Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foaming properties of soy protein isolate hydrolysates

Tensoactive species obtained by papain hydrolysis of soy protein were characterized structurally and physicochemically, and their foam-forming and -stabilizing capacity studied. Protein structural changes upon reaction ending were correlated with functional and interfacial properties and with the behaviour thereof with varying hydrolysis degree. Two different means of halting hydrolysis -pH reduction (pH=2) and quick freezing (-18 oC), respectively- were studied. Distinct structural changes and associated functional properties were found according to reaction ending conditions. No improvement of foaming properties was found for partially-hydrolyzed isolates subject to freezing at reaction ending - with respect to the starting unhydrolyzed soy protein isolate. In contrast, pH treatment as a means of halting hydrolysis led to a significant enhancement of the foaming properties of soybean protein hydrolysates consistently for all studied hydrolysis degrees (0%, 1.8%, 2.5% and 6%).
Scale Effects, Savings and Factor Shares in a Human Capital-based Growth Model with Physical Capital Accumulation

Using a balanced-growth model with physical and human capital accumulation, we analyze quantitatively the long-run effects of changes in the savings rate and in income distribution (i.e. the shares of physical and human capital in income) on investment in skill acquisition, income growth, and the ratio of human to physical capital. In the long run, the ratio of physical to human capital is constant, so that these two factor inputs can grow at the same rate. This rate is a function of the economy's exogenous technological and preference parameters and depends positively on the share of skills invested in human capital formation. We also find that population growth is neither necessary nor conducive to economic growth, that the level of real income depends linearly on the level of human capital and that it is independent of population size.
How Precarious Is Contingent Work?: Non-Salary Aspects of the Employment Relationship of Contingent Employees in Denmark

Contingent employment is generally considered a risk factor in the employment relations literature, although not all agree. This study focuses on a number of non-pay conditions for contingent employees, compared to permanent staff, under the assumption that these conditions are cumulatively negative. The article is based on utilizes a survey of app. 4,900 employees (response rate 57%), asking questions concerning rights and opportunities in the job. The analyses (based on logit modelling, multivariate logistic regression) clearly show that contingent employment (e.g. as a temp) is a risk condition, not only because of the stipulated end of the employment period, but also because it implies a clearly lower chance of obtaining a number of the rights and opportunities that are normally connected to an employment relationship.
Talking to the inattentive public: How the media translates the Reserve Bankâ€™s communications

Central bank communication is widely recognised as crucial to the implementation of monetary policy. This communication should enhance a central bankâ€™s management of the inflation expectations of the financial markets as well as the general public â€” the latter being a part of the central bankâ€™s audience that has received relatively little research attention. In this paper, the role of the media in transmitting the SARBâ€™s communication to the general public is explored, with the aim of improving our understanding of its impact on the expectations channel of the monetary policy transmission mechanism. A deliberate evaluation of this channel could aid the design of future strategies to communicate with the general public.
Alternative Semi-parametric Likelihood Approaches to Generalised Method of Moments Estimation

Since L. P. Hansen's (1982) seminal paper, the generalized method of moments (GMM) has become an increasingly important method for estimation and inference in econometrics. This paper examines semiparametric quasi-likelihood approaches. Essentially, these methods embed sample versions of the moment conditions used in GMM in a nonparametric quasi-likelihood function by use of additional parameters associated with these moment conditions. Specification and misspecification tests may be defined which are similar in nature to the classical tests and are first-order equivalent to the corresponding GMM statistics. The structure of the semiparametric quasi-maximum likelihood estimator is explored for models estimated by instrumental variables. Copyright 1997 by Royal Economic Society.
The Dynamics of a Two-Country Minimodel Under Rational Expectations

The stability and steady-state properties of a small model of the United States and the Rest of the World (MINIMOD) are examined. It is shown that the marginal propensity to consume out of wealth is a crucial parameter, and estimates are chosen to ensure stability of the model. The need to stabilize government debt as a ratio to GNP is discussed, and a simulation rule is included that adjusts tax rates accordingly. Finally, the dynamics of the model in response to monetary and fiscal shocks are related to the following structural features: the J-curve, lags in money demand, and price stickiness.
Competitive Harm and Companies' Positions on SFAS No. 131

