Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are teacher assessments biased? – evidence from Sweden

This study investigates if the probability of being graded up in the school leaving certificates increases if the teacher is of the same gender as the student or if the teacher and the student both have a foreign background. The analysis is based on data on grade 9 students in Mathematics from Sweden. I find that female students and non-native students perform better on national test results if the teacher is of the same gender or also is non-native, respectively. The probability of being graded up is less likely if the student and the teacher are of the same gender.
The current EU/US–Russia conflict over Ukraine and the WTO: a preliminary note on (trade) restrictive measures

In 2012, the Russian Federation (RF) joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) as its 156th member. Two years later, an international conflict over the developments in Ukraine in general and the changing status of Crimea erupted, which henceforth saw the RF, the United States (US), and the European Union (EU) drawn into a circle of the unilateral imposition of trade and other restrictive measures. This article looks at the trade aspects of the ensuing conflict and provides a detailed survey of the restrictive measures imposed by the EU, the US, and the RF from the perspective of the national legal orders of the jurisdictions concerned, as well as from the international perspective of the applicable WTO trade rules. It includes a critical assessment of the compatibility of economic sanctions with the parties' WTO commitments, as well as the possibility of addressing the current divergences under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.
Caught in a Trap? Wage Mobility in Great Britain: 1975–1994

In this paper I study wage mobility in Great Britain using the New Earnings Surveys of 1975-94 and the British Household Panel Surveys of 1991-94. Measuring mobility in terms of decile transition matrices, I find a considerable degree of immobility within the wage distribution from one year to the next. Mobility is higher when measured over longer time periods. Those in lower deciles in the wage distribution are much more likely to exit into unemployment and non-employment. Measuring mobility by studying changes in individuals' actual percentile rankings in the wage distribution, I find evidence that short-run mobility rates have fallen since the late 1970s. This has potentially important welfare implications, given the rise in cross-section earnings inequality observed over the last two decades. Copyright 2000 by The London School of Economics and Political Science
Reproducibility of pulse wave velocity and augmentation index measured by pulse wave analysis

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) measured using pulse wave analysis (PWA), prior to its use in large-scale clinical trials. Methods Arterial pressure waveforms were recorded and analysed using an established technique (Sphygmocor). Subjects with and without a range of recognized cardiovascular risk factors were studied to provide a wide range of values. Measurements were made after a brief introduction to the technique in a clinical setting. Two observers recorded aortic and brachial PWV in 24 subjects, each on two occasions, in a random order. In a separate study, two different observers used PWA to determine AIx in 33 subjects, each on two occasions, in a random order. Data were analysed using Bland-Altman plots and presented as mean ± SD. Results Brachial PWV was 8.65 ± 1.58 m/s (range 6.16–10.95 m/s) and aortic PWV was 8.15 ± 3.01 m/s (5.01–17.97 m/s). Within-observer variability was 0.14 ± 0.82 m/s for brachial PWV and 0.07 ± 1.17 m/s for aortic PWV. Corresponding between-observer values were −0.44 ± 1.09 m/s and −0.30 ± 1.25 m/s. AIx ranged from −15.0 to + 45.0%, with a group mean of + 19.6 ± 12.0%. The within-observer difference was 0.49 ± 5.37% and between-observer difference 0.23 ± 3.80%. Conclusion PWA is a simple and reproducible technique with which to measure PWV and AIx. Reproducibility accords with that reported by other workers using different methodologies. PWA may, therefore, be suitable for large-scale population and intervention studies investigating the clinical relevance of vascular stiffness.
Contexts and corporate social responsibility: the case of Saudi Arabia

This article intends to shed some light on the contextual realities that shape the perceptions and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Saudi Arabia. Using both primary and secondary data collection and analysis, we chart some of the key socio-cultural and business drivers that shape the picture of Saudi Arabian CSR. In addition to providing an account of an important, but significantly under-researched context, our findings point to a distinctive picture of Saudi Arabia CSR. Contrary to expectations drawn from external reviews, CSR in Saudi Arabia can be characterised as responsive within the exiting normative and institutional pressures in the local context. However, weaknesses in the stakeholders' environment limit the potential to broaden the CSR agenda. Furthermore, lack of institutionalised and systemic approaches limit the potential for strategic CSR.
Foreign Direct Investment in the Changing Business Environment of the European Union's New Member States

Business environment is one of the location factors taken into account by investors while investing abroad. This paper focuses on the relationship between changes in business environments in the new Member States of the European Union (EU) and foreign direct investors' behavior. The analysis concentrates on Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, with special reference to Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The EU policies and the national incentive-based FDI policies are two driving forces influencing business environment in the new Member States. All the adjustments to the EU requirements reshape conditions for doing business in the new Member States and lead to the improvement of so called economies' 'fundamentals'. The national FDI policies could be treated as a factor disturbing these long term processes and changing economic choices of the established and potential investors. The statistical data on FDI inward stock and annual FDI flows confirm the positive reaction of foreign investors to the changes taking place throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Some data, however, confirm also that there is intense incentive-based competition and a kind of bidding war between them in order to attract foreign investors.
Corticosterone regulation of ovarian follicular development is dependent on the energy status of laying hens

