Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender discrimination, optimal allocation and partial-pooling Nash equilibrium : essays on insurance markets with a participation option

The thesis is made up of three essays which study three related topics. The first essay examines the welfare effect of a non-discrimination policy, which bans using gender in pricing insurance in the context of motor insurance markets. It comprises two models. The first models comprehensive insurance markets, in which motorists decide whether to buy insurance that offers full coverage. The second model examines third-party insurance markets, in which motorists must be fully insured and agents decide whether to drive. The essay examines the welfare effects of the non-discrimination policy by examining the change of aggregate social welfare before and after the policy is implemented. It shows that in comprehensive insurance market typical adverse selection happens. Aggregate social welfare may increase or decrease. In third-party insurance market, advantageous selection happens. Aggregate social welfare may decrease after the policy implemented. The second essay endogenizes insurance coverage and finds the optimal allocation which maximizes aggregate social welfare. Agents can now choose whether to drive and whether to buy insurance, and insurers are allowed to offer a menu of cross-subsidizing insurance contracts in competitive insurance markets. The author finds pooling allocation can never maximize aggregate social welfare and the market may end up with too much insurance. The third essay examines market equilibrium and market efficiency in competitive insurance markets when agents differ in both risk probabilities and risk preferences, and can choose whether to participate in risky activity and whether to buy insurance. With different levels of risk probabilities, risk preferences, and driving benefit, the market may end up with four different separating equilibria, partial-pooling equilibrium, or even no equilibrium. The partial-pooling equilibrium is Pareto efficient under certain conditions. If it is inefficient, taxing insurance breaks the equilibrium and separating equilibrium arises, which leads to Pareto gain.
The Role of Prestroke Glycemic Control on Severity and Outcome of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background/Aim. Relatively few studies have investigated the association of prestroke glycemic control and clinical outcome in acute ischemic stroke (IS) patients, regardless of presence of diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of prestroke glycemic control on survival, stroke severity, and functional outcome of patients with acute IS. Methods. We performed a retrospective survival analysis of 501 patients with IS admitted to Sahlgrenska University Hospital from February 15, 2005, through May 31, 2009. The outcomes of interest were acute and long-term survival; the stroke severity (NIHSS) and the functional outcome, mRS, at 12 months. Results. HbA1c was a good predictor of acute (HR 1.45; CI, 1.09 to 1.93, P = 0.011) and long-term mortality (HR 1.29; CI 1.03 to 1.62; P = 0.029). Furthermore, HbA1c >6% was significantly correlated with acute stroke severity (OR 1.29; CI 1.01 to 1.67; P = 0.042) and predicted worse functional outcome at 12 months (OR 2.68; CI 1.14 to 6.03; P = 0.024). Conclusions. Our study suggests that poor glycemic control (baseline HbA1c) prior to IS is an independent risk factor for poor survival and a marker for increased stroke severity and unfavorable long-term functional outcome.
Chapter V Different glutamate receptors convey feedforward and recurrent processing in macaque V 1

Neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) receive feedforward input from the thalamus which shapes receptive-field properties. They additionally receive recurrent inputs via horizontal connections within V1 and feedback from higher visual areas which are thought to be important for conscious visual perception. Here we investigated what roles different glutamate receptors play in conveying feedforward and recurrent inputs in macaque V1. As a measure of recurrent processing we used figure-ground modulation (FGM), the increased activity of neurons representing figures compared to background, which depends on feedback from higher areas. We found that feedforward driven activity was strongly reduced by the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX whereas this drug had no effect on FGM. In contrast, blockers of the NMDA receptor reduced FGM, whereas their effect on visually driven activity varied with the sub-unit specificity of the drug. APV, which blocks all NMDA receptors, caused a slight reduction of the visual response, whereas ifenprodil, which targets NMDA receptors containing the GluN2B sub-unit, increased the visual response. These findings demonstrate that glutamate receptors contribute differently to feedforward and recurrent processing in V1 and suggest new ways to selectively disrupt recurrent processing so that its role in visual perception can be elucidated.
Toward Empirical Constraints on the Global Redshifted 21 cm Brightness Temperature During the Epoch of Reionization

