Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Women's Perceptions of Consequences of Career Interruptions due to Childcare in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract The present paper aims to examine the effect of the transition from a state socialist regime to democracy and a liberal economy on women's perceptions of the consequences of employment breaks due to childcare on their further careers in seven post-socialist Eastern and Central European countries. The paper uses data from the 2004 European Social Survey to explore whether women who interrupted their careers to look after young children were more likely to suffer negative consequences for their careers after the transition from socialism to a market-based economy than before the lifting of the Iron Curtain. The paper does this by comparing the consequences perceived by women whose children were born before 1987 with those of women with at least one child born later. It begins by grouping together women from across the region, and then looks at the differences by country of the consequences as perceived by these women. It concludes that women across the region were more likely to experience negative consequences after the transition than before. However, the effect of transition is not found to differ across countries using the ESS data.
Software Innovativeness: Outcomes on Project Performance, Knowledge Enhancement, and External Linkages

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between product innovativeness and groups of outcomes flowing from the computer software product development process and the associated knowledge acquisition process. Data from interviews of managers in 94 software projects are analysed, and three groups of outcomes are measured: project performance, knowledge enhancement, and the strengthening of linkages to external actors/sources. The high innovative products show higher project performance for all measures of project performance compared with low innovative products. Similar results were found for all measures of personnel knowledge enhancement outcomes. Changes in the importance of linkages to nine different external sources of knowledge used by the firms during the knowledge acquisition process, also show some positive outcomes with respect to rising innovativeness levels. Strengthening of external linkages is found for 66% of the investigated linkages between one or two innovativeness levels. Of these, the linkages to hardware manufacturers, co-operation partners, and universities and other research institutions show strengthening when high innovativeness products are compared with low-level products. As the project performance and knowledge enhancement outcomes are due, in part, to knowledge gained within linkages to external actors/sources, managers could consider whether giving special attention to managing these linkages would be a winning innovation strategy for their particular firm.
Interrelated Performance Measures, Interactive Effort, and Incentive Weights

ABSTRACT: This study uses principal‐agent analysis to investigate how the principal's use of performance measures in the agent's compensation contract are affected by (1) links between performance measures and (2) substitute and complementary characteristics of an agent's efforts. We show that the directional effect of changes in performance measure interrelations on linear incentive weights depends on how the agent's tasks interact with each other (i.e., substitute or complementary interactions). For example, increases in performance measure interrelations do not necessarily imply higher incentive weights on more sensitive and precise performance measures. If efforts are substitutes for each other, the costs of effort are relatively high and the principal induces lower levels of total effort by offering lower incentives. We also show that differences in the combination of performance measure interrelations and effort interactions affect profits in distinctly different ways. When efforts are substitutes f.
Modernization Balance, Imbalance, and Domestic Instability

Feldman and Moore have identified the central aspects of social change as the rate and level of sectoral transformation in a society and the pattern these assume.1 Research seems to suggest that, because of various institutional sensitivities, degrees of primacy and autonomy, forces of resistance, and planning exigencies, not all societal sectors modernize at similar rates, at the same time, or in the same sequence. The "lags" and "gaps" thus created in different institutional spheres are viewed as making critical resource demands and as providing the conditions of strain in a societal system conducive to internal instability. The focus of this paper is an empirical examination of some relationships between patterns of institutional modernization and societal domestic instability.
Global Warming, Irreversibility and Learning

A number of economists have argued that the literature on the irreversibility effect implies that current abatement of greenhouse gas emissions should be greater when there is the possibility of obtaining better information in the future about the potential damages from global warming than when there is no possibility of obtaining better information. In this paper we show that even the simplest model of global warming does not satisfy either of Epstein's (1980) sufficient conditions, so it is not possible to use Epstein's analysis to tell whether the irreversibility effect applies to models of global warming. We derive an alternative sufficient condition for the irreversibility effect to hold.
Stretch Reflexes in the Rectus Abdominis Muscle in Man

