Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Causes Fluctuations in the Terms of Trade?

This paper investigates the sources of terms of trade volatility, specifically addressing the relative importance of goods-price effects vs. country-price effects. For fuel exporters, most of the terms of trade variation stems from goods-price effects, as one would have expected, a priori. For commodity exporters, there is great dispersion in the importance of goods price effects vs. country price effects, and no overall generalization is possible. Exporters of manufactured goods face terms of trade variation that appears to be about equally due to goods-price effects and country-price effects.
National use of postmenopausal hormone therapy: annual trends and response to recent evidence.

CONTEXT Postmenopausal hormone therapy use increased dramatically during the past 2 decades because of a prevailing belief in its health benefits. Recent evidence from randomized trials published in July 2002 demonstrated adverse cardiovascular disease events and other risks with hormone therapy in the form of oral estrogen combined with progestin. OBJECTIVE To describe patterns of hormone therapy use from 1995 until July 2003, including the impact of recent evidence. DESIGN, SETTING, AND POPULATION Two databases were used to describe national trends in hormone therapy use from January 1995 to July 2003. The National Prescription Audit database provided data on the number of hormone therapy prescriptions filled by retail pharmacies and the National Disease and Therapeutic Index database provided data on patient visits to office-based physicians during which hormone therapy was prescribed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Annual number of hormone therapy prescriptions and characteristics of visits to physicians during which hormone therapy was prescribed. RESULTS Annual hormone therapy prescriptions increased from 58 million in 1995 to 90 million in 1999, representing approximately 15 million women per year, then remained stable through June 2002. Adoption of new oral estrogen/progestin combinations, primarily Prempro, accounted for most of this growth. Obstetrician/gynecologists provided more than 70% of hormone therapy prescriptions, and more than one third of patients were older than 60 years. Following the publication of trial results in July 2002, hormone therapy prescriptions declined in successive months. Relative to January-June 2002, prescriptions from January-June 2003 declined by 66% for Prempro and 33% for Premarin. Small increases were observed in vaginal formulations and in new prescriptions for low-dose Premarin. If prescription rates observed through July 2003 remain stable, a decline to 57 million prescriptions for 2003, similar to the rate in 1995, is projected. CONCLUSIONS Clinical practice responded rapidly to recent evidence of harms associated with hormone therapy. Since July 2002, many patients have discontinued hormone therapy or are tapering to lower doses.
Welfare and Distribution Effects of Bank Secrecy Laws

We analyze an overlapping-generations world comprising two groups of small countries whose preferences for public spending differ. Key steady-state effects from introducing bank secrecy and a withholding tax in countries with low government spending are: a reduction of global capital and income, a shift of wealth towards bank-secrecy countries, and falling consumption, welfare and government spending despite rising tax rates in the rest of the world. Qualitative results are robust to changes in tax-payer honesty, the Leviathan effect (permitting governments to drive public spending higher than citizens prefer), and the fraction of withholding taxes repatriated to countries of residence.
Mobilizing Workers within Inter-Organizational Relationships in the UK Voluntary Sector

This article assesses the prospects for union membership growth in the UK voluntary sector. It examines the efforts of workplace activists to defend terms and conditions and recruit and retain members in two voluntary organisations in the context of the sector's close relationship with external state funding and regulatory bodies. The study confirms the importance of workplace activists in contributing to successful mobilisation. It also finds, however, that differences in inter-organisational relations between the two organisations and state funding bodies that are shaped by product markets and competition are pivotal in explaining the variability in outcomes for union mobilisation efforts. The article has wider significance in telling us more about why union campaigns in areas of the economy characterised by close supply chain relations succeed or fail.
LEAVING THE PUBLIC CAPITAL MARKET: A LITERATURE SURVEY ABOUT THE GOING PRIVATE DECISION

The going private decision is less examined in the corporate finance literature compared to the IPO topic, although it is of similar importance in a company’s life. This paper surveys previous theoretical and empirical studies discussing the going private decision. Deeper insights are provided about reasons which motivate companies to leave the public capital market. The role of regulatory changes like the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 and their implications for the decision making process of US listed companies concerning staying public or going private are addressed. A literature synopsis is provided about different aspects within the delisting topic. Literature about abnormal returns during the announcement of a going private transaction, bid premiums paid to investors as well as characteristics of companies which typically decide for privacy is reviewed. The current stage of research is analyzed in order to develop further relevant exploration areas within the going private topic. This paper also explains investors’ incentives. A precise recognition of potential going private companies on the public capital market allows shareholders to collect not only abnormal returns, but also bid premiums and enable them to increase their earnings within a short period of time. Additionally, also companies profit from knowledge about going privates. Being aware of the large costs, they can avoid unnecessary expenses of their public-to-private-and-back cycles.
A simple library implementation of binary sessions*

Abstract Inspired by the continuation-passing encoding of binary sessions, we describe a simple approach to embed a hybrid form of session type checking into any programming language that supports parametric polymorphism. The approach combines static protocol analysis with dynamic linearity checks. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique, we implement a well-integrated OCaml module for session communications. For free, OCaml provides us with equirecursive session types, parametric behavioural polymorphism, complete session type inference, and session subtyping.
Thrombosis after implantation of drug-eluting stents.

