Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Who sets the agenda and who responds to it in the Danish parliament? A new model of issue competition and agenda-setting

Inspired by the agenda-setting literature, this article outlines a model of issue competition focusing on the interaction between government and opposition parties through the party-system agenda. Unlike previous studies of issue competition, the model makes it possible to answer questions such as why some parties have greater success than others in forcing other parties to address unpleasant issues. One of the central implications of the model is that opposition parties are freer to focus continually on issues that are advantageous to themselves, whereas government parties more often are forced to respond to issues brought up on the party-system agenda. Using data on issue competition in Denmark covering 25 years and 23 issue categories, the issue competition model is evaluated and finds strong support in a set of cross-sectional time-series analyses.
New Firm Survival: New Results Using a Hazard Function

A limitation of Audretsch's 1991 study of new-firm survival was the level of aggregation to industries. This precluded linking establishment-specific characteristics, such as organizational structure and size, to post-entry performance. The purpose of this paper is to relate the post-entry performance of individual establishments not only to their technological and market structure environments, but also to establishment-specific characteristics. We do this by estimating a hazard duration function for more than 12,000 individual establishments in U.S. manufacturing started in 1976 by tracking their subsequent performance over a ten-year period. We conclude that establishment-specific characteristics, which Audretsch was not able to capture in his earlier study, play an important role in shaping the exposure to risk confronting new establishments. Copyright 1995 by MIT Press.
Can Warm Glow Alleviate Credit Market Failure? Evidence from Online Peer-to-Peer Lenders

AbstractThis article looks at an institutional innovation in which Western investors lend peer-to-peer to poor country enterprises. Using a unique data set from an online lending platform called MYC4, we find that MYC4’s Western lenders grant lower interest rates to pro-poor, socially responsible, and pro-female African projects. Using a novel instrumental variable to account for interest rates’ endogeneity, we find that these lower interest rates substantially improve the repayment performance of borrowers and do not reflect profit-maximizing behavior. This new way to organize finance improves credit market efficiency and the success rate of poor country enterprises.
The Behavior of Nontradable Goods Prices in Europe: Evidence and Interpretation

This paper examines the evolution of the relative price between tradable and nontradable goods in a group of European countries. A model of an open economy is used to analyze different factors that can account for an increase in the relative price of nontradable goods. These factors are: (a) faster technological progress in the tradable goods sector; (b) demand shifts toward nontradable goods; and (c) real wage pressures. The relevance of these factors is analyzed empirically for France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Comparison of two different types of competitive exclusion products

The efficacy of two different types of commercial competitive exclusion (CE) products against Salmonella was studied in three chicken assay trials. Chicks were treated on the day of hatch and challenged one day later either with Salm. infantis (Trials 1 and 2) or a combination of Salm. infantis and Salm. enteritidis (Trial 3). The caeca of the birds were examined for Salmonella five days after challenge. The mean logarithmic counts of Salmonella were from 3·4 to 5·7 in the groups treated with product A derived from the whole caecal contents of an adult bird, from 0·0 to 1·2 in the groups treated with product B, a highly selected product that does not contain any clostridia, and from 6·3 to 7·6 in the control groups. None of the challenge organisms superseded the other in Trial 3, and neither did the double challenge affect the protective capacity of the treatment materials.
Profitable momentum trading strategies for individual investors

For nearly three decades, scientific studies have explored momentum investing strategies and observed stable excess returns in various financial markets. However, the trading strategies typically analyzed in such research are not accessible to individual investors due to short selling constraints, nor are they profitable due to high trading costs. Incorporating these constraints, we explore a simplified momentum trading strategy that only exploits excess returns from topside momentum for a small number of individual stocks. Building on US data from the New York Stock Exchange from July 1991 to December 2010, we analyze whether such a simplified momentum strategy outperforms the benchmark after factoring in realistic transaction costs and risks. We find that the strategy can indeed work for individual investors with initial investment amounts of at least $5,000. In further attempts to improve this practical trading strategy, we analyze an overlapping momentum trading strategy consisting of a more frequent trading of a smaller number of “winner” stocks. We find that increasing the trading frequency initially increases the risk-adjusted returns of these portfolios up to an optimal point, after which excessive transaction costs begin to dominate the scene. In a calibration study, we find that, depending on the initial investment amount of the portfolio, the optimal momentum trading frequency ranges from bi-yearly to monthly.
An investigation of the change in real estate investment trust betas

