Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The determinants of contractual choice for private involvement in infrastructure projects

Numerous studies have examined the determinants of private participation in infrastructure projects. We depart from this simple public/private dichotomy by empirically examining a rich set of contractual arrangements. Infrastructure characteristics, particularly those that reflect ‘stand alone’ versus network characteristics, are key factors influencing the extent of private participation. Fiscal variables as well as basic controls, such as population and locality of government, increase the degree of private participation. A greater tax burden reduces private participation.
Vilaprisan for treating uterine fibroids

ABSTRACT Introduction: The medical strategy to antagonize myoma size and related-symptoms is to reduce estrogen and progesterone activity on myomas. This can be obtained with the GnRH agonist (GnRHa) or with compounds that antagonize progesterone stimulatory activity on myomas. Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs) bind progesterone receptor (PR), leading to both agonist and antagonist effects. The result of SPRMs’s action is tissue-specific and it depends on the particular affinity and strength of each SPRM. Area covered: Ulipristal acetate (UPA) is the first SPRM registered for myoma treatment. UPA reduces heavy uterine bleeding within 7 days from the onset of treatment, whereas a longer time is required with GnRHa treatment. Vilaprisan is a novel powerful SPRM. Phase I and II studies give encouraging results on the efficacy of vilaprisan at different doses. Like other SPRMs, vilaprisan induces benign changes of endometrium (PR modulator-associated endometrial changes, PAECs). These disappear as treatment is discontinued. Unlike GnRHa treatment, neither UPA nor vilaprisan induce hypoestrogenism and associated symptoms. Phase III studies are ongoing to confirm efficacy and safety of vilaprisan in long-term treatment of symptomatic fibroids. Expert opinion: It is fundamental to underline the rapidity of action (only 3 days) in the control of myoma-related bleeding.
Identification of Lotus Rhizobia by Direct DNA Hybridization of Crushed Root Nodules

Hybridization of crushed Lotus pedunculatus root nodules with 32P-labeled total genomic DNA probes was used to identify Rhizobium loti and Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lotus rhizobia). Probes always hybridized with homologous target DNA and frequently with DNAs of other strains from the same genus. Intergeneric hybridization did not occur. Results were comparable to those from colony hybridization.
Detection of Rotavirus Types G8 and G10 among Brazilian Children with Diarrhea

ABSTRACT Characterization of 49 rotavirus-positive stool specimens from children with diarrhea in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1996 and 1997 revealed a great diversity of rotavirus G types. Conventional types G1 and G3 accounted for 27 and 12% of the infections, respectively, whereas 60% of the infections were caused by unconventional types G5 (25%), G10 (16%), and G8 (4%) and mixed G types (16%).
Neuroanatomy of the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) as revealed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

In this study, magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain of an adult common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) were acquired in the coronal plane at 66 antero‐posterior levels. From these scans a computer‐generated set of resectioned virtual images in orthogonal planes was constructed using the programs VoxelView and VoxelMath (Vital Images, Inc., Michigan State Univ.). Sections in all three planes reveal major neuroanatomical structures. These structures in the adult common dolphin brain are compared with those from a fetal common dolphin brain from a previously published study as well as with MR images of adult brains of other odontocetes. This study, like previous ones, demonstrates the utility of MR imaging (MRI) for comparative neuroanatomical investigations of dolphin brains. Anat Rec 268:411–429, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Neutrophilic Partition in Myocardial Infarction.

Although when acute coronary occlusion can be recognized clinically the prognosis is serious, it is known that the majority survive the acute attack. The clinical findings that would suggest a less favorable outcome, according to White,1 are "Advanced age, a state of shock, an abrupt and pronounced fall in blood pressure, the prolongation of the severe substernal pain for more than two or three hours, the duration of fever for more than a few days, the presence of high fever (103°-104° F.), a high leucocytosis especially if maintained for a week or more, rapid and marked dilatation, gallop rhythm, ventricular paroxysmal tachycardia, heart block, pulsus alternans, cardiac asthma, congestive failure, and embolic phenomena. " The electrocardiogram generally gives confirmatory evidence of the presence of myocardial infarction, although it cannot be relied upon to inform us as to the extent and severity of this pathological change. Certain blood studies have been carried out in the hope of yielding useful information on this point. Knowing that absorption from necrotic processes causes lowering of the red cell sedimentation time, Rabinowitz2 and his co-workers became interested in this reaction following acute coronary occlusion. In 10 such cases they found uniformly an increase in the rate, the change being most marked on the third to fifth day, and persisting longer than fever or leucocytosis. Burak3 reports a similar study on 6 patients. Steinbergfollowed the nonprotein nitrogen of the blood in cases after coronary occlusion and reported that a filtrate nitrogen, remaining high or continuing to rise, was of serious significance. Many previous articles have mentioned the characteristic increase in the total leucocyte count. White' states that the grade and duration of leucocytosis is a useful clew to the size of the infarct and, hence, to the prognosis. Libman and Sacks'* state that leucocytosis is the most frequent significant feature of the condition. Of a series of
Investment, Financing Constraints, and Internal Capital Markets: Evidence from the Advertising Expenditures of Multinational Firms

