Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essays in International Finance and Macroeconomics

The way in which governments borrow has changed dramatically over the last decade. The first two chapters of this dissertation study the implications of the rise of local currency sovereign borrowing in emerging markets. Chapter 1 presents a method to measure the credit risk on local currency sovereign debt. Chapter 2 argues that private sector balance sheet mismatch explains why nominal sovereign debt risk is not free from default risk. Chapter 3 studies the costs of sovereign default by exploiting the timing of legal rulings in the case of Republic of Argentina v. NML Capital to identify the causal effect of increases in sovereign default risk on firm performance.
Multiple modes of governance

The emergence of one or more alternatives to hierarchical and market mechanisms has been one of the most prominent themes of public management literature over the past decade. The intellectual sources of this analysis are diverse and the proliferation of labels for the third mode (networks, professionalism, egalitarianism, communitarianism) generates some confusion. This article outlines and compares and contrasts the range of theoretical approaches to defining the third (and fourth) mode. On the basis of this comparison, I argue that there are two important alternative modes to hierarchies and markets that need to be distinguished from each other, namely provider-based governance and community governance. The modes of governance heuristic will be most useful when the focus of analysis is shifted away from the achievement of governance and co-ordination to attempts to steer public management. This requires that we pay attention to the types of power and knowledge that are necessary to support different governance mechanisms. Finally, I suggest the metaphor of a card game involving suits provides a useful way of re-labelling the four modes. This metaphor can be applied to help think about how multiple modes are used by those who attempt to steer.
Factors distinguishing small firm growers and non-growers

Why do some firms grow while others do not? This study identifies factors present in growing small firms that are absent in non-growers. An inductive method is used with a theoretical sample of businesses with contrasting growth histories, selected as matched pairs from the same manufacturing and service industries in the same urban location. Replication logic identified four factors: opportunistic perceptions of the external environment; controlled ambition of the owner-manager to grow; business culture of innovation and flexibility; and use of extensive private business networks, including portfolio entrepreneurship. The role of organizational learning in underpinning these factors was also noted. The paper ends with some limitations and suggestions for further research.
Perceived Social Support Moderates the Link between Attachment Anxiety and Health Outcomes

Two literatures have explored some of the effects intimate relationships can have on physical and mental health outcomes. Research investigating health through the lens of attachment theory has demonstrated that more anxiously attached individuals in particular consistently report poorer health. Separate research on perceived social support (e.g., partner or spousal support) suggests that higher support has salutary influences on various health outcomes. Little to no research, however, has explored the interaction of attachment anxiety and perceived social support on health outcomes. The present study examined the attachment-health link and the moderating role of perceived social support in a community sample of married couples. Results revealed that more anxious persons reported poorer overall physical and mental health, more bodily pain, more medical symptoms, and impaired daily functioning, even after controlling for age, relationship length, neuroticism, and marital quality. Additionally, perceived social support interacted with attachment anxiety to influence health; more anxious individuals' health was poorer even when perceived social support was high, whereas less anxious individuals' health benefited from high support. Possible mechanisms underlying these findings and the importance of considering attachment anxiety in future studies of poor health in adulthood are discussed.
Immunomagnetic Isolation of Rat Bone Marrow-derived and Peritoneal Mast Cells

Mast cells are difficult to purify from heterogeneous cell populations and to preserve, especially for pre-embedding immunostaining at the ultrastructural level. We have developed a technique that permits the isolation of a pure population of mast cells suitable for immunocytochemical studies. A rat mast cell-specific monoclonal antibody (MAb AA4) conjugated to tosylactivated Dynabeads 450 was used to immunomagnetically separate mast cells from rat bone marrow and peritoneal cell suspensions. Approximately 85% of the mast cells were recovered in the positive population that comprised virtually pure mast cells. After microwave fixation, morphological examination showed that the cells were intact and retained their ultrastructural detail. Mast cells in all stages of maturation were immunolabeled with a panel of antibodies after immunomagnetic separation. The combination of immunomagnetic separation followed by immunostaining should prove useful for the study of mast cell maturation and for the characterization of other specific cell types that are present in tissues in only limited numbers.
The Impact of International Remittances on Child Outcomes and Household Expenditures in Nepal

