Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeting one’s own region: internationalisation trends of Colombian multinational companies

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an examination of the ongoing internationalisation processes undertaken by 30 major multinational Colombian-owned firms. It also presents a theoretical overview and a conceptual framework for the understanding of internationalisation patterns from emerging countries’ multinational enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – This study is built based both on the results collected from comparative case studies based in the literature and empirical observations of Colombia’s patterns. This study observed the evolution in terms of commitment and investment decisions that 30 major Colombian companies have undergone specially within the past decade. Findings – Although, it was found that direct exports is the widespread entry mode of Colombian companies to foreign markets, most of the observed firms preferred the consolidation in host markets through Mergers & Acquisitions instead of using Greenfield investments or joint ventures. These observations might suggest similarities.
Assessing post occupancy evaluation in higher education facilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarise the main post occupancy evaluation (POE) techniques currently available and illustrate which method would be the most appropriate as a performance enhancement tool within higher education (HE) facilities.Design/methodology/approach – The history of, and barriers to using POE as a performance enhancement tool are analysed through an extensive literature review.Findings – Despite a historic resistance to POE by construction professionals, interest has emerged in recent years, particularly with government clients and public funded projects, with a focus on the outputs of a project as opposed to the inputs. While plenty of methods exist, only a few are specifically suited to evaluate the building performance of educational facilities to maximise student success and productivity.Research limitations/implications – Practitioners and academics who are interested in the various POE methods will find this review relevant in order to choose which method is most ap.
Presentation of two cases of Vanek's tumor (inflammatory fibroid polyp) in Medellín

We report on two cases of inflammatory fibroid polyps in the stomach (Vanek's tumor). The first patient was a 63-year-old woman with abdominal pain for whom resection of an antral polypoid lesion was done. This polyp presented classical histopathology. The second case was a 63-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital with hemorrhagic shock due to hematemesis. During endoscopy a Dieulafoy's lesion was found in the cardia of the stomach and a polypoid lesion was found in the antrum. Unusual histopathology required that the diagnosis be confirmed by immunohistochemistry.
Structural variation manipulates the differential oxidative susceptibility and conformational stability of apolipoprotein E isoforms

A growing amount of evidence implicates the involvement of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in the development of late‐onset and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is now generally believed that the ε4 allele is associated with AD and the oxidative stress is more pronounced in AD. However, only limited data are available on apoE isoform‐specificity and its relationship to both the oxidative susceptibility and conformational stability of apoE. In this article, we use site‐directed mutagenesis to investigate the structural role of amino acid residue 112, which is the only differing residue between apoE3 and E4. We examine the structural variation manipulating the oxidative susceptibility and conformational stability of apolipoprotein E isoforms. Arg112 in apoE4 was changed to Ala and Glu. Previous research has reported that apoE4 is more susceptible to free radicals than apoE3. In protein oxidation experiments, apoE4‐R112A becomes more resistant to free radicals to the same extent as apoE3. In contrast, apoE4‐R112E becomes the most susceptible protein to free radicals among all the apoE proteins. We also examine the conformational stability and the quaternary structural change by fluorescence spectroscopy and analytical ultracentrifugation, respectively. ApoE3 and E4 show apparent three‐ and two‐state unfolding patterns, respectively. ApoE4‐R112A, similar to apoE3, demonstrates a biphasic denaturation with an intermediate that appears. The denaturation curve for apoE4‐R112E, however, also displays a biphasic profile but with a slight shoulder at ∼1.5M GdmCl, implying that an unstable intermediate existed in the denaturation equilibrium. The size distribution of apoE isoforms display similar patterns. ApoE4‐R112E, however, has a greater tendency to dissociate from high‐molecular‐weight species to tetramers. These experimental data suggest that the amino acid residue 112 governs the differences in salt‐bridges between these two isoforms and thus has a significant impact on the free radical susceptibility and structural variation of the apoE isoforms. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Political Advertising and Persuasion in the 2004 and 2008 Presidential Elections

The 2008 presidential election was historic in many respects. The campaign included the first African American major-party candidate, and neither candidate was an incumbent president or vice president. In addition, one candidate took public funding and the other candidate did not. This latter disparity resulted in an imbalance of resources across the two campaigns, especially in the purchase of political advertising. But did that imbalance matter for who won? Did advertising move voters, and if so, by how much? This article examines patterns of presidential ad buys in 2008 and compares them with presidential ad buys in 2004. It also examines the impact of advertising on county-level vote returns in both years. The results demonstrate some important differences in advertising patterns across years, especially in terms of ad sponsorship and market-level advertising advantages. We also find significant and strong advertising persuasion effects in 2008.
Exporters, Importers and Credit Constraints

