adopter perceives the innovation as being consistent with his/her existing values, past experiences, and needs. The model presented is intended to help researchers and practitioners successfully identify potential adopters of a technological innovation.
Identification of animal behavioral strategies by inverse reinforcement learning

Animals are able to reach a desired state in an environment by controlling various behavioral patterns. Identification of the behavioral strategy used for this control is important for understanding animals’ decision-making and is fundamental to dissect information processing done by the nervous system. However, methods for quantifying such behavioral strategies have not been fully established. In this study, we developed an inverse reinforcement-learning (IRL) framework to identify an animal’s behavioral strategy from behavioral time-series data. As a particular target, we applied this framework to C. elegans thermotactic behavior; after cultivation at a constant temperature with or without food, the fed and starved worms prefer and avoid from the cultivation temperature on a thermal gradient, respectively. Our IRL approach revealed that the fed worms used both absolute and temporal derivative of temperature and that their strategy comprised mixture of two strategies: directed migration (DM) and isothermal migration (IM). The DM is a strategy that the worms efficiently reach to specific temperature, which explained thermotactic behaviors of the fed worms. The IM is a strategy that the worms track along a constant temperature, which reflects isothermal tracking well observed in previous studies. We also showed the neural basis underlying the strategies, by applying our method to thermosensory neuron-deficient worms. In contrast to fed animals, the strategy of starved animals indicated that they escaped the cultivation temperature using only absolute, but not temporal derivative of temperature. Thus, our IRL-based approach is capable of identifying animal strategies from behavioral time-series data and will be applicable to wide range of behavioral studies, including decision-making of other organisms. Author Summary Understanding animal decision-making has been a fundamental problem in neuroscience and behavioral ecology. Many studies analyze actions that represent decision-making in behavioral tasks, in which rewards are artificially designed with specific objectives. However, it is impossible to extend this artificially designed experiment to a natural environment, because in a natural environment, the rewards for freely-behaving animals cannot be clearly defined. To this end, we must reverse the current paradigm so that rewards are identified from behavioral data. Here, we propose a new reverse-engineering approach (inverse reinforcement learning) that can estimate a behavioral strategy from time-series data of freely-behaving animals. By applying this technique with thermotaxis in C. elegans, we successfully identified the reward-based behavioral strategy.
Young People and Flexibility of the Labour Market: The Willingness of Unemployed Finnish Young People towards Flexible Employment

The aim of the study was to find out in what ways young people are willing to be flexible about their work conditions in order to get a job. Attitudes towards flexibility were studied using cluster analysis and data from a survey of young unemployed Finns. The results revealed three significant components of labour market flexibility: contractual flexibility, mobility and unofficial employment. Contractual flexibility meant that a young person agreed on his/her work conditions directly with the employer. Mobility characterized willingness to change residence or even country in order to get a job. Unofficial employment implied the possibility to be employed in the unofficial sector. The pay in this case would be more than the unemployment benefit but less than minimum wages. Half of the respondents took a positive stand to all three components of flexibility. There was also, however, a minority with a negative attitude. These were usually older persons with long work experience. Greater flexibility would compel them to give up many acquired benefits. The conclusion of the study was that those young people who had no benefits to lose were most flexible. Those who had acquired good benefits had strong negative attitudes towards flexibility.
Two novel mutations of the ADAR1 gene in Chinese patients with dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria.

The response of psoriasis lesions to NB-UVB phototherapy is related to the radiation dose, and a high-dose UVB therapy results in fewer treatments with better long-term efficacy. [4,5] For almost all psoriasis patients who receive treatment in whole body NB-UVB cabins, the trunk lesions resolve faster than those on the extremities, especially those on the lower legs. May be the disproportionate UV intensity is one of the reasons for this. Since the skin on the limbs can tolerate more UV irradiation, it might be useful to give a supplementary radiation dose to the limbs, especially the lower legs after whole–body NB–UVB treatment to facilitate the clearance of psoriasis lesions.
Public-sector pay in China: 1949–2001

