Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small-Firm Creation and Growth, Regional Development and the North—South Divide in Britain

In this paper we analyse regional variations in the characteristics, performance, and growth of small and medium-sized manufacturing and business service enterprises in Britain, with particular reference to their impact on the ‘North—South divide’ in British regional economic development. Using a unique national survey of nearly 2000 smaller businesses, we identify regional differences in enterprise growth rates, market specialisation, innovation rates and research and development intensity, occupational structures, and labour-market problems. We also reveal differences in the frequency of use of government advisory agencies, and in the rating by firms in different regions of key competitive advantages and constraints on growth. These differences do not however conform to simple traditional stereotypes suggested by images of a declining North and a growing South. The implications of these findings both for understanding recent regional economic development in Britain and for policies such as those of local Training and Enterprise Councils are considered.
Humans, Fire, and Forests: Expanding the Domain of Wildfire Research

ABSTRACT Human residential settlements in the woods and on the borders of public lands are increasing in number and expanding in size. This is particularly true in amenity-rich rural regions hosting public lands like national parks and forests. Wildfire and its associated management have drawn considerable research attention in the past several years because one of the consequences of wildfires has been the loss of homes and communities on the borders of these same public lands. Social science research has begun to address the interaction of humans, fire, and forests, but the majority of studies currently underway focus on individual human behavior. In this essay, we suggest an expansion of the domain of studies on fire to include research at a community/landscape scale is warranted if indeed we want to inform resource managers on the interplay of humans, fire, and biophysical systems.
Development of U.S. Lodging Industry and Its Implication/DEVELOPPEMENT DE L'INDUSTRIE DE LOGEMENT DES ETAT-UNIS ET SON IMPLICATION

This article reviews the development of U.S. lodging industry and its implications, it shows the high degree of concentration in some aspects related to development of U.S. lodging industry such as market size, major players, and customer types. And then further analyses the factors and its implications that influencing the lodging industry of US, it mainly was studied from the aspects of economic, social and technological sides. Finally forecasts the key trends of the lodging industry. Key words: Development, Influence Factor, Issue, Trend Resume: Cet article passe en revue le developpement de l’industrie de logement des Etat-Unis et son implication. Cette retrospective montre la concentration de haut niveau sous certains aspects relatifs au developpement de cette industrie tels que la dimension du marche, les acteurs principaux et les types des clients. Et puis l’article analyse les facteurs et ses implications qui influent l’industrie de logement des Etat-Unis dans les perspectives economique, sociale et technologique. Finalement, l’auteur prevoit les tendances importantes de l’industrie. Mots-Cles: developpement, facteurs influants, probleme, tendance
Results and lessons learned from a United States hip resurfacing investigational device exemption trial.

BACKGROUND Improvements in metal-on-metal bearings have made hybrid hip surface replacement a potential alternative for the young active patient with end-stage hip disease. Possible advantages include greater hip joint stability, bone preservation, and decreased osteolysis. In this study, we compared the clinical and radiographic results of a new resurfacing device with those in a historical group of standard total hip arthroplasties. METHODS In 2001, the Cormet 2000 Hip Resurfacing Investigational Device Exemption study was initiated at twelve centers. A total of 337 patients treated with unilateral hip surface replacement with the Cormet device were enrolled in that study. These patients were compared with 266 patients in a previous study who had undergone unilateral total hip arthroplasty with ceramic bearing surfaces. Clinical and radiographic results were compared at similar time intervals. A newly recommended performance standard, the composite clinical success score, was used to assess non-inferiority of the hip resurfacing compared with the total hip arthroplasty used in the historical comparison population. RESULTS At the time of follow-up, at a minimum of two years, the Harris hip scores were comparable between the resurfacing and total hip arthroplasty groups. Statistical evaluation of the composite clinical success scores confirmed the non-inferiority hypothesis. Revision was required in twenty-four patients in the resurfacing group and five patients in the total hip arthroplasty group. The most common cause of revision following resurfacing was failure of the femoral component (fracture of the femoral neck or loosening of the femoral component). CONCLUSIONS Careful review of this study population revealed several important criteria for successful introduction of this resurfacing device into the United States. These include careful patient selection based on clinical and radiographic parameters and attention to various surgical details of implantation. These findings can be used to focus the training process for surgeons who wish to add implantation of this device to their surgical armamentarium. Such efforts should help to ensure safe and effective introduction of this new technology.
Molecular Techniques for Detection, Species Differentiation, and Phylogenetic Analysis of Microsporidia

