Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flunking Spore

The blockbuster video game Spore is being marketed as a science-based adventure that brings evolution, cell biology, and even astrophysics to the masses. But after grading the game's science with a team of researchers, the Gonzo Scientist has some bad news. The blockbuster video game Spore is being marketed as a science-based adventure that brings evolution, cell biology, and even astrophysics to the masses. But after grading the game's science with a team of researchers, the Gonzo Scientist has some bad news.
Fear during labor

Background. The aims of the present study were to compare primiparous and multiparous women’s experiences of fear of delivery during an early stage of active labor (cervix dilatation 3–5 centimeters) and to study whether fear of delivery, measured during the early stage of active labor, was a predictor of the amount of pain relief received during the remaining part of labor (cervix dilatation 5 cm – partus), of the duration of the remaining part of labor, and of the occurrence of instrumental vaginal delivery and emergency cesarean section.
Recent Declines in Labor's Share in US Income: A Preliminary Neoclassical Account

As shown in the 1930s by Hicks and Robinson the elasticity of substitution (`sigma`) is a key parameter that captures whether capital and labor are gross complements or substitutes. Establishing the magnitude of `sigma` is vital, not only for explaining changes in the distribution of income between factors but also for undertaking policy measures to influence it. Several papers have explained the recent decline in labor's share in income by claiming that `sigma` is greater than one and that there has been capital deepening. This paper presents evidence that refutes these claims. It shows that despite a rise in measured capital-labor ratios, labor-augmenting technical change in the US has been sufficiently rapid that effective capital-labor ratios have actually fallen in the sectors and industries that account for the largest portion of the declining labor share in income since 1980. In combination with estimates that corroborate the consensus in the literature that σ is less than 1, these declines in the effective capital ratio can account for much of the recent fall in labor's share in US income at both the aggregate and industry level. Paradoxically, these results also suggest that increased capital formation would raise labor's share in income.
The school nurse's role in treatment of the student with autism spectrum disorders.

PURPOSE Some healthcare concerns have been found to be commonly associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Identification and treatment of these medical issues can improve the functioning of the child with ASD. This article will offer practical suggestions for the school nurse. CONCLUSIONS As a "front-line" medical professional in the schools, the school nurse is positioned to provide guidance on implementing interventions for the student with ASD. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS By being knowledgeable about current research and treatment options for the various associated medical conditions, the school nurse can help the student achieve academic success in the school setting.
Abnormalities of the Respiratory Function and Control of Ventilation in Patients with Anorexia nervosa

Background: Anorexia nervosa is a good model to study the effects of malnutrition on the respiratory system, since it excludes the consequences that some chronic diseases can have on the lung. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess pulmonary function and alterations in the respiratory system in patients with anorexia nervosa. Methods: Twenty-two women, 12 with anorexia nervosa and 10 healthy volunteers, were studied. Anthropometric data were gathered for all the participants. In every case, an arterial blood gas test and functional respiratory study, that included spirometry, plethysmography, measure of maximum muscular respiratory pressure and study of the ventilatory pattern at baseline and after hypercapnic stimulation, were performed. Results: No significant differences were found in mean age and height in both groups of patients but there was a difference in body mass index (p < 0.05). In pulmonary function tests, an increase in residual volume (RV), RV/total lung capacity (TLC) ratio and functional residual capacity and a decrease in maximum respiratory pressure were found in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Differences were also found in the ventilatory pattern, with a reduction in minute ventilation and occlusion pressure as well as a decreased response of these parameters to hypercapnic stimulation (p < 0.05) in the patients with anorexia nervosa. Conclusion: In patients with anorexia nervosa, a significant elevation in RV, in the RV/TLC ratio and in functional residual capacity and a decrease in the maximum respiratory pressure were noted. In addition, they present an alteration in the central respiratory drive and a response of the respiratory system to hypercapnic stimulation. Although these alterations have no repercussion on the maintenance of gas exchange in baseline conditions, they may have in extreme situations.
Cultures, organizations and philanthropy

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine the influence of corporate culture on the practice of corporate philanthropy in a global environment.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses content analysis of corporate texts and media; interviews with global philanthropy practitioners.Findings – The paper finds that: corporate philanthropy is a reflector of corporate values; global corporate philanthropists have a history of commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities; global companies practice international philanthropy; program delivery differs as a reflection of corporate history, values, mission, and business drivers; global corporations utilize CSR to gain and maintain their “license to operate”; and corporate cultural learning is pursued as an explicit activity; cross‐cultural learning is generally perceived as an implicit outcome. CSR shares values, opportunity for integrated cultural learning.Research limitations/implications – This research is not generalizable. Its fi.
The unidirectional hypoxia‐activated prodrug OCT1002 inhibits growth and vascular development in castrate‐resistant prostate tumors