S tent thrombosis is the sudden occlusion of a stented coronary artery due to thrombus formation. Despite major improvements in antiplatelet therapy, thrombotic events remain the primary cause of death after percutaneous coronary interventions. The clinical consequences of stent thrombosis are frequently catastrophic and include death in 20% to 48% of cases or major myocardial infarction in 60% to 70%. When bare metal stents (BMS) were first introduced, stent thrombosis was a common complication. Most episodes occurred within 2 weeks of stent implantation and often resulted in myocardial infarction and, not infrequently, death. Technical improvements, such as the use of adequately sized balloons and high-pressure deployment, helped to substantially decrease thrombosis rates. In addition, a regimen of dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus a thienopyridine) was found to reduce the incidence of stent thrombosis even further. Dual antiplatelet therapy is prescribed for 2-4 weeks after BMS implantation, the time required for stent endothelialization to take place. Thrombosis that occurs more than 30 days after the implantation of a BMS is extremely rare. This complication first appeared when intracoronary radiation (brachytherapy) was introduced as a treatment for in-stent restenosis. Intracoronary radiation was found to delay reendothelialization in animals, thus predisThrombosis After Implantation of Drug-Eluting Stents
Book Review: Industrial Relations, Politics, and Government: Labour Legislation and Public Policy: A Contemporary History

which decentralized bargaining led to an enhanced role for the "laity" (ordinary citizens) and a decline in the authority of industrial relations and personnel staff. Decentralization also increased the role of operating managers, although the industry cases reveal that corporate managers maintained significant control over financial matters. The process of privatization occurring in the three industries that, as of the early 1980s, were in the public sector obviously did not occur in the two private sector industries examined in this book. Yet, I am struck by the fact that the processes and outcomes of decentralization did not vary significantly between the public and private sector cases. It would be interesting to know if this observation generalizes to other parts of the United Kingdom and to other countries. For this American reader it was particularly refreshing to read the public sector cases, as there is a lack of comparable analysis of developments in the U.S. public sector. This book is a very valuable complement to the information provided on bargaining decentralization in the three British workplace industrial relations surveys and the research emanating from the Industrial Relations Unit at Warwick. Jackson, Leopold, and Tuck's research illustrates the unique insights that can be provided by thorough case studies.
Mild hypothermia cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves outcome after prolonged cardiac arrest in dogs

Background and Methods.This study was designed to explore the effect of mild cerebral and systemic hypothermia (34°C) on outcome after prolonged cardiac arrest in dogs. After ventricular fibrillation with no flow of 10 min, and standard external CPR with epi-nephrine (low flow) from ventricular fibrillation time of 10 to 15 min, defibrillation and restoration of spontaneous normotension were between ventricular fibrillation time of 16 and 20 min. This procedure was followed by controlled ventilation to 20 hr postarrest and intensive care to 72 hr postarrest. In control group 1 (n = 10), core temperature was 37.5°C; in control group 2 (n = 10), cooling was started immediately after restoration of spontaneous normotension; and in group 3 (n = 10), cooling was initiated with start of CPR. Cooling was by clinically feasible methods. Results.Best overall performance categories achieved (1 = normal; 5 = brain death) were better in group 2 (p = .012) and group 3 (p = .005) than in group 1. Best neurologic deficit scores were 36 ± 14% in group 1, 22 ± 15% in group 2 (p = .02), and 19 ± 18% in group 3 (p = .01). Brain histopathologic damage scores were also lower (better) in groups 2 (p = .05) and 3 (p = .03). Myocardial damage was the same in all three groups. Conclusion.Mild cerebral hypothermia started during or immediately after external CPR improves neurologic recovery. (Crit Care Med 1991; 19:379)
Sense of community on an urban, commuter campus

