Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wealth Effects in Emerging Economies

In this paper I estimate the impact of changes in real and financial wealth i? ½ proxied by house and stock market prices i? ½ on private consumption for a panel of sixteen emerging economies in Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. Using recent econometric techniques for heterogeneous panels, i.e. the pooled mean group estimator, inference is drawn about the long- and short-run relationship between the variables of interest. Both real and financial wealth are found to affect household consumption positively in the long-run, with the elasticity of housing wealth being greater than that of stock market wealth. When the model is run separately for the two groups of countries, the long-run impact of an increase (decrease) in house prices is generally greater in Central and Eastern European economies than in Asian ones, which make the former more vulnerable to further adverse developments in the housing market.
An exploratory investigation of factors shaping electronic commerce practices in Iran

Purpose – The purpose of this paper it to examine Electronic commerce (e-commerce) practices of Iranian business organizations, as a “traditional” business culture, as it compares to a “developed” business culture such as the one existing in business organizations in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Executives from a sample of 50 business organizations in Iran were interviewed and asked to complete the research questions pertaining to e-commerce practices in their organizations. A factor analysis procedures with varimax rotations is used to analyze the data collected from these organizations. Findings – Comparing the result of this study with an earlier study on a sample of business organization in the USA shows more similarities than differences. Based on the results of the study, it appears that e-commerce practices and related technology present similar opportunities and challenges to organizations regardless of their business culture. Lack of appropriate technological hardware and software, howe.
Variation in Pineal Melatonin Content during the Estrous Cycle of the Rat

Abstract Pineal levels of melatonin exhibit a circadian rhythm in the rat. To determine if this rhythm varies during the estrous cycle, adult rats were sacrificed every 2 hr from 2000 hr (prior to lights off) until 0800 hr (2 hr after lights on) throughout each day of the 4-day estrous cycle. Pineal glands were assayed for melatonin by radioimmunoassay. A significant circadian rhythm in the pineal content of melatonin was evident each day of the cycle with peak levels exhibited during the dark phase. There were significant differences in titers of melatonin present at 0200, 0400, and 0600 hr between various stages of the cycle. In general, highest nighttime levels occurred during the evenings of metestrus and diestrus, with levels at a minimum on the evening of estrus. These data indicate that the circadian pineal melatonin rhythm is a function of estrous cycle stage in the rat, and, thus, important differences exist in the pineal biosynthetic dynamics of this species relative to those of seasonal breeders such as the hamster and sheep. Additionally, the results suggest that hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, and not serotonin N-acetyltransferase, is the regulatory enzyme responsible for these estrous stage differences in pineal melatonin content.
Differentiation Potential of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells When Cocultured with Smooth Muscle Cells, and the Role of Low-Intensity Laser Irradiation.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate the differentiation potential of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) when cocultured with smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and to determine the role of low-intensity laser irradiation (LILI). BACKGROUND DATA ADSCs isolated from adipose tissue are isolated with ease and in large amounts. SMCs constitute most parts of the intestinal, urinary, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems. LILI has been found to have positive effects on different cell types, including ADSCs. METHODS The study used ADSCs (Stempro Adipose Derived Stem Cells-R7788-115) and SMCs (SKU-T-1 American Type Culture Collection HTB-114) cell lines. These cell lines were cocultured in a 1:1 ratio with and without growth factors and then exposed to LILI using 636 nm at 5 J/cm2. RESULTS Cell viability and proliferation increased significantly in the cocultured groups that were exposed to LILI alone, as well as in combination with growth factors. Further, there was a significant decrease in the expression of stem cell markers with a concomitant increase in SMC markers. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that ADSCs have the ability to differentiate into SMCs when cocultured with SMCs, whereas LILI potentially augments the differentiation potential and need. This further highlights the significant role that LILI has to offer ADSC therapy in regenerative medicine.
Measuring Electoral Competitiveness: With Application to the Indian States

This paper identifies the international credit channel of monetary policy by analyzing the universe of corporate loans in Mexico, matched with firm and bank balance-sheet data, and by exploiting foreign monetary policy shocks, given the large presence of European and U.S. banks in Mexico. The paper finds that a softening of foreign monetary policy increases the supply of credit of foreign banks to Mexican firms. Each regional policy shock affects supply via their respective banks (for example, U.K. monetary policy affects credit supply in Mexico via U.K. banks), in turn implying strong real effects, with substantially larger elasticities from monetary rates than quantitative easing. Moreover, low foreign monetary policy rates and expansive quantitative easing increase disproportionally more the supply of credit to borrowers with higher ex ante loan rates -- reach-for-yield -- and with substantially higher ex post loan defaults, thus suggesting an international risk-taking channel of monetary policy. All in all, the results suggest that foreign quantitative easing increases risk-taking in emerging markets more than it improves the real outcomes of firms.
How Can Companies Increase the Online Trust of Potential Customers