ABSTRACT Nepal has one of the highest ratios of international remittances to gross domestic product in the world. We examine whether the massive inflow of international remittances affects child schooling, child labour and household expenses. Controlling extensively for a host of observed characteristics of households and migrants, and using an instrumental variable approach, this research finds no effect of international remittances on child education or child labour in Nepal. However, it does find a significant increase in non-food expenditures, including education spending, due to international remittances. Despite increased expenditure on child education, educational outcomes are not improving because of international remittances.
Evaluation of factors associated with platinum-sensitivity status and survival in limited-stage small cell lung cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy

In this retrospective study, we analyzed the association of clinicopathological factors and therapeutic plans with platinum-sensitivity status and survival of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) patients. We enrolled 452 LS-SCLC patients with 279 platinum sensitive and 173 platinum refractory patients. The low serum neuro-specific enolase levels (NSE; p = 0.011), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR; p = 0.013) and higher objective response rates (p = 0.003) were associated with sensitive group but not the refractory group. Multivariate analysis showed that treatment modality (HR = 0.267, p < 0.001), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; HR = 1.894, p = 0.016), NLR (HR = 2.043, p = 0.043) and platinum-sensitivity status (HR = 0.561, p = 0.036) were independent prognostic factors for survival. We further showed that the numbers of chemotherapy cycles and response to first-line therapy were independent prognostic factors for refractory patients only. Our study demonstrates that platinum-sensitivity status is of prognostic importance, as it is strongly associated with survival in LS-SCLC patients.
Selling the Celtic Arc to the USA: a comparative analysis of the destination brochure images used in the marketing of Ireland, Scotland and Wales

This paper evaluates the extent to which the marketing objectives of three similar destinations competing in the same market are reflected in their projected brochure images. Its principal contribution to the destination image literature, however, is its focus on the roles of brand imagery and 'destination specific icons' in the marketing of emerging, established and mature destinations. It is argued that in the increasingly competitive tourism world, emerging destinations will attempt to carve out a niche and to create images emphasising the uniqueness of their product. In order to achieve this individuality destinations use images which are specifically associated with themselves both to create and to reinforce their destination image, projected images which are here termed 'destination specific icons'. The paper examines the vacation brochure images of Ireland, Scotland and Wales using a content analysis which categorises images into seven groups: heritage; scenery and wild-life; activities; people; urban and rural life; consumption activities and destination specific icons. Specifically, the paper examines brochures targeted at the US market, the largest single source of overseas visitors for each of the three destinations. In view of their differing positions in this market, these three destinations provide excellent case studies for a comparative evaluation of their marketing objectives and the projected brochure images produced by their national tourism agencies. The paper concludes that Wales, a 'new' destination, is using imagery to commmunate a unique identity to a target audience, while Scotland, as an established destination, is using imagery to reinforce its brand identity. Ireland, in marked contrast, as a mature destination, does not need to use 'destination specific imagery' to reinforce its existing, strong identity. Evaluating imagery in this way has implications for tourism marketing planners both in the case study countries and in other destinations which may be attempting to establish or enhance an identity as a vacation destination.
The Role of Dissemination in Market Liquidity: Evidence from Firms' Use of Twitter

Firm disclosures often reach only a portion of investors, which results in information asymmetry among investors, and therefore lower market liquidity. This issue is particularly salient for firms that are not highly visible, as they tend not to receive broad news dissemination via traditional intermediaries, such as the press. This paper examines whether firms can reduce information asymmetry by more broadly disseminating their news. To isolate the impact of dissemination, we focus our analysis on firms' use of Twitter and exploit the 140-character message restriction. Specifically, using a sample of technology firms, we examine the impact of using Twitter to send market participants links to press releases that are provided via traditional disclosure methods. We find this additional dissemination of firm-initiated news via Twitter is associated with lower abnormal bid-ask spreads and greater abnormal depths, consistent with a reduction in information asymmetry. Moreover, this result holds mainly for firms that are not highly visible, consistent with them being in greater need of this additional dissemination channel. We also examine the impact of dissemination on a volume-based measure of liquidity, and find that dissemination is positively associated with liquidity.
Open Market Stock Repurchase Programs and Liquidity

In this paper I examine the behavior of bid and ask spreads and depths around announcements of open market stock repurchase programs. For a sample of 195 announcements from 1988 to 1990, I find statistically significant evidence of a small decline in spreads and no evidence of a shift in depths following the announcement date. Results are similar for a subsample of firms experiencing post-announcement declines in the number of shares outstanding. I conclude that open market repurchase programs as used recently do not adversely affect market liquidity.
Climate Vulnerability, Communities' Resilience and Child Labour