As youth make the transition into adulthood, many are choosing to extend their education and delay the stereotypical institutions of adult life. At the same time, in the United States an increasing number of college students reside in off-campus housing. Research suggests that these students may be less likely to persist in their education and more likely to suffer from a lack of well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, self-efficacy). One explanation for these challenges is the difficulty that commuter students may have to build relationships and access services on traditional college campuses. Collegiate sense of community (CSOC) has been proposed as a key metric for predicting student persistence and well-being. This mixed-methods study identifies how students on an urban, commuter campus develop CSOC, describes barriers to connecting on campus, and demonstrates significant relationships between CSOC, student affect, life satisfaction, and educational expectations. The results have broad implications for youth development and retention in post-secondary educational institutions.
Proximity Loss Study In High Speed Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet Machine

High speed flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) machines have been identified as key technologies for aerospace and hybrid electric vehicle applications. The open slot geometry, high stator flux densities and high operating frequencies result in high variable cross slot leakage and proximity losses within the armature windings. The aim of this study is to reduce AC losses in the armature of a high speed FSPM machine by stranding the conductors. The influence of rotor movement across the slot opening is investigated using 2-D finite element analysis. A simple 1-D analytical model is developed and validated by the finite element analysis to accurately estimate the level of proximity losses and then used to determine the optimal number and diameter of conductors.
Regulatory rewiring confers serotype‐specific hyper‐virulence in the human pathogen group A Streptococcus

Phenotypic heterogeneity is commonly observed between isolates of a given pathogen. Epidemiological analyses have identified that some serotypes of the group A Streptococcus (GAS) are non‐randomly associated with particular disease manifestations. Here, we present evidence that a contributing factor to the association of serotype M3 GAS isolates with severe invasive infections is the presence of a null mutant allele for the orphan kinase RocA. Through use of RNAseq analysis, we identified that the natural rocA mutation present within M3 isolates leads to the enhanced expression of more than a dozen immunomodulatory virulence factors, enhancing phenotypes such as hemolysis and NAD+ hydrolysis. Consequently, an M3 GAS isolate survived human phagocytic killing at a level 13‐fold higher than a rocA complemented derivative, and was significantly more virulent in a murine bacteremia model of infection. Finally, we identified that RocA functions through the CovR/S two‐component system as levels of phosphorylated CovR increase in the presence of functional RocA, and RocA has no regulatory activity following covR or covS mutation. Our data are consistent with RocA interfacing with the CovR/S two‐component system, and that the absence of this activity in M3 GAS potentiates the severity of invasive infections caused by isolates of this serotype.
International tourism and export instability

Export diversification has been suggested as a strategy for decreasing the level of export earnings instability which is experienced by many developing countries. In recent years the international tourism sector has made an increasingly important contribution to the economies of many low income countries. This article examines whether diversification into the non‐traditional tourism sector has succeeded in decreasing the instability of export earnings. It was found that although tourism has the advantage of high growth rates and is a major source of foreign currency receipts, earnings from international tourism did not bring about a significant decrease in the instability of export earnings of most of the developing and industrialised countries considered. Furthermore, a net increase in the instability of earnings from tourism and merchandise exports occurred in a number of countries, and may be a particular problem in small, open developing economies.
Donors' Mechanisms for Financing International and National Public Goods: Loans or Grants?

This paper investigates whether three classes of donors - multilateral organisations, regional institutions and bilateral donors - tailor their mix of grants and loans to reflect international benefit spillovers and recipient-specific benefits, derived from aid-funded activities in developing and transition countries. To account for recipient benefit shares, donors should use a greater share of grants when supported activities yield a larger portion of international public benefits. A greater reliance on loans is appropriate when a large portion of recipient-specific benefits are associated with the assistance. By reflecting recipient benefit shares in the grant-loan mix, donors' assistance also promotes allocative efficiency. Using the Credit Reporting System (CRS) database from OECD for 1980-2000, our analysis establishes that various donor classes apply different grant-loan mixtures when supporting the environment, health, knowledge and governance sectors of recipient countries. We employ analysis of variance and other statistical comparisons of the means to investigate differences among donor classes. We demonstrate that bilateral donors do the best job in tailoring their grant-loan mix to accord with the extent of international public good benefits embodied in the aid-supported activity. Multilateral organisations' grant-loan mix is intermediate of the three types of donors, with some evidence of them relying more on grants to finance activities that possess a larger share of international public good spillovers. Regional institutions, however, do not discriminate their grant-loan mix by either sectors or the associated public good spillovers. This finding suggests that regional development banks need to adjust their grant-loan mix to better account for international benefit spillovers if these institutions are to warrant the increased funds to underwrite regional public goods that they have been seeking. If, however, their mix is institutionally set, then the stakeholders must give these institutions greater flexibility to tailor their grants and loans to who benefits from the aid-supported public goods. This is the first paper to empirically ascertain whether the grant-loan mix is tied to the inherent publicness of the aid-funded activities. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005.
Structural and optical correlation of Ni doped ZnO nanorods