Preliminary results are presented from a simple, single-antenna experiment designed to measure the all-sky radio spectrum between 100 and 200 MHz. The system used an internal comparison-switching scheme to reduce nonsmooth instrumental contaminants in the measured spectrum to 75 mK. From the observations, we place an initial upper limit of 450 mK on the relative brightness temperature of the redshifted 21 cm contribution to the spectrum due to neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM) during the epoch of reionization, assuming a rapid transition to a fully ionized IGM at z = 8. With refinement, this technique should be able to distinguish between slow and fast reionization scenarios. To constrain the duration of reionization to Δ z > 2, the systemic residuals in the measured spectrum must be reduced to 3 mK.
Factors affecting farmers’ willingness to purchase weather index insurance in the Hainan Province of China

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to explain the factors affecting farmers’ willingness to purchase weather index insurance for crops in China, in the Province of Hainan, and to also provide additional background information on weather index insurance. Design/methodology/approach - – A survey of 134 farmers was undertaken in Hainan, China, regarding their willingness to purchase weather index insurance. A probit regression model was used, and a number of variables were included to explain willingness of farmers to purchase weather index insurance. Findings - – In total, 11 of 15 variables in the model are found to be statistically significant in explaining farmers’ willingness to purchase weather index insurance. Research limitations/implications - – First, farmers’ interest in weather index insurance may be limited due to basis risk. Second, some farmers may not sufficiently understand weather index insurance and so may not purchase it, and a considerable portion of farmers may also require a subsidy if they are to purchase weather insurance. Practical implications - – Weather index insurance may provide a lower cost alternative than traditional crop insurance, however, basis risk remains a main challenge. Originality/value - – This is the first study to quantitatively study the factors affecting the willingness of farmers to purchase weather index insurance for agriculture in the province of Hainan, China.
Human Embryonic and Rat Adult Stem Cells with Primitive Endoderm-Like Phenotype Can Be Fated to Definitive Endoderm, and Finally Hepatocyte-Like Cells

Stem cell-derived hepatocytes may be an alternative cell source to treat liver diseases or to be used for pharmacological purposes. We developed a protocol that mimics mammalian liver development, to differentiate cells with pluripotent characteristics to hepatocyte-like cells. The protocol supports the stepwise differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESC) to cells with characteristics of primitive streak (PS)/mesendoderm (ME)/definitive endoderm (DE), hepatoblasts, and finally cells with phenotypic and functional characteristics of hepatocytes. Remarkably, the same protocol can also differentiate rat multipotent adult progenitor cells (rMAPCs) to hepatocyte-like cells, even though rMAPC are isolated clonally from cultured rat bone marrow (BM) and have characteristics of primitive endoderm cells. A fraction of rMAPCs can be fated to cells expressing genes consistent with a PS/ME/DE phenotype, preceding the acquisition of phenotypic and functional characteristics of hepatocytes. Although the hepatocyte-like progeny derived from both cell types is mixed, between 10–20% of cells are developmentally consistent with late fetal hepatocytes that have attained synthetic, storage and detoxifying functions near those of adult hepatocytes. This differentiation protocol will be useful for generating hepatocyte-like cells from rodent and human stem cells, and to gain insight into the early stages of liver development.
After "Brown": The Rise and Retreat of School Desegregation

List of Illustrations ix List of Tables xi Preface xv Introduction 1 Chapter One Walls Came Tumbling Down 13 Chapter Two The Legacies of Brown and Milliken 44 Chapter Three Residential Segregation and "White Flight" 75 Chapter Four The Private School Option 100 Chapter Five Inside Schools: Classrooms and School Activities 126 Chapter Six Higher Learning and the Color Line 148 Chapter Seven So What? 178 Methodological Appendix 201 Notes 217 References 245 Index 263
Ownership concentration, top management and board compensation

The degree of ownership concentration may influence executive and board compensation (Bebchuk & Fried, 2003). This article analyzes this relationship. Detailed information about top management and board compensation became available starting in 2010 through new Securities Commission filings. Linear regression models applied to a sample of 315 Brazilian companies traded on the national exchange indicate a negative and statistically significant economic correlation between executive compensation and the degree of ownership concentration. Ceteris paribus, companies with a lower degree of ownership concentration pay higher compensation to top executives. Family controlled companies pay more to their chief executive, but not to the managerial team as a whole, and the compensation of directors increases with a greater proportion of control group members or their relatives on the board. There was support for the Managerial Power Hypothesis in companies with a lower degree of ownership concentration and for the extraction of private benefits in companies where it is greater.
Sample Size Requirements for Estimation of Item Parameters in the Multidimensional Graded Response Model

