Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Firm Formation and Regional Development: The Italian Case

GAROFOLI G. (1994) New firm formation and regional development: the Italian case, Reg. Studies 28, 381–393. The Italian case appears to have had a very high firm birth rate, mainly in manufacturing, in comparison with the experience of other economically advanced countries. Regional differentiation in new firm formation has been very high in Italy in the analysed period (1987–1991). The paper deals with the hypotheses to be tested for the interpretation of the regional differentiation in firm birth and analyses the problem of the choice of socio-economic variables which must be examined. The results of the regression analysis prove that production structure (and mainly local productive specialization), firms' size, social structure and professional employment structure are the most important explanatory variables for new firm formation (and for its regional differentiation). The level of local demand does not seem to be a significant factor and increases in unemployment appear to reduce firm births. All t.
Plasma osteopontin velocity differentiates lung cancers from controls in a CT screening population.

INTRODUCTION As CT screening is integrated into non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) care, additional parameters are needed to help distinguish cancers from benign nodules. Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted phosphoprotein, has elevated plasma levels in NSCLC. We hypothesize that changes in plasma OPN over time (i.e., OPN velocity [OPNV]) can differentiate NSCLC patients from those without cancer in a CT screening population. METHODS A nested case-control study was conducted within a NSCLC CT screening trial. Incident cancers with serial plasma were matched to controls. OPN was measured by ELISA. Demographic, OPN, and OPNV were compared between cancers and controls using Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests. RESULTS Ten incident cancers were identified. The pack years distributions were similar, but cancers were older (median of the paired difference: 5.35 years; p=0.002) and their surveillance intervals were shorter (median of the paired difference: -2 months; p=0. 03) than matched controls. Baseline OPN was similar (median of the paired difference: -5.15 ng/ml, p=0.50), but OPNV in the cancers was significantly greater than that of matched controls, (median of the paired difference: 1.06 ng/ml/month, p=0.01). Accuracy rate for prediction of disease status based on OPNV (adjusted for age and surveillance) was 83%. CONCLUSIONS These are early evidence for utility of monitoring plasma OPN during CT screening to assist in identification of NSCLCs.
Strategic orientation in small-sized service retailers

The purpose of this study is to conduct an investigation into the link between customer orientation, entrepreneurial orientation along with the managerial attitude toward change and product quality. Data for this study were collected through personal interviews from 174 Swiss small-sized service retailers to examine the interrelation between customer orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and managerial attitude toward change and product quality. The findings support prior research and provide the managers with appropriate information for the adoption of a strategic balanced approach. In the light of existing literature, the implications of our findings for service managers and owners, the study's limitations and future research directions are subsequently addressed.
Citizenship Status and TANF Exits: A Proportional Hazard Model

ABSTRACT This study compared exits between citizen and noncitizen heads of household from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. With longitudinal monthly administrative data and a Cox proportional hazard model, the study examined how the economy and recipients’ personal characteristics affected their exits. The sample consisted of 28,308 families headed by citizens and 2,547 families headed by a noncitizen on TANF. Key findings reveal that families on TANF exit the rolls primarily during the first 8 months after entrance. Results showed that families headed by a noncitizen remain on TANF longer than families headed by a citizen. The roles of minimum wage and unemployment in shaping the risk of exit for noncitizen compared to citizen families were explored. Suggestions for further research and how to serve recipients best in times of economic downturns are provided. Similar research needs to be conducted in states where temporary TANF time limits do not exist.
The Fiscal Impact of Immigration in France: A Generational Accounting Approach

The objective of this study is to use both static and dynamic frameworks to compare the benefits that immigrants draw from the public system with their contributions through the taxes that they pay. The main conclusion of this article is that the impact of immigration on welfare systems is weak. Thus, if we compare, on a given date, immigrants’ global contribution to the public administration budget with the volume of transfers they receive, immigrants appear to be relatively favored by the redistribution system. At the same time, even if immigrants seem to pay less taxes and receive more transfers than natives, the difference in distribution between the two populations, with a higher concentration of immigrants in the active age groups and a sparser concentration among the net beneficiaries of the social transfer system, leads to a slightly positive long-term impact of immigration on public finances. However, the impact of immigration remains very slight compared to the global effort that would have to be undertaken to reduce budgetary imbalances.
A Note on the Stock Market Reaction to Dividend Announcements

In this paper, the authors examine the stock market reaction to dividend announcements. A sample of dividend increases and decreases is partitioned by payout ratio increases and decreases. Previous research has examined the differential reaction to payout ratio increases and decreases only for dividend increases. In addition to an event study, cross-sectional regressions are estimated using the percent changes in payout ratio and dividend to explain abnormal returns. They conclude that payout ratio changes appear to be only an artifact of an earnings stream that is more variable than the dividend stream, rather than revealing any significant shifts in managerial policy. Copyright 1992 by MIT Press.
Conventional wisdom and costing practices

