Money is the prime incentive considered in economic models. However, evidence from other fields suggests that people are also greatly concerned about their social rankings. It is unclear whether this is because rank brings tangible benefits, or because people also have an intrinsic desire for high rank. This paper provides evidence for the latter. In our field experiment, Vietnamese students pe...

This paper argues that existing models of urban concentrations are incomplete unless grounded in the most fundamental aspect of proximity; face-to-face contact. Face-to-face contact has four main features; it is an efficient communication technology; it can help solve incentive problems; it can facilitate socialization and learning; and it provides psychological motivation. We discuss each of t...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Survey-based epidemiologic studies suggest that restless legs syndrome (RLS) affects approximately 10% of the general population and can cause significantly reduced quality of life due to sleep disturbance. This condition is more prevalent in certain disease states, such as iron deficiency anemia, neuropathy, and renal insufficiency. No such prevalence data exists for RLS in li...

This study proposes a comprehensive framework for characterizing the economic model that underlies an entrepreneurial venture. The proposed framework includes four components: revenue drivers, operating leverage, margins, and volumes. Further, volumes and revenue drivers have two sub-components. A foundation for each is established. To test the framework, a survey instrument was developed and a...

In this paper we review evolutionary economic modelling in relation to environmental policy. We discuss three areas in which evolutionary economic models have a particularly high added value for environmental policy-making: the double externality problem, technological transitions and consumer demand. We explore the possibilities to apply evolutionary economic models in environmental policy ass...

The distribution of firm sizes is known to be heavy tailed. In order to account for this stylized fact, previous economic models have focused mainly on growth through investments in a company's own operations (internal growth). Thereby, the impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on the firm size (external growth) is often not taken into consideration, notwithstanding its potential large impac...

One of the main objectives of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is to ensure transparency in and knowledge of the world animal health situation. To achieve this objective, the OIE relies on its network of Member Countries, which is complemented by the activities of 221 Reference Laboratories (RLs) and Collaborating Centres. The RL mandate states that, in the case of positive result...

BACKGROUND Previous evidence indicates that inhalation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-containing with allergens induced mixed Th1 and Th17 cell responses in the airways. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanometer-sized spherical, lipid-bilayered structures and are recently in the public eye as an intercellular communicator in immune responses. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of EVs secreted by LP...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) contribute to recovery of damaged tissue. We have previously shown that porcine MSC-derived EVs transport mRNA and miRNA capable of modulating cellular pathways in recipient cells. To identify candidate factors that contribute to the therapeutic effects of porcine MSC-derived EVs, we characterized their protein car...

Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) is present in urine extracellular vesicles (EVs) and is a useful biomarker for water balance disorders. We previously found that pre-treatment of urine with alkali/detergent or storage at -25 °C is required for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurement. We speculated that disruptions of EVs membranes are necessary to allow for the direct contact of antibodies with...