Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overconfidence and Excess Entry: An Experimental Approach

Psychological studies show that most people are overconfident about their own relative abilities, and unreasonably optimistic about their futures (e.g. Shelly E. Taylor and J.D. Brown, 1988; Neil D. Weinstein, 1980). When assessing their position in a distribution of peers on almost any positive trait-- like driving ability (Ola Svenson, 1981 ), income prospects, or longevity-- a vast majority of people say they are above the average, although of course, only half can be (if the trait is symmetrically distributed). This paper explores whether optimistic biases could plausibly and predictably influence economic behavior in one particular setting-- entry into competitive games or markets. Many empirical studies show that most new businesses fail within a few years. For example, using plant level data from the U.S. Census of Manufacturers spanning 1963-1982, Timothy Dunne et al. (1988) estimated that 61.5 percent of all entrants exited within five years and 79.6 percent exited within 10 years. Most of these exits are failures (see also Dunne et al., 1989a, 1989b; D. Shapiro and R.S. Khemani, 1987).
Characterization of genetic diversity of animal and human Mycobacterium avium strains by IS1245-IS1311 spacer typing

A PCR method previously developed for typing Mycobacterium avium was used to characterize the genetic diversity of M. avium strains isolated from swine (n = 90) and humans (n = 24). The strains were identified with IS901 PCR and IS 1245 PCR: 38 strains were of IS 901+ and IS1245+ genotype (M. avium subsp. avium) and 76 strains were of IS901- and IS1245+ genotype (M. avium subsp. hominissuis). All human isolates were IS 901 negative. IS1245-IS1311 spacer typing was successfully accomplished for 59 isolates while 55 isolates gave no amplification signal. The isolates with negative typing results were additionally tested for the presence of IS 1311 and all with the exception of one gave positive results. IS1245-IS1311 spacer typing failed in all IS901+ isolates as they yielded no bands. A high degree of heterogeneity among isolates was observed: 59 isolates demonstrated 43 different patterns comprising up to 6 bands.
Nosocomial bloodstream infection in critically ill patients. Excess length of stay, extra costs, and attributable mortality.

OBJECTIVE To determine the excess length of stay, extra costs, and mortality attributable to nosocomial bloodstream infection in critically ill patients. DESIGN Pairwise-matched (1:1) case-control study. SETTING Surgical intensive care unit (SICU) in a tertiary health care institution. PATIENTS All patients admitted in the SICU between July 1, 1988, and June 30, 1990, were eligible. Cases were defined as patients with nosocomial bloodstream infection; controls were selected according to matching variables in a stepwise fashion. METHODS Matching variables were primary diagnosis for admission, age, sex, length of stay before the day of infection in cases, and total number of discharge diagnoses. Matching was successful for 89% of the cohort; 86 matched case-control pairs were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Crude and attributable mortality, excess length of hospital and SICU stay, and overall costs. RESULTS Nosocomial bloodstream infection complicated 2.67 per 100 admissions to the SICU during the study period. The crude mortality rates from cases and controls were 50% and 15%, respectively (P < .01); thus, the estimated attributable mortality rate was 35% (95% confidence interval, 25% to 45%). The median length of hospital stay significantly differed between cases and controls (40 vs 26 days, respectively; P < .01). When only matched pairs who survived bloodstream infection were considered (n = 41), cases stayed in the hospital a median of 54 days vs 30 days for controls (P < .01), and cases stayed in the SICU a median of 15 days vs 7 days for controls (P < .01). Thus, extra hospital and SICU length of stay attributable to bloodstream infection was 24 and 8 days, respectively. Extra costs attributable to the infection averaged $40,000 per survivor. CONCLUSIONS The attributable mortality from nosocomial bloodstream infection is high in critically ill patients. The infection is associated with a doubling of the SICU stay, an excess length of hospital stay of 24 days in survivors, and a significant economic burden.
Oil shocks and monetary policy rules in emerging economies

We examine the effects of shocks in the oil market on key macroeconomic variables in small open economies using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with sticky prices and imperfect competition under different monetary policy rules. The numerical solutions show that the types of exchange rate regimes and monetary policies could partly explain the trends in macroeconomic volatilities considering negative shocks to oil supply (Hamilton, 1983) and positive shocks to oil demand (Kilian, 2009). These findings are confirmed in vector autoregressive responses for Chile and Israel with inflation targeting under flexible exchange regimes and Hong Kong with fixed regime.
Functional evidence for continued alveolarisation in former preterms at school age?

