Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial development, fiscal policy and macroeconomic volatility

This thesis examines empirically the effect of financial frictions and public debt on economic variables and seeks for an appropriate fiscal consolidation strategy. First, the thesis explores the determinants of output volatility, especially the roles of financial development and government debt. The analysis, based on a panel of 127 countries over four decades, employs system GMM dynamic panel regression. According to the regression results financial development is estimated to have a non-linear effect on output volatility. Increased government debt levels are statistically associated with increased macroeconomic volatility. However, we need to interpret the results carefully due to endogeneity problems. The effect of the interactions between the two is insignificant. Second, it analyses the role of financial frictions on economic fluctuations. When the three models are compared with the U.S. data along the second moments, the firm friction model helps in fitting some macroeconomic variables and outperforms the other models. In the impulse response functions, we find that financial frictions greatly amplify and propagate the effects of the exogenous shocks on economic variables. Specially, the firm friction model shows more persistent response than the bank friction model. In addition, the size of the response depends on the leverage in the model with financial frictions. Third, the thesis considers how the effects of fiscal policy consolidation differ depending on alternative strategies. To do this, we develop an open economy DSGE model with an endogenous risk premium mechanism. The government consumption cut has larger negative effects on output than the government investment cut because of a complementarity with private consumption. The response of the tax hike is smaller than the expenditue cut because the tax hikes reduce more debts and the lower risk premium crowds in consumption and investment. Among three fiscal rules, the expenditure adjusted rule is the most effective for both preventing the economic downturn and reducing government debt.
Mind the employment gap: an impact evaluation of the Czech multi-speed parental benefit reform

Parental leave is a key policy tool for addressing work-life reconciliation issues inherent to parenthood, including maternal employment and its continuity. The 2004 Czech accession to the EU shed light on the scope of the employment gap between women with and without children at pre-school age, highest among all the OECD countries (41 pp). This is due to very long universal paid parental leave: 4 years per child. In order to tackle this gap and to conform to the EU trend, a major reform was designed in 2008, and this paper investigates its effects on mothers participation and employment. I use the Labour Force Survey to assess the effect of this reform on maternal employment and activity levels, thanks to a difference-in-differences identification strategy. The reform provided an extensive change in financial incentives in favour of shorter leaves, and I show that effects on return-to-work timing are large and significant. However, if mothers do respond to the incentive by advancing the timing of the return to work by one year, the eligibility restrictions as well as the public childcare shortage narrow - de facto - the scope of the effect, which merely compensates for the massive opposite trend induced in the 1990s.
Corruption, Carry Trades, and the Cross Section of Currency Returns

This is the first paper to explore the effects of perceived corruption on the FX market. It finds that the currencies of countries perceived to suffer from high levels of corruption generate statistically significantly lower returns than the currencies of countries perceived to have low levels of corruption. Moreover, the portfolio spread is highly correlated with NBER recessions and U.S. consumption growth of nondurable goods. Interestingly, stochastic discount factor model analysis reveals that the portfolio spread is useful for pricing the cross section of currency returns, even when controlling for standard FX risk factors.
Repression of virulence genes by phosphorylation‐dependent oligomerization ofCsrR at target promoters in S. pyogenes

csrRS encodes a two‐component regulatory system that represses the transcription of a number of virulence factors in Streptococcus pyogenes, including the hyaluronic acid capsule and pyrogenic exotoxin B. CsrRS‐regulated virulence factors have diverse functions during pathogenesis and are differentially expressed throughout growth. This suggests that multiple signals induce CsrRS‐mediated gene regulation, or that regulated genes respond differently to CsrR, or both. As a first step in dissecting the csrRS signal transduction pathway, we determined the mechanism by which CsrR mediates the repression of its target promoters. We found that phosphorylated CsrR binds directly to all but one of the promoters of its regulated genes, with different affinities. Phosphorylation of CsrR enhances both oligomerization and DNA binding. We defined the binding site of CsrR at each of the regulated promoters using DNase I and hydroxyl radical footprinting. Based on these results, we propose a model for differential regulation by CsrRS.
FACTORS INFLUENCING FREQUENCY OF THE MID‐STYLED MORPH IN TRISTYLOUS POPULATIONS OF OXALIS ALPINA

Genetic models and computer simulations suggest that modifications of incompatibility in tristylous populations of Oxalis alpina from southeastern Arizona should result in evolution of distyly, due to the inability of the mid floral morph to compete effectively with the short and long floral morphs. To evaluate this hypothesis, progeny testing of naturally pollinated individuals was carried out over a three‐year period for populations with differing mid frequencies. In contrast to expectations, mids appeared in greater than expected proportions in many cases. Detailed analysis of results from two trimorphic populations where the mid form is relatively uncommon revealed that mid morphs produced far more mid progeny among their offspring than expected. Assuming that all compatible pollen has the same probability of deposition on appropriate stigmas, mid excesses were found among progeny of shorts and longs in these populations as well. In a third population where the mid form is abundant, mid excesses were not found among the progeny of mids, nor were mid excesses typical among the progeny of shorts and longs.
The Dynamics of (Personalized) Party Identification in the Second Italian Republic

