Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foreign Wage Premium, Gender and Education: Insights from Vietnam Household Surveys

This paper investigates the differential impacts of foreign ownership on wages for different types of workers (in terms of educational background and gender) in Vietnam using the Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys of 2002 and 2004. Whereas most previous studies have compared wage levels between foreign and domestic sectors using firm-level data (thus excluding the informal sector), one advantage of using the Living Standards Surveys in this paper is that the data allow wage comparison analyses to extend to the informal wage sector. A series of Mincerian earnings equations and worker-specific fixed effects models are estimated. Several findings emerge. First, foreign firms pay higher wages relative to their domestic counterparts after controlling for workers personal characteristics. Second, the higher the individual workers' levels of education, the larger on average are the wage premiums for those who work for foreign firms. Third, longer hours of work in foreign firm jobs relative to working in the informal wage sector are an important component of the wage premium. Finally, unskilled women experience a larger foreign wage premium than unskilled men, reflecting the low earning opportunities for women and a higher gender gap in the informal wage sector.
Does Anticipated Aggregate Demand Policy Matter? Further Econometric Results

A heated debate has arisen over what Modigliani has dubbed the Macro Rational Expections (MRE) hypothesis. This hypothesis embodies two component hypotheses: 1) rational expectations and 2) short-run neutrality -- i.e., that anticipated changes in aggregate demand will have already been taken into account in economic agents' behavior and will thus evoke no output or employment response. Together these component hypotheses imply that deterministic feedback policy rules will have no effect on business cycle fluctuations. The irrelevance of these types of policy rules is inconsistent with much previous macro theorizing as well as with the views of policymakers. It is thus an extremely controversial proposition which requires a wide range of empirical research. This paper is a sequel to a previous paper by the author. That paper developed a methodology for testing the MRE hypothesis and found that anticipated money growth does matter to the business cycle. This paper extends the analyses to cases where the rate of nominal GNP growth or the inflation rate, rather than money growth, is the aggregate demand variable. The empirical results are also negative on the MRE hypothesis and its corresponding policy ineffectiveness proposition.
Low-power IC design for a wireless BCI system

Integrated circuit (IC) design for a wireless BCI system is put forward in this paper. The system is composed of an electrode, a stimulator, antennas, and an integrated circuit including a preamplifier, an analog to digital converter (ADC), a current mode digital to analog converter (DAC), a transceiver and a micro control unit (MCU). The system is closed loop, which can detect and record electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, send the signals to computer wirelessly, and generate stimulating signals according to analysis results from the computer. A 16-bit ADC is designed and some non-idealities parameters (e.g. kT/C noise, 1/f Noise and so on) are given. Sub-threshold circuit technology is used to realize ultra low-power MCU. Both of the ADC and the MUC are verified by simulation results. Next work will include the design of the preamplifier, IDAC, and a single chip design integrating all the circuits.
Pathogenetical Subtypes of Recurrent Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Designations by SMASH-U Classification System

Background and Purpose— Pathogenetic classification of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), using systems such as SMASH-U (structural vascular lesions, medication, cerebral amyloid angiopathy [CAA], systemic disease, hypertension, or undetermined), is important in predicting functional outcomes and mortality in patients with ICH. This study aimed to compare pathogenetic subtypes between the first and recurrent ICH. Methods— This study obtained data related to 4578 consecutive acute patients with ICH from the National Taiwan University Hospital Stroke Registry during January 1995 to December 2013. Using the SMASH-U method, patients were classified into 6 subtypes. We then analyzed the outcomes of first-ever ICH cases and pathogenetic classification of recurrent ICH. Results— Among 3785 patients who experienced first-ever ICH (male, 63.3%; mean age, 58.7±17.0 years), the most common cause was hypertensive angiopathy (54.9%), followed by CAA (12.2%), systemic disease (12.1%), undetermined (10.1%), structural vascular lesions (7.8%), and medication related (2.9%). In 185 cases of recurrent ICH, pathogenetic differences between the 2 ICH events were observed in 34 (18.4%) cases, most of which were CAA to hypertensive angiopathy (n=10) or vice versa (n=7). The rates of ICH recurrence were highest for systemic disease-related and CAA-related ICH at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years after the indexed ICH event. Conclusions— In approximately one fifth of the recurrent patients with ICH, pathogenetic differences were observed between initial and recurrent events, particularly among those with CAA. It is possible that some patients with ICH with concomitant hypertensive angiopathy and CAA may have been categorized as CAA by the SMASH-U method.
Video genre classification using dynamics

