Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Social Capital in the Labour Market in China

Social capital is thought to play an economic role in the labour market. It may be particularly pertinent in one that is in transition from an administered to a market-oriented system. One factor that may determine success in the underdeveloped Chinese labour market is thus guanxi, the Chinese variant of social capital. With individual-level measures of social capital, we test for the role of guanxi using a data set designed for this purpose, covering 7,500 urban workers and conducted in early 2000. The basic hypothesis is supported. Both measures of social capital - size of social network and Communist Party membership - have significant and substantial effects in the income functions. Indeed, social capital may be just as important as human capital: remarkably, one additional reported contact contributes more than one additional year of education. Social capital can have influence either in an administered system or in one subject to market forces. We find that it does so in both parts of the labour market, but some of the evidence suggests that it is more important in the latter.
Comparison of the flow rates of central venous catheters designed for rapid transfusion in infants and small children

Large‐bore Hickman® catheters are useful in infants and small children for the rapid transfusion of blood or fluids into the central circulation. Recently high‐flow plastic sheaths have been developed for the same purpose. We compared the flow rates of normal saline, 5% albumin and packed red blood cells through two sizes of Hickman catheters that have been recommended for major surgery in infants to five sizes of Arrow® plastic sheaths of comparable external diameters, and to 14 and 16 gauge Jelco® catheters. The flow rates of all three solutions through the plastic sheaths and the 14 gauge Jelco catheters were superior to both sizes of Hickman catheters. Shortening the Hickman catheters improved their flow. High‐flow plastic sheaths can provide a useful alternative to Hickman catheters in patients where permanent, large‐bore central venous catheters are not required. Hickman catheters should be shortened as much as safely possible if massive haemorrhage is anticipated.
Implementation of an integrated management system in an airline: a case study

Purpose – This paper presents, through the analysis of a case study, a model based on a systemic approach that proved successful for the design and implementation of an integrated management system (IMS) in an airline, and provides guidelines and practical recommendations that may be of use to other sectors of activity when designing and implementing an IMS.Design/methodology/approach – Data for this paper were collected through direct analysis and implication in the process of implementation of the IMS. Also a literature review was conducted.Findings – Tangible and intangible benefits were identified as derived from operating one IMS, such as cost savings, better use of resources, improved internal communication, stronger customer orientation and employee motivation. For these benefits to be realised it is essential to take into account several critical factors and be aware of the challenges accompanying integration of management systems, as detailed in the paper.Practical implications – This paper provi.
In-home fortification with 2.5 mg iron as NaFeEDTA does not reduce anaemia but increases weight gain: a randomised controlled trial in Kenyan infants.

In-home fortification of infants with micronutrient powders (MNPs) containing 12.5 mg iron may increase morbidity from infections; therefore, an efficacious low-dose iron-containing MNP might be advantageous. Effects of iron-containing MNPs on infant growth are unclear. We assessed the efficacy of a low-iron MNP on iron status and growth and monitored safety in a randomised, controlled, double-blind 1-year trial in 6-month-old infants (n = 287) consuming daily a maize porridge fortified with either a MNP including 2.5 mg iron as NaFeEDTA (MNP + Fe) or the same MNP without iron (MNP - Fe). At baseline, after 6 and 12 months, we determined haemoglobin (Hb), iron status [serum ferritin (SF), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP)], inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP)] and anthropometrics. We investigated safety using weekly morbidity questionnaires asking for diarrhoea, cough, flu, bloody or mucus-containing stool and dyspnoea, and recorded any other illness. Furthermore, feeding history and compliance were assessed weekly. At baseline, 71% of the infants were anaemic and 22% iron deficient; prevalence of inflammation was high (31% had an elevated CRP). Over the 1 year, Hb increased and SF decreased in both groups, without significant treatment effects of the iron fortification. At end point, the weight of infants consuming MNP + Fe was greater than in the MNP - Fe group (9.9 vs. 9.5 kg, P = 0.038). Mothers of infants in the MNP + Fe group reported more infant days spent with cough (P = 0.003) and dyspnoea (P = 0.0002); there were no significant differences on any other of the weekly morbidity measures. In this study, low-dose iron-containing MNP did not improve infant's iron status or reduce anaemia prevalence, likely because absorption was inadequate due to the high prevalence of infections and the low-iron dose.
RUNNING FOR THE EXIT: DISTRESSED SELLING AND ENDOGENOUS CORRELATION IN FINANCIAL MARKETS

