Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
All for One... One for All? A Principal Component Analysis of the Latin American Brady Bond Debt from 1994 to 2000

We use Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to study the Brady Bond Debt of the four primary Latin American sovereign issuers: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela. Our dataset covers a period of 5½ years starting in July 1994 and consists of daily sovereign ("stripped") yield levels for the par and discount debt securities of each country. We examine the behavior of the characteristic roots and eigenvectors of the empirical covariance matrices computed sequentially over different periods. We show that, by and large, there exist two statistically significant components, or factors, which explain up to 90% of the realized variance. The eigenvector with largest eigenvalue corresponds to the variance attributable to "regional" ("Latin") risk. The second component strongly suggests the existence of a volatility risk factor associated to Venezuelan debt in relation to the rest of the region. A time-dependent factor analyis reveals that the importance of the variance explained by the factor changes over time and that this variation can be interpreted to some extent in terms of market events. In particular, we investigate the relation between the evolution of the PCA factors with the market dislocations that ocurred during the observation period, including the so-called Tequila effect, Asian flu, Ruble devaluation, and Real devaluation.
Research Article MICROBIAL LIPASES: PRODUCTION OF EXTRACELLULAR LIPASE ENZYME BY ALCALIGENES VISCOSUS (DOGE-1) STRAIN

Industrially important extracellular lipase enzyme production was explored by utilizing microbial strain isolated from dairy effluents. Alcaligenes viscosus DOGE-1 strain isolated from dairy waste waters proved to produce extracellular lipase. Various growth factors were attempted to maximize the lipase production by this strain. Growth factors like NH 4 PO 4 , Peptone, Urea coupled with peptone, KH 2 PO 4 , Olive oil and pH were found to be favored the maximum lipase production. This microbial strain was found to have a high lipolytic activity.
The impact of metabolic syndrome on metabolic, pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic markers according to the presence of high blood pressure criterion

OBJECTIVES: We explored whether high blood pressure is associated with metabolic, inflammatory and prothrombotic dysregulation in patients with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: We evaluated 135 consecutive overweight/obese patients. From this group, we selected 75 patients who were not under the regular use of medications for metabolic syndrome as defined by the current Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults criteria. The patients were divided into metabolic syndrome with and without high blood pressure criteria (≥130/≥85 mmHg). RESULTS: Compared to the 45 metabolic syndrome patients without high blood pressure, the 30 patients with metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure had significantly higher glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and creatinine values; in contrast, these patients had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol values. Metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure also had significantly higher levels of retinol-binding protein 4, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, interleukin 6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and lower levels of adiponectin. Moreover, patients with metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure had increased surrogate markers of sympathetic activity and decreased baroreflex sensitivity. Logistic regression analysis showed that high-density lipoprotein, retinol-binding protein 4 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels were independently associated with metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure. There is a strong trend for an independent association between metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure and glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS: High blood pressure, which may be related to the autonomic dysfunction, is associated with metabolic, inflammatory and prothrombotic dysregulation in patients with metabolic syndrome.
The Proteomic Analysis of Human Placenta with Pre-eclampsia and Normal Pregnancy

Preeclampsia is one of the most important and complexed disorders for women's health. Searching for novel proteins as biomarkers to reveal pathogenesis, proteomic approaches using 2DE has become a valuable tool to understanding of preeclampsia. To analyze the proteomic profiling of preclamptic placenta compared to that of normal pregnancy for better understanding of pathogenesis in preeclampsia, placentas from each group were handled by use of proteomics approach using 2DE combined with MALDI-TOF-MS. The 20 spots of showing differences were analysed and identified. Among differentially expressed protein spots Hsp 27 and Hsp 70 were selected for validation using Western blot analysis. In preeclamptic placenta 9 differentially expressed proteins were down-regulated with Hsp 70, serum albumin crystal structure chain A, lamin B2, cytokeratin 18, actin cytoplasmic, alpha fibrinogen precursor, septin 2, dihydrolipoamide branched chain transacylase E2 and firbrinogen beta chain. The 11 up-regulated proteins were fibrinogen gamma, cardiac muscle alpha actin proprotein, cytokeratin 8, calumenin, fibrinogen fragment D, F-actin capping protein alpha-1 subunit, Hsp 27, Hsp 40, annexin A4, enoyl-CoA delta isomerase and programmed cell death protein 6. The western blot analysis for validation also showed significant up-regulation of Hsp 27 and down-regulation of Hsp 70 in the placental tissues with preeclmaptic pregnancies. This proteomic profiling of placenta using 2DE in preeclampsia successfully identifies various proteins involved in apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as three Hsps with altered expression, which might play a important role for the understanding of pathogenesis in preeclampsia. Graphical Abstract
Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from Rosetta Branch of River Nile, Egypt

