bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Aspirations and Habits on the Distribution of Wealth
Authors: Caballé Jordi , Moro‐Egido Ana I. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWe analyze how the introduction of habits and aspirations affects the distribution of wealth when the labor productivity of individuals is subject to idiosyncratic shocks and when bequests arise from a joy‐of‐giving motive. In the presence of either bequests or aspirations, labor income shocks are transmitted intergenerationally, and this transmission, together with contemporaneous shocks, determines the distribution of wealth. We show that the introduction of aspirations (habits) decreases (increases) the average wealth, and increases (decreases) both its intragenerational variability and the degree of intergenerational mobility. Therefore, a distinction between aspirations and habits is relevant because they involve different implications for the distribution of wealth.
Foreign Acquisitions, Domestic Multinationals, and R&D
Authors: Bandick Roger , Görg Holger , Karpaty Patrik 
Published: October 2015

AbstractOur aim in this paper is to evaluate the causal effect of foreign acquisition on research and development (R&D) intensity in targeted domestic firms. We are able to distinguish domestic multinational enterprises (MNEs) and non‐MNEs, which allows us to investigate the fear that the change in ownership of domestic MNEs to foreign MNEs leads to a reduction in R&D activity in the country. Overall, our results give no support to the fears that foreign acquisition of domestic firms leads to a relocation of R&D activity in Swedish MNEs. Rather, in this paper, we find robust evidence that foreign acquisitions lead to increasing R&D intensity in acquired domestic MNEs and non‐MNEs.
Sensitivity of Job Destruction to Vintage and Tenure Effects
Authors: Kilponen Juha , Vanhala Juuso 
Published: October 2015

AbstractMatching models with endogenous job destruction typically deliver excessively volatile job destruction and moderate volatility of vacancies. In our model, vintage and tenure effects promote the creation of new matches that are temporarily more productive, while reducing the survival of temporarily less productive matches. This cleansing effect produces a counter‐cyclical inflow into unemployment, removes the strong response of job destruction to productivity shocks, and generates a downward‐sloping Beveridge curve, as in the data. The model also generates more volatility in vacancies, the job‐finding rate, and labor‐market tightness.
Optimal Forestry Contracts under Asymmetry of Information
Authors: Tatoutchoup Francis Didier 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, I analyze optimal royalty contracts in forestry when the harvesting firm has private information on the cost of harvesting. This infinite horizon forest rotation model with asymmetry of information on the cost parameter results in a dynamic incentive problem. Depending on whether the costs are correlated over time or not, the firm either receives rent or receives no rent, associated with the continuation part of the rotation choice. I characterize the optimal contract explicitly in both cases. I also examine the loss in expected welfare surplus resulting from the use of a linear contract instead of the more general non‐linear contract.
Endogenous Market Structures and International Trade: Theory and Evidence
Authors: Etro Federico 
Published: October 2015

AbstractUnder constant elasticity of substitution (CES) preferences and Cournot (or Bertrand) competition, a larger market induces exits of domestic firms, lower prices, and larger production of surviving firms because of competition from more foreign firms, even without resorting to the selection effects of Melitz. The elasticity of the number of firms to population decreases with substitutability between goods, and it reaches 0.5 under Cournot competition with homogeneous goods: empirical evidence supports this structural relation against the unitary elasticity of monopolistic competition. The results hold also in a Heckscher–Ohlin model with imperfect competition generating inter‐ and intra‐industry trade due to comparative advantage or comparative preferences.
Pay Growth, Fairness, and Job Satisfaction: Implications for Nominal and Real Wage Rigidity
Authors: Smith Jennifer C. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractTheories of wage rigidity often rely on a positive relationship between pay changes and utility, arising from concern for fairness or gift exchange. Supportive evidence has emerged from laboratory experiments, but the link has not yet been established with field data. This paper contributes a first step, using representative British data. Workers care about the level and the growth of earnings. Below‐median wage increases lead to an insult effect, except when similar workers have real wage reductions or when firm production is falling. Nominal pay cuts appear to be insulting even when the firm is doing badly.
