Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Debt Creates Pressure to Perform When Information Asymmetries are Large: Empirical Evidence from Business Start-Ups

In this paper, we empirically examine how leverage affects firm performance when information asymmetries are large. We argue that entrepreneurs are strongly incentivized to maximize earnings when leverage is high in order to reduce the likelihood of adverse credit decisions and firm liquidation. Our empirical tests focus on the effects of leverage on firm profitability and growth in earnings during a 5-year window after start-up for a large and unique sample of newly established ventures in Belgium. Accounting for the endogeneity of leverage, the data reveal that more highly indebted business start-ups are not only more profitable but also realize larger earnings growth. Moreover, the positive effect of leverage on firm profitability intensifies as the venture matures.
Housing Supply and Suppliers: Are the Microeconomics of Housing Developers Important?

In this paper, I review the US, UK and international literature on the responsiveness of housing supply to demand. This is a well-developed area of the literature, but I put forward two new arguments: that developers face downward sloping demand curves in the housing market, and that housing developers as firms are sufficiently heterogenous that their output decisions cannot be generalised. I draw on the international literature but use the recent UK experience as a lens, arguing that the post Barker review planning policy and housing supply reforms did not yield as much additional housing supply as had been hoped and expected by policy markets and the housing development industry itself. After introducing two specific propositions, I present new statistical estimates that are at least highly suggestive that firm-specific factors are of importance in understanding supply responsiveness.
Comparison of mutant frequencies at the transgenic lambda lacI and cII/cI loci in control and ENU‐treated Big Blue® mice

We compared the lambda cII/cI transgenic mutation assay described by Jakubczak et al. [(1996): Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:9073–9078] to the previously established Big Blue® assay. Genomic DNA isolated from liver, spleen, and lung tissue of control or ethylnitrosourea (ENU)‐treated Big Blue® mice (100 mg/kg i.p., single dose) was packaged into phage (five animals, two packagings per DNA sample) which were simultaneously plated for lacI and cII/cI mutant frequency (MF) and titer. Mean MF of control animals was higher for cII/cI than lacI for all three tissues examined (spontaneous cII/cI MF divided by spontaneous lacI MF = 2.9, 3.1, and 1.7 for liver, spleen, and lung, respectively). The differences were statistically significant for liver and spleen, but not lung. The ENU‐induced MF measured by subtracting control MFs from ENU‐treated MFs was higher in the cII/cI assay than lacI (liver = 23.0 × 10−5 for cII/cI vs. 15.1 × 10−5 for lacI; spleen = 64.8 × 10−5 for cII/cI vs. 36.1 × 10−5 for lacI; lung = 17.1 × 10−5 for cII/cI vs. 15.8 × 10−5 for lacI). Fold increase over control values measured by dividing MF of ENU‐treated animals by appropriate control values was higher for lacI than cII/cI (liver = 4.4‐fold for lacI vs. 2.7 for cII/cI; spleen = 13.1‐fold for lacI vs. 8.4 for cII/cI; and lung = 5.6‐fold for lacI vs. 4.0 for cII/cI). Despite these differences, overall results were similar for the two mutational endpoints. These results suggest that the cII/cI assay may be an acceptable alternative to lacI where transgenic mutation studies are indicated. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 33:249–256, 1999 © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Using contingent valuation to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation

The methods and results of a contingent valuation survey to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation are reported. The study demonstrates that not only is it important to acknowledge that there will be losers from the introduction of such a programme but that losers must be allowed to express a value for the magnitude of their perceived loss. Two methods of valuing this loss are explored. Conventional willingness to accept compensation questions are compared with questions in which losers are asked to state their willingness to pay to prevent their water being fluoridated. The results provide tentative support for asking willingness to pay to prevent questions instead of willingness to accept questions when evaluating certain types of public good. The issue of protest responses in contingent valuation surveys is also highlighted and discussed.
A meta-analysis of the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and lung cancer risk.