This study deals with antibiotic resistance profiles in Enterobacteriaceae family isolates from River Nile at Rosetta branch. A total of 293 enteric bacterial isolates could be recovered from fifteen sites of Rosetta branch (5 drains outfalls, 130 isolates and 10 along Rosetta branch, 163 isolates). Among the isolates, 187 (63.8%) are Escherichia coli, 59 (20.1%) Proteus vulgaris, 25 (8.5%) Salmonella typhi and 22 (7.5%) Citrobacter freundii. Twenty antibiotics; Amoxycillin/Clavulanic acid, Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Methicillin, Piperacillin, Cephalothin, Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone, Vancomycin, Amikacin, Tobramycin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline,Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Norfloxacin, Ofloxacin, Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole, Nitrofurantoin and Chloramphenicol were used for determination of antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates. All Enterobacteriaceae isolates exhibited 100% resistance to Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Methicillin, Vancomycin, Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole and Tetracycline. Also, they failed to exhibit resistance to Norfloxacin and Ofloxacin. However, multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) in enteric bacterial isolates from all the sites could be detected which is possibly due to sewage discharge and input from other anthropogenic sources along the branch.
The transition to kindergarten

Today's kindergarten is the onset of formal schooling for children the first time families, schools, teachers, and communities come together to form an educational partnership. In this thought-provoking, issues-focused book, the experts explore the research on early schooling and give you a starting point with which to reexamine your beliefs, policies, and practices regarding the first years of school. Scholars, researchers, and other professionals will discover why early school transitions need to be improved and how these critical transitions affect children's future educational success. You'll learn about readiness assessment entrance ages grade retention classroom structure family school community partnerships cultural diversity children with disabilities children in poverty This book is part of a series edited by Donald B. Bailey, Jr., Ph.D., and developed in conjunction with the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL). Visit NCEDL's website for information on the center's research, upcoming meetings, and free online publications. "
Why is Corruption so Much More Taxing than Tax? Arbitrariness Kills

This paper examines the effect of corruption-induced uncertainty on foreign direct" investment. The measure of uncertainty is constructed based on unpublished individual survey" responses on levels of corruption in host countries. The result is striking. The effect is negative statistically significant and quantitatively large. An increase in the uncertainty level from that of" Singapore to that of Mexico, at the average level of corruption in the sample raising the tax rate on multinational firms by 32 percentage points. Hence (uncertainty) effect can and does have first-order importance.
Economic Development, Inequality and Malnutrition in India

Economic development and inequality is known to have an impact on health outcomes. We show this to be true in India where we study the effect of economic status on under and over nutrition. Inequality is measured using income or assets and we show that both matter for malnutrition. We find women are at much higher risk of being malnourished and this risk increases with age. Our results suggest that while under nutrition should remain a policy priority, rising over nutrition in the population cannot be ignored by nutritional planners.
Integrated Epigenetics of Human Breast Cancer: Synoptic Investigation of Targeted Genes, MicroRNAs and Proteins upon Demethylation Treatment

Background The contribution of aberrant DNA methylation in silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and microRNAs has been investigated. Since these epigenetic alterations are reversible, it became of interest to determine the effects of the 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (DAC) demethylation therapy in breast cancer at different molecular levels. Methods and Findings Here we investigate a synoptic model to predict complete DAC treatment effects at the level of genes, microRNAs and proteins for several human breast cancer lines. The present study assessed an effective treatment dosage based on the cell viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and methylation assays for the investigated cell lines. A highly aggressive and a non-aggressive cell line were investigated using omics approaches such as MALDI-TOF MS, mRNA- and microRNA expression arrays, 2-D gel electrophoresis and LC-MS-MS. Complete molecular profiles including the biological interaction and possible early and late systematic stable or transient effects of the methylation inhibition were determined. Beside the activation of several epigenetically suppressed TSGs, we also showed significant dysregulation of some important oncogenes, oncomiRs and oncosuppressors miRNAs as well as drug tolerance genes/miRNAs/proteins. Conclusions In the present study, the results denote some new molecular DAC targets and pathways based on the chemical modification of DNA methylation in breast cancer. The outlined approach might prove to be useful as an epigenetic treatment model also for other human solid tumors in the management of cancer patients.
Prevalence of Giardia intestinalis and other zoonotic intestinal parasites in private household dogs of the Hachinohe area in Aomori prefecture, Japan in 1997, 2002 and 2007

