Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Some Early Multiplier Models of the Relationship between Income Distribution and Production Structure

Early efforts to endogenize consumption and hence to model the inter-relationships between production structures and income distribution via multiplier models are reviewed in this paper. It is suggested that, unlike the multipliers in Pyatt et al. (1973), the so-called Miyazawa multipliers cannot be sustained in the context of a model of the distribution of income among institutions (households, companies, etc) i.e. the institutional distribution of income. They can, however, be sustained within a model of the distribution of income among factors, i.e. the factorial distribution of income. Both distributions are modelled by Pyatt & Round (1979) which therefore provides a more general framework for analysing the relationship between the distribution of income and the structure of production.
Convolutional Sequence to Sequence Model for Human Dynamics

Human motion modeling is a classic problem in computer vision and graphics. Challenges in modeling human motion include high dimensional prediction as well as extremely complicated dynamics.We present a novel approach to human motion modeling based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). The hierarchical structure of CNN makes it capable of capturing both spatial and temporal correlations effectively. In our proposed approach, a convolutional long-term encoder is used to encode the whole given motion sequence into a long-term hidden variable, which is used with a decoder to predict the remainder of the sequence. The decoder itself also has an encoder-decoder structure, in which the short-term encoder encodes a shorter sequence to a short-term hidden variable, and the spatial decoder maps the long and short-term hidden variable to motion predictions. By using such a model, we are able to capture both invariant and dynamic information of human motion, which results in more accurate predictions. Experiments show that our algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on the Human3.6M and CMU Motion Capture datasets. Our code is available at the project website1.
Toward realistic radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumors 3D simulation and planning

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become an increasingly used technique in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatic tumors. Evaluation of vascular architecture, post-RFA tissue necrosis prediction, and the choice of a suitable needle placement strategy using conventional radiological techniques remain difficult. In an attempt to enhance the safety of RFA, a 3D simulator and treatment planning tool, that simulates the necrosis of the treated area, and proposes an optimal placement for the needle, has been developed. From enhanced spiral CT scans with 2 mm cuts, 3D reconstructions of patients with liver metastases are automatically generated. Virtual needles can be added to the 3D scene, together with their corresponding zones of necrosis that are displayed as a meshed spheroids representing the 60° C isosurface. The simulator takes into account the cooling effect of local vessels greater than 3mm in diameter, making necrosis shapes more realistic. Using a voxel-based algorithm, RFA spheroids are deformed following the shape of the vessels, extended by an additional cooled area. This operation is performed in real-time, allowing updates while needle is adjusted. This allows to observe whether the considered needle placement strategy would burn the whole cancerous zone or not. Planned needle positioning can also be automatically generated by the software to produce complete destruction of the tumor with a 1 cm margin, with maximum respect of the healthy liver and of all major extrahepatic and intrahepatic structures to avoid. If he wishes, the radiologist can select on the skin an insertion window for the needle, focusing the research of the trajectory.
Conflicts of Interest and Competition in the Mutual Fund Industry

Mutual fund investors generally desire high risk-adjusted performance at low cost, which is not necessarily the objective of fund families. Fund families generally want to maximize assets under management (i.e., their market share) and the resulting management fees. This paper examines how these conflicting objectives affect competition and investor behavior in the mutual fund industry for the universe of U.S. mutual fund families over the period 1979-1998. Over this period, industry assets increased by a factor of twenty, the number of active fund families tripled, and the average market share of a family declined by two thirds. We find that price competition is important in the industry. Families that charge lower fees than the competition gain market share, but only if these fees are above average to begin with. Low-cost families do not lose market share by charging higher fees. In addition, fees charged explicitly for marketing and distribution (12b-1 fees) have a positive impact on market share. We find no evidence that investors derive any benefit from 12b-1 fees. Product differentiation strategies are also effective in obtaining market share. Families that perform better, and start more funds relative to the competition (a measure of innovation) have a higher market share. Innovation is rewarded more if the new fund is more differentiated from existing offerings and is in a less crowded objective. Finally, market share within an investment objective is driven primarily by a family's policies within that objective, but there are important performance spillover effects from other funds in the family. Our findings are robust to various tests for endogeneity of the explanatory variables. Overall, this paper highlights a number of conflicts between fund families and investors.
Attitudes toward accents of Mandarin in Singapore