This paper analyzes the interaction between credit constraints and trading behavior, decomposing trade in extensive and intensive margins. I construct a unique dataset containing firm-level trade transaction data, balance sheets and credit scores from an independent credit insurance company for Belgian manufacturing firms between 1999 and 2007. Firms are more likely to be exporting or importing if they enjoy lower credit constraints. Also, firms that have better credit rating export and import more. Importing and exporting behaviors differ in how both the level and growth of the various margins of trade are related to credit constraints in one important dimension. In the case of exports, it is the intensive and extensive margins of exports in terms of both product and destinations that are significantly associated with credit constraints whereas for imports it is the extensive margin in terms of products only.
An impedance-agile microstrip patch antenna with loading of a shorting pin

An impedance-agile microstrip patch antenna loaded with a shorting pin is proposed in this paper. A metallic pin is introduced to short the patch with the ground at a certain location. Thus, electric field beneath the path is perturbed to influence the input impedance. By properly choosing the pin location, the input impedance of the microstrip patch antenna can be adjusted in a wide range without changing patch shape or adding an impedance matching branch.
The action of human resources and poverty on one another: what we have yet to learn.

Poverty in the developing world is a major challenge. Investments in human resources are considered critical elements of efforts to alleviate poverty. Conversely, inadequacies in human resources often are thought to be manifestations of poverty. This paper attempts to sort out relationships between human resources and poverty, based on recent studies. Since this paper deals primarily with behavior at the individual or household level, and since simple economic theory provides guidelines for empirical research at that level, it begins with brief descriptions of the human capital investment model. The paper then turns briefly to some measurement issues. Next it considers the impact of human resources on the income of poor people, and the determinants of human resource investments. The author then takes up allegations of deleterious effects of structural adjustment programs on the human resources of the poor, considering some macroeconomic issues, including those models that focus on human resources. The author concludes by offering some thoughts on the relationships between human resources and poverty and points to a number of areas related to human resource-poverty links in which further research might have a high payoff in terms of understanding and in terms of policy formulation.
Age-Induced Reprogramming of Mast Cell Degranulation1

Mast cell degranulation can initiate an acute inflammatory response and contribute to the progression of chronic diseases. Alteration in the cellular programs that determine the requirement for mast cell degranulation would therefore have the potential to dramatically impact disease severity. Mast cells are exposed to increased levels of PGE2 during inflammation. We show that although PGE2 does not trigger the degranulation of dermal mast cells of young animals, in older mice, PGE2 is a potent mast cell stimulator. Intradermal administration of PGE2 leads to an EP3 receptor-dependent degranulation of mast cells, with the number of degranulated cells approaching levels observed in IgE- and Ag-treated controls. Taken together, these studies suggest that the ability of PGE2 to initiate mast cell degranulation changes in the aging animal. Therefore, elevated PGE2 levels might provide an important pathway by which mast cells are engaged to participate in inflammatory responses in the elderly patient.
Oil Exports, Real Exchange Rate Appreciation, and Demand for Imports in Nigeria

The recession in the oil market since 1981 has drastically reduced the foreign exchange earnings of Nigeria. As a result, the country has faced a severe problem of adjustment to reduced export earnings at a time when payments on its $20 billion external debt have increased. In designing a policy to restore balance of payments equilibrium, Nigeria, like many other less developed countries in its position, faces two important questions: first, to what extent the rate of growth of the economy would have to be lowered in order to bring equilibrium to the balance of payments, and, second, to what extent real devaluation is likely to help in the process. Since Nigeria faces a given price for its exports (95% of which is oil) and production of oil does not use many domestic resources, export revenues in terms of foreign currency are in effect exogenous and therefore the weight of adjustment must fall on imports. The search for answers to the above questions thus leads directly to the investigation of the size of income and price elasticities of demand for imports. This article presents estimates of an import demand function for Nigeria based on annual data for 1963-82. The main finding of the article is that demand for imports is elastic with respect to price but inelastic with respect to income. This implies that, contrary to expectations, the phenomenal rise in Nigerian imports in the 1970s may have been a result of real appreciation rather than increase in oil revenues. Between 1972 and 1981 Nigerian imports in constant dollars increased by a factor of five, an average annual increase of 33%. But during the same period, non-oil GDP in constant prices increased by only 5.7% per year, and gross domestic income (GDY = total GDP adjusted for improvements in the terms of trade) increased by 8.7% per year. As a result, the ratio of imports to GDY increased from 6% in 1972 to 18% in 1981. In contrast, the decline in
Impact of Terrorism on Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan

This paper examines the relationship between terrorism and foreign direct investment. Using data from 2000 to 2011, the ordinary least square testing approach is used to examine the relationship in two variables. This methodology is used to check the linearity and normality of the data. By applying the model it is shown in results that terrorism having significant negative effect on foreign direct investment of Pakistan. Finding indicates that due to increase in the number of terrorist attacks foreign investor showing negative interest to invest money in Pakistan
Therapist perspectives on their dreams about clients: A qualitative investigation

Abstract The authors interviewed eight experienced therapists regarding their dreams about clients and analyzed the transcribed interview data using consensual qualitative research. Results indicated that dreams typically were about difficulties with clients, intense personal concerns, and negative interpersonal interactions. Therapists used multiple methods to work with the dreams and made gains in insight focusing on countertransference or overidentification and the need to make fundamental changes in the therapeutic relationship or in the therapist's life. On the basis of the insight, therapists made changes in the treatment of the dreamed-about clients and in their personal lives. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Empirical analysis of the defense interdependence between Japan and the United States

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the defense interdependence between Japan and the United States (US) in the short and long run and to investigate whether Japan is a follower or a free rider of the “US” over the 1975–2009 period. Given that mutual aid between Japan and the US has been maintained, the empirical results suggest that Japanese defense has a stable relationship with US defense. Furthermore, the results reveal that Japan is not a free rider but rather a follower in the period under consideration.
Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus: the Turin study.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease with the risk of evolution towards hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Numerous studies have documented the possibility of HCV transmission through blood transfusions during surgery or during intravenous drug use. The percentage of the risk of sexual transmission, in the general population not presenting the aforesaid risks is still very controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concomitant levels of seropositivity for anti-HCV, in the partners of patients with chronic HCV liver disease, but no history of previous transfusions or use of intravenous drugs. METHODS The study included 196 anti-HCV positive spouses with a clinical diagnosis of active chronic hepatitis, aged between 20 and 75 years (mean age 53 years, SD+/-11 years). HCV infection was diagnosed by positivity of serum samples for anti HCV (EIA), confirmed by RIBA II and by circulating HCV-RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All partners underwent anti-HCV assay (EIA), confirmed by RIBA II in the event of positivity. RESULTS The mean period of cohabitation was 27 years (range 3-37, SD+/-9.8 years). The positivity of anti HCV in both subjects affected 11 couples (5.6%). Of these couples, the viral genotype was also available in 3 cases which proved to be identical in the index patient and the partner, whereas it was not possible to identify the genotype in other couples owing to scarce compliance. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained from this study confirm the possibility of the sexual transmission of HCV. However, in the context of subjects not belonging to "high risk" groups, this method of transmission does not appear to be important if compared with that of other viruses (HBV and HIV).
Incidence and Tracking of Clostridium perfringens Through an Integrated Broiler Chicken Operation

Abstract Clostridium perfringens has been shown to be widespread in the broiler chicken hatchery, grow-out, and processing operations. In a previous study, ribotypes of certain strains of C. perfringens isolated from processed chicken carcasses were shown to match ribotypes isolated from paper pad lining trays used to transport commercial chicks from the hatchery to the grow-out facility on the farm. These results suggest that C. perfringens contaminating the processed product could originate from facilities in the integrated poultry operation prior to grow out. In this study, samples were collected from the breeder farm, hatchery, previous grow-out flock, during grow out and after processing. In the first trial, C. perfringens was recovered from the breeder farms, the hatchery, previous grow-out flock, grow-out flock at 3 weeks of age, grow-out flock at 5 weeks of age, from processed carcasses, and from the breeder farm after processing in 4%, 30%, 4%, 0%, 2% and 16%, and 4% of the samples, respectively. In the second trial, the incidence of C. perfringens in samples collected from breeder farms, the hatchery, previous grow-out flock, grow-out flock at 3 weeks of age, grow-out flock at 5 weeks of age, and from processed carcasses was 38%, 30%, 32%, 8%, 4%, and 8%, respectively. The genetic relatedness of the isolated strains as determined by ribotyping suggests that C. perfringens may be transmitted between facilities within the integrated broiler chicken operation.
Individual Investors and Suboptimal Early Exercises in the Fixed-Income Market

This paper is the first to analyze and value early exercises of Individual Investors in fixed-income investment products. Assuming decision and transaction costs we consider that a continuous decision-making on holding or exercising is not optimal anymore and propose a new approach to modeling exercise decisions, which endogenously determines the optimal decision strategy. Calibrating our model to a unique data set of about 880,000 early exercises in non-tradable putable bonds over a time period of 13 years indicates that Individual Investors (i) act very heterogeneously, (ii) behave as if they face significant individual transaction and decision costs, (iii) react sluggishly, and that (iv) exogenous effects such as taxes or investors´ desire for liquidity additionally influence early exercise behavior.
Murine Astrovirus Infection and Transmission in Neonatal CD1 Mice.

