Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smokers’ Preference for Divorce and Extramarital Sex

Smokers are more impatient and, unlike nonsmokers, they tend to prefer current benefits. In this paper, individual-level data from Japan are used to examine how preferences for divorce and extramarital sex are different between smokers and nonsmokers. After controlling for various individual characteristics, the major findings are as follows: (1) smokers are more likely to have a positive view about divorce than nonsmokers; (2) smokers are more likely to have a positive view about extramarital sex than nonsmokers. These results were observed regardless of the individual’s marital status. The findings here about smoker’s preferences are consistent with the characteristics of smokers suggested in the literature.
Improved AMS 14C Dating of Shell Carbonates Using High-Precision X-Ray Diffraction and a Novel Density Separation Protocol (Cards)

One critical variable in the successful application of radiocarbon dating is the effective removal of carbonaceous contaminants. In the case of marine carbonates, contamination appears usually in the form of secondary low-magnesium calcite, the stable polymorph of calcium carbonate and byproduct of the post-mortem recrystallization or replacement of the autochthonous phase, originally in the form of high-magnesium calcite or aragonite. Depending on the nature of the depositional environment, the secondary phase may be contemporary in age with the original shell carbonate and may have even been derived from it by dissolution-recrystallization processes, or can be an exogenous contaminant of younger or older age. The limited ability of current pretreatment protocols to detect and remove the secondary mineralogical phases prior to dating carbonates has been one of the reasons marine shell and coral 14C determinations are often difficult to validate in terms of their reliability. We have developed a new pretreatment protocol designed to achieve greater reliability and accuracy in the dating of this material. The method entails 2 steps. The first one involves the improved detection and quantification of secondary calcite in aragonite using X-ray diffraction, at a precision of ∼0.1% and ∼0.8%, respectively. Next, where this is required, a novel density separation step using non-toxic heavy liquids (CarDS) is applied to the diagenetic sample. This enables the clear separation of calcite and aragonite, with only the latter kept for dating. We have applied the new steps, screening and separation, on standard and archaeological examples and our initial results suggest that it is successful and reproducible. In this paper, we describe the method and initial results.
Superstar ( and Entrepreneurial ) Engineers in Finance Jobs ∗

Does rapid wage growth in the financial sector in recent decades attract scarce talent to finance, thereby affecting talented workers’ long-term career paths? To study this question we focus on the careers of elite engineers, whose skills are in demand across the economy and who have the potential to become transformative entrepreneurs. Using plausibly exogenous variation in local financial sector growth, we compare U.S. engineering graduates from 12 top schools in the same graduating class and major, and show that engineers from higher ranked schools, and those with graduation honors, are more likely to switch from other sectors to finance. We find that financial sector growth attracts highly talented engineers into financial sector occupations that do not fully use their skills, which leads these engineers to engage in less innovative entrepreneurship in the long-run, compared to their classmates who remain in engineering. Our results are robust to alternative specifications, including a measure of geographic location based on engineers’ hometowns. JEL Codes: G2, G20, J2, J3, J31, M52, N2
Labor Force Participation , Wage Rigidities , and In ation

The fall in the US labor force participation during the Great Recession stands in sharp contrast with its parallel increase in the euro area. In addition to structural forces, cyclical factors are also shown to account for these patterns, with the participation rate being procyclical in the US since the inception of the crisis and countercyclical in the euro area. We rationalize these diverging developments by using a general equilibrium business cycle model, which nests the endogenous participation decisions into a search and matching framework. We show that the added workere¤ect might outweigh the discouragement e¤ectif real wage rigidities are allowed for and/or habit in consumerspreferences is su¢ ciently strong. We then draw the implications of variable labor force participation for ination and establish the following result: if endogenous movements in labor market participation are allowed for, then the degree of real wage rigidities becomes almost irrelevant for price dynamics. Indeed, during recessions, the upward pressures on ination stemming from the lack of downward adjustment of real wages are o¤set by an opposite inuence from the additional looseness in the labor market, due to the higher participation associated with wage rigidities. We thank Raf Wouters for helpful comments. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reect those of the Bank of Italy.
The link between great earthquakes and the subduction of oceanic fracture zones

Abstract. Giant subduction earthquakes are known to occur in areas not previously identified as prone to high seismic risk. This highlights the need to better identify subduction zone segments potentially dominated by relatively long (up to 1000 yr and more) recurrence times of giant earthquakes. We construct a model for the geometry of subduction coupling zones and combine it with global geophysical data sets to demonstrate that the occurrence of great (magnitude ≥ 8) subduction earthquakes is strongly biased towards regions associated with intersections of oceanic fracture zones and subduction zones. We use a computational recommendation technology, a type of information filtering system technique widely used in searching, sorting, classifying, and filtering very large, statistically skewed data sets on the Internet, to demonstrate a robust association and rule out a random effect. Fracture zone–subduction zone intersection regions, representing only 25% of the global subduction coupling zone, are linked with 13 of the 15 largest (magnitude Mw ≥ 8.6) and half of the 50 largest (magnitude Mw ≥ 8.4) earthquakes. In contrast, subducting volcanic ridges and chains are only biased towards smaller earthquakes (magnitude
Labour demand, flexible contracts and financial factors: new evidence from Spain

We estimate models of labour demand for a panel of 3,400 Spanish manufacturing firms over the period 1985-2001. We examine the roles of flexible labour through temporary contracts, financial factors and a policy reform in 1997 affecting permanent contracts by lowering payroll taxes and dismissal costs. Compared to permanent employment, the demand for flexible labour displays (i) greater sensiti vity to financial factors (ii) greater cyclical sensitivity (iii) a larger average wage elasticity (iv) less inertia. Our analysis of the 1997 policy reform finds an effect of payroll taxes on employment. A 5 percentage point reduction in the payroll tax increases labour demand by 8 per cent.
BIOPROSPECTING ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF COFFEE LEAF RUST

Suppression of plant diseases due to the action of endophytic microorganisms has been demonstrated in several pathosystems. Experiments under controlled conditions involving endophytic bacteria isolated from leaves and branches of Coffea arabica L and Coffea robusta L were conducted with the objective of evaluating the inhibition of germination of Hemileia vastatrix Berk. & Br. , race II, urediniospores and the control of coffee leaf rust development in tests with leaf discs, detached leaves, and on potted seedling of cv. Mundo Novo. The endophytic bacterial isolates tested proved to be effective in inhibiting urediniospore germination and/or rust development, with values above 50%, although the results obtained in urediniospore germination tests were inferior to the treatment with fungicide propiconazole. Endophytic isolates TG4-Ia, TF2-IIc, TF9-Ia, TG11-IIa, and TF7-IIa, demonstrated better coffee leaf rust control in leaf discs, detached leaves, and coffee plant tests. The endophytic isolates TG4-Ia and TF9-Ia were identified as Bacillus lentimorbus Dutky and Bacillus cereus Frank. & Frank. , respectively. Some endophytic bacterial isolates were effective in controlling the coffee leaf rust, although some increased the severity of the disease. Even though a relatively small number of endophytic bacteria were tested, promising results were obtained regarding the efficiency of coffee leaf rust biocontrol. These selected agents appears to be an alternative for future replacement of chemical fungicide.
Impression Management and Retrospective Sense-Making in Corporate Annual Reports: Banks’ Graphical Reporting During the Global Financial Crisis

This study investigates two potentially complementary reporting scenarios in annual reports: reactive impression management and retrospective sense-making. It examines stock market performance graphs in European listed banks’ annual reports before and during the global financial crisis. Our results indicate that banks reacted to the global financial crisis by omitting stock market performance graphs from the annual report and from its most prominent sections. On the other hand, banks reduced favorable distortions and favorable performance comparisons. No significant evidence of retrospective sense-making is found. Overall, the findings are consistent with impression management incorporating human cognitive biases, with companies preferring misrepresentation by omission over misrepresentation by commission. Under high public scrutiny, banks appear to seek to provide a more favorable view by concealing negative information rather than by favorable distortions or comparisons. The study contributes to the development of impression management theories. It uses a psychological interpretation that incorporates human cognitive biases, rather than adopting a purely economically based perspective.
Study of Pathogenic Bacterial Isolates from Patients with Skin Infections and their susceptibility to Antibiotics in Some Hospitals in Taiz City-Yemen

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, the spectrum of the causative bacterial agent changes constantly and so does their antibiotics. Aim: This study was carried out to investigate the incidence of different aerobic bacteria isolates. Materials and methods: Samples were collected from patients with skin infections at a local Hospital in Taiz City, Yemen. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period between January to December 2014. A pus specimens were collected aseptically from 130 cases of skin and soft tissue infections in the sterile condition and cultured on blood agar, MacConkey agar and mannitol-salt agar media. After growing and staining of bacteria by gram stain, bacteria were cultured in differentiated media, strains that were isolated, undergo antibiotic susceptibility test by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: From a total of 130 swabs collected, 89 (68. 5%) were with bacterial growth : gram positive bacteria form [57 (64%)], while gram negative bacteria were [32 (36%)], common aerobic bacterial pathogens were: S. aureus[30 (33.7%)], S. epidermidis [18 (20.2%)], P. aeruginosa [14 (15.9%)], S. pyogenes [9 (10.1%)], E. coli [8 (8.9%)], K. Pneumoniae [6 (6.7%)], P. mirabilis [4 (4.5%)]. These results showed that in vitro antibiotic susceptibility tests among gram positive cocci susceptibility was highest to Vancomycin, Fusidic acid (except S. pyogenes) and Ciprofloxacin. Among gram negative bacilli Gentamycin, Chloramphenicol and Ciprofloxacin susceptibility was high, however, all Escherichia coli isolates were resistant to Penicillin, Ampicillin, and Tetracycline. Additionally, all Proteus mirabilis isolates were resistant to Erythromycin and Penicillin. Conclusion: This study indicated that the multi drug resistance (MDR) of bacterial organisms were alarming for increase in skin infections .
Detecting Deliberate Fertility Control during the Pre-Transitional Period in a Sample of German Villages

This paper deals with the possible existence of deliberate fertility control before the fertility transition. The timing of the fertility response to economic stress, as measured by fluctuations in grain prices, is used as a measure of deliberate, but non-parity specific, control. Birth histories from six German villages (1766-1863), including information on occupation of the husband, are used together with community-wide grain price series in a micro-level eventhistory analysis. The results show a negative fertility response to grain prices both in the year immediately following the price change, and with a one-year lag. The response is also highly different between socioeconomic groups, with the most pronounced effects among the unskilled laborers. Moreover, the response in this group is very rapid, already present after 36 months after the price change. Because all involuntary fertility responses to economic hardship (e.g. malnutrition, spousal separation, and spontaneous abortion) come with a considerable time lag, the existence of such a rapid response among the lower social groups clearly supports the idea of individual agency (deliberate control) as the most important explanation. Paper for session 120 ”Historical Demography” at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Detroit, MI, April 30 – May 2, 2009. Financial support from the Linnaeus Centre for Economic Demography financed by the Swedish Research Council and Lund University is gratefully acknowledged.
Title Angiogenic sprouting is regulated by endothelial cell expression of Slug Permalink

The Snail family of zinc-finger transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved proteins that control processes requiring cell movement. Specifically, they regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) where an epithelial cell severs intercellular junctions, degrades basement membrane and becomes a migratory, mesenchymal-like cell. Interestingly, Slug expression has been observed in angiogenic endothelial cells (EC) in vivo, suggesting that angiogenic sprouting may share common attributes with EMT. Here, we demonstrate that sprouting EC in vitro express both Slug and Snail, and that siRNAmediated knockdown of either inhibits sprouting and migration in multiple in vitro angiogenesis assays. We find that expression of MT1MMP, but not of VE-Cadherin, is regulated by Slug and that loss of sprouting as a consequence of reduced Slug expression can be reversed by lentiviral-mediated re-expression of MT1-MMP. Activity of MMP2 and MMP9 are also affected by Slug expression, likely through MT1-MMP. Importantly, we find enhanced expression of Slug in EC in human colorectal cancer samples compared with normal colon tissue, suggesting a role for Slug in pathological angiogenesis. In summary, these data implicate Slug as an important regulator of sprouting angiogenesis, particularly in pathological settings.
A comparison of the styles of deformation associated with two recent push moraines, South Van Keulenfjorden, Svalbard

In this paper, two push moraine systems associated with two small subpolar glaciers, Finsterwalderbreen and Penckbreen, were investigated. This study showed that at these glaciers the push moraines were formed in association with surges, which produced a different style of moraine depending on the rheology of the deformed material and the glacial history. The moraines are similar in that they are formed by folded outwash sediments and contain little till. However, the forms of these moraines are very different. The Penckbreen moraine is composed of a lower shallow marine sand, silt and clay, and an upper fluvial sand and gravel. Deformation at this site led to the formation of large anticlines in the silts and clays, with disharmonic smaller folds and thrusts in the upper gravels, above a detachment surface between the fine-grained and overlying coarse-grained lithologies. This deformation decreases towards the foreland, with marine and fluvial sediments responding differently because of their different rheological properties. This moraine was formed during one surge event which occured during the early 19th century. In contrast, the Finsterwalderbreen moraine is composed of outwash sand and gravel, and was formed as the result of a series of surge events. These advances all reached a similar limit and occurred at regular intervals. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ego, Alter and Object: Explaining Personal Involvement with a Social Object Based on Perceived Collective Involvement and Group Identification

The present paper aims at testing a model to predict personal in- volvement with a social object which was inspired by the social psychologi- cal triangle proposed by Moscovici. The triangle bridges three essential as- pects of social psychology: the individual, the Other and a social object. It was operationalized as an empirical model to explain personal involvement with a social topic from two predictors: perceived collective involvement of group members with the same topic and group identification. The sample was formed by 805 Brazilian undergraduates. The participants completed scales that measured their identification with university students, their per- ception of students" involvement with two social objects, university course or job, and their own personal involvement with those topics. Regression analyses supported the hypothesis that group identification, perceived col- lective involvement and their interaction maintained positive relations with personal involvement. Discussion focuses on the relativity of results to specific objects, the complexity of determinant factors of personal in- volvement and the pertinence of the triangular look to characterize social psychological research.
Extended FRAM by Integrating with Model Checking to Effectively Explore Hazard Evolution

Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), which defines a systemic framework to model complex systems from the perspective of function and views accidents as emergent phenomenon of function’s variability, is playing an increasingly significant role in the development of systemic accident theory. However, as FRAM is typically taken as a theoretic method, there is a lack of specific approaches or supportive tools to bridge the theory and practice. To fill the gap and contribute to the development of FRAM, (1) function’s variability was described further, with the rules of interaction among variability of different functions being determined and (2) the technology of model checking (MC) was used for the analysis of function’s variability to automatically search the potential paths that could lead to hazards. By means of MC, system’s behaviors (normal or abnormal) are simulated and the counter example(s) that violates the safety constraints and requirements can be provided, if there is any, to improve the system design. The extended FRAM approach was applied to a typical air accident analysis, with more details drawn than the conclusions in the accident report issued officially by Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV).
Protective effect of edible turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) powder on early hepatic injury in diabetic rats

Background: Hepatic insufficiency is one of the most important consequences of the diabetes mellitus. A wide variety of herbs has been described for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The aim of present study was to assess the protective effect of turmeric powder on early hepatic injuries in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 4 equal groups. Turmeric powder was added to the food regimen of turmeric treatment groups. At the end of experiment, levels of functional liver markers (AST, ALT and SALP), albumin, total bilirubin and proteins were assessed in the serum. Product of lipid peroxidation (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR) were also assayed in liver hemogenates. Finally, the biochemical findings were matched with histopathological verification. Results: In the diabetic rats, turmeric powder significantly decreased the levels of serum biomarkers of hepathic injury, TB, and elevated the levels of Alb and TP. Furthermore, turmeric powder significantly decreased the lipid peroxidation and elevated the levels of antioxidant enzymes in the rats. Conclusion: It seems that turmeric powder has protective effect on early diabetic hepatopathy in experimentally induced diabetic rats.
Distribution and abundance of thraustochytrids in different Mediterranean coastal habitats

Habitat, seasonality and species distribution of the marine fungoid protists, thraus- tochytrids, were investigated in a coastal area of the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Three habi- tats (the sandy surf area, the middle of a 5 m seawater column, and its underlying sandy sea bottom) were monitored monthly for 1 yr. Thraustochytrids in the surf and sea-bottom sandy samples yielded average densities of 4.4 ± 4 and 6.1 ± 5.3 × 10 4 cells l -1 , respectively. In both sandy habitats, a similar seasonal trend was observed: the highest densities were recorded in late spring, while a significant drop in densities occurred during the autumn-winter period. In the water column, the density of thraustochytrids was much lower, 1.3 ± 1 × 10 2 cells l -1 and did not show significant seasonal varia- tions. A positive relationship between organic matter and thraustochytrid densities occurred in the sandy sea bottom. Among the nutrients assessed in the water column, only total phosphorus was related to variations of thraustochytrid densities. The 3 habitats analyzed showed marked differences in species number and assemblage. A higher number of species were found in the sandy sea bottom than in the sandy surf area and in the seawater column. The genus Thraustochytrium was the most abundant in the sandy bottom habitat. Among Thraustochytrium species, those characterized by spo- rangia with proliferation bodies were dominant. Species of the genus Schizochytrium, typically form- ing a cluster of sporangia, were dominant in the sandy surf area. Here, the possible ecological signif- icances of these species' features are discussed.
Prevalence of variant hemoglobins and thalassemias in a maroon community in Sergipe, Brazil

Current analysis investigates the sickle-cell syndrome among members of a maroon community ( comunidade quilombola ) in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. The entire population, comprising five hundred and ninety-three people, was screened. Blood samples were collected from 318 people, aged between six months and fifty years, who underwent a solubility test to assess the presence of HbS, followed by Sickle-Cell Test to confirm its presence. Results revealed that 2.2% of the three hundred and eighteen people tested have hemoglobin HbS in their blood; 57% have type HbAS and 43% have a combination between thalassemia and heterozygous with a variable percentage of HbS ranging between 24.9 and 37.9%. Blood sampling revealed that only five out of the 318 people belonged to different families. Results are highly relevant for public health policies on the sickle-cell syndrome and its management.