Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factor Accumulation Story: Any Unfinished Business?

We construct a new measure of knowledge capital as an aggregate production factor in the sense of Lucas and employ it in a standard growth and variance accounting exercise. We base this new measure on the available data on educational attainment using the empirically confirmed relationship between the level of education and productivity growth. Decomposing the post war growth record we find that most of the growth in income per worker has been explicable in terms of factor accumulation. Overall, the scope for technology residual remained negligible, although there are important differences among various country groups. Unlike the results on growth accounting, explaining the variation in the average growth performance of the individual countries through the variation in the rates of growth of the production factors still leaves a substantial part of the variation unexplained. Yet, this part is significantly smaller than what other studies have ascribed to the variation of the technology residual. Lastly, we also demonstrate how the new measure of knowledge stock may be used to test theoretical predictions regarding the recent convergence experience in the EU periphery. The good fit of the theory can be interpreted as an indication that the theory provides a reasonable candidate explanation for total factor productivity growth.
Disruptive Sublethal Effects of Insecticides on Biological Control: Altered Foraging Ability and Life Span of a Parasitoid after Feeding on Extrafloral Nectar of Cotton Treated with Systemic Insecticides

Predictions in integrated pest management on the compatibility of an insecticide with biological control often are based on incomplete screening tests. While measuring levels of mortality from direct insecticide exposure is a very common screening method, possible sublethal effects as a result of either direct or indirect insecticide exposure remain relatively unknown. The impact of sublethal effects on the success of biological control can be as deleterious as mortality. Here, we report the reduced host foraging ability and longevity of the parasitoid Microplitis croceipes Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) after feeding on extrafloral nectar from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., Malvaceae) plants that were treated with systemic insecticides. The insecticides used in this study are regularly applied in cotton-growing areas in the United States. For all tested insecticides, longevity of M. croceipes females that fed on nectar from cotton was affected for at least 10 days after plants were treated with insecticides. Moreover, the parasitoid’s host foraging ability was severely affected for periods ranging from 2 days (imidacloprid) to 18 days (aldicarb) after insecticide application. The consequences of these sublethal effects on the success of biological control are discussed. r 2000 Academic Press
Policy-Induced Technology Adoption: Evidence from the U.S. Lead Phasedown

Theory suggests that economic instruments, such as pollution taxes or tradable permits, can provide more efficient technology adoption incentives than conventional regulatory standards. We explore this issue for an important industry undergoing dramatic decreases in allowed pollution-the U.S. petroleum industry's phasedown of lead in gasoline. Using a duration model applied to a panel of refineries from 1971-1995, we find that the pattern of technology adoption is consistent with an economic response to market incentives, plant characteristics, and alternative policies. Importantly, evidence suggests that the tradable permit system used during the phasedown provided incentives for more efficient technology adoption decisions.
European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science-2501-1235

Objective: To describe the physical activity prescribing behaviour of Kenyan healthcare professionals and determine if the theory of planned behaviour explains this behavior. Design: The study design was a cross-sectional analytical, that utilized quantitative methods. Setting: The study was conducted in Public health facilities in Kakamega County, located in Western Kenya. These facilities were four (4) Sub-County hospitals, two (2) County hospitals and one (1) County referral hospital. Sample: Stratified random sampling was embraced to divide the population into homogeneous subgroups as per the professional cadres then simple random in proportion to their number in the population was done. Formulae that was used for calculating the sample size was Cochran) with an attrition rate of 10%, since the sample size was less than 10,000 people, the sample size was adjusted with the finite population correction for proportions based on the populations of nurses, doctors and clinical officers (n = 221) Analysis: Data was analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Alpha level for all the computations was considered significant at an α <0.05. Main outcome measures: Self-reported PA prescription behaviour, PA involvement, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and intention related to PA prescription behaviour were assessed. Results: The estimation of this hypothesized structural model yielded an acceptable fit to the data, χ2 =1634.6, df = 770; χ2/df ratio =2.123(good), CFI = . 962; RMSEA = . 061, with 90% C.I. = . 044 . 073, SRMR = . 068. Subjective norms itself was a direct predictor of intention (β = .137, p = .007), attitude was a direct predictor of intention (β = .393, p < .001), perceived control was a direct predictor of intention (β = .207, p = .023) but it was not a significant predictor of exercise Oloo Micky Olutende, Maximilla N. Wanzala, Issah Wabuyabo Kweyu EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION ANALYSIS OF THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AMONG KENYAN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science Volume 5 │ Issue 6 │ 2019 15 prescription (β = .07, p = .318). Intention was a direct predictor of exercise prescription (β = .251, p < .001). Conclusion: The theory of planned behaviour provided useful insight into physician prescription behaviour. A replication study on healthcare professionals with different characteristics should be conducted to increase the understanding of psychosocial predictors of this behaviour.
Feedback can increase the degrees of freedom of the rank-deficient interference channel

