Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The socio-cultural impacts of economic changes to matrilineal Garo society in Bangladesh

An extension of the Garo hill towards south in Bangladesh along the mid-northern boundary with India is inhabited by a hill tribe called the Garo. They have a distinctive socio-economic background and culture. Their way of life has its origin in the uniqueness of the physiographic characteristics of the area which impelled them to live in isolation for long. But recently, with the initiation of different development activities in the area. A formal ban on jhum cultivation, severe deforestation, the intrusion of plainlanders and the intermingling with the latter due to improvement in transportation and communication facilities, various welfare activities of some Christian missionaries, etc. have brought about remarkable change in the socio-economic and cultural life of the Garo population. In this paper, the authors have tried to shed light on these particular issues with special focus on Modhupur sal (shorea robusta) forest area.
Investment in R&D, Costs of Adjustment and Expectations

This paper proposes a framework which integrates convex costs of adjustment and expectations formation in the determination of investment decisions in R&D at the firm level. The model is based on cost minimization subject to the firm's expectations of the stream of output and the price of R&D, and results in equations for actual and multiple-span planned investment in R&D and for the realization error as functions of these expectations. The model accommodates alternative mechanisms of expectations formation and provides a methodology for testing these hypotheses empirically. We derive estimable equations and testable parameter restrictions for the rational, adaptive and static expectations hypotheses. The empirical results using pooled firm data strongly reject the rational and static expectations hypotheses and generally support adaptive expectations.
Bringing About Changes to Corporate Social Policy Through Shareholder Activism: Filers, Issues, Targets, and Success

We examine shareholder initiated social policy proposals' capacity to exert pressure on management to force it to adopt the suggested changes in policy. We show that social proposals, filed under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Rule 14a-8, have a more limited capacity to change corporate social policy than it has been previously reported. However, the capacity to exert pressure on firms can be substantially higher for some types of filers, notably pension funds and mutual funds. The analysis also suggests that the capacity to influence management is higher for some types of issues presented in the resolution, such as those related to board diversity, energy and environment, and international laborand human rights. We also provide suggestions explaining why shareholder activism is a persistent practice despite its limited results.
An EMG-driven musculoskeletal model for the estimation of biomechanical parameters of wrist flexors

A musculoskeletal model of wrist flexors comprising musculoskeletal dynamics and limb anatomy was experimentally validated with healthy subjects during maximum voluntary contractions. Electromyography signals recorded from flexors were used as input, while measured torques exerted by the hand were compared to the torques predicted by the model. The root mean square error and the normalized root mean square error calculated during estimation and validation phases were compared. In total, six subject-specific musculoskeletal parameters were estimated, while biomechanical indexes such as the operating range of the flexors, the stiffness of the wrist flexion musculotendon actuators, and the contribution of the muscle fibers to the joint moment were computed. Results are in agreement with previously published data.
Structure of the bis divalent cation complex with phosphonoacetohydroxamate at the active site of enolase.

Phosphonoacetohydroxamate (PhAH) is a tight-binding (Ki = 15 pM) inhibitor of enolase that is believed to mimic the aci-carboxylate form of the intermediate carbanion in the reaction [Anderson, V. E. , Weiss, P. M. , & Cleland, W. W. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 2779]. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of Mn2+ has been used to map sites of interaction of PhAH with the two divalent cations at the active site of enolase from bakers' yeast. EPR spectra of enolase-PhAH complexes containing two Mn2+ bound at the active site contain multiple fine structure transitions each with a 45-G 55Mn hyperfine spacing that is a characteristic of spin exchange coupled pairs of Mn2+. Magnetically dilute complexes were obtained by preparation of specific Mg2+/Mn2+ hybrid complexes by manipulating the order of addition of the divalent metal species. Thus, Mn2+ was placed in the higher affinity site by addition of 1 equiv of Mn2+ to a solution of enolase and PhAH, followed by addition of 1 equiv of Mg2+. Reversing the order of addition of Mg2+ and Mn2+ placed Mn2+ in the lower affinity site. Regiospecifically 17O-labeled forms of PhAH were prepared, and the binding of the functional groups on PhAH to Mn2+ at the two metal ion sites was determined from the presence or absence of 17O superhyperfine coupling in the EPR signals. The hydroxamate oxygen is a ligand of Mn2+ at the higher affinity site, a phosphonate oxygen is a ligand of Mn2+ at the lower affinity site, and the carbonyl oxygen is a mu-O bridge of the two metal ions. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Restoration of anterior–posterior rotator cuff force balance improves shoulder function in a rat model of chronic massive tears