Likert types of rating scales in which a respondent chooses a response from an ordered set of response options are used to measure a wide variety of psychological, educational, and medical outcome variables. The most appropriate item response theory model for analyzing and scoring these instruments when they provide scores on multiple scales is the multidimensional graded response model (MGRM) A simulation study was conducted to investigate the variables that might affect item parameter recovery for the MGRM. Data were generated based on different sample sizes, test lengths, and scale intercorrelations. Parameter estimates were obtained through the flexMIRT software. The quality of parameter recovery was assessed by the correlation between true and estimated parameters as well as bias and root-mean-square-error. Results indicated that for the vast majority of cases studied a sample size of N = 500 provided accurate parameter estimates, except for tests with 240 items when 1000 examinees were necessary to obtain accurate parameter estimates. Increasing sample size beyond N = 1000 did not increase the accuracy of MGRM parameter estimates.
Selection of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time RT-PCR Studies in Tomato Fruit of the Genotype MT-Rg1

Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) has become one of the most widely used methods for accurate quantification of gene expression. Since there are no universal reference genes for normalization, the optimal strategy to normalize raw qRT-PCR data is to perform an initial comparison of a set of independent reference genes to assess the most stable ones in each biological model. Normalization of a qRT-PCR experiment helps to ensure that the results are both statistically significant and biologically meaningful. Tomato is the model of choice to study fleshy fruit development. The miniature tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivar Micro-Tom (MT) is considered a model system for tomato genetics and functional genomics. A new genotype, containing the Rg1 allele, improves tomato in vitro regeneration. In this work, we evaluated the expression stability of four tomato reference genes, namely CAC, SAND, Expressed, and ACTIN2. We showed that the genes CAC and Exp are the best reference genes of the four we tested during fruit development in the MT-Rg1 genotype. Furthermore, we validated the reference genes by showing that the expression profiles of the transcription factors FRUITFULL1 and APETALA2c during fruit development are comparable to previous reports using other tomato cultivars.
Neural mechanisms of rhythm-based temporal prediction: Delta phase-locking reflects temporal predictability but not rhythmic entrainment

Predicting the timing of upcoming events enables efficient resource allocation and action preparation. Rhythmic streams, such as music, speech, and biological motion, constitute a pervasive source for temporal predictions. Widely accepted entrainment theories postulate that rhythm-based predictions are mediated by synchronizing low-frequency neural oscillations to the rhythm, as indicated by increased phase concentration (PC) of low-frequency neural activity for rhythmic compared to random streams. However, we show here that PC enhancement in scalp recordings is not specific to rhythms but is observed to the same extent in less periodic streams if they enable memory-based prediction. This is inconsistent with the predictions of a computational entrainment model of stronger PC for rhythmic streams. Anticipatory change in alpha activity and facilitation of electroencephalogram (EEG) manifestations of response selection are also comparable between rhythm- and memory-based predictions. However, rhythmic sequences uniquely result in obligatory depression of preparation-related premotor brain activity when an on-beat event is omitted, even when it is strategically beneficial to maintain preparation, leading to larger behavioral costs for violation of prediction. Thus, while our findings undermine the validity of PC as a sign of rhythmic entrainment, they constitute the first electrophysiological dissociation, to our knowledge, between mechanisms of rhythmic predictions and of memory-based predictions: the former obligatorily lead to resonance-like preparation patterns (that are in line with entrainment), while the latter allow flexible resource allocation in time regardless of periodicity in the input. Taken together, they delineate the neural mechanisms of three distinct modes of preparation: continuous vigilance, interval-timing-based prediction and rhythm-based prediction.
Africa and the International Criminal Court

Although three African countries have recently announced their withdrawals from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a mass exodus does not appear imminent. Perceptions of the Court's bias towards African member-states are exaggerated, and it has begun to challenge major powers. Exceptions to the ICC's prosecutorial obligations allowing member-states greater flexibility to accommodate conflict resolution efforts among other situations could make African member-states less hostile to the Court.
Managing Project Portfolios

OVERVIEW: The day-to-day management of a new product project portfolio is critical to its success. The management practices that are effective, however, depend on your objectives. Portfolios that best meet their objectives include a higher proportion of uncertain projects. Their managers allocate a higher proportion of core team members to those more uncertain projects, are more likely to leave some slack capacity when loading their portfolios, and empty the portfolio pipeline faster. Managers whose portfolios have a higher percentage of projects that succeed in the marketplace review their portfolios more frequently, are less tolerant of schedule slips, and increase resources to projects rather than let them slip. This study also shows that some practices are destructive no matter what the goals are, including switching team leaders and members in the course of a project, and stretching people and financial resources across too many projects.
Repository : Kernel A Single-Batch Fermentation System to Simulate Human Colonic Microbiota for High-Throughput Evaluation of Prebiotics

