Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of area and isolation on species richness and indices of Floristic Quality in Illinois, USA wetlands

The Floristic Quality Index (FQI) is a tool used to assess the conservation value of natural areas and monitor restoration success. Each native plant species is assigned a coefficient of conservatism, a subjective rating that describes its affinity for remnant natural areas. To calculate FQI, mean coeffcient of conservatism (mean C) at a site is multiplied by the square root of native species richness. However, use of FQI is sometimes problematic, mainly because it incorporates species richness, which often varies with factors other than site conservation value. We surveyed 231 wetlands in a contiguous landscape that included the Beaucoup Creek floodplain in southern Illinois, USA and investigated the influence of landscape and site characteristics on species richness, mean C, FQI, and the proportion of site floras made up by wetland species and exotic species. Species richness and FQI increased significantly with site area or perimeter, indicating a bias toward higher assessments of quality in larger areas. Species richness and FQI in emergent wetlands increased with sampling date, suggesting that these sites should only be surveyed late in the growing season. Mean C and the proportion of site flora made up by wetland species decreased with increasing interwetland distance, indicating that isolation affects species composition. Both decreasing area and increasing inter-wetland distance were associated with lower FQI scores. Mean C, although not completely area-independent, was less strongly correlated with sampling date or area and may provide a more robust indicator of relative site conservation value than FQI when using the metrics to evaluate conservation value of jurisdictionally delineated plant communities.
Ownership, independent directors, agency costs and financial distress: evidence from Chinese listed companies

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of ownership structure, independent directors, managerial agency costs and audit's opinion on the firm's financially distressed status using a sample of distressed companies and a matched‐pair sample of non‐distressed companies listed on Chinese stock markets.Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes publicly‐available data from annual reports of a sample of 404 non‐finance distressed firms listed on Chinese stock markets and a sample of matched 404 non‐distressed firms for a period covering the 1998‐2005 financial years with binary logistic analysis.Findings – Ownership concentration, state ownership, ultimate owner, independent directors and auditors' opinion turn out to be negatively associated with the probability of financial distress, while administrative expense ratio is positively related with the likelihood of financial distress. Managerial ownership does not appear to be a significant determinant.Originality/value – The pa.
How Medical School Applicant Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status Relate to Multiple Mini-Interview–Based Admissions Outcomes: Findings From One Medical School

Purpose To examine associations of medical school applicant underrepresented minority (URM) status and socioeconomic status (SES) with Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) invitation and performance and acceptance recommendation. Method The authors conducted a correlational study of applicants submitting secondary applications to the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 2011–2013. URM applicants were black, Southeast Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and/or Hispanic. SES from eight application variables was modeled (0–1 score, higher score = lower SES). Regression analyses examined associations of URM status and SES with MMI invitation (yes/no), MMI score (mean of 10 station ratings, range 0–3), and admission committee recommendation (accept versus not), adjusting for age, sex, and academic performance. Results Of 7,964 secondary-application applicants, 19.7% were URM and 15.1% self-designated disadvantaged; 1,420 (17.8%) participated in the MMI and were evaluated for acceptance. URM status was not associated with MMI invitation (OR 1.14; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.33), MMI score (0.00-point difference, CI −0.08 to 0.08), or acceptance recommendation (OR 1.08; CI 0.69 to 1.68). Lower SES applicants were more likely to be invited to an MMI (OR 5.95; CI 4.76 to 7.44) and recommended for acceptance (OR 3.28; CI 1.79 to 6.00), but had lower MMI scores (−0.12 points, CI −0.23 to −0.01). Conclusions MMI-based admissions did not disfavor URM applicants. Lower SES applicants had lower MMI scores but were more likely to be invited to an MMI and recommended for acceptance. Multischool collaborations should examine how MMI-based admissions affect URM and lower SES applicants.
Rescue of sarcoglycan mutations by inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum quality control is associated with minimal structural modifications

Sarcoglycanopathies (SGP) are a group of autosomal recessive muscle disorders caused by primary mutations in one of the four sarcoglycan genes. The sarcoglycans (α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐sarcoglycan) form a tetrameric complex at the muscle membrane that is part of the dystrophin‐glycoprotein complex and plays an essential role for membrane integrity during muscle contractions. We previously showed that the most frequent missense mutation in α‐sarcoglycan (p.R77C) leads to the absence of the protein at the cell membrane due to its blockade by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control. Moreover, we demonstrated that inhibition of the ER α‐mannosidase I activity using kifunensine could rescue the mutant protein localization at the cell membrane. Here, we investigate 25 additional disease‐causing missense mutations in the sarcoglycan genes with respect to intracellular fate and localization rescue of the mutated proteins by kifunensine. Our studies demonstrate that, similarly to p.R77C, 22 of 25 of the selected mutations lead to defective intracellular trafficking of the SGs proteins. Six of these were saved from ER retention upon kifunensine treatment. The trafficking of SGs mutants rescued by kifunensine was associated with mutations that have moderate structural impact on the protein. Hum Mutat 33:429–439, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Determinants of Municipal Debt Policy: A Pooled Time-Series Analysis