The spinal reflex circuitry of the rectus abdominis (RA) muscle in man was investigated by the application of a mechanical tap to the muscle. Electromyographic recordings were made in ten healthy subjects, performing a series of manoeuvres, using pairs of surface electrodes placed bilaterally. The reflex responses elicited largely depended on the amount of tonic (postural) activity of the trunk. When standing in the upright position, no reflex activity was recorded in response to the tap. Reflex activity due to mechanical tap was readily recorded when the muscle became tonically active. Moderate, backward trunk extension introduced short‐latency reflexes at 18.8 ± 1.9 ms (mean ± S.D.) ipsilaterally and 20.8 ± 1.8 ms contralaterally. Excitatory reflex activity of longer latency was also recorded contralaterally in all subjects (latency 45.1 ± 4.3 ms) and ipsilaterally in five of the ten subjects (latency 47.2 ± 2.6 ms). Vibration of the tapped muscle produced a reduction in the amplitude of the early reflex responses, whilst increasing the amplitude of the late responses. Moreover, the early reflexes were facilitated by the Jendrassik manoeuvre. Such observations are consistent with the early responses being mediated, at least partly, monosynaptically, and the late responses being of polysynaptic nature. This implies that muscle spindle afferents from rectus abdominis monosynaptically activate motoneurones contralaterally.
Effects of Internal and Environmental Factors on Firm's Financial Behavior: A Comparative Study of Developed, Emerging and Developing Economies

In the presence of economic frictions, firms regulate their financial decisions infrequently; resultantly, most of the firms' leverage is likely to differ from the optimum-level at the time of its readjustment. In such economic disturbance, internal and environmental factors are playing significant role for the readjustment of financial leverage. Keeping the influential role of leverage determinants, this study compares the dynamical economic effects of internal and environmental factors of capital structure in Spain, Malaysia and Pakistan to explore the empirical implications and hierarchical importance of firm, sector and country-level factors. Using cross-sectional regression of the panel data for the period 2001-2011, this study analyze the relative importance of each level of capital structure determinants and explanatory power of capital structure theories. The analysis findings documented several important indirect influences of variables at firm, sector and country-levels on firm determinants of leverage, as well as several structural differences in the financial behavior across developed, emerging and developing economies. From theoretical perspectives, findings of this study add important strands to capital structure literature and device lending mechanisms for firms on the basis of relative importance of environmental factors which also have the power to influence the firm's leverage.
Strategic Investment and Excess Capacity: A Study of the Taiwanese Flour Industry

The Taiwanese flour industry's capacity utilization rate has maintained an extremely low level of 40% for more than 20 years. This article sets up a two-stage game model and uses the strategic effect of the firm's capital investment on its rivals' outputs to explain the nature of this excess capacity. The model is tested with panel data from the Taiwanese flour industry by using non-linear three-stage least squares. The evidences indicate that a large capacity built in the past could have been used strategically to reduce other firms' outputs, in the context of a concerted action among the incumbent firms.
CROSS‐COUNTRY VARIATION IN THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION: CANADA, MEXICO, AND THE UNITED STATES

Using data drawn from the Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. censuses, we find a numerically comparable and statistically significant inverse relation between immigrant-induced shifts in labor supply and wages in each of the three countries: A 10% labor supply shift is associated with a 3%-4% opposite-signed change in wages. Despite the similarity in the wage response, the impact of migration on the wage structure differs significantly across countries. International migration narrowed wage inequality in Canada; increased it in the United States; and reduced the relative wage of workers at the bottom of the skill distribution in Mexico. (JEL: J31, J61) (c) 2007 by the European Economic Association.
Multipath propagation model of spatio-temporal dispersion observed at base station in urban areas

This paper presents a multipath propagation model for microcells in urban areas. The proposed model is a statistical geometric model that describes the propagation characteristics for propagation loss, power delay profiles, and power azimuth spectra. The applicable target of the proposed model is long-term characteristics such as the characteristics that depend on the height of a base station (BS) and the distance between the BS and a mobile station. Calculated power delay profiles and power azimuth spectra based on the model are similar to those of the power function. In order to verify the validity of the model, the power delay profiles and power azimuth spectra are measured. The measurement results agree well with the simulation results based on the model and the validity of the model is confirmed.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Morphologic and Biochemical Studies of Connective Tissue

Extract: In iliac crest biopsies from 11 patients (ages from 4 to 22 years) with osteogenesis imperfecta, cortical thickness, osteoid width, and number of osteons were less than normal at all ages. Bone surface activity (formation and resorption), measured by quantitative microradiography, was lower than normal in younger patients; the normal pubertal decrease in surface activity was not evident in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta and, consequently, bone surface activity in the older patients was higher than in age-matched normal subjects. The ultrastructure of osteocytes, bone collagen, and scleral collagen did not differ from normal; corneal collagen fibers, however, were approximately half the diameter of normal. Total urinary hydroxyl-proline excretion, measured in 11 patients, was below normal in all except 2 infants (less than 12 months old). Serum parathyroid hormone levels, measured in nine patients, were normal. Long term treatment with sodium fluoride (two patients) and treatment with magnesium oxide (three patients) did not alter bone morphology or bone surface activity.Speculation: The supposition that in osteogenesis imperfecta the connective tissue is characterized by an immature form of collagen was not substantiated by this study. The abnormal fibrillar pattern and paucity of collagen in various connective tissues suggest a qualitative defect, related to collagen maturation, as well as a quantitative deficit in the amount of collagen produced.
Corporate governance in five Arabian Gulf countries