We devised a single-batch fermentation system to simulate human colonic microbiota from fecal samples, enabling the complex mixture of microorganisms to achieve densities of up to 10 11 cells/mL in 24 h. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of bacteria grown in the system revealed that representatives of the major phyla, including Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria, as well as overall species diversity, were consistent with those of the original feces. On the earlier stages of fermentation (up to 9 h), trace mixtures of acetate, lactate, and succinate were detectable; on the later stages (after 24 h), larger amounts of acetate accumulated along with some of propionate and butyrate. These patterns were similar to those observed in the original feces. Thus, this system could serve as a simple model to simulate the diversity as well as the metabolism of human colonic microbiota. Supplementa-tion of the system with several prebiotic oligosaccharides (including fructo-, galacto-, iso-malto-, and xylo-oligosaccharides; lactulose; and lactosucrose) resulted in an increased population in genus Bifidobacterium , concomitant with significant increases in acetate production. The results suggested that this fermentation system may be useful for in vitro , pre-clinical evaluation of the effects of prebiotics prior to testing in humans. the initiation of fermentation. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index characterizes the diversity in a community, i.e., species abundance and evenness.
Population Ageing and Government Health Expenditures in New Zealand, 1951-2051

The paper uses a simulation model to assess the effects of population ageing on government health expenditures in New Zealand. Population ageing is defined to include disability trends and “distance to death”; government health expenditures are defined to include both acute and long-term care. The model results suggest that population ageing is associated with a large increase in expenditure share of people aged 65 and over, which rises from about 29% of total government health expenditure in 1951 to 63% in 2051. Analysis of demographic and health trends over the period 1951 to 2002 suggests, however, that these trends account for only a small proportion of the total growth in health expenditure. Most expenditure growth is attributable to other factors, such as an expansion in the range of treatments provided, and increases in input prices such as wages. Growth in this non-demographic component of health expenditures has reached 3-4% per year over recent years. Projection results for the period 2002 to 2051 suggest that restraining government expenditure on health to 6-12% of GDP would require long-run growth rates for the non-demographic component of health expenditure that are significantly lower than current rates. In other words, future demographic changes may be less threatening than is often assumed, but it would still not be possible to maintain current growth rates for government health expenditure and avoid substantial increases in the ratio between expenditure and GDP.
Book Note: Packaging Politics: Political Communications in Britain’s Media Democracy

Part 1 Political communications and packaging politics: packaging politics - an overview of the argument. Part 2 The political communicators: censorship, news management and the lobby new Labour and the end of spin? government advertising - selling policies like cornflakes? local government public relations - spinning the local agenda packaging the postmodern election local newspapers, local parties and reporting the constituency campaign parliamentary communications - "The Best Show in Town"? Part 3 The audience and political communication: political communication and audiences - informing or persuading the public.
Likelihood and parametric heteroscedasticity in normal connected linear models

A linear model in which the mean vector and covariance matrix depend on the same parameters is connected. Limit results for these models are presented. The characteristic function of the gradient of the score is obtained for normal connected models, thus, enabling the study of maximum likelihood estimators. A special case with diagonal covariance matrix is studied.
Analytical and Finite Element Modeling of Nanomembranes for Miniaturized, Continuous Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis involves large, periodic treatment doses using large-area membranes. If the permeability of dialysis membranes could be increased, it would reduce the necessary dialyzer size and could enable a wearable device that administers a continuous, low dose treatment of chronic kidney disease. This paper explores the application of ultrathin silicon membranes to this purpose, by way of analytical and finite element models of diffusive and convective transport of plasma solutes during hemodialysis, which we show to be predictive of experimental results. A proof-of-concept miniature nanomembrane dialyzer design is then proposed and analytically predicted to clear uremic toxins at near-ideal levels, as measured by several markers of dialysis adequacy. This work suggests the feasibility of miniature nanomembrane-based dialyzers that achieve therapeutic levels of uremic toxin clearance for patients with kidney failure.
A MDA tool for the development of service-oriented component-based applications

This paper presents a process for the development of a model-driven architecture (MDA) tool for the construction of service-oriented component-based applications. The process is used in the construction of a tool for one particular domain, but can be easily adapted to other domains. The tool in itself simplifies the development of components using a MDA approach, in which modeling is at the core of the development activities. After components are modeled, the tool validates the correctness of the design of the model based in a specification that is embedded inside the tool. Once the model has been validated, the tool is capable of creating the skeletons of the code for the components which are then executed inside the OSGi platform.