We propose a simple multiperiod model of price impact from trading in a market with multiple assets, which illustrates how feedback effects due to distressed selling and short selling lead to endogenous correlations between asset classes. We show that distressed selling by investors exiting a fund and short selling of the fund’s positions by traders may have nonnegligible impact on the realized correlations between returns of assets held by the fund. These feedback effects may lead to positive realized correlations between fundamentally uncorrelated assets, as well as an increase in correlations across all asset classes and in the fund’s volatility which is exacerbated in scenarios in which the fund undergoes large losses. By studying the diffusion limit of our discrete time model, we obtain analytical expressions for the realized covariance and show that the realized covariance may be decomposed as the sum of a fundamental covariance and a liquidity‐dependent “excess” covariance. Finally, we examine the impact of these feedback effects on the volatility of other funds. Our results provide insight into the nature of spikes in correlation associated with the failure or liquidation of large funds.
After Maastricht: Public Investment, Economic Integration, and International Capital Mobility

This paper studies some implications of economic integration in the context of a neoclassical model of international trade, public investment, and capital mobility. Owing to the endogeneity of the productive public capital stock, international capital mobility, while equalizing returns to capital, can lead to a divergence in the wages earned by labor. The authors also demonstrate that international capital mobility can set off an infrastructure investment boom. If the benefits of capital spill over across national borders, governments in the Nash equilibrium spend the '1992' dividend on an excessive provision of public services, attempting to free-ride on the public capital of their neighbors. Copyright 1994 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Derivation of embryonic stem cell line from frozen human embryos and neural differentiation

We established a human embryonic stem cell line derived fromfrozen human embryos of Chinese origin. The cell line expressed the pluripotent markers SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81, Oct-4, and alkaline phosphatase. The pluripotency of the cell line was also demonstrated in vivo by teratoma formation in severe combined immunodeficiency mice. The embryonic stem cells formed embryoid bodies after culturing in suspension for 7 days. The embryoid bodies were transferred to an adherent culture system in serum-free medium. The differentiating cells derived from the embryoid bodies expressed Nestin and Sox2, markers of neural progenitor cells. After the induction of cyclic AMP for 7 days, the neural progenitor cells had differentiated into neurons and glial cells.
Deindustrialization and Economic Diversification

We derive a measure of the degree of inefficiency of the production structure of an economy by casting its optimal sectoral composition as the outcome of a portfolio allocation problem, in the spirit of Koren and Tenreyro (2004). We use the framework to construct measures of inefficiency using sectoral data for 194 countries, document the patterns of inefficiency by region, income group etc., and investigate which countries might have reasons to pursue "industrial policies" to improve on the allocation of economic activity across sectors. We then undertake an exploratory analysis of the empirical content of our measure of inefficiency, and find that it correlates negatively with measures of good institutions and governance, broadly in line with the evidence in Hall and Jones (1999).
Nudging Students' Creative Problem-Solving Skills

Abstract People often make choices that go against their own best interests. In the controversial bestseller Nudge, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein argue that people can benefit from simple “nudges” to improve their decision-making. In an upper-level undergraduate course on political decision-making, I created a series of assignments around Nudge. In the project, students designed their own “nudges” to solve a variety of political and social problems. Students gave this assignment rave reviews, not only for the course content they learned, but also for what they discovered about their connections to society and its problems. In this article, I describe the assignment and report students' evaluations of it. This assignment could be tailored to any course on political behavior, public policy, or public administration.
Inflammation in carotid atherosclerotic plaque: a dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging study.

PURPOSE To prospectively evaluate if there is an association between plaque enhancement at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and proinflammatory cardiovascular risk factors and plaque content. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was performed with informed consent, HIPAA compliance, and institutional review board approval. Contrast agent dynamics within carotid plaques were measured in 30 patients (29 men, one woman; mean age, 67.7 years +/- 10.7 [standard deviation]) who were scheduled to undergo carotid endarterectomy. Measurements were based on kinetic modeling of images obtained at 15-second intervals during which a gadolinium-based contrast agent was injected. The time-varying signal intensities within the plaques were used to estimate the fractional plasma volume (vp) and transfer constant (Ktrans) of contrast material into the extracellular space. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed between blinded MR measurements and histologic measurements of plaque composition, including macrophages, neovasculature, necrotic core, calcification, loose matrix, and dense fibrous tissue. Correlation coefficients or mean differences were computed regarding clinical markers of cardiovascular risk. RESULTS Analyzable MR images and histologic results were obtained in 27 patients. Measurements of Ktrans correlated with macrophage (r = 0.75, P < .001), neovasculature (r = 0.71, P < .001), and loose matrix (r = 0.50, P = .01) content. Measurements of v(p) correlated with macrophage (r = 0.54, P = .004), neovasculature (r = 0.68, P < .001), and loose matrix (r = 0.42, P = .03) content. For clinical parameters, significant associations were correlated with Ktrans only, with decreased high-density lipoprotein levels (r = -0.66, P < .001) and elevated Ktrans measurements in smokers compared with nonsmokers (mean, 0.134 min(-1) vs 0.074 min(-1), respectively; P = . 01). CONCLUSION The correlations between Ktrans and histologic markers of inflammation suggest that Ktrans is a quantitative and noninvasive marker of plaque inflammation, which is further supported by the correlation of Ktrans with proinflammatory cardiovascular risk factors, decreased high-density lipoprotein levels, and smoking.
Response of Hourly Stock Prices and Trading Volume to Economic News