Migration, Friendship Ties, and Cultural Assimilation
Authors: Facchini Giovanni , Patacchini Eleonora , Steinhardt Max F. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWe study immigrant assimilation by analyzing whether friendship with natives is a measure of cultural assimilation, and by investigating the formation of social ties. Using the German Socio‐Economic Panel, we find that immigrants with a German friend are more similar to natives than those without German friends, along several important dimensions, including concerns about the economy, an interest in politics, and a host of policy issues. Turning to friendship acquisition, we find that becoming employed, time spent in the host country, the birth of a child, residential mobility, and additional education acquired in the host country are significant drivers of social network variation.
Migrants' Home Town Associations and Local Development in Mali
Authors: Chauvet Lisa , Gubert Flore , Mercier Marion , Mesplé‐Somps Sandrine 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWe explore the impact of migrants' Home Town Associations (HTAs) on the provision of public goods in Mali. We combine an original dataset on all the HTAs created by Malian migrants in France from 1981 with census data on public goods in all Malian villages since 1976, and we run double‐difference estimations to compare villages with and without an HTA, before and after the creation of the HTAs. We find robust evidence that the provision of schools, health centers, and, to a lesser extent, water amenities has increased significantly faster in villages targeted by an HTA between 1987 and 2009 than in control villages.
Impact of Low‐Skilled Immigration on Female Labour Supply
Authors: Forlani Emanuele , Lodigiani Elisabetta , Mendolicchio Concetta 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, segmenting the market by educational levels, we investigate which native‐born women are more affected by an increase of low‐skilled immigrants working in the household service sector. We present a model of individual choice with home production and, using a harmonized dataset (the Cross‐National Equivalent File), we estimate its main comparative static results. The results suggest that the share of immigrants working in services is positively associated with an increase of native‐born women's labour supply at the intensive margin, if skilled, and at the extensive margin, if unskilled. Moreover, the results show that these effects are larger in countries with less‐supportive family policies.
Migration, Unemployment, and Skill Downgrading
Authors: Muysken Joan , Vallizadeh Ehsan , Ziesemer Thomas 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we analyze the labor market impacts of immigration under flexible and rigid labor market regimes. A general equilibrium framework is developed, accounting for skill heterogeneity and labor market frictions, where unemployed medium‐skilled manufacturing workers are downgraded into low‐skilled service jobs, while low‐skilled service workers might end up unemployed. The analytical analysis shows that medium‐skill immigration decreases low‐skilled unemployment under the flexible regime, indicating a complementarity effect, while the rigid regime induces a substitution effect, leading to low‐skilled unemployment. Moreover, it leads to wage polarization. In a numerical analysis, the economic effects of different migration scenarios are quantified.
Participation, Recruitment Selection, and the Minimum Wage
Authors: Gavrel Frédéric 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we re‐examine the efficiency of participation with heterogeneous workers in a search‐matching model with bargained wages and free entry. Assuming that firms hire their best applicants, we show that participation is always too low. The reason for this is a hold‐up phenomenon: to be active, a worker must pay the entire search cost whereas part of the gain from this investment goes to the firm. As a consequence, introducing a (small) minimum wage raises participation, job creation, and employment. Therefore, net aggregate income of the economy is increased.
The Impact of School Lunches on Primary School Enrollment: Evidence from India's Midday Meal Scheme
Authors: Jayaraman Rajshri , Simroth Dora 
Published: October 2015

AbstractAt the end of 2001, the Indian Supreme Court issued a directive ordering states to institute school lunches – known locally as “midday meals” – in government primary schools. In this paper we provide a large‐scale assessment of the enrollment effects of India's midday meal scheme, which offers warm lunches, free of cost, to 120 million primary school children across India, and is the largest school feeding program in the world. To isolate the causal effect of the policy, we make use of its staggered implementation across Indian states in government but not private schools. Using a panel dataset of more than 420,000 schools observed annually from 2002 to 2004, we find that midday meals result in substantial increases in primary school enrollment, driven by early primary school responses to the program. Our results are robust to a wide range of specification tests.
What Drives the Historical Formation and Persistent Development of Territorial States?
Authors: Ang James B. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe importance of the length of state history for understanding variations in income levels and growth rates across countries has received a lot of attention in the recent literature on long‐run comparative development. The literature, however, is silent about its origins. This paper explores the determinants of statehood by considering the potential roles of an early transition to fully‐fledged agricultural production, the adoption of state‐of‐the‐art military innovations, and the opportunity for economic interaction with the regional economic leader. The results demonstrate that only the association between economic interaction and the rise and development of the state is statistically robust.
Empirical Evidence on the Relationship between Mobile Termination Rates and Firms' Profits
Authors: Andersson Kjetil , Foros Øystein , Hansen Bjørn 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe theoretical literature on mobile termination rates (MTRs) is inconclusive on how the level of MTRs affects overall consumer charges and firms' profits. We show that when firms offer bundles with fixed included usage – a tariff structure that has become more common in recent years – an identical change in all MTRs does not affect firms' retail prices or profits. We use a panel dataset from saturated European markets to estimate the effect of MTRs on mobile operators' profits. As predicted by the theoretical model, we cannot reject the fact that firms' profits are unaffected by an identical change in all MTRs.
Effects of HLA‐DPB1 genotypes on chronic hepatitis B infection in Japanese individuals
Authors: Nishida N. , Ohashi J. , Sugiyama M. , Tsuchiura T. , Yamamoto K. , Hino K. , Honda M. , Kaneko S. , Yatsuhashi H. , Koike K. , Yokosuka O. , Tanaka E. , Taketomi A. , Kurosaki M. , Izumi N. , Sakamoto N. , Eguchi Y. , Sasazuki T. , Tokunaga K. , Mizokami M. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractSignificant associations of HLA‐DP alleles with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection are evident in Asian and Arabian populations, including Japanese, Han Chinese, Korean, and Saudi Arabian populations. Here, significant associations between CHB infection and five DPB1 alleles (two susceptibility alleles, DPB1*05:01 and *09:01, and three protective alleles, DPB1*02:01, *04:01, and *04:02) were confirmed in a population comprising of 2582 Japanese individuals. Furthermore, odds ratios for CHB were higher for those with both DPB1 susceptibility alleles than for those with only one susceptibility allele; therefore, effects of susceptibility alleles were additive for risk of CHB infection. Similarly, protective alleles showed an additive effect on protection from CHB infection. Moreover, heterozygotes of any protective allele showed stronger association with CHB than did homozygotes, suggesting that heterozygotes may bind a greater variety of hepatitis B‐derived peptides, and thus present these peptides more efficiently to T‐cell receptors than homozygotes. Notably, compound heterozygote of the protective allele (any one of DPB1*02:01, *04:01, and *04:02) and the susceptible allele DPB1*05:01 was significantly associated with protection against CHB infection, which indicates that one protective HLA‐DPB1 molecule can provide dominant protection. Identification of the HLA‐DPB1 genotypes associated with susceptibility to and protection from CHB infection is essential for future analysis of the mechanisms responsible for immune recognition of hepatitis B virus antigens by HLA‐DPB1 molecules.
Vigorous inflammatory responses in noninfectious pulmonary complication induced by donor lymphocyte infusion
Authors: Nishie Miyuki , Fujii Nobuharu , Mimura Yusuke , Asano Takeru , Mimura‐Kimura Yuka , Aoe Keisuke , Aoe Michinori , Nakashima Hiromi , Fujiwara Hideaki , Nishimori Hisakazu , Matsuoka Ken‐Ichi , Kondo Eisei , Maeda Yoshinobu , Tanimoto Mitsune 
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUNDDonor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) is used for treatment of hematologic malignancy relapse or mixed chimerism after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Although graft‐versus‐host disease is well recognized as one of the adverse effects of DLI, there are limited reports on noninfectious pulmonary complications (NIPCs) after DLI.CASE REPORTA 55‐year‐old woman with acute myeloid leukemia received DLI for conversion from recipient predominant to complete donor chimerism on Day +193 after allogeneic HSCT. Eight weeks later, she complained of dyspnea with fever; chest computed tomography revealed diffuse, bilateral, ground glass opacity and reticular appearance. She was diagnosed as having NIPC based on serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) findings. She was successfully treated with prednisolone (PSL) and completely recovered.DISCUSSIONWe analyzed the cell profile from the BALF and 27 cytokines and chemokines in the serum using the Bio‐Plex platform. The cells consisted of recipient predominant macrophages and T cells. The serum cytokine and chemokine profile showed significant elevation of interleukin (IL)−1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, tumor necrosis factor‐α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)−1α, and MIP‐1β, which declined with the improvement of symptoms after initiation of PSL treatment.CONCLUSIONInflammatory effectors by recipient cells, rather than allogeneic responses by donor cells, played an important role in the pathogenesis of NIPCs after DLI in the present case.