This paper examines companies' positions on the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) exposure draft (ED) for SFAS No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information. Companies' lobbying positions are obtained from comment letters sent in response to the FASB's 1996 request for input on the ED. We relate these positions to variables proxying for the likelihood a firm will be required to make its segment disclosures more informative and the potential for competitive harm, given the changes in segment disclosures' informativeness. We find that companies' lobbying positions toward the ED are explained by proxies for expected changes in segment disclosure when the standard described in the ED is adopted and by proxies for expected competitive harm related to the disclosure requirements in the new standard. These results imply that companies' responses to the FASB's ED were motivated by self-interest related to costs potentially imposed on them by the proposed new standard.
Attenuation of acute inflammatory response by atorvastatin after spinal cord injury in rats

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and complex clinical condition involving proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide toxicity that produces a predictable pattern of progressive injury entailing neuronal loss, axonal destruction, and demyelination at the site of impact. The involvement of proinflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in exacerbation of SCI pathology is well documented. We have reported previously the antiinflammatory properties and immunomodulatory activities of statins (3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl [HMG]‐CoA reductase inhibitors) in the animal model of multiple sclerosis, experimental allergic encephalitis (EAE). The present study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of atorvastatin (Lipitor; LP) treatment in attenuating SCI‐induced pathology. Immunohistochemical detection and real‐time PCR analysis showed increased expression of iNOS, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) after SCI. In addition, neuronal apoptosis was detected 24 hr after injury followed by a profound increase in ED1‐positive inflammatory infiltrates, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐positive reactive astrocytes, and oligodendrocyte apoptosis by 1 week after SCI relative to control. LP treatment attenuated the SCI‐induced iNOS, TNFα, and IL‐1β expression. LP also provided protection against SCI‐induced tissue necrosis, neuronal and oligodendrocyte apoptosis, demyelination, and reactive gliosis. Furthermore, rats treated with LP scored much higher on the locomotor rating scale after SCI (19.13 ± 0.53) than did untreated rats (9.04 ± 1.22). This study therefore reports the beneficial effect of atorvastatin for the treatment of SCI‐related pathology and disability. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of streptozotocin diabetes in the rat on blood levels of ten specific plasma proteins and on their net biosynthesis by the isolated perfused liver

Adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats with streptozotocin‐induced diabetes (6 to 8 wk duration), treated or untreated with insulin, were studied with two aims: (a) to ascertain whether protracted diabetes in the rat is associated with changes in circulating plasma protein levels analogous to those reported in human diabetic patients with clinical evidence of complications; (b) to evaluate the effects of experimental diabetes on the net cumulative biosynthesis of 10 specific plasma proteins by the isolated liver, perfused for 24 hr.
Government Matters III : Governance Indicators for 1996-2002

The authors present estimates of six dimensions of governance covering 199 countries and territories for four time periods: 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. These indicators are based on several hundred individual variables measuring perceptions of governance, drawn from 25 separate data sources constructed by 18 different organizations. The authors assign these individual measures of governance to categories capturing key dimensions of governance and use an unobserved components model to construct six aggregate governance indicators in each of the four periods. They present the point estimates of the dimensions of governance as well as the margins of errors for each country for the four periods. The governance indicators reported here are an update and expansion of previous research work on indicators initiated in 1998 (Kaufmann, Kraay, and Zoido-Lobat 1999a,b and 2002). The authors also address various methodological issues, including the interpretation and use of the data given the estimated margins of errors.
Analysis of Molecular Markers by Anatomic Tumor Site in Stage III Colon Carcinomas from Adjuvant Chemotherapy Trial NCCTG N0147 (Alliance)

Purpose: To determine the frequency and prognostic association of molecular markers by anatomic tumor site in patients with stage III colon carcinomas. Experimental Design: In a randomized trial of adjuvant FOLFOX ± cetuximab, BRAFV600E and KRAS (exon 2) mutations and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins were analyzed in tumors (N = 3,018) in relationship to tumor location, including subsite. Cox models were used to assess clinical outcome, including overall survival (OS). Results: KRAS codon 12 mutations were most frequent at the splenic flexure and cecum; codon 13 mutations were evenly distributed. BRAF mutation frequency sharply increased from transverse colon to cecum in parallel with deficient (d) MMR. Nonmutated BRAF and KRAS tumors progressively decreased from sigmoid to transverse (all P < 0.0001). Significantly, poorer OS was found for mutant KRAS in distal [HR, 1.98; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.49–2.63; P < 0.0001] versus proximal (1.25; 95% CI, 0.97–1.60; P = 0.079) cancers. BRAF status and outcome were not significantly associated with tumor site. Proximal versus distal dMMR tumors had significantly better outcome. An interaction test was significant for tumor site by KRAS (Padjusted = 0.043) and MMR (Padjusted = 0.010) for OS. Significant prognostic differences for biomarkers by tumor site were maintained in the FOLFOX arm. Tumor site was independently prognostic with a stepwise improvement from cecum to sigmoid (OS: Padjusted = 0.001). Conclusions: Mutation in BRAF or KRAS codon 12 was enriched in proximal cancers whereas nonmutated BRAF/KRAS was increased in distal tumors. Significant differences in outcome for KRAS mutations and dMMR were found by tumor site, indicating that their interpretation should occur in the context of tumor location. Clin Cancer Res; 21(23); 5294–304. ©2015 AACR.
Monetary values of transport service attributes: land versus maritime ro-ro transport. An application using adaptive stated preferences

