Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Market imperfections, skills and total factor productivity: Firm-level evidence on Belgium and the Netherlands

This paper revisits the relationship between competition and total factor productivity by analyzing how the type and the degree of product and labor market imperfections a¤ect di¤erent moments of total factor productivity distributions. Following the methodology developed in Dobbelaere and Mairesse (2013), we use an unbalanced panel of 5,285 ? rms over the period 2003-2011 in Belgium and 9,653 ? rms over the period 1999-2008 in the Netherlands to ? rst classify 30 comparable manufacturing and service industries in 6 distinct regimes that di¤er in the type of competition prevailing in product and labor markets. In both countries, the dominant regime is one of imperfect competition in the product market and e¢ cient bargaining in the labor market. We ? nd important cross-country differences in the composition of industries making up the regimes and cross-country variation in the levels of product and labor market imperfection parameters within the dominant regime. We then provide clear descriptive evidence of total factor productivity distributional characteristics varying by the type of competition predominating in product and labor markets and to some extent by the degree of product and labor market imperfections. In both countries, average total factor productivity growth rates are found to be higher in high-skilled enterprises in all regimes, except for the regime characterized by perfect competition in both markets.
An Introduction to African Politics

List of Tables Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: State, civil society and external interests 2. History: Africa's pre-colonial and colonial inheritance 3. Ideology: Nationalism, socialism, populism and state capitalism 4. Ethnicity: Ethnic groups, 'tribes' and political identity 5. Social Class: The search for class politics in Africa 6. Legitimacy: Neo-patrimonialism, personal rule and the centralisation of the African state 7. Coercion: Military intervention in African politics 8. Sovereignty: External influence on African politics 9. Sovereignty Again: Neo-colonialism, structural adjustment and Africa's political economy 10. Authority: The crises of accumulation, governance and state collapse 11. Democracy: Re-legitimising the African state? 12. Conclusions: State and civil society in post-colonial Africa
Establishment of a lymphoid cell line from leukemic cells of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Two lymphoid cell lines were established from a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia by infecting blood cells with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV). Studies of morphology, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, immunoglobulin, and chromosomes of the two lines indicated that one of them originated from leukemic cells while the other arose from residual normal blood cells. The morphology and capacity for immunoglobulin secretion in the line that arose from leukemic cells were similar to those found in EVB‐carrying lymphoblastoid cell lines grown from patients without neoplasia and differed from those seen in fresh chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. These observations suggest that the introduction of EBV into the leukemic cells may have caused them to differentiate in a fashion similar to that noted in normal B cells after exposure to EBV.
Conditional versus unconditional cash: a commentary

To condition or not to condition; that is a question that preoccupies social protection experts and policy-makers alike, and one that divides rights-based camps from the incentives-based ones. This commentary argues that this debate may be a red herring. The line between conditional and unconditional (or social) cash transfer programmes is blurred at best. Both conditions and the ‘no-strings-attached’ version need to be communicated and perceived as such by programme implementers and beneficiaries for the programme to be interpreted as being one or the other. A key distinction found between the cash transfer programmes in Latin America, mostly conditioned, and those in Africa, mostly unconditioned, is the incorporation in the latter of a substantial role for the community in the overall selection of the beneficiaries. The commentary argues that an interesting area for further research would be to look at how this community participation leads to explicit or implicit peer monitoring, and thereby acts in a similar way as a condition does.
The perioperative complication rate of orthopedic surgery in sickle cell disease: Report of the national sickle cell surgery study group