Internet, and specifically social media, has caused marketing to rapidly evolve over just a few years, shifting the power from companies to the hands of consumers. This universally causes challenges for companies as they need to rapidly enter social media and simultaneously quickly pick up the niches of social customer relationship management (SCRM). How then, can companies increase online trust of potential consumers? Recent literature research suggests a central element for successful SCRM to be online trust. If companies were to create favorable grounds for consumers’ online trust formation, it would lower the consumers’ resistance to shop online. This in turn would lead to long-tern and successful online customer relationships and positively increase online sales that companies today strive for. To verify this and get quantitative evidence of the presence and importance of online trust in purchase intentions, Salo and Karjaluoto’s conceptual model of trust was used as basis for this study, it was also for the first time tested. This empirical online study was answered by 130 international contestants in Webropol and analyzed in Excel and SPSS. This study did not unanimously verify all trust factors to be present, or of significant important as was expected, but this could be true for another sample group. A set back for cross-referencing and analyzing of results was the lack of benchmark studies of the model and online trust in general. It still is the author’s conclusion that this model is valid and therefore very beneficial for companies to use in their SCRM practices, as it offers concrete tools and specific areas of focus for companies to increase customers’ online trust and subsequently, increase sales. The recommendations for future research align with Salo and Karjaluoto, suggesting further exploration of the model and online trust in different contexts. Keywords/tags (subjects) CRM, social CRM, social media, online trust, trust, electronic word of mouth, internet user typology
Corporate governance and entrepreneurship at the organisational level in a frame of property rights

This doctoral dissertation has aimed to contribute to a modern theory of the firm that balances a disciplining view of the firm with an enabling view of the firm. This has been approached through exploring how corporate governance mechanisms influence entrepreneurship at the organisational level, in a frame of property rights. As such, the research model that guides the dissertation depicts a model that includes different corporate governance mechanisms and their relations to entrepreneurship at the organisational level. The model also includes different organisational forms by taking account of the holders of property rights and the bundles of rights and liabilities that are given to them. Based on this research model, six separate papers with specific research objectives have been chosen to be included in this dissertation. The empirical objects of this dissertation belong to two areas. One is the riding industry and Swedish riding schools, and the other is the waste management, and water & sewerage industries. Three overall conclusions that can be made are: (1) corporate governance mechanisms can influence entrepreneurship at the organisational level; (2) corporate governance mechanisms can have both stimulating and restraining influences on entrepreneurship at the organisational level; and (3) the influence of corporate governance mechanisms on entrepreneurship at the organisational level is contingent on the property rights allocation. The nature of this dissertation, however, is exploratory, suggesting the linkages and studies to be in need of further exploration and investigation.
Effect of feeding before, during and after milking on milk production and the hormones oxytocin, prolactin, gastrin and somatostatin

Feeding during milking has been shown to influence milk production, milk flow and milking time as well as the secretion of the pituitary hormones oxytocin and prolactin, and the gastrointestinal hormone somatostatin. However, it is not known whether feeding before or after milking has any effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the timing of feeding relative to milking influences milk production and flow, milking time and hormone secretion. The trial was carried out over 9 weeks with 24 cows at varying stages of lactation. Each treatment period lasted for 3 weeks, including one registration week. The cows were fed ad lib. and were exposed to three treatments: feeding 1·5 h before milking (FBM), feeding at exactly the same time as milking (FDM) and feeding 1·5 h after milking (FAM). The most marked treatment effect was observed during morning milking. FDM resulted in higher milk production and higher yields of protein and lactose. FAM produced a lower fat yield and a lower fat content compared with FDM, and a lower lactose content than either FBM and FDM. Milking time was longer when cows were fed during milking, but no significant effects on milk flow were found. The amount of milk collected during the first 2 min of milking was lower when cows were fed after milking. Milking-related oxytocin and somatostatin secretion was lower in FAM than in FDM. The level of prolactin was lower when cows were fed before or after than during milking. More studies are needed to elucidate whether there is a long-term effect on milk production related to the discussed milking routines.
An empirical investigation of ethnic food consumption: A perspective of majority ethnic group