Previous literature (e.g., McAllister 2007) has plainly assumed that the ‘personalization of politics’ in Western democracies is in large part due to the widespread ‘partisan dealignment’ going on in these societies. This paper provides an assessment of the causal relationship between these two phenomena in the Second Italian Republic, attempting to demonstrate that partisan dealignment is caused by – and not a cause of – the personalization of politics. Alternative explanations for the rapid weakening of partisan ties in the period 1994-2008 will be evaluated; then, it will be shown the prominence of leaders’ image among the determinants of individual (de)alignment with political parties; finally, it will be revealed how a generalized decrease in the number of partisan is linked to the (equally generalized) deterioration of the overall image of political leaders.
Effects of necrotic enteritis challenge on intestinal micro-architecture and mucin profile

1. This study investigated the effect of Eimeria spp. /Clostridium perfringens induced necrotic enteritis and traditional antibiotic preventatives on intestinal micro-architecture and mucin profile. 2. A total of 600 Cobb 500 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to the following three groups: (i) unchallenged, (ii) challenged, and (iii) zinc bacitracin/monensin (ZnB/monensin) (n = 25 chickens/pen, 8 pens/group). The challenged and ZnB/monensin chickens were individually inoculated with Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima and E. tenella and C. perfringens type A (EHE-NE18) at 9 and 15 d post-hatch respectively, to induce necrotic enteritis. 3. The challenge procedure significantly decreased villus height, increased villus width and increased crypt depth in the challenged compared to the unchallenged chickens. Zinc bacitracin and monensin maintained villus-crypt structure similar to that of the unchallenged chickens. 4. Mucin profile was not affected by Eimeria spp. /C. perfringens challenge as demonstrated by periodic acid-Schiff and high iron diamine-alcian blue pH 2·5 staining. Zinc bacitracin and monensin decreased the number of intestinal mucin-containing goblet cells. 5. Lectin histochemistry showed a trend towards greater Arachis hypogea (PNA) reactivity in unchallenged chickens. 6. In summary, Eimeria spp. /C. perfringens challenge disrupted intestinal micro-architecture; however, challenge did not appear to affect intestinal mucin profile. Traditional antibiotics, zinc bacitracin and monensin maintained micro-architecture.
Metabolites of 2-deoxyglucose in rat brain at 12-24 h: bounds on kinetic constants.

Activities of 2-deoxy-D-glucose and its metabolites in rat brain were examined at 12, 16, 20, and 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of 14C-labeled 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Plasma radioactivity was monitored for 2 h before each of these determinations. As proportion of total brain radioactivity, 2-deoxy-D-glucose decreased monotonically from the unexpectedly high value of 22% at 12 h to 11% at 24 h after injection, 2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphate decreased monotonically from 69% at 12 h to 23% at 24 h, and unphosphorylated products (of high and low molecular weight) increased from 10% at 12 h to 64% at 24 h. The data were analyzed in terms of a four-compartment model. Secure lower and upper bounds on the rate constant, k4*, for the dephosphorylation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphate were established: k4* was at least 0.0158 +/- 0.0014 . min-1 and at most 0.0385 +/- 0.0037 . min-1. If k4* is constant in time, then appreciable dephosphorylation occurs within the 45-min experimental period commonly used in the standard 2-deoxy-D-glucose method for estimating local cerebral glucose utilization. The possibility that the effective k4* is lower at such early times is reviewed in the light of a reanalysis of previously published data. Implications of these results for the 2-deoxy-D-glucose method are discussed from the points of view of numerical analysis and capillary heterogeneity.
The Role of the Growth of Risk-Averse Wealth in the Decline of the Safe Real Interest Rate

Over the past few decades, worldwide real interest rates have trended downward. The real interest rate describes the terms of trade between risk-tolerant and risk-averse investors. Debt pays off equally across contingencies at a given future date, so debt is valuable to risk-averse investors to smooth consumption across those contingencies. In an equilibrium with trade between investors who differ in attitudes toward risk, the risk-tolerant investors borrow from the risk-averse ones, shifting the risk to those whose preferences favor taking on risk. Heterogeneity in risk aversion takes two forms in the model of the paper: variation in coefficients of relative risk aversion and variation in beliefs about the probabilities of seriously adverse outcomes. If the composition of wealth shifts into the hands of investors with higher coefficients of relative risk aversion and investors who believe in higher probabilities of bad events, the real interest rate falls. The paper calculates likely magnitudes of the decline and presents evidence in favor of a shift in the composition of wealth toward the holdings of the more risk-averse. In particular, the United States absorbs large amounts of risk by borrowing from more risk-averse countries, notably China, which thereby shed corresponding amounts of risk.
Barriers and facilitating factors perceived in Turkish women's behaviors towards early cervical cancer detection: a qualitative approach.

