Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age- and Concentration-Dependent Elimination Half-Life of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in Seveso Children

Objective Pharmacokinetic and statistical analyses are reported to elucidate key variables affecting 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) elimination in children and adolescents. Design We used blood concentrations to calculate TCDD elimination half-life. Variables examined by statistical analysis include age, latency from exposure, sex, TCDD concentration and quantity in the body, severity of chloracne response, body mass index, and body fat mass. Participants Blood was collected from 1976 to 1993 from residents of Seveso, Italy, who were < 18 years of age at the time of a nearby trichlorophenol reactor explosion in July 1976. Results TCDD half-life in persons < 18 years of age averaged 1.6 years while those ≥18 years of age averaged 3.2 years. Half-life is strongly associated with age, showing a cohort average increase of 0.12 year half-life per year of age or time since exposure. A significant concentration-dependency is also identified, showing shorter half-lives for TCDD concentrations > 400 ppt for children < 12 years of age and 700 ppt when including adults. Moderate correlations are also observed between half-life and body mass index, body fat mass, TCDD mass, and chloracne response. Conclusions Children and adolescents have shorter TCDD half-lives and a slower rate of increase in half-life than adults, and this effect is augmented at higher body burdens. Relevance Modeling of TCDD blood concentrations or body burden in humans should take into account the markedly shorter elimination half-life observed in children and adolescents and concentration-dependent effects observed in persons > 400–700 ppt.
In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns

Americans tend to see negative campaign ads as just that: negative. Pundits, journalists, voters, and scholars frequently complain that such ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer here takes the opposite stance, arguing that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other's views and qualifications, voters - and the democratic process - benefit. "In Defense of Negativity", Geer's study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians' personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls. An important and timely contribution to American political discourse, "In Defense of Negativity" concludes that if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution.
Strong Convergence Theorems for Fixed Point Problems , Equilibrium Problems and Applications

In this paper, we introduce an iterative scheme by hybrid methods for finding a common element of the set of fixed points of nonexpansive mappings, the set of solution of an equilibrium problems and the set of solution of a variational inequality problems for a monotone, k -Lipschitz continuous mappings in a Hilbert space. We show that the iterative sequence converges strongly to a common element of the three sets. Our results extend and improve the recent results of Takahashi, Takeuchi and Kubota [W. Takahashi, Y. Takeuchi, R. Kubota, Strong Convergence Theorems by Hybrid Methods for Families of Nonexpansive Mappings in Hilbert Spaces, J. Math. Anal. Appl. , 341(2008), 276-286 ] and many others. Mathematics Subject Classification: 46C05, 47H09, 47H10, 47H20
Generalized range of slow random walks on trees

In this work, we are interested in the set of visited vertices of a tree $\mathbb{T}$ by a randomly biased random walk $\mathbb{X}:=(X_n,n \in \mathbb{N})$. The aim is to study a generalized range, that is to say the volume of the trace of $\mathbb{X}$ with both constraints on the trajectories of $\mathbb{X}$ and on the trajectories of the underlying branching random potential $\mathbb{V}:=(V(x), x \in \mathbb{T})$. Focusing on slow regime's random walks (see [HS16b], [AC18]), we prove a general result and detail examples. These examples exhibit many different behaviors for a wide variety of ranges, showing the interactions between the trajectories of $\mathbb{X}$ and the ones of $\mathbb{V}$.
Validating Models for Bounded Rationality and Decision Biases in a Newsvendor Experiment

Experimental newsvendor studies have shown that mean order quantities deviate from the normative predictions. In an effort to explain this phenomenon, a number of behavioral models have been proposed that can accurately account for this mean ordering behavior. However, an often overlooked result of newsvendor experiments is that order quantities exhibit considerable variability, despite the fact that price and cost parameters are constant. In this paper, we develop a simple behavioral model that predicts both mean order quantities and order variability. We begin by first describing our forecast anchoring model, which relies on a combination of simple decision heuristics, rather than an expected utility approach. We then fit the model by the generalized method of moments to a well-known newsvendor experimental data set. The estimated model parameters are used to generate predictions for ordering decisions in a separate external newsvendor data set, as an out-of-sample test. We find that our forecast anchoring model can predict both the mean and variability of order quantities well. Furthermore, as a robustness check, we conduct our own newsvendor experiment, which considers a unique setting with asymmetric two-point demand. We show that our model continues to fit ordering decisions well, whereas other models are not robust enough to provide an accurate fit in this setting. Across the different data sets, we also find a consistent pattern of subjects tending to anchor heavily on their demand forecast when the product profit margin is high. Overall, our study provides a new perspective for explaining and predicting order variability observed in behavioral inventory decisions. Our model predictions can help the upstream supply chain party better anticipate the order variability from the downstream buyer and thus improve profitability.
Septin ring size scaling and dynamics require the coiled-coil region of Shs1p