Glucocorticoids participate in the arousal of stress responses and trigger physiological adjustments that shift energy away from reproduction toward survival. Ovarian follicular development in avians is accompanied by the supply of yolk precursors, which are mainly synthesized in the liver. Therefore, we hypothesized energy status and hepatic lipogenesis are involved in the induction of reproductive disorders by glucocorticoids in laying hens. The results show that corticosterone decreased the laying performance by suppressing follicular development in energy-deficit state, rather than in energy-sufficient state. In corticosterone-treated hens, the suppressed follicular development was associated with the reduced availability of yolk precursor, indicated by the plasma concentration of VLDL and vitellogenin and the decreased proportion of yolk-targeted VLDL (VLDLy). Corticosterone decreased the expression of apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein VLDL-II in the liver. A drop in VLDL receptor content and an increase in the expression of tight junction proteins occludin and claudin1 were also observed in hierarchical follicles. The results suggest corticosterone-suppressed follicular development is energy dependent. The decreased apolipoprotein synthesis and VLDLy secretion by liver are responsible for the decreased availability of circulating yolk precursor, and the upregulation of occludin and claudin expression further prevents yolk deposition into oocytes.
The effect of treatment with alpha-interferon on hepatitis G/GBV-C viraemia. The CONSTRUCT Group.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis G virus (HGV) or GBV-C is frequently detected in patients co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study investigated host and virologic factors influencing the response to HGV/GBV-C to alpha-interferon treatment. METHODS HGV/GBV-C was detected and quantified by nested polymerase chain reaction. The influence of variables such as liver biopsy appearance, liver function abnormalities, and response of HCV to interferon treatment was monitored. RESULTS Fourteen of the 25 HGV/GBV-C-infected patients treated with interferon (3-6 MIU three times a week for 6 months) became non-viraemic during treatment, although all relapsed after treatment withdrawal at 6 months, with no net change in virus load between 0 and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS Predictive factors for clearance of HGV/GBV-C viraemia by interferon were pre-treatment severity of liver disease (median Knodell score of 4, compared with 7 for non-responders; P = 0.030) and alanine aminotransferase levels (median, 114, 182 for non-responders; P = 0.039). Clearance was associated with the treatment response of HCV. Nine of 13 who cleared HGV/GBV-C also cleared HCV, compared with 3 of 11 HGV/GBV-C non-responders; P = 0.05). The shared susceptibility of HGV/GBV-C and HCV to interferon treatment suggests a link between the mechanism of clearance of the two viruses.
A computational model for estimating recruitment of primary afferent fibers by intraneural stimulation in the dorsal root ganglia

Primary afferent microstimulation has been proposed as a method for activating cutaneous and muscle afferent fibers to restore tactile and proprioceptive feedback after limb loss or peripheral neuropathy. Large populations of primary afferent fibers can be accessed directly by implanting microelectrode arrays in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which provide a compact and stable target for stimulating a diverse group of sensory fibers. To gain insight into factors affecting the number and types of primary afferents activated, we developed a computational model that simulates the recruitment of fibers in the feline L7 DRG. The model comprises two parts. The first part is a single-fiber model used to describe the current–distance relation and was based on the McIntyre–Richardson–Grill model for excitability. The second part uses the results of the singe-fiber model and published data on fiber size distributions to predict the probability of recruiting a given number of fibers as a function of stimulus intensity. The range of intensities over which exactly one fiber was recruited was approximately 0.5–5 µA (0.1–1 nC per phase); the stimulus intensity at which the probability of recruiting exactly one fiber was maximized was 2.3 µA. However, at 2.3 µA, it was also possible to recruit up to three fibers, albeit with a lower probability. Stimulation amplitudes up to 6 µA were tested with the population model, which showed that as the amplitude increased, the number of fibers recruited increased exponentially. The distribution of threshold amplitudes predicted by the model was similar to that previously reported by in vivo experimentation. Finally, the model suggested that medium diameter fibers (7.3–11.5 µm) may be recruited with much greater probability than large diameter fibers (12.8–16 µm). This model may be used to efficiently test a range of stimulation parameters and nerve morphologies to complement results from electrophysiology experiments and to aid in the design of microelectrode arrays for neural interfaces.
Relationship between Social Capital and Cognitive Functions among Community-Based Elderly

