Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Educational Mismatch of Graduates: a Multidimensional and Fuzzy Approach

The present paper proposes a new statistical methodology for measuring the educational mismatch, seen as a problem of overeducation. It is hypothesized that educational mismatch is a latent variable which is difficult to measure because many factors converge to its definition; for this reason, multidimensional and fuzzy indicators are defined. They overcome the rigid definitions presented in literature by using a degree of membership to the set of overeducated workers. These new indicators are then used in order to explore the relationship between overeducation and different structural variables linked to the workers and the labor market. Our findings help to evaluate which factors have an effective impact in terms of educational match. Additionally, university reform introduced in the academic year 2001-2002 in the Italian higher education system is shown as not contributing to a reduction of the overeducation phenomenon.
Dual role of methionyl-tRNA synthetase in the regulation of translation and tumor suppressor activity of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein-3

Mammalian methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MRS) plays an essential role in initiating translation by transferring Met to initiator tRNA (tRNAiMet). MRS also provides a cytosolic anchoring site for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein-3 (AIMP3)/p18, a potent tumor suppressor that is translocated to the nucleus for DNA repair upon DNA damage. However, the mechanism by which this enzyme mediates these two seemingly unrelated functions is unknown. Here we demonstrate that AIMP3 is released from MRS by UV irradiation-induced stress. Dissociation was induced by phosphorylation of MRS at Ser662 by general control nonrepressed-2 (GCN2) following UV irradiation. Substitution of Ser662 to Asp (S662D) induced a conformational change in MRS and significantly reduced its interaction with AIMP3. This mutant possessed significantly reduced MRS catalytic activity because of loss of tRNAMet binding, resulting in down-regulation of global translation. According to the Met incorporation assay using stable HeLa cells expressing MRS S662A or eukaryotic initiation factor-2 subunit-α (eIF2α) S51A, inactivation of GCN2-induced phosphorylation at eIF2α or MRS augmented the role of the other, suggesting a cross-talk between MRS and eIF2α for efficient translational inhibition. This work reveals a unique mode of regulation of global translation as mediated by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, specifically MRS, which we herein identified as a previously unidentified GCN2 substrate. In addition, our research suggests a dual role for MRS: (i) as a coregulator with eIF2α for GCN2-mediated translational inhibition; and (ii) as a coupler of translational inhibition and DNA repair following DNA damage by releasing bound tumor suppressor AIMP3 for its nuclear translocation.
Intermediate Inequality and Welfare: The Case of Spain, 1980–81 to 1990–91

The 1990–91 household expenditures distribution in Spain dominates, in the relative (“rightist”) Lorenz sense, the 1980–81 distribution, but the latter dominates the former in the absolute (“leftist”) Lorenz sense. This situation constitutes a textbook case for intermediate or “centrist” notions of inequality and social welfare. This paper presents the first empirical application of this sort, using the intermediate inequality concept introduced in Del Rio and Ruiz-Castillo (2000). The data reveal that there is a decrease in household expenditures inequality for a relatively small set of centrist attitudes.
The Influence of Production Technology on Risk and the Cost of Capital

Abstract This paper uses a time-state-preference valuation model to examine how the firm's choice of technology and production method affects its equilibrium level of risk and, as a result, the firm's cost of capital. A fixed and flexible method of production is analyzed for a firm using a Cobb-Douglas production function. In both cases, it is found that risk and the cost of capital decrease with the level of capital intensity. Implications are drawn for the specification of empirical tests of the determinants of risk.
Coordinating post-disaster humanitarian response: lessons from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, India

This article is based on a field study carried out in Indian-administered Kashmir after the 2005 earthquake. In this analysis of how non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) engage and coordinate with one another and with other disaster response agencies during post-disaster relief and rehabilitation operations, it can be concluded that NGDO coordination was ineffective. The research points out that, even though there is coordination among the international and national NGDOs, local NGDOs are seldom engaged in the overall coordination processes. The paper advocates developing coordination among the humanitarian agencies as a pre-disaster initiative for a more effective collaborative humanitarian disaster response.
Who Changes Course? The Role of Domain Knowledge and Novel Framing in Making Technology Changes

