Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leptomeningeal disease in AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Objective: To evaluate clinicopathological features associated with leptomeningeal disease in systemic AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and to compare outcomes to those without leptomeningeal disease. In addition to evaluate intrathecal chemoprophylaxis for patients with good immunological parameters and high risk of meningeal relapse (bone marrow, paraspinal or paranasal involvement or Burkitt's lymphoma histology). Design and methods: Prospective data, which has been collected on our cohort of 8640 HIV seropositive patients treated at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital includes 176 patients with systemic AIDS-related NHL, was analysed. Results: At presentation, 18 (10%) patients had meningeal involvement. There were significant associations between meningeal disease and both Burkitt's lymphoma and paraspinal or paranasal involvement. There was no difference in the overall survival between patients with or without meningeal involvement at presentation (Kaplan–Meier log-rank, P = 0.35) and the 1-year actuarial survivals are 25% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3–47%] for patients with meningeal involvement and 33% (95% CI, 26–41%) for those without. Prophylactic intrathecal chemotherapy was administered to 21 high-risk patients and four (19%) relapsed with meningeal disease. Conclusions: This single-centre experience of a large cohort has demonstrated that meningeal involvement at presentation correlates with Burkitt's lymphoma histology and paraspinal or paranasal space disease, but not with bone marrow lymphoma. It also documents that long-term survival is achievable rarely in patients who present with meningeal disease and in patients with isolated meningeal relapse.
Half Job—Half Training? Management Perceptions of Part-time Employee Training in the Hospitality Industry

The author used a qualitative research approach in this study to investigate why hospitality managers provide fewer training opportunities to part-time employees in comparison to their full-time colleagues. Data was collected through in-depth, one-on-one interviews with 22 hotel and restaurant owners/managers in South Wales, United Kingdom. The results showed seven main obstacles for training part-time employees: cost of training and return on investment; time of training; the working of irregular shifts; working background; low enthusiasm of part-time employees; high turnover of part-time employees; lack of resources, knowledge, and suitable training provision. These obstacles are all interlinked and they are all associated with managers’ perception of part-time employees and their assumptions that part-time employees are not interested in training and development.
The Manpower Law of 2003 and its implementing regulations: Genesis, key articles and potential impact

This paper reviews Indonesia's Manpower Law 13/2003 and related regulations, against a backdrop of slow employment growth, business concerns about the legislation and government attempts to change it in 2006. The paper focuses on severance rates and dismissals, short-term contracts and out-sourcing, and minimum wages, also briefly discussing other articles, and comparing the law with those in neighbouring countries. It suggests that certain articles have contributed to significantly higher wage costs and reduced flexibility in the management of labour in Indonesia's formal sector, even though compliance is by no means universal within the private sector. Key provisions, especially large increases in severance rates, and needs criteria imposed for the purpose of setting minimum wages, are also out of step with labour market policies in other developing countries. Circumstantial evidence suggests that these measures have adversely affected the investment climate and damaged prospects for a recovery in employment. The authors are particularly grateful to two anonymous referees for very helpful comments on this paper, and to Kelly Bird, who has been engaged with both authors in research on labour laws in Indonesia for several years. The normal disclaimers apply.
The Timing of Out-of-Court Settlements

Parties to a lawsuit will frequently delay litigation, even in circumstances where a voluntary agreement is eventually reached. This article is concerned with what causes legal disputes to be prolonged over time. We discuss dynamic models of litigation to illustrate how changes in the bargaining environment might generate empirical hazard functions. Comparative statics results are then corroborated with empirical estimates of a hazard function adjusted to account for both the heterogeneity of lawsuits and the nonproportional time dependence suggested by theory.
UnFlow: Unsupervised Learning of Optical Flow with a Bidirectional Census Loss

In the era of end-to-end deep learning, many advances in computer vision are driven by large amounts of labeled data. In the optical flow setting, however, obtaining dense per-pixel ground truth for real scenes is difficult and thus such data is rare. Therefore, recent end-to-end convolutional networks for optical flow rely on synthetic datasets for supervision, but the domain mismatch between training and test scenarios continues to be a challenge. Inspired by classical energy-based optical flow methods, we design an unsupervised loss based on occlusion-aware bidirectional flow estimation and the robust census transform to circumvent the need for ground truth flow. On the KITTI benchmarks, our unsupervised approach outperforms previous unsupervised deep networks by a large margin, and is even more accurate than similar supervised methods trained on synthetic datasets alone. By optionally fine-tuning on the KITTI training data, our method achieves competitive optical flow accuracy on the KITTI 2012 and 2015 benchmarks, thus in addition enabling generic pre-training of supervised networks for datasets with limited amounts of ground truth.
Determinants of corporate dividend policy in Greece