The rotator cuff musculature imparts dynamic stability to the glenohumeral joint. In particular, the balance between the subscapularis anteriorly and the infraspinatus posteriorly, often referred to as the rotator cuff “force couple,” is critical for concavity compression and concentric rotation of the humeral head. Restoration of this anterior–posterior force balance after chronic, massive rotator cuff tears may allow for deltoid compensation, but no in vivo studies have quantitatively demonstrated an improvement in shoulder function. Our goal was to determine if restoring this balance of forces improves shoulder function after two‐tendon rotator cuff tears in a rat model. Forty‐eight rats underwent detachment of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. After four weeks, rats were randomly assigned to three groups: no repair, infraspinatus repair, and two‐tendon repair. Quantitative ambulatory measures including medial/lateral forces, braking, propulsion, and step width were significantly different between the infraspinatus and no repair group and similar between the infraspinatus and two‐tendon repair groups at almost all time points. These results suggest that repairing the infraspinatus back to its insertion site without repair of the supraspinatus can improve shoulder function to a level similar to repairing both the infraspinatus and supraspinatus tendons. Clinically, a partial repair of the posterior cuff after a two‐tendon tear may be sufficient to restore adequate function. An in vivo model system for two‐tendon repair of massive rotator cuff tears is presented. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29: 1028–1033, 2011
Protein kinase M z is essential for the induction and maintenance of dopamine-induced long-term potentiation in apical CA 1 dendrites

Protein kinase Mz is essential for the induction and maintenance of dopamine-induced long-term potentiation in apical CA1 dendrites Sheeja Navakkode, Sreedharan Sajikumar, Todd Charlton Sacktor, and Julietta U. Frey Department of Neurophysiology, Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestrasse 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
Cooling of the Global Ocean since 2003

Ocean heat content data from 2003 to 2008 (4.5 years) were evaluated for trend. A trend plus periodic (annual cycle) model fit with R2 = 0.85. The linear component of the model showed a trend of −0.35 (±0.2) x 1022 Joules per year. The result is consistent with other data showing a lack of warming over the past few years.
Children's Discourse: Person, Space and Time across Languages. Cambridge Studies in Linguistics.

1. Introduction Part I. Available Theories and Data: 2. Theoretical issues 3. Crosslinguistic invariants and variations 4. Coherence and cohesion in discourse development 5. Children's marking of information status: referring expressions and clause structure 6. The acquisition of spatial and temporal-aspectual devices Part II. A Crosslinguistic Study of Children's Narratives: 7. Methodological issues 8. Animate entities 9. Space 10. Time 11. Conclusions Appendix.
Does experience rating matter in reducing accident probabilities? A test for moral hazard

I examine the empirical importance of moral hazard, adverse se- lection and state dependence in the determination of motor vehicle accidents, using a unique longitudinal dataset on car insurance poli- cies that I obtained from an Italian insurance company. I develop a dynamic model of driving eort given an insurance contract that allows for moral hazard, for adverse selection, for state dependence in accidents and for general premium pricing schedules. Simulations based on a calibrated version of the structural model suggest that driving eort increases in the marginal premium price increase, which is observed in the data. From the model, I derive an approximate de- cision rule for driving eort that underlies my empirical speci…cation for the probability of having an accident. The estimating equation is a dynamic discrete choice panel data model with unobserved hetero- geneity, state dependence and predetermined variables. My unusually rich data permit a ‡exible way of incorporating all of these factors in the model. I estimate the model using the semi-parametric estimator of Arellano and Carrasco (2003). I …nd much stronger evidence of moral hazard than in the previous literature. In particular, there is negative dependence between accident probabilities and the experi- ence rating class. Thus, monetary costs are important determinants of accident probabilities. There is also evidence of negative state de- pendence suggesting that drivers who recently had accidents engage in accident avoidance behavior.
Rational Use of Drugs in Egypt According to the Standard WHOPrescribing Indicators: Pilot Baseline Situational Analysis