Abstract This paper reports results from a study of the parallel development of textbooks used in cost accounting and of costing practices in Norway during the period from 1936 to the present. All the major textbooks used in this period are examined with respect to content and influences. The findings show that the period can be divided into three phases. The first phase is characterized by the German influence. The second phase is a mixture of the German tradition, Danish and U.S. influence, and the third phase is dominated by the U.S. influence. This development is linked to three survey studies of costing practices in Norway (1948, 1963, 1993), all of which include the largest manufacturing companies in Norway. These studies show a development that is consistent with the corresponding development in the textbooks. The paper emphazises how the changes made in textbooks correspond with the changes found in practices, and not the gap per se . The similarity in the developments shows that conventional wisdom may have played an important role in the institutionalization of costing practices. However, today's costing practices in Norway are more heterogeneous than the U.S. oriented conventional wisdom found in textbooks. This may be explained by the lack of a strong costing tradition in Norway and the fact that it is easier to change textbooks than costing practices.
The usefulness of ICTs in interpreting practice

Drawing from recent developments and studies on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in interpreting practice, this paper is aimed at analysing and discussing the usefulness of Computer-Assisted Interpreting (CAI). The currently available technology will be explored in order to analyse the application of ICTs to interpreting practice, with the objective of assessing which technologies may assist interpreters in their real-life work, which forms of interpreting may benefit from these technological advancements, and to which extent interpreting rendition would benefit from the use of these new technologies. The author will also consider the possible future application of ICTs in interpreting and on the way in which this sector may change in the future, in light of the need for this professional field to look to the future of communication and adapt accordingly to the trends of the Third Millennium.
Agglomeration Advantages and Capability Building in Industrial Clusters: The Missing Link

Accumulation of technological capability is crucial for industrial growth and competitiveness of firms, particularly in the context of liberalisation and increasing international economic integration. The article sheds new light on the forces driving capability-building by complementing the micro-economic perspective on learning with a meso-economic perspective that takes account of interaction effects arising from firms' embeddedness in regional networks. The missing link at the interface between the two levels is explored by means of a taxonomy linking various agglomeration advantages to investments in technological effort. The framework results in new policy-relevant insights about the factors underpinning the acquisition of capabilities in comparison to conventional studies. A case study about farm equipment manufacturing in Pakistan's Punjab province is used as an empirical illustration.
S279 Point Mutations in Candida albicans Sterol 14-α Demethylase (CYP51) Reduce In Vitro Inhibition by Fluconazole

ABSTRACT The effects of S279F and S279Y point mutations in Candida albicans CYP51 (CaCYP51) on protein activity and on substrate (lanosterol) and azole antifungal binding were investigated. Both S279F and S279Y mutants bound lanosterol with 2-fold increased affinities (Ks, 7.1 and 8.0 μM, respectively) compared to the wild-type CaCYP51 protein (Ks, 13.5 μM). The S279F and S279Y mutants and the wild-type CaCYP51 protein bound fluconazole, voriconazole, and itraconazole tightly, producing typical type II binding spectra. However, the S279F and S279Y mutants had 4- to 5-fold lower affinities for fluconazole, 3.5-fold lower affinities for voriconazole, and 3.5- to 4-fold lower affinities for itraconazole than the wild-type CaCYP51 protein. The S279F and S279Y mutants gave 2.3- and 2.8-fold higher 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) for fluconazole in a CYP51 reconstitution assay than the wild-type protein did. The increased fluconazole resistance conferred by the S279F and S279Y point mutations appeared to be mediated through a combination of a higher affinity for substrate and a lower affinity for fluconazole. In addition, lanosterol displaced fluconazole from the S279F and S279Y mutants but not from the wild-type protein. Molecular modeling of the wild-type protein indicated that the oxygen atom of S507 interacts with the second triazole ring of fluconazole, assisting in orientating fluconazole so that a more favorable binding conformation to heme is achieved. In contrast, in the two S279 mutant proteins, this S507-fluconazole interaction is absent, providing an explanation for the higher Kd values observed.
Incretins: Beyond type 2 diabetes