We find a significant positive relation between a firm's advertising spending in the United States and its contemporaneous foreign cash flow. This relation holds even after controlling for factors that should be related to the optimal level of domestic advertising, and it is stronger for subsets of firms that we expect to be relatively more financially constrained. Our evidence supports the hypothesis that there is a causal and economically substantial link between cash flow and investment spending, even for intangible investments such as advertising. Our evidence also suggests that firms have active internal capital markets in which capital is moved across geographic regions. The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org. , Oxford University Press.
Fluoride Concentration of Drinking Waters and Prevalence of Fluorosis in Iran: A Systematic Review

Background and aims The aim of the present study was to systematically review fluoride concentration of drinking waters and prevalence of fluorosis in Iran through systematically evaluating results of studies conducted in this regard. Materials and methods In this systematic review study, the required data was collected using keywords including drinking water fluoride, fluoride concentration, Fluorosis, dent*, Iran*, and their Persian equivalents through PubMed, ScienceDirect, IranMedex, SID, MEDLIB, and Magiran databases. Out of 617 articles, 29 articles were finally considered after excluding the remaining articles which were not related to the study objectives. Following precise studying and extraction, the relevant data were summarized in extraction tables and analyzed manually. Excel 2007 software was used to draw diagrams. Results 4434 samples of surface, ground, and tap water resources collected within 236 months during all seasons in 17 provinces of Iran were used in 29 articles determining fluoride concentrations of drinking water. Average fluoride concentration was estimated to be 0.43 ± 0.17 ppm with zero and 3.06 as minimal and maximal values. The least concentration was seen in tap water. Fluoride concentration of only three provinces was in accordance with the global standard. According to estimations, prevalence of fluorosis was 61% with only 1% as severe fluorosis. Conclusion Despite lower than standard concentrations of fluoride in drinking water, a relatively high level of fluorosis was seen in Iran.
Generalized travel cost model and water-quality benefits: a reconsideration

With federal agencies required to conduct benefit-cost analyses for each new major regulation, analyses of water quality changes are likely to be an increasingly important part of the policymaking process. A revised version of the travel cost demand model and illustrations show the importance of these revisions for the model's estimates. Although the magnitude of the difference in benefit estimates between the original and new versions of the model varies with the specific recreation site selected, the findings indicate that the original model generally implied estimated benefits from three to over 30 times as large as the revised model. This implies that judgment can play an important role in the definition and use of economic models, as well as the need for better information on households' recreation decisions and more complete description of recreation site characteristics. 15 references, 4 tables.
Generational Dimensions of Neoliberal and Post-Fordist Restructuring: The Changing Characteristics of Young Adults and Growing Income Inequality in Montreal and Vancouver

There is growing concern over income inequality and its generational dimensions. Post-Fordist and neoliberal restructuring have reshaped urban labour markets, resulting in growing inequalities that disproportionately afflict younger workers. This article empirically analyses the transition as experienced in Montreal and Vancouver, two Canadian cities that have undergone restructuring in different ways. The study of young adults' changing incomes reveals growing intra- and inter-cohort inequality, and an increasing intergenerational income gap in both cities. Income inequality is greater in Vancouver, with its more pronounced post-Fordist labour force composition and neoliberalized governance context. Known factors such as occupation and gender affect the earnings structure, but educational attainment has increased the most in terms of its effect on incomes. Inequalities among young adults are expected to magnify in the future due to unevenness in educational attainment. Urban research ought to pay close attention to the role of education in structuring inequalities, and the ways the impact of restructuring is unevenly distributed across generations.
Program sustainability and the determinants of farmers’ self-predicted post-program land use decisions: evidence from the Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) in China