OBJECTIVE The association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and lung cancer risk was not clear with small number of cases in each study. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the correlation between pneumonia infection and lung cancer risk by pooling the open published papers. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched the electronic databases of Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for publications related to the association between pneumonia infection and lung cancer risk. Odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to assess the correlation. The data were pooled by Stata 11.0 software (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). RESULTS Thirteen publications, involving 2549 lung cancer patients and 2764 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that the C. pneumoniae infection significant increased the risk of lung cancer OR = 2.07 (95% CI: 1.43-2.99) by random effect model. And for serum IgG, 12 publications reported the IgG positive rate in lung cancer patients and relative healthy controls. The pooled OR was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.41-3.50) by using the random effects model which indicated that the IgG positive rate was significantly higher in lung cancer patients than that of healthy controls. The sensitivity analysis indicated the pooled OR was not sensitive to a single study. However, Begger's funnel plot and Egger's line regression analysis indicated significant publications bias for this meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS According to the present published data, C. pneumoniae infection may increase the risk of lung cancer. However, for its significant publications and heterogeneity among the included studies, the conclusion should be interpreted cautiously.
Model Priors Revisited: Interaction Terms In Bma Growth Applications

SUMMARY This paper provides a sensitivity analysis on the prior choice for interaction terms for the results of Masanjala and Papageorgiou (Rough and lonely road to prosperity. Journal of Applied Econometrics 2008; 23 : 671–682), which has been criticized for its implementation of interaction terms by Crespo Cuaresma (How different is Africa? Journal of Applied Econometrics 2011; 26 : 1041–1047). We find that the discussed priors have similar predictive power and we also evaluate alternative prior solutions that account for the special nature of interaction terms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SURUSS in perspective

Background Until the publication of the Serum Urine and Ultrasound Screening Study (SURUSS) report, it was difficult to compare the different antenatal screening tests for Down's Syndrome because of variations in study designs. We here present the main results from SURUSS, updated to take account of recent information on nuchal translucency in Down's Syndrome pregnancies, and discuss their implications.
Memristor-Based Nonvolatile Random Access Memory: Hybrid Architecture for Low Power Compact Memory Design

In this paper, a new approach toward the design of a memristor based nonvolatile static random-access memory (SRAM) cell using a combination of memristor and metal-oxide semiconductor devices is proposed. Memristor and MOSFETs of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's 180-nm technology are used to form a single cell. The predicted area of this cell is significantly less and the average read-write power is ~25 times less than a conventional 6-T SRAM cell of the same complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology. Read time is much less than the 6-T SRAM cell. However, write time is a bit higher, and can be improved by increasing the mobility of the memristor. The nonvolatile characteristic of the cell makes it attractive for nonvolatile random access memory design.
Jack and Jill fall down the stress filled hill: An integrative management educational model to prevent such stressful slides

Stress has been found to increase anxiety and depression in individuals, and to increase anger and violence in society. Further, stress has been shown to negatively affect learning. The purpose of this article is to introduce and propose an integrated management educational model to teach stress reduction skills to management students as part of their courses. This article suggests that a holistic approach to dealing with stress will be both beneficial to students and will enhance learning. This article integrates and applies three major stress management techniques into the main model – creative arts interventions, relaxation training, and mindfulness based stress reduction. Suggestions and recommendations for future research are finally presented.
Designed to Fail: How Computer Simulation Can Detect Fundamental Flaws in Clinic Flow

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Discrete‐event simulation can be used as an effective tool for healthcare administrators to “test” various operational decisions. The recent growth in hospital outpatient volumes and a constrained financial environment make discrete‐event simulation a cost‐effective way to diagnose inefficiency and create and test strategies for improvement. This study shows how discrete‐event simulation was used in an adult medicine clinic within a large, tertiary care, academic medical center. Simulation creation steps are discussed, including information gathering, process mapping, data collection, model creation, and results. Results of the simulation indicated that system bottlenecks were present in the medication administration and check‐out steps of the clinic process. The simulation predicted that matching resources to excessive demand at appropriate times for these bottleneck steps would reduce patients' mean time in the system (i.e., visit time) from 124.3 (s.d. ± 65.7) minutes to 87.0 (s.d. ± 36.4) minutes. Although other factors may affect real‐world operations of a clinic, discrete‐event simulation allows healthcare administrators and clinic operational decision makers to observe the effects of changing staffing and resource allocations on patient wait and throughput time. Discrete‐event simulation is not a cure‐all for clinic throughput problems, but can be a strong tool to provide evidentiary guidance for clinic operational redesign.
The T-cell antigen CD5 acts as a receptor and substrate for the protein-tyrosine kinase p56lck