Purpose – Due to globalization and latest immigration patterns, ethnic subgroups are emerging in almost all the advanced countries resulting in significant increase in ethnic food consumption; to which many issues are attached which are not adequately addressed in marketing literature. Recently, marketing researchers have started paying attention to different perspectives of ethnic consumption in intra-national contexts. Halal is one of such fastest growing ethnic food in western societies. The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively study Halal food consumption in majority ethnic groups in relation to possible resistances and acculturation in multicultural society of UK. Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire survey was used to collect data. Findings – The model was developed by using structural equation modeling (SEM) which shows that both consumer animosity and consumer racism negatively affect willingness to buy Halal food by majority ethnic groups whereas ongoing acculturation moderates t.
A social media revolution or just a case of history repeating itself? The use of social media in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary elections

This article analyses the use of social media by both candidates and citizens in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election campaign. Utilizing data on the candidates’ use of various social media sites, survey data from the 2011 Finnish election study, and survey data from a Finnish panel, the analyses reveal that the significance of social media was generally modest in the election campaign. The findings show that although candidates did use social media extensively, the on-line electoral patterns were found to be mostly normalized. The citizens’ use of social media in the campaign was also very low and its impact on their voting decision even smaller. However, the irrelevance of political interest in explaining extensive social media use, found in the analyses, break established patterns explaining political participation.
Jenni Korhonen Antibiotic Resistance of Lactic Acid Bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a heterogeneous group of bacteria found widely in nature . They colonize the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts of humans and animals, and are present in foods such as dairy products, fermented meats, fruits and vegetables. LAB are also intentionally added to several probiotic products because of their potential health benefits. Many LAB species are generally recognized as safe (GRAS), and several LAB species have received a Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) status given by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Resistance to antimicrobial d rugs (antibiotics) is a common character istic in the world of bacteria. In the interaction between bacteria, genetic material is transferred from one bacterium to another, and also genes coding for resistance to a certain antibiotic may be passed on to other bacterial species. Since LAB are natural and profitable inhabitants in many environments (gastrointestinal tract, several foods), strains with resistance to antibiotics would not be detrimental to the wellbeing of humans or animals. However, there is some concern that antibiotic resistance in LAB could then be transferred to possibly pathogenic bacterial species, complicating the treatment of a d isease or infection and lead to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Hitherto, only little attention has been paid to the antimicrobial susceptibilities of LAB (European Commission. 2005, European Commission 2008). In order to illustrate the current situation of antibiotic resistance patterns in beneficial LAB, stud ies were first conducted to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria of animal and human origins, and secondly to evaluate their antimicrobial resistance patterns. Moreover, tentative cutoff values d ivid ing the populations into susceptible and resistant were also proposed based on minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for a total of fourteen Lactobacillus species. Most of the LAB strains were found to be suscep tible to all antimicrobial agents used in the stud ies. The most frequently found resistance was against tetracycline, followed by resistance against aminoglycosides. The horizontal transferability of antibiotic resistance between LAB (Lactococcus garvieae species) and pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes was also achieved , demonstrating that a gene coding for tetracycline resistance tet(S) can be transferred from a fish pathogen to a human pathogen by conjugation in vitro. Universal Decimal Classification:579.864, 615.015. 8, 615.33, 577.18 National Library of Medicine Classification: QW 142.5. A8, QW 45 CAB Thesaurus: lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus; drug resistance; antibiotics; tetracycline; aminoglycoside antibiotics; horizontal transmission; Lactococcus garvieae, Listeria monocytogenes
Instant Innovation: From Zero to Full Speed in Fifteen Years

ABSTRACT This paper considers the contributions of the Journal of Advertising Research to online research. The authors first identify those articles that contributed to the cumulative knowledge in this domain. A scoping review of the 1,930 papers published in the Journal yielded 126 papers that dealt with online research. Of these, 14 explicitly addressed issues with (and advantages of) online research. The authors summarize their findings, concluding that the Journal's foresight in this field has positioned it well for understanding and exploiting the Internet. The authors further posit that the cumulative tradition built will be pivotal in the field's evolution.
Comparative Efficacies of Terbinafine and Fluconazole in Treatment of Experimental Coccidioidal Meningitis in a Rabbit Model