How the size and dynamics of higher-order septin structures is determined is not well understood in any system. In this paper, we show that the coiled-coil domain of the septin Shs1p limits septin ring size and dynamics in the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii, providing a link between protein exchange and the scaling of septin assemblies.
Substance P and intensity of pruritus in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients

Background Uremic pruritus is a common complication in patients undergoing dialysis. The pathophysiological mechanisms of pruritus in patients with end-stage renal disease remain unknown. Neuropeptides, including substance P, are postulated to play an important role in the pathogenesis of pruritus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of substance P in uremic pruritus in patients on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Material/Methods We included 197 patients with end-stage renal disease: 54 on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and 143 on hemodialysis. Substance P, calcium, phosphorus, iron, ferritin, CRP, albumin, hemoglobin, Ca × P product, and iPTH level were determined in all participants. The correlation between these parameters and self-reported itching was evaluated in patients on hemodialysis in comparison with peritoneal dialysis patients. Results The incidence of itching was similar in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients. No differences in substance P level between the 2 groups were found. There was no correlation between substance P level and the incidence or intensity of pruritus in dialyzed patients. Conclusions This study demonstrates that substance P does not play any important role in pruritus in hemodialysed and peritoneal dialyzed patients. However, further studies are necessary to assess the exact role of neuropeptides in uremic pruritus.
Does Competition for Capital Discipline Governments ? Decentralization , Globalization and Corruption Hongbin Caia

Many political economists believe that competition among countries—or regions within them—to attract mobile capital should discipline their governments, rendering them less corrupt and more friendly toward business. This argument surfaces repeatedly in debates over both political decentralization and globalization. We argue that it is based on an assumption— countries or regions start out identical—that is quite unrealistic. We reexamine the standard model that predicts a disciplining effect of capital mobility, and show that if units are sufficiently heterogeneous exactly the opposite prediction often follows. If some units are exogenously much more attractive to investors than others (and competition for capital is intense), the only equilibrium under capital mobility will involve polarization. Initially disadvantaged units will actually be more corrupt, more starved of capital, and slower to grow if capital is mobile than if it is not. By contrast, exogenously attractive units will do more to woo investors, suck capital out of their lower productivity counterparts, and grow faster. We suggest this may help explain the disappointing results of liberalizing capital flows within the Russian federation and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Comercio internacional y efecto frontera en el País Vasco

A pesar del proceso de integracion comercial que esta experimentado la economia mundial todavia los paises comercian mas dentro de sus fronteras que fuera de ellas. Este articulo analiza el comercio bilateral entre el Pais Vasco y el resto de Espana. y ofrece nuevas evidencias sobre el llamado "sesgo domestico". Los resultados del estudio empirico muestran que el Pais Vasco comercia entre 20 y 26 veces mas con el resto de Espana que con otro pais, una vez que han sido controladas otras variables que pueden afectar al comercio bilateral. Los resultados muestran, asimismo, que entre el 70 y el 85 por ciento del sesgo domestico se explica por el hecho de que el Pais Vasco y el resto de Espana son limitrofes, comparten el mismo idioma y pertenecen a la misma area comercial.
Does mobility of educated workers undermine decentralized education policies

The present paper studies a multi-jurisdictional framework, in which, from a federal perspective, educational subsidies turn out to be efficiency enhancing. However, in the presence of mobile high-skilled labor, local jurisdictions might try to free-ride on other regions´education policies and abstain from subsidizing education. Social mobility is introduced as an additional dimension of labor mobility. Using this framework, it is shown that local governments abide by the optimal decision rule for subsidizing human capital investments. Hence, decentralized education policies remain to be efficient, although high-skilled workers are perfectly mobile. Only if one allows for high- and low-skilled mobility, local incentives to promote education vanish.
The Gender Imperative: Human Security vs State Security