OCT1002 is a unidirectional hypoxia‐activated prodrug (uHAP) OCT1002 that can target hypoxic tumor cells. Hypoxia is a common feature in prostate tumors and is known to drive disease progression and metastasis. It is, therefore, a rational therapeutic strategy to directly target hypoxic tumor cells in an attempt to improve treatment for this disease. Here we tested OCT1002 alone and in combination with standard‐of‐care agents in hypoxic models of castrate‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).
Characterization of dull1, a Maize Gene Coding for a Novel Starch Synthase

The maize dull1 (du1) gene is a determinant of the structure of endosperm starch, and du1– mutations affect the activity of two enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis, starch synthase II (SSII) and starch branching enzyme IIa (SBEIIa). Six novel du1– mutations generated in Mutator-active plants were identified. A portion of the du1 locus was cloned by transposon tagging, and a nearly full-length Du1 cDNA sequence was determined. Du1 codes for a predicted 1674-residue protein, comprising one portion that is similar to SSIII of potato, as well as a large unique region. Du1 transcripts are present in the endosperm during the time of starch biosynthesis, but the mRNA was undetectable in leaf or root tissue. The predicted size of the Du1 gene product and its expression pattern are consistent with those of maize SSII. The Du1 gene product contains two repeated regions in its unique N terminus. One of these contains a sequence identical to a conserved segment of SBEs. We conclude that Du1 codes for a starch synthase, most likely SSII, and that secondary effects of du1– mutations, such as reduction of SBEIIa, result from the primary deficiency in this starch synthase.
Statistical Adequacy and the Testing of Trend Versus Difference Stationarity

Abstract The debate on whether macroeconomic series are trend or difference stationary, initiated by Nelson and Plosser [Nelson, C. R. ; Plosser, C. I. (1982). Trends and random walks in macroeconomic time series: some evidence and implications. Journal of Monetary Economics10:139–162] remains unresolved. The main objective of the paper is to contribute toward a resolution of this issue by bringing into the discussion the problem of statistical adequacy. The paper revisits the empirical results of Nelson and Plosser [Nelson, C. R. ; Plosser, C. I. (1982). Trends and random walks in macroeconomic time series: some evidence and implications. Journal of Monetary Economics10:139–162] and Perron [Perron, P. (1989). The great crash, the oil price shock, and the unit root hypothesis. Econometrica57:1361–1401] and shows that several of their estimated models are misspecified. Respecification with a view to ensuring statistical adequacy gives rise to heteroskedastic AR(k) models for some of the price series. Based on estimated models which are statistically adequate, the main conclusion of the paper is that the majority of the data series are trend stationary.
Downstream processing of cell culture-derived virus particles

Manufacturing of cell culture-derived virus particles for vaccination and gene therapy is a rapidly growing field in the biopharmaceutical industry. The process involves a number of complex tasks and unit operations ranging from selection of host cells and virus strains for the cultivation in bioreactors to the purification and formulation of the final product. For the majority of cell culture-derived products, efforts focused on maximization of bioreactor yields, whereas design and optimization of downstream processes were often neglected. Owing to this biased focus, downstream procedures today often constitute a bottleneck in various manufacturing processes and account for the majority of the overall production costs. For efficient production methods, particularly in sight of constantly increasing economic pressure within human healthcare systems, highly productive downstream schemes have to be developed. Here, we discuss unit operations and downstream trains to purify virus particles for use as vaccines and vectors for gene therapy.
Zeroing In: Asset Pricing Near the Zero Lower Bound

This paper analyzes the effect of the Zero Lower Bound (ZLB) on asset prices, risk premia, and the co-movement of asset returns using a New Keynesian framework with nominal rigidities. I ﬁnd that the presence of the ZLB generates a new source of macroeconomic risk: the risk that the ZLB will be binding in the future. When the monetary policy rate is high, stocks and bonds are both risky, and bond risk premia are high. In contrast, at the ZLB, stock market risk increases but bond risk decreases. When the probability of the ZLB binding in the near future increases, investors cut spending to increase savings. This lowers current and future output and dividends. Lower expected dividends and higher equity risk premia lower current stock prices. Simultaneously, investors expect future short rates and bond risk premia to drop which raise long-term bond prices. These opposite exposures to the same ZLB risk sharply lower the correlation between stock and bond returns. In fact, the stock-bond correlation turns negative. I develop and calibrate a model that endogenously generates these observed changes while respecting unconditional macroeconomic and asset pricing moments.
Fast simulation and optimization of pulse-train chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has been increasingly applied to detect dilute solutes and physicochemical properties, with promising in vivo applications. Whereas CEST imaging has been implemented with continuous wave (CW) radio-frequency irradiation on preclinical scanners, pulse-train irradiation is often chosen on clinical systems. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize pulse-train CEST imaging, particularly important for translational studies. Because conventional Bloch–McConnell formulas are not in the form of homogeneous differential equations, the routine simulation approach simulates the evolving magnetization step by step, which is time consuming. Herein we developed a computationally efficient numerical solution using matrix iterative analysis of homogeneous Bloch–McConnell equations. The proposed algorithm requires simulation of pulse-train CEST MRI magnetization within one irradiation repeat, with 99% computation time reduction from that of conventional approach under typical experimental conditions. The proposed solution enables determination of labile proton ratio and exchange rate from pulse-train CEST MRI experiment, within 5% from those determined from quantitative CW-CEST MRI. In addition, the structural similarity index analysis shows that the dependence of CEST contrast on saturation pulse flip angle and duration between simulation and experiment was 0.98 ± 0.01, indicating that the proposed simulation algorithm permits fast optimization and quantification of pulse-train CEST MRI.
Bank Capital Requirements, Business Cycle Fluctuations and the Basel Accords: A Synthesis

Abstract In order to survey the mechanisms through which the introduction of Basel II bank capital requirements is likely to accentuate the procyclical tendencies of banking, this paper brings together the theoretical literature on the bank capital channel of propagation of exogenous shocks and the literature on the regulatory framework of capital requirements under the Basel Accords. We conclude that the theoretical models that revisit the bank capital channel under the new accord generally support the Basel II procyclicality hypothesis and that the magnitude of the procyclical effects essentially depends on (i) the composition of banks' asset portfolios, (ii) the approach adopted by banks to compute their minimum capital requirements, (iii) the nature of the rating system used by banks, (iv) the view adopted concerning how credit risk evolves through time, (v) the capital buffers over the regulatory minimum held by the banking institutions, (vi) the improvements in credit risk management and (vii) the supervisor and market intervention under Basel II. The recent events and instability in financial markets all over the world have led the procyclicality issue to enter the agendas of several political international fora and some measures to mitigate procyclicality are being put forward. The bank capital channel literature should now play an important role in evaluating their effectiveness.
Reform of the Stability and Growth Pact: Reducing or Increasing the Nuisance

This paper aims at providing a quantitative assessment of different proposals for reforming the Stability and Growth Pact by extending a counterfactual experiment performed in Eichengreen and Wyplosz (1998). Using estimated coefficients from a reduced form model, we simulate the path of the output gap for the largest Euro zone countries (France, Germany, Italy) after imposing limits to structural deficit according to different fiscal rules (structural deficit rules, golden rules and rules that incorporate the stock of debt). For each of these countries we can rank the different reform proposals in terms of output loss over the period considered. Our analysis has the merit of using a uniform method and hence allow a comparison across countries and across rules. The main results of the experiment, which emerge robustly, are (a), that the golden rule would be the most beneficial both using individual country's criteria and global criteria; and (b) that the status quo, the Maastricht rule, is less restrictive than many currently debated alternatives.
Market and Product Diversification: The Evidence From Retailing

This study explored the number of international regions in which retailers operate, the assortment of product categories they offer their customers, and the effects of these market and product category diversification strategies on retail sales volumes. The analysis used sales data about 246 global large-scale retail stores from diverse industries and countries of origin. We found that both strategies have positive effects on retail sales volumes. The two strategies interact such that the positive effect of market expansion on retail sales volumes is larger for retailers who also follow a strategy of greater product category diversity.
In Work, At Home: Towards an Understanding of Homeworking

More and more people are choosing to earn a living at home. In Work, At Home explores the meaning and experience of this type of employment by covering a wide range of issues including: * social relationships * current research methodologies * statistical analyses of global labour markets * the emotional and psychological processes of self-management * home relations. Presenting statistical analyses of labour markets in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, In Work, At Home provides a valuable introduction to the issues and debates surrounding homeworking and will appeal to students across a range of disciplines, including sociology, business studies and women's studies.
Examining the effects of weight loss on energy expenditure in humans