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to investigate perceived inhibiting and facilitating factors concerning cervical cancer early diagnosis behavior in Turkish women over the age of 40. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out by qualitative focus group interview with 35 participating women, in the period between April-June 2010. A semi-structured interview questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model and the Health Promotion Model was used. Content analysis was applied to the study data. RESULTS Barriers such as lack of knowledge of women as regards to the cervical cancer and early detection, lack of sensitivity- negligence, forgetting, fear, inadequacy of health insurance and transportation, financial problems, inability to get an appointment, lack of female doctors, embarrassment, fatalist approach were frequently addressed. As for facilitating factors, these included provision of information, health professionals showing interest and tolerance, free services, provision of transportation means and reminding telephone calls. CONCLUSIONS Focus group interviews were found to be effective in determining inhibiting and facilitating factors concerning cervical cancer early diagnosis behavior. In line with the results of the study, preparation of structured national and regional education programs and their addition to curriculum programs may be effective in realizing and maintaining positive early detection behavior.
Gompers versus Bebchuck Governance Measure and Firm Value

This study compares the two primary measures of corporate governance quality, [1], GIM index and [2] E index using tests for comparing two nonnested models. We find that the GIM index has statistically significantly more power than the E index in explaining the variability in firm value, as measured by Tobin’s Q. This finding suggests that the IRRC provisions excluded from the E index may have a statistically significant incremental power in explaining the variability in firm value.
Recruitment Near Conspecific Adults and the Maintenance of Tree and Shrub Diversity in a Neotropical Forest

According to the Janzen-Connell hypothesis for the maintenance of species diversity, recruitment is inhibited in the immediate vicinity of adults by herbivores and pathogens. This reduces the per capita ability of abundant species to reproduce, relative to less common species, and gives rare or competitively inferior species a greater chance to persist. We tested this hypothesis in a 50-ha mapped plot of tropical moist forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, by investigating the spatial patterns of sapling recruitment in 80 species of trees and shrubs. Two censuses of adults and saplings were carried out, in 1982 and in 1985. Recruits were defined as saplings of 1-8 cm dbh (diameter breast height) appearing in the 1985 census that were not present in 1982. The distance from each recruit to its nearest conspecific adult neighbor was measured. At various distances from adults, the number of conspecific recruits and the number of recruits of all species were tallied. The ratio of recruits of species i to all recruits was taken as an estimate of the probability that species i would occupy that site as an adult. A few species showed a significant reduction in recruitment probability close to adults, but more species showed a significant increase, and many other species showed no significant spatial pattern. Among canopy trees, about a third of the species showed some sign of local reduction in recruitment, but the distance over which the effect extended was usually less than 5 m; however, the most abundant canopy tree, Trichilia tuberculata, showed a sharp reduction in recruitment probability up to 10 m from adults. In treelets and shrubs, most species showed strong peaks in recruitment probability close to adults. Thus, most recruitment patterns did not fit the prediction of Janzen and Connell; however, two to three of the most common species may have reached densities at which a depression in local recruitment is regulating abundance.
Overlapping neurobehavioral circuits in ADHD, obesity, and binge eating: evidence from neuroimaging research

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conditions involving excessive eating (eg, obesity, binge/loss of control eating) are increasingly prevalent within pediatric populations, and correlational and some longitudinal studies have suggested inter-relationships between these disorders. In addition, a number of common neural correlates are emerging across conditions, eg, functional abnormalities within circuits subserving reward processing and executive functioning. To explore this potential cross-condition overlap in neurobehavioral underpinnings, we selectively review relevant functional neuroimaging literature, specifically focusing on studies probing (i) reward processing, (ii) response inhibition, and (iii) emotional processing and regulation, and we outline 3 specific shared neurobehavioral circuits. Based on our review, we also identify gaps within the literature that would benefit from further research.
The effects of age on the learning and forgetting of primacy, middle, and recency components of a multi-trial word list

