Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essays in Labor Economics

This dissertation consists of two papers. In the first paper, I study the employment and welfare effects of shorttime work in Germany during the recession between 2008 and 2010. Short-time work is a government program that subsidizes part-time work during economic downturns. Using administrative data, I document that (i) take-up of short-time work is increasing in experience and tenure, (ii) almost all short-time workers return to full-time work, and (iii) short-time work is not associated with a long-term loss in earnings. I develop a model that is consistent with these facts. The model features search frictions, aggregate and idiosyncratic shocks, human capital, and an intensive margin. Productivity shocks differ in duration and magnitude, and when hit by an adverse temporary productivity shock, firms can curtail their losses by reducing working hours. Using the estimated model, I find that short-time work was important in reducing job loss during the recession. However, the welfare gains are modest, because workers who would have been laid off without short-time work are workers for whom the earnings loss associated with unemployment is low. In the second paper, I investigate how policy expectations interact with the employment effects associated with minimum wage increases. I provide evidence from federal and state minimum wage increases in the U.S. that minimum wage increases result in substantial negative employment effects when the increases are unanticipated and no employment effects when they are anticipated. The effects of unanticipated increases are further exacerbated when the increases are indexed to inflation. I then develop an equilibrium search model in which workers and firms have rational expectations of the future evolution of the minimum wage. Using the estimated model, I show that policy expectations are quantitatively important to understand the impact of minimum wage increases on employment. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Economics First Advisor Hanming Fang Subject Categories Economics This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/2610 ESSAYS IN LABOR ECONOMICS Jan Tilly A DISSERTATION in Economics Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2017 Supervisor of Dissertation Hanming Fang, Professor of Economics Graduate Group Chairperson Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Professor of Economics Dissertation Committee Hanming Fang, Professor of Economics Guido Menzio, Professor of Economics Andrew Shephard, Assistant Professor of Economics ESSAYS IN LABOR ECONOMICS
The Kadota Fund International Forum 2004–Clinical group consensus*

The results from experimental studies indicate that hyperthermia is both an effective complementary treatment to, and a strong sensitiser of, radiotherapy and many cytotoxic drugs. Since the first international hyperthermia conference in 1975, Washington DC, techniques to increase tumour temperature have been developed and tested clinically. Hyperthermia can be applied by several methods: local hyperthermia by external or internal energy sources, perfusion hyperthermia of organs, limbs, or body cavities, and whole body hyperthermia. The clinical value of hyperthermia in combination with other treatment modalities has been shown by randomised trials. Significant improvement in clinical outcome has been demonstrated for tumours of the head and neck, breast, brain, bladder, cervix, rectum, lung, oesophagus, for melanoma and sarcoma. The addition of hyperthermia resulted in remarkably higher (complete) response rates, accompanied by improved local tumour control rates, better palliative effects, and/or better overall survival rates. Toxicity from hyperthermia cannot always be avoided, but is usually of limited clinical relevance. In spite of these good clinical results, hyperthermia has received little attention. Problems with acceptance concern the limited availability of equipment, the lack of awareness concerning clinical results, and the lack of financial resources. In this paper the most relevant literature describing the clinical effects of hyperthermia is reviewed and discussed, and means to overcome the lack of awareness and use of this modality is described.
High‐resolution optical coherence tomography as a non‐destructive monitoring tool for the engineering of skin equivalents

Background: Three dimensional skin equivalents are widely used in dermatopharmacological and toxicological studies and as autologous transplants in wound healing. In pharmacology, there is tremendous need for monitoring the response of engineered skin equivalents to external treatment. Transplantation of skin equivalents for wound healing requires careful verification of their quality prior to transplantation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non‐contact, non‐destructive imaging technique for living tissues offering the potential to fulfill these needs. This work presents an analysis of OCT for high‐resolution monitoring of skin equivalents at different stages during the culture process.
In vitro simulation of immunosuppression caused by Trypanosoma brucei: active involvement of gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor in the pathway of suppression