SUMMARY Microsporidia are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that infect a broad range of vertebrates and invertebrates. These parasites are now recognized as one of the most common pathogens in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. For most patients with infectious diseases, microbiological isolation and identification techniques offer the most rapid and specific determination of the etiologic agent. This is not a suitable procedure for microsporidia, which are obligate intracellular parasites requiring cell culture systems for growth. Therefore, the diagnosis of microsporidiosis currently depends on morphological demonstration of the organisms themselves. Although the diagnosis of microsporidiosis and identification of microsporidia by light microscopy have greatly improved during the last few years, species differentiation by these techniques is usually impossible and transmission electron microscopy may be necessary. Immunfluorescent-staining techniques have been developed for species differentiation of microsporidia, but the antibodies used in these procedures are available only at research laboratories at present. During the last 10 years, the detection of infectious disease agents has begun to include the use of nucleic acid-based technologies. Diagnosis of infection caused by parasitic organisms is the last field of clinical microbiology to incorporate these techniques and molecular techniques (e.g., PCR and hybridization assays) have recently been developed for the detection, species differentiation, and phylogenetic analysis of microsporidia. In this paper we review human microsporidial infections and describe and discuss these newly developed molecular techniques.
Lignans are Accessible to Human Breast Cancer Xenografts in Athymic Mice

Lignan-rich diet has been linked with reduced breast cancer risk, and experimental studies have supported the hypothesis of lignans as cancer growth inhibiting compounds. However, it has not been clear if these compounds are accessible in the mammary tumor tissue in vivo. In this study, the accessibility and accumulation of lignans to breast cancer tissue was determined after oral administration of tritium labeled dietary lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside ( 3 H-SDG) to athymic mice bearing MCF-7 tumors. The 3 H-SDG administration increased tumor tissue radioactivity to the level similar to that in brain, skin, spleen, kidney, uterus, and lungs. The tumor tissue radioactivity was up to 92% of that found in serum, with the highest concentrations found in small (< 0.5 g) tumors. Accessibility of lignans to tumor tissue suggests that part of the anticancer activity of lignans may be due to their direct local effects on the breast cancer tissues.
Canadian IPO Share Releases

This article provides the first examination of the design, impact and market behavior of two types of lockups for Canadian IPOs listed on the TSX during the 1997–2005 period. Lower IPO underpricing is not related with the existence of lockup information in an issuer's prospectus. IPO firms with dual-class share structures have higher lockup proportions and longer escrow lockup periods, and larger firms have higher lockup escrow proportions. Only high-tech firms exhibit significant negative abnormal returns around unlock days. Lower abnormal trading volumes and relative spreads occur after unlock days only for the IPOs with escrow lockups with stipulated nonzero lockup lengths.
From Resources to Value and Back: Competition between and within Organizations

Examining the relationship between the competitive processes between and within organizations, we use selection system theory to link resource value to product value. We identify three dimensions (in-selection, before-selection and after-selection) that facilitate determining the value of resources based on the functions they serve in the competitive process between organizations in the product market, i.e. the external selection system. Subsequently, we use these dimensions to explore the competitive process among resource providers within organizations, i.e. the internal selection system. This leads us to formulate three propositions that link the competitive process within organizations to the competitive process between organizations. First, we posit that if resources that individually score highly along only one of the three dimensions are bundled, it is more likely that organizational performance can be sustained. Second, we argue that providers of resources scoring highly along multiple dimensions will enjoy stronger means of appropriation in comparison with providers of resources scoring highly along only one of the three dimensions. Third, we contend that the extent to which an organization endeavours to remunerate its resource providers based on their perceived contribution to the organization's competitive position has a curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship with organizational performance.
Atherogenic Indices Are Increased in Elderly Patients with Unipolar Depression-Case-Control Analysis.

BACKGROUND Blood lipids are widely used in monitoring the risk of cardiovascular diseases; however, atherogenic indices are more precise markers. The aim of the study was to determine differences in atherogenic indices in elderly patients with unipolar depression (DEP) compared with nondepressed elderly patients (nonDEP) using case-control analysis. METHODS Fasting serum lipid profiles were measured in 564 (depressed: n = 282, nondepressed: n = 282, 83.7% (n = 236) women in both groups) Caucasian inpatients aged ≥60, with mean age 76.9 years. Patients from both groups were matched for age and sex. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) was calculated as log10(triglycerides/HDL cholesterol). Castelli atherogenic indices were calculated as follows: AILDL/HDL is the ratio of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and AITC/HDL is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. RESULTS HDL levels were significantly decreased in depressed patients (48.2 ± 14.4 mg/dL vs. 54.5 ± 17.7 mg/dL). No other differences in lipid profile were found. We found that all three analyzed atherogenic indices were increased in depressed patients (AIP: 0.41 ± 0.28 vs. 0.33 ± 0.27, AILDL/HDL: 2.90 ± 1.41 vs. 2.42 ± 1.07, AITC/HDL: 4.51 ± 1.84 vs. 3.79 ± 1.21). We found associations between depression severity and reduced level of HDL (β = -0.02) or increased AIP (β = 1.66). CONCLUSIONS All three atherogenic indices were increased in elderly patients with depression. Since depression and age are associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular events, elderly patients with depression should be carefully monitored for abnormal lipid status to reduce their cardiovascular risk. The role of lipid abnormalities in the pathogenesis of depression requires further studies.
Branding a state: The evolution of Brand Oregon