The betas on equity real estate investment trusts (EREITs) have undergone a structural shift in the past 20 years. We show that this is the result of the lower variability of EREIT returns and argue that the decrease in the standard deviation of EREIT returns can be attributed to the increasing levels of information about EREITs. We find that the number of analysts following the EREITs industry, as measured by IBES, can significantly explain the drop in the standard deviation for most EREITs. This was also found to be the case for another proxy for the level of information—the trading volume of the EREIT index.
Agency, Well-being & Inequality: Reflections on the Gender Dimensions of Poverty

Summary Despite their apparent gender-neutrality, most discussions of poverty have been premised on the concept of a male actor and of male-centred notions of well-being and agency. The assumption underpinning income/consumption and well-being measures is that shortfalls in income/consumption translate into shortfalls in choice, and are manifested in shortfalls in well-being. However, gender introduces disjunctures into this process, with the result that these measures inadequately capture women's experience of poverty. The basic conundrum that plagues attempts to conceptualize the gender dimensions of poverty stems from the operation of the forces that create scarcity, on the one hand, and discrimination, on the other. The form in which women's poverty manifests itself depends on the cultural context far more than it does for men, suggesting that it cannot be understood through the same conceptual lens.
When does turnout matter? the case of Poland

THERE ARE TWO CLASSIC REASONS for a concern with electoral turnout. First, a 'top-down' concern centred on legitimacy, authority, governance and ultimately governability. Second, a 'bottom-up' concern about representation, political equality and the 'quality of democracy'. Low levels of electoral participation may erode the legitimacy of a regime, and low levels of electoral participation may lead to an unrepresentative outcome. Both are possible consequences of low turnout, but neither is a necessary consequence. It remains an empirical question whether low turnout does in fact erode legitimacy or produce a distorted outcome. Poland is a particularly interesting case. Brady & Kaplan claim that the Polish double referendum of 1987 'marked the beginning of the end of Communist hegemony in Eastern Europe'. ' Ironically, the regime won the referendum by margins that would be beyond the aspirations of politicians operating in most democratic regimes. Solidarity campaigned for a boycott of this referendum-and by today's standards, though not the standards of the 1980s, it failed miserably. Jaruzelski won 64% of the vote on price increases and 69% on political reform-with a turnout rate of over 67% of electors on both questions. But he had set a self-imposed target of gaining the support of 50% of all electors (not voters). So what in any established democracy would have counted as an overwhelming success for the regime was widely interpreted as a 'spectacular defeat for the authorities'2 and contributed to the collapse of the regime. A regime brought down-at least in part-by winning only two-thirds of the vote on a turnout of only two-thirds of electors! Clearly some turnouts matter more than others.
Strategies for the Implementation of Service Innovations

Implementation strategies are the ways in which information about a new service innovation are shared with those employees who must execute on the innovation. This article examines the relationship between innovation success and the frequency of use of various strategies for the implementation of two specific nationwide service innovations in the North American hotels of a global lodging chain. Cost and service quality–based innovations were found to rely on different implementation strategies, suggesting that the connection between an implementation strategy and success depends on the type of innovation. In the hotel chain studied, the most successful strategy for implementing quality innovations was individual counseling, while rewards and focus groups were most strongly associated with success when implementing cost-based innovations. A mix of execution strategies including implementation by persuasion, leader intervention, participation, and even edict were linked to service innovation success. Participative employee-centered implementation strategies emerged as the most critical in the diffusion of service innovations.
Involvement of the Matrix and Nucleocapsid Domains of the Bovine Leukemia Virus Gag Polyprotein Precursor in Viral RNA Packaging

ABSTRACT The RNA packaging process for retroviruses involves a recognition event of the genome-length viral RNA by the viral Gag polyprotein precursor (PrGag), an important step in particle morphogenesis. The mechanism underlying this genome recognition event for most retroviruses is thought to involve an interaction between the nucleocapsid (NC) domain of PrGag and stable RNA secondary structures that form the RNA packaging signal. Presently, there is limited information regarding PrGag-RNA interactions involved in RNA packaging for the deltaretroviruses, which include bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and -2, respectively). To address this, alanine-scanning mutagenesis of BLV PrGag was done with a virus-like particle (VLP) system. As predicted, mutagenesis of conserved basic residues as well as residues of the zinc finger domains in the BLV NC domain of PrGag revealed residues that led to a reduction in viral RNA packaging. Interestingly, when conserved basic residues in the BLV MA domain of PrGag were mutated to alanine or glycine, but not when mutated to another basic residue, reductions in viral RNA packaging were also observed. The ability of PrGag to be targeted to the cell membrane was not affected by these mutations in MA, indicating that PrGag membrane targeting was not associated with the reduction in RNA packaging. These observations indicate that these basic residues in the MA domain of PrGag influence RNA packaging, without influencing Gag membrane localization. It was further observed that (i) a MA/NC double mutant had a more severe RNA packaging defect than either mutant alone, and (ii) RNA packaging was not found to be associated with transient localization of Gag in the nucleus. In summary, this report provides the first direct evidence for the involvement of both the BLV MA and NC domains of PrGag in viral RNA packaging.
Family leave coverage in the 1990s