An epidemiological study on canine intestinal parasites was undertaken to evaluate changes in the prevalence among private household dogs from the Hachinohe region of Aomori prefecture, Japan, in 1997, 2002 and 2007, using the formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation technique. The risk of zoonotic transmission from household dogs to humans was also discussed. All intestinal parasites detected in the present study (Giardia intestinalis, Isospora spp., Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Trichuris vulpis and Strongyloides stercoralis) showed no changes in prevalence over the past 10 years based on analysis considering canine epidemiological profiles. In particular, prevalence of Giardia intestinalis in dogs under 1 year old, derived from pet shops/breeding kennels and kept indoors was unchanged, remaining at a high level of >15.0% at each time point. Toxocara canis also showed no changes in the group of dogs under 1 year old, bred by private owners and kept outdoors, and the prevalence was >10.0% every year. The present results indicate that the prevalence of Giardia intestinalis and other intestinal parasites in private household dogs has not always decreased, and the potential for direct parasitic zoonotic transmission from dogs to humans may be relatively high level, than from the environment (indoors and outdoors). We recommend careful surveillance of intestinal parasites and aggressive use of anthelminthic in private household dogs under considering the epidemiological factors.
Seismic depth imaging of normal faulting in the southern Death Valley Basin

Motivated by the need to image faults to test Cenozoic extension models for the Death Valley region of the western basin and range province, an area of strong lateral velocity variations, we examine the geometry of normal faulting in southern Death Valley by seismic depth imaging. We analyze COCORP Death Valley Line 9 to attain an enhanced image of shallow fault structure to 2.5 km depth. Previous work used standard seismic processing to infer normal faults from bed truncations, displacement of horizontal reflectors, and diffractions. We obtain a detailed velocity model by nonlinear optimization of first‐ arrival times picked from shot gathers, examine the unprocessed data for fault reflections, and use a Kirchhoff prestack depth imaging procedure to handle lateral velocity variations and arbitrary dips properly. Fault‐plane reflections reveal the listric true‐depth geometry of the normal fault at the Black Mountains range front in southern Death Valley. This is consistent with the concept of low‐angle ex.
On the Relative Pricing of Long Maturity S&P 500 Index Options and CDX Tranches

We investigate a structural model of market and firm-level dynamics in order to jointly price long-dated S&P 500 options and tranche spreads on the five-year CDX index. We demonstrate the importance of calibrating the model to match the entire term structure of CDX index spreads because it contains pertinent information regarding the timing of expected defaults and the specification of idiosyncratic dynamics. Our model matches the time series of tranche spreads well, both before and during the financial crisis, thus offering a resolution to the puzzle reported by Coval, Jurek and Stafford (2009).
Segmented Labor Market Theories and the Australian Experience of Equal Pay for Women

Recently, there has been an upsurge of interest in segmentation and rigidities in labor markets that are associated with relative wages, the job creation process, and access to particular jobs. Reder (1955) and Thurow (1975), for example, have emphasized relative wage rigidities and argued that employment is allocated across industries and occupations by the creation and destruction of job opportunities and not by changes in relative wages. Wages are determined largely by social custom and institutional factors, and queues of workers at each fixed wage constitute the supply curve of labor.
The Determinants of Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Excise Tax Rates

As Goel and Nelson (1999) show, fluctuations in fuel prices prompt politicians to alter fuel taxation policies. The goal of this paper was to examine the determinants of both gasoline and diesel fuel excise taxes. The diesel model builds on the work of Decker and Wohar (2006) and is extended to construct a model for gasoline fuel excise taxes. In addition to replicating results of prior research, the results suggest that states with colder weather have higher fuel tax rates. Additionally, findings demonstrated that increased funding from the Highway Trust Fund is associated with lower fuel tax rates. This article is available in Undergraduate Economic Review: http://digitalcommons.iwu. edu/uer/vol12/iss1/
Environment and Behavior

Ervin H. Zube was a primary force among environment-behavior researchers, particularly those who helped develop the area of landscape perception and assessment. In this commemorative essay, the authors highlight some of Zube’s significant contributions to environment-behavior studies and identify a set of his publications that has had an impact on the field. In particular, they examine how Zube, Sell, and Taylor’s article “Landscape Perception: Research, Application and Theory” has helped shape subsequent research in landscape perception and suggest how environment-behavior researchers might build on its achievements.
TRANSPORT OF LARGE-SCALE POLOIDAL FLUX IN BLACK HOLE ACCRETION