Prematurity is the most common disruptor of lung development. The aim of our study was to examine the function of the more vulnerable peripheral airways in former preterm children by multiple-breath washout (MBW) measurements. 86 school-aged children, born between 24 and 35 weeks of gestation and 49 term-born children performed nitrogen MBW. Lung clearance index (LCI), and slope III-derived Scond and Sacin were assessed as markers for global, convection-dependent and diffusion–convection-dependent ventilation inhomogeneity, respectively. We analysed the data of 77 former preterm (mean (range) age 9.5 (7.2–12.8) years) and 46 term-born children (mean age 9.9 (6.0–15.9) years). LCI and Sacin did not differ between preterm and term-born children. Scond was significantly elevated in preterm compared to term-born participants (mean difference z-score 1.74, 95% CI 1.17–2.30; p<0.001), with 54% of former preterm children showing elevated Scond. In multivariable regression analysis Scond was significantly related only to gestational age (R2=0.37). Normal Sacin provides evidence for a functionally normal alveolar compartment, while elevated Scond indicates impaired function of more proximal conducting airways. Together, our findings support the concept of continued alveolarisation, albeit with “dysanaptic” lung growth in former preterm children. Evidence for a prematurity-related dysanaptic lung growth in former preterm children http://ow.ly/RUXUl
Successful treatment of congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura using the intermediate purity factor VIII concentrate BPL 8Y

Summary. There is increasing evidence that congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is caused by an absolute deficiency of von Willebrand factor‐cleaving protease. The recent identification of this protease and the development of assays for its detection have enabled its quantification in a number of plasma products, including some commercial intermediate‐purity plasma‐derived factor VIII preparations. We report the successful, weekly prophylactic use of a commercial intermediate‐purity plasma‐derived factor VIII concentrate in the treatment of a 14‐year‐old girl with severe congenital TTP who had previously required transfusions of fresh‐frozen plasma every 2 weeks from the age of 4 months.
Audiotaped social comparison information for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: Differential effects of procedural, emotional and coping information

The present study focused on the effects of social comparison information on subjective understanding of radiation therapy, validation of emotions, and self‐efficacy of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The effects of three different audiotapes, containing different kinds of social comparison information, were examined. On the procedural tape a man and woman discussed their illness and radiation treatment, on the emotion tape they focused on the emotional aspects of these issues, and on the coping tape they focused on the way they had been coping. The effects of these tapes were measured on subjective understanding about radiation therapy, validation and recognition of emotions, self‐efficacy, and mood. The results indicate positive effects of the tapes, especially of the procedural and the coping tape. These audiotapes increased understanding of radiation therapy, self‐efficacy and the feeling of validation of emotions. Therefore, these tapes may be an important supplement to existing patient education information. Possible explanations and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CD30(+) cutaneous lymphoma in association with atopic eczema.

BACKGROUND Chronic atopic eczema is not regarded as a precursor of malignancy, and, to our knowledge, there has been only one previous case report of CD30(+) cutaneous lymphoma in association with atopic dermatitis. OBSERVATIONS We report 4 cases of CD30(+) lymphoproliferative disease in young adult patients with active atopic eczema dating from early childhood. Three patients developed primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma, of whom 2 developed systemic disease and 1 died. The other patient developed lymphomatoid papulosis type A, which resolved after withdrawal of cyclosporine therapy. No other patient had received immunosuppressive therapy. Three had been treated with phototherapy, and 2 of these patients exhibited positive immunostaining for p53 within a proportion of the tumor cell population. CONCLUSIONS Although we have not been able to establish a causative link, we believe that the association of these 2 conditions has not occurred by chance. Biopsies of lesional skin from subjects with atopic eczema exhibit a proportion of CD30 cells, and clonal transformation of this subpopulation might account for the CD30(+) lymphomas in our patients.
Corporate intentions to participate in emission trading

The adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 has led to increasing business interest in the issue of climate change. It has also created much uncertainty for companies, particularly about the role of trading in realizing emission reductions. This paper investigates what drives multinational corporations to show interest in emission trading and carbon offset projects to deal with climate change. On the basis of an analysis of data of 136 companies derived from a questionnaire, it also examines the role that country of origin, industry affiliation and companies' environmental strategy play in this regard. Findings show that industry pressure and product and process innovations are the main determinants for multinational corporations to participate in the emission market. It appears that climate policy particularly induces energy-related industries to reduce emissions, which puts them ahead of other industries with regard to their interest in emission trading.
Trade Integration and Political Radicalization: German Evidence from the Rise of the East and the Fall of the Wall

Over the last two decades, the dramatic rise of trade with low-wage manufacturing countries has been a major source of labor demand shocks in high-wage countries. The associated economic adjustments have been linked anecdotally with voters’ radicalization and alienation from the political mainstream. We identify the causal effect of trade-integration with (import-competition from) Asia and Eastern Europe on voting for far-right parties in German local labor markets from 1987 to 2009. For East Germany in the early 1990s, where integration with West Germany was the dominant shock, we alternatively exploit an exogenous import-competition measure based on West German revealed comparative advantage before reunification. We find large and significant effects of import-competition on voting for far-right parties. These effects are only very partially explained by observed labor market adjustments, suggesting instead psychological factors such as anxiety about the future as an important driver of political radicalization.
Studies on the problem of corneal homografts