Abstract In this paper we evaluate the long-run sustainability of China's Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) by investigating the determinants of farmers’ self-predicted post-program land use decisions. We use data from a household survey conducted in 2005, with a particular focus on a dependent variable that reflects farmers’ ordinal responses to a question about their probability of converting the enrolled lands back to cultivation after the program ends. First, we find that targeting the program on steeper sloped and lower quality plots can significantly decrease the probability of reconversion. Second, there is a significant and robust household income structure effect on the reconversion probability. Third, participating households with the right to decide what to plant on enrolled land have a higher probability of maintaining the reforested land after the program ends. Finally, subsidy shortfall has a positive influence on the probability of reconversion.
Tourism Policy in Australia's Northern Territory: A Policy Process Analysis of its Tourism Development Masterplan

In the past 15 years, the Northern Territory (NT) has become internationally renowned as one of Australia's important tourist regions. Remoteness, vast distances, spectacular scenery, diverse flora and fauna, the sparsely populated outback as well as the unique Aboriginal culture are all part of the tourist image of the NT. With the Northern Territory Tourism Development Masterplan (TDMP), now the foundation of NT tourism policy, the government recognised the need for better strategic planning to further develop and manage the resources which underpin the attractiveness of the Territory as a tourist destination. This paper explores the tourism policy process of the TDMP in greater detail by employing the policy cycle model as a tool for a descriptive analysis which highlights the character of the process and explains the dynamics of the process tourism policy and decision making. The analysis, which also takes into account the specific NT policy environment, reveals a pattern of strong government patronage and the primacy of economic thinking.
Self-managing teams and employee attitudes: the moderating role of capital intensity

This study investigates the moderating role of capital intensity in the relationships between self-managing teams and employee attitudes. This study also examines the mediating role of organizational commitment in the relationship between self-managing teams and turnover intention. The proposed hypotheses were tested by hierarchical linear modeling using data collected from 1293 employees of 50 companies in South Korea in 2008. The results revealed that organizational commitment mediated the relationship between self-managing teams and turnover intention. The findings also showed that capital intensity moderated the relationships between self-managing teams and employee attitudes. Specifically, self-managing teams were more effective in enhancing organizational commitment and in reducing turnover intention in capital-intensive companies than in labor-intensive companies. Implications for company policies and future research are discussed.
A disaggregate analysis of factors influencing port selection

In this paper are presented the results of a multinomial logit model used to explain the selection of a port for each shipment exported from the US in December 1999. The model is estimated for combined shipments, and one model is estimated for each of four commodity types (bulk, foods, fabrics, manufactured). Results are compared across commodities to find the significance of the distance in either direction, the frequency of sailings, and the average size of vessels sailing along a route. Results of the estimation do not match those that would be expected. Potential reasons are given for such variations, along with numerous methods by which the modelling could be improved. Methods for improvement suggested include structuring of the model to represent more accurately the competitive scenario of each port, constraining the choice set for each shipments from characteristics of the carrier, and the commodity.
Building Stakeholder Theory with a Decision Modeling Methodology

This article focuses stakeholder theory on that critical juncture where stakeholder relationships and corporate policy decisions converge. A case study methodology is described that permits detailed analyses of multiple stakeholders’ objectives; it is suitable for studies of major corporate strategic decisions that are complex, controversial, involve multiple stakeholders, and require strategic trade-offs. The methodology is applied here to the dramatic decision by a Pacific Northwest forest company to phase out traditional clear-cut harvesting methods of old-growth forests. The study’s findings point to new research questions and have theoretical implications for a finer grained conceptualization of stakeholder groups, stakeholder objectives, and stakeholder issues.
Crack-Configuration Analysis of Metal Conductive Track Embedded in Stretchable Elastomer

This paper reports the analysis of the crack configuration of a stretched metal conductive track that is embedded in a stretchable elastomer. The factor determining the crack configurations is analyzed by modeling as well as experiments. The modeling analysis indicates that the crack configuration is determined by the ratio of the elongation stiffness of the track and elastomer, and is classified into two types: multiple-crack growth and single-crack growth. When the track stiffness is considerably lower than the elastomer stiffness, multiple-crack growth type occurs; in the opposite case, single-crack growth type occurs. Hence, to verify the modeling analysis, metal conductive tracks with different thicknesses are fabricated, and the cracks are studied with respect to the crack width, number of cracks, and crack propagation speed. In this study, two conventional metal-track shapes are studied: straight-shaped tracks with track thickness of 0.04–1.17 µm, and wave-shaped tracks with track thickness of 2–10 µm. For straight-shaped tracks, multiple-crack growth type occurred, when the track thickness was 0.04 µm, and the crack configuration gradually changed to a single crack, with the increase in the track thickness. For wave-shaped tracks with track thickness of 2–10 µm, only single-crack growth type occurred; however, the crack propagation speed decreased and the maximum stretchability of the track increased, with the increase in the track thickness.
The Fisher Effect and the Term Structure of Interest Rates: Tests of Cointegration

The literature on the Fisher effect has ignored the potential relationship between inflation and long-term interest rates. Using an expectations model of the term structure of interest rates, the authors establish the conditions under which innovations in short-term inflation will be transmitted to long-term as well as short-term interest rates. Cointegration tests find support for both the Fisher effect and the expectations theory of the term structure. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.
Capital Asset Pricing Model with Frictions: Application to the Tunisian Stock Market

For many decades, asset-pricing theory was constructed on absence of frictions hypothesis. However, since pioneers’ works of Chen et al. (1975) and Amihud and Mendelson (1986) in microstructure area, systematic violations of this assumption were observed and the standard CAPM generates biased estimates of returns. The main obstacle that we face when we use CAPM with frictions is the unavailability of the observable variables that directly measure illiquidity costs, transaction costs and information costs. Microstructure literature provides many models to estimate them. We use Amihud (2002) model to estimate illiquidity costs and Lin et al. (1995) model to estimate transaction and information costs. Before a study of a sample of 40 quoted securities in Tunisian financial market, on the period of 07/02/2011 to 31/01/2013, results appear conclusive. First, we show the existence of asset pricing bias compared to the standard CAPM. Furthermore, we find a strong relation between transaction costs, information costs and illiquidity estimators and returns; thus the use of the CAPM with frictions. This model appears very strong and the results prove the necessity to account for frictions in asset pricing. Keywords: CAPM; market microstructure; frictions; bid-ask spread components. JEL Classifications: G20; G21; G01; G31; G32
Towards Miscanthus combustion quality improvement: the role of flowering and senescence

In commercially grown Miscanthus × giganteus, despite imposing a yield penalty, postwinter harvests improve quality criteria for thermal conversion and crop sustainability through remobilization of nutrients to the underground rhizome. We examined 16 Miscanthus genotypes with different flowering and senescence times for variation in N, P, K, moisture, ash, Cl and Si contents, hypothesizing that early flowering and senescence could result in improved biomass quality and/or enable an earlier harvest of biomass (in autumn at peak yield). Ideal crop characteristics at harvest are low N and P to reduce future fertilizer inputs, low K and Cl to reduce corrosion in boilers, low moisture to reduce spoilage and transportation costs, and low Si and ash to reduce slagging and consequent operational downtime. Stems and leaves were harvested during summer, autumn and then the following spring after overwinter ripening. In spring, stem contents of N were 30–60 mg kg−1, P were 203–1132 mg kg−1, K were 290–4098 mg kg−1, Cl were 10–23 mg kg−1 and moisture were 12–38%. Notably, late senescence resulted in increased N, P, K, Cl, moisture and ash contents, and should therefore be avoided for thermochemical conversion. Flowering and senescence led to overall improved combustion quality, where flowered genotypes tended towards lower P, K, Cl and moisture contents; marginally less, or similar, N, Si and ash contents; and a similar higher heating value, compared to those that had not flowered. Such genotypes could potentially be harvested in the autumn. However, one genotype that did not flower in our trial exhibited sufficiently low N and K content in autumn to meet the ENplus wood pellet standards for those traits, and some of the lowest P, moisture and ash contents in our trial, and is thus a target for future research and breeding.
Some Experiments in Planning and Operating

Three experiments are reported relating types of planning activities to performance and attitudes. In general, the findings are consistent with earlier studies showing strong, positive relationship between participation in planning on the one hand and morale and productivity on the other. In all three experiments, performance and attitudes were better when subjects were using plans developed by themselves than plans developed by others.
Exploring Implicit Feedback for Open Domain Conversation Generation

User feedback can be an effective indicator to the success of the human-robot conversation. However, to avoid to interrupt the online real-time conversation process, explicit feedback is usually gained at the end of a conversation. Alternatively, users' responses usually contain their implicit feedback, such as stance, sentiment, emotion, etc., towards the conversation content or the interlocutors. Therefore, exploring the implicit feedback is a natural way to optimize the conversation generation process. In this paper, we propose a novel reward function which explores the implicit feedback to optimize the future reward of a reinforcement learning based neural conversation model. A simulation strategy is applied to explore the state-action space in training and test. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms the Seq2Seq model and the state-of-the-art reinforcement learning model for conversation generation on automatic and human evaluations on the OpenSubtitles and Twitter datasets.