The problem addressed here is the classification of videos at the highest level into pre-defined genre. The approach adopted is based on the dynamic content of short sequences (/spl sim/30 secs). This paper presents two methods of extracting motion from a video sequence: foreground object motion and background camera motion. These dynamics are extracted, processed and applied to classify 3 broad classes: sports, cartoons and news. Experimental results for this 3 class problem give error rates of 17%, 8% and 6% for camera motion, object motion and both combined respectively, on /spl sim/30 second sequences.
Assessment of turbulent beam ion redistribution in tokamaks through velocity space-dependent gyrokinetic analyses

We present the interface between a gyrokinetic code and a guiding centre code dedicated to the study of fast ion turbulent transport. A set of velocity space-dependent (kinetic) transport quantities, representing the link between the two codes, is presented. The code suite is applied to DEMO and TCV plasmas. While negligible alpha particle transport is observed for both tokamaks, important beam ion redistribution is obtained for simulations of DEMO. Results for the TCV tokamak demonstrate that the influence of turbulent fields on fast ion transport strongly depends on the plasma scenario.
Gender and Investment Behavior: on Taiwanese Individual Investors

Following the rising of Behavioral Finance, various psychological biases have earned great attention. With the evidence that male investors are more overconfident than female, the impacts of gender seem worthy of further exploration. This study is the first to make a great scale survey on Taiwanese individual stock investors with regard to the genderfs role in investment. We find that female is less optimistic, less confident than male, but more subject to personal experience and disposition effects - selling winners too early and riding losers for too long. This finding is very important to the gender issues in Behavioral Finance and to the marketing and segregation in the financial sector. Key words:Behavioral Finance, Gender, Disposition Effect, Experience Effect, Over Confident
Exchange Rate Pass-Through in India an Exploration with Sectoral Import Prices

This paper investigates into the degree of exchange rate pass-through to prices of non-oil imports in India during reforms. Exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) is the responsiveness of trade prices (expressed in local currency) to unit change in exchange rate. ERPT is complete if the response in prices is proportional to exchange rate changes and is incomplete if the change in price is less than proportional. The existing empirical literature on the subject provides ample evidence on incomplete pass-through to import prices. Theoretically, incomplete pass-through to import prices is explained in terms of exporters adjusting their mark-ups in order to maintain market shares following currency depreciation. Even though the studies on India have sound theoretical basis, the empirical estimates are weak based on single equation models. In sharp contrast to earlier attempts, a simultaneous equation model incorporating both demand and supply sides is set up for estimation. The reduced form equation for import prices is estimated for disaggregated imports using panel data estimation technique. The empirical results, which are robust, show incomplete exchange rate pass-through to import prices in India. The degree of pass-through is found to vary across commodity groups, the coefficient is found to be insignificant in case of most import sub-sectors with the only exception of chemicals. Further, the estimates show acceptance of fixed effect over random effect indicating sector-specific factors like market concentration and related conduct in determining the degree of exchange rate pass-through to import prices.
Prediction Accuracy for Projectwide Evapotranspiration Using Crop Coefficients and Reference Evapotranspiration

The Imperial Irrigation District is a large irrigation project in the western United States having a unique hydrogeologic structure such that only small amounts of deep percolation leave the project directly as subsurface flows. This structure is conducive to relatively accurate application of a surface water balance to the district, enabling the determination of crop evapotranspiration sETcd as a residual of inflows and outflows. The ability to calculate ET c from discharge measurements provides the opportunity to assess the accuracy and consistency of an independently applied crop coefficient—reference evapotranspiration sKc ET0d procedure integrated over the project. The accuracy of the annual crop evapotranspiration via water balance estimates was ±6% at the 95% confidence level. Calculations using Kc and ET0 were based on the FAO-56 dual crop coefficient approach and included separate calculation of evaporation from precipitation and irrigation events. Grass reference ET 0 was computed using the CIMIS Penman equation and ETc was computed for over 30 crop types. On average, Kc-based ET computations exceeded ETc determined by water balance (referred to as ETc WB) by 8% on an annual basis over a 7 year period. The 8% overprediction was concluded to stem primarily from use of Kc that represents potential and ideal growing conditions, whereas crops in the study area were not always in full pristine condition due to various water and agronomic stresses. A 6% reduction to calculated Kc-based ET was applied to all crops, and a further 2% reduction was applied to lower value crops to bring the project-wide ET predicted by Kc-based ET into agreement with ETc WB. The standard error of estimate (SEE) for annual ETc for the entire project based on Kc, following the reduction adjustment, was 3.4% of total annual ETc, which is considered to be quite good. The SEE for the average monthly ETc was 15% of average monthly ETc. A sensitivity analysis of the computational procedure for Kc showed that relaxation from using the FAO-56 dual Kc method to the more simple mean (i.e., single) Kc curve and relaxation of specificity of planting and harvest dates did not substantially increase the projectwide prediction error The use of the mean Kc curves, where effects of evaporation from wet soil are included as general averages, predicted 5% lower than the dual method for monthly estimates and 8% lower on an annual basis, so that no adjustment was required to match annual ET derived from water balance. About one half of the reduction in estimates when applying the single (or mean) Kc method rather than the dual Kc method was caused by the lack of accounting for evaporation from special irrigations during the off season (i.e., in between crops).
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Associated Disorders and Mechanisms of Action