Murine astrovirus (MuAstV) is a recently identified, widespread infection among laboratory mice. Our goal was to determine the duration of MuAstV infection, susceptibility of pups, and efficacy of soiled-bedding sentinels and environmental monitoring. Eight CD1 dams and their litters of 3-d-old pups and 8 CD1 dams and their litters of 13-d-old mice were inoculatedorally with MuAstV. Neither dams nor offspring demonstrated any clinical signs, and MuAstV had little to no effect on weight gain in pups. MuAstV RNA was detected in feces from 15 of the 16 dams through postnatal day (PND) 21, and 9 dams were still shedding MuAstV at PND 42. MuAstV RNA was highest in intestines of mice. Low levels of MuAstV RNA were sporadically detected in the spleen, liver, and kidney. MuAstV was detected in 97% of feces from 3- to 9-wk-old mice born to infected dams. Several weanlings became pregnant, and intestines from their pups were MuAstV-negative at PND 0 through 5. Weekly swabs of cages housing MuAstV-infected mice were MuAstV-positive through PND 42. Swabs of the rear exhaust manifold of the ventilated rack were MuAstV-positive at 21 through 56 d after inoculation. In addition, 98%of sentinels that received soiled bedding from dams and their litters and 83% of sentinels that received soiled bedding fromweaned mice were MuAstV-positive. Feces from most sentinels exposed to soiled bedding that had been stored for 1, 2 or3 wk before addition of the sentinels were MuAstV-positive.
Grief intensity, psychological well-being, and the intimate partner relationship in the subsequent pregnancy after a perinatal loss.

OBJECTIVE To examine the construct validity of the Perinatal Grief Intensity Scale (PGIS) and the associations of grief intensity with psychological well-being and the quality of intimate partner relationships of women in the subsequent pregnancy after perinatal loss. The consequences of intense grief due to perinatal loss may include significant couple relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress that may extend into the subsequent healthy pregnancy. DESIGN AND SETTING A correlational, descriptive research design was used to collect survey data in this cross-sectional, web-based study. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 227 currently pregnant women who experienced perinatal loss in their immediate past pregnancies. METHODS Instruments included the Pregnancy Outcome Questionnaire (pregnancy-specific anxiety), Impact of Event Scale (post-traumatic stress), Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (depression symptoms), the Autonomy and Relatedness Inventory (quality of the intimate partner relationship), and the Perinatal Grief Intensity Scale (perinatal grief intensity). RESULTS As hypothesized, greater grief intensity was associated with higher pregnancy-specific anxiety, depression symptoms, and post-traumatic stress as well as poorer quality of the intimate partner relationship. CONCLUSIONS Support for the construct validity of the PGIS was demonstrated by its significant associations in the expected directions with pregnancy-specific anxiety, depression symptoms, post-traumatic stress, and the quality of the intimate partner relationship. The scale may be useful to health care providers in identifying mothers in need of follow-up for intense grief and other clinically relevant symptoms after perinatal loss.
Does export-market participation improve productivity? Evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms

This article has a dual aim. First, it sets out to underline a learning-by-exporting effect in Spanish firms between 1991 and 2002. It further seeks to outline the conditions allowing firms to benefit from these spillover effects. Using a propensity score matching method, a group of firms having entered the export market (treatment group) is compared with a similar group of non-exporting firms (control group), and difference-in-differences regressions are carried out. The results show a cumulative productivity differential of 32% for the first four years of exporting, with continuous improvement in productivity. After three years of exporting, productivity gain is still approximately 10%. This study shows that increases in capacity utilisation and competitive pressure from foreign markets are insufficient to explain this causal link between exporting and total factor productivity (TFP). It is thus possible to deduce the presence of a learning-by-exporting effect, benefiting firms with sufficiently qualified employees and which are already engaged in international relations (due to foreign suppliers and/or foreign equity participation).