CD5 is a T-cell-specific antigen which binds to the B-cell antigen CD72 and acts as a coreceptor in the stimulation of T-cell growth. CD5 associates with the T-cell receptor zeta chain (TcR zeta)/CD3 complex and is rapidly phosphosphorylated on tyrosine residues as a result of TcR zeta/CD3 ligation. However, despite this, the mechanism by which CD5 generates intracellular signals is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that CD5 is coupled to the protein-tyrosine kinase p56lck and can act as a substrate for p56lck. Coexpression of CD5 with p56lck in the baculovirus expression system resulted in the phosphorylation of CD5 on tyrosine residues. Further, anti-CD5 and anti-p56lck coprecipitated each other in a variety of detergents, including Nonidet P-40 and Triton X-100. Anti-CD5 also precipitated the kinase from various T cells irrespective of the expression of TcR zeta/CD3 or CD4. No binding between p59fyn(T) and CD5 was detected in T cells. The binding of p56lck to CD5 induced a 10- to 15-fold increase in p56lck catalytic activity, as measured by in vitro kinase analysis. In vivo labelling with 32P(i) also showed a four- to fivefold increase in Y-394 occupancy in p56lck when associated with CD5. The use of glutathione S-transferase-Lck fusion proteins in precipitation analysis showed that the SH2 domain of p56lck could recognize CD5 as expressed in the baculovirus expression system. CD5 interaction with p56lck represents a novel variant of a receptor-kinase complex in which receptor can also serve as substrate. The CD5-p56lck interaction is likely to play roles in T-cell signalling and T-B collaboration.
Engel's Law and Cointegration

A time-series counterpart of Engel's law is that the expenditure share on food declines as the economy grows. The main purpose of this paper is to test whether Houthakker's addilog utility function can simultaneously explain this time-series observation and cross-sectional observations concerning Engel's law. Ogaki and Park's cointegration approach is used to estimate parameters of the utility function from time-series data. Total expenditure elasticities implied by the estimated addilog utility function are compared with estimates of the elasticities from cross-sectional data.
Inequalities: Open and Hidden, Measured and Immeasurable

The paper discusses which inequalities can, and which cannot, be measured by the economist's data. Among the inequalities of wealth, income and consumption, the second is shown to be the most relevant, although it must be corrected for the redistributive effects of taxation and transfer payments and then summed with both the distribution of public goods and services and the distribution of freely rendered non market private services. Beyond the distribution of these measured and measurable components of satisfaction, account is also taken of nonmeasurable sources of welfare, such as work and leisure. Their distribution is shown to be positively correlated with the unequal distribution of money income, and guesses are made concerning their relative importance.
Corporate governance and firms in financial distress: evidence from a Middle Eastern country

The objective of this paper is to determine the managerial governance characteristics related to financially distress companies. The failure of boards to accomplish their monitoring duties seemed to be one of the main reasons behind the actual financial distress and bankruptcy that swept companies across the planet. Through the analysis of a sample of 178 Lebanese non-listed and family owned firms, the results showed that the boards (that have a higher proportion of outside directors) are less inclined to face financial distress than the boards with a lower proportion. In addition, a different conclusion proves that the board's size and financial distress are directly linked. The paper highlights the extent to which financial distress is associated with corporate governance from a Euro Mediterranean country. It would be a source of education to Lebanese investors, who excessively go for short-term returns, and of help to regulatory authorities in the framework of making policies on corporate governance reformation.
Public Assistance Reception, Social Service Use, and Developmental Outcomes among Economically Disadvantaged Young People

ABSTRACT Much research has been conducted into the poor life course outcomes among economically disadvantaged young people; however, little attempt has been made to examine the factors that help them gain autonomy and achieve a prosperous future. Given this consideration, the present study surveys low- income youth in Hong Kong to investigate their paths of development. Of particular concern is the exploration of the ways in which two key factors, public assistance reception and social service use, interact to affect youth development in the areas of academic success, work achievement, behavioral adjustment, and overall accomplishment. The basic premise is that these two factors may have main effects and an interaction effect on the outcomes. To test this, the present study analyzed survey data collected from 405 low-income young people recruited from 13 secondary schools and 18 community-based youth-service centers in Hong Kong. The results support the hypothesis that public assistance reception and social service use work jointly in affecting youth development, although their individual effects differ. However, no support is found for the proposition that social service use moderates the effect of public assistance reception on youth development. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Accounting as the Language of Business

Before turning to my three questions, it is worth explicating the power of the “accounting as language” metaphor. People communicate through written natural languages by selecting words from a standard vocabulary, combining them in meaningful ways according to relatively rigid rules of grammar, and then organizing those words into sentences according to relatively flexible rules of syntax and style that allow shades of emphasis and color. People communicate through accounting reports by selecting accounts from a standard vocabulary, combining them in meaningful ways according to the relatively rigid rules of double-entry bookkeeping, and then organizing those words into financial reports according to relatively flexible rules of presentation. The metaphor is by no means perfect. Natural languages are general-purpose tools intended to allow communication about any number of topics, while accounting is a special-purpose tool for communicating about financial state and performance. However, even this difference allows accountants some leverage in applying the metaphor to the following questions.
Evaluation of human sperm membrane integrity using the water test and the hypoosmotic test