Orthopedic disease affects the majority of sickle cell anemia patients of which aseptic necrosis of the hip is the most common, occurring in up to 50% of patients. We conducted a multicentered study to determine the perioperative complications among sickle cell patients assigned to different transfusion regimens prior to orthopedic procedures: 118 patients underwent 138 surgeries. The overall serious complication rate was 67%. The most common of these were excessive intraoperative blood loss, defined as in excess of 10% of blood volume. The next most common complication was sickle cell‐related events (acute chest syndrome or vaso‐occlusive crisis), which occurred in 17% of cases. While preoperative transfusion group assignment did not predict overall complication rates, higher risk procedures were associated with significantly higher rates of overall complications. Transfusion complications were experienced by 12% of the patients. Two patients died following surgery. Both deaths were associated with an acute pulmonary event. The 52 patients undergoing hip replacements experienced the highest rate of complications with excessive intraoperative blood loss occurring in the majority of patients. Sickle cell‐related events occurred in 19% of patients, and surgical complications occurred after 15% of hip replacements and included postoperative hemorrhage, dislocated prosthesis, wound abscess, and rupture of the femoral prosthesis. There were twenty‐two hip coring procedures. Acute chest syndrome occurred in 14% of the patients. Overall, decompression coring was a safer, shorter operation. A randomized prospective trial to determine the perioperative and long‐term efficacy of core decompression for avascular necrosis of the hip in sickle cell disease is needed. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a high rate of perioperative complications despite compliance with sickle cell perioperative care guidelines. Pulmonary complications and transfusion reactions were common. This study supports the results previously published by the National Preoperative Transfusion in Sickle Cell Disease Group. These results stated that a conservative preoperative transfusion regimen to bring hemoglobin concentration to between 9 and 11 g/dl was as effective as an aggressive transfusion regimen in which the hemoglobin S level was lowered to 30%. Am. J. Hematol. 62:129–138, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sexual dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in female patients with fibromyalgia (FM), the impact of FM on sexual activity and the factors associated with sexual dysfunction in these patients. METHODS Thirty-one consecutive women with FM were enrolled; two groups of 20 aged-matched healthy women and 26 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were used as controls. Demographic features were recorded in all patients. A cross-sectional analysis of pain (100-mm VAS scale), anxiety and depression (as determined by the STAI and Beck Depression Inventory scales, respectively) was performed. Sexual function was assessed by the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ). RESULTS FM and RA patients showed a significantly higher rate of sexual dysfunction compared to healthy controls. Sexual dysfunction was more frequent among FM patients (97%) than in RA patients (84%) but without statistical differences. A univariate analysis showed that age (p=0.0002), marital (p=0.036) and work status (p=0.048), pain intensity (p=0.007), level of anxiety (p=0.002), level of depression (p=0.0005), were significantly associated with sexual dysfunction in FM. However, only the intensity of depression was associated with the sexual dysfunction in patients with FM in the multivariate analysis (p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS Sexual function was very frequently and severely affected in patients with FM and this impairment appeared to be particularly associated with the degree of depression. The recognition of this dysfunction and its inclusion for the multidisciplinary management of FM may contribute to improve quality of life of these patients.
Error characteristics research and parameter optimization design for the electronic capacitive voltage transformers

In order to further improve the sensor design of electronic capacitive voltage transformer (ECVT) based on capacitive voltage divider, after establishing the complete mathematical model of ECVT, the article presents the idea of using the complete mathematical model of ECVT capacitive voltage divider to analyze its error characteristics and optimize the design parameters based on the definition of transient and steady-state error. Takes the designed 220kV-ECTV system for example, the paper comprehensive analyze the transient and steady state error of three-phase ECVT from the point of view of practice running environment. The simulation and calculation results suggest that the comprehensive performance of ECVT is best, the precision can reach to 0.2 grade and the material can be save effectively, when the main capacitance of ECVT reaches 3500pF.
New Indicators for Tracking Growth in Real Time

We develop monthly indicators for tracking growth in 32 advanced and emerging-market economies. We test the historical performance of our indicators and find that they do a good job at describing the business cycle. In a recursive out-of-sample forecasting exercise, we find that the indicators generally produce good GDP growth forecasts relative to a range of time series models.
Susceptibility Genes for Multiple Sclerosis Identified in a Gene-Based Genome-Wide Association Study

Background and Purpose Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to identify more genes associated with MS. Methods Based on the publicly available data of the single-nucleotide polymorphism-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) from the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes, we conducted a powerful gene-based GWAS in an initial sample with 931 family trios, and a replication study sample with 978 cases and 883 controls. For interesting genes, gene expression in MS-related cells between MS cases and controls was examined by using publicly available datasets. Results A total of 58 genes was identified, including 20 "novel" genes significantly associated with MS (p<1.40×10-4). In the replication study, 44 of the 58 identified genes had been genotyped and 35 replicated the association. In the gene-expression study, 21 of the 58 identified genes exhibited differential expressions in MS-related cells. Thus, 15 novel genes were supported by replicated association and/or differential expression. In particular, four of the novel genes, those encoding myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), coiled-coil alpha-helical rod protein 1 (CCHCR1), human leukocyte antigen complex group 22 (HCG22), and major histocompatibility complex, class II, DM alpha (HLA-DMA), were supported by the evidence of both. Conclusions The results of this study emphasize the high power of gene-based GWAS in detecting the susceptibility genes of MS. The novel genes identified herein may provide new insights into the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying MS.
Innovation, networking and the new industrial clusters: the characteristics of networks and local innovation capabilities in the Turkish industrial clusters