This article clarifies and quantifies the causal impact of climate change vulnerability on child labour incidence and intensity. For this purpose, we create an index of vulnerability to climate change, composed of biophysical vulnerability and communities’ resilience. Both, participation to economic activities and to household chores have been taken into account. We find that climate vulnerability negatively affects child labour incidence and intensity, while has no significant impact on household chores. We conclude that child labour is an adjustment variable to local labour market conditions, not correlated with communities’ resilience.
Anosognosia in Parietal Lobe Syndrome

Patients with right parietal lesions often deny their paralysis (anosognosia), but do they have "tacit" knowledge of their paralysis? I devised three novel tests to explore this. First, the patients were given a choice between a bimanual task (e.g., tying shoe laces) vs a unimanual one (e.g., threading a bolt). They chose the former on 17 of 18 trials and, surprisingly, showed no frustration or learning despite repeated failed attempts. I conclude that they have no tacit knowledge of paralysis (or, if such knowledge exists, it is not available for this particular task). Second, I used a "virtual reality box" to convey the optical illusion to the patient that she was moving her paralyzed left hand up and down to the rhythm of a metronome, and yet she showed no sign of surprise. Third, I irrigated patient BM's left ear canal with cold water, a procedure that is known to shift that patient's spatial frame of reference by stimulating the vestibular system. Surprisingly, this allowed her "repressed" memory of the paralysis to come to the surface; she said she had been paralyzed continuously for several days. I suggest that the vestibular stimulation produces these remarkable effects by mimicking REM sleep. These patients also employ a whole arsenal of grossly exaggerated Freudian "defense mechanisms" to account for their paralysis. To explain this, I propose that in normal individuals the left hemisphere ordinarily deals with small, local anomalies by trying to impose consistency but, when the anomaly exceeds threshold, an interaction with the right hemisphere forces a "paradigm shift. " A failure of this process, in patients with right hemisphere damage, might partially account for anosognosia. Finally, I present a new conceptual framework that may help link several psychological and neurological phenomena such as Freudian defense mechanisms, vestibular stimulation, anosognosia, memory repression, visual illusions, anterograde amnesia, REM sleep, dreaming, and humor.
The link between the management of employees and patient mortality in acute hospitals

The relationship between human resource management practices and organizational performance (including quality of care in health-care organizations) is an important topic in the organizational sciences but little research has been conducted examining this relationship in hospital settings. Human resource (HR) directors from sixty-one acute hospitals in England (Hospital Trusts) completed questionnaires or interviews exploring HR practices and procedures. The interviews probed for information about the extensiveness and sophistication of appraisal for employees, the extent and sophistication of training for employees and the percentage of staff working in teams. Data on patient mortality were also gathered. The findings revealed strong associations between HR practices and patient mortality generally. The extent and sophistication of appraisal in the hospitals was particularly strongly related, but there were links too with the sophistication of training for staff, and also with the percentages of staff working in teams.
A comparative analysis of three macro price forecasting models

This paper examines the relative performance of three different systems of forecasting movements in macro building prices. The three systems analysed are the Building Cost Information Service system, the Davis, Langdon & Everest system and Akintoye and Skitmore's reduced-form simultaneous equation. A battery of accuracy measures are used to compare the forecasts published by the Building Cost Information Service and Davis, Langdon & Everest systems and simulated out-sample forecasts made by the Akintoye and Skitmore system. The results indicate that, during the 3 year period commencing with the first quarter of 1988, the Akintoye and Skitmore system gives the most accurate forecasts for a zero to three quarters forecast horizon and the Building Cost Information Service system gives the most accurate forecasts for a four to eight quarters forecast horizon.
Probing amyloid‐β pathology in transgenic Alzheimer's disease (tgArcSwe) mice using MALDI imaging mass spectrometry

The pathological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) are still not understood. The disease pathology is characterized by the accumulation and aggregation of amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptides into extracellular plaques, however the factors that promote neurotoxic Aβ aggregation remain elusive. Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is a powerful technique to comprehensively elucidate the spatial distribution patterns of lipids, peptides and proteins in biological tissues. In the present study, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS)‐based imaging was used to study Aβ deposition in transgenic mouse brain tissue and to elucidate the plaque‐associated chemical microenvironment. The imaging experiments were performed in brain sections of transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice carrying the Arctic and Swedish mutation of amyloid‐beta precursor protein (tgArcSwe). Multivariate image analysis was used to interrogate the IMS data for identifying pathologically relevant, anatomical features based on their chemical identity. This include cortical and hippocampal Aβ deposits, whose amyloid peptide content was further verified using immunohistochemistry and laser microdissection followed by MALDI MS analysis. Subsequent statistical analysis on spectral data of regions of interest revealed brain region‐specific differences in Aβ peptide aggregation. Moreover, other plaque‐associated protein species were identified including macrophage migration inhibitory factor suggesting neuroinflammatory processes and glial cell reactivity to be involved in AD pathology. The presented data further highlight the potential of IMS as a powerful approach in neuropathology.
Managerial capabilities and paths to growth as determinants of high-growth small and medium-sized enterprises