Cities have started to rely more on debt in recent decades, in large part in response to changes occurring externally. In this paper the authors analyze the impact of important social, political, and economic factors on municipal debt behavior. They examine the 42 largest US cities from 1980 to 1990, using a pooled time-series regression model. It was found that, generally speaking, these factors had the effect of increasing cities' reliance on revenue debt, which is less accountable to the voters than full-faith and credit debt. It is difficult to say whether local officials have consciously pursued a policy of insulating municipal debt decisions from the voters. However, it is clear that these officials are responding to environmental cues that lead them to prefer revenue debt over general-obligation debt by a large margin. Recent research has shown that cities have historically pursued a ‘politics of circumvention’. With the demand for debt increasing as other means for financing local services are constrained the effects on the polity of these preferences warrant serious attention.
Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β)-mediated Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) Expression in Hepatic Stellate Cells Requires Stat3 Signaling Activation*

Background: HSC-derived CTGF is an important mediator of liver fibrogenesis. Results: Stat3 is an essential factor for TGF-β mediated CTGF expression in activated HSCs. Conclusion: TGF-β is using a complex signaling network including Stat3 to trigger CTGF production in HSCs. Significance: Stat3 is defined for the first time as crucial TGF-β downstream signaling mediator to regulate extracellular matrix production in liver. In fibrotic liver, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is constantly expressed in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and acts downstream of TGF-β to modulate extracellular matrix production. Distinct from other cell types in which Smad signaling plays major role in regulating CTGF production, TGF-β stimulated CTGF expression in activated HSCs is only in part dependent on Smad3. Other signaling molecules like MAPKs and PI3Ks may also participate in this process, and the underlying mechanisms have yet to be clarified. In this study, we report involvement of Stat3 activation in modulating CTGF production upon TGF-β challenge in activated HSCs. Stat3 is phosphorylated via JAK1 and acts as a critical ALK5 (activin receptor-like kinase 5) downstream signaling molecule to mediate CTGF expression. This process requires de novo gene transcription and is additionally modulated by MEK1/2, JNK, and PI3K pathways. Cell-specific knockdown of Smad3 partially decreases CTGF production, whereas it has no significant influence on Stat3 activation. The total CTGF production induced by TGF-β in activated HSCs is therefore, to a large extent, dependent on the balance and integration of the canonical Smad3 and Stat3 signaling pathways.
Information system usage and national culture: evidence from the public service sector

As more public services depend on information systems in internal processes and outputs deliveries, issues such as the study of factors impacting information system usage (ISU) become more important as an approach to increase public services' efficiency and effectiveness. This paper presents a report of a study on the impact of national culture on information system usage in Kuwait. Three national culture variables were chosen: uncertainty avoidance, power distance and collectivism/individualism. The study was conducted at the Kuwaiti governmental ministries. It was found that national culture variables have an impact on ISU both directly and indirectly through intermediate variables. In the ministries, power distance was found to have a direct impact on ISU, while uncertainty avoidance was found to have an indirect impact on it, mediated by effort expectancy. Similarly, collectivism was found to have an indirect impact on ISU mediated by performance expectancy. Several research and practical implications of the study's findings are presented at the end of the paper.
Air Quality Management in UK Local Authorities: Public Understanding and Participation

Science and technology are an integral part of informing public policy on air pollution and transport management. Expectations of science and technology by society and their use by air quality policy makers has led to increasing reliance upon this evidence to promote health and well-being. This can be seen, for example, in the setting of the UK national objectives for air pollutants based on exposure and health effects. This paper addresses three questions. It assesses, through the use of focus groups, the public perceptions of air pollution and the atmospheric dispersion model output from the Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling System-Urban. Then it assesses their understanding of this information and its current presentation to the layperson. Finally, it assesses how their perceptions and understanding influence their solutions to local air quality management in the London Borough of Camden. The results show that participants in the study struggled with the concept of air pollution outside their sphere of experience, and they did not understand the scientific basis or modelling used to inform local policy. This is partly a result of the way this information is presented. They did not relate the technological evidence to their opinions of acceptable solutions or they expressed reluctance to suggest specific options. It is proposed that a well-informed public would make comprehensive decisions on air quality based upon a broader range of factors, incorporating the scientific reasoning and technological information as well as emotive and socio-economic factors. A balance between science and technological understanding with the validity of local expertise will improve air quality policy making to the greater satisfaction of all stakeholders.
The covering number in learning theory