This article examines the determinants of corporate dividend policy of listed firms in Greece as a case study of an emerging market country. The analysis is based on 945 firm year observations of 63 nonfinancial firms which paid dividends annually from 1993 to 2007. The study uses the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) to estimate the firm level factors that may determine why firms distribute dividends. We find that size, profitability and liquidity factors increase the probability to pay dividends. However, investment opportunities, financial leverage and business risk decrease the likelihood to pay dividends. On the whole, the findings lend support for the information asymmetry and agency cost theories. In addition, the factors that influence dividend policy in developed markets also appear to apply for this emerging market country.
Pharmacokinetics of the Antiviral Agent β-d-2′,3′-Didehydro-2′,3′-Dideoxy-5-Fluorocytidine in Rhesus Monkeys

ABSTRACT The values of the pharmacokinetic parameters of the nucleoside antiretroviral agent β-d-2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxy-5-fluorocytidine (D-D4FC) in rhesus monkeys were determined with a two-compartment model after the administration of a single dose. The average values for the terminal half-life, renal clearance, and total systemic clearance for the intravenous administration route were 3.6 h and 0.31 and 0.43 liter · kg−1 · h−1, respectively. The oral bioavailability of D-D4FC averaged 41%. For the intravenous administration route, 76% of the compound was recovered intact in the urine within 8 h, indicating that D-D4FC was eliminated mainly by renal excretion. D-D4FC was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at similar concentrations after administration by both the intravenous and oral routes. D-D4FC levels in plasma and CSF were higher than the median effective concentration for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in vitro.
The Technical and Price Efficiency of Fertiliser use in Irrigated Rice Production

Rapid growth in chemical fertiliser use has been key to Indonesia's rice production increase during the past two decades. Very high fertiliser application rates in the country's major irrigated rice areas prompt concerns about technical and economic inefficiency, as well as possible adverse environmental impacts, particularly since fertiliser subsidies constitute a significant financial burden to the government. A 1989 national farm cost survey shows that rates of nitrogen and phosphorus use in wide areas of Java and Bali, and in some parts of Sumatra, are often far higher than those recommended by agronomists both in Indonesia and in similar Asian countries. The analysis indicates that fertiliser rates presently exceed profit maximising levels on much of Java, leading to a net financial loss estimated at over $29 million annually. More intensive extension efforts and changes in pricing strategy are proposed to improve technical and economic efficiency.
The Use of Artificial Neural Networks in a Geographical Information System for Agricultural Land-Suitability Assessment

Agricultural land-suitability assessment involves the analysis of a large variety and amount of physiographic data. Geographical information systems (GISs) may facilitate suitability assessment in data collection. To generate accurate results from the data, appropriate suitability-assessment methods are required. However, the assessment methods which can currently be used with GISs, such as that developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the statistical pattern—classification method, have limitations which may lead to inaccurate assessment. An artificial neural network is an effective tool for pattern analysis. A neural network allows decision rules of greater complexity to be applied in pattern classification. By formulating the land-suitability-assessment problem into a pattern—classification problem, neural networks can be used to achieve results of greater accuracy. In this paper, a neural-network-based method for land-suitability assessment is discussed, and a set of neural networks is described. The integration between the neural networks and a GIS is addressed, and some experimental results are presented and analyzed.
APPROXIMATIONS FOR THE GI/G/m QUEUE

Queueing models can usefully represent production systems experiencing congestion due to irregular flows, but exact analyses of these queueing models can be difficult. Thus it is natural to seek relatively simple approximations that are suitably accurate for engineering purposes. Here approximations for a basic queueing model are developed and evaluated. The model is the GI/G/m queue, which has m identical servers in parallel, unlimited waiting room, and the first‐come first‐served queue discipline, with service and interarrival times coming from independent sequences of independent and identically distributed random variables with general distributions. The approximations depend on the general interarrival‐time and service‐time distributions only through their first two moments. The main focus is on the expected waiting time and the probability of having to wait before beginning service, but approximations are also developed for other congestion measures, including the entire distributions of waiting time, queue‐length and number in system. These relatively simple approximations are useful supplements to algorithms for computing the exact values that have been developed in recent years. The simple approximations can serve as starting points for developing approximations for more complicated systems for which exact solutions are not yet available. These approximations are especially useful for incorporating GI/G/m models in larger models, such as queueing networks, wherein the approximations can be components of rapid modeling tools.
Surprising Trends in Land Invasions in Metropolitan Lima and Quito