We characterize the total degrees of freedom (DoF) of the two-user rank-deficient interference channel with feedback, in which transmitter i and receiver j use Mi and Nj antennas, respectively, and the rank of the channel matrix between transmitter i and receiver j is given by Dji ≤ min(Mi, Nj) ∀i, j = 1,2. One consequence of this result is that feedback can increase the DoF when the number of antennas at each node is large enough as compared to the ranks of channel matrices. This finding is in contrast to the full-rank interference channel where feedback provides no DoF gain. The gain comes from using feedback to provide alternative signal paths, thereby effectively increasing the ranks of desired channel matrices.
FLOR-ID: an interactive database of flowering-time gene networks in Arabidopsis thaliana

Flowering is a hot topic in Plant Biology and important progress has been made in Arabidopsis thaliana toward unraveling the genetic networks involved. The increasing complexity and the explosion of literature however require development of new tools for information management and update. We therefore created an evolutive and interactive database of flowering time genes, named FLOR-ID (Flowering-Interactive Database), which is freely accessible at http://www.flor-id.org. The hand-curated database contains information on 306 genes and links to 1595 publications gathering the work of >4500 authors. Gene/protein functions and interactions within the flowering pathways were inferred from the analysis of related publications, included in the database and translated into interactive manually drawn snapshots.
Using NFriendConnector to Extend Facebook to the Real World

study presents a novel approach towards establishing online social connections using Facebook and NFC-enabled mobile phones. There is increasing convergence between users' real life social networks and their online social networks, with online connections following actual social acquaintance and interactions. Accordingly there is a need to provide users with means of accessing and establishing online connections in social networking platforms such as Facebook as and when they interact with other people in their real lives. The NFriendConnector is a prototype application which fulfills this functionality. This paper describes the design and development of the prototype application. The expectation confirmation theory is used to analyze the extent to which the NFriendConnector fulfills this inherent need among users and how this influences their intention to adopt and use the prototype. The proposed research model is tested in an experimental setup.
Steered Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal the Likelier Dissociation Pathway of Imatinib from Its Targeting Kinases c-Kit and Abl

Development of small molecular kinase inhibitors has recently been the central focus in drug discovery. And type II kinase inhibitors that target inactive conformation of kinases have attracted particular attention since their potency and selectivity are thought to be easier to achieve compared with their counterpart type I inhibitors that target active conformation of kinases. Although mechanisms underlying the interactions between type II inhibitors and their targeting kinases have been widely studied, there are still some challenging problems, for example, how type II inhibitors associate with or dissociate from their targeting kinases. In this investigation, steered molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to explore the possible dissociation pathways of typical type II inhibitor imatinib from its targeting protein kinases c-Kit and Abl. The simulation results indicate that the most favorable pathway for imatinib dissociation corresponds to the ATP-channel rather than the relatively wider allosteric-pocket-channel, which is mainly due to the different van der Waals interaction that the ligand suffers during dissociation. Nevertheless, the direct reason comes from the fact that the residues composing the ATP-channel are more flexible than that forming the allosteric-pocket-channel. The present investigation suggests that a bulky hydrophobic head is unfavorable, but a large polar tail is allowed for a potent type II inhibitor. The information obtained here can be used to direct the discovery of type II kinase inhibitors.
Private Equity Exits in Emerging Markets

Using deal level data from 2733 private equity (PE) deals from 35 emerging markets, we find that PE fund managers have a higher probability of successful exits in countries with better business and legal environments. We also find that they are able to mitigate the potential costs associated with inefficient and corrupt business environments to increase the probability of exits by IPOs in countries with higher levels of corruption. Moreover, we find that market shocks in the developed markets result in a negative ripple effect as the probability of successful exits, especially by way of IPOs, decreases in emerging markets.
Induced Dwarf Mutant in Catharanthus roseus with Enhanced Antibacterial Activity

Evaluation of an ethyl methane sulphonate-induced dwarf mutant of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don revealed that the mutant exhibited marked variation in morphometric parameters. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the aqueous and alcoholic leaf extracts of the mutant and control plants was investigated against medically important bacteria. The mutant leaf extracts showed enhanced antibacterial activity against all the tested bacteria except Bacillus subtilis.
Determinants of Banana Productivity and Technical Efficiency in Uganda