The foundations of established firms are laid when, early in life, venture executives explore dynamic landscapes in search of opportunities. During this search, the executive team processes information that might signal the need to change, and their cognitive flexibility in processing this information affects the likelihood of such changes. While executive backgrounds affect this information processing, current literature does not identify how executive backgrounds impact the extent of change a firm undertakes. Therefore, we compare the effects of teams dominated by domain insiders, domain outsiders, and complementary teams (blending insiders and outsiders) on the likelihood of different degrees of technology change. In an examination of the population of U.S. solar photovoltaic manufacturing ventures from 1992 to 2007, we find that teams with extra-domain expertise, particularly at the CEO level, undertake more significant technology change. By contrast, intra-domain expertise has an inertial effect on change: even when combined in complementary team configurations, domain expertise reduces chances of significant technology change. These findings expand the discussion of types and antecedents of organization change, top management team composition, and the psychological foundations of strategy. Copyright © 2012 Strategic Management Society.
Recovering Statistical Theory in the Context of Model Calibrations

Statistical theory has been relatively absent in the exercise of estimating parameters of an option pricing model from cross-sectional data at a fixed point of calendar time. The cross-sectional data typically consists of prices for options at various strikes and maturities at market close. The problem has been the formulation of an error model consistent with no arbitrage conditions satisfied by models and possibly also market data. The article presents such requisite error specifications consistent with no arbitrage conditions. The properties of such estimators are then analyzed on simulated data to evaluate biases in parameter estimates and their volatilities. The use of such error specifications coupled with maximum likelihood estimation makes available standard statistical tests for testing hypotheses on model parameter values. The methods proposed are finally illustrated on four popular models from the literature on data for options on the S&P 500 index at market close on April 30, 2013. It is shown that one can then conclude the risk neutral statistical significance of skewness, excess kurtosis, the presence of jump components, the negative correlation between volatility and the stock price, and the presence of volatility of volatility.
Responding to High Commodity Prices

The recent commodity price boom resulted from rising demand in the face of a long period of low supply growth and market distortions. Structural factors are expected to return international commodity prices to relatively high levels as the global economy recovers. The Asian and Pacific economies and the region's poor will be among the most exposed to a rebound in prices. The recent response to high commodity prices can be improved upon. At the global level, the priority for Asian and Pacific governments is to seek a commitment to lessening distortions favouring bio-fuels. At the regional level, there is a need to address the use of trade restrictions on food commodities in Asia, notably rice. At a national level, the long-term neglect of the rural economy warrants correction; and efforts to expand and make social safety nets more 'market friendly' are called for. Copyright © 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 Crawford School of Economics and Government, The Australian National University and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
High signal integrity design for transmission system including high-parasitic inductance connectors

On the transmission line, connectors cause signal integrity, or SI reduction because their parasitic inductances bring on characteristic impedance mismatching. Particularly, the connectors used in high-speed bus systems, such as PCI-express, USB, and SATA in GHz domain cause serious SI degradation, resulting in mal-operation in the systems. The transmission systems on printed circuit boards (PCBs) are formed not with coaxial structure, but with strip-line or micro-strip-line structures. Therefore, the connectors for the PCBs in high-speed data rate require complex structures with special materials (e.g. doublesided edge structure connector) in order to reduce their parasitic inductances at the sacrifice of manufacture-cost increase. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel high SI assurance technology in the GHz domain even under the transmission system including inexpensive connectors (e.g. pin-header connector) commonly used in MHz domain and to show its effectiveness.
Information sharing with scarce goods in Cournot retailers

This paper studies the incentives for firms to share information vertically in a two-level supply chain formed by one upstream manufacturer with limited production capacity, and many downstream retailers. The retailers are engaged in a Cournot competition, and are endowed with some private demand information. We show that a discriminated allocation strategy may encourage retailers to share information, and we generate the optimal parameter for the equilibrium of information sharing.
A Poisson Model with Common Shocks for CDO Valuation

A collateralized debt obligation is a credit risk product created in tranches from a portfolio of debt instruments. To value tranches, it is critical to model multiple default correlations in order to derive the appropriate loss function. Conditional independence is the usual assumption in this regard, but it ignores meaningful correlated shocks. Models assuming conditional dependence are improvements except that the number of parameters makes model calibration very challenging. A Poisson model with common shocks for derivation of the CDO loss function assumes conditional dependence and reduces the number of model parameters by grouping firms with equal credit ratings. Implementation becomes more efficient, and such a model can correct the tranche mispricing produced by the assumption of conditional independence.
Rethinking the Great Depression: A New View of its Causes and Consequences. By Gene Smiley. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2002. Pp. xii, 179. $24.95.