Systematic evaluation of photodetector performance for plastic scintillation dosimetry
Authors: Boivin Jonathan , Beddar Sam , Guillemette Maxime , Beaulieu Luc 
Published: October 2015

Purpose:The authors’ objective was to systematically assess the performance of seven photodetectors used in plastic scintillation dosimetry. The authors also propose some guidelines for selecting an appropriate detector for a specific application.Methods:The plastic scintillation detector (PSD) consisted of a 1‐mm diameter, 10‐mm long plastic scintillation fiber (BCF‐60), which was optically coupled to a clear 10‐m long optical fiber of the same diameter. A light‐tight plastic sheath covered both fibers and the scintillator end was sealed. The clear fiber end was connected to one of the following photodetectors: two polychromatic cameras (one with an optical lens and one with a fiber optic taper replacing the lens), a monochromatic camera with an optical lens, a PIN photodiode, an avalanche photodiode (APD), or a photomultiplier tube (PMT). A commercially available W1 PSD was also included in the study, but it relied on its own fiber and scintillator. Each PSD was exposed to both low‐energy beams (120, 180, and 220 kVp) from an orthovoltage unit and high‐energy beams (6 and 23 MV) from a linear accelerator. Various dose rates were tested to identify the operating range and accuracy of each photodetector.Results:For all photodetectors, the relative uncertainty was less than 5% for dose rates higher than 3 mGy/s. The cameras allowed multiple probes to be used simultaneously, but they are less sensitive to low‐light signals. The PIN, APD, and PMT had higher sensitivity, making them more suitable for low dose rate and out‐of‐field dose monitoring. The relative uncertainty of the PMT was less than 1% at the lowest dose rate achieved (0.10 mGy/s), suggesting that it was optimal for use in live dosimetry.Conclusions:For dose rates higher than 3 mGy/s, the PIN diode is the most effective photodetector in terms of performance/cost ratio. For lower dose rates, such as those seen in interventional radiology or high‐gradient radiotherapy, PMTs are the optimal choice.
Semiautomatic segmentation of liver metastases on volumetric CT images
Authors: Yan Jiayong , Schwartz Lawrence H. , Zhao Binsheng 
Published: October 2015

Purpose:Accurate segmentation and quantification of liver metastases on CT images are critical to surgery/radiation treatment planning and therapy response assessment. To date, there are no reliable methods to perform such segmentation automatically. In this work, the authors present a method for semiautomatic delineation of liver metastases on contrast‐enhanced volumetric CT images.Methods:The first step is to manually place a seed region‐of‐interest (ROI) in the lesion on an image. This ROI will (1) serve as an internal marker and (2) assist in automatically identifying an external marker. With these two markers, lesion contour on the image can be accurately delineated using traditional watershed transformation. Density information will then be extracted from the segmented 2D lesion and help determine the 3D connected object that is a candidate of the lesion volume. The authors have developed a robust strategy to automatically determine internal and external markers for marker‐controlled watershed segmentation. By manually placing a seed region‐of‐interest in the lesion to be delineated on a reference image, the method can automatically determine dual threshold values to approximately separate the lesion from its surrounding structures and refine the thresholds from the segmented lesion for the accurate segmentation of the lesion volume. This method was applied to 69 liver metastases (1.1–10.3 cm in diameter) from a total of 15 patients. An independent radiologist manually delineated all lesions and the resultant lesion volumes served as the “gold standard” for validation of the method's accuracy.Results:The algorithm received a median overlap, overestimation ratio, and underestimation ratio of 82.3%, 6.0%, and 11.5%, respectively, and a median average boundary distance of 1.2 mm.Conclusions:Preliminary results have shown that volumes of liver metastases on contrast‐enhanced CT images can be accurately estimated by a semiautomatic segmentation method.