This research report highlights findings from a set of studies undertaken by applied economists on the impact of improved banana cultivars and recommended management practices in the East African highlands. A particular focus of the analysis is genetic transformation of the cooking banana. Genetic transformation to achieve pest and disease resistance of the cooking banana is a promising strategy for smallholder farmers in this region. Biotic constraints are severe and not easily addressed through conventional breeding techniques or control methods. Exports on the world market are currently negligible, so that the risks of reduced exports due to policies against genetically modified foods are low. The crop is both an important food source and a significant generator of rural income, which means that improving productivity could have great social benefits.
The novel SAR‐binding domain of scaffold attachment factor A (SAF‐A) is a target in apoptotic nuclear breakdown

The scaffold attachment factor A (SAF‐A) is an abundant component of the nuclear scaffold and of chromatin, and also occurs in heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) complexes. Evidence from previous experiments had suggested that SAF‐A most likely has at least two different functions, being involved both in nuclear architecture and RNA metabolism. We now show that the protein has a novel scaffold‐associated region (SAR)‐specific bipartite DNA‐binding domain which is independent from the previously identified RNA‐binding domain, the RGG box. During apoptosis, but not during necrosis, SAF‐A is cleaved in a caspase‐dependent way. Cleavage occurs within the bipartite DNA‐binding domain, resulting in a loss of DNA‐binding activity and a concomitant detachment of SAF–A from nuclear structural sites. On the other hand, cleavage does not compromise the association of SAF‐A with hnRNP complexes, indicating that the function of SAF‐A in RNA metabolism is not affected in apoptosis. Our results suggest that detachment of SAF–A from SARs, caused by apoptotic proteolysis of its DNA‐binding domain, is linked to the formation of oligonucleosomal‐sized DNA fragments and could therefore contribute to nuclear breakdown in apoptotic cells.
Time and Frequency Analysis on Leakage Current Waveforms of Discharges along Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Surfaces

This paper reported the different leakage current waveforms of discharges on ceramic insulators and RTV coated insulators in the artificial pollution flashover tests. According to the recorded data, the joint time and frequency analysis methods of short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and Gabor transform were used to pick up the characteristics of leakage currents and analyze the development and transition of leakage currents on the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Results of STFT and Gabor transform all show that the joint time-frequency distribution of the whole process tested on the hydrophilic surface is different from that on the hydrophobic surface, if they were treated as the non-stationary signals. In addition, the time-frequency distributions of discharges on the hydrophilic surface in different stages are found to differ from those on the hydrophobic surface
Modulation and Apoptosis of Neutrophil Granulocytes by Extracorporeal Photopheresis in the Treatment of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a common side effect of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in affected patients. Especially skin, eyes and oral mucosa are affected. This can lead to pain and functional impairment. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an effective immunomodulatory therapy with minimal side effects but its mode of action is still largely unknown. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of ECP on neutrophil granulocytes in patients with cGVHD. Analysis of leukocytes from cGVHD patients obtained from the ECP device during treatment showed that neutrophil granulocytes account for the majority of cells treated during ECP. Neutrophils from healthy donors treated in vitro with 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA light as well as neutrophils from buffy coats of patients with cGVHD treated by ECP showed increased apoptosis and decreased half-life. In remaining non-apoptotic cells chemoirradiation resulted in loss of activation markers and reduced effector functions. This was accompanied by an increase in extracellular arginase-1 activity. Additional comparison of neutrophils isolated from blood of cGVHD patients before and 24h after ECP revealed a decreased half-life and reduction of effector functions of post-ECP neutrophils ex vivo. These observations strongly suggest that ECP induces both apoptosis and physiological changes in neutrophils and that these changes also take place in vivo. This study is the first to show that ECP modulates apoptosis and inflammatory activity in neutrophil granulocytes, indicating that neutrophils may significantly contribute to the overall immunomodulatory effects attributed to this treatment.
Rheological and electrokinetic properties of carboxymethylcellulose-water dispersions in the presence of salts