This paper examines hourly stock returns and trading volume response to announcements about the money supply, consumer price index (CPI), producer price index, industrial production, and the unemployment rate. The empirical results indicate that surprises in announcements about money supply and CPI are significantly associated with stock price changes. The announcements of the other three variables do not affect stock prices significantly. Trading volume is not affected by any of the five economic variable announcements, indicating that market participants do not differ substanti ally in the interpretations of the effects of announcements. The spee d of adjustment analysis indicates that the effect of information on stock prices is reflected in a short period of one hour or so. Copyright 1988 by the University of Chicago.
Factors associated with calcification of the abdominal aorta in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular injury caused by arteriosclerosis has been the major cause of the death in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We quantitatively analyzed and evaluated the severity of abdominal aortic calcification in HD patients in comparison to risk factors for arteriosclerosis. METHODS One hundred thirty-seven HD patients were examined. Using image analysis software, areas of the calcified abdominal aorta were quantitatively analyzed on plain computerized tomography images. Other factors such as blood pressure (BP), lipid levels, and calcium (Ca) x phosphorus (Pi) value were also analyzed. RESULTS Patients with a higher one-year average of systolic BP showed a higher severity of abdominal aortic calcification. That is, the severity of abdominal aortic calcification in patients with a one-year systolic BP average above 160 mm Hg was 31.5 +/- 13.6%, and this severity was significantly higher than that in patients with a one-year systolic BP average of less than 120 mm Hg (8.0 +/- 7.7%, P < 0.01). The severity of abdominal aortic calcification in patients demonstrating risk values of ectopic calcification, that is serum Ca x Pi > or = 60 (mg/dl), on more than 4 of 24 measurements within one year (25.8 +/- 13.6%) was significantly higher than the severity of aortic calcification in patients demonstrating this value less than four times in one year (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein(a), and severity of abdominal aortic calcification. CONCLUSIONS Systolic BP levels and the product of serum Ca and Pi were related to the severity of abdominal aortic calcification in HD patients. These observations suggested that BP control, as well as control of serum Ca and Pi levels, was important in preventing the progression of abdominal aortic arteriosclerosis.
Mergers and the Market Concentration Doctrine: Evidence from the Capital Market

The market concentration doctrine predicts that a horizontal merger is more likely to have collusive, anticompetitive effects the greater the merger-induced change in industry concentration. Since a collusive, anticompetitive merger generates an increase in the industry's quality-adjusted product price (or a decrease in factor prices), it also follows from the doctrine that the merger-induced expected benefits to the product market rivals of the merging firms should be an increasing function of the concentration change. The empirical results of this paper, which are based on the industry wealth effect of a large sample of horizontal mergers, including cases found in violation of antimonopoly laws, fail to support this prediction. This conclusion is robust with respect to assumptions concerning the probability that a proposed merger will be prevented by the law enforcement agencies, and it continues to hold after transforming the industry wealth effect into a hypothetical, constant expected change in the industry's product price. The results imply that the levels of concentration and market shares found in the Department of Justice's merger guidelines are unlikely to identify truly anticompetitive mergers.
The role of midkine in skeletal remodelling

Bone tissue is subjected to continuous remodelling, replacing old or damaged bone throughout life. In bone remodelling, the coordinated activities of bone‐forming osteoblasts and bone‐resorbing osteoclasts ensure the maintenance of bone mass and strength. In early life, the balance of these cellular activities is tightly regulated by various factors, including systemic hormones, the mechanical environment and locally released growth factors. Age‐related changes in the activity of these factors in bone remodelling can result in diseases with low bone mass, such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a systemic and age‐related skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and structural degeneration of bone tissue, predisposing the patient to an increased fracture risk. The growth factor midkine (Mdk) plays a key role in bone remodelling and it is expressed during bone formation and fracture repair. Using a mouse deficient in Mdk, our group have identified this protein as a negative regulator of bone formation and mechanically induced bone remodelling. Thus, specific Mdk antagonists might represent a therapeutic option for diseases characterized by low bone mass, such as osteoporosis.
Are economic forecasts valuable