Radiotherapy for stage I seminoma of the testis: Organ equivalent dose to partially in‐field structures and second cancer risk estimates on the basis of a mechanistic, bell‐shaped, and plateau model
Authors: Mazonakis Michalis , Varveris Charalambos , Lyraraki Efrossyni , Damilakis John 
Published: October 2015

Purpose:The aim of the current study was to (a) calculate the organ equivalent dose (OED) and (b) estimate the associated second cancer risk to partially in‐field critical structures from adjuvant radiotherapy for stage I seminoma of the testis on the basis of three different nonlinear risk models.Methods:Three‐dimensional plans were created for twelve patients who underwent a treatment planning computed tomography of the abdomen. The plans for irradiation of seminoma consisted of para‐aortic anteroposterior and posteroanterior fields giving 20 Gy to the target site with 6 MV photons. The OED of stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, and kidneys, that were partially included in the treatment volume, was calculated using differential dose–volume histograms. The mechanistic, bell‐shaped, and plateau models were employed for these calculations provided that organ‐specific parameters were available for the subsequent assessment of the excess absolute risk (EAR) for second cancer development. The estimated organ‐specific lifetime risks were compared with the respective nominal intrinsic probabilities for cancer induction.Results:The mean OED, which was calculated from the patients’ treatment plans, varied from 0.54 to 6.61 Gy by the partially in‐field organ of interest and the model used for dosimetric calculations. The difference between the OED of liver derived from the mechanistic model with those from the bell‐shaped and plateau models was less than 1.8%. An even smaller deviation of 1.0% was observed for colon. For the rest organs of interest, the differences between the OED values obtained by the examined models varied from 8.6% to 50.0%. The EAR for stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, and kidney cancer induction at an age of 70 yr because of treatment of a typical 39‐yr‐old individual was up to 4.24, 11.39, 0.91, 3.04, and 0.14 per 10 000 persons‐yr, respectively. Patient's irradiation was found to elevate the lifetime intrinsic risks by 8.3%–63.0% depending upon the organ of interest and the model employed for risk analysis.Conclusions:Radiotherapy for stage I seminoma of the testis may result in an excess risk for the appearance of secondary malignancies in partially in‐field organs. The organ‐ and model‐dependent second cancer risk assessments of this study may be of value for patient counseling and follow‐up.
Changes in Passive Tension of the Hamstring Muscles During a Simulated Soccer Match
Authors: Marshall Paul W.M. , Lovell Ric , Siegler Jason C. 
Published: October 2015

Purpose:Passive muscle tension is increased after damaging eccentric exercise. Hamstring-strain injury is associated with damaging eccentric muscle actions, but no research has examined changes in hamstring passive muscle tension throughout a simulated sport activity. The authors measured hamstring passive tension throughout a 90-min simulated soccer match (SAFT90), including the warm-up period and every 15 min throughout the 90-min simulation.Methods:Passive hamstring tension of 15 amateur male soccer players was measured using the instrumented straight-leg-raise test. Absolute torque (Nm) and slope (Nm/°) of the recorded torque-angular position curve were used for data analysis, in addition to total leg range of motion (ROM). Players performed a 15-min prematch warm-up, then performed the SAFT90 including a 15-min halftime rest period.Results:Reductions in passive stiffness of 20–50° of passive hip flexion of 22.1−29.2% (P < .05) were observed after the warm-up period. During the SAFT90, passive tension increased in the latter 20% of the range of motion of 10.1−10.9% (P < .05) concomitant to a 4.5% increase in total hamstring ROM (P = .0009).Conclusions:The findings of this study imply that hamstring passive tension is reduced after an active warm-up that includes dynamic stretching but does not increase in a pattern suggestive of eccentric induced muscle damage during soccer-specific intermittent exercise. Hamstring ROM and passive tension increases are best explained by improved stretch tolerance.