Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis Of The Effects Of Ethnicity On Political Marketing In Ghana

Analysis of vote data suggests that, among other performance factors, ethnicity plays a major role in the acceptability of political marketing approaches of partisan politics in Ghana. This features quite prominently in the ethnic based voting pattern that has prevailed over the years and the communal voting pattern that is emerging in Ghana as a result of increasing urbanization. The analysis makes it evident that political parties with very strong ethnic support bases are those that have stood the test of time no matter what marketing tools or approaches are employed, though political marketing gains to a large extent depend on the features of the political product, the political product benefit and the political marketing support services. The paper compares the results of the four different elections of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and attempts to make inferences on the effects of ethnicity on the voting patterns of the four (4) Presidential elections in the Fourth Republic. The analysis uses the voting patterns as a pointer to the acceptability and effectiveness of a political party’s marketing approach and by deduction, analyzes which political marketing variables contribute to the acceptability of political parties. It also attempts to generate understanding of the political marketing variables such as dimensions of the Political Market, the Political Product and the ‘Political Product Support Services’ and compares effects of these variables with effects of ethnicity on political marketing outcomes in Ghana. The paper specifically compares features of the political product which include Party Philosophy, Perceived Party Identity, Manifesto, Political Party Leadership, Previous Performance, Particularistic Benefits, Party Paraphernalia on elections outcomes among identified or classified ethnic groups at regional or communal level. In addition, the analysis reveals that personality, perceived party image or identity of the political party and communication are salient in determining political marketing outcomes or fortunes of a political party and to a less extent political product benefits based on past performance and experiences, whereas effects of particularistic benefits and party paraphernalia or the political marketing support services are less prominent.
Hashing With Pairwise Correlation Learning and Reconstruction

Existing hashing methods normally define certain specific forms of hash functions, after which an objective function can be formulated to optimize the loss on training set to learn the parameters. However, in this way, the hash function will be tightly coupled with the generated objective in most cases. Moreover, since the objectives are generally formulated with binary quantization, most of them are nonconvex, which makes the optimization difficult and consequently decreases the similarity preserving performance of hashing. To solve this problem, we propose a novel pairwise correlation preserving framework to learn compact binary codes for hashing. First, we project each data into a metric space and represent it as a vector encoding the underlying local and global structure by pairwise correlation learning. Afterwards, pairwise correlation reconstruction (PCR), is further proposed to preserve the correlations of data between the metric space and the hamming space to learn binary codes. The PCR model is convex. Moreover, no specific hash functions are needed to be predefined and the steps of correlation learning and reconstruction are independent. The above characteristics make the optimization of PCR easily and efficiently, and thus leads to better preservation of data similarity in hamming space.
The Importance of Asset Income among the Elderly

This paper focuses on the income patterns among the elderly. The life cycle hypothesis suggests that income and assets will decline after retirement. Data from the 1980 U.S. decennial census confirms that total income declines for succeeding elderly cohorts. The census data, however, shows that income from assets for elderly cohorts increases until the cohort aged 85 years and older. This pattern is similar for different sex‐marital groups. Recent research that has addressed the issue of savings among the elderly is summarized and four possible explanations for the increase in income from assets found in the decennial census are discussed. We conclude by suggesting the implications of this data for the life cycle theory and public policy.
Stochastic Petri Net Modeling of Hypoxia Pathway Predicts a Novel Incoherent Feed-Forward Loop Controlling SDF-1 Expression in Acute Kidney Injury

Homing of stem cells to the sites of injury is crucial for tissue regeneration. Stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is among the most important chemokines recruiting these cells. Unexpectedly, our previous experimental data on mouse models of acute kidney injury showed that SDF-1 has a declining trend following ischemic kidney insult. To describe this unforeseen observation, a stochastic Petri net model of SDF-1 regulation in the hypoxia pathway was constructed based on main related components extracted from literature. Using this strategy, predictions regarding the underlying mechanisms of SDF-1 kinetics are generated and a novel incoherent feed forward loop regulating SDF-1 expression is proposed. The computational approach suggested here can be exploited to propose novel therapies for debilitating disorders such as kidney injury.
Human Well-Being Effects of Institutions and Social Capital

"We examine the effects of income, institutions, and social capital-proxied by the level of corruption and ethnic tensions-on literacy and life expectancy in Africa. Random effects estimates show that income has a robust positive influence. GMM estimates indicate that corruption reduces the effectiveness of institutions in promoting literacy. However, this effect is not monotonic; improvements in the corruption index within the high corruption range reduce the effectiveness of institutions, while continuous improvement within the low corruption range enhances the effectiveness of institutions. Similarly, ethnic tensions reduce the effectiveness of institutions. Based on these findings, we conclude that social capital and institutions can complement each other. "("JEL "O11, O17, Z13) Copyright (c) 2008 Western Economic Association International.
The Information in the Term Structure: Some Further Results