Whereas skin and many other tissues are destroyed soon after their transplantation from one individual to another, clinical results have suggested that corneal homografts survive their transplantation for long periods, and perhaps indefinitely. The chief among several possible explanations of this apparent anomaly are (a) that corneal tissue as such is for some reason unable to provoke transplantation immunity; (b) that grafts transplanted to the cornea are either incapable of provoking immunity in that position, or (c) that they do so, but are protected from its consequences. These possibilities have been investigated by experiments on rabbits. It is shown that corneal homografts transplanted to richly vascular beds prepared in the skin of the chest, though they heal in, become vascularized and proliferate, are not long tolerated by their hosts. They break down just as skin homografts do when so transplanted. Furthermore, once a host has reacted against corneal homografts transplanted to its chest it becomes so affected as to accelerate the destruction of farther corneal homografts later transplanted from the same donor. It is inferred that when corneal homografts are trans planted in such a manner that they become vascularized, they immunize their hosts just as skin homografts do ; corneal tissue as such is therefore antigenically effective. The possibility that the intact cornea offers an immunologically privileged site for grafts of homologous tissue was investigated by carrying out the converse operation. Minute skin homografts transplanted to small pockets cut in the corneas of animals which had previously been immunized against their donor’s skin long outlived skin homografts transplanted on the same occasion to the recipients’ chests, provided that the grafts in the corneas remained un-vascularized. If, however, vessels from the limbus grew out and penetrated the grafts, they promptly broke down. It is inferred that tissue transplantation immunity is ineffective within the substance of the cornea so long as it remains avascular. The question of whether homografts transplanted to the cornea can themselves provoke immunity is thus of no practical importance, since any such immunity would be quite ineffective.
Essays on Macroeconomics of Banking: Credit Frictions, Business Cycle and Bank Capital

O papel das imperfeicoes do sistema financeiro na propagacao de choques exogenos na economia tem sido tema de debate constante na literatura, com implicacoes significativas ao nivel institucional. A principal questao em jogo e saber se as referidas imperfeicoes sao capazes de transformar choques exogenos de pequena magnitude em movimentos amplificados e persistentes do produto agregado.Esta dissertacao insere-se nesta linha de investigacao analisando a forma como as estruturas microeconomicas, tais como a forma de financiamento dos bancos e a relacao entre estes e os seus clientes, interagem com as condicoes macroeconomicas. Este trabalho contribui para clarificar o papel do capital dos bancos e da sua regulacao na propagacao dos ciclos economicos, tendo em conta a presente alteracao nos requisitos minimos de capital proposta pelo Acordo de Basileia II.Apos o Capitulo 1, que articula a literatura teorica sobre a relacao entre o capital dos bancos e os ciclos economicos com a literatura sobre os requisitos de capital exigidos pelos Acordos de Basileia, o Capitulo 2 propoe um modelo dinâmico de equilibrio geral no qual os bancos estao sujeitos a requisitos minimos de capital ajustados pelo risco. Tendo em conta que a emissao de capital pelos bancos e mais onerosa do que os depositos, devido a preferencia das familias por liquidez, e que esta diferenca de custo tende a aumentar (diminuir) durante uma recessao (expansao), exploramos, neste capitulo, um canal adicional atraves do qual os efeitos dos choques exogenos na actividade economica sao amplificados o bank capital channel. Este efeito de amplificacao e mais forte quando introduzimos as regras propostas por Basileia II (por oposicao a Basileia I). Para avaliar com mais exactidao os potenciais efeitos pro-ciclicos de Basileia II, integramos, no Capitulo 3, a relacao entre o banco e as empresas as quais este empresta num modelo de agentes heterogeneos, de acordo com o qual as condicoes de acesso ao credito por parte de cada uma dessas empresas dependem do seu risco de credito. Este modelo permite-nos concluir que, na medida em que (i) e mais dispendioso deter capital dos bancos durante uma recessao e (ii) o portfolio do banco e caracterizado por uma fraccao significativa de pequenas empresas fortemente dependentes do credito bancario, a introducao de Basileia II acentua as tendencias pro-ciclicas do sistema bancario, amplificando as flutuacoes dos ciclos economicos.
The Effect of the Medicaid Home Care Benefit on Long-Term Care Choices of the Elderly

This paper analyzes the impact of Medicaid home care benefits on the probability of nursing home entry and the use of formal and informal home care by disabled elderly remaining in the community. Using data from the National Long-Term Care Survey, the author finds evidence that Medicaid home care subsidies reduced the probability of nursing home entry among at-risk elderly using formal home care. Among noninstitutionalized persons, the subsidy increased the use of formal home care but led to substitution of informal with formal care for services that were nonmedical in nature. Copyright 1994 by Oxford University Press.
Is impaired sleep quality responsible for a nondipping pattern even in normotensive individuals?