Experimental infections of mice with the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei lead to a profound state of T-cell unresponsiveness in the lymph node cell (LNC) compartment. This suppression is mediated by macrophage-like cells which inhibit interleukin 2 (IL-2) secretion and down-regulate IL-2 receptor expression (M. Sileghem, A. Darji, R. Hamers, M. Van de Winkel, and P. De Baetselier, Eur. J. Immunol. 19:829-835, 1989). Similar suppressive cells can be generated in vitro by pulsing 2C11-12 macrophage hybridoma cells with opsonized T. brucei parasites (2C11-12P cells). Cocultures of 2C11-12P cells and LNCs secrete higher levels of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), and the hyperproduction of IFN-gamma was found to be confined to CD8+ lymphoid cells. Elimination of CD8+ cells from cocultures of 2C11-12P cells and LNCs restores the T-cell proliferative response. Furthermore, addition of neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma antibodies to the cocultures reduces the level of suppression and concomitantly restores the level of IL-2 receptor expression. Hence, IFN-gamma plays a cardinal role in this in vitro model for T. brucei-elicited immunosuppression. Cocultures of LNCs and 2C11-12P cells in a two-chamber culture system further demonstrated that cell-cell contact is required for hyperproduction of IFN-gamma and, moreover, that IFN-gamma cooperates with a 2C11-12P-derived diffusible factor to exert its suppressive activity. Finally, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha produced by 2C11-12P cells was found to be implicated in the hyperproduction of IFN-gamma, since addition of neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antibodies to cocultures reduced the level of suppression and concomitantly abrogated the hyperproduction of IFN-gamma. Collectively, our findings indicate that T. brucei-elicited suppressive 2C11-12 macrophage cells differentially influence T-cell subpopulations: (i) CD8+ cells are signaled via cell-cell contact to produce IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha is implicated in this process, and (ii) locally produced IFN-gamma and macrophage-released factors act in concert to inhibit CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell proliferative responses.
Credit Union Member Group Domination Under High Interest Rate Environments

Theoretical models for credit unions advocate that such organizations should pursue a neutral orientation in order to accommodate the conflicting interests of borrower members, who seek lower interest rates, and saver members, who look for higher returns on their savings. However, there is a lack of empirical support for such neutrality in high interest rate environments. This is because under such conditions, credit unions could accomplish their social mission by providing microcredit at a lower interest rate to local communities, thus becoming more borrower&#8208;dominated. This paper investigates the member group domination of credit unions in Brazil, a country known for its high interest rates, and finds that the majority of credit unions (78.34%) are borrower&#8208;dominated. This behavior becomes more pronounced when local interest rates rise, contradicting the predictions of neutrality&#8208;seeking models. A percentage increase in the interest rate, increases about 5 times the likelihood of a CU becoming extreme borrower&#8208;dominated. Besides interest rates, age, lower size, capital and lower efficiency of the credit unions are the main determinants of borrower domination.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Treatment of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia with Linezolid or Vancomycin in Spain

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of linezolid (LIN) versus vancomycin (VAN) for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using a decision model analysis from the National Health System perspective. Patients and participants comprising four subgroups were analyzed: all, Gram-positive (GP), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA). The treatments were LIN 600 mg i.v. , every 12 hours, 10 days and VAN 1,000 mg i.v. , every 12 hours 10 days. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness of LIN in terms of cost per added quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. The secondary outcome was the marginal cost per year of life saved (LYS) generated by using LIN. Clinical cure and survival rates estimates were derived from a retrospective analysis of two trials comparing LIN with VAN. QALY was based on time-trade off study. Resource use and unit costs (€2003) were obtained from Spanish VAP treatment and health cost databases. The additional QALY and LYS per LIN patients were 0.392; 0.688; 0.606; 1.805 and 0.471; 0.829; 0.729; 2.175 respectively, compared with those of VAN in the patients with VAP (all, GP, SA, and MRSA, respectively). The additional costs for LYS with LIN, as compared to VAN were 1,501.31; 827.63; 955.13 and 289.51 €, respectively. The additional cost per QALY with LIN was 1,803.87; 997.25; 1,149.00 and 348.85 €, respectively. Conclusions: LIN was more cost-effective than VAN in the treatment of VAP in Spain, with an additional cost per QALY/LYS gained below the acceptable threshold in Spain of € 30,000 for new therapies.
INTER-SPECIES EXTRAPOLATION OF SKIN HEATING RESULTING FROM MILLIMETER WAVE IRRADIATION: MODELING AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Abstract— This study reports measurements of the skin surface temperature elevations during localized irradiation (94 GHz) of three species: rat (irradiated on lower abdomen), rhesus monkey (posterior forelimb), and human (posterior forearm). Two exposure conditions were examined: prolonged, low power density microwaves (LPM) and short-term, high power density microwaves (HPM). Temperature histories were compared with calculations from a bio-heat transfer model. The mean peak surface temperature increase was approximately 7.0°C for the short-term HPM exposures for all three species/locations, and 8.5°C (monkey, human) to 10.5°C (rat) for the longer-duration LPM exposures. The HPM temperature histories are in close agreement with a one-dimensional conduction heat transfer model with negligible blood flow. The LPM temperature histories were compared with calculations from the bio-heat model, evaluated for various (constant) blood flow rates. Results suggest a variable blood flow model, reflecting a dynamic thermoregulatory response, may be more suited to describing skin surface temperature response under long-duration MMW irradiation.
And the Winner Is…A Comparison of Valuation Measures for Country Asset Allocation