Introduction: The Gender Imperative: Human Security vs. State Security Part 1. Confronting the Militarized State Security Paradigm: Human Security from a Feminist Perspective 1. Women and Human Security: A Feminist Framework and Critique of the Prevailing Patriarchal Security System Betty A. Reardon 2. Gendered Insecurity under Long Term Military Presence: the Case of Okinawa Kozue Akibayashi and Suzuyo Takazato 3. Human Security and Layers of Oppression: Women in South Africa Bernedette Muthien Part 2. Patriarchal Conditioning to Violence and Human Insecurity 4. Challenging the Patriarchal National Security Paradigm: The Role of Ethiopian Women in Peace and Security Mesfin G. Ayele 5. War and Armed Conflict: Threat to African Women's Human Security Fatuma Ahmed Ali 6. Sexual Violence and Genocide, the Greatest Violation of Human Security: Responses to the Case of Darfur Lisa Price 7. Security Discourse: A Gender Perspective Michele Milner Part 3. Militarization/ Demilitarization: Eroding and Promoting Human Security 8. Struggles for Peace and Security by Pacific Island Women Ronni Alexander 9. School Burning in Afghanistan: Maintaining Patriarchy through Military and Gender Violence Chloe Breyer 10. Opposing Militarism: Soldiers' Mothers in Russia Valerie Zawilski Part 4. Alternative and Transitional Approaches to Human Security 11. Security Council Resolution 1325: Toward Gender Equality in Peace and Security Policy Making Soumita Basu 12. Jordanian Women's Concepts of Human Security Norma Nemeh 13. Gender, Health, Peace and Security Albie Sharpe 14. An Experiment in Transition from Military to Human Security Asha Hans Conclusion: Framing a Gender and Human Security Discourse: Initiating the Inquiry Annexes: Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 Index
Genetic Diversity and Population Differentiation of the Causal Agent of Citrus Black Spot in Brazil

One of the most important diseases that affect sweet orange orchards in Brazil is the Citrus Black Spot that is caused by the fungus Guignardia citricarpa. This disease causes irreparable losses due to the premature falling of fruit, as well as its severe effects on the epidermis of ripe fruit that renders them unacceptable at the fresh fruit markets. Despite the fact that the fungus and the disease are well studied, little is known about the genetic diversity and the structure of the fungi populations in Brazilian orchards. The objective of this work was study the genetic diversity and population differentiation of G. citricarpa associated with four sweet orange varieties in two geographic locations using DNA sequence of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region from fungi isolates. We observed that different populations are closely related and present little genetic structure according to varieties and geographic places with the highest genetic diversity distributed among isolates of the same populations. The same haplotypes were sampled in different populations from the same and different orange varieties and from similar and different origins. If new and pathogenic fungi would become resistant to fungicides, the observed genetic structure could rapidly spread this new form from one population to others.
PREDIKSI KEBANGKRUTAN DENGAN MODEL GROVER, ALTMAN Z-SCORE, SPRINGATE DAN ZMIJEWSKI PADA PERUSAHAAN FOOD AND BEVERAGE DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA

ABSTRAK Kesulitan keuangan merupakan tahapan penurunan kondisi keuangan suatu perusahaan. Perusahaan yang mengalami kesulitan keuangan dalam jangka waktu yang lama memiliki kecenderungan untuk mengalami kebangkrutan. Ada banyak pihak yang akan dirugikan jika suatu perusahaan mengalami kebangkrutan, untuk itulah diperlukan model prediksi kebangkrutan yang dapat memberikan peringatan dini bagi perusahaan. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui ada tidaknya perbedaan model Grover dengan model Altman Z-Score , model Grover dengan model Springate, dan model Grover dengan model Zmijewski serta untuk mengetahui model prediksi kebangkrutan yang terakurat. Penelitian menggunakan alat analisis teknik uji paired samplet-test dengan bantuan program microsoft excel. Kesimpulan hasil pengujian penelitian ini menunjukkan perbedaan signifikan antara model Grover dengan model Altman Z-Score , model Grover dengan model Springate, serta model Grover dengan model Zmijewski serta tingkat akurasi tertinggi yang diraih model Grover kemudian disusul oleh model Springate, model Zmijewski, dan terakhir model Altman Z-score. Kata kunci : Financial Distress , Model Prediksi, Laporan Keuangan
Influence of the grain size on the in vivo degradation behaviour of the magnesium alloy LAE442

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the in vivo degradation behaviour of magnesium implants with various grain sizes and damaged surfaces. For this purpose, three different LAE442 magnesium implants were produced: cast, single and double extruded implants, in order to obtain different grain sizes. Furthermore, defects were positioned on the surfaces of some of the single extruded implants. The initial stability was determined. Four pins of each implant material were implanted into rabbits’ tibiae and regularly clinically, radiologically and µ-computed tomographically investigated over a period of 27 weeks. Following explantation, investigations were carried out using stereo and scanning electron microscopy including energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. Weight and strength changes were measured. The double extruded implants possessing the finest grains exhibited the highest initial stability (179.18 N). These implants demonstrated the lowest in vivo corrosion rates (0.0134 mm/year) and the least radiologically visible changes. The highest corrosion rate was computed for the implants possessing damaged surfaces. Radiologically discernible bone changes occurred at almost the same time as implant changes for all groups. Based on these results, the aim should be to produce fine-grained magnesium-based alloys for resorbable implants and to avoid any surface damage.
Out of passivity: potential role of OFDI in IFDI-based learning trajectory

This study discusses how outward foreign direct investment (FDI) can complement the inward FDI-based technological capability-building process, through an analysis of the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation case. When a firm is upgrading its technological capability, outward FDI can allow learners to have access to human-embedded skills and knowledge and other intellectual assets that are hardly accessible through the inward globalization strategy. Access to a wide range of external resources is a critical ingredient for improving technological capability, and it can also promote self-learning capability by encouraging subsequent learning-by-doing practices. Accordingly, outward FDI can augment "active" nature in the "passive" learning mode created by the inward globalization strategy. Copyright 2013 The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved. , Oxford University Press.
Renal function, cardiovascular disease risk factors' prevalence and 5-year disease incidence; the role of diet, exercise, lipids and inflammation markers: the ATTICA study.