The concept of social capital encompasses all relationships and networks among people in a local community or society as a whole. It has been found to be associated with the health and daily living status of people. Furthermore, an association between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly has been suggested in recent years. However, the number of such reports is very few. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the relationship between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly living in a local community in Japan. A questionnaire survey was administered to 192 elderly individuals belonging to 10 neighborhood elderly groups. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between cognitive functions and the level of engagement with the local community, after adjusting for age, gender, and symptoms of depression. Valid responses were collected from 145 participants (mean age: 75.3 years). An analysis of the data concerning the level of engagement with the local community revealed a significant difference in the cognitive function scores between the group of people who indicated that they had someone they could consult (n = 69) and the group that indicated they had no one to consult (n = 76) (regression coefficient: -0.61, p = 0.0038, 95% confidence interval: -1.02 to -0.20). This result indicates the existence of a significant correlation between social capital and cognitive functions of the elderly living in a local community. In future studies, we need to investigate the same with a larger number of participants from a wider geographical area, and by incorporating more indicators for a comprehensive evaluation of social capital.
Measuring service quality in local government: the SERVQUAL approach

Local government in the UK is not immune from the pressures driving successful organizations towards top quality services that delight their customers. Outlines some of the special features of local government service provision and the way in which these might affect the assessment of service quality. Highlights some of the limitations of conventional customer satisfaction surveys which lead the authors to consider the SERVQUAL approach. This method, which has been the subject of considerable academic scrutiny and extensive private sector service application, merits serious consideration by local government managers as a robust, adaptable, diagnostic instrument to measure service quality.
Publication Selection Bias in Minimum-Wage Research? A Meta-Regression Analysis

Card and Krueger’s (1995a) meta-analysis of the employment effects of minimum wages challenged existing theory. Unfortunately, their meta-analysis confused publication selection with the absence of a genuine empirical effect. We apply recently developed meta-analysis methods to 64 US minimum wage studies and corroborate that Card and Krueger’s findings were nevertheless correct. The minimum wage effects literature is contaminated by publication selection bias, which we estimate to be slightly larger than the average reported minimum-wage effect. Once this publication selection is corrected, little or no evidence of a negative association between minimum wages and employment remains.
Effect of melatonin and metabolites on copper-mediated oxidation of flow density lipoprotein.

AIMS A prophylactic use of melatonin as an anti-ageing drug has recently gained public interest due to its radical scavenging property in vitro. The present study was designed to investigate a possible antiatherogenic effect of melatonin and its physiological metabolites by examining their action on the radical-initiated formation of oxidized LDL, which is known to possess a high atherogenic potency. The metabolites investigated were the precursors serotonin and N-acetyl-serotonin and the main breakdown product 6-hydroxymelatonin. METHODS The effect of the test substances on the in vitro oxidation of LDL (increase in conjugated diene formation) was investigated at concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 microM. RESULTS Melatonin increased the lag time of formation of oxidized LDL only at a concentration of 10 microM. In contrast, 6-hydroxymelatonin, serotonin and N-acetylserotonin as well as vitamin E showed inhibitory effects starting at 1 microM. Thus the antioxidative action of melatonin was negligible compared with the effect of its main metabolite, its precursors and of vitamin E. CONCLUSIONS The present results indicate that the pineal hormone melatonin appears to have little antiatherogenic property as regards the oxidation of LDL. Its main breakdown product 6-hydroxymelatonin, however, inhibits LDL-oxidation comparable to vitamin E. The precursors of melatonin, N-acetyl-serotonin and serotonin may also play a role in the inhibition of LDL oxidation in vivo.
Testosterone alters genomic responses to song and monoaminergic innervation of auditory areas in a seasonally breeding songbird

Behavioral responses to social stimuli often vary according to endocrine state. Our previous work has suggested that such changes in behavior may be due in part to hormone‐dependent sensory processing. In the auditory forebrain of female white‐throated sparrows, expression of the immediate early gene ZENK (egr‐1) is higher in response to conspecific song than to a control sound only when plasma estradiol reaches breeding‐typical levels. Estradiol also increases the number of detectable noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and the density of noradrenergic and serotonergic fibers innervating auditory areas. We hypothesize, therefore, that reproductive hormones alter auditory responses by acting on monoaminergic systems. This possibility has not been examined in males. Here, we treated non‐breeding male white‐throated sparrows with testosterone to mimic breeding‐typical levels and then exposed them to conspecific male song or frequency‐matched tones. We observed selective ZENK responses in the caudomedial nidopallium only in the testosterone‐treated males. Responses in another auditory area, the caudomedial mesopallium, were selective regardless of hormone treatment. Testosterone treatment reduced serotonergic fiber density in the auditory forebrain, thalamus, and midbrain, and although it increased the number of noradrenergic neurons detected in the locus coeruleus, it reduced noradrenergic fiber density in the auditory midbrain. Thus, whereas we previously reported that estradiol enhances monoaminergic innervation of the auditory pathway in females, we show here that testosterone decreases it in males. Mechanisms underlying testosterone‐dependent selectivity of the ZENK response may differ from estradiol‐dependent ones. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 73: 455–468, 2013
Understanding Regional Productivity in a Nordic Welfare State: Does ICT Matter?