Despite the quantitative and qualitative significance of the public sector in China, insufficient studies have been carried out to advance our knowledge of its pay policy and practice and any changes that may have taken place in the wake of the market economy. This paper provides an overview of the three major reforms in China's public-sector pay in the last five decades and assesses its likely impact on public-sector employees' income in relation to that of workers in enterprises. It focuses on the role of the state in the pay determination process, factors influencing the wage distribution, changes in pay structure and grading systems and causes for earning differentials. It reveals a very different approach to pay determination from those more familiarly seen in the UK and indeed Europe and the US. The exploration of the conflicts and tensions characteristic of the public-sector pay system in China will enhance our understanding of the pressures and dilemmas facing different governments.
Effect of menstrual cycle and hormonal treatment on ki-67 and bcl-2 expression and adenomyosis

Objective. To study the expression of proliferation markers (ki-67) and anti-apoptotic protein (bcl-2) in adenomyotic lesions during the menstrual cycle or following the use of steroid hormones. Patients and methods. Ninety patients of reproductive age were included, who were submitted to endometrial resection for treatment of adenomyosis-related menorrhagia. Seven patients were using oral contraceptives and another seven had a levonorgestrel intrauterine device (IUD) (Mirena®) in the uterine cavity at the time of the hysteroscopic procedure. Untreated patients were divided into four groups: menstruation/early proliferative phase (n = 24), late proliferative (n = 19), early luteal phase (n = 7) and late luteal phase (n = 26). Bcl-2 and ki-67 expression was determined in paraffin-embedded tissue blocks using immunohistochemical methods. Results. Proliferation rates in adenomyotic lesions increased during the proliferative phase, reaching a peak during ovulation to decrease to values close to zero in the late luteal phase. Bcl-2 expression showed a similar curve with peak values during the later proliferative phase followed by a significant decrease in the number of cases showing strong positive expression in the late luteal phase. Both Mirena and oral contraceptives decreased ki-67 expression on adenomyosis but only Mirena was affective in diminishing bcl-2 expression. Conclusion. During the luteal phase, both ki-67 and bcl-2 expression is reduced in adenomyotic lesions in a similar way to that occurring in patients using Mirena. Oral contraceptives, on the other hand, do not affect bcl-2 expression in adenomyosis.
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Scottish Premier League: Context and Motivation

Abstract Widespread acceptance of football club businesses as stakeholder organizations suggests that clubs might be expected to embrace corporate social responsibility (CSR). Focusing on Scottish Premier League (SPL) clubs, this study provides empirical evidence of CSR engagement and motivation. We argue that these clubs are well positioned to act as vehicles to deliver CSR because of their community embeddedness and the strength of their stakeholder relationships. For CSR actions to occur, findings suggest they must be driven by (a) the normative expectations of executives or stakeholders, (b) a response to wider social agendas, or (c) potential economic benefit. Evidence of each of these sources of motivation is presented in this article. Findings also suggest that enhanced communication of CSR activities provides an opportunity to improve stakeholder accountability within a corporate governance structure and facilitate the development of relational partnerships and networks.
Determinantes das despesas com serviços de auditoria e consultoria prestados pelo auditor independente no Brasil

The aim of the present study is to identify the factors affecting the auditing and consulting expenditures in Brazilian public companies. The current study was motivated by the lack of studies on auditing and consulting expenses in Brazil, whereas this matter has been researched for years in other countries. Data on Brazil are scarce because the disclosure of spending on auditing and consulting services provided by independent auditors only became mandatory in 2009. The disclosure of these data enables the analysis of the drivers of the fees paid by companies for these services. In this study, we only analyzed the expenditures for consultancy services provided by the same auditing firm; that is, we ignored all spending on other consultants. The results indicate that audit fees are positively related to company size, corporate governance quality, and the Big Four status of the auditor. In terms of consulting expenses, there is a positive relationship between company size and Big Four status, but there is no significant relationship with corporate governance.
A novel algorithm for rate/power allocation in OFDM-based cognitive radio systems with statistical interference constraints