The objective of this work is that of illustrating a methodology to derive, in terms of trade-offs, the relative values of transport service attributes for logistics operators. In particular, the analysis yields insights on the preferences for time-savings, frequency and reliability of the transport service in terms of price, of a sample of freight forwarders located in the South of Italy. The data is gathered using an Adaptive Stated Preference application and the estimates are obtained through a Tobit ML estimator on both company specific data and pooled data. The results show that frequency is the most highly rated characteristic of the service together with reliability. The value of time is significantly lower in both cases. The outcome is consistent across estimations and, substantially in line with the outcome of previous studies carried out on operators active at different levels of the transport-logistic chain. Until now, in fact, studies have been carried out uniquely on carriers or producers. The selection of freight forwarders allows to shed light on a segment of the market that accounts for more than half of the transport-related decisions. Furthermore, the present study focuses on a comparison between all land transport and maritime ro-ro alternatives, in line with the growing interest on the integration among transport modes. The output signals both the absence of any a priori preclusion for ro-ro maritime services and the extremely important role that frequency of service assumes for the development and the establishment of maritime services as realistic alternatives to all land transport.
Am I Really at Risk? Determinants of Online Users' Intentions to Use Strong Passwords

By using the protection motivation theory, this article tests a model of password protection intentions for online users. Hypotheses are proposed concerning the intention to engage in good password practices. Data were collected from 182 college students of 3 universities in the southern United States. The results suggest that fear, response cost, and response efficacy are significantly related to online password protection intentions. However, perceived severity and vulnerability are not significant predictors. The study suggests that reducing cognitive costs for passwords is imperative.
Associations of Resting-State fMRI Functional Connectivity with Flow-BOLD Coupling and Regional Vasculature

There has been tremendous interest in applying functional magnetic resonance imaging-based resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fcMRI) measurements to the study of brain function. However, a lack of understanding of the physiological mechanisms of rs-fcMRI limits their ability to interpret rs-fcMRI findings. In this work, the authors examine the regional associations between rs-fcMRI estimates and dynamic coupling between the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood flow (CBF), as well as resting macrovascular volume. Resting-state BOLD and CBF data were simultaneously acquired using a dual-echo pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) technique, whereas macrovascular volume fraction was estimated using time-of-flight MR angiography. Functional connectivity within well-known functional networks—including the default mode, frontoparietal, and primary sensory-motor networks—was calculated using a conventional seed-based correlation approach. They found the functional connectivity strength to be significantly correlated with the regional increase in CBF-BOLD coupling strength and inversely proportional to macrovascular volume fraction. These relationships were consistently observed within all functional networks considered. Their findings suggest that highly connected networks observed using rs-fcMRI are not likely to be mediated by common vascular drainage linking distal cortical areas. Instead, high BOLD functional connectivity is more likely to reflect tighter neurovascular connections, attributable to neuronal pathways.
You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

For adults in senior living communities, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be used to increase and expand communication for a population that is often spatially and socially separated from the general public. Using qualitative observational data from a longitudinal study of the impact of ICT usage on the quality of life among residents in assisted and independent living communities, the authors examine whether ICTs can mitigate the effects of social and spatial barriers. The authors find that ICTs have the potential to allow individuals to transcend social and spatial barriers, providing residents with the ability to maintain and enhance social networks as well as provide a greater sense of connection to the world at large.
Tourism and AIDS:: The Perceived Risk of HIV Infection on Destination Choice