The covering number of a ball of a reproducing kernel Hilbert space as a subset of the continuous function space plays an important role in Learning Theory. We give estimates for this covering number by means of the regularity of the Mercer kernel K. For convolution type kernels K(x, t) = k(x - t) on [0, 1]n, we provide estimates depending on the decay of k, the Fourier transform of k. In particular, when k decays exponentially, our estimate for this covering number is better than all the previous results and covers many important Mercer kernels. A counter example is presented to show that the eigenfunctions of the Hilbert-Schmidt operator LK associated with a Mercer kernel K may not be uniformly bounded. Hence some previous methods used for estimating the covering number in Learning Theory are not valid. We also provide an example of a Mercer kernel to show that LK½ may not be generated by a Mercer kernel.
Relative motion of hip stems under load. An in vitro study of symmetrical, asymmetrical, and custom asymmetrical designs.

Symmetrical, asymmetrical, and custom asymmetrical stems without collars were manufactured and inserted without cement, in that order, into each of eight femora. Displacement transducers were mounted at different locations to measure relative motion between the stem and the bone. A load was applied to simulate the forces acting on a hip joint in a single-limb stance. A force of 1000 newtons was applied three times in order to seat the prosthesis, and then a cyclical force of 1000 newtons was applied to the head of the prosthesis; readings of relative motion were taken every 500 cycles, until 2500 cycles had been reached. The relative motion diminished as the number of cycles increased, with most of the reduction occurring within the first 500 cycles. The symmetrical stem had the least relative axial motion, with an average of six micrometers, but the other stems also had low values: eleven micrometers for the custom stem, and nineteen micrometers for the asymmetrical stem. In terms of axial rotation, however, the symmetrical stem had several times more motion than did the other two stems. Motion of the stem tip toward or away from the canal in the frontal plane and in the sagittal plane also was higher for the symmetrical stem. Axial migration (permanent sinkage after 2500 cycles) was very similar between all three types of stem. In a torsional loading test, the symmetrical stem showed about ten times more relative rotational motion than did the other two stems. Over-all, the custom stem and the asymmetrical stem had similar results. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Long-Run Price Elasticity of Supply of New Residential Construction in the United States and the United Kingdom

Abstract Most housing models, and most policy analysis, hinge on explicit or implicit estimates of the price elasticity of supply of housing: does the market respond to demand side shocks with more supply or higher prices? Building on a model originally developed by Steve Mayo, we estimate the price elasticity of supply of housing from new construction separately for the United States and for the United Kingdom. We examine the supply elasticity over a very long time frame—from the previous century. There is strong evidence of a “regime shift” in 1914–1947; over the entire period, prices rise in both countries, but not in a continuous manner. Post World War II, the United States is essentially flat, albeit with very large cycles. In the UK, relative housing prices generally rise postwar. According to our flow model, in the prewar United States our implied price elasticity is between 4 and 10, postwar it is between 6 and 13. In the prewar UK our implied price elasticity is between 1 and 4, postwar it is between 0 and 1. Stock adjustment models yield different price elasticities—surprisingly so, in our judgment. They range from 1 to 6 for the United States, and from 0 to 1 for the UK. We believe the stock adjustment models are particularly fruitful areas for additional work.
Restoring Native Forest Understory: The Influence of Ferns and Light in a Hawaiian Experiment

Ecological restoration is an increasingly important component of sustainable land management. We explore potential facilitative relationships for enhancing the cost-effectiveness of restoring native forest understory, focusing on two factors: (1) overstory shade and (2) possible facilitation by a fern (Dryopteris wallichiana), one of few native colonists of pasture in our montane Hawaiˈi study system. We planted 720 understory tree seedlings and over 4000 seeds of six species under six planting treatments: a full factorial combination of low, medium and high light, situating plantings in either the presence or absence of a mature fern. After three years, 75% of outplanted seedlings survived. Seedling survivorship was significantly higher in the presence of a fern (79% vs. 71% without a fern) and in medium and low light conditions (81% vs. 64% in high light). Relative height was highest at low to medium light levels. After 2.2 years, 2.8% of the planted seeds germinated. We observed no significant differences in seed germination relative to light level or fern presence. Analyzing several approaches, we found nursery germination of seeds followed by outplanting ca. 20% less costly than direct seeding in the field. This study opens new questions about facilitation mechanisms that have the potential to increase the extent and effectiveness of restoration efforts.
Getting College and Career Ready during State Transition toward the Common Core State Standards. Working Paper 127.