While the use of incretins, including GLP‐1 receptor agonists and PDD‐IV inhibitors, is well established in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, many other aspects of these agents are yet to be discovered and utilized for their potential clinical benefit. These include the potential role of GLP‐1 receptor agonists in the induction of weight loss, blood pressure reduction, anti‐inflammatory and nephro‐ and cardio‐protective actions. Their potential benefit in type 1 diabetes is also being investigated. This review will attempt to comprehensively describe novel discoveries in the field of incretin pathophysiology and pharmacology beyond their classical role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Patient-Reported Satisfaction and Quality of Life following Breast Reconstruction in Thin Patients: A Comparison between Microsurgical and Prosthetic Implant Recipients

Background: Patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction have higher long-term satisfaction rates compared with those undergoing prosthetic reconstruction. Regardless, most patients still undergo prosthetic reconstruction. The authors compared outcomes of microsurgical reconstruction to those of prosthetic reconstruction in thin patients and evaluated the effect of reconstructive type on quality of life. Methods: After institutional review board approval was obtained, the authors reviewed all patients undergoing breast reconstruction at a single institution from November of 2007 to May of 2012. Thin patients (body mass index <22 kg/m2) were included for analysis and divided into two cohorts: microsurgical reconstruction and tissue expander/implant reconstruction. Once identified, patients were mailed a BREAST-Q survey for response; a retrospective chart review was also conducted. Results: A total of 273 patients met inclusion criteria: 81.7 percent (n = 223) underwent tissue expander/implant reconstruction and 18.3 percent (n = 50) underwent microsurgical reconstruction. Of the patients undergoing microsurgical reconstruction, 50 percent (n = 25) responded to the BREAST-Q survey, whereas 48.4 percent of patients (n = 108) with implant reconstruction were responders. Microsurgical patients required more secondary revision [48 percent (n = 12) versus 25.9 percent (n = 28)] and autologous fat grafting [32 percent (n = 8) versus 16.9 percent (n = 19)] and a greater volume of fat per injection (147.85 ml versus 63.9 ml; p < 0.001). Furthermore, BREAST-Q responses showed that these patients were more satisfied with their breasts (71.1 percent versus 64.9 percent; p = 0.004), but had similar overall satisfaction with reconstruction (73.0 percent versus 74.8 percent; p = 0.54). Conclusions: Microsurgical breast reconstruction is efficacious in patients with a body mass index less than 22 kg/m2 and, when compared with prosthetic reconstruction, results in higher satisfaction with breasts. However, it requires more secondary revision surgery and the use of autologous fat grafting as an adjunct. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
Do Exchange Rate Regimes Matter? Evidence for Developing Countries

Most countries which have experienced exchange rate crises over the last two decades have been under soft pegs or crawls. These exchange rate arrangements have normally succumbed in the face of massive capital inflow reversals --especially in developing countries-- thus provoking a search for options. Hard pegs and floating regimes seem to be the only viable options. This paper carries through an empirical analysis with panel data to study the relationship between the option of exchange rate regime and macroeconomic performance in developing countries. We use an extended and updated database to study the evidence for 154 countries over the period 1974-2004. Performance is measured by per capita GDP growth and its volatility. Our results show that floating rates tend to present higher levels of growth and lower levels of volatility in relation to other exchange rate arrangements. Intermediate regimes (soft and crawling pegs), on the other hand, score at the bottom of the growth rankings, while hard pegs appear to induce the largest growth volatility. In light of these results, it should not come as a surprise that the world is not moving to a single global currency, as some have predicted. The world is moving to fewer currencies, but at an extremely slow pace. Yet, floating rates will probably remain the most popular form of exchange rate regime over the next half century. This paper provides some basis for that popularity.
Male mate choice, male quality, and the potential for sexual selection on female traits under polygyny

Observations of male mate choice are increasingly common, even in species with traditional sex roles. In addition, female traits that bear the hallmarks of secondary sexual characters are increasingly reported. These concurrent empirical trends have led to the repeated inference that, even under polygyny, male mate choice is a mechanism of sexual selection on female traits. It is often either assumed or argued that in these cases females are competing for males of superior “quality”; females might experience sexual selection under polygyny if they compete for mates that provide either direct or indirect benefits. However, the theoretical foundation of this testable hypothesis remains largely uninvestigated. We develop a population genetic model to probe the logic of this hypothesis and demonstrate that, contrary to common inferences, male mate choice, variation in male quality (in the form of a direct fecundity benefit to females), and female ornamentation can coexist in a population without any sexual selection on female ornamentation taking place at all. Furthermore, even in a “best case scenario” where high quality males with a preference for ornamented females are able to mate disproportionately more often with them, the evolution of female traits by sexual selection may be relatively weak. We discuss the implication of these findings for ongoing empirical and theoretical research on the evolution of sexual‐signaling in females.
Hotel performance: state of the art