Tourism seems particularly vulnerable to changes in perception and attitudes toward holiday destinations. Personal safety whilst travelling is very important to some people and as some tourists have perceived a greater risk of HIV infection in countries with increasing prevalence of HIV infection and growing numbers of AIDS cases, tourism in certain countries appears at risk from such perceptions. This study attempted to examine the strength of the relationship between destination choice of New Zealanders and the perceived risk of HIV infection and whether some tourist destinations were more vulnerable to such perceptions.
Configurations of entrepreneurial‐ customer‐ and technology orientation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify groups of companies using different configurations of orientations, and compare the groups for differences in their performance and organizational learning capability. The paper proposes that organizational learning capability enables firms to utilize several strategic orientations simultaneously.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 164 Finnish software companies is clustered on the basis of their mix of customer (CO), technology (TO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). After validating the clusters, an analysis of variance is performed to detect differences in measures of performance and learning capability.Findings – The paper provides evidence that firms combining several strategic orientations perform better than those focusing solely on customer orientation. The paper finds support for a proposal that software companies can be divided into three groups featuring different configurations of customer, technology and entrepreneurial orientation.
How Important is Agriculture in China's Economic Growth?

China has achieved spectacular growth since 1949. Rapid growth in the nonagricultural sectors has been assisted by massive resource transfers out of agriculture. Prior to economic reforms before 1978, agriculture was heavily taxed by the state to subsidize urban and industrial development. Economic reforms since 1978 have reduced the burden on agriculture, but lack of state investments still remains a constraint on its development. This paper demonstrates how agriculture has contributed to China's economic development using both empirical data and a cointegration analysis. Two important conclusions are drawn. First, although agriculture's share in GDP declined sharply over time, it is still an important force for the growth of other sectors. Second, the growth of non-agricultural sectors had little effect on agricultural growth. This was largely due to government policies biased against agriculture and restriction on rural-urban migration.
Economic Analysis of Projects in a Greenhouse World

Recent carbon market prices are substantially lower than mean or median estimates of the social cost of carbon in the literature. Intuition would therefore suggest that 'investment errors' are being made, in the sense that markets favor higher carbon-emitting projects, while global welfare would be larger with lower carbon-emitting projects. This intuition is correct in specific circumstances, but not others. For any comparison of two alternative projects, there is a carbon switching price that equalizes their net social benefits. From the perspective of maximizing global welfare, investment errors only occur when this switching price lies between the carbon market price and the social cost of carbon. Data on the costs of high-carbon and low-carbon electric generation projects suggest that there is no financing gap using mean or median published figures, but for precautionary (95th percentile) choices of the social cost of carbon, there is a financing gap between carbon market prices and the switching price that would trigger investment in the global welfare-maximizing low-carbon project. A global carbon fund to finance this gap could be conceived, but stricter emission caps and reforms of carbon markets are likely to be a more efficient solution to the problem.
Simulating metabolism in Escherichia coli K-12 — A circuit-based approach

Computational methods for describing, understanding, and manipulating biological pathways continue to be a heavily researched area. Many researchers use constructs based in electrical circuit design in the modeling and analysis of biological systems, but few draw on and exploit parallels between electrical circuits and biological circuits for simulation purposes. We develop a biological simulation framework using Xycetrade, a large-scale electrical circuit simulator, that is capable of simulating the complete metabolic system of Escherichia coli K-12. Using our framework we are able to model large-scale hybrid systems as demonstrated in successful simulation of E.coli central metabolism, a system that includes metabolic and corresponding genetic regulatory networks.
Retinal ganglion cell complex changes using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in diabetic patients without retinopathy.

AIM To assess the ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness in diabetic eyes without retinopathy. METHODS Two groups included 45 diabetic eyes without retinopathy and 21 non diabetic eyes. All subjects underwent full medical and ophthalmological history, full ophthalmological examination, measuring GCC thickness and central foveal thickness (CFT) using the RTVue® spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and HbA1C level. RESULTS GCC focal loss volume (FLV%) was significantly more in diabetic eyes (22.2% below normal) than normal eyes (P=0.024). No statistically significant difference was found between the diabetic group and the control group regarding GCC global loss volume (GLV%) (P=0.160). CFT was positively correlated to the average, superior and inferior GCC (P=0.001, 0.000 and 0.001 respectively) and negatively correlated to GLV% and FLV% (P=0.002 and 0.031 respectively) in diabetic eyes. C/D ratio in diabetic eyes was negatively correlated to average, superior and inferior GCC (P=0.015, 0.007 and 0.017 respectively). The FLV% was negatively correlated to the refraction and level of HbA1c (P=0.019 and 0.013 respectively) and positively correlated to the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR in diabetic group (P=0.004). CONCLUSION Significant GCC thinning in diabetes predates retinal vasculopathy, which is mainly focal rather than diffuse. It has no preference to either the superior or inferior halves of the macula. Increase of myopic error is significantly accompanied with increased focal GCC loss. GCC loss is accompanied with increased C/D ratio in diabetic eyes.