We report on a global, three-dimensional GRMHD simulation of an accretion torus embedded in a large-scale vertical magnetic field orbiting a Schwarzschild black hole. This simulation investigates how a large-scale vertical field evolves within a turbulent accretion disk and whether global magnetic field configurations suitable for launching jets and winds can develop. We find that a “coronal mechanism” of magnetic flux motion, which operates largely outside the disk body, dominates global flux evolution. In this mechanism, magnetic stresses driven by orbital shear create large-scale half-loops of magnetic field that stretch radially inward and then reconnect, leading to discontinuous jumps in the location of magnetic flux. In contrast, little or no flux is brought in directly by accretion within the disk itself. The coronal mechanism establishes a dipole magnetic field in the evacuated funnel around the orbital axis with a field intensity regulated by a combination of the magnetic and gas pressures in the inner disk. These results prompt a re-evaluation of previous descriptions of magnetic flux motion associated with accretion. Local pictures are undercut by the intrinsically global character of magnetic flux. Formulations in terms of an “effective viscosity” competing with an “effective resistivity” are undermined by the nonlinearity of the magnetic dynamics and the fact that the same turbulence driving mass motion (traditionally identified as “viscosity”) can alter magnetic topology.
The financial reward for environmental performance in the energy sector

This article studies the financial reward for environmental performance of firms in the energy sector. Because of their substantial impact on environment, energy sector firms convey a particular status in the environmental–financial performance question, as compared with firms outside this sector. We use the environmental scores compiled by Kinder, Lyndenberg, and Domini Research and Analytics to construct two portfolios that differ in their environmental performance. We find that, between 2000 and 2011, energy sector firms with good environmental performance financially outperform energy sector firms with poor environmental performance. A portfolio strategy with a long (short) position in energy sector firms with good (poor) environmental performance generates an annual abnormal return of 9.624% after correcting for market, size, book-to-market and momentum risks. For firms outside the energy sector, the performance of the two portfolios is statistically insignificant. Using the VIX index, we also show that the market does not reward environmental performance of energy sector firms in periods of high financial uncertainty.
The Living Standards Survey and Price Policy Reform: A Study of Cocoa and Coffee Production in Cote D'Ivoire

This paper is concerned with two related questions, first, what determines coffee and cocoa yields, and second, how should the government determine the farmgate prices for the two crops. Section 1 of the paper is a preliminary analysis of the agricultural data from the Living Standard Survey. Section 2 looks at cocoa and coffee yields and their determinants. It examines the age/yield relationships and the apparent effects of fertilizer and pesticide use on yields. ALso examined are a range of other factors that might play a role in determining yields, for example, prices of other crops, wage rates, household size, and educational levels. Section 3 turns to distributional issues involved in the pricing of cocoa and coffee. Typical budgets for farmers are presented, and their position in the income and consumption distribution descibed. Section 4 concerns itself with the analysis of policy change, and speculates on what might be the effects of moving towards the policy of allowing domestic prices to be determined by world prices. Finally, section 5 summarizes the major policy conclusions and outlines areas where further research is likely to be useful in improving policy advice.
Potential carbon release from permafrost soils of Northeastern Siberia

Permafrost soils are an important reservoir of carbon (C) in boreal and arctic ecosystems. Rising global temperature is expected to enhance decomposition of organic matter frozen in permafrost, and may cause positive feedback to warming as CO2 is released to the atmosphere. Significant amounts of organic matter remain frozen in thick mineral soil (loess) deposits in northeastern Siberia, but the quantity and lability of this deep organic C is poorly known. Soils from four tundra and boreal forest locations in northeastern Siberia that have been continuously frozen since the Pleistocene were incubated at controlled temperatures (5, 10 and 15 1C) to determine their potential to release C to the atmosphere when thawed. Across all sites, CO2 with radiocarbon ( C) ages ranging between 21 and 24 ka BP was respired when these permafrost soils were thawed. The amount of C released in the first several months was strongly correlated to C concentration in the bulk soil in the different sites, and this correlation remained the same for fluxes up to 1 year later. Fluxes were initially strongly related to temperature with a mean Q10 value of 1.9 0.3 across all sites, and later were unrelated to temperature but still correlated with bulk soil C concentration. Modeled inversions of DCO2 values in respiration CO2 and soil C components revealed mean contribution of 70% and 26% from dissolved organic C to respiration CO2 in case of two permafrost soils, while organic matter fragments dominated respiration (mean 68%) from a surface mineral soil that served as modern reference sample. Our results suggest that if 10% of the total Siberian permafrost C pool was thawed to a temperature of 5 1C, about 1 Pg C will be initially released from labile C pools, followed by respiration of 40 Pg C to the atmosphere over a period of four decades.