Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The hidden homeownership welfare state: an international long-term perspective on the tax treatment of homeowners

Abstract Welfare is traditionally understood as social security decommodifying labour markets or as social investment policies. In the domain of housing, however, welfare for homeowners is largely hidden in the tax codes’ fiscal exemptions. Based on a content analysis of legislation, this article introduces a novel yearly database of 37 countries between 1901 and 2020 to uncover the “hidden welfare state” of taxes on imputed rent, deductibility of mortgage payments, housing capital gains tax, and value-added tax on newly built dwellings. Summary indices of homeownership attractiveness and neutrality of the tax code show that fiscal homeownership policies have been in decline until the 1980s and risen ever since. They are in place where finance is liberally and labour restrictively regulated. Contrary to the classical welfare state, they are not associated with an economic logic of industrialism or left-wing governments. They rather are an alternative to rent regulation used by Common-law jurisdictions or smaller countries. As welfare for property owners, the logic of fiscal homeownership welfare diverges from the classical welfare for the labouring classes.
Granular Origin of Comovement in Fluctuations

We study the origin of comovement in economic fluctuations across regions in India through a unique administrative dataset on plant-level sales. Regional sales exhibit a high level of comovement that can be traced to a small number of large plants located in different regions, indicating a granular nature of regional comovement. Quantitatively, the top 10 plants from each region explain almost two-thirds of the total variation in regional comovement. We test three channels for comovement, viz. through aggregate regional trade, large granular plants, or granular multi-plant firms located in different regions. We nd that inter-region sales of multi-plant firms is the most dominant factor behind regional comovement and subsumes both aggregate trade and plant-level effects.
Frank Knight and behavioral economics

Abstract Frank Knight was an enigmatic thinker: about economics, individual behavior more generally, ethics, epistemology, and a number of other subjects. However, his views on some topics often created tensions with his views on other topics. This paper will examine two of these Knightian tensions: his views on the relationship between homo economicus the actual human behavior and his views on the relationship between rational economic behavior and normative economics. It will be argued that Knight anticipated many of the anomalies identified by behavioral economics and yet did so while defending homo economicus to some degree.
Central Bank Digital Currencies: Motives, Economic Implications and the Research Frontier

In just a few years, central banks have rapidly ramped up their research and development efforts on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). A growing body of economic research informs these activities, often focusing on the “reserves for all” aspect of CBDCs for retail use. However, CBDCs should be considered in the full context of the digital economy and the centrality of data, which raises concerns around competition, payment system integrity, and privacy. This review gives a guided tour of the growing CBDC literature on the microeconomic considerations related to operation architectures, technologies, and privacy as well as the macroeconomic implications for the financial system, financial stability, and monetary policy. A set of questions, particularly on the cross-border dimensions of CBDCs, remains unresolved and calls for further work to expand the research frontier.
Online Shopping in an Emerging Market: The Critical Factors Affecting Customer Purchase Intention in Vietnam

The emerging market is currently witnessing the active development of online shopping. This study was conducted to analyze the key factors affecting the intention of customers to purchase in Vietnam. This study is conducted by two methods, including "secondary research method" and "quantitative method" for research. Firstly, the author uses the "secondary research method" to refer to previous academic sources for this research. Secondly, the author collected a sample of 349 volunteers in Vietnam who have an understanding and interest in e-commerce. Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Transaction Security are reported to have a positive relationship with online purchase intention. They are significant factors affecting the purchase intention of Vietnamese online customers. Other demographic factors can affect online shopping intention, such as age and income, so research cannot represent all customers. Businesses can use the findings to further understand about emerging markets. This trend is the basis for business managers to develop customer attraction strategies and improve the quality of online shopping services. The potential for online shopping is becoming more attractive, especially in emerging markets. This study is in line with the trend of the online shopping industry. The results of this study can help marketers understand more about customers' intentions, thereby building long-term relationships between businesses and customers.
Economic and Public-value creation in responsible and sustainable supply chains: a game-theoretic analysis

In this paper, we investigate the economic and behavioural factors affecting a firm’s optimal choices in the creation and management of its supply chain, and the resulting output in terms of economic value creation and social/ethical or environmental performance, defined as ‘public value’ (Bozeman, 2002; Moore & Bennington, 2011). Furthermore, we consider the effects of management’s extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, and the resulting alignment or conflicts between management and shareholders. Our game-theoretic analysis models how firms and their suppliers weigh up maximisation of economic value with delivering any level of ‘public value’ (social or environmental outcomes). Included are the risk of reputational damage destroying trust, and the economic penalty related to a public value outcome. Our model shows that an alignment in social preference across the supply chain is important, as is consumer pressure. This is equally true when customers (or investors) are motivated solely by cost reduction or profit maximisation. In making its choices, the focal firm faces twin pressures from within the supply-chain as to whether they too will act to maximise economic value or public value, and externally (from ethical/socially-minded consumers). We model the impact of values alignment and misalignment between firm, supplier and customer, and the threat of moral hazard, providing an application of behavioural OR in sustainable supply chain management. This helps to theorise the drivers for irresponsible behaviour that can lead to significant reputational damage and subsequent negative economic performance.
COL4A1 as a novel oncogene associated with the clinical characteristics of malignancy predicts poor prognosis in glioma