This paper provides some refinements and updating of Fama's (1984) evidence on the information in the term structure about future spot interest rate movements. First, it uses econometric techniques that properly correct standard errors for overlapping data and for conditional heteroscedasticity. Second. it makes use of a new data set that has some potential advantages over Fama's and which has more recent data. Overall, the results are in broad agreement with those of Fama. The term structure does help predict spot interest rate movements several months into the future. Indeed. updating Fama's results indicates that the forecast power of forward rates is generally higher during the October 1982 to June 1986 period than it was during the sample periods Fama examined.
Financial Signalling by Committing to Cash Outflows

Abstract We analyze a model in which firms signal their quality by using financial policies to commit to cash outflows. Two financial policies may be used: dividend and debt-service obligations. We find sufficient conditions for the informational equilibrium to entail concommitant use of both dividends and leverage in the cost-minimizing combination of the commitment signal. In this equilibrium, better firms pay higher dividends and are more highly levered than lower quality firms.
Monetary Policy Rules in a New Keynesian Euro Area Model

The first part of this paper is devoted to describe a New Keynesian model, which, after calibration, shows a great fit on Euro area macroeconomic data. Then, the stabilizing properties of alternative monetary policy rules are evaluated for consideration of the European Central Bank (ECB). Our main finding is that a simple rule that provides the reaction of the nominal interest rate to price inflation, wage inflation, and its previous observation can fairly well approximate the optimal monetary policy. This result is robust to including an ECB preference on interest-rate smoothing. Copyright 2007 The Ohio State University.
Taking age out of the workplace: putting older workers back in?

This article suggests that much recent work that relates age to working life is mis-cast in looking at specific age groups in isolation. Rather than addressing the problem of younger or older workers, this article suggests that we need to develop a framework which can more centrally accommodate the inter-generational structures of the social reproduction of the collective worker. Focusing upon current Government concerns to develop an active old age, the article argues that such a strategy is likely to be misconceived unless it can address the changing nature of work within the ‘new capitalism’. It is argued that older structures involving the reproduction of a moral order of intergenerational relationships, which could accommodate age as a legitimate difference, are being threatened by strategies which attempt to maximize the efficiency of individual human resources without regard for such difference. In this context the attempt to take age out of the work-place while simultaneously attempting to put older workers back in is likely to be problematic.
Eliminating Impedance Mismatch in C++

Recently, the C # and the V ISUAL B ASIC communities were tanta-lized by the advent of LINQ [18]—the Language INtegrated Query technology from Microsoft. LINQ represents a set of language extensions relying on advanced (some say hard to understand) techniques drawn from functional languages such as type inference, λ - expressions and most importantly, monads. The 3 rd edition of C # just as the 9 th of V ISUAL B ASIC allow programmer to directly access relational and XML-based databases from within the programming language. We show that very similar capabilities can be achieved in the C++ programming language without relying on any language extensions, compiler modiﬁcations, external processing tools, or any other vendor speciﬁc machinery: A RA R AT is a C++ template library whose objective is type safe generation of SQL statements for access relational database systems. Learning curve is minimal since A RA R AT resembles relational algebra, which is at the core of SQL.
Euroscepticism in France and changing state‐society relations

This article seeks to explain the marked downturn in French public support for the European Union in the early 1990s. Although public support has increased since 1997, voting for Eurosceptic parties has remained important although such parties continue to be marginalized in national elections. The article discusses party‐based Euroscepticism in the context of the domestic party system and political institutions. It further analyses French policy on European integration and notes difficulties associated with domestic adjustment to macroeconomic decisions at European level, with reference to debates about ‘French exceptionalism*. It concludes that political leadership can shape public reactions to adjustment.
The Relevance of Judicial Procedure for Economic Growth

It has been argued that procedural formalism undermines economic efficiency by fostering rent-seeking and corruption. We challenge this view by arguing that a number of judicial procedures foster economic growth by increasing the predict-ability of court decisions, which leads to more transactions and higher investment levels. We investigate the effects on economic growth of 15 judicial procedures. Employing a standard growth model, we find in a cross-section of 67 countries that timeliness, written—as opposed to oral—procedures, and the right to counsel have a positive effect on growth, whereas the number of independent procedural actions as well as the presumption of innocence have negative effects. Our results partially contradict the results of former studies based on the Lex Mundi dataset.
Defective cholesterol biosynthesis associated with the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.