The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of the addition of salts in the form of calcium chloride, sodium chloride and potassium chloride on the rheological and electrokinetic properties of diluted sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC) dispersions (0.50%). The rheological data of a water-CMC-salt system were obtained using coaxial cylinder viscometer covering a wide range of shear rate (0 to 600 s-1). Ostwald–de Waelepower law was used for fitting flow curves of various samples. The presence of salts in CMC aqueous solutions leads to the reduction of the consistency index and the increase of flow index as salinity increases. When the concentration of salts is greater than 3%, the rheological parameters of CMC solutions in saline medium are quasi stable. The electrokinetic measurements show an increase of the zeta potential of CMC dispersions when the concentration of salts in solution increases. Calcium chloride caused the greatest increase in zeta potential. Excluding the monovalent cations, the divalent cation is able to reverse the sign of the zeta potential from negative to positive. Key words: Rheology, zeta potential, salt, carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC).
The interaction of entropy fluctuations with turbine blade rows; a mechanism of turbojet engine noise

The theory relating to the interaction of entropy fluctuations (' hot spots '), as well as vorticity and pressure, with blade rows is described. A basic feature of the model is that the blade rows have blades of sufficiently short chord that this is negligible in comparison with the wavelength of the disturbances. For the interaction of entropy with a blade row to be important, it is essential that the steady pressure change across the blade row should be large, although all unsteady perturbations are assumed small. A number of idealized examples have been calculated, beginning with isolated blade rows, progressing to single and then to several turbine stages. Finally, the model has been used to predict the low-frequency rearward-radiated acoustic power from a commercial turbojet engine. Following several assumptions, together with considerable empirical data, the correct trend and level are predicted, suggesting the mechanism to be important at low jet velocities.
Global Information Technology Report 2006-2007: Connecting to the Networked Economy

With total coverage of over 100 economies worldwide and published for the sixth consecutive year, The Global Information Technology Report has grown into the world's most eminent assessment of the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the development and competitiveness of nations, and into a powerful tool for business leaders and policy makers in understanding the enabling factors of ICT advancements. The Global Information Technology Report 2006-2007 features the latest computation and rankings of the Networked Readiness Index as well as a number of essays covering different issues of networked readiness and showcasing best policies and practicing in leveraging ICT for growth and development. As in previous years, the Report is the result of collaboration between the World Economic Forum and INSEAD, France.
Lutein and zeaxanthin status and risk of age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE To investigate the relation between plasma concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin and age-related macular degeneration in a group of elderly men and women. METHODS The Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System was used to grade features of early and late macular degeneration in 380 men and women, aged 66 to 75 years, from Sheffield, United Kingdom. Fasting blood samples were taken to assess plasma concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin. RESULTS Risk of age-related macular degeneration (early or late) was significantly higher in people with lower plasma concentrations of zeaxanthin. Compared with those whose plasma concentrations of zeaxanthin were in the highest third of the distribution, people whose plasma concentration was in the lowest third had an odds ratio for risk of age-related macular degeneration of 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-4.1), after adjustment for age and other risk factors. Risk of age-related macular degeneration was increased in people with the lowest plasma concentrations of lutein plus zeaxanthin (odds ratio [OR] 1.9, 95% CI 0.9-3.5) and in those with the lowest concentrations of lutein (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.9-3.3), but neither of these relations was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide support for the view that zeaxanthin may protect against age-related macular degeneration.
Property and political order: land rights and the structure of conflict in Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, property relationships around land and access to natural resources vary across localities, districts, and farming regions. These differences produce patterned variations in relationships between individuals, communities, and the state. This book captures these patterns in an analysis of structure and variation in rural land tenure regimes. In most farming areas, state authority is deeply embedded in land regimes, drawing farmers, ethnic insiders and outsiders, lineages, villages, and communities into direct and indirect relationships with political authorities at different levels of the state apparatus. The analysis shows how property institutions – institutions that define political authority and hierarchy around land – shape dynamics of great interest to scholars of politics, including the dynamics of land-related competition and conflict, territorial conflict, patron-client relations, electoral cleavage and mobilization, ethnic politics, rural rebellion, and the localization and “nationalization” of political competition.
Building the Best Faculty: Strategies for Hiring and Supporting New Teachers

Chapter 1 The Need for New Teachers Chapter 2 Envisioning and Defining the New Position Chapter 3 Advertising and Recruiting Chapter 4 Reviewing and Evaluating Paperwork Chapter 5 The All-Important Interview Chapter 6 Group Interviews Chapter 7 Portfolios, Videos, and Other Supporting Materials Chapter 8 Final Decisions and Final Negotiations Chapter 9 Problems of Beginning Teachers and the Need for Induction Chapter 10 Orientation Chapter 11 Support Seminars for Newly Hired Teachers Chapter 12 Mentoring Chapter 13 Rejuvinating All Faculty Chapter 14 Action Timeline