Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sectoral Shifts in Europe and the United States: How They Affect Aggregate Labour Shares and the Properties of Wage Equations

This paper sheds light on the importance of aggregation bias in the analysis of wage shares developments over time and across countries. We focus on five European countries and the United States and show that the trend decline in the aggregate wage share observed in these countries over much of the 1980s and 1990s partly reflects changes in the sectoral composition of the economy. The application of a fixed-weight aggregation method changes the profile of the observed wage share in a significant way: in particular there is no longer sign of an overshooting of the wage share levels of the early-1970s. Error-correction wage equations based on the adjusted wage shares generally have a better regression fit and show long-run elasticities of real wages to unemployment that vary less across countries and are substantially lower than those obtained with observed shares. These results are broadly confirmed by wage regressions using sectoral data and the Pooled Mean Group estimator . Changements sectoriels en Europe et aux Etats-Unis : Impact sur les parts salariales globales et les proprietes des equations de salaire Cette etude examine l’importance du biais d’agregation dans l’analyse de l’evolution des parts salariales au cours du temps et entre pays. L’etude couvre cinq pays europeens ainsi que les Etats-Unis et montre que la baisse tendancielle de la part salariale agregee observee dans ces pays durant la majeure partie des annees 80 et 90 reflete en partie des changements dans la composition sectorielle de l’economie. L’application d’une methode d’agregation basee sur des poids fixes change de maniere significative le profil des parts salariales observees: plus particulierement, les parts salariales ainsi ajustees ne descendent plus en deca du niveau du debut des annees 1970. Les equations de salaires a correction d’erreurs basees sur les parts salariales ajustees ont en general de meilleures proprietes statistiques et generent des elasticites de long-terme des salaires par rapport au niveau de chomage qui varient moins a travers les pays et qui sont significativement inferieures a celles obtenues a partir des parts observees. Ces resultats sont dans l’ensemble confirmes par les estimations d’equations de salaire basees sur des donnees sectorielles et l’estimateur de « pooled mean group ».
El Sector De Ganadería Bovina En Colombia. Aplicación De Modelos De Series De Tiempo Al Inventario Ganadero (The Bovine Cattle in Colombia. Application of Time Series Models to National Inventory)

Spanish Abstract: Este documento realiza una estimacion del inventario ganadero bovino en Colombia, tendiente a dar luces sobre la probabilidad de las politicas de desarrollo ganadero en el pais, basicamente con miras a aportar instrumentos metodologicos como modelos Arima y otros modelos de series de tiempo en la estimacion del inventario ganadero en Colombia. El analisis comienza con una revision de la importancia de la ganaderia en la teoria del desarrollo economico, para luego continuar con la estimacion de metodos de estimacion univariada sobre las probabilidades de alcanzar los inventarios de ganado bovino de acuerdo al plan de desarrollo ganadero hacia el 2019 en concor- dancia con el desarrollo sectorial y nacional.English Abstract: This document makes an estimation of the bovine cattle inventory in Colombia, tend to give lights on the probability of the policies of cattle development in the country, basically with a view to contributing methodological instruments like Arima models and other models of series of time in the estimation of the cattle inventory in Colombia. The analysis begins with a revision of the importance of the cattle ranch in the theory of the economic development, then continues with the estimation of methods of estimation univariate on the probabilities of reaching the inventories of bovine cattle according to the plan of cattle development towards the 2019 in agreement with the sectorial and national development.
Room Rates as Signals of Quality, Sell-Out Risk and the Prospects of Getting a Better Deal: Analytical Model and Empirical Evidence

Travellers make advanced booking decisions in an imperfect information environment, an environment in which price signalling is likely to occur. This study examines the unique informational role of room rates by suggesting an analytical model of room rates as a signal of quality and sell-out risk and by testing the theory empirically. The findings indicate that, even in advanced booking situations in which consumers might associate price deviations with the hotel's revenue management policies, prices can still signal quality to the consumers. Moreover, the study demonstrates that in a deal seeking/advanced booking context, there are two additional opposing impacts of the informational role of prices. Customers' propensity to book increases with higher rates because the perception of the sell-out risk is higher. However, at the same time, customers' propensity to book decreases because the higher room rate induces a higher expectation of the offer of a better deal.
The Impact of Exchange Rate Volatility on Trade Balance of Iran