A previous study questioned whether the published forecasts of one forecasting organization were valuable to users. A forecast was considered valuable if it differed significantly from a naive model in the sense of predicting the direction of change. The results indicated that it was not possible to show that the one-quarter-ahead predictions were valuable. However, the current-quarter forecasts were valuable. This paper examines whether the results are robust. The forecasts of two additional organizations were examined and the time period was extended. The results are generally robust.
A Quantitative Approach to Faber's Tactical Asset Allocation

Routinely, practitioners and academics alike propose the use of trading strategies with an alleged improvement on the risk-return relation, typically entailing a considerably higher return for the given level of risk. A very popular example is "A quantitative approach to tactical asset allocation" by the fund manager M. Faber, a real hit in the SSRN online library. Is this paper a counterexample to market efficiency? We reject this conclusion, showing that a lot of caution should be used in this field, and we indicate a series of bootstrapping experiments which can be easily implemented to evaluate the performance of trading strategies.
Beyond Belief?

This article reviews issues concerning perceptions of women’s credibility in the context of police responses to sexual assault complainants. It is based on both quantitative and qualitative data drawn from detailed analysis of police rape and sexual assault files. Particular attention is paid to identification of the principal factors affecting police perceptions of rape complainants, addressing such issues as demeanour, intoxication and concealment. Problems arising from the misinterpretation of significant ‘cues’ are identified, and consideration given to possible ways in which miscommunication between rape complainants and police officers occurs. The article argues that many rape complainants must still battle to gain credibility in the eyes of some police investigative officers, and that stereotypically based judgements continue to impact negatively on police perceptions and decision making. The overall aim of the article is to prompt critical, constructive evaluation of police culture and practice in order to enhance the quality of police responses to victims of sexual violence and abuse.
In vitro and in vivo activities of QA-241, a new tricyclic quinolone derivative

The in vitro susceptibilities of 1,310 clinical isolates to QA-241, a novel tricyclic quinolone, were evaluated in comparison with susceptibilities to norfloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin, and ciprofloxacin. The MICs of QA-241 for 90% of staphylococci, Enterococcus faecalis isolates, and streptococcal species ranged from 1.56 to 6.25 micrograms/ml, and the activity of QA-241 was similar to those of norfloxacin and enoxacin but two to four times less potent than those of ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. At the concentration of less than or equal to 1.56 micrograms/ml, QA-241 inhibited 90% of Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella pertussis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and gram-negative enteric bacteria except for Serratia marcescens and Citrobacter freundii. QA-241 was moderately active (MIC for 90% of strains tested, 6.25 to 12.5 micrograms/ml) against S. marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Xanthomonas maltophilia, and Bacteroides fragilis. The antibacterial activity of QA-241 was roughly comparable to that of enoxacin but two to four times less potent than that of ofloxacin. In systemic infections in mice with gram-positive cocci and gram-negative rods, the efficacy of QA-241 was generally greater than that of norfloxacin and similar to those of ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. In urinary tract infections in mice with Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, QA-241 was as active as ofloxacin and more active than norfloxacin but less active than ciprofloxacin. In pulmonary infections in mice with Klebsiella pneumoniae, the effectiveness of QA-241 was similar to that of ofloxacin.
Region‐specific meiotic recombination in Schizosaccharomyces pombe: the rec11 gene

Mutations in the rec11 gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe reduce meiotic recombinant frequencies by as much as a factor of 300 on chromosome III but less than a factor of 4 in the intervals tested on chromosomes I and II. To gain insight into the function of this region‐ (or chromosome‐) specific activator of recombination, we have cloned and sequenced the rec11 gene. Meiotic crosses with rec11 disruption mutations placed the rec11 gene 6 cM from ade6 on chromosome III. Transcripts of rec11 accumulated transiently at 2–3 h after induction of meiosis in a pat1‐114 (Ts) mutant. Reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis of these transcripts revealed eight introns. The spliced RNA is predicted to encode a polypeptide of 923 amino acids with only very limited homology to reported proteins. The transient accumulation of rec11 transcripts and the phenotype of rec11 mutations suggest that the novel rec11 gene product acts early in meiosis to activate recombination preferentially on chromosome III.