ABSTRACT The serial position effect reveals that recall of a supraspan list of words follows a predictable pattern, whereby words at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list are recalled more easily than words in the middle. This effect has typically been studied using single list-learning trials, but in neuropsychology, multi-trial list-learning tests are more commonly used. The current study examined trends in learning for primacy, middle, and recency effects across multiple trials in younger and older age cohorts. Participants were 158 volunteers, including 79 adults aged 17–36 (“younger” group) and 79 adults aged 54–89 years (“older” group). Each participant completed four learning trials and one delayed (5–10 min) recall trial from the Memory Assessment Scales. Scores were divided into primacy (first four words), middle (middle four words), and recency (final four words) scores for all trials. For list acquisition, mixed effects modeling examined the main effects of and interactions between learning slope (logarithmic), age group, and serial position. Rate of learning increased logarithmically over four trials and varied by serial position, with growth of middle and recency word acquisition increasing more rapidly than recall of primacy words; this interaction did not differ by age group. Delayed retention differed according to age group and serial position; both older and younger adults demonstrated similar retention for primacy words, but older adults showed reduced retention for middle and recency words. Although older adults acquired less information across learning trials, the reason for this reduced acquisition was related to initial learning, not to rate of learning over time. Older compared to younger adults were less efficient at transferring middle and recency words from short-term to long-term memory.
The influence of tubule density and area of solid dentin on bond strength of two adhesive systems to dentin.

PURPOSE To determine the correlation between the tubule density (TD) and the area occupied by solid dentin (ASD) with the bond strength of one conventional and one self-etching adhesive system to dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS The crown of extracted human third molars was transversally sectioned with a diamond saw to expose either superficial, middle, or deep dentin. The three groups of dentin surfaces were randomly divided and bonded with either Clearfil Liner Bond 2V (LB) or Prime & Bond 2.1 (PB) adhesive systems according to manufacturer's directions. Resin composite buildup crowns (10.0 mm high) were incrementally constructed on the bonded surfaces and the teeth stored in water at 37 degrees C. After 24 h of storage, the teeth were vertically, serially sectioned in both x and y directions to obtain several bonded sticks of approximately 0.7 mm2 cross-sectional area. Each stick was tested in tension in a EMIC DL-500 tester at 0.5 mm/min until failure. After testing, the dentin side of the fractured specimen was gently abraded with a 1000-grit SiC paper, etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 15 s and allowed to air dry. SEM micrographs at 1000x and 4000x magnification were taken to permit calculation of the TD (number of tubules/mm2) and ASD (% of total area) at the site of fracture. Correlation between TD and ASD with the bond strength data was performed by linear regression. All statistical analysis was done with alpha = 0.05. RESULTS Overall bond strength (MPa) for LB was 26.0 +/- 10.2, and 42.6 +/- 15.2 for PB. There was a significant direct relationship between bond strength and ASD for both materials (r2 = 0.20, p < 0.05 and r2 = 0.66, p < 0.01, respectively for LB and PB). PB bond strength dropped significantly as the TD increased (r2 = 0.63, p < 0.05), while LB was not sensitive to TD (r2 = 0.05, p > 0.05). Mean bond strength of PB was significantly higher than LB for both superficial and middle dentin (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference for deep dentin (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Regional variations in TD and ASD may modify bond strength of both conventional and self-etching adhesive systems. Bonding sites with larger ASD seem to yield higher bond strengths regardless of the type of adhesive system used.
Sickness Absence an Analysis of the Problem

Absence from work attributed to sickness, whether on a medical certificate or not, is usually the resultant of several influences, only one or none of which may be medical. Non‐medical influences may be personal, geographic, social or industrial; almost any personnel practice may affect sickness absence. This paper presents a brief analysis of influences in sickness absence, with particular reference to a study of 4 occupations in a large Australian undertaking. The analysis includes consideration of the concept of “absenceproneness”, characterization of absence generally and by diagnostic class, and inspection of the associations of absenteeism. Analysis of absence in an undertaking aids Identification of its causes and thus prevention, though both identification and prevention are hampered if the undertaking does not have an effective occupational health service.
Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology Multiple Imputation of Missing Phenotype Data for QTL Mapping

Missing phenotype data can be a major hurdle to mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL). Though in many cases experiments may be designed to minimize the occurrence of missing data, it is often unavoidable in practice; thus, statistical methods to account for missing data are needed. In this paper we describe an approach for conjoining multiple imputation and QTL mapping. Methods are applied to map genes associated with increased breathing effort in mice after lung inflammation due to allergen challenge in developing lines of the Collaborative Cross, a new mouse genetics resource. Missing data poses a particular challenge in this study because the desired phenotype summary to be mapped is a function of incompletely observed dose-response curves. Comparison of the multiple imputation approach to two naive approaches for handling missing data suggest that these simpler methods may yield poor results: ignoring missing data through a complete case analysis may lead to incorrect conclusions, while using a last observation carried forward procedure, which does not account for uncertainty in the imputed values, may lead to anti-conservative inference. The proposed approach is widely applicable to other studies with missing phenotype data.