The real effective exchange rate is one of the essential indicators of economy's international competitiveness, and therefore, has a strong impact on a country's foreign trade development. It is commonly believed that the movements of the real effective exchange rate have a permanent effect on exports and imports. This study addresses the question of whether exchange rate volatility has any significant and direct impact on trade balance. Hence, the purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of real effective exchange rate volatility on the balance of trade of Iran during the year 1993 to 2011. By using Unit Root Tests, GARCH (1, 1) approach and balance PANEL data model. Results demonstrate that the real effective exchange rate has no significant effect on the trade balance. So, it is important to stress that real effective exchange rate volatility cannot be used solely in managing the trade balance of Iran with main trading partners. We find that trade balance is affected by import, rather than export. Thus, in order to boost the trade balance the government should implement the policy that focuses on the production of imported substituting goods.
Inhibitory Effects of French Pine Bark Extract, Pycnogenol®, on Alveolar Bone Resorption and on the Osteoclast Differentiation

Pycnogenol® (PYC) is a standardized bark extract from French maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton). We examined the inhibitory effects of PYC on alveolar bone resorption, which is a characteristic feature of periodontitis, induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and osteoclast differentiation. In rat periodontitis model, rats were divided into four groups: group A served as the non‐infected control, group B was infected orally with P. gingivalis ATCC 33277, group C was administered PYC in the diet (0.025%: w/w), and group D was infected with P. gingivalis and administered PYC. Administration of PYC along with P. gingivalis infection significantly reduced alveolar bone resorption. Treatment of P. gingivalis with 1 µg/ml PYC reduced the number of viable bacterial cells. Addition of PYC to epithelial cells inhibited adhesion and invasion by P. gingivalis. The effect of PYC on osteoclast formation was confirmed by tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining. PYC treatment significantly inhibited osteoclast formation. Addition of PYC (1–100 µg/ml) to purified osteoclasts culture induced cell apoptosis. These results suggest that PYC may prevent alveolar bone resorption through its antibacterial activity against P. gingivalis and by suppressing osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, PYC may be useful as a therapeutic and preventative agent for bone diseases such as periodontitis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cross-Section Estimation of the Matching Function: Evidence from England and Wales

This paper analyses how the levels of unemployment and vacancies affect the rate at which unemployed workers find employment -- the worker-firm `matching function'. In particular we test the robustness of previous empirical work by checking whether we obtain the same estimated function using cross-section data rather than aggregate time-series data. We find strong evidence of constant returns to scale similar to previous work. We also find larger cities have higher wages. This provides indirect support for increasing returns, but where those returns are taken in the form of better-quality matches.
Anti-melanocortin-4 receptor autoantibodies in obesity.

BACKGROUND The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is part of an important pathway regulating energy balance. Here we report the existence of autoantibodies (autoAbs) against the MC4R in sera of obese patients. METHODS The autoAbs were detected after screening of 216 patients' sera by using direct and inhibition ELISA with an N-terminal sequence of the MC4R. Binding to the native MC4R was evaluated by flow cytometry, and pharmacological effects were evaluated by measuring adenylyl cyclase activity. RESULTS Positive results in all tests were obtained in patients with overweight or obesity (prevalence, 3.6%) but not in normal weight patients. The selective binding properties of anti-MC4R autoAbs were confirmed by surface plasmon resonance and by immunoprecipitation with the native MC4R. Finally, it was demonstrated that these autoAbs increased food intake in rats after passive transfer via intracerebroventricular injection. CONCLUSION These observations suggest that inhibitory anti-MC4R autoAbs might contribute to the development of obesity in a small subpopulation of patients.
Preliminary screening of osteoporosis and osteopenia in middle aged urban women from Hyderabad (INDIA) using calcaneal QUS

Background: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem, associated with substantial morbidity and socio-economic burden. An early detection can help in reducing the fracture rates and overall socio-economic burden in such patients. The present study was carried out to screen the bone status (osteopenia and osteoporosis) above the age of 25 years in urban women population in this region. Methods: A hospital based study was carried out in 316 women by calculating T-scores utilizing calcaneal QUS as diagnostic tool. Results: The result suggested that a substantial female population had oesteopenia and osteoporosis after the age of 45 years. The incidence of osteoporosis was (20.25%) and osteopenia (36.79%) with maximum number of both osteoporosis and osteopenic women recorded in the age group of (55-64 years). After the age of 65 years, there was an almost 100% incidence of either osteopenia or osteoporosis, indicating that it increases with age and in postmenopausal period, thereby suggesting lack of estrogenic activity might be responsible for this increasing trend. Religion, caste and diet had an influence on the outcome of osteopenic and osteoporosis score in present study, but still it has to be substantiated by conducting larger randomized clinical trials in future. Conclusions: A substantial female population was screened for osteoporosis and osteopenia using calcaneal QUS method utilizing same WHO T score criteria that otherwise shall remain undiagnosed and face the complications and menace of osteoporosis.
Benchmarking a public service business management system