Tuning of morphological, structural, optical properties of semiconductor metal oxides often provides a significant strategy for increasing the performance of electronic, optoelectronic, and photocatalytic devices. Here, we study the morphological, structural and optical behavior of zinc oxide nanorods doped with different concentration of nickel by the low-cost wet-chemistry method, before and after annealing treatment. The results are explained using FESEM, XRD and room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. These characterizations show that the Ni doping increases the deep level defect and also the structural strain that is caused by the annealing treatment. Overall, this study shows how Ni doping and annealing treatment tune the ZnO properties that can be useful for some applications.
Gaming the Past: The Theory and Practice of Historic Baselines in the Administrative State

Goals based on absolute targets, risk, technology, or cost are found throughout the administrative state. “Historic baselines,” points in the past used to ground a policy goal, are just as commonplace, yet remain unexamined. Whether in budgeting or tax, criminal sentencing or environmental protection, historic baselines direct a wide range of agency activities. Their ubiquity raises some important questions. What makes baselines more attractive than other approaches for implementing regulatory goals? Conversely, when are other stan ard-setting methods such as absolute targets or risk-based, technology-based, or cost-based standards more useful to policymakers than historic baselines? Unless one believes that policymakers choose between the alternative approaches randomly, or that it simply does not matter which they choose, each approach requires a clear theoretical understanding in order to make better choices and predict the comparative potential for success and failure. This Article is the first to examine historic baselines. Using examples from environmental and land use regulation, this Article examines the attributes, design issues, and strategic uses and abuses of historic baselines. Part I unpacks the structure and design of historic baselines, identifying four core attributes and examining the design issues particular to each to demonstrate the different forms historic baselines can take. Part II explores the attractiveness of historic baselines to policymakers and the conditions under which they may be preferable to using absolute standards or risk-based, technology-based, or cost-based standards. Part III explores the opportunities for rent-seeking in more detail, delving into the gaming possibilities created by historic baselines. Part IV then provides a practical context by examining the role of historic baselines in climate change policy. The demand for action will require policymakers to consider a wide array of regulatory goals for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, and adapting to climate change impacts that cannot be avoided. The analysis in Parts I, II, and III speaks directly to this issue, explaining why historic baselines will prove effective in certain applications but decidedly problematic in others.
Modulation of calcium wave propagation in the dendrites and to the soma of rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons

Repetitive synaptic stimulation in the stratum radiatum (SR) evokes large amplitude Ca2+ waves in the thick apical dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. These waves are initiated by activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), which mobilize inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphospate (IP3) and release Ca2+ from intracellular stores. We explored mechanisms that modulate the spatial properties of these waves. Higher stimulus current evoked waves of increasing spatial extent. Most waves did not propagate through the soma; the majority stopped close to the junction of the soma and apical dendrite. Pairing strong stimulation with one electrode and subthreshold stimulation with another (associative activation) extended the waves distally but failed to extend waves into the cell body. Pairing synaptic stimulation with backpropagating action potentials enhanced the likelihood of wave generation but did not extend the waves to the somatic region. Priming the stores with Ca2+ entry through voltage dependent channels modulated wave properties but did not extend them past the dendrites. These results are consistent with propagation failing due to the dilution of synaptically generated IP3 as it diffuses into the large volume of the soma (impedance mismatch). Synaptically activating waves in the presence of low concentrations of carbachol, which probably increased the tonic level of IP3 throughout the cell, enhanced the extent of propagation and generated waves that invaded the soma, as long as low‐affinity indicators were used to detect the [Ca2+]i changes. Consistent with this explanation direct injection of IP3 into the soma promoted wave propagation into this region. Ca2+ waves that propagated through the cell body were interesting because they did not fill the volume of the soma, but passed through the centre, often with large amplitude. These waves may be particularly effective in activating gene expression and protein synthesis.
Pension Reform in Sweden: Radical Reform in a Mature Pension System

This book comprehensively documents developments in pension policy in eleven advanced industrial countries in Western Europe, East Asia and North America. In order to explore what population ageing means for the sustainability of pension systems, the authors present a detailed review of pension policy making over the past two decades and provide up-to-date analysis of current pension legislation. They examine the factors that can facilitate or impede the adaptation of pension systems and the features that shape and determine reforms. They also highlight the fact that although the path of reform taken by each country is somewhat different, the processes at work are often very similar.