The authors evaluate and compare the usefulness of various valuation ratios for country selection. To this end, the performance of 73 national equity indices is investigated for the period 1996 to 2017. The EBITDA-to-EV multiple is the best predictor of performance and outperforms other metrics. An equal-weighted portfolio that is long (short) in the tertile of countries with the highest (lowest) EBITDA-to-EV ratio produces a mean monthly return of 0.69% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.81. These are more than double the Sharpe ratios obtained from using traditional metrics such as the book-to-market ratio or dividend yield. Two major drawbacks of inter-country value strategies are identified: 1) payoffs are derived predominantly from emerging and frontier markets and 2) profitability has significantly declined in the last decade.
Dual inhibition of EGFR with afatinib and cetuximab in kinase inhibitor-resistant EGFR-mutant lung cancer with and without T790M mutations.

UNLABELLED EGFR-mutant lung cancers responsive to reversible EGFR inhibitors (gefitinib/erlotinib) develop acquired resistance, mediated by second-site EGFR T790M mutation in >50% of cases. Preclinically, afatinib (irreversible ErbB family blocker) plus cetuximab (anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody) overcomes T790M-mediated resistance. This phase Ib study combining afatinib and cetuximab enrolled heavily pretreated patients with advanced EGFR-mutant lung cancer and acquired resistance to erlotinib/gefitinib. Patients provided post-acquired-resistance tumor samples for profiling EGFR mutations. Among 126 patients, objective response rate (overall 29%) was comparable in T790M-positive and T790M-negative tumors (32% vs. 25%; P = 0.341). Median progression-free survival was 4.7 months (95% confidence interval, 4.3-6.4), and the median duration of confirmed objective response was 5.7 months (range, 1.8-24.4). Therapy-related grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 44%/2% of patients. Afatinib-cetuximab demonstrated robust clinical activity and a manageable safety profile in EGFR-mutant lung cancers with acquired resistance to gefitinib or erlotinib, both with and without T790M mutations, warranting further investigation. SIGNIFICANCE This article reports the results of a trial combining afatinib and cetuximab in patients with acquired resistance and details the first clinical proof-of-concept for the preclinical hypothesis that a significant proportion of tumors in patients with acquired resistance to gefitinib/erlotinib remain dependent on EGFR signaling for survival.
Correlations Between Central and Peripheral Changes in Anterior Corneal Topography After Myopic LASIK and Their Implications in Postsurgical Contact Lens Fitting

Purpose. To investigate the changes in central and peripheral anterior corneal curvatures after myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and to correlate them with the manifest refractive change to discuss how such results could affect post-LASIK corneal topography profiles and midterm stability and their implications in postsurgical contact lens fitting. Methods. Topographic and refractive data from 18 eyes of 11 patients that had undergone myopic LASIK were collected for 6 months after surgery. Short-term and midterm topographic responses were investigated and correlated with spherical equivalent manifest refractive changes. Results. There was a strong correlation between eccentricity changes and manifest refractive change 15 days after surgery (r2 = 0.753, P<0.001), with no significant changes thereafter for the following 6 months (r2 = 0.148, P=0.114). A strong linear relationship was found between baseline manifest refraction and changes in corneal curvature at the center (r2 = 0.810, P<0.001), 4-mm chord (r2 = 0.895, P<0.001), and 6-mm chord (r2 = 0.696, P<0.001). Statistically significant changes were also found after the first 15 days (P<0.005) and showed a regression effect that affects the three zones. In this case, a weaker relationship was found between curvature regression and the final refractive change for the central location (r2 = 0.412, P=0.004), 4-mm chord area (r2 = 0.430, P=0.003), and 6-mm chord area (r2 = 0.283, P=0.023). Conclusions. After myopic LASIK, the anterior corneal dioptric power is expected to change, on average, approximately 77% of the attempted spherical equivalent correction at the center; 60% at the 4-mm chord region, where the stronger correlation between topographic and refractive change is found; and 30% at the 6-mm chord area. The paracentral area 4 mm from the center seems to be more likely to predict baseline corneal curvature from manifest refractive change. Some degree of regression in the midterm period is expected to occur after myopic LASIK, which shows a significant correlation with the manifest refractive change. Again, this effect is more evident and more accurately predicted at the 4-mm chord area. The results of the current study are of interest for those fitting contact lenses after myopic LASIK.
Serial magnetic resonance scanning in multiple sclerosis: A second prospective study in relapsing patients