Study of land invasion organizations in Lima and Quito reveals six surprising trends that differ by metropolitan context. Specifically, invasion organizations tend to differ with respect to building materials, original land ownership, the difficulty and consequences of acquiring land titles, strategies for acquiring electricity, and types of neighborhood regimes. A more general contrast also emerges: Lima organizations are more likely to encounter quick initial success followed by gradual decline, while the success of Quito organizations is often more gradual, resulting in long-term organizational survival. These citywide trends can be explained by three factors—public policy, local democratization, and geography and climate—that are often neglected in favor of neighborhood-level explanations.
Diet and upper‐aerodigestive tract cancer in Europe: The ARCAGE study

There is suggestive, but inconclusive, evidence that dietary factors may affect risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). In the context of the alcohol‐related cancers and genetic susceptibility in Europe study, we have examined the association of dietary factors with UADT cancer risk. We have analyzed data from 2,304 patients with UADT cancer and 2,227 control subjects recruited in 14 centers in 10 European countries. Dietary data were collected through a semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire that also assessed preferred temperature of hot beverages. Statistical analyses were conducted through multiple logistic regression controlling for potential confounding variables, including alcohol intake and smoking habits. Consumption of red meat (OR per increasing tertile = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.05–1.25), but not poultry, was significantly associated with increased UADT cancer risk and the association was somewhat stronger for esophageal cancer. Consumption of fruits (OR per increasing tertile = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.62–0.75) and vegetables (OR per increasing tertile = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.66–0.81) as well as of olive oil (OR for above versus below median = 0.78, 95% CI 0.67–0.90) and tea (OR for above versus below median = 0.83, 95% CI 0.69–0.98) were significantly associated with reduced risk of UADT cancer. There was no indication that an increase in tea or coffee temperature was associated with increased risk of UADT overall or cancer of the esophagus; in fact, the association was, if anything, inverse. In conclusion, the results of this large multicentric study indicate that diet plays an important role in the etiology of UADT cancer. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exchange rate policy and trade balance: a cointegration analysis of the Argentine experience since 1962

Using multivariate cointegration tests for nonstationary data and vector error correction models, this article examines the determinants of trade balance (TB) for Argentina over the last forty to fifty years taking into account that the short-run impacts of currency depreciation on the TB behaviour may differ from the long-run effects. Our investigation confirms the existence of long-run relationships among TB, real exchange rate (RER) and foreign and domestic incomes for Argentina during different RER management policies. Based on the estimations, the Marshall-Lerner condition is checked and, by means of impulse response functions, we trace the effect of a one-time shock to the RER on the TB not finding support for a J-curve pattern in the short-run.
Technological Diffusion, Convergence, and Growth

We construct a model that combines elements of endogenousgrowth with the convergence implications of the neoclassicalgrowth model. In the long run, the world growth rate is drivenby discoveries in the technologically leading economies. Followersconverge toward the leaders because copying is cheaper than innovationover some range. A tendency for copying costs to increase reducesfollowers‘ growth rates and thereby generates a pattern of conditionalconvergence. We discuss how countries are selected to be technologicalleaders, and we assess welfare implications. Poorly defined intellectualproperty rights imply that leaders have insufficient incentiveto invent and followers have excessive incentive to copy.
The Causes and Consequences of Securities Class Action Litigation

We examine the impact of securities class action lawsuits on firms' investment and financing choices. Firms which overinvest are more likely to be sued. After a lawsuit, firms on average decrease overinvestment activity, and they decrease payouts while increasing leverage, cash holdings, and firm-specific risk. Additionally, we find some evidence that firms decrease diversification post-suit. Overall, these changes are consistent with a post-suit decrease in agency problems which lead to significant changes in real investment policies. The evidence is consistent with the notion that security class action lawsuits draw attention to agency problems which are then at least partly resolved.
Direct Oxidation of the [2Fe-2S] Cluster in SoxR Protein by Superoxide