Studies have indicated that collagen α-1 (IV) chain (COL4A1) has an indispensable regulatory role in the complex pathological mechanisms of numerous types of malignant tumor. However, its role in the development of glioma has remained elusive. Therefore, the present study sought to determine the association between the expression levels of COL4A1 and the clinical characteristics of gliomas by analyzing large samples. First, analysis of thousands of glioma tissue samples collected from the Gene expression profiling interactive analysis, Gene Expression Omnibus database, the Ivy glioblastoma atlas, The Human Protein Atlas, Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas. In addition, glioma tissues and normal brain tissues from patients with glioma and epilepsy undergoing surgical resection were collected. These samples, which were subjected to a variety of different detection techniques (including sequencing data, chip data, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, cell lines and tissue samples, in situ hybridization and immunology) revealed that COL4A1 expression was not only increased at the mRNA level but also at the protein level as compared with that in normal brain tissue. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that COL4A1 expression was associated with reduced overall survival of patients, particularly those with World Health Organization grade III glioma. Receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested that COL4A1 had a moderate diagnostic value for glioma. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U-test or Kruskal-Wallis test indicated that the expression levels of COL4A1 were positively associated with the histological type and historical grade of the tumor, patient age, ‘Primary, Recurrent, Secondary’ type and the chemotherapy status, and negatively associated with isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation and 1p19q co-deletion (P<0.001). Gene-set enrichment analysis indicated that overexpression of COL4A1 promoted cancer-associated pathways, such as the JAK/STAT signaling pathway and cell cycle regulation. Finally, an MTT assay, immunohistochemical analysis of the cell cycle regulator KI67 and a wound-healing assay further confirmed that knockdown of COL4A1 inhibited the proliferation and migration ability of glioma cells. In conclusion, COL4A1, as a novel oncogene, is a marker for poor prognosis in patients with glioma. The present study expanded the understanding of the pathogenesis of glioma and identified COL4A1 as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of gliomas.
Positive and Negative Peace as Predictors of Pandemic Preparedness: Evidence from a Micro‐ and Macro‐Level Investigation During the Onset of the COVID‐19 Pandemic

The COVID‐19 pandemic has generated unprecedented human loss and financial difficulties worldwide. In line with recent calls for social sciences to help collective efforts to address COVID‐19, we investigated the link between peace and pandemic preparedness, advancing the literatures on negative (i.e., absence of direct violence) and positive peace (i.e., absence of structural violence and presence of equality) and governments' crisis preparedness as well as crisis relief efforts. Two studies tested whether both positive and negative peace predict pandemic preparedness, operationalized as COVID‐19 tests, cases, and positivity rates, during the onset of the pandemic. Study 1 did so at the national level across 155 countries; Study 2 did so at a local level, across 3144 counties within the United States. Even after controlling for population size, population density, GDP, and amount of air travel, higher levels of both negative and positive peace predicted a greater number of COVID‐19 tests per one million people, fewer overall COVID‐19 cases, and a lower positivity rate. These findings point to the possibility that by promoting peace, governments and the international community could potentially become better prepared to handle future pandemics and other crises.
Colchicine in Recently Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial (COL-COVID)

Background Colchicine has been proposed as a potential therapy in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their anti-inflammatory actions. Methods The COL-COVID study was a prospective, randomized, controlled and open-label clinical trial that compared colchicine added to standard treatment vs standard treatment in hospitalized COVID-19 patients that do not need mechanical ventilatory support. Colchicine was initiated within the first 48 hours of admission at a 1.5 mg loading dose, followed by 0.5 mg b.i. d. for one week and 0.5 mg per day for 28 days. The study endpoints were clinical status (7-points WHO ordinal scale) and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6 and CRP). Results A total of 103 patients (51±12 years, 52% male) were randomly allocated to colchicine arm (n=52) and control arm (n=51). At day 28, all patients in the colchicine group were alive and discharged, whereas in the control group, two patients died in-hospital and one patient remained hospitalized. Clinical improvement in terms of changes on WHO scale at day 14 and 28 and time to 1-point clinical improvement did not differ between the two groups. Clinical deterioration (increase of at least 1-point in WHO scale) was observed in a higher proportion of cases in colchicine group (13.8%) vs control group (5.8%) (p=0.303); after adjustment by baseline risk factors and concomitant therapies, colchicine therapy was associated with a lower risk of clinical deterioration (p=0.030). Inflammatory biomarkers CRP and IL-6 concentrations course did not differ between the two arms. Conclusion In hospitalized COVID-19 patients, colchicine treatment neither improved the clinical status, nor the inflammatory response, over the standard treatment. Nevertheless, a preventive effect for further clinical deterioration might be possible. Trial Registration NCT04350320.
Prognostic factors associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding based on the French multicenter SANGHRIA trial