In response to a sluggish state economy, Oregon set out in the late 1980s to brand the state’s tourism marketing and economic development efforts. Supported by an entrepreneurial new governor, a marketing-savvy tourism director, a world-class advertising agency and a US$2m budget enhancement, the Oregon Tourism Commission launched the ‘Oregon. Things Look Different Here’ campaign in 1988. This paper reviews the effectiveness of the campaign over time, and examines its successes, shortcomings, evolution and current status.
Severance Pay, Pensions, and Efficient Mobility

This paper argues that pensions are used as severance pay devices in an efficient compensation scheme. The major points of the study are: (1) Severance pay, which takes the form of higher pension values for early retirement, is widespread. (2) A major reason for the existence of pensions is the desire to provide an incentive mechanism that can also function as an efficient severance pay device. It is incorrect to think of pensions merely as a tax-deferred savings account. (3) The wage rates that older workers receive exceed their marginal products. This is evidenced by the fact that employers are willing to buy them out with higher pensions if they retire early. These conclusions are based upon examination of a data set which was generated as part of this study. That data set contains detailed information on 244 of the largest pension plans in the country, covering about 8 million workers.
Cellular Lesions in Intestinal Mucosa of Gnotobiotic Calves Experimentally Infected with a New Unclassified Bovine Virus (Breda Virus)

Four gnotobiotic calves were inoculated intranasally with Breda virus within two hours after cesarean section. Three calves developed diarrhea between 48 and 60 hours after inoculation; one calf was killed at 36 hours. Consistent microscopic findings in the intestinal mucosae of calves with diarrhea were cytopathologic changes in enterocytes of the lower small intestine, large intestine, and dome epithelial cells and an acute inflammatory response with cellular infiltration and subtle changes in capillaries. Virions with average dimensions of 35 × 80 nm were seen in rounded cells that had severe cell swelling, dilatation of the cytocavitary network, and hydropic degeneration. Virions were most often in multiple, large autophagolysosomes. There was a good correlation in detection of virus in cells with electron microscopy and indirect immunofluorescence. No lesions were detectable in two control calves killed five days after inoculation.
Endogenous Endothelin and Vasopressin Support Blood Pressure During Epidural Anesthesia in Conscious Dogs

We studied whether endogenous endothelin, like endogenous vasopressin, helps to maintain blood pressure during high epidural anesthesia when efferent sympathetic drive is diminished. On different days, six awake dogs underwent each of the following five interventions: blockade of vasopressin V1a receptors using [d (CH2)5Tyr(Me2)]AVP, (40 &mgr;g/kg) or endothelin receptors using tezosentan (3 mg/kg followed by 3 mg · kg−1 · h−1) with or without epidural anesthesia (1% lidocaine, intraindividual dose did not differ between experiments), and epidural saline (n = 5). The effects of endothelin- or vasopressin-receptor blockade were analyzed (means ± sem) and compared by an analysis of variance for repeated measures (paired Student’s t-test, &agr;-adjusted, P < 0.05). Vasopressin-receptor blockade decreased blood pressure (10 ± 2 mm Hg) only in the presence of epidural anesthesia, whereas endothelin-receptor blockade reduced blood pressure both in the presence and absence of epidural anesthesia (12 ± 3 versus 10 ± 1 mm Hg). During baseline and each intervention, plasma concentrations of vasopressin and big-endothelin were measured and compared by a Wilcoxon’s rank sum test;P < 0.05. Vasopressin concentrations increased during epidural anesthesia and after additional endothelin receptor blockade, but big-endothelin concentrations remained unchanged during each intervention. We conclude that vasopressin acts as a reserve system, as it stabilizes blood pressure specifically during epidural anesthesia, whereas the unchanged concentrations of big-endothelin indicate that the endothelin system is not specifically activated to support blood pressure during epidural anesthesia.
Comment on “Statistical Adequacy and the Testing of Trend Versus Difference Stationarity” by Andreou and Spanos (Number 3)