Background: The irrational use of drugs is a major health problem resulting in; reduction in the quality of drug therapy, increasing morbidity and mortality rates, waste of resources, development of antibiotic-resistant organisms, transmission of blood-borne diseases. Objective: The main objective of the present study was to assess health care professionals’ adherence to WHO prescribing indicators in order to identify areas in need for intervention and set recommendations regarding the rational use of medicines. Materials and methods: A sample of 340 prescribing encounter were collected randomly from different health facilities (hospitals, health care centers, community pharmacies) in Egypt. All prescriptions were evaluated for adherence to WHO prescribing indicators and British National Formulary (BNF) prescribing patterns. Results: The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 3.14. The results of the present study showed that the mean percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 16.07% with a significant difference in practice between different health facilities. The frequency of prescribed antibiotics was 18.97%; the percent of prescribed antibiotic in primary health care centers was 31.97. This study showed that the frequency of prescribed injectable drugs was less than 10%. Recommendations: The study emphasizes the need for incorporation of the rational drug prescribing as an integral part in the national practice guidelines. Furthermore, these results emphasize the critical role of the drug information centers with trained clinical pharmacist in promoting rational use of drugs.
Pathways for impact: scientists' different perspectives on agricultural innovation

This paper takes the viewpoint of a social scientist and looks at agricultural scientists' pathways for science impact. Awareness of these pathways is increasingly becoming part and parcel of the professionalism of the agricultural scientist, now that the pressure is on to mobilize smallholders and their productive resources for (global) food security and for reducing persistent rural poverty. Significant new thinking about pathways is emerging and it is useful to present some of this, even if it is not cut-and-dried. This new thinking focuses on innovation, not as the end-of-pipe outcome of development and transfer (or ‘delivery’) of results of research to ‘ultimate users’, but as a process of technical and institutional change at farm and higher system levels that impacts on productivity, sustainability and poverty reduction. This paper will review technology supply push; farmer-driven innovation; market-propelled or induced innovation based on the agricultural treadmill; participatory technology development; and innovation systems. The pathways reviewed all have their merits; the paper will assess them from the perspective of improving smallholder productivity and livelihoods. This paper concludes that many agricultural scientists have not developed their thinking about how the fruits of their work can help make the world a better place. This is a flaw in their professionalism. Curriculum development, training, promotion criteria, standards used in refereeing journal articles and research funding could benefit from taking on board understanding of pathways of science-for-impact.
Tracking Analysts' Forecasts Over the Annual Earnings Horizon: Are Analysts' Forecasts Optimistic or Pessimistic?

This paper examines the dynamic behavior of analysts' earnings forecasts over the twelve months preceding annual earnings announcements. We investigate the claim that analysts make optimistic forecasts at the start of the year and then 'walk down' their estimates to a level the firm is likely to beat by the end of the year. The sample consists of I/B/E/S individual-analyst forecasts for the period 1983-1997. In the post-1992 period, we find strong evidence of a switch from upward-biased to downward-biased forecasts of annual earnings as the announcement date approaches. Forecast pessimism is strongest for high market-to-book firms, for large firms, and in periods when real GDP is growing. We also find that analysts forecasts are more accurate for firms involved in new equity issuance. Finally, we find that pessimistic forecasts are more frequent in years when firms report positive special items, high cash flows from operations and high working capital accruals.
Tobacco industry response to a ban on lights descriptors on cigarette packaging and population outcomes

Objective The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its Guidelines recommend nations ban the use of misleading terms, such as ’light' and ’mild' on tobacco product advertising, packaging and labelling. Many nations, including the USA, have implemented such bans and some have introduced or passed legislation requiring plain packaging on tobacco products. We previously reported that manufacturers in the USA responded by replacing lights terms with colour terms and related colour-coding of packages. This study examines population outcomes and public health impact of the US ban. Methods We examined available data regarding a) per cent filter ventilation strata used to designate lights subbrand categories; b) market share per tar yield; c) initiation and use of cigarettes by lights categories and d) overall cigarette consumption to identify changes from before to after the ban. We used interrupted time series multivariable logistic regression and joinpoint regression models to test for changes in rates and temporal trends associated with the ban. Results The per cent filter ventilation strata used to designate lights subbrand categories were maintained in the colour named subbrands. No change was observed following the ban in lights market share, relative prevalence of lights versus non-lights smoking or relative smoking initiation on lights versus non-lights among all ages or among youth in particular. The rate of decline in per capita cigarette consumption slowed by 37% from the period 2007-2010 to 2010-2014. Conclusions This study strongly suggests that manufacturers' circumvention prevented the lights descriptor ban from succeeding as intended, most likely perpetuating the misleading consumer perceptions about relative risks, while failing to increase smoking cessation and reduce initiation. Laws requiring generic (plain) and elimination of subbrand descriptors should prevent evasion of legislation banning the use of specific terms through marketing, regulatory and legal challenges.
Testing the efficiency of the aluminium market: evidence from London metal exchange

This article studies the efficiency of the aluminium market based on contracts traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME) over the last 3 decades. We test for both short- and long-run efficiency using nonlinear cointegration and Error Correction Models (ECM). Our findings suggest the following points. First, futures aluminium prices are found to be cointegrated with spot prices, but they do not constitute unbiased predictors of future spot prices. Second, the hypothesis of risk neutrality is rejected, but there is no evidence in favour of a time-varying risk premia. Finally, using past futures price returns improves the modelling and forecast of future spot price returns and the short-run efficiency hypothesis is rejected by regime, in particular when the disequilibrium size between spot and futures prices is high. Our findings have important implications for producers, arbitrageurs, speculators as well as policymakers.
The Impact of Government Spending Levels on Medium-Term Economic Growth in the Oecd, 1960-85

Recent findings concerning the impact of government spending on economic growth have been as diverse as the theories underpinning them. Proceeding from a methodological critique of prior work in the field and drawing on a variety of methodological innovations suggested in recent studies, we seek to design rigorous tests using cross-section data from 18 OECD countries over four business cycles between 1960 and 1985. Government expenditure is decomposed into various categories and economic growth is corrected for cyclical disturbances. We also control for the effects of technological catch-up, institutional sclerosis and population growth along with the mediating influences of investment and employment. A variety of diagnostic statistical tests are applied, including tests for parameter stability across countries and across periods and tests for heteroscedasticity, functional form, outliers and endogeneity. We reject the hypothesis that government expenditures reduce economic growth and indicate some areas of social expenditures which may possibly tend to increase growth. We are also able to indicate the methodological assumptions and restrictions which have led to previous contrary findings.
Exchange rate regime proposal for emerging countries: a Keynesian perspective

This paper presents, in light of Keynesian theory and taking into account the emerging economies' reality in today's global world, an exchange rate regime proposal for emerging countries with the capability to mitigate their external vulnerability and fragility and their dependence on foreign capital, thus making possible the implementation of domestic economic policies that would permit macroeconomic stabilization—understood, following Keynes, as being the combination of price stability and full employment. For this purpose, the paper revisits Keynes's proposals with regard to both exchange rate policy and capital inflows, with a view to showing how they contribute to maintaining full employment, develops a Post Keynesian view on financial globalization and the behavior of exchange rate, and presents a strategy for an exchange rate regime with capital controls for emerging countries.
Empirically supported treatments: will this movement in the field of psychology impact the practice of psychosocial oncology?

This article discusses the likelihood of the empirically supported treatment (EST) movement impacting the practice of psychosocial oncology, with the goal of raising awareness of these issues and encouraging debate within the psychosocial oncology research and practice community. In 1993, the American Psychological Association struck a task force to develop criteria for empirically evaluating psychological interventions. The Clinical Psychology (Division 12) Task Force now evaluates psychological interventions and publishes an updated list of ESTs on a yearly basis. Concerns raised about the EST movement in psychology have included difficulties with the terminology and process of the Task Force, problems with the methodology used in psychotherapy research, and with the possible practical implications of the Task Force list of EST. A review of the literature suggests that psychosocial interventions in oncology are currently beginning to be evaluated by the EST criteria and that the reviewed interventions have yet to attain EST status. Following from this review, it is argued that researchers and practitioners in psychosocial oncology should become aware of the standards established by the Division 12 Task Force and that future psycho‐oncology intervention research may need to be designed to meet those standards. The discipline of psychosocial oncology is encouraged to consider the possible implications of accepting or not accepting the EST criteria. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Observed Hysteresis of Virus Capsid Disassembly Is Implicit in Kinetic Models of Assembly*

For many protein multimers, association and dissociation reactions fail to reach the same end point; there is hysteresis preventing one and/or the other reaction from equilibrating. We have studied in vitro assembly of dimeric hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsid protein and dissociation of the resulting T = 4 icosahedral capsids. Empty HBV capsids composed of 120 capsid protein dimers were more resistant to dissociation by dilution or denaturants than anticipated from assembly experiments. