Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Extent of Economic Integration in Europe : Border Effects , Technical Barriers to Trade and Home Bias in Consumption

This paper brings together two important facets of current debates concerning trade policy and trade modelling: the importance of estimated border effects and the impact of technical barriers to trade. Here we try and identify the effect of technical barriers on the imports of EU countries by estimating gravity equations applied to data in which sectors are grouped according to the approach adopted by the EU to the removal of technical barriers (New Approach, Old Approach, mutual recognition) as well as an aggregate of sectors for which technical barriers are deemed to be unimportant. Our results suggest substantial border effects for all groups of sectors except for those subject to mutual recognition. The border effect is mitigated but remains considerable against trade with EU partners. High and persistent border effects are found for sectors where technical barriers are not important suggesting that factors other than policy-induced barriers are important determinants of the intensity of internal relative to external trade flows. The paper discusses the interpretation of these border effects in the context of measuring the extent of economic integration and argues that more information on the nature of preferences and on factors promoting local networks of buyers and suppliers is required before we can proceed to examine the policy implications. ∗ Research Fellows at CEPS. This research has been undertaken as part of the research project on ‘Accession, Differentiation and the Impact upon Trade and Investment Flows in an Integrated Europe’, financed by the European Commission under the ACE Research Programme 1997 (Project Number P97-8162R). We are grateful for the comments of Wolfgang Hager.
Genome‐wide association study of theta band event‐related oscillations identifies serotonin receptor gene HTR7 influencing risk of alcohol dependence

Event‐related brain oscillations (EROs) represent highly heritable neuroelectrical correlates of human perception and cognitive performance that exhibit marked deficits in patients with various psychiatric disorders. We report the results of the first genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of an ERO endophenotype—frontal theta ERO evoked by visual oddball targets during P300 response in 1,064 unrelated individuals drawn from a study of alcohol dependence. Forty‐two SNPs of the Illumina HumanHap 1 M microarray were selected from the theta ERO GWAS for replication in family‐based samples (N = 1,095), with four markers revealing nominally significant association. The most significant marker from the two‐stage study is rs4907240 located within ARID protein 5A gene (ARID5A) on chromosome 2q11 (unadjusted, Fisher's combined P = 3.68 × 10−6). However, the most intriguing association to emerge is with rs7916403 in serotonin receptor gene HTR7 on chromosome 10q23 (combined P = 1.53 × 10−4), implicating the serotonergic system in the neurophysiological underpinnings of theta EROs. Moreover, promising SNPs were tested for association with diagnoses of alcohol dependence (DSM‐IV), revealing a significant relationship with the HTR7 polymorphism among GWAS case–controls (P = 0.008). Significant recessive genetic effects were also detected for alcohol dependence in both case–control and family‐based samples (P = 0.031 and 0.042, respectively), with the HTR7 risk allele corresponding to theta ERO reductions among homozygotes. These results suggest a role of the serotonergic system in the biological basis of alcohol dependence and underscore the utility of analyzing brain oscillations as a powerful approach to understanding complex genetic psychiatric disorders. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
End-to-end crowd counting via joint learning local and global count

Crowd counting is a very challenging task in crowded scenes due to heavy occlusions, appearance variations and perspective distortions. Current crowd counting methods typically operate on an image patch level with overlaps, then sum over the patches to get the final count. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture that takes a whole image as its input and directly outputs the counting result. While making use of sharing computations over overlapping regions, our method takes advantages of contextual information when predicting both local and global count. In particular, we first feed the image to a pre-trained CNN to get a set of high level features. Then the features are mapped to local counting numbers using recurrent network layers with memory cells. We perform the experiments on several challenging crowd counting datasets, which achieve the state-of-the-art results and demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Assessing reported condom use among female sex workers in southern India through examination of condom availability

Objectives A key indicator of success of HIV prevention programmes is the number of female sex worker (FSW) sex acts protected by condoms. This measure usually relies on FSW reports, which may be biased. We examined condom availability data in five Karnataka districts to estimate the proportion of FSW sex acts potentially protected by condoms. Methods Financial, programme, population, condom and contraceptive data were obtained from governmental and non-governmental sources, surveys and HIV prevention programmes. Sexual behaviour data were obtained from general population and FSW surveys. We examined four scenarios in a sensitivity analysis, each one assuming different proportions of available condoms that might have been used by sex workers. Results Possible condom use rates for all FSW sex acts ranged from 3%–36% in 2004 to 56%–96% in 2008. The two most realistic scenarios that discounted the number of private sector condoms that might have been bought for sex acts other than with FSWs showed that 16–24% of FSW sex acts could have been protected by condoms in 2004 rising to 77–85% in 2008. Conclusions These data suggest that condom availability in these Karnataka districts in 2004 was low in relation to the number of FSW sex acts, but rose substantially over the ensuing 4 years. Condom availability data can be useful for triangulation with other available data, such as self-reported condom use, to provide a range of possibilities regarding the number of FSW sex acts protected by condoms.
Fregean semantics for a realist ontology