Gene Smiley provides here a narrative overview of the causes and consequences of the Great Depression. The book is intended for a general audience, and evidences a solid command of the range of literature devoted to this remarkable period. The text lacks footnotes or references, but concludes with a comprehensive annotated bibliography covering the major sources from which he has drawn. Although Smiley's approach is relatively nontechnical, readers may nevertheless not be able fully to appreciate its nuances without at least an elementary course in microeconomics and an intermediate level course in macroeconomics. Thus it may be most suitable as supplementary reading in economic history courses.
Expression and functional analysis of two isoforms of the human GM‐CSF receptor α chain in myeloid development and leukaemia

The human granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor receptor (GM‐CSFR) α chain RNA is alternatively spliced to yield receptor isoforms. Two of these, α1 and α2, differ in their cytoplasmic domains. Because the GM‐CSFR β chain (βc) is shared with the receptors for interleukins 3 and 5 it is possible that the α chain confers specificity on the GM‐CSF response and that the different isoforms might refine this response further. Studies have been directed at determination of the respective biological roles of the α1 and α2 isoforms. Expression of the isoforms was examined by RNase protection analysis in normal granulocytes and a variety of cell lines of haemopoietic origin, at different stages of differentiation and activation. Expression was also analysed in cells from patients with a variety of leukaemic subtypes. Results demonstrated that the relative abundance of the isoforms was similar in all cell populations examined. The human GM‐CSFR α1 or α2 receptors were independently expressed in the murine factor‐dependent cell line FDC‐P1, so that the properties of the receptors could be compared. Cell lines that expressed either receptor could be converted to growth in response to human GM‐CSF and assumed a more differentiated phenotype when compared with the parental cell line. However, the morphology, expression of cell surface antigens and dose–growth response characteristics did not differ significantly between cells that expressed either the α1 or α2 receptor. These studies demonstrate that the α1 and α2 subunits of the GM‐CSF receptor are co‐ordinately regulated in both normal and malignant haemopoiesis. Furthermore, each receptor is able to deliver both proliferative and differentiative signals to myeloid cells.
Explaining interest rate spreads in Ghana

Abstract: The question of the optimal spread between bank lending rates and rates that banks pay on deposits, which is fair to bankers, depositors and borrowers, has dogged economies for some time. In Ghana, there is widespread perception that the spread is too wide. Bankers, on the other hand justify the spread on the basis of economic variables that affect them. This paper contributes to the literature by identifying, in the case of Ghana, the short-run response of the net interest margin of banks to changes in bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic variables within the broad framework of Ho and Saunders (1981). We find that increases in the following factors significantly increase net interest margin — bank market power (or concentration), bank size, staff costs, administrative costs, extent of bank risk aversion and the rate of inflation. On the other hand, increases in the following variables decrease net interest margin significantly — bank excess cash reserves, the central bank lending rate, management efficiency and the passage of time. To help reduce interest rate margins, we recommend that banks should not get too big, the central bank should consider lowering the capital adequacy ratio and banks should be required to pass on to borrowers the full extent of reductions or increases in the central bank lending rate. Continued efforts at keeping inflation at bay will also help.
Catch-22 in a signalling game

In this paper signals are observed by two receivers who have different preferences about the sender and therefore respond to information about himin different ways. This can result in a Catch-22 for the sender; if he sends a signal to induce a positive response from one receiver, this may induce a negative response from the other. The problem is modelled as a three player game and the analysis shows that the Catch-22 can be resolved but only when there are three possibilities with respect to the sender's disposition or the initial probabilities relating to the sender's type are equal.
ANALYZING THE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH AND LOW BOOK-TO-MARKET RATIO FIRMS WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO INDIAN IT, PHARMACY AND BANKING STOCKS

This paper tries to explore the Financial Performance of High and Low Book-to-Market ratio firms with specific reference to Indian IT, Pharmacy and Banking Stocks. Previous Literature has documented that all High Book-to-Market ratio firms are financially distressed. It is also been proved that high Book-to-Market stocks are those with poor historical performance and have not received enough attention from the investors. Investors tend to be over pessimistic about the future performance of these stocks. Envisaging all these, the current research tries to prove all documented facts in the Indian Stock Market with specific reference to mentioned stocks. In this research work a simple financial score is designed to capture short term changes in firm’s Profitability, Solvency, Liquidity, Earnings Stability and Accounting Conservatism. For this purpose Historical Financial Information is derived from various financial statements. Using Historical Financial Information is a method adopted in fundamental analysis which is helpful in predicting future stock returns and for explaining the momentum phenomenon in stock prices. The goal of this paper is to show that investors can create a stronger value portfolio by using simple historical financial performance and identify winning and losing stocks.
Public sector reform and the long‐term public servant