Abstract Background and study aims Prognostic and risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) might have changed overtime because of the increased use of direct oral anticoagulants and improved gastroenterological care. This study was undertaken to assess the outcomes of UGIB in light of these new determinants by establishing a new national, multicenter cohort 10 years after the first. Methods Consecutive outpatients and inpatients with UGIB symptoms consulting at 46 French general hospitals were prospectively included between November 2017 and October 2018. They were followed for at least for 6 weeks to assess 6-week rebleeding and mortality rates and factors associated with each event. Results Among the 2498 enrolled patients (mean age 68.5 [16.3] years, 67.1 % men), 74.5 % were outpatients and 21 % had cirrhosis. Median Charlson score was 2 (IQR 1–4) and Rockall score was 5 (IQR 3–6). Within 24 hours, 83.4 % of the patients underwent endoscopy. The main causes of bleeding were peptic ulcers (44.9 %) and portal hypertension (18.9 %). The early in-hospital rebleeding rate was 10.5 %. The 6-week mortality rate was 12.5 %. Predictors significantly associated with 6-week mortality were initial transfusion (OR 1.54; 95 %CI 1.04–2.28), Charlson score > 4 (OR 1.80; 95 %CI 1.31–2.48), Rockall score > 5 (OR 1.98; 95 %CI 1.39–2.80), being an inpatient (OR 2.45; 95 %CI 1.76–3.41) and rebleeding (OR 2.6; 95 %CI 1.85–3.64). Anticoagulant therapy was not associated with dreaded outcomes. Conclusions The 6-week mortality rate remained high after UGIB, especially for inpatients. Predictors of mortality underlined the weight of comorbidities on outcomes.
Anti-Axl monoclonal antibodies attenuate the migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

The receptor tyrosine kinase, anexelekto (Axl) is involved in tumor cell growth, migration and invasion, and has been associated with chemotherapy resistance, which makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In total, six Axl-targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and two antibody-drug conjugates have been reported in the last 10 years, which have been shown to have bioactivity in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and migration. The Axl external cell domain (Axl−ECD), consisting of 426 amino acids, has always been used as an antigen in the screening process for all six of these Axl-targeted mAbs. However, the Axl functional domain, which interacts with its natural ligand, growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6), is only a small part of the Axl−ECD. Antibodies targeting the Axl functional domain may efficiently block Gas6-Axl binding and attenuate its downstream signals and activities. To the best of our knowledge, no mAbs targeting the Axl functional domain have been reported. In the present study, a major Axl functional domain interacting with Gas6 was determined using bioinformatics and structural biology methods. In MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell assays, anti-Axl mAbs targeting this relatively specific Axl functional domain almost completely neutralized the stimulation of Gas6 in both Axl phosphorylation and cell migration assays, and showed similar activity to the positive control drug R428 (a small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitor of Axl currently in phase II clinical trials) in the cell migration assay. Given the important role of Axl in tumor development and chemotherapy resistance, Axl-targeted mAbs could be used to inhibit tumor cells directly, as well as reduce the development of chemotherapy resistance by blocking Axl activity. The application of Axl-targeted mAbs combined with chemotherapy provides a promising treatment strategy for patients with tumors, particularly those with triple-negative breast cancer, for whom no targeted therapy is currently available.
Comparison of RAMP and New Modified RAMP Positioning in Laryngoscopic View During Intubation in Patients with Morbid Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, and anesthesiologists are facing challenges in the airway management of such patients. Excessive adipose tissue influences pharyngeal spaces and affects the laryngoscopic grade. Standard ramp positioning is time-consuming and difficult to prepare, and requires expensive equipment. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the standard ramp position with the proposed low-cost and easily accessible modified ramp position in laryngoscopic view during the intubation of patients with morbid obesity. Methods In this single-blind clinical trial, 84 patients candidate for bariatric surgery at Rasoul Akram Hospital in 2020 were assigned to the rapid airway management positioner (RAMP) (R) and new modified RAMP (MR) groups by the block randomization method. The laryngoscopic view of the glottis based on the Cormack-Lehane scale, ventilation quality, duration of intubation, intubation attempts, oxygen saturation at the end of intubation, and the need for backward, upward, rightward pressure (BURP) maneuver for successful intubation were recorded. Normal distribution tests and Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the data. Results The results showed no significant differences between the two groups regarding ventilation score, laryngoscopy grade, number of intubation attempts, duration of intubation, and the need for BURP maneuvers during intubation (P > 0.05). Conclusions The two methods are not significantly different, and the new modified ramp position can be used with more ease and availability and less cost.
Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone as Adjuvants to Ultra-Sound Guided Interscalene Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study