BACKGROUND The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (frequency, 1:20,000 to 1:40,000) is defined by a constellation of severe birth defects affecting most organ systems. Abnormalities frequently include profound mental retardation, severe failure to thrive, and a high infant-mortality rate. The syndrome has heretofore been diagnosed only from its clinical presentation. METHODS Using capillary-column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we measured the sterol composition of plasma, erythrocytes, lens, cultured fibroblasts, and feces from five children with the syndrome (three girls and two boys). RESULTS Plasma cholesterol levels were abnormally low (8 to 101 mg per deciliter [0.20 to 2.60 mmol per liter]) in every patient, being well below the 5th percentile for age- and sex-matched controls. Concentrations of the cholesterol precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol (cholesta-5,7-dien-3 beta-ol), which was not detectable in most of our controls, were elevated (11 to 31 mg per deciliter) more than 2000-fold above normal and were similar to the levels of cholesterol in all tissues from all patients. An isomeric dehydrocholesterol with a structure similar to that of 7-dehydrocholesterol was also detected. CONCLUSIONS The combination of abnormally low plasma cholesterol levels and a high concentration of the cholesterol precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol points to a major block in cholesterol biosynthesis at the step in which the C-7(8) double bond of 7-dehydrocholesterol is reduced, forming cholesterol. The block may be sufficient to deprive an embryo or fetus of cholesterol and prevent normal development, whereas the incorporation of 7-dehydrocholesterol into all membranes may interfere with proper membrane function.
Wet/Dry Cycling Durability of Cement Mortar Composites Reinforced with Micro- and Nanoscale Cellulose Pulps

A combination of reinforcements at different levels can have a synergetic effect on the final properties of a composite. The aim of this work was to produce, evaluate, and compare the wet/dry cycling durability of the exposure of cement composites reinforced with conventional pulps at the micro-scale level, with nanofibrillated cellulose fibers at the nano-scale level, and with combinations of both reinforcements (hybrid composites). To evaluate the durability of their mechanical properties, the composites were tested under flexural loading after 28 days of humidity chamber curing and after 20 wet/dry accelerating aging cycles. Composites reinforced with the nanofibrillated cellulose exhibited significantly higher flexural strength and flexural modulus, but they had lower fracture energy values than those reinforced with conventional sisal fibers. Moreover, the hybrid composites with a high content of nanofibrillated cellulose maintained or even improved their properties after aging.
Which governance characteristics affect the incidence of divestitures in Australia?

Event studies indicate that divestitures create shareholder value. However, managers are generally disinclined to execute a divestiture due to their inherent preferences for growing the firm’s assets. Governance structures can play a significant role in restraining this agency conflict. Using a sample of divestitures carried out by Australian firms over a recent 10-year period, we find that board compensation and ownership concentration increase the likelihood of a divestiture. In addition, board compensation has a stronger effect in firms that are more likely to divest, while larger boards inhibit divestitures in firms that are less likely to divest. Our analysis involves a propensity score matching method. We show that poor matching can lead to large biases and inconsistencies.
Additive and nonadditive genetic variability for growth traits in the Turipaná Romosinuano-Zebu multibreed herd.

Intrabreed additive genetic, environmental, and phenotypic variances and covariances for Romosinuano (R) and Zebu (Z), as well as interbreed nonadditive genetic variances and covariances (sire x breed-group-of-dam interactions), for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WW), and postweaning gain (GW) were computed using a Romosinuano-Zebu multibreed data set from the Turipaná Experiment Station in Colombia. Covariances were estimated with a sire-maternal grandsire model, using a multibreed REML procedure. The computing algorithm was a generalized expectation-maximization (GEM) algorithm. This algorithm yields no asymptotic standard errors as part of its computations. Because of the small size of the data set (2,546 calves), these REML covariance estimates should be viewed with caution. Estimates of intrabreed heritabilities were similar to the ratios of interbreed nonadditive to phenotypic variances (interactibilities) for direct and maternal effects of the growth traits evaluated in this study. Intrabreed heritability estimates for BWT, WW, and GW direct genetic effects were . 16, . 09, and . 14, for R and . 24, . 10, and . 14 for Z. Corresponding heritability values for maternal effects were . 18, . 09, and . 23 for R and . 14, . 13, and . 07 for Z. Interactibility estimates were . 21, . 05, and . 12, for direct and . 26, . 04, and . 11, for maternal BWT, WW, and GW. Negative correlations between additive maternal weaning weight and direct and maternal postweaning gain, as well as between environmental weaning weight and postweaning gain, suggested that there was compensatory postweaning gain in this herd. Estimates of genetic variation and predictions of expected progeny differences showed that Romosinuano animals competed well against Zebu and RZ crossbred animals under the tropical environmental conditions at Turipaná.
Risk Perception and Risk Management Strategies of Oyster Farmers