Background: The [2Fe-2S] transcription factor SoxR is activated by reversible one-electron oxidation of its [2Fe-2S] cluster. Results: Superoxide oxidized the reduced form of SoxR directly. Conclusion: SoxR-mediated transcription in Escherichia coli is activated by reaction of superoxide with the reduced form of the [2Fe-2S] cluster. Significance: SoxR proteins play distinct a regulatory role in the activation of superoxide. The [2Fe-2S] transcription factor SoxR is activated by reversible one-electron oxidation of its [2Fe-2S] cluster, leading to enhanced production of various antioxidant proteins through induction of the soxRS regulon in Escherichia coli. Recently, there has been considerable debate about whether superoxide (O2̇̄) activates SoxR directly. To elucidate the underlying activation mechanism, we investigated SoxR interaction with O2̇̄ using pulse radiolysis. Radiolytically generated hydrated electrons reduced the oxidized form of the [2Fe-2S] cluster of SoxR within 2 μs. A subsequent increase in absorption in the visible region corresponding to reoxidation of the [2Fe-2S] cluster was observed on a time scale of milliseconds. Addition of human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase inhibited this delayed oxidation in a concentration-dependent fashion (I50 = 1.0 μm), indicating that O2̇̄ oxidized the reduced form of SoxR directly. The second-order rate constant of this process was estimated to be 5 × 108 m−1 s−1. A similar result was observed after pulse radiolysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa SoxR. However, superoxide dismutase inhibited the oxidation of reduced SoxR much more effectively in P. aeruginosa, even at a lower concentration (I50 = 80 nm), indicating that the soxRS response is much more sensitive to O2̇̄ in E. coli than in P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that SoxR proteins play a distinct regulatory role in the activation of O2̇̄.
Forging Collective Capacity for Urban Redevelopment: “Power To,”“Power Over,” or Both?

This paper explores the dynamic of cooperation between economic and political elites in a public‐private partnership that was created to guide the redevelopment of downtown Santa Cruz, California, following the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. While the public‐private partnership was instrumental in the success of post‐earthquake reconstruction of the central business district, the consensus and cooperation between progressive political leaders and local business elites in this “partnership” were often more apparent than real. This occurred not only because of the longstanding tensions between the local pro‐growth coalition and progressive political leadership of the city but also because the public‐private partnership became a mechanism for potential regime transformation. Thus, the “collective capacity” needed to proceed with post‐earthquake redevelopment of the central business district was “forged” in two senses: It was created to effect necessary redevelopment, but it was also counterfeit. Political elites sought to limit both the scope and the duration of the partnership to check the increasing power of economic elites in the aftermath of the earthquake. Although regime theory acknowledges the relationship between “power over” and “power to,” I argue that its emphasis on the latter overlooks critical sources of conflict in the creation and implementation of local urban development policy. Consequently, I further argue that an analysis of both conceptions of power is necessary to understand not only how local development policies are enacted but “who benefits” from them.
Why advocates need to rethink manufactured housing

Abstract Manufactured homes are a major source of unsubsidized, low‐cost housing. Accounting for 30 percent of new homes nationwide, they are especially popular in the South. Seventy percent of new manufactured homes are placed on the homeowner's land. The U.S. homeownership rate would drop by almost five percentage points if owners of manufactured homes were excluded. Bias contributes to neglect of issues important to these households, which typically have low incomes and little wealth. Inattention has perpetuated bad bargains in financing, legal protection, quality, and appreciation. The “personal property” paradigm isolates manufactured housing from housing finance and contributes to depreciation. Research should identify factors contributing to appreciation, and mainstream mortgage lenders should enter the market to offer cheaper, more transparent financing. Education would help consumers navigate the marketplace. By incorporating manufactured housing into consumer‐oriented, wealth‐building developments, nonprofits could take the lead in offering buyers real value, not just low price.
Half in Ten: Why Taking Disability into Account is Essential to Reducing Income Poverty and Expanding Economic Inclusion

Disability is both a fundamental cause and consequence of income poverty. The income-poverty rate for persons with disabilities is between two to three times the rate for persons without disabilities. Yet, contemporary policy debate and research about income poverty in the United States is largely silent about disability. This paper argues that we need to have a broader view of what poverty is and also that disability must be taken into account in anti-poverty policy.
Managing Non-Volatile Memory in Database Systems

Non-volatile memory (NVM) is a new storage technology that combines the performance and byte addressability of DRAM with the persistence of traditional storage devices like flash (SSD). While these properties make NVM highly promising, it is not yet clear how to best integrate NVM into the storage layer of modern database systems. Two system designs have been proposed. The first is to use NVM exclusively, i.e., to store all data and index structures on it. However, because NVM has a higher latency than DRAM, this design can be less efficient than main-memory database systems. For this reason, the second approach uses a page-based DRAM cache in front of NVM. This approach, however, does not utilize the byte addressability of NVM and, as a result, accessing an uncached tuple on NVM requires retrieving an entire page. In this work, we evaluate these two approaches and compare them with in-memory databases as well as more traditional buffer managers that use main memory as a cache in front of SSDs. This allows us to determine how much performance gain can be expected from NVM. We also propose a lightweight storage manager that simultaneously supports DRAM, NVM, and flash. Our design utilizes the byte addressability of NVM and uses it as an additional caching layer that improves performance without losing the benefits from the even faster DRAM and the large capacities of SSDs.