This article examines family leave coverage in the 1990s, a period of particular interest because it includes the years immediately before and after the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in February 1993 and its implementation in August of that year. The Act was the subject of a good deal of controversy before its passage, but there have been few studies of its impact to date. Research on this topic is particularly important in the light of recent trends in employment for women. More than half (52 percent) of women with children under the age of 1 year were employed in 1998, compared with just two-fifths 10 years earlier. 1 Research is also important in the wake of State and Federal welfare reform initiatives that emphasize moving women from welfare to work, because these reforms will increasingly affect women with young children. The article concludes that family leave coverage increased after the FMLA became law, with a particularly sharp increase in paternity leave coverage for men. The increase in coverage was greatest among those covered by the Act, suggesting that the law did have a positive impact on coverage. At the same time, State legislation regarding family leave is also an important source of coverage, particularly for workers in small firms not covered by the FMLA.
Mortality in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Results of the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged (LEILA75+).

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate whether mortality is higher for individuals suffering from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). METHODS A community sample of 1,045 dementia-free individuals aged 75 years and over was examined using neuropsychological tests over a 4.5-year period. Data were analyzed with the Cox proportional hazards model after having been adjusted for age, gender, and incident dementia. RESULTS Association between MCI and mortality was examined subject to varied diagnostic criteria of MCI. We found an increased risk of death that was about 1.5 times higher for individuals with MCI when a cognitive performance of more than 1.5 standard deviation below the mean of age- and education-matched controls was required and the criterion of a cognitive complaint was excluded. Males were at about a 40% increased risk of death. Risk also increased with age by about 8% per year. Incident dementia showed a significant influence on mortality only if it became manifest by 1.5 years after the baseline measurement (follow-up 1). CONCLUSION MCI is associated with increased mortality when certain diagnostic criteria are applied.
"BELIEVE ME!": AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF PERSUASIVE INTERACTION AT THE FARMERS' MARKET

Farmers’ markets have been growing in recent decades and one contributing factor is that customers have more interpersonal contact with sellers at farmers’ markets than they do at grocery stores. Increased interpersonal interaction means customers gain more personalized service, the ability to befriend farmers, and the opportunity to build community (Hinrichs, Gillespie, & Feenstra, 2004; Hunt, 2007; Robinson & Hartenfeld, 2007; Sommer, Herrick, & Sommer, 1981). While researchers have demonstrated that farmers’ markets offer a social experience, few scholars have critically analyzed the customer-farmer relationship as an object of study on its own. In other words, existing research offers limited generalizations about markets as a social, interpersonal space (Hunt, 2007; McGrath, Sherry, & Heisley, 1993; Robinson & Hartenfeld, 2007). Some scholars romanticize customer-farmer relationships without articulating the potential negative dimensions of these relationships (Robinson & Hartenfeld, 2007). Researchers have conducted an abundance of survey work on markets. Existing survey research categorizes customer preferences, but it fails to interrogate how farmers use persuasion to influence customers and make sales (Andreatta & Wickliffe, 2002; Feagan & Morris, 2009; Hunt, 2007; Trobe, 2001). Customer-farmer interaction is predicated on farmers persuading customers to purchase products. By analyzing the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market in Lawrence, Kansas, I provide a richer understanding of interpersonal relationships and the persuasive dynamics that occur between farmers and customers. Using ethnographic methods, I interviewed 36 participants, conducted 100 hours of market observations, and wrote 282 pages of double-spaced fieldnotes. Results revealed the five dominant messages that farmers sent to customers were: (1) the quality of the products is
A Novel Mechanism of Modulation of Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated Channels by Src Kinase*[boxs]