This article attempts to examine the role of management capabilities and their relationship with the form of growth chosen by high-growth businesses using a resource based view perspective. The results of the analysis show that when selecting the type of strategy to achieve high growth, not all the capabilities of management are important. In order to grow fast and intensively, small and medium-sized businesses should possess high capabilities in specific functional areas. Businesses’ marketing and financial capabilities are positively associated with market expansion and innovation and as such are two ingredients to achieve high growth.
Conditions and diagnoses for which osteopathic primary care physicians and specialists use osteopathic manipulative treatment

Abstract Data presented in this study were gathered in 1998 through a national mail survey of 3000 randomly selected osteopathic physicians. Of 979 (33.4%) questionnaires returned, 955 (97.5%) were usable for analysis. The use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) was determined for primary care physicians and specialists. Osteopathic manipulative treatment specialists and family physicians provided OMT significantly more frequently than other primary care physicians and non-primary care specialists. More than 50% of respondents (513) administered OMT on less than 5% of their patients. Nevertheless, it should be noted that physicians from 40 of 46 specialties and subspecialties represented in the survey (678, 71%) identified an average of 3.3 conditions and diagnoses per physician that were managed with OMT. The conditions and diagnoses for which OMT is used have been enumerated and codified. More than 50% of conditions (1135) for which respondents treated patients with OMT related to the musculoskeletal system, but extensive overlap among other body systems and body regions attests to the continued incorporation of OMT into holistic patient care by a broad range of osteopathic physicians.
Transparency and incentives among peers

This article studies the effect of transparency among peers on the principal's cost of providing incentives. Using directed graphs to represent peer information, we show that under complementarity the cost of providing incentives is decreasing with the level of transparency within the organization. We also investigate the role of the architecture of the information in boosting incentives. In arguing that substitution impedes the benefits of transparency, we will compare function-based teams with process-based teams, showing that the latter are more effective in providing incentives. © 2010, RAND.
Thermal and Biomechanical Parameters of Porcine Cornea

Purpose. New methods in refractive surgery require a considerable understanding of the material “cornea” and are often studied by theoretical modeling in order to gain insight into the procedure and an optimized approach to the technique. The quality of these models is highly dependent on the preciseness of its input parameters. Porcine cornea often is used as a model in preclinical studies because of its similarity to man and its availability. Methods. The important physical parameters for biomechanical deformation, heat conduction, and collagen denaturation kinetics have been determined for porcine cornea. Experimental methods include densitometry, calorimetry, turbidimetry, tensile tests, stress relaxation, and hydrothermal isometric tension measurements. Results. The density of porcine cornea was measured as &rgr; = 1062 ± 5 kg/m3, the heat capacity gave c = 3.74 ± 0.05 J/gK. The stress–strain relation for corneal strips is represented by a third order approximation where the secant modulus yields about Esec ≈ 0.4 MPa for small strains less than 2%. The normalized stress relaxation is described by an exponential fit over time. The denaturation process of cornea is characterized by specific temperatures which can be related to the change of the mechanical properties. Denaturation kinetics are described according to the model of Arrhenius yielding the activation energy &Dgr;Ea = 106 kJ/mol and the phase transition entropy &Dgr;S = 39 J/(mol · K). Conclusions. The established set of parameters characterizes the porcine cornea in a reliable way that creates a basis for corneal models. It furthermore gives direct hints of how to treat cornea in certain refractive techniques.
The Role of Sector-Specific Skills in Post displacement Earnings

This paper examines how one form of transferable skills, those valued within an industry or sector, may influence reemployment and earnings following permanent job loss. The empirical analysis finds limited evidence of a sector- specific component to the returns to job tenure. The importance of these skills varies across sectors, with the strongest evidence found for sectors with sustained labor demand and growing employment. There is stronger evidence, particularly in reemployment, for a broader form of sector- specificity that is not related to tenure, such as job search skills and vocational training. There is also sectoral evidence that is consistent with the role of individual ability in the returns to tenure.