BACKGROUND We aimed to evaluate the association between renal function and various cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, as well as 5-year incidence of CVD, in a sample of CVD free adults. METHODS (i) Cross-sectional information from n = 1975. Greek men and women (>18 years) without CVD and hypertension at baseline examination and (ii) 5-year (2001-06) survival data from n = 2101 individuals without CVD at baseline, all participants in the ATTICA study, were analysed in this work. Kidney function was quantified by the baseline estimated creatinine clearance rate (C(cr)), using the Cockcroft-Gault formula and the National Kidney Foundation recommendations. Outcome of interest was the development of CVD that was defined according to WHO-ICD-10 criteria. RESULTS At baseline, the prevalence of moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction (i.e. C(cr) < 60) was 2.8% in males and 7.7% in females. Physical activity status, cigarette smoking, hypercholesterolemia and homocysteine levels and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet were inversely associated with C(cr) rate (P < 0.05), while no association was found with history of diabetes. During the 5-year follow-up, people with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction as compared with normal, had 3.21 times higher CVD risk [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98-5.19], after adjusting for history of hypertension (hazard ratio = 2.15, 95% CI 1.48-3.11), hypercholesterolemia (1.37, 0.98-1.98), diabetes (3.28, 2.15-5.00), smoking habits (0.89, 0.60-1.32) and physical activity status (0.86, 0.56-1.21). CONCLUSION Renal function seems to be associated with the levels of lifestyle and bio-clinical CVD risk factors and contribute to the long-term incidence of cardiac events. Public health care practitioners should take into account renal function in better preventing the burden of CVD at individual, and population level, as well.
Cartel Stability: An Empirical Analysis

Using the data on 238 cartelized markets we evaluate econometrically the impact of cartel characteristics as well the market and legal environment of cartel operation on cartel stability. The latter is measured as the expected number of repeated attempts to form a cartel in the same product market. We analyze the behavior of guilty (sanctioned) cartels relative to legal cartels. We find that global cartels are less stable than local cartels. Cartels operating in the countries with developed antitrust law are more stable than cartels operating in the countries without similar regulation. As antitrust law regimes become stricter, sanctioned cartels become less stable. If the average duration of cartel episode is relatively short, the cartel is more likely to make another attempt to collude. If a cartel manages to impose a relatively high level of overcharge, the cartel is less likely to repeat collusive conduct.
Soft Tissue Injections in the Athlete

Background: Injections into or adjacent to soft tissue structures, including muscle, tendon, bursa, and fascia, for pain relief and an earlier return to play have become common in the field of sports medicine. Study Design: Clinical review. Results: Corticosteroids, local anesthetics, and ketorolac tromethamine (Toradol) are the most commonly used injectable agents in athletes. The use of these injectable agents have proven efficacy in some disorders, whereas the clinical benefit for others remain questionable. All soft tissue injections performed for pain control and/or an anti-inflammatory effect have potentially serious side effects, which must be considered, especially in the pregame setting. Conclusions: The primary concern regarding corticosteroid and local anesthetic injections is an increased risk of tendon rupture associated with the direct injection into the tendon. Intramuscular Toradol injections provide significant analgesia, as well as an anti-inflammatory effect via its inhibitory effect on the cyclooxygenase pathway. The risk of bleeding associated with Toradol use is recognized but not accurately quantified.
Management of Dyslipidemia in Adults With Diabetes

RATIONALE FOR TREATMENT OF DYSLIPIDEMIA— The rationale for the treatment of diabetic dyslipidemia is discussed in detail in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) technical review "Management of Dyslipidemia in Adults With Diabetes" (1). Type 2 diabetes is associated with a twoto fourfold excess risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Although the degree of glycemia in diabetic patients is strongly related to the risk of microvascular complications (retinopathy and renal disease), the relation of glycemia to macrovascular disease in type 2 diabetes is less certain. The finding of increased cardiovascular risk factors before the onset of type 2 diabetes also suggests that aggressive screening for diabetes combined with improved glycemic control alone will not be likely to completely eliminate excess risk of CHD in type 2 diabetic patients. Clearly, a multifactorial approach to prevention of CHD in type 2 diabetes will be necessary.