ABSTRACT A rabbit model of coccidioidal meningitis was used to compare the therapeutic efficacies of terbinafine (TBF) and fluconazole (FCZ). Hydrocortisone acetate-treated New Zealand White male rabbits were infected intracisternally with either 2.2 × 104 or 6.4 × 104Coccidioides immitisarthroconidia. Oral treatment with polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG) twice daily (n = 8), TBF twice daily (n = 9; 200 mg/kg of body weight/day), or FCZ once daily (n= 8; 80 mg/kg/day) began on day 5 and continued for 21 days. Mean survival times were 20, 24, and 32 days for rabbits treated with PEG, TBF, and FCZ, respectively. All of the FCZ-treated animals (100%;P = 0.003), 56% of the TBF-treated animals (P = 0.4), and 25% of the PEG-treated animals survived the length of the study. Both FCZ and TBF were effective at reducing the incidence of paresis. Only FCZ was effective at reducing most neurological and systemic signs. FCZ treatments resulted in lower cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein concentrations and leukocyte counts and faster clearing of CSF fungal cultures compared with those for PEG-treated controls, but TBF treatments had no significant effect on these parameters. Neither drug affected CSF glucose levels. Mean serum TBF levels by bioassay were within the range of 3.5 to 6.2 μg/ml at 1, 2, and 4 h postdosing and 0.35 to 7.0 μg/ml at 14 h postdosing. No TBF was detected in CSF. Mean FCZ levels (24 to 25.5 h postdosing) by bioassay were 16.4 to 19.2 and 13.5 to 19.2 μg/ml in serum and CSF, respectively. The reduction in the numbers of CFU in the spinal cord and brain was over 100-fold (P= 0.0005) in FCZ-treated animals and 2-fold (P ≤ 0.2) in TBF-treated animals compared with those in PEG-treated animals. Histopathologic severity (semiquantitative scoring system) was significantly attenuated by FCZ treatment (P = 0.05) and was slightly attenuated by TBF treatment compared with that for the controls. In conclusion, TBF appeared to have a slight effect on survival, histology, and reduction of the numbers of CFU in tissue; however, these effects were not significant. FCZ was effective at controlling coccidioidal meningitis.
Managerial economics & business strategy

The fundamentals of managerial economics market forces - demand and supply quantitative demand analysis thetheory of individual behaviour the production process and costs the organization of the firm the nature of industry managing in competitive, monopolistic and monopolistically competitive markets basic oligopoly pricing strategies for firms with market power the economics of information a manager's guide to government in the marketplace.
Determinants of Expected Returns at Public Defined-Benefit Pension Plans

Estimated expected returns are important for pension plans, as they influence many plan characteristics including required asset levels, annual contributions, and the extent of plan under- or overfunding. Yet, there seems to be little prior literature on the factors influencing these estimated future returns. In an attempt to fill this gap, this paper presents the results of a panel analysis of data on the determinants of such returns used by US public defined-benefit (DB) pension plans for the period 2001–2011. As expected, we find that real return estimates by DB public pension funds are positively related to fund size, fund age, international asset diversification, state income, and corruption levels. However, more interestingly and importantly, we document that real return estimates by public US DB pension funds are positively related to cultural measures of individualism and masculinity, and negatively related to uncertainty avoidance. These results should be of much interest not only to scholars and pension beneficiaries, but also to fund managers, other capital market participants, and policymakers.
Evaluation of service screening mammography in practice: the impact on breast cancer mortality.

The efficacy of screening for breast cancer using mammography has been proven through eight randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the first being initiated in 1963 in New York [1]. The combined results of these studies after 12–20 years of follow-up demonstrate a significant 20% reduction in breast cancer mortality associated with invitation to screening [2]. The randomised evidence has led several organisations and governments around the world to implement screening programmes. Therefore, the focus has now moved from the randomised environment to measuring the effect of service screening mammography in the routine health-care setting, much in the same way that phase IV studies are carried out to monitor effects of a new drug in the post-marketing epoch. Reasons why the effectiveness of service screening mammography may differ from that observed in the randomised trials include: (i) the wider base of professionals carrying out service screening may have different skills and abilities; (ii) the logistics of running a mass screening programme may differ from the organisation of trial screening; (iii) the population invited may differ from those offered screening in the RCTs in terms of both risk of disease and compliance; (iv) mammographic and other techniques involved in the screening process may have improved since the trials were conducted; and (v) other factors such as therapeutic advances and earlier diagnosis through increased breast cancer awareness will influence outcomes.