Like many other countries, Singapore has seen some public tension fermenting over what is sometimes perceived as the government’s generous open-door immigration policy. Some Singaporeans appear to have taken to regarding themselves as rightful “natives” by distinguishing between local and foreign accents (see Jacobs 2012; Oon 2012). With a sizeable number of foreigners hailing from China, do Singaporeans have negative attitudes toward non-local Chinese accents because of these ‘anti-foreigner’ sentiments? This paper examines the language attitudes of Chinese Singaporeans towards speakers of Mandarin from three locales: Beijing, Taiwan and Singapore. It describes an attitudinal test using the verbal guise technique, comparing the attitudes of 100 Singaporean Chinese youths toward the Beijing, Taiwanese and Singaporean accents of Mandarin along the dimensions of prestige and solidarity. This study shows that there are distinct differences in the ways in which the three accents are perceived by Singaporeans. However, contrary to expectations, the foreign accents are not discriminated against, but are in fact ranked more favourably as compared to the local accent. Ultimately, functionality and economic goals of advancement seem to override other socio-cultural aims of the nation as Singaporeans focus on the prestige that the foreign Chinese accents can bring them.
Modelling expected defense specific inflation

Generally, inflation causes decreasing purchasing power of money in time. Besides others, inflation strongly influences planning and development of defense capabilities due to long term nature of these processes. Changing price levels change purchase power of future military expenditures and modify their relation to other sorts of government spending as well as other macroeconomic indicators. This article points out specifics of inflation in defense sector and attempts to calculate approximate differences between general inflation development in given economy and development of defense specific inflation.
The DnaJ protein OsDjA6 negatively regulates rice innate immunity to the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (synonym: Pyricularia oryzae), severely reduces rice production and grain quality. The molecular mechanism of rice resistance to M. oryzae is not fully understood. In this study, we identified a chaperone DnaJ protein, OsDjA6, which is involved in basal resistance to M. oryzae in rice. The OsDjA6 protein is distributed in the entire rice cell. The expression of OsDjA6 is significantly induced in rice after infection with a compatible isolate. Silencing of OsDjA6 in transgenic rice enhances resistance to M. oryzae and also results in an increased burst of reactive oxygen species after flg22 and chitin treatments. In addition, the expression levels of WRKY45, NPR1 and PR5 are increased in OsDjA6 RNAi plants, indicating that OsDjA6 may mediate resistance by affecting the salicylic acid pathway. Finally, we found that OsDjA6 interacts directly with the E3 ligase OsZFP1 in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that the DnaJ protein OsDjA6 negatively regulates rice innate immunity, probably via the ubiquitination proteasome degradation pathway.
A randomized controlled trial of brief interventions to reduce drug use among adults in a low‐income urban emergency department: the HealthiER You study

AIMS To examine efficacy of drug brief interventions (BIs) among adults presenting to a low-income urban emergency department (ED). DESIGN Randomized controlled trial on drug use outcomes at 3, 6 and 12 months. Participants were assigned to (1) computer-delivered BI (Computer BI), (2) therapist-delivered, computer-guided BI (Therapist BI) or (3) enhanced usual care (EUC-ED) for drug-using adults. Participants were re-randomized after the 3-month assessment to either adapted motivational enhancement therapy (AMET) booster or enhanced usual care booster (EUC-B). SETTING Patients recruited from low-income urban emergency departments (ED) in Flint, Michigan, USA. PARTICIPANTS A total of 780 ED patients reporting recent drug use, 44% males, mean age = 31 years. INTERVENTIONS Computer BI consisted of an interactive program guided by a virtual health counselor. Therapist BI included computer guidance. The EUC-ED conditions included review of community health and HIV prevention resources. The BIs and boosters were based on motivational interviewing, focusing on reduction of drug use and HIV risk behaviors. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcome was past 90 days using drugs at 6 and 12 months and secondary outcomes were weighted drug-days and days of marijuana use. FINDINGS Percentage changes in mean days used any drug from baseline to 12 months were: Computer BI + EUC-B: -10.9%, P = 0.0844; Therapist BI + EUC-B: -26.7%, P = 0.0041, for EUC-ED + EUC-B: -20.9, P = 0.0011. In adjusted analyses, there was no significant interaction between ED intervention and booster AMET for primary and secondary outcomes. Compared with EUC-ED, Therapist BI reduced number of days using any drug [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.41, -0.07, P = 0.0422] and weighted drug-days (95% CI = -0.41, -0.08, P = 0.0283). Both Therapist and Computer BI had significantly fewer number of days using marijuana compared to EUC-ED (Therapist BI: 95% CI = -0.42, -0.06, P = 0.0104, Computer BI: 95% CI = -0.34, -0.01, P = 0.0406). Booster effects were not significant. CONCLUSIONS An emergency department-based motivational brief intervention, delivered by a therapist and guided by computer, appears to reduce drug use among adults seeking emergency department care compared with enhanced usual care.
Oxetane Substrates of Human Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase

Oxetanyl building blocks are increasingly used in drug discovery because of the improved drug-like properties they confer on drug candidates, yet little is currently known about their biotransformation. A series of oxetane-containing analogs was studied and we provide the first direct evidence of oxetane hydrolysis by human recombinant microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH). Incubations with human liver fractions and hepatocytes were performed with and without inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (P450), mEH and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Reaction dependence on NADPH was investigated in subcellular fractions. A full kinetic characterization of oxetane hydrolysis is presented, in both human liver microsomes and human recombinant mEH. In human liver fractions and hepatocytes, hydrolysis by mEH was the only oxetane ring-opening metabolic route, with no contribution from sEH or from cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation. Minimally altering the structural elements in the immediate vicinity of the oxetane can greatly modulate the efficiency of hydrolytic ring cleavage. In particular, higher pKa in the vicinity of the oxetane and an increased distance between the oxetane ring and the benzylic nitrogen improve reaction rate, which is further enhanced by the presence of methyl groups near or on the oxetane. This work defines oxetanes as the first nonepoxide class of substrates for human mEH, which was previously known to catalyze the hydrolytic ring opening of electrophilic and potentially toxic epoxide-containing drugs, drug metabolites, and exogenous organochemicals. These findings will be of value for the development of biologically active oxetanes and may be exploited for the biocatalytic generation of enantiomerically pure oxetanes and diols.
Line-Start PM-Assisted Synchronous Motor Design, Optimization, and Tests

Line-start synchronous motors (LSSMs) have been recently introduced in the motor market to meet the new efficiency class requirements. They exhibit high efficiency and power factor compared with induction motors (IMs), but the complex design, manufacture, and high cost due to presence of permanent magnets (PM) limit their widespread use. This paper proposes a new approach for the design of LSSMs, in which an important torque contribution is given by the reluctance torque component. Both steady-state and dynamic capabilities are considered. A stochastic optimization is used to determine the parameters that maximize the synchronous torque. The possibility to apply the recent improvements on the synchronous reluctance machine design to LSSMs is discussed. Experimental measurements are carried out on an LSSM prototype achieved from the optimization. The results are compared with the predictions. Two different PM volumes are tested in the same rotor structure, evaluating their impact on motor performance. From the experimental tests, an overview comparison between the IM and LSSM performance is given.
Do Markets Anticipate Capital Structure Decisions? Feedback Effects in Equity Liquidity

We analyze the impact of expected (targeted) capital structure decisions on information asymmetries. We measure information asymmetry from equity liquidity through the use of an information asymmetry index that is based on six measures that capture trading activity, trading costs, and the price impact of order flow. Modeling the joint determination of leverage and liquidity, the data indicate that expected increases in leverage (target leverage changes) decrease the information asymmetry index. This is consistent with the signalling hypothesis of Ross (1977), and is equivalent to increases in equity liquidity.
Light as a key driver of freshwater biofouling surface roughness in an experimental hydrocanal pipe rig

Abstract Biofouling in canals and pipelines used for hydroelectric power generation decreases the flow capacity of conduits. A pipeline rig was designed consisting of test sections of varying substrata (PVC, painted steel) and light levels (transparent, frosted, opaque). Stalk-forming diatoms were abundant in both the frosted and transparent PVC pipes but negligible in the painted steel and opaque PVC pipes. Fungi were slightly more abundant in the painted steel pipe but equally present in all the other pipes while bacterial diversity was similar in all pipes. Photosynthetically functional biofouling (mainly diatoms) was able to develop in near darkness. Different biological fouling compositions generated differing friction factors. The highest friction factor was observed in the transparent pipe (densest diatom fouling), the lowest peak friction for the opaque PVC pipe (lowest fouling biomass), and with the painted steel pipe (high fouling biomass, but composed of fungal and bacterial crusts) being intermediate between the opaque and frosted PVC pipes.
On the Failure of Purchasing Power Parity for Bilateral Exchange Rates after 1973

Point estimates suggest mean reversion in real exchange rates; however, it still remains uncomfortable that models without any mean reversion are often compatible with data from the floating period. Studies with data over longer periods find mean reversion, but at the cost of mixing in data from earlier exchange rate arrangements. Pooling the floating period data potentially mixes country pairs with and without mean reversion.We examine tests for mean reversion for individual country pairs where greater power against close alternatives is gained through modeling other economic variables with the real exchange rate. By increasing the power of the tests we find strong evidence of mean reversion.
Global Governance, Gains and Gender