The incidence and/or prevalence of health problems associated with endocrine-disruption have increased. Many chemicals have endocrine-disrupting properties, including bisphenol A, some organochlorines, polybrominated flame retardants, perfluorinated substances, alkylphenols, phthalates, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkylphenols, solvents, and some household products including some cleaning products, air fresheners, hair dyes, cosmetics, and sunscreens. Even some metals were shown to have endocrine-disrupting properties. Many observations suggesting that endocrine disruptors do contribute to cancer, diabetes, obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and infertility are listed in this paper. An overview is presented of mechanisms contributing to endocrine disruption. Endocrine disruptors can act through classical nuclear receptors, but also through estrogen-related receptors, membrane-bound estrogen-receptors, and interaction with targets in the cytosol resulting in activation of the Src/Ras/Erk pathway or modulation of nitric oxide. In addition, changes in metabolism of endogenous hormones, cross-talk between genomic and nongenomic pathways, cross talk with estrogen receptors after binding on other receptors, interference with feedback regulation and neuroendocrine cells, changes in DNA methylation or histone modifications, and genomic instability by interference with the spindle figure can play a role. Also it was found that effects of receptor activation can differ in function of the ligand.
Barrel Pattern Formation Requires Serotonin Uptake by Thalamocortical Afferents, and Not Vesicular Monoamine Release

Thalamocortical neurons innervating the barrel cortex in neonatal rodents transiently store serotonin (5-HT) in synaptic vesicles by expressing the plasma membrane serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2). 5-HTT knock-out (ko) mice reveal a nearly complete absence of 5-HT in the cerebral cortex by immunohistochemistry, and of barrels, both at P7 and adulthood. Quantitative electron microscopy reveals that 5-HTT ko affects neither the density of synapses nor the length of synaptic contacts in layer IV. VMAT2 ko mice, completely lacking activity-dependent vesicular release of monoamines including 5-HT, also show a complete lack of 5-HT in the cortex but display largely normal barrel fields, despite sometimes markedly reduced postnatal growth. Transient 5-HTT expression is thus required for barrel pattern formation, whereas activity-dependent vesicular 5-HT release is not.
The Augmented Solow Model with Mincerian Schooling and Externalities

Abstract We combine the augmented Solow model with the Mincer equation to derive a specification that identifies an education externality within a production function framework. The previous empirical literature has not reached a consensus about the size of the education externality, which is given by the difference between the microeconomic and the macroeconomic return to education. Relative to our benchmark value that is based on a parameterization of the derived specification, we find that the estimated education externality is too large when the empirical model is not properly restricted, and appears to be absent when all control variables of the empirical model are properly accounted for. We note that the absence of an education externality is difficult to reconcile with observed levels of education subsidies for efficiency reasons.
Feedback information and consumer motivation : the moderation role of positive and negative reference values in self-regulation

Marketers spend considerable resources to motivate people to consume their products and services as a means of goal attainment (Bagozzi and Dholakia, 1999). Why people increase, decrease, or stop consuming some products is based largely on how well they perceive they are doing in pursuit of their goals (Carver and Scheier, 1992). Yet despite the importance for marketers in understanding how current performance influences a consumer’s future efforts, this topic has received little attention in marketing research. Goal researchers generally agree that feedback about how well or how poorly people are doing in achieving their goals affects their motivation (Bandura and Cervone, 1986; Locke and Latham, 1990). Yet there is less agreement about whether positive and negative performance feedback increases or decreases future effort (Locke and Latham, 1990). For instance, while a customer of a gym might cancel his membership after receiving negative feedback about his fitness, the same negative feedback might cause another customer to visit the gym more often to achieve better results. A similar logic can apply to many products and services from the use of cosmetics to investing in mutual funds. The present research offers managers key insights into how to engage customers and keep them motivated. Given that connecting customers with the company is a top research priority for managers (Marketing Science Institute, 2006), this article provides suggestions for performance metrics including four questions that managers can use to apply the findings.
Polyorogenic evolution of the Paleoproterozoic Trans-North China Belt, new insights from the in Lüliangshan-Hengshan-Wutaishan and Fuping massifs