Background: Adaptive thermogenesis posits that the changes in resting EE (energy expenditure) are greater than what can be expected from changes of body mass, i.e. fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM). Numerous studies have shown resting EE to fall out of proportion to changes in body mass but controversy persists. Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to investigate whether there is a greater than predicted decrease in resting EE during weight loss in a large sample size through a systematic review. Methods: Data was selected from a prior systematic review involving 815 subjects who were analyzed for weight loss-induced changes in resting EE, FM and FFM. The study data were weighted and a multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of changes of FM and FFM on both the absolute and relative decreases in resting EE during weight loss. Another subgroup of studies (n = 1450) from which all necessary information was available was analyzed and compared against the Harris-Benedict prediction equation to determine whether the changes in resting EE were greater than what was expected. Results: 815 subjects lost 9.4 ± 5.5 kg (p < 0.01) with a mean resting EE decline of 126.4 ± 78.1 kcal/d (p < 0.01). Changes in FM and FFM explained 57% of the variance seen in absolute resting EE changes during weight loss (p < 0.01). Analysis of the 1450 subject subgroup indicated an approximately 29.1% greater than predicted decrease in resting EE when compared to the Harris Benedict prediction equation (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This analysis provides more evidence in favour of adaptive modifications during weight loss that result in greater than expected decreases in resting EE than can be predicted through changes in FM and FFM alone.
Determinants of Korean and Japanese New Product Performance: An Interrelational and Process View

Firms in South Korea and Japan are designing and introducing new products to global markets, contributing to their strong export-led economic growth. To better understand how Korean and Japanese firms are succeeding, the authors conducted a study on new product development. They surveyed product developers in both countries about how strategic, organizational, and process factors influence new product performance (NPP). The authors learned that the determinants of NPP are interrelated and that the new product development process itself is central, namely the stages of initiation and implementation. These two stages directly determine NPP, though initiation appears to be more important. The stages are strengthened by factors such as customer orientation, cross-functional integration, and new product team proficiency; however, the effects are not uniform. Although the model and hypotheses are largely supported, indicating that, in general, they describe South Korean and Japanese new product development, the authors found a few differences between the countries.
Means‐tested higher education? The English university bursary mess

The UK government wishes to increase participation in higher education to 50%, with a key target group being students from ‘non‐traditional’ backgrounds. At the same time, top‐up fees have been introduced. Following the fierce parliamentary debates which threatened to derail the passage of the Higher Education Bill 2004, an amendment was introduced requiring universities to spend some fee income on bursaries, monitored by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA). English universities now offer a bewildering array of bursaries and scholarships and benefits in kind worth some £350m a year. Eligibility may depend on family income, exam performance or subjects studied. Student finance is made even more complicated to navigate by the choices to be made between student loans, commercial loans and earning by working, and difficulties understanding when and how these will be paid back. The failure of eligible individuals to claim income‐related benefits they are entitled to has been a long‐standing concern within social security policy. This article uses theory from the literature on benefit take‐up to explore as a case study the probable effectiveness of the English student financial support system on increasing access to higher education. We conclude that despite OFFA's claims for it, the current system is unsatisfactory for attracting students from lower‐income backgrounds, and suggest the implications for action for policy makers and managers.
Effect of High Corporate Tax Rate on the Liquidity of Corporate Organizations in Nigeria-A Study of some Selected Corporate Organizations.

The study was carried-out to analyse the effect of high corporate tax rate on the liquidity of corporate organizations in Nigeria. The related literatures were reviewed. The population of study comprises the selected corporate organizations while the sample size of the study is fourty one (41). Taro Yamane sampling technique was adopted because it ensures a satisfactory degree of representativeness and unbiasness. A number of statistical tools including tables and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analysed the data and test the hypothesis formulated. The study revealed that, the burden of high corporate tax falls on the corporate organisations as it affects their liquidity, but the incidence of high corporate tax rate falls on the customers and suppliers through forward and backward shifting of prices- all things being equal. It is therefore, recommended that, the Nigeria corporate tax rate of 30% should be reduce below OECD average corporate tax rate of 25.32% to avert the negative economic effects of high corporate tax rate on the long-run and also the government should strengthen the Bank of Industry to close the funding gap in the corporate organisations.