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and a dipping–nondipping pattern in normotensive individuals. Materials and methodsOur study was carried out on 100 normotensive individuals; 50 of these individuals had a dipping pattern and 50 had a nondipping pattern, and were chosen from among patients in whom ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was applied before for any reason. All study participants underwent the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey to evaluate sleep disturbances. ResultsThe overall scores and all the components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were significantly higher in the nondipper normotensive group compared with the dipper normotensive group. ConclusionIn conclusion, the nondipping blood pressure pattern appears to be associated with poor sleep quality not only in hypertensive patients but also in normotensive healthy individuals. When evaluating patients with poor sleep quality, the possibility that they may have a nondipping pattern even if they are normotensive should be kept in mind.
Peer Review) Micro tablet of nacre layer in the shell of freshwater bivalve Anodonta woodiana

The presence of shell nacre layer in bivalves is important information for pearl culture. Freshwater mussel, Anodonta woodiana, can be used in pearl culture maintained in a controlled manner to determine shell development, microstructure of nacre layer in particular. Using a Scanning Electron Microscope, observations were made on the structure of micro tablet nacre. Results concluded that the crystal size of the nacre of A. woodiana varied in thickness with space and shell size, rearing time, and rearing media. The optimum thickness of the tablet was averagely 0.720 μm at 110 mm shell length. The size of these shells could be a maximum size and should be considered in the cultivation of pearl oysters, A. woodiana.
A Bayesian model for benefit transfer: application to national parks in Spain

Valuing environmental goods through benefit transfer is based on information from the set of past empirical studies of similar or identical sites. This paper proposes a Bayesian approach to model prior information on mean consumer surplus. The prior distribution is defined as a convex combination of the results from past empirical studies. An advantage of the Bayesian approach is that the prior distribution could be combined with on-site sample information in order to improve predictions on the benefits of the policy site. The model is applied to data from national parks in Spain. The results show that the benefits of policy sites are more sensitive to the prior information for smaller sample sizes. This implies that the prior distribution can be seen as a substitute for on-site sample information.
Protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial on information technology-enabled nutrition intervention among urban adults in Chandigarh (India): SMART eating trial

ABSTRACT Nutrition is an important determinant of health. At present, nutrition programs in India mainly emphasize improving maternal and child nutrition. Adult nutrition has not received due attention, though diseases like hypertension and diabetes are largely preventable through changes in dietary and physical activity behaviour. Little is known about the best approaches to improve dietary behaviours, especially the role of modern information technology (IT) in health education. We describe the protocol of the SMART Eating (Small, Measurable and Achievable dietary changes by Reducing fat, sugar and salt consumption and Trying different fruits and vegetables) health promotion intervention. A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial will evaluate the effect of an IT-enabled intervention on nutrition behaviour among urban adults of Chandigarh, India. Formative research using a qualitative exploratory approach was undertaken to inform the intervention. The IT-enabled intervention programme includes website development, Short Message Service (SMS), e-mail reminders and interactive help by mobile and landline phones. The IT-enabled intervention will be compared to the traditional nutrition education program of distributing pamphlets in the control group. The primary outcome will be the percentage of study participants meeting the dietary intake guidelines of the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India and the change in intake of fat, sugar, salt, fruit and vegetables after the intervention. The difference in differences method will be used to determine the net change in dietary intakes resulting from the interventions. Measurements will be made at baseline and at 6 months post-intervention, using a food frequency questionnaire. The formative research led to the development of a comprehensive intervention, focusing on five dietary components and using multi-channel communication approach including the use of IT to target urban North Indians from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial design is suitable for evaluating the effectiveness of this IT-enabled intervention for dietary behaviour change.
Winter Blues: A Sad Stock Market Cycle

This paper investigates the role of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the seasonal time-variation of stock market returns. SAD is an extensively documented medical condition whereby the shortness of the days in fall and winter leads to depression for many people. Experimental research in psychology and economics indicates that depression, in turn, causes heightened risk aversion. Building on these links between the length of day, depression, and risk aversion, we provide international evidence that stock market returns vary seasonally with the length of the day, a result we call the SAD effect. Using data from numerous stock exchanges and controlling for well-known market seasonals as well as other environmental factors, stock returns are shown to be significantly related to the amount of daylight through the fall and winter. Patterns at different latitudes and in both hemispheres provide compelling evidence of a link between seasonal depression and seasonal variation in stock returns: Higher latitude markets show more pronounced SAD effects and results in the Southern Hemisphere are six months out of phase, as are the seasons. Overall, the economic magnitude of the SAD effect is large.