The objective of the study was to compare the water test and the hypoosmotic test (HOS) in the assessment of the human sperm membrane. A total of 686 semen samples from human male donors were subjected to water and HOS tests after routine semen evaluation. The mean percentage of swollen spermatozoa was 71.8±9.6% in the HOS test and 67.8±9.4% for the water test; these values were not statistically different. The correlation of coefficients between the water test and the HOS test was highly significant whether the values for the HOS test were higher or lower than 60% (P<0.001). A poor correlation was obtained when the two tests were compared for sperm counts either higher or lower than 20 × 6 ml−1 and when the results for both tests were compared with the percentage of eosin‐Y staining spermatozoa. A poor correlation was also obtained when the results of each test were compared with eosin‐Y staining spermatozoa in normal and abnormal semen samples. The coefficient of regression between the two tests showed a high correlation (P<0.001). In conclusion, even though a high correlation between the HOS test and water test was observed in this study, it is not possible to recommend assessment of sperm membrane integrity using the water test and the consequent replacement of the HOS test in routine practice. Further studies are necessary to establish the best test for sperm vitality.
Short Interest, Returns, and Fundamentals

We show that short interest predicts future bad news, negative earnings surprises, and downward revisions in analyst earnings forecasts. Moreover, short interest is a better predictor of changes in firm fundamentals for stocks that are harder to short and short sellers appear to have information about these events several months before they become public. Most importantly, the well-known cross-sectional relation between short interest and future stock returns vanishes after controlling for short sellers’ information about future fundamental news. Thus, short sellers contribute in a significant manner to price discovery about firm fundamentals.
Overcoming Public and Political Challenges for Natural Hazard Risk Investment Decisions

The cost of natural disasters continues to rise around the world, in part because of population growth, urbanization, and the pressures they place on land use. To reduce the vulnerability of infrastructure, especially existing infrastructure, will require that engineers bring more than technical capabilities to bear. Engineers need to know which measures of risk are most meaningful or relevant to decision makers and then be able to communicate those risks and the costs and benefits of mitigation in concise, credible, meaningful terms. A major challenge in developing a plan to retrofit weaker structures is demonstrating a need to the public and its political leaders, who may have difficulty extrapolating personal experiences to low-probability, high-consequence events. Review of recent research and examination of case studies has led to the identification of five key issues that seem central to effective risk and retrofit communication: (1) public risk perception, (2) public participation in hazard mitigation planning, (3) incorporation of community values, (4) incompatibility of political motivation and long- term planning, and (5) finances of risk and return. These issues provide a framework for understanding the challenges to promoting retrofit and for developing communication strategies to overcome these challenges. The resulting risk-communication strategies can be used to improve long-term sustainable policy with recognizable benefits to society. The San Francisco Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety (CAPSS) team is presented as a case study that effectively addresses the issues identified here.
Is carbon finance the answer to climate control

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the continued viability of the European Union emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) as a tool for climate control in the face of continued criticisms.Design/methodology/approach – This evaluative study makes use of connected existing studies and other secondary data from economics, management, politics and law.Findings – The study found that though there were various flaws in the scheme in its initial launching phase, the insights gained are being applied in the second and subsequent phase of the EU ETS. It is also ascertained that despite initial doubts, a market for carbon finance is successfully established in the EU albeit with various limitations. The scheme is also poised to link with other regional schemes to address climate control.Research limitations/implications – Though the study relied primarily on secondary data, the findings were sufficiently triangulated with perspectives from economics, politics, management and law. The findings would also pr.
Fraud and Monitoring in Non-competitive Elections*

This article develops a game-theoretic model that reconciles three facts: (1) fraud is pervasive in non-competitive elections, (2) domestic and international monitoring of elections have become nearly universal and (3) incumbent regimes often invite monitoring and still cheat. The incumbent regime commits fraud to manipulate the information generated by a non-competitive election before a political interaction with some audience. The audience expects fraud, so the incumbent commits fraud because she would appear weak if not doing so. Increasing the visibility of fraud with monitoring is valuable because it lowers the equilibrium level of costly fraud without changing how popular the incumbent appears. The core results hold under multiple extensions, which produce a rich set of comparative static results.
International Journal of Palliative Nursing.

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