T* is a logistic system designed to represent the original ontological context behind RusselΓs paradox of predication. It encompasses standard second order logic, hereafter referred to as T, but goes beyond it by allowing predicate variables to occupy subject positions in its formulas. Because of a violation of the restrictions imposed for the proper substitution of a formula for a predicate variable, RusselΓs argument fails in T*. Indeed, not only is T* consistent but it is also a conservative extension ofT. Nevertheless, T* is not without its oddities. E.g., although "the Russell property" of being a property which does not possess itself does not exist in the ontology of T*, the modified Russell property of being an individual which is indiscernible (in the sense of having all properties in common) with a property which that individual does not possess does exist in this ontology. Instead of leading to a contradiction, Russell's argument applied to the modified Russell property shows that the principle that properties which are indiscernible are co-extensive is disprovable in T*, i.e., according to the ontology of T*, there are properties which are indiscernible (in the sense indicated above) but which nevertheless are not co-extensive. It has been suggested that one way of understanding this result is to construe occurrences of predicates in subject positions as referring, not to the properties which occurrences of the same predicates in predicate positions designate, but instead, to individual objects associated with these
Patients with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Exhibit Reduced Autonomic Modulation during an Emotion Recognition Task

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event for individuals, who frequently develop motor and sensory impairment as well as autonomic dysfunction. Previous studies reported that autonomic activity plays a major role in social cognition and that difficulties in the ability to interpret social information are commonly observed in a variety of mental disorders, which in turn correlate with a poor autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation. It is well established that subjects with SCI have an alteration in ANS regulation mechanisms. We hypothesized that subjects diagnosed with SCI, who are experiencing a period of adaptation and socio-labor insertion suffer alterations in an emotion recognition task, a component of social cognition, which correlate with poor ANS regulation. We evaluated ANS function by measuring the heart rate variability (HRV) in 18 healthy subjects and 10 subjects with SCI. A 5-min baseline HRV was compared to a task period while performing The reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET). We found that while both groups have similar general performance in the test, healthy subjects responded with greater certainty during the RMET. This level of certainty during the RMET was positively correlated with baseline HRV measures in this group. Also, the group of healthy subjects exhibited higher HRV at baseline than participants with SCI. Finally, the changes in HRV between baseline and task condition were significantly higher in healthy individuals than in SCI participants. Our results show that patients with SCI have low levels of autonomic regulation mechanisms which may promote social cognition problems during their reinsertion to daily life.
The Effects of Prior Learned Strategies on Updating an Opponent's Strategy in the Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

To explore how model building adapts to changing environments, we had participants play "rock-paper-scissors" against a computer that played a frequency bias or a player-dependent bias and then switched. Participants demonstrated their use of prior experience in how quickly they recognized and exploited changes in the computer's play strategy; in general, the more similar the strategies, the more efficient the updating. These findings inform our understanding of previously reported updating impairments in right-brain damaged patients.
The understanding and practice of inclusive education in a Jewish community school in South Africa

This qualitative study, pursued within a one–site case study, explores the understanding and implementation of inclusive education in an independent Jewish community school in Johannesburg, South Africa nineteen years post democracy. It analyses the phenomenon of inclusion in a school with a community ethos of care and belonging whose context is by definition exclusionary on grounds of a particular social category, religion. Because of its exclusionary agenda the school can be paradoxically positioned as inclusive on grounds of strong communal values. The school however, struggles with difference and diversity of a certain kind, despite its purportedly strong communal spirit and strong religious culture. This study set out to probe how stakeholders understood inclusive education in an attempt to explain how this influenced their practice of inclusive education. Lewin’s theory of Planned Change and four belief systems were utilized to examine the understanding and practice of stakeholders at the school. The study suggested that the four belief systems influenced the way in which inclusive education was both understood and practised in this school. The study argued for the recognition of the importance of different belief systems in the implementation of inclusion in South Africa. The main research question which guided the study was: How has inclusive education policy been implemented in a mono-cultural community school in South Africa, with the three sub–questions being: 1. How do the various school stakeholders understand the concept of inclusion and what are their attitudes towards inclusion? 2. How is inclusive education managed at class, school and community level? 3. To what extent do their attitudes and understandings influence their practice of inclusive education? It was conducted within an interpretative/constructivist research paradigm and utilized a case study design. It relied on qualitative methods of data generation such as insider interviews, personal accounts and document analysis. The participants were drawn from four stakeholder groups, namely, teachers, parents, middle managers and top managers. The descriptions of the stakeholders’ understandings that emerged in this study highlighted how belief systems determined the action towards inclusive education and how despite the school being a community school, the community discourse did not prevail in the actions towards inclusive education, it was the individual beliefs which vied for dominance which determined inclusive action. This resulted in a qualified and fragmented inclusion and in some cases exclusion. The findings were linked to Lewin’s planned approach to change including field theoretical and group dynamic theories. The study concluded that the four belief systems influenced the way in which inclusive education was both understood and practised in this school and the study argued for the recognition of the importance of different belief systems in the implementation of inclusion in South Africa.
Pancam Multispectral Imaging Results from the Spirit Rover at Gusev Crater