In this paper, we adopt a multiobjective optimization approach to jointly optimize the rate and power in OFDM-based cognitive radio (CR) systems. We propose a novel algorithm that jointly maximizes the OFDM-based CR system throughput and minimizes its transmit power, while guaranteeing a target bit error rate per subcarrier and a total transmit power threshold for the secondary user (SU), and restricting both co-channel and adjacent channel interferences to existing primary users (PUs) in a statistical manner. Since the interference constraints are met statistically, the SU transmitter does not require perfect channel-state-information (CSI) feedback from the PUs receivers. Closed-form expressions are derived for bit and power allocations per subcarrier. Simulation results illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm and compare it to the case of perfect CSI. Further, the results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm approaches that of an exhaustive search for the discrete global optimal allocations with significantly reduced computational complexity.
Capturing Knightian Advantages of Large Business Organisations Through Group Decision-making Processes

This paper develops an explanation of how large business organisations may achieve advantages of size by virtue of decision-making procedures. The argument is inspired by Knight's (Risk, Uncertainty and Profit, NewYork: Houghton Mifflin, 1921) model of internal business organisation, together with his explanation of profits pertaining to large business organisations by being connected with situations that he characterises as uncertain rather than risky. Capturing the decision-making advantages is fairly straightforward in Knight's explanation. Decision making is internalised to individuals who cope with uncertain situations— beyond the range of normal experience— in a manner consistent with managerial/entrepreneurial vision. Recent organisation theory has drawn attention to the use of groups as an integral part of decision making within large business organisations and this has important implications for economics. This paper highlights the role of groups in achieving Knightian advantages. The argument loosens the identification of organisation with a managerial/entrepreneurial vision, adding different levels and types of deliberate and automatic selection, the alignment of which is likely to be problematic.
The role of oxidative stress in diabetic cardiomyopathy: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a negative effect on cardiovascular functions. Little, however, is known of the overall effect of DM on the cardiac histology or the pathophysiological basis of this. AIM We aimed to investigate the role of oxidative stress on the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy in an experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODS 12 week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated into a healthy control group (n=6) and an DM group (n=6). After 12 weeks of alloxan induced DM, the groups' cardiac tissues were histopathologically analyzed and examined for determination of oxidant and antioxidant enzymes [activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and amount of reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO)]. RESULTS When compared to the control group, the DM group showed cardiomyopathic changes. In the DM group, activities of CAT (144 +/- 0.9 vs. 112 +/- 1.4, p < 0.05) and LPO amount (27.0 +/- 0.74 vs. 14.4 +/- 0, 20, p < 0.05) were significantly increased whereas activities of SOD (142 +/- 0.2 vs. 146 +/- 0.7, p < 0.05) and amount of GSH (3.48 +/- 0.01 vs. 3.73 +/- 0.01, p < 0.05) were significantly decreased when compared to the control group. Besides, activities of MPO (7.3 +/- 0.02 vs. 8.6 +/- 0.11, p < 0.05) were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS Using the experimental animal model, we were able to demonstrate that DM causes cardiomyopathic changes, and we propose that these changes could be mediated by an oxidative stress.
Level of acceptance and factors influencing students' intention to use UCSI University's e-mail system

The study explores the level of acceptance and factors influencing the acceptance of the newly implemented student e-mail system at UCSI University, Malaysia. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was modified and used to determine the factors that influence students' intention to use the e-mail system. 357 students participated in the study from three faculties of the University. The study found out that the level of acceptance of the student e-mail system was low amongst the students of UCSI University. The results indicate that Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Attitude, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, and Self Efficacy have a significant relationship with Behavioral Intention. However, results of the regression analysis indicate that only Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, and Attitude are significant in influencing Behavioral Intention. Recommendations were given to increase the acceptance of the student e-mail system among students based on the findings.