Since the 1970s public services throughout the world have undergone significant reforms in terms of structure and personnel practices. In Australia these reforms have concentrated on the introduction of affirmative action and equal opportunity programmes, the revision of selection and promotion procedures to reinforce the merit principle and the opening up of positions in the public service to outside appointments. Examines how recent reforms in the Queensland public sector have impacted on long‐term public servants. Finds that the effects of the changes are being unevenly felt by different groups in the public service. Specifically, it appears that the processes are being more stringently applied to women than to men.
Technology leadership: Lessons from empirical research

This paper uses a grounded theory approach to derive key findings from 12 empirical studies on technology leadership. Roles of technology leaders were identified and categorized into four main areas of change: infrastructural, organizational structure and policy, pedagogical, and cultural change. Relationships between technology leadership and other factors were reported: School technology leadership is a strong predictor of the level of technology use in schools; the cultural and structural characteristics of schools could affect the level of computer use in classrooms; and transformational leadership is correlated with the principal’s ICT competencies. Issues related to technology leadership and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Influence of CNTRENE® C100LM carbon nanotube material on the growth and regulation of Escherichia coli

The growing use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in industrial and consumer products raises important questions about their environmental fate and impact on prokaryotes. In the environment, CNTs are exposed to a variety of conditions (e.g., UV light) that could lead to decomposition and changes in their chemical properties. Therefore, the potential cytotoxic effect of both pristine and artificially aged carboxyl functionalized CNTRENE® C100LM CNTmaterial at neutral and acidic conditions on Escherichia coli K12 was analyzed using a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, which also allowed monitoring of non-lethal growth effects. However, there were no observable MIC or significant changes in growth behavior in E. coli K12 when exposed to pristine or aged CNTs. Exposure to pristine CNTRENE® C100LM CNT material did not appear to influence cell morphology or damage the cells when examined by electron microscopy. In addition, RNA sequencing revealed no observable regulatory changes in typical stress response pathways. This is surprising considering that previous studies have claimed high cytotoxicity of CNTs, including carboxyl functionalized single-walled CNTs, and suggest that other factors such as trace heavy metals or other impurities are likely responsible for many of the previously reported cytotoxicity in E. coli and possibly other microorganisms.
The Role of Veto Players in Economic Reform

What is the role of veto players in economic reform? Contrary to the conventional understanding of a negative relationship between the number of veto players and policy change, we show that movement from the status quo may be more likely when veto players are added if there is a consensus among veto players about the desired direction of change, and if the marginal veto player is endowed with agenda-setting power. We find support for our perspective in an empirical study of the relationship between veto players and economic reform in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The eect of veto players on policy change in postcommunist countries is positive for values of the status quo associated with an unreformed socialist system, when there is relative consensus among veto players about the desired direction of change, but negative after completion of initial reforms.
Gold - Fundamental Drivers and Asset Allocation

In this paper we perform a theoretical and econometric analysis of the fundamental drivers of gold. We demonstrate that gold is significantly influenced by inflation changes, interest rates, currency changes and central bank reserve policies. A key finding is that the influence of the drivers varies through time, e.g. inflation is a major driver in the 1970s and in the late 2000s but not in the 1980s and 1990s. We also examine the role of gold in asset allocation and show that gold can significantly enhance the risk-reward ratio in a portfolio comprised of stocks, bonds and cash. We argue that there are several factors that have the potential to support a historically high price of gold.
Climate threshold, financial hoarding and economic growth

We use an iterative finite difference method to establish theoretical models that reflect the relationships among climate threshold, financial hoarding and economic growth. We build a simultaneous equations model to conduct an empirical analysis based on China’s statistical data from 1979 to 2012. Our study yields the following results: China’s climate threshold has shown a zigzag-shaped rising trend since 1979; the main reasons for the rapid expansion of financial hoarding were high savings rate, savings leakage, higher marginal efficiency of financial hoarding compared to capital efficiency or higher internal creativity of the financial sector; there were positive cumulative effects between financial hoarding and economic growth, which were significantly inhibited by climate threshold; the climate threshold had discrepant influences on different industries. To achieve a balanced economy, more money should be invested in the real sector to appropriately reduce the rate of savings leakage; the financial sector should move from scale expansion to service efficiency improvements to increase its marginal contribution to the economy and to enhance capital efficiency; the real sector should improve technological innovation and speed up the adaptive adjustment in climate-sensitive industries to move from economic growth to advanced development.