Andreou and Spanos, A&S hereafter, have written an important and inspiring paper about the role of statistical adequacy and model specification when testing for unit-roots in economic time series. Their thesis is that the statistical adequacy of the univariate model used for testing unit roots should be scrutinized, and that the model needs to be respecified if any departures the underlying assumptions are detected. As a blueprint for practice the A&S approach shares some important elements with econometric methodologies which stress the importance of congruency of models, and which advocate general-to-specific modeling, see Hendry (1995) and Krolzig and Hendry (2001). In fact, one way of reading the paper is as a coherent argument for applying the same standards of model evaluation when testing for unit roots, as the prudent researcher is advised to adopt for econometric modelling, see e.g., Harvey (1981), Spanos (1986), and Granger (1999). In Sec. 2 of this note, I first give an example of the practical relevance of one of A&Ss main points, namely that unless statistical adequacy is established (to a reasonable degree), standard unit root tests can give rise to wrong conclusions about a variable’s temporal properties. Our example series is the Norwegian rate of unemployment. Interestingly, the wrong conclusion in this case appears to be trend stationarity which A&S endorse as a valid description of the United States unemployment rate. A second point made in Sec. 2 is
Consumer Health Information and the Demand for Medical Care

This paper is an empirical investigation of consumer health information. Using a new direct measure of information, the econometric approach treats both information and physician visits as endogenous variables when estimating the demand for medical care. The results show that information increases the probability that a consumer uses medical care, but that conditional on use the quantity of care consumed is not related to information. The results contradict specific implications of models where physicians can create or induce demand for their own services. Several results suggest that poorly informed consumers tend to underestimate the productivity of medical care in treating illness. Copyright 1990 by MIT Press.
Fiscal spending multiplier calculations based on input-output tables â€“ an application to EU member states

Fiscal spending multiplier calculations have attracted considerable attention in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Much of the current literature is based on VAR estimation methods and DSGE models. In line with the Keynesian literature we argue that many of these models probably underestimate the fiscal spending multiplier in recessions. The income-expenditure model of the fiscal spending multiplier can be seen as a good approximation under these circumstances. In its conventional form this model suffers from an underestimation of the multiplier due to an overestimation of the import intake of domestic absorption. In this article we apply input-output calculus to solve this problem. Multipliers thus derived are comparably high, ranging between 1.4 and 1.8 for many member states of the European Union. GDP drops due to budget consolidation might therefore be substantial in times of crisis.
Ownership and Control Structures in Transition to “Crony” Capitalism: The Case of Bulgaria

The transformation of the Bulgarian economy has been hampered by a process of privatization that created "crony capitalism," which is characterized by the lack of appropriate capital market institutions and by ownership objectives and behaviors that are inappropriate to a market economy. How such forms of ownership developed and how they hamper the development of a true market economy in Bulgaria are discussed.Some policies for creating better ownership forms are also examined.
Towards low power approximate DCT architecture for HEVC standard

Video processing performed directly on IoT nodes is one of the most performance as well as energy demanding applications for current IoT technology. In order to support real-time high-definition video, energy-reduction optimizations have to be introduced at all levels of the video processing chain. This paper deals with an efficient implementation of Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) blocks employed in video compression based on the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. The proposed multiplierless 4-input DCT implementations contain approximate adders and subtractors that were obtained using genetic programming. In order to manage the complexity of evolutionary approximation and provide formal guarantees in terms of errors of key circuit components, the worst and average errors were determined exactly by means of Binary decision diagrams. Under conditions of our experiments, approximate 4-input DCTs show better quality/power trade-offs than relevant implementations available in the literature. For example, 25% power reduction for the same error was obtained in comparison with a recent highly optimized implementation.
Estimating an Emissions Supply Function from Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Programs

Local authorities and industries seeking to reduce emissions and improve air quality have shown interest in programs that offer to purchase and retire old, high-polluting vehicles. We analyze the results from an experimental vehicle retirement program in Delaware, during which selected pre-1980 vehicle owners were offered $500 for their vehicles and surveyed about vehicle characteristics, value and use. With this unique data set we estimate the relationship between the owner's reservation price and the expected remaining life of the vehicle to derive a supply curve for emissions reductions, which predicts the emissions reductions as a function of the offer made to eligible vehicles in a scrappage program. Copyright 1996 by MIT Press.
Immunophenotyping of Plasma Cells

Plasma cell enumeration and immunophenotyping has been shown to be of value in predicting the outcome for patients with myeloma. Detection of abnormal plasma cells at a leukocyte level >0.01% at the end of therapy predicts early relapse. Although clonally related populations at varying stages of differentiation are reported to be present in myeloma, only the CD138+ fraction has been shown to directly correlate with the outcome. In addition, the plasma cell immunophenotype in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is reported to correlate with the risk of progression to myeloma. This protocol provides a four‐color flow cytometry method for enumeration and classification of plasma cells in both diagnostic and post‐treatment samples. Plasma cells are identified by strong expression of CD38 and CD138. Neoplastic plasma cells are separated from their normal counterparts by aberrant expression of CD19 and other relevant markers in combination with intracellular immunoglobulin light chain restriction.