Elaborating on the literature on industrial districts, this paper suggests that innovation and networking are the two key issues, which provide the new generation industrial clusters’ competitive capacity in the globalization process. The paper presents the findings on the innovative and networking capabilities of the three important industrial clusters of Turkey based on the data collected from the sample firms in each of these industrial clusters through in-depth interviews. The findings clearly show the importance of local and national networking as well as global linkages and confirm the positive relation between intensity of local networking and innovativeness. Moreover, the paper provides evidence that firms within global networks have higher numbers of innovations than firms with higher intensity of locally embedded linkages.
Influence of the claimant’s behavioural features on motor compensation outcomes

The decision to settle a motor insurance claim by either negotiation or trial is analysed. This decision may depend on how risk and confrontation adverse or pessimistic the claimant is. The extent to which these behavioural features of the claimant might influence the final compensation amount are examined. An empirical analysis, fitting a switching regression model to a Spanish database, is conducted in order to analyze whether the choice of the conflict resolution procedure is endogenous to the compensation outcomes. The results show that compensations awarded by courts are always higher, although 95% of cases are settled by negotiation. We show that this is because claimants are adverse to risk and confrontation, and are pessimistic about their chances at trial. By contrast, insurers are risk /confrontation neutral and more objective in relation to the expected trial compensation. During the negotiation insurers accept to pay the subjective compensation values of claimants, since these values are lower than their estimates of compensations at trial.
Survey on the Use of Derivatives in Indonesia

This paper provides survey evidence on the use of derivatives among firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The finding shows that the participation rate in the use of derivatives is 28.8 percent, much lower than those found in developed countries. For the derivatives non-users, insignificant risk exposure is reported as the most important rationale for not using derivatives. Consumer goods industry constitutes the largest proportion of firms using derivatives. The majority of respondents utilize derivatives to hedge against financial risks rather than to speculate. Foreign currency risk and interest rate risk are the most important types of risks faced with by respondents. Using the Chi-square and the Fisher’s exact tests, the result corroborates the size effect hypothesis, where the use of derivatives is more popular among large firms than small firms. A SURVEY ON THE USE OF DERIVATIVES IN INDONESIA Keywords: derivatives; hedging; risk management
The Information-Content Of Nonearnings Accounting Numbers As Earnings Predictors

This paper provides empirical evidence on the predictive ability and information content of nonearnings annual report numbers beyond that contained in earnings. ' I take an "earnings prediction" approach to address the incremental information content issue.2 Under this approach, nonearnings accounting numbers, jointly, play the role of predictors of future earnings changes. Specifically, I investigate whether nonearnings accounting numbers convey information about future earnings that is not reflected in current earnings; and if they do, whether this incremental predictive content is reflected in stock prices.
The "Greatest" Carry Trade Ever? Understanding Eurozone Bank Risks

We show that eurozone bank risks during 2007–2013 can be understood as carry trade behavior. Bank equity returns load positively on peripheral (Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, or GIIPS) bond returns and negatively on German government bond returns, which generated carry until the deteriorating GIIPS bond returns adversely affected bank balance sheets. We find support for risk-shifting and regulatory arbitrage motives at banks in that carry trade behavior is stronger for large banks and banks with low capital ratios and high risk-weighted assets. We also find evidence for home bias and moral suasion in the subsample of GIIPS banks.
Climate Change Litigation's Regulatory Pathways: A Comparative Analysis of the United States and Australia

This article provides a critical next step in scholarship on climate change litigation's regulatory role. It creates a model for understanding the direct and indirect regulatory roles of this litigation. It then applies this model to the United States and Australia, two key jurisdictions for climate change lawsuits, in order to explore the regulatory pathways that this litigation has taken, is taking, and likely will take. This analysis helps to illuminate the ways in which litigation influences regulation and forms part of climate change governance.
Intertemporal Substitution in Labor Supply: Evidence from Micro Data

The sensitivity of the supply of labor to intertemporal variation in the wage is an important issue in macroeconomics, the analysis of social security and pensions, and the study of life-cycle patterns of work. This paper explores two approaches to the measurement of intertemporal substitution that have appeared in the literature. The first approach is to use consumption to control for wealth and unobserved expectations about future wages in the labor supply equation. The second approach is to estimate a first-difference equation for hours in which labor supply from the previous period serves as a control for wealth and wage expectations. The results indicate that intertemporal substitution elasticity for married men is positive but small.
The Australian Undergraduate Economics Degree: Results from a Survey of Students*