This study provides a first look at how student collegeand career-readiness have progressed in the early years of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation. It is motivated by concern that changes triggered by the standards transition might be disruptive to student learning in the short run, even when those changes may become beneficial once fully implemented. Using longitudinal administrative data from Kentucky, an early adopter of the CCSS, we followed three cohorts of students from the end of the 8th grade to the end of the 11th grade and found that students exposed to the CCSS—including students in both highand low-poverty schools—made faster progress in learning than similar students who were not exposed to the standards. Although it is not conclusive whether crosscohort improvement was entirely attributable to the standards reform, we found that students made large gains in proficiency in the years immediately before and after the transition. Additionally, we found student performance in subjects that adopted CCSS-aligned curriculum framework experienced larger, more immediate improvement than student performance in subjects that carried over lastgeneration curriculum framework.
Optimization of real time RT‐PCR methods for the analysis of gene expression in mouse eggs and preimplantation embryos

This study was carried out to optimize conditions for using real time RT‐PCR as an efficient and precise quantitative method for estimating the transcript levels of genes expressed in samples containing miniscule amounts of RNA, such as single mammalian oocytes and embryos. First, using mouse eggs and blastocysts, we tested three kinds of RNA isolation or collection methods: TRIZOL reagent, oligo‐dT conjugated beads, or three freeze/thaw cycles with the reverse transcription buffer. There were no significant differences among three groups in mRNA quantity as assayed by real time RT‐PCR analysis. Second, we compared the efficacy of real time analysis between TaqMan fluorescent probes and the SYBR‐green dye system. The two systems presented similar real time RT‐PCR profiles for the 16s ribosomal protein gene from oocytes to blastocysts. Third, RNA from mouse embryos at defined stages of preimplantation development were isolated and the levels of transcripts encoded by several housekeeping genes (GAPDH, β‐actin, ribosomal protein L7, 16s ribosomal protein, histone H2A.Z) were quantitatively analyzed by real time RT‐PCR. The histone H2A.Z and 16s ribosomal protein slightly increased from the egg to blastocyst stages by approximately 10‐ and 30‐fold, respectively. However, other transcripts increased more than 300‐fold as a function of developmental stage from eggs to blastocysts. Our results suggest that the simple freezing/thawing method for RNA collection, the economic SYBR‐green dye system, and histone H2A.Z gene as an internal control should be useful for the real time RT‐PCR analysis of single mouse eggs and preimplantation embryos. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Clinicians into Management. The Experience in Context

This paper interprets the experience of a sample of 60 clinicians becoming involved in formal management, mainly at hospital unit level, in the historical context of changing health service organisation. This includes the introduction of managerialism and the evolution of the NHS into a structured network based around purchaser/provider relationships. The conclusion is that these clinicians are becoming involved in management, and making the personal and social adjustments necessary for this, but in a way that leaves medical culture, and their allegiance to it, at the present largely intact. This is achieved largely through the organisational mechanism of clinical directorates, which promise to function as professional groups from the clinical point of view and as business units from the managerial perspective. An argument is put forward, based on a theoretical view compatible with the data from the clinicians' experience, that this mode of medical involvement in management may operate without undue conflict in the longer term if: (a) clinicians accept the degree of local professional regulation that this model applies; and (b) the conflict between medical need and available resource can be dealt with elsewhere in the system without passing it back to hospitals and clinical directorates. On the other hand it is possible that conflict will increase if the consequences of management control systems and objectives percolate down through the management hierarchy and cross into the medical domain, via clinical directorates.
Rebooting Democracy: Youth Participation in Politics in the UK

Young people in the UK are increasingly disinterested in ‘conventional politics’. This has been illustrated by the alarmingly low turnout of 18-24 year olds in the 2001 and 2005 general elections as well as in the shrinking and ageing memberships of political parties. Yet, young people remain interested in politics (broadly defined) and are active in alternative modes of political participation. The problem is not, therefore, political apathy, but alienation from the political system. This article looks at existing literature on youth participation, and presents new research, which-from the perspective of young people themselves-offers diagnoses of the current situation and potential solutions to increase participation in the political process.
Equity Analysts and the Market’s Assessment of Risk

The traditional view of equity analysts is that they are a source of new information about future cash flows. We broaden this view by demonstrating that equity analysts are also a substantive source of new information about priced risk. In particular, we document that, when announced, changes in analyst risk ratings distinctly and significantly affect equity returns, and are generally followed by significant changes in Fama–French factor loadings. Also, while less frequent than credit rating changes, equity risk rating changes are timelier, and with a larger overall stock price impact than credit rating changes.