Background Interscalene block is one of the popular methods for decreasing pain and analgesic consumption after shoulder arthroscopic surgeries. Objectives The objective is to compare the analgesic duration of effects of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone as adjuvants to 0.5% ropivacaine in ultrasound-guided interscalene blocks for arthroscopic shoulder surgery in an ambulatory setting. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 117 adult patients candidate for ambulatory arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia were divided into three groups to perform an ultra-sound guided interscalene block before the surgery. The ropivacaine (control) group received ropivacaine 0.5% 20 mL, group Dexamethasone received ropivacaine 0.5% 20 mL plus 4mg dexamethasone, and group dexmedetomidine received ropivacaine 0.5% 20 mL plus 75 mcg of dexmedetomidine. Time to return of sensory function, of motor function, of first pain sensation, amount of opioid medication consumed at 24 hours and 48 hours post-operatively were measured. Results The 24-hour median (25th- 75th percentile) opioid consumption in morphine equivalents was similar between groups 22.5 mg (10 - 30), 15 mg (0 - 30), and 15 mg (0 - 20.6) in the ropivacaine, dexmedetomidine, and dexamethasone groups, respectively (P = 0.130). The median (25th- 75th percentile) 48 hours post-operatively, the median opioid consumption in morphine equivalents was 40 mg (25 - 67.5) in the ropivacaine group, 30 mg (22 - 50.6) in the dexamethasone group, and 52.5 mg (30 - 75) in the dexmedetomidine group (P = 0.278). The median 24-hour pain scores were 6 (5 - 8) in the ropivacaine control group, 7 (5.5 - 8) in the dexamethasone group, and 7 (4 - 9) in the dexmedetomidine group (P = 0.573). Conclusions There was no statistical difference in opioid consumption at 24 and 48 hours post-operatively when comparing dexmedetomidine, dexamethasone, and no adjuvant. However, intraoperative opioid use was significantly lower with dexmedetomidine compared to dexamethasone and plain 0.5% ropivacaine. The safe side effect profile of dexmedetomidine makes it a reasonable alternative as an adjuvant for peripheral nerve blockade when dexamethasone use may be contraindicated.
Associations between self-efficacy, distress and anxiety in cancer patient-relative dyads visiting psychosocial cancer support services: Using actor-partner interdependence modelling

Background Patients with cancer and their relatives often suffer from psychosocial burdens following a cancer diagnosis. Psychosocial cancer support services offer support for cancer patients and their relatives. Only a few studies have focused on associations of psychological factors within patient-relative dyads. This study aims to assess associations between the patients’ or relatives’ self-efficacy and their levels of distress and anxiety who seek help together at psychosocial cancer support centres. Methods Participants were recruited at two psychosocial cancer support centres in a major city in Germany. Patients with cancer and their relatives seeking support together received the questionnaire before their first support session. Self-efficacy was assessed with the Pearlin sense of mastery scale, distress with the distress thermometer and anxiety with the General Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7). For the analysis, the actor-partner interdependence model was applied. Results The data analysis was based on 41 patient-relative dyads (patients: 39% women, mean age 53.5; relatives: 66% women, mean age 52.16). A significant actor effect from self-efficacy to distress was found for patients (r = -0.47) but not for relatives (r = -0.15). Partner effects from self-efficacy to distress were not significant (r = -0.03, r = -0.001). The actor effect from self-efficacy to anxiety for patients (r = -0.61) as well as relatives was significant (r = -0.62), whereas the partner effect was significant for patients (r = 0.16) but not for relatives (r = -0.46). Conclusion The results suggest that patients’ and relatives’ self-efficacy is associated with their distress and anxiety. Partner effects were visible for patients’ self-efficacy and relatives’ anxiety. These findings suggest that self-efficacy is an important factor for the psychological well-being of patients and relatives and that it may additionally be associated with the partners’ well-being. Longitudinal research with larger samples is needed to support the findings.