The Trans-North China Belt (TNCB) is a Paleoproterozoic collisional orogen (ca. 1.9-1.8 Ga) responsible for the amalgamation of the North China Craton. Detail field works in Luliangshan, Hengshan, Wutaishan and Fuping massifs where the belt is well exposed, allow us to draw new tectonic map and crustal-scale cross sections. The available petrologic, radiometric, geochronologic data are integrated in a geodynamic evolution scheme for this orogen. The Low Grade Mafic Unit (LGMU) is interpreted as an ophiolitic nappe rooted in a suture zone located in the western part of the Luliangshan. This ophiolitic nappe overthrusts to the SE upon the Orthogneiss-Volcanites Unit (OVU) that consists of a bimodal volcanicsedimentary series metamorphosed under amphibolite facies conditions intruded by calcalkaline orthogneiss. The OVU is a composite Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic magmatic arc developed during two stages (ca. 2500 and 2100 Ma) upon a continental basement corresponding to the western extension of the Neoarchean Fuping massif. The OVU overthrusts to the SE the Fuping massif along the Longquanguan shear zone. This stack of nappe, coeval with an amphibolite facies metamorphism, is dated at ca 1880 Ma. Subsequently, the metamorphic series experienced a widespread migmatization at 1850 Ma and was intruded by post-orogenic plutons dated at 1800 Ma. The weakly to unmetamorphosed Hutuo Supergroup unconformably overlies the metamorphosed and ductilely deformed units (OVU and LGMU), but it is also involved in a second tectonic phase developed in subsurface conditions. These structural features lead us to question the ca 2090 Ma age attributed to the Hutuo supergroup. Moreover, in the Fuping massif, several structural and magmatic lines of evidence argue for an earlier orogenic event at ca 2100 Ma that we relate to an older west-directed subduction below the Fuping Block. The Taihangshan Fault might be the location of a possible suture zone between the Fuping Block and an eastern one. A geodynamic model, at variance with previous ones, is proposed to account for the formation of the TNCB. In this scheme, three Archean continents, namely from West to East, the Ordos, Fuping and Eastern Blocks are separated by the Luliang and Taihang Oceans. The closure of the Taihang Ocean at ca 2100 Ma by westward subduction below the Fuping Block accounts for the arc magmatism and the 2100 Ma orogeny. The second collision at 1900-1880 Ma between the Fuping and Ordos blocks is responsible for the main structural, metamorphic and magmatic features of the Trans-North China Belt.
Brain Mediators of Predictive Cue Effects on Perceived Pain

Information about upcoming pain strongly influences pain experience in experimental and clinical settings, but little is known about the brain mechanisms that link expectation and experience. To identify the pathways by which informational cues influence perception, analyses must jointly consider both the effects of cues on brain responses and the relationship between brain responses and changes in reported experience. Our task and analysis strategy were designed to test these relationships. Auditory cues elicited expectations for barely painful or highly painful thermal stimulation, and we assessed how cues influenced human subjects' pain reports and brain responses to matched levels of noxious heat using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used multilevel mediation analysis to identify brain regions that (1) are modulated by predictive cues, (2) predict trial-to-trial variations in pain reports, and (3) formally mediate the relationship between cues and reported pain. Cues influenced heat-evoked responses in most canonical pain-processing regions, including both medial and lateral pain pathways. Effects on several regions correlated with pretask expectations, suggesting that expectancy plays a prominent role. A subset of pain-processing regions, including anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and thalamus, formally mediated cue effects on pain. Effects on these regions were in turn mediated by cue-evoked anticipatory activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and ventral striatum, areas not previously directly implicated in nociception. These results suggest that activity in pain-processing regions reflects a combination of nociceptive input and top-down information related to expectations, and that anticipatory processes in OFC and striatum may play a key role in modulating pain processing.
CEP Discussion Paper No 1230 July 2013 Unemployment and Domestic Violence : Theory and Evidence

Is unemployment the overwhelming determinant of domestic violence that many commentators expect it to be? The contribution of this paper is to examine, theoretically and empirically, how changes in unemployment affect the incidence of domestic abuse. The key theoretical prediction is that male and female unemployment have opposite-signed effects on domestic abuse: an increase in male unemployment decreases the incidence of intimate partner violence, while an increase in female unemployment increases domestic abuse. Combining data on intimate partner violence from the British Crime Survey with locally disaggregated labor market data from the UK’s Annual Population Survey, we find strong evidence in support of the theoretical prediction.