A prospective study of serial magnetic resonance (MR) scans of the brain was carried out every 2 weeks for 4 to 6 months in 9 patients with mild, clinically definite, relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Six of the 9 patients developed a total of 12 asymptomatic new lesions in various parts of the brain. In none of the patients were the changes on MR scan accompanied by relevant new neurological symptoms or signs. New MR lesions had a characteristic temporal profile, reaching a maximum size in approximately 4 weeks before gradually shrinking, usually leaving a small residual abnormality indistinguishable from chronic MS lesions. The frequent occurrence of new asymptomatic lesions indicates that MS may be a more active process even in mildly affected asymptomatic patients than has been previously realized. The results emphasize the potential importance of using MR scanning to measure disease activity in laboratory studies of MS and in the assessment of treatment, particularly in asymptomatic patients in the early stages. We suggest that the expanding and contracting new lesions are the basic or primary lesion in MS, that the characteristic demyelinated plaque is represented by the small residual area that these lesions shrink down to, and that the typical collection of scattered white matter lesions in chronic MS may represent the accumulated residua of dozens or more of these active lesions occurring over many years.
Titanium nanotubes stimulate osteoblast differentiation of stem cells from pulp and adipose tissue

Background: Titanium is the gold standard among materials used for prosthetic devices because of its good mechanical and chemical properties. When exposed to oxygen, titanium becomes an oxide, anatase that is biocompatible and able to induce osseointegration. Materials and Methods: In this study we compared the expression profiling of stem cells cultivated on two types of surface: Pure titanium disk and nanotube titanium disk in order to detect if nanotube titanium instead (NTD) surface stimulates stem cells towards osteoblast differentiation. Results: Stem cells cultivated on nanotube titanium disks showed the upregulation of bone-related genes RUNX2, FOSL1 and SPP1. Conclusions: Results demonstrated that nanotube titanium disk surface is more osteo-induced surface compared to titanium disk, promoting the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in osteoblasts.
Comparisons of Auricular Cartilage Tissues from Different Species

Objectives: Tissue engineering of auricular cartilage has great potential in providing readily available materials for reconstructive surgeries. As the field of tissue engineering moves forward to developing human tissues, there needs to be an interspecies comparison of the native auricular cartilage in order to determine a suitable animal model to assess the performance of engineered auricular cartilage in vivo. Methods: Here, we performed interspecies comparisons of auricular cartilage by comparing tissue microstructure, protein localization, biochemical composition, and mechanical properties of auricular cartilage tissues from rat, rabbit, pig, cow, and human. Results: Human, pig, and cow auricular cartilage have smaller lacunae compared to rat and rabbit cartilage (P < .05). Despite differences in tissue microstructure, human auricular cartilage has similar biochemical composition to both rat and rabbit. Auricular cartilage from pig and cow, alternatively, display significantly higher glycosaminoglycan and collagen contents compared to human, rat, and rabbit (P < .05). The mechanical properties of human auricular cartilage were comparable to that of all 4 animal species. Conclusions: This is the first study that compares the microstructural, biochemical, and mechanical properties of auricular cartilage from different species. This study showed that different experimental animal models of human auricular cartilage may be suitable in different cases.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF ANTENATAL BETAMETHASOME EXPOSURE ON RENAL FUNCTION IN ADULT SHEEP

Exposure to clinically relevant doses of glucocorticoids during fetal life increases blood pressure in adult male and female sheep. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to betamethasone at 80‐81 days of gestation on renal function in 17 ewes and 19 rams at 1.5 years of age. Basal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF), determined as clearance of inulin and p‐aminohppuric acid respectively were performed. An acute sodium load was administrated by a continuous infusion of hypertonic NaCl (0.0275 mEq/Kg/min) for 60 minutes. In males, basal GFR was decreased in betamethasone exposed group (B) (1.935 ± 0.08 ml/min/kg) compared with the vehicle (V) (2.267 ± 0.10 ml/min/kg) (P=0.028). In females, basal GFR was similar in both groups (1.832 ± 0.11 vs 2.133 ± 0.18 ml/min/kg). RPF was similar in B and V males (13.561 ± 0.88 vs 15.483 ± 0.40 ml/min/kg) and females (14.585 ± 0.92 in B vs 14.378 ± 1.20 ml/min/kg in V). Although basal urinary sodium excretion was similar, male B group excreted less of an acute sodium load (37.07 ± 4.4% of the dose of Na) compared with V group (53.65 ± 9.7%) (P=0.03). In contrast, prenatal betamethasone exposure in females had no effect on basal Na excretion or the percent of the Na dose excreted (98.08 ± 15.0% in B vs 92.22 ± 8.9% in V). GFR and RPF did not significantly change during the experiments. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids alters renal function in adult male sheep but not in females by decreasing GFR and reducing excretion of an acute sodium load. The gender difference in the renal effects of prenatal steroid exposure suggests different mechanisms are involved in the antenatal steroid‐induced elevation in blood pressure in males and females.