Panoramic Camera images at Gusev crater reveal a rock-strewn surface interspersed with high- to moderate-albedo fine-grained deposits occurring in part as drifts or in small circular swales or hollows. Optically thick coatings of fine-grained ferric iron–rich dust dominate most bright soil and rock surfaces. Spectra of some darker rock surfaces and rock regions exposed by brushing or grinding show near-infrared spectral signatures consistent with the presence of mafic silicates such as pyroxene or olivine. Atmospheric observations show a steady decline in dust opacity during the mission, and astronomical observations captured solar transits by the martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, as well as a view of Earth from the martian surface.
The effects of tidally induced disc structure on white dwarf accretion in intermediate polars

We investigate the effects of tidally induced asymmetric disc structure on accretion onto the white dwarf in intermediate polars. Using numerical simulation, we show that it is possible for tidally induced spiral waves to propagate sufficiently far into the disc of an intermediate polar that accretion onto the central white dwarf could be modulated as a result. We suggest that accretion from the resulting asymmetric inner disc may contribute to the observed X-ray and optical periodicities in the light curves of these systems. In contrast to the stream-fed accretion model for these periodicities, the tidal picture predicts that modulation can exist even for systems with weaker magnetic fields where the magnetospheric radius is smaller than the radius of periastron of the mass transfer stream. We also predict that additional periodic components should exist in the emission from low mass ratio intermediate polars displaying superhumps.
Amelogenin-deficient Mice Display an Amelogenesis Imperfecta Phenotype*

Dental enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and cannot be replaced or repaired, because the enamel secreting cells are lost at tooth eruption. X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta (MIM 301200), a phenotypically diverse hereditary disorder affecting enamel development, is caused by deletions or point mutations in the human X-chromosomal amelogenin gene. Although the precise functions of the amelogenin proteins in enamel formation are not well defined, these proteins constitute 90% of the enamel organic matrix. We have disrupted the amelogenin locus to generate amelogenin null mice, which display distinctly abnormal teeth as early as 2 weeks of age with chalky-white discoloration. Microradiography revealed broken tips of incisors and molars and scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated disorganized hypoplastic enamel. The amelogenin null phenotype reveals that the amelogenins are apparently not required for initiation of mineral crystal formation but rather for the organization of crystal pattern and regulation of enamel thickness. These null mice will be useful for understanding the functions of amelogenin proteins during enamel formation and for developing therapeutic approaches for treating this developmental defect that affects the enamel.
Dynamic Load Balancing for the Distributed Mining of Molecular Structures

In molecular biology, it is often desirable to find common properties in large numbers of drug candidates. One family of methods stems from the data mining community, where algorithms to find frequent graphs have received increasing attention over the past years. However, the computational complexity of the underlying problem and the large amount of data to be explored essentially render sequential algorithms useless. In this paper, we present a distributed approach to the frequent subgraph mining problem to discover interesting patterns in molecular compounds. This problem is characterized by a highly irregular search tree, whereby no reliable workload prediction is available. We describe the three main aspects of the proposed distributed algorithm, namely, a dynamic partitioning of the search space, a distribution process based on a peer-to-peer communication framework, and a novel receiver-initiated load balancing algorithm. The effectiveness of the distributed method has been evaluated on the well-known National Cancer Institute's HIV-screening data set, where we were able to show close-to linear speedup in a network of workstations. The proposed approach also allows for dynamic resource aggregation in a nondedicated computational environment. These features make it suitable for large-scale, multidomain, heterogeneous environments, such as computational grids
High platelet count as a link between renal cachexia and cardiovascular mortality in end-stage renal disease patients.