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCN1-4) play a crucial role in the regulation of cell excitability. Importantly, they contribute to spontaneous rhythmic activity in brain and heart. HCN channels are principally activated by membrane hyperpolarization and binding of cAMP. Here, we identify tyrosine phosphorylation by Src kinase as another mechanism affecting channel gating. Inhibition of Src by specific blockers slowed down activation kinetics of native and heterologously expressed HCN channels. The same effect on HCN channel activation was observed in cells cotransfected with a dominant-negative Src mutant. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated that Src binds to and phosphorylates native and heterologously expressed HCN2. Src interacts via its SH3 domain with a sequence of HCN2 encompassing part of the C-linker and the cyclic nucleotide binding domain. We identified a highly conserved tyrosine residue in the C-linker of HCN channels (Tyr476 in HCN2) that confers modulation by Src. Replacement of this tyrosine by phenylalanine in HCN2 or HCN4 abolished sensitivity to Src inhibitors. Mass spectrometry confirmed that Tyr476 is phosphorylated by Src. Our results have functional implications for HCN channel gating. Furthermore, they indicate that tyrosine phosphorylation contributes in vivo to the fine tuning of HCN channel activity.
Pricing by state-owned enterprises: the case of postal services

Sappington and Sidak develop a model of state-owned enterprise (SOE) pricing behavior in which firms maximize a weighted average of revenues and profits. The model predicts that SOEs will lower prices in more-elastic markets and raise them in less-elastic markets if the weight they place on profit is positive. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 relaxed the institutional constraints on pricing by the US Postal Service, which allows a test of the Sappington-Sidak model. The model's predictions are broadly confirmed. Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act in 2006, which may help address some anticompetitive concerns in this industry. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation and Audit Quality

Abstract In a setting where mandatory audit firm rotation has been effective for more than 20 years (i.e. Italy), we analyse changes in audit quality during the auditor engagement period. In our research setting, auditors are appointed for a three-year period and their term can be renewed twice up to a maximum of nine years. Since the auditor has incentives to be re-appointed at the end of the first and the second three-year periods, we expect audit quality to be lower in the first two three-year periods compared to the third (i.e. the last) term. Assuming that a better audit quality is associated with a higher level of accounting conservatism, and using abnormal working capital accruals as a proxy for the latter, we find that the auditor becomes more conservative in the last three-year period, i.e. the one preceding the mandatory rotation. These results are confirmed using Basu's [1997. The conservatism principle and the asymmetric timeliness of earnings. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 24(1), 3–37] timely loss recognition model. In an additional analysis, we use earnings response coefficients as a proxy for investor perception of audit quality, and we observe results consistent with an increase in audit quality perception in the last engagement period.
Verdoorn's law and increasing returns to scale in the UK regions, 1968–91: some new estimates based on the cointegration approach

The Johansen approach to estimating long-run cointegration vectors is used with 1968-91 U.K. region by industry data to estimate returns to scale. Thus, this approach has the advantages of including a measure of capital, it overcomes the simultaneity problems associated with the single-equation Verdoorn law, and it involves estimating a correctly specified dynamic model in which is embedded the long-run solutions(s). The results indicate that there is substantial evidence that increasing returns are the norm for the majority of manufacturing industries in British regions. Copyright 1998 by Royal Economic Society.
Characterization of Clinical Isolates of Enterobacteriaceae from Italy by the BD Phoenix Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Detection Method

ABSTRACT Production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) is an important mechanism of β-lactam resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. Identification of ESBLs based on phenotypic tests is the strategy most commonly used in clinical microbiology laboratories. The Phoenix ESBL test (BD Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, Md.) is a recently developed automated system for detection of ESBL-producing gram-negative bacteria. An algorithm based on phenotypic responses to a panel of cephalosporins (ceftazidime plus clavulanic acid, ceftazidime, cefotaxime plus clavulanic acid, cefpodoxime, and ceftriaxone plus clavulanic acid) was used to test 510 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Proteus mirabilis, Providencia stuartii, Morganella morganii, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter freundii, and Citrobacter koseri. Of these isolates, 319 were identified as ESBL producers, and the remaining 191 were identified as non-ESBL producers based on the results of current phenotypic tests. Combined use of isoelectric focusing, PCR, and/or DNA sequencing demonstrated that 288 isolates possessed blaTEM-1- and/or blaSHV-1-derived genes, and 28 had a blaCTX-M gene. Among the 191 non-ESBL-producing isolates, 77 isolates produced an AmpC-type enzyme, 110 isolates possessed TEM-1, TEM-2, or SHV-1 β-lactamases, and the remaining four isolates (all K. oxytoca strains) hyperproduced K1 chromosomal β-lactamase. The Phoenix ESBL test system gave positive results for all the 319 ESBL-producing isolates and also for two of the four K1-hyperproducing isolates of K. oxytoca. Compared with the phenotypic tests and molecular analyses, the Phoenix system displayed 100% sensitivity and 98.9% specificity. These findings suggest that the Phoenix ESBL test can be a rapid and reliable method for laboratory detection of ESBL resistance in gram-negative bacteria.