United Nations bodies and large private companies have recently entered into partnerships for women's empowerment in developing countries. Such public–private partnerships have not previously been the subject of feminist scrutiny. In this article I examine three partnerships, feeding into research exploring business influence on global governance gender policies. The article demonstrates how partnerships assert their legitimacy through a proposed mutually supporting relationship between women's empowerment and companies' economic gains, in contrast to a human rights-based approach to development. I show how UN–business partnerships for women's empowerment mobilize discourses, policies and governmental techniques to create alignments between business objectives and individual women's empowerment. Each woman is constituted as an ally of economic success by pursuing her education, increasing productivity and entrepreneurship. I argue that public–private partnerships for women's empowerment do not challenge the gendered structures of the global economy, though they may improve individual women's economic situation in the short term. The critical and emancipatory potential of empowerment is weakened by the imposed boundaries of neoliberal market criteria and their demands for economic effectiveness.
Body Weight Misperception in Adolescence and Incident Obesity in Young Adulthood

Misperceptions of one’s weight are common in adolescence. Adolescents of normal weight who misperceive themselves as being overweight tend to engage in unhealthy dieting practices and behaviors that are conducive to obesity. To examine whether this misperception is associated with a risk of obesity during early adulthood, we analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 6,523; mean age at baseline = 16 years; 58% female). Adolescents who misperceived themselves as being overweight had greater odds of becoming obese over the 12-year follow-up period than adolescents who perceived their weight accurately (odds ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval = [1.22, 1.64]). Although the increase in the odds associated with misperception of weight was apparent for both sexes, it was significantly stronger among boys (1.89 greater odds) than among girls (1.29 greater odds). The present research indicates that weight-based self-stigmatization, much like weight-based social stigmatization, is a powerful risk factor for incident obesity. This finding underscores the importance of addressing inaccurate body weight perceptions, even among adolescents of normal weight.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Growth Accounting Perspective

A positive relationship between FDI and economic growth under two economic conditions has been estimated: a sufficient level of human capital and well-developed financial markets, respectively. However, these two conditions can be fundamentally different catalysts for FDI to promote economic growth in the perspective of growth accounting. Using data from 69 countries over 1970–1989, we find that FDI promotes productivity growth only when the host country reaches a threshold level of human capital; and FDI promotes capital growth only when a certain level of financial development is achieved. (JEL F21)
Falcipain-1, a Plasmodium falciparum Cysteine Protease with Vaccine Potential

ABSTRACT Cysteine proteases (falcipains) of Plasmodium falciparum are potential targets for antimalarial chemotherapy, since they have been shown to be involved in important cellular functions such as hemoglobin degradation and invasion/rupture of red blood cells during parasite life cycle. The role of falcipain-1 at the asexual blood stages of the parasite still remains uncertain. This is mainly due to a lack of methods to prepare this protein in an active form. In order to obtain biologically active falcipain-1, a number of falcipain-1 constructs were designed and a systematic assessment of the refolding conditions was done. We describe here the expression, purification, and characterization of a falcipain-1 construct encoding mature falcipain-1 and 35 amino acids from the C-terminal of the pro domain. Recombinant falcipain-1 was overexpressed in the form of inclusion bodies, solubilized, and purified by Ni2+-nitrilotriacetic acid affinity chromatography under denaturing conditions. A systemic approach was then followed to optimize refolding parameters. An optimum refolding condition was obtained, and the yield of the purified refolded falcipain-1 was ∼1 mg/liter. Activity of the protein was analyzed by fluorometric and gelatin degradation assays. Immunolocalization studies using anti-falcipain-1 sera revealed a distinct staining at the apical end of the P. falciparum merozoites. Previous studies using falcipain-1-specific inhibitors have suggested a role of falcipain-1 in merozoite invasion. Based on its localization and its role in invasion, we analyzed the immunogenicity of falcipain-1 in mice, followed by heterologous challenge with Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites. Our results suggest a possible role of falcipain-1 in merozoite invasion.
The Duration of Union Membership in Italy: A Research Note

Thanks to direct access to union databases, this note can answer two new questions in industrial relations: how long union membership lasts and what are the determinants of its duration within an open-shop context. This also allows for conceptualizing union membership as a much more dynamic phenomenon than in previous studies, where it was considered a static condition whose causes or effects were to be investigated. Regression analysis applied to a sample of 29,035 Italian workers highlights that union membership duration is a positive but declining function of age. Furthermore, women, flexible workers, foreign ones, and those working in cities tend to show less attachment to union membership than the other workers.
CREDIT MARKET IMPERFECTIONS AND THE INCIDENCE OF WORKER-OWNED FIRMS

Under plausible conditions, in a market economy with both democratic and capitalist firms, credit market imperfections imply that the fraction of workers in democratic firms is an increasing function of the share of worker wealth. Our analysis addresses two agency problems that all firms must solve: eliciting effort from a team of workers and choosing the appropriate level of risk, in a situation where neither effort nor risk is contractually specified. The democratic firm enjoys a relative advantage in dealing with the agency problems surrounding labor, while the capitalist firm has a relative advantage in dealing with agency problems involving risk-bearing.