BACKGROUND It is not clear why cardiac or renal cachexia in chronic diseases is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes. Platelet reactivity predisposes to thromboembolic events in the setting of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is often present in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that ESRD patients with relative thrombocytosis (platelet count >300 × 10(3)/μL) have a higher mortality rate and that this association may be related to malnutrition-inflammation cachexia syndrome (MICS). DESIGN We examined the associations of 3-mo-averaged platelet counts with markers of MICS and 6-y all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (2001-2007) in a cohort of 40,797 patients who were receiving maintenance hemodialysis. RESULTS The patients comprised 46% women and 34% African Americans, and 46% of the patients had diabetes. The 3-mo-averaged platelet count was 229 ± 78 × 10(3)/μL. In unadjusted and case-mix adjusted models, lower values of albumin, creatinine, protein intake, hemoglobin, and dialysis dose and a higher erythropoietin dose were associated with a higher platelet count. Compared with patients with a platelet count of between 150 and 200 × 10(3)/μL (reference), the all-cause (and cardiovascular) mortality rate with platelet counts between 300 and <350, between 350 and <400, and ≥400 ×10(3)/μL were 6% (and 7%), 17% (and 15%), and 24% (and 25%) higher (P < 0.05), respectively. The associations persisted after control for case-mix adjustment, but adjustment for MICS abolished them. CONCLUSIONS Relative thrombocytosis is associated with a worse MICS profile, a lower dialysis dose, and higher all-cause and cardiovascular disease death risk in hemodialysis patients; and its all-cause and cardiovascular mortality predictability is accounted for by MICS. The role of platelet activation in cachexia-associated mortality warrants additional studies.
ASSESSING APHID INFESTATION IN INDIAN MUSTARD ( Brassica juncea L . ) UNDER PRESENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS

Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) production in India suffers from aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), infestation considerably. Role of weather on the incidence and development of mustard aphids was assessed from experimental data from six north Indian locations. Aphid appearance and population build up was found to be regulated by temperature and time to attain peak population was relatively short in warm humid climates than in cool climates. Aphids appeared generally when the accumulated thermal time ranged between 810-847 and diurnal temperature range had a key role on the pest build up. Functional relations developed from the present study between aphid incidence and peak population using previous weeks weather and pest data for majority of the locations could be used for taking of any prophylactic/control measures. Projections on aphid population in future climates using generated weather variables indicated that warming may not increase aphid population at all locations uniformly.
Spatial separation of visual and vestibular processing in the human hippocampal formation

The hippocampal formation, that is, the hippocampus proper and the parahippocampal region, is essential for various aspects of memory and plays an important role in human navigation. Navigational cues can be provided by both the visual system (e.g., landmarks, optic flow) and the vestibular system (e.g., estimation of direction during path integration). This study reviews anatomical, electrophysiological, and imaging data that support the view that vestibular input is primarily processed in the anterior part of the hippocampal formation, whereas visual cues are primarily integrated in the posterior part. In cases of reduced vestibular or visual input or excessive sensory stimulation, this hippocampal navigational network is reorganized. The separation of vestibular and visual information in the hippocampal formation has a twofold functional consequence: missing input from either system may be partially substituted for, and the task‐dependent sensorial weight can be shifted to, the more reliable modality for navigation.
Engaging youths with serious mental illnesses in treatment: STARS study consumer recommendations.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify better methods of engaging youths in mental health services by asking experienced mental health consumers for suggestions for clinicians. METHODS 177 members of an integrated health plan, ranging in age from 16-84 years and diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or affective psychosis, completed four in-depth semistructured interviews over 24 months as part of a study of recovery from serious mental illness. We transcribed and coded interviews, extracted a set of common themes addressing consumer recommendations to clinicians, and compared these themes across age groups. RESULTS Five primary themes emerged in participants' recommendations: (1) use an age-appropriate approach that reflects youth culture and lifestyles; (2) foster development of autonomy; (3) take a personal, rather than diagnostic, approach; (4) be empathetic and authentic; and (5) create a safe and supportive environment. Consumers age 30 and older described three additional areas in which clinicians could contribute to youths' well being: (1) help find the right diagnosis and the right medication, (2) counsel youths to avoid using alcohol and drugs, and (3) take steps to help prevent social isolation. CONCLUSIONS Study findings suggest that many strategies recommended for working with adults may benefit young people, but that developmentally appropriate modifications to these approaches are needed to foster treatment engagement among youths.