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to draw together available data as a means of comparing the state of corporate governance in five countries; Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman. This comparison provides a basis for analyzing the efficacy of corporate governance and government regulation in the region. Design/methodology/approach - The authors construct a measure of corporate governance using the OECD's 2005 survey data, which includes these and many other countries in the sample. The authors analyze the resulting measures in the light of ongoing institutional developments in each country. Findings - Based on the corporate governance measurement scale, Oman is the clear leader among the five countries, followed by Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain and Qatar rank fourth and fifth, respectively. Originality/value - This paper adds value by transforming the data in the OECD survey, thus adding to the limited information available on corporate governance and related issues in the Arabian Gulf.
Topography and physiology of ascending streams in the auditory tectothalamic pathway

Auditory information is relayed from the cochlea along parallel pathways and reaches the inferior colliculus (IC) and the medial geniculate body (MGB) en route to the cortex. Although the ascending tectothalamic pathway to the ventral division of the MGB is regarded as a high-fidelity information-bearing channel, the roles of the pathways to the dorsal and medial divisions are more opaque. Here, we show fundamental differences between these ascending pathways using an in vitro slice preparation. Using photostimulation, we found three main patterns of input (excitatory, inhibitory, and mixed) that differed in each pathway. Furthermore, electrical stimulation of the central nucleus of the IC evoked a depressing response in the MGB with no metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor component, whereas stimulation of the lateral cortex of the IC evoked a facilitating response with an mGlu receptor component. These data suggest that the ascending tectothalamic pathways are functionally distinct from one another.
Industrial Action and Conflict Resolution in the New Member States

With the historic enlargement of May 2004, the European Union faces new challenges. How the industrial relations systems of the new Member States respond to the challenges of accession, the single market and, eventually, EMU will play a crucial role in determining the ease of their assimilation within the enlarged Union. This article, based on a research and development project undertaken by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, investigates and assesses a specific aspect of their industrial relations institutions, the mechanisms of extra-judicial conflict resolution. The existence of effective and efficient collective conflict resolution procedures and institutions strengthens social dialogue and the latter, again, plays an important role in the creation or reform of the existing dispute resolution procedures. Consequently, the article concludes that successful dispute resolution is directly correlated with the nature, scope and quality of collective bargaining and social dialogue in the new Member States.
An Equilibrium Model of Asset Trading with Sequential Information Arrival

In an effort to better understand the dynamic market price adjustment process, this paper develops a model which describes the impact of new information on a financial market. The primary emphasis is on the price change-volume relationship in the presence of a margin requirement. We find that the margin requirement significantly affects the relation of price change to volume. Furthermore, this relationship is shown to be affected by the number of investors in the market, the degree of information dissemination, differences in interpretation of information and the implicit cost of the margin requirement.
Rules of Origin in North-South Preferential Trading Arrangements with an Application to NAFTA

All preferential trading agreements (PTAs) short of a customs union use rules of origin (ROO) to prevent trade deflection. ROO raise production costs and create administrative costs. This paper argues that in the case of the recent wave of North-South PTAs, the presence of ROO virtually limits the market access that these PTAs confer to the Southern partners. In the case of NAFTA, we find average compliance costs around 6% in ad valorem equivalent, undoing the tariff preference (4% on average) for a large number of tariff lines. Administrative costs amount to 47% of the preference margin. These findings are coherent with the view that North-South PTAs could well be viewed like a principal-agent problem in which the Southern partners are just about left on their participation constraint.
The long-run performance of initial public offerings in Thailand

This paper analyses the long-run performance of initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Thai Stock Exchange. It uses a sample of 150 IPOs listed on the Thai Stock Exchange Main Board between 1985 and 1992. The initial return is 63.49%. The cumulative adjusted return at the end of the three-year anniversary is 10.02%. This result contrasts with those of most of the studies of long-run IPO performance in developed markets. This result, however, appears sensitive to outlying observations. Whilst there is no significant evidence that the IPOs underperform the market in the long run, removal of outliers from cross-sectional analysis suggest that Thai IPOs may underperform the market in the long run. Further research, including more recent data may help clarify this issue.
Requirement for protein kinase C in reactive oxygen species-induced apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells.