Abstract The aquaculture sector is highly exposed to risks such as microbial pollution and oil-spills. This article analyzes risk perception in shellfish farming and the farmers' willingness to rely on hedging mechanisms using logit and ordered multinomial logit models. The results show that the degree of risk perception and reliance on risk management tools can be partly defined through a number of socioeconomic factors specific to the sector. Beyond the conventional self-protective mechanisms, the study focuses on farmers' willingness to rely on risk-transfer mechanisms that the market has so far failed to provide. JEL Classification Codes: C25, D81, Q12, Q22
THE HOURS WORKED–PRODUCTIVITY PUZZLE: IDENTIFICATION IN A FRACTIONAL INTEGRATION SETTING

A recent finding of the SVAR literature is that the response of hours worked to a (positive) technology shock depends on the assumed order of integration of the hours. In this work we relax this assumption, allowing fractional integration in hours and productivity. We find that the sign and magnitude of the estimated responses depend crucially on the identification assumptions employed. Although the responses of hours recovered with short-run (SR) restrictions are positive in all data sets, long-run (LR) identification results in negative, although sometimes not significant responses. We check the validity of these assumptions with the Sims procedure, concluding that both LR and SR are appropriate to recover responses in a fractionally integrated VAR. However, the application of the LR scheme always results in an increase in sampling uncertainty. Results also show that even the negative responses found in the data could still be compatible with real business cycle models.
A Moving Boundary Approach to American Option Pricing

This paper describes a method to solve the free-boundary problem that arises in the pricing of American options. Most numerical methods for American option pricing exploit the representation of the option price as the expected pay-off under the risk-neutral measure and calculate the price for a given time to expiration and stock price. They do not solve the related free-boundary problem explicitly. The advantage of solving the free-boundary problem is that it provides the entire price function as well as the optimal exercise boundary explicitly. Our approach, which we term the Moving Boundary Approach, is based on using a boundary guess and the value associated with the guess to construct an improved boundary. It is also shown that on iteration, the sequence of boundaries converge monotonically to the optimal exercise boundary. Examples illustrating the convergence behavior as well as discussions providing insight into the method are also presented. Finally, we compare runtimes and speeds with other methods that solve the free-boundary problem and compute the optimal boundaries explicitly, like the front-fixing method, penalty method, method based on the integral representations and the method by Brennan and Schwartz [1977. The valuation of American put options. Journal of Finance 32 (2), 449-462].
Comparison of intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab treatment for retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab treatment for type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS 36 eyes of 20 patients with type 1 ROP who received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections between August 2011 and February 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Fifteen eyes of 8 patients received 0.25 mg ranibizumab (group 1), and 21 eyes of 12 patients received 0.625 mg bevacizumab (group 2). Eyes were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy on the first day, third day, first week, and first month and as required after injections. Laser photocoagulation was performed in cases with progression of ROP. RESULTS The mean gestation time was 26.2 ± 2.7 weeks in group 1 patients and 27.1 ± 2.5 weeks in group 2 patients. No statistical difference in the time of gestation was observed between the two groups. The mean follow-up period was 20 ± 4.5 months. Laser photocoagulation was performed in 6 of 15 eyes from group 1 and 2 of 21 eyes from group 2. No eyes developed retinal detachment during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION Ranibizumab and bevacizumab showed an efficacy in the treatment of type 1 ROP. The incidence of disease relapse was higher in eyes which received ranibizumab. Further randomized, controlled clinical trials are required to compare the efficacy of ranibizumab and bevacizumab.
Alcoholic beverage consumption in China: a censored demand system approach

China's admission in the WTO and commitment to cut tariffs on alcohol related goods provide a considerable opportunity for the USA, Europe and other countries. The present study examines Chinese consumer behaviour with regard to alcoholic beverages (wine, wine cooler and beer) using a Chinese household survey data. The results show that beer and wine cooler are normal goods while wine is still a luxury good in China. The price elasticities of wine and wine cooler are larger than that of beer.
Foreign Exchange Volatility is Priced in Equities

"This paper finds that standard asset pricing models fail to explain the significantly negative delta hedging errors that occur as a result of the purchase of options on foreign exchange futures. Foreign exchange volatility does influence stock returns, however. The volatility of the JPY/USD exchange rate predicts the time series of stock returns and is priced in the cross-section of stock returns. " Copyright (c) 2008 Financial Management Association International.