Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade and the Firm-Internal Allocation of Workers to Tasks

This paper looks inside the firm and investigates how trade alters the matching of worker-specific abilities and task-specific skill requirements. The outcome of this matching depends on how firms organize their recruitment process and how much they invest into the screening of applicants. In the open economy, the most productive firms start exporting. They increase their market share and therefore find it attractive to increase their screening investment, which improves the matching outcome. Things are different for non-exporters, whose market share shrinks in the open economy, lowering their incentives to invest for screening applicants. Due to this asymmetric response, access to trade raises the dispersion of labor productivity between heterogeneous producers, while at the same time increasing the average quality of worker-task matches and thus economy-wide labor productivity. The productivity-enhancing effect of endogenous adjustments in the firm-internal allocation of workers to tasks points to a so far unexplored channel through which gains from trade can materialize.
Fluid Resuscitation in Burns: An Update

Fluid resuscitation has been a mainstay in the treatment of major burns for over 50 years. Fluids must be commenced as soon as possible prior to transfer to a specialist unit in order to minimise burn wound conversion and reduce the incidences of burn shock, post-burn renal failure, life-threatening electrolyte disturbances and mortality. Due to the lack of robust evidence, uncertainty exists regarding the type of fluid, the rate of fluid administration and method of monitoring fluid resuscitation in these patients. The advances in our understanding of burn pathology and technology may have rendered fluid resuscitation formulae, such as the Parkland, obsolete. This review aims to provide an up-to-date summary on the controversies and advances in burns fluid resuscitation to aid the emergency practitioner to make informed decisions.
Fragmented population structure of plasmodium falciparum in a region of declining endemicity.

BACKGROUND The population genetic structure of Plasmodium falciparum differs between endemic regions, but the characteristics of a population recently fragmented by effective malaria control have been unknown. METHODS Genotypic analysis of 10 microsatellite loci widely separated in the parasite genome was conducted on 288 P. falciparum isolates from 8 foci in Malaysian Borneo, a region in which malaria incidence has been progressively reduced. RESULTS Within all P. falciparum foci, moderate levels of allelic diversity were found, but levels of multilocus linkage disequilibrium were extremely variable. The population with the highest proportion of mixed-clone infections also had the highest allelic diversity and nonsignificant linkage disequilibrium. In contrast, several populations showed evidence of clonal expansion, and one offshore island population had exceptionally high levels of linkage disequilibrium. Genetic differentiation between many populations was very high and strongly associated with the geographical distance between them. CONCLUSIONS High levels of differentiation and contrasting population structure among P. falciparum populations in Malaysian Borneo indicate that they are genetically independent. This supports the feasibility of individually eradicating the remaining P. falciparum foci.
Leveraged Buy Out: Dynamic Agency Model with Write-Off Option

We present a dynamic agency model in which the LBO fund may write the entrepreneur's project off at the end of the starting stage to invest in a competitive project. The two partners provide unobservable efforts in both stages to enhance the productivity of the acquired company. We show that under restrictive conditions, the debt-equity contracts induce the entrepreneur and the LBO fund to provide the first best efforts under restrictive conditions in the two stages. Moreover, the write-off threat boosts the incentives of the entrepreneur and the LBO fund such that they provide high efforts. If the compensation cost is exogenous, the sharing rule of this cost depends on the quality of the competitive project. The entrepreneur and the bank share the amount of compensation if it is not very profitable. Otherwise, it is pledged to the entrepreneur. If the compensation's amount is endogenous, in order to induce the entrepreneur to provide high effort, the optimal financial contracts must give her the entire compensation's revenue.
Consumer behavior and marketing action

Part 1 Introduction to Consumer Behaviour: 1. Introduction 2. Consumer Behaviour - Societal and Global Perspectives. Part 2 Consumer Decision Making: 3. Complex Decision Making 4. Consumer Learning, Habit, and Brand Loyalty 5. Low Involvement Decision Making. Part 3 The Individual Consumer: 6. Consumer Perceptions 7. Acquiring and Processing Information 8. Consumer Attitudes 9. Attitude Reinforcement and Change 10. Demographics and Social Class 11. Personality and Life Styles 12. Segmenting Consumers by Individual Characteristics and Behaviour. Part 4 Environmental Influences on Consumer Behaviour: 13. Culture 14. Cross-cultural and Sub-cultural Influences 15. Reference Group Influences 16. Family Influences 17. Situational Influences. Part 5 Communications in the Consumer's Environment: 18. Communications with Groups: Word of Mouth and Opinion Leadership 19. Communications Across Groups - The Diffusion Process 20. Marketing Communications.
News which moves the market: Assessing the impact of published financial news on the stock market

Recent years have seen a large increase in the volume of financial news available to investors daily. What has traditionally been restricted to print media has now evolved to include the internet and satellite television as important media sources for financial news. With this overwhelming flow of information available to investors, the impact of financial news on market prices is at best uncertain. In this paper, a computational textscoring methodology will be employed to uncover behavioral responses by investors to negative news. The empirical methodology employed in this paper will consist of three parts. Firstly, through the General Inquirer (GI) content analysis software, a sentiment score is derived from daily news articles published in the Wall Street Journal. The second part will be an analysis of the sentiment time series which was obtained, where comparison will be made to existing barometers of market sentiment and market volatility. The final part of the modeling methodology which will be presented is a predictive model of market implied volatility using daily news scores as the main input. In conclusion, it is found that high negative news scores do not necessarily predict negative abnormal returns in the SP we are able to utilize this information to construct a predictive model of the CBOE VIX index.
fMRI biomarker of early neuronal dysfunction in presymptomatic Huntington's Disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Functional MR imaging (fMRI) has been used to probe basal ganglia function in people with presymptomatic Huntington's disease (pre-HD). A previous fMRI study in healthy individuals demonstrated activation of the basal ganglia during a time-discrimination task. The current study was designed to examine the relative sensitivity of fMRI compared with that of behavioral testing and morphometric measurements in detecting early neurodegenerative changes related to Huntington's disease (HD). METHODS Pre-HD participants were assigned to two groups based on estimated years to diagnosis of manifest disease: close <12 years and far >or=12 years. Age at disease onset was estimated using a regression equation based on the number of trinucleotide CAG repeats. The time-discrimination task required participants to determine whether a specified interval was shorter or longer than a standard interval of 1200 milliseconds. RESULTS Participants in the close group performed more poorly on the time-task discrimination than did control subjects; however, no differences were observed between far participants and control subjects. Similarly, close participants had reduced bilateral caudate volume relative to that of control subjects, whereas far participants did not. On functional imaging, close participants had significantly less activation in subcortical regions (caudate, thalamus) than control subjects; far participants had an intermediate degree of activation. In contrast, far participants had hyperactivation in medial hemispheric structures (anterior cingulate, pre-supplementary motor area) relative to close and control subjects. CONCLUSION Hyperactivation of medial prefrontal regions compensated for reduced subcortical participation during time discrimination in pre-HD. This pattern of brain activation may represent an early neurobiologic marker of neuronal dysfunction.
Cardiovascular disease risk factors are elevated in urban minority children enrolled in head start.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of obesity and overweight persists in the preschool population, despite some prevention and treatment advances, particularly in minorities. Investigating the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the effect of family health may also guide the focus of intervention efforts. METHODS Anthropometric data were collected from urban minority preschool children (n=161; 42% female) enrolled in USDA Head Start. Blood was collected by finger prick and analyzed with the Cholestech LDX Analyzer (Cholestech Corporation, Hayward, CA). Caregivers provided a self-reported family health history for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). RESULTS By BMI percentile, 8% of the children were underweight (UW), 54% healthy weight (HW), 10% overweight (OW), and 28% obese (OB). One of every 5 children had borderline or high-risk levels for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides based on the National Cholesterol Education Program categories. In OW/OB children only, BMI was positively correlated with TC (r(61)=0.428; p=0.001) and LDL (r(58)=0.395; p=0.005). Child BMI was also associated with family comorbid diseases (r(159)=0.177; p=0.025). UW/HW children with a family history of CVD had significantly higher LDL than UW/HW children without a family history of CVD (p=0.001). Step-wise regression analysis revealed that BMI (p=0.005) plus family history of heart attack (p=0.018) were significant predictors of blood TC levels. CONCLUSION Continued efforts to treat and prevent elevated weight are urgently needed for minority preschoolers. Attention to CVD screening may be an important target in school, community, and healthcare arenas for minority populations regardless of weight status.
Complexes of Ag1 with cationic ligands: bis[(pyridylmethyl)ammonio]silver(I) salts.

Bis[(2-pyridylmethyl)ammonio]silver(I) trinitrate, [Ag(C(6)H(9)N(2))(2)](NO(3))(3), (I), and bis[bis[(4-pyridylmethyl)ammonio]silver(I)] hexakis(perchlorate) dihydrate, [Ag(C(6)H(9)N(2))(2)](2)(ClO(4))(6). 2H(2)O, (II), are rare examples of complexes with cationic ligands. In (I), the Ag(+) cation has a T-shaped [2+1] coordination involving the pyridine N atoms and a nitrate O atom, while in (II) there are three independent two-coordinate Ag complex cations (two with the Ag atoms on independent inversion centres) and disordered ClO(4)(-) ions. The crystal structures reveal the role of hydrogen bonding in stabilizing these complexes.
Does The Glass Ceiling Exist? A Longitudinal Study Of Women's Progress On French Corporate Boards

n this article, we conduct a longitudinal study of womens progress on French corporate boards of directors. We particularly focus on the extent to which women directors have circumvented the glass ceiling. Using a sample of SBF 120 companies over a 10-year period from 2000 to 2009, our results provide evidence of a significant increase in the number of women on French corporate boards. However, the corporate glass ceiling hypothesis is consistently rejected whatever the considered measure of female directors; i.e., the number of board seats held by women, the number of firms with a critical mass of female directors, and the number of directorships held by each women director.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Lung Transplant Candidates and Recipients

Background: Studies on the health-related quality of life in lung transplantation have used general questionnaires, although lung-specific instruments might be more sensitive to small differences. Objectives: To compare the health-related quality of life of lung transplant recipients with lung transplant candidates, using lung-specific and general instruments, and to assess the reliability and validity of these questionnaires. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional postal survey of 31 lung transplant recipients and 15 candidates, using the following outcome measures: St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), a lung-specific health status instrument; the Short Form 36 (SF-36), a general measure, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD). Results: The SGRQ showed a significantly better score (p < 0.05) for transplant recipients in the impacts and activity dimensions and the total score than for candidates. SF-36 scores showed a similar improvement in all subscales of the SF-36 except bodily pain. Cronbach’s α for all dimensions of the SGRQ, SF-36, and HAD were 0.77–0.95. Conclusions: Patients surviving lung transplantations can expect a considerable improvement in most dimensions of health-related quality of life. This finding was consistent using both lung-specific and general measures. The reliability of the questionnaires was acceptable. The associations between scales support the validity of the questionnaires in this setting.
The Role of Signal Precision and Transaction Costs in Stock, Option and Volatility Trading

In this study we examine the rationale behind informed traders decision to speculate on the volatility of the common stock by trading in the derivative or in the cash markets. Using a continuous-time trading model, we demonstrate that the quality of the private information regarding the volatility parameter together with the relative transaction costs observed in the various segments of the cash and derivatives markets will determine informed agents’ trading habitats. We further show that in the presence of imprecise volatility signals, only the “most sophisticated” traders (those with highly precise volatility signals) will engage in pure volatility bets. Traders with less precise signals will choose a naked option strategy, while traders at the low spectrum of the precision scale will invest in the underlying stock. Thus, the low volume of pure volatility trades observed by Lakonishok et al. (2007) does not necessarily imply that only fringe traders have chosen to speculate on volatility. Rather, it may suggest that the majority of informed traders do not have very precise volatility signals.
Aortic calcification detected in a mass chest screening program using a mobile helical computed tomography unit. Relationship to risk factors and coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND There is a significant relationship between calcification of the aortic arch (Arch) detected by chest X-ray examination and coronary artery disease (CAD), but the relationship between risk factors, CAD and aortic calcification detected during a mass screening program using a mobile helical computed tomography (CT) unit remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS In total 2,623 subjects (1,347 men, and 1,276 women; mean age, 52.9+/-13.8) underwent an examination for lung cancer and tuberculosis using a mobile helical CT unit. The frequency of calcification was 19.6% in the Arch, 2.7% in the ascending aorta, and 10.1% in the descending aorta, values that were positively associated with age in both genders. Hypertension and smoking were significantly related to calcification of the thoracic aorta. There was a significant relationship between CAD and aortic calcification. The odds ratio of aortic calcification for patients with CAD increased as the number of calcified segments increased. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that detection of calcification in the thoracic aorta during a mass chest screening using a mobile helical CT unit can be used to evaluate the risk of CAD.
An Eps Homology (EH) Domain Protein That Binds to the Ral-GTPase Target, RalBP1*

Ral proteins constitute a family of small GTPases that can be activated by Ras in cells. In the GTP-bound state, Ral proteins bind to RalBP1, a GTPase-activating protein for CDC42 and Rac GTPases. We have used the two-hybrid system in yeast to clone a cDNA for a novel ∼85-kDa protein that can bind to an additional site on RalBP1. This newly identified protein contains an Eps homology (EH) domain, which was first detected in the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor substrate Eps15. Recently, the EH domain of Eps15 has been shown to bind to proteins containing an asparagine-proline-phenylalanine motif. Moreover, EH domains have been found in proteins involved in endocytosis and/or actin cytoskeleton regulation. The RalBP1 associated Eps-homology domain protein, Reps1, is tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to EGF stimulation of cells. In addition, Reps1 has the capacity to form a complex with the SH3 domains of the adapter proteins Crk and Grb2, which may link Reps1 to an EGF-responsive tyrosine kinase. Thus, Reps1 may coordinate the cellular actions of activated EGF receptors and Ral-GTPases.
Vitamin D as an analgesic for patients with type 2 diabetes and neuropathic pain.

T reatment of neuropathic pain is generally unsatisfying for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and patients with debilitating residual symptoms may be given nonspecific diagnoses such as “chronic pain syndrome. ” Although hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes, to our knowledge, its impact on neuropathic pain has not been previously evaluated. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of vitamin D repletion on neuropathic pain in patients with type 2 diabetes and vitamin D insufficiency.
What Drives EU Banks' Stock Returns? Bank-Level Evidence Using the Dynamic Dividend-Discount Model

We combine the dynamic dividend-discount model with an accounting-based vector autoregression framework that allows for a decomposition of EU banks' stock returns to cash-flow and expected return news components. The main findings are that while the bulk of the variability of EU banks' stock returns is due to cash flow shocks, the expected return shocks are relatively more important for larger than for smaller banks. Moroever, variables used in the literature as cash-flow proxies explain a higher share of the cash-flow component of the total excess returns for smaller than for larger EU banks. This suggests that large banks could be more prone to market wide news and events - that in the literature are associated with the expected return news component - as opposed to the bank-specific news, typically assumed to be incorporated in the cash-flow component. JEL Classification: C33, G12, G21
Empirical studies on wages, firm performance and job turnover

Based on direct information on hires and separations for 11.000 establishments during 11 years, we report new evidence that around half of job and worker flows stem from temporary contracts which account for only around 10 percent of employment. The share of temporary contracts is positively correlated to employment growth indicating that firms use temporary jobs as a buffer in labor adjustment. Job reallocation for temporary contracts is acyclical. Service establishments with a high share of temporary employment exhibit acyclical job reallocation while permanent jobs in manufacturing are countercyclical.
The High Frequency Impact of Macroeconomic Announcements in the Brazilian Futures Markets

The estimation of the impact of macroeconomic announcements in the Brazilian futures markets is used to uncover the relationship between macroeconomic fundamentals and asset prices. Using intraday data from October 2008 to January 2011, we find that external macroeconomic announcements dominate price changes in the Foreign Exchange and Ibovespa markets, while the impact of the domestic ones is mainly restricted to Interest Rate contracts. We additionally propose an investment strategy based on the conditional price reaction of each market that achieved a success rate of 70% in an out-of-sample study. Finally, we document the impact on volume and bid-ask spreads.
Credit default swap and bond markets: which leads the other?

We analyse the links between credit default swaps (CDSs) and bonds and try to determine which is the leader in the price discovery process. As the respective sizes of the markets are quite different for sovereigns and corporates, we consider a sample including both categories. For each entity, we compare CDS premia with spreads on a generic 5-year bond. The results show that the CDS market has a lead over the bond market for corporates. Moreover, the CDS market’s lead has been fuelled by the current crisis. This also holds for sovereigns, although not for low-yield countries.
Insights into Tropical Tropopause Layer processes using global models

[1] The climatology of the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) in two state-of-the-art general circulation models is compared with observations. Results indicate that global models are able to resolve key features of the TTL, including the mean state and the variability of temperature, ozone, clouds, and thermal structure. The agreement indicates that large-scale processes, and the large-scale effects of small-scale processes, such as convection, are likely the dominant contributors to the observed climatological structure of the TTL and to the observed annual cycle and variability at scales larger than several hundred kilometers. Cloud processes are still uncertain due to their heavily parameterized treatment in models, and limited observations of clouds in the TTL. The bulk treatment of clouds appears sufficient to properly resolve the large-scale structure of the TTL.
Hepatoprotective effect of Epaltes divaricata extract on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in mice.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Epaltes divaricata is widely used in Sri Lanka as an Ayurvedic medicine. In the present study the hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects of an aqueous extract of E. divaricata plant (Family-Compositae) were investigated against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatocellular injury in mice. METHODS Healthy male mice (30-35 g body weight, 6-8 wk old) were used. A single dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 0.5 ml/kg in olive oil) was administered ip to induce hepatotoxicity and the plant extract at a dose of 0.9 g/kg was administered orally by gavage. Animals were sacrificed 24 h and 4 days after the administration of CCl4. Blood and liver tissue were collected for the assessment of serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and liver reduced glutathione level. The liver tissue was used for histopathological assessment of liver damage. RESULTS Pre-treatment of mice with the plant extract of Epaltes (0.9 g/kg) orally for 7 days significantly reduced serum levels of ALT (P<0.01), AST (P<0.01) and ALP (P<0.001) enzymes by 21.40, 47.36 and 71.12 per cent respectively and significantly increased (P<0.001) the liver reduced glutathione level by 42.32 per cent, 24 h after the administration of carbon tetrachloride. A marked improvement in the enzyme activities and the liver reduced glutathione level was observed in the Epaltes pre-treated mice 4 days after the administration of carbon tetrachloride. Histopathological studies provided supportive evidence for the biochemical analysis. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION The results of the present study indicated that under the present experimental conditions, aqueous extract of Epaltes divaricata showed hepatoprotective abilities against carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in mice.