BACKGROUND Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis is a component of a variety of cardiovascular diseases and may be related to reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study was designed to determine the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in ROS-induced VSMC apoptosis. METHODS AND RESULTS Rat aortic VSMCs were exposed to H(2)O(2), and the nature of cell death was characterized in the absence or presence of different PKC inhibitors. The results demonstrate that exposure of VSMCs to H(2)O(2) led to a dose-dependent (25 to 100 micromol/L) and time-dependent (peak at 2 minutes) activation of PKC. Among the PKC isoforms alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, and zeta, only PKC-alpha and PKC-epsilon were found to change their intracellular distribution on H(2)O(2) treatment. Apoptosis was the predominant form of cell death when PKC had been activated by H(2)O(2) alone or by H(2)O(2) in the presence of 50 nmol/L phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. In contrast, necrosis became the predominant form of cell death when PKC had been downregulated by prolonged exposure to 200 nmol/L phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate or inhibited by 50 nmol/L staurosporine, 100 nmol/L calphostin C, or 30 micromol/L H-7. In addition, caspase-3 was activated in H(2)O(2)-induced VSMC apoptosis but not when PKC was downregulated or inhibited. Inhibition of caspase-3 by 50 micromol/L Ac-DEVD-CHO could significantly attenuate H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis and was not associated with the induction of necrosis. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that in VSMCs, PKC converts the ROS-induced signals from necrotic cell death to the activation of an apoptotic cell death program. These data imply a novel and important role of PKC for the pathogenesis of such vascular diseases as atherosclerosis, restenosis, and hypertension.
De-industrialisation and the balance of payments in advanced economies

This paper defines de-industrialization as a secular decline in the share of manufacturing in national employment. De-industrialization, in this sense, has been a universal feature of economic growth in advanced economies in recent decades. The paper considers briefly what explains this development and quantifies some of the factors responsible. It then examines the experience of the United Kingdom and the United States, which are two countries that have combined rapid de-industrialization with a strong overall economic performance. The paper considers both the domestic situation of manufacturing industry in these countries and its foreign trade performance, and examines in detail the United Kingdom’s balance of payments, and documenting how improvements in the non-manufacturing sphere have helped offset a worsening performance in manufacturing trade. It concludes that manufacturing still matters to economic performance even at the highest levels of economic development, and that “premature de-industrialization” could lead to serious mismanagement of the integration of developing countries into the global economy.
Radiation damage characterization of digital integrated circuits

A set of gates and registers was fabricated on a submicron CMOS process using radiation hardening by design techniques. The circuits were irradiated in a TANDEM accelerator with 10 MeV protons on three different doses. Off-line characterization of devices was carried out. Measurements showed minimum shifts on the electrical parameters of transistors. Noise margins and gain of combinational logic gates were unchanged and no increase on leakage current was observed. This work suggests that considerable tolerance to this kind of radiation damage can be reached when accurate design techniques are used together with modern integrated circuits technologies.
Eminent role of ICOS costimulation for T cells interacting with plasmacytoid dendritic cells

CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells could mature freshly isolated human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) in a superantigen‐driven culture in a similar way to recombinant interleukin‐3 (IL‐3). Mature PDC expressed significantly higher levels of inducible costimulator ligand (ICOS‐L), but similar levels of CD80 and CD86, when compared to mature monocyte‐derived DC (moDC). We therefore directly compared the capacities of mature PDC and moDC to activate T cells. A similar T helper type 1 (Th1)/Th2 pattern of cytokines was generated in both systems, but significantly higher levels of IL‐3, IL‐4 and IL‐10 were induced by PDC. In T cells interacting with PDC, the ICOS/ICOS‐L costimulatory pathway played a pre‐eminent role in the generation of IL‐3 and IL‐10, CD28 was central to the induction of IL‐2, and both pathways were equally important for the generation of other cytokines. In cocultures with moDC, the CD28 pathway was dominant over ICOS under all circumstances, except for the ICOS‐mediated release of IL‐10. In general, our data demonstrate an eminent role of ICOS in the interaction of T cells with PDC, and thus modify the current paradigm of CD28 dominance for the costimulation of T cells interacting with professional antigen‐presenting cells. In particular, our data highlight the role of ICOS in the generation of IL‐3, a factor central to the biology of human PDC.