Tutkimuksessa eritellaan alueellisen tuottavuuden maaraytymista Suomessa. Alueellista tuottavuutta selitetaan tuotantorakenteella, demografisilla tekijoilla seka muuttujilla, jotka kuvaavat tyomarkkinoiden rakennemuutosta toimipaikoilla. Aineisto perustuu 85 seutukunnan tietoihin vuosilta 1989-1997. Tuotantorakenne on keskeinen alueelliseen tuottavuuteen vaikuttava tekija Suomessa. ICT-tavaratuotannon osuuden kasvu nostaa tuottavuutta (mitattuna seutukunnan arvonlisayksella jaettuna tehdyilla tyotunneilla). ICT-tavaratuotannon positiivinen vaikutus seutukunnan tuottavuuteen rajoittuu sen suoraan osuusvaikutukseen. ICT-palvelutuotannon osuudella ei ole vaikutusta tuottavuuden tasoon. Aiemmin Yhdysvalloista ja Euroopasta saatujen tulosten vastaisesti taloudellisen aktiviteetin “tiheydella” (ts. Tyontekijoiden maaralla suhteessa seutukunnan pinta-alaan) ei ole vaikutusta tuottavuuteen Suomen alueilla. Rakennemuutos toimipaikoilla ei ole suorassa yhteydessa tuottavuuteen. – Suomi ; alueelliset tyomarkkinat ; tuottavuus
Spectral reflectance and photosynthetic properties of Betula papyrifera (Betulaceae) leaves along an elevational gradient on Mt. Mansfield, Vermont, USA.

We studied relationships between spectral reflectance and photosynthesis of mountain paper birch, Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia (Regel) Fern. , leaves from three different elevations on Mt. Mansfield (summit elevation 1339 m above sea level) in the Green Mountains of Vermont, USA. The different reflectance indices we used all suggested progressively increasing stress with increasing elevation. The photochemical reflectance index (PRI) indicated lower photosynthetic radiation use efficiency at higher elevations, the red edge position (λRE) indicated lower chlorophyll concentrations at higher elevations, and the structure-independent pigment index (SIPI) indicated a higher carotenoid : chlorophyll a ratio at higher elevations. The rate of change in these indices with changes in elevation was much higher than we have observed in our studies of red spruce and balsam fir reflectance along a similar elevational gradient; we take this to be an indicator of the greater susceptibility of paper birch to elevation-related stressors compared to the very stress-tolerant conifers. At all light levels, photosynthesis decreased with increasing elevation; this pattern was most noticeable in the light-saturated rate of photosynthesis (A(sat)), which was nearly twice as high in low-elevation leaves (17.0 ± 1.0 μmol·m(-2)·s(-1)) than in high-elevation leaves. The quantum yield of photosynthesis (Φ) exhibited a similar trend. Furthermore, the highest elevation leaves showed a much sharper transition from the light-limited to the light-saturated part of the light response curve than did the lowest elevation leaves. The photochemical reflectance index was highly correlated with A(sat) (r(2) = 0.99) and Φ (r(2) = 0.96). In addition to contributing to our knowledge of the ecophysiology of paper birch along a steep environmental gradient, these results are further evidence of the usefulness of reflectance measures for the rapid and noninvasive detection of plant stress, especially when used in conjunction with direct measurements of photosynthesis.
Determinants of Early Retirement in the European Union

This study uses a subsample of 18 European countries of the first release of the dataset of the fifth round of the European Social Survey to investigate the factors that affect the desired age of retirement and the discrepancy between the actual and the desired age of retirement. We focus on a subsample of around 9,000 respondents in the age range of 50–64. We used multilevel linear regression models to investigate our research questions. We found that the desired age of retirement is explained by both personal (demographic and career) characteristics as well as country-specific characteristics (e.g., the GDP). However, the discrepancy between the actual and the desired retirement age is explained only by personal (demographic and career) characteristics. We suggest that early retirement is not just a habitus which appeared in the past decades, but also a complex phenomenon with social as well as financial characteristics.
Waiting for the Tide to Change? Strategies for Survival of Portuguese Private HEIs

The topic of declining private higher education (PHE) has become a timely one, especially for many countries that had previously experienced a rapid and massive expansion of their systems of higher education, and of PHE in particular. In the case of Portugal this was very likely due to the stabilisation and then the slight decline in the number of applicants and the steady expansion of the public system Thus, the Portuguese system has become an interesting case study of the several types of strategies that may be adopted by PHE institutions when facing a declining student demand.