Purpose – How do we measure the success of a hotel business? What factors determine performances? This paper seeks to explore the responses which researchers and practitioners have given to these questions in the last 20 years.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the analysis of 152 contributions and uses the balanced scorecard as a model to rationalize the main streams of research.Findings – The analysis of literature shows the gradually assumed importance of the balanced scorecard as a satisfactory performance measurement system. The findings related to the determinants of results are instead highly complex and far‐reaching. The determining factors are generally looked for within the enterprise. Four main functional research fields have been identified (strategy, production, marketing and organization) and for each one main research goals, findings and open questions are defined. The horizontal axis of the balanced scorecard (customer perspective, strategy and process perspective) is the .
Entrepreneurship in an Unstable Environment: The Experience of the Occupied Territories

The research aims at exploring the relationship between small business enterprises and their environments through an empirical investigation of the methods and strategies adopted by a number of industrial firms operating in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in response to the exigencies and challenges of the uprising in the occupied territories in order to survive. Though the problems faced by the industrial sector as a result of the unique situation in the areas are almost unparalleled in other parts of the world, it has been possible to gain fresh insight into the dynamics of the environmental factors and their impact on organizational structure and function. Despite innumerable obstacles, the industrial sector has achieved a reasonable degree of growth.
Predictors for Risk Factors for Spread of Avian Influenza Viruses by Poultry Handlers in Live bird markets in Uganda

Live bird markets (LBMs) are essential for marketing poultry, but have been linked to many outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) and its spread. In Uganda, it has been observed that demographic characteristics of poultry traders/handlers influence activities and decision‐making in LBMs. The study investigated the influence of socio‐demographic characteristics of poultry handlers: age, sex, religion, educational background, level of income, location of residence and region of operation on 20 potential risk factors for introduction and spread of AI in LBMs. Study sites included 39 LBMs in the four regions of Uganda. Data was collected using a semi‐structured questionnaire administered to 424 poultry handlers. We observed that background of education was a predictor for slaughter and processing of poultry in open sites. Location of residence was associated with slaughter of poultry from open sites and selling of other livestock species. Region influenced stacking of cages, inadequate cleaning of cages, feeders and drinkers, and provision of dirty feed and water. Specifically, bird handlers with secondary level of education (OR = 12.9, 95% CI: 2.88–57.4, P < 0.01) were more likely to be involved in open site slaughter of poultry than their counterparts without formal education. Comparatively, urbanite bird handlers were less likely to share poultry equipment (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.22–0.63, P < 0.01) than rural resident handlers. Poultry handlers in Northern were 3.5 times more likely to practise insufficient cleaning of cages (OR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.52–8.09) compared to those in Central region. We demonstrated that some socio‐demographic characteristics of poultry handlers were predictors to risky practices for introduction and spread of AI viruses in LBMs in Uganda.
Multi-Currency Quadratic Models: Theory and Evidence

The challenge of international term structure models is to simultaneously account for the properties of interest rate term structures and foreign exchange rates within an arbitrage-free framework. We extend the quadratic term structure models proposed in Leippold and Wu (2002) to multiple currencies and illustrate its flexibility and tractability in capturing the salient features of both interest rates and exchange rates. The model framework not only readily explains the stylized evidence on classic forecasting regressions based on various forms of expectation hypotheses (EH), but also accommodates rich time-varying dynamics for conditional variance of bond and currency returns. Furthermore, we propose an m+n model structure where the first m factors are term structure factors and the latter n factors are pure exchange rate factors independent of the movement of the term structure of either country. These independent currency risk factors account for the variation in the exchange rate that is independent of the variation in the interest rate term structure of either country. Equipped with a model that can accommodate these empirical facts, we use a relatively new filtering technique, the unscented Kalman filter, to estimate a series of multi-currency quadratic models (MCQM) with LIBOR and swap rates from US and Japan and the exchange rates between them. The estimation results shed further lights on the interaction between interest rates and exchange rates. JEL Classification Codes: G12, G13, E43.
RBA Monetary Policy Communication: The Response of Australian Interest Rate Futures to Changes in RBA Monetary Policy

This paper examines the Australian interest rate futures market reaction to changes in RBA monetary policy. Having determined market expectations from 30-day Interbank futures, the study finds evidence that interest rate futures react strongly to target rate announcements across the maturity spectrum, with a stronger reaction evident in short maturity futures. Further, there is evidence of an asymmetric news effect whereby volatility reacts more strongly to bad news. Disaggregation of the market reaction into target- and path-surprise actors demonstrates that the change in market expectations of future target rates plays a significant role in explaining changes in yield, particularly for bond futures. There is strong evidence that monetary policy statements drive the path-factor, while the December 2007 modification in policy communication has improved the ability of the RBA to influence market expectations.