This article reports the results of a large survey of Australian undergraduate economics students. The students were queried about their sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for selecting a university economics degree, university experience in learning economics, assessment of their university economics programs, and future education and career plans. They also assigned themselves expected grades on hypothetical examination questions in macroeconomics, macroeconomics, and economic statistics. The students rated their lectures and the rigor of their curriculum as the strengths of their degree. They were most disappointed about their training in writing essays, the course advising they received, and their instruction in problem solving. Copyright 1994 by The Economic Society of Australia.
The Effects of the Great Recession on the Retirement Security of Older Workers

The Great Recession had a profound effect on the retirement security of older Americans, and the slow recovery from the downturn will have a lasting impact on their quality of life. The nature of today’s retirement system left older households exposed to the collapse in the equity and housing markets and induced many to plan for a later retirement. More late-career workers experienced job loss than in previous recessions, often with long jobless spells, encouraging a record number of early Social Security retirement claims and disability applications. Going forward, workers who lost a job can expect lower earnings and more instability and, potentially, poorer health. Even households that avoided job loss will have less money available for spending in retirement due to low interest rates and reduced home values. These findings emphasize the importance of Social Security as income insurance and the need for a more robust retirement income system.
Privatisation as State Advance: Private Indirect Government in Vietnam

This article considers the significance of privatisation for the changing nature of state power through a case study of Vietnam. In particular, it is concerned with what privatisation – or equitisation as it is called in Vietnam – can tell us in terms of new ways in which power is being exercised in an era of neoliberal globalisation. The starting point for this research was some puzzlement on the part of the author as to how exactly we should understand equitisation in Vietnam. At times, it appeared as if equitisation was largely a bureaucratic exercise with little substantive change in terms of how firms actually operate. Such thinking goes back to the late 1990s when equitisation in Vietnam suddenly gathered pace after years of going nowhere. For this researcher, the reasons for this were obscure; hence the question as to whether an acceleration of the equitisation process represented more a bureaucratic sleight of hand than substantive change. Having conducted this research, the author no longer thinks that equitisation is insignificant in terms of its implications for how firms operate but the question of how much change does equitisation entail and in what respects remains. Although the effects of privatisation have been hotly debated, there is a strong body of literature which associates privatisation with improved firm performance and not just in Vietnam. However, until we have a better understanding of what is going on inside these firms, the question of how this is possible remains unanswered. Beyond this, the article is motivated by a desire to re-examine the widely held view that privatisation (or equitisation) should be viewed in terms of a retreat of the state. Of course, there is recognition in the literature on Vietnam – and China – that equitisation to date has been a partial affair or that state officials have very often been the beneficiaries of share sales. In Vietnam, comment is often made about the name – equitisation rather than privatisation – with the implication that this in some way reflects ideological resistance on the part of the state. Reference has also been made to the fact that the state in Vietnam often retains a high percentage of company shares even after equitisation – again cited to suggest an unwillingness on the part of the state to ‘let go’. Furthermore, it has been noted that equitisation has generally involved only the smaller state enterprises and New Political Economy, Vol. 14, No. 2, June 2009
Borderline ovarian tumors, fertility-sparing surgery and pregnancy outcome.

BACKGROUND Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) represent a type of epithelial tumors having a biologic intermediate behavior between clearly malignant and straight benign tumors. Most of BOTs interest women during fertile age, for which it is necessary to consider a fertility sparing surgery. AIM To evaluate the clinical aspects and pregnancy rate of women affected by borderline ovarian tumors who have undergone fertility sparing surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS A study of 22 patients affected by BOTs who have been treated with a fertility sparing surgery was conducted between January 2005 and October 2011 at Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University of Rome. The patients' characteristics analyzed were: age, histological type, tumor size, adnexal surgery, pre-operative serum CA-125, diagnostic circumstances, number of patients who became pregnant and number of overall pregnancies. RESULTS Among the 22 patients treated with a fertility sparing surgery, only sixteen wanted to get pregnant. Eleven patents out of 16 accomplished it. The pregnancy rate was 68.7%. CONCLUSIONS Fertility sparing surgery can be considered a safe procedure for young women affected by borderline ovarian tumors.