This paper reports on a benchmarking study looking into the contribution business management systems (BMSs) make to the achievement of organizational objectives. It is of particular interest from two standpoints. First, it provides valuable learning from a benchmarking study of a system as opposed to a clearly identi® ed process. Second, the study examined the contribution BMSs make to the achievement of an organization’s objectives. The study was conducted by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). DERA is a government-owned research and technology organization funded wholly through contracts with its customers. With a turnover of over £1billion and 11 500 people, DERA is geographically dispersed around the UK and organized into 14 business sectors, with areas such as sea, land and air defence systems.
Investigation of the effectiveness of antibacterial prophylaxis in renal transplant recipients.

INTRODUCTION Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common complications in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). METHODOLOGY This study is a follow-up to a previous investigation of post-renal transplant UTIs, which led to changes in the antibacterial agents used for prophylaxis and its duration. In this retrospective study of the medical records of 86 RTRs, the incidence, risk factors, causative bacteria, and duration prophylaxis were investigated. RESULTS The average age of the RTRs was 41.55 ± 14.06 years, and two-thirds of them were males. A total of 57.3% of the RTRs received cadaveric kidneys; the rest received kidneys from living related donors. The prescribed regimen (one month or three months of co-trimoxazole and norfloxacin) was completed by 75% of the RTRs. The incidence of UTIs in the RTRs who received this prophylaxis was 32.3%, which was significantly lower than the incidence with norfloxacin alone (56%). Female gender was found to be a risk factor for post-renal transplant UTIs. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen (51.7%), followed by Klebsiella and Enterobacter (17.2% each). Most UTIs (86.2%) were detected within the first post-transplant month. CONCLUSIONS There was no clear advantage to prescribing antibacterial prophylaxis for three months versus one month, as 86.2% of the UTIs occurred within the first month post-transplant regardless of prophylaxis duration. Using co-trimoxazole/norfloxacin compared to norfloxacin alone did positively affect patient outcome by reducing the incidence of UTIs. This study recommends antimicrobial sensitivity-guided modification of the antibacterial agents used for prophylaxis rather than extension of its duration.
Military spending as another cause of the failure of the PPP

In a recent article, with a strong theoretical argument but poor empirical support, military spending was identified to be a determinant of real exchange rate or a factor causing the PPP to deviate from equilibrium exchange rate. The poor empirical results were mostly due to a small number of observations (21 cross-sectional). This article employs pooled data from across 37 developing countries over the 1985–1998 period and provides very strong empirical support for the notion that indeed increased military spending could cause the PPP to deviate from equilibrium exchange rate.
THE ROLE OF INCOME GENERATING GROUPS IN POVERTY REDUCTION IN KIGOMA DISTRICT, TANZANIA

The situation of low income in Kigoma District is persistent in spite of some people being members of income generating group s (IGGs). There is limited empirical information on the performance of IGGs. This leads to mixed views with regard to performance of IGGs. The main objective of this study was to determine the contribution of IGGs to the reduction of household income poverty in Kigoma District. The specific objectives of the study were to identify Income-Generating Activities (IGAs) done by households which were in IGGs and those which were not; record monetary values of products produced and services provided by households which were in IGGs and those which were not in 2009/10; and determine impacts of acreage per capita, monetary value of credit per capita, costs of production and service provision per capita, and gross monetary value per capita of products produced and services provided on Net Household Product (NHP) per capita. This study used data collected from a sample of 128 households from November 2010 to January 2011. Both purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used. Data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Independent samples t-test and multiple linear regression models were employed. The results showed that the mean NHP per capita among households which were in IGGs and among households which were not were Tsh. 115 698 and Tsh. 112 991, respectively. The difference in the NHPs was not significant (p = 0.910). The mean NHP per capita in MHHs and FHHs were Tshs. 137 154 and Tsh. 73 684 respectively and significantly different (p = 0.010) at the 1% level of significance. The results also indicated that gross monetary value of products produced and services provided was the variable which had the biggest and most significant impact (β =1.473, p = 0.000) on NHP per capita. Based on the findings it is concluded that the higher the gross monetary value of products produced and services provided by the household, the higher the net household product per capita. It is also concluded that membership in IGGs has positive ii
Noninvasive beat‐to‐beat finger arterial pressure monitoring during orthostasis: a comprehensive review of normal and abnormal responses at different ages

Over the past 30 years, noninvasive beat‐to‐beat blood pressure (BP) monitoring has provided great insight into cardiovascular autonomic regulation during standing. Although traditional sphygmomanometric measurement of BP may be sufficient for detection of sustained orthostatic hypotension, it fails to capture the complexity of the underlying dynamic BP and heart rate responses. With the emerging use of noninvasive beat‐to‐beat BP monitoring for the assessment of orthostatic BP control in clinical and population studies, various definitions for abnormal orthostatic BP patterns have been used. Here, age‐related changes in cardiovascular control in healthy subjects will be reviewed to define the spectrum of the most important abnormal orthostatic BP patterns within the first 180 s of standing. Abnormal orthostatic BP responses can be defined as initial orthostatic hypotension (a transient systolic BP fall of >40 mmHg within 15 s of standing), delayed BP recovery (an inability of systolic BP to recover to a value of >20 mmHg below baseline at 30 s after standing) and sustained orthostatic hypotension (a sustained decline in systolic BP of ≥20 mmHg occurring 60–180 s after standing). In the evaluation of patients with light‐headedness, pre(syncope), (unexplained) falls or suspected autonomic dysfunction, it is essential to distinguish between normal cardiovascular autonomic regulation and these abnormal orthostatic BP responses. The prevalence, clinical relevance and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of these patterns differ significantly across the lifespan. Initial orthostatic hypotension is important for identifying causes of syncope in younger adults, whereas delayed BP recovery and sustained orthostatic hypotension are essential for evaluating the risk of falls in older adults.
Inter-Organizational Trust for Business-to-Business E-commerce

From the Publisher: Based on an in-depth research study, this book provides an avenue for managers and researchers to explore, examine, and describe interorganizational trust relationships in e-commerce participation. Identified are trust behaviors in business relationships as they relate to e-commerce. In comparing their own organization with those researched, managers can then examine their own and their trading partners' trust behaviors. About the Author: Pauline Ratnasingam is an assistant professor in the School of Business Administration at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont. She is an associate member of Association of Information Systems (AIS) and a member of the Information Resources Management Association. She serves as an editorial member of the Journal of Internet Research, Information Management, and Annals of Cases on Information Technology. She lives in Burlington, Vermont.
Open Market Operations and Financial Markets

The last 15 years have been the most dramatic for changes to the concept and practice of central banking. This book lies at the heart of how central banks manage to influence the economy and financial markets, exploring how central banks work, how they have changed and how they are likely to change in the future. The contributors bring together a unique combination of practical experience from around the world, including chapters from Japan, USA, Australia and the Euro area. Over recent years a new consensus has appeared over what monetary policy is and how it should be implemented. This volume takes a critical look at that consensus and argues that some of its foundations are weak. It considers the changing role of open market operations and the consequence of forcing markets to ‘need’ the central bank through required reserves. There is a detailed study of the US and an exploration of how the Bank of Japan had to innovate to try to continue to have an influence when interest rates were zero, as well as detailed attention to countries across Europe. The issues discussed within this volume are applicable to all countries with an active monetary policy, whatever their stage of economic development. As such the book will be useful to academics working in the area of banking, monetary economics and finance as well as professionals working with central banks across the world.
Toward a Regional Exchange Rate Regime in East Asia

Deepening market-driven economic integration in East Asia makes intraregional exchange rate across the region increasingly desirable and necessary. The paper suggests that East Asia's emerging economies begin to choose a currency basket as a monetary policy anchor to enable all East Asian currencies to collectively appreciate vis-a-vis the US dollar, while maintaining intraregional rate stability, in the event of surges of capital inflows or a rapid unwinding of global payments imbalances. Following this initial step, East Asia may agree on more rigid intraregional exchange rate stabilization schemes through, for example, an Asian Snake or an Asian Exchange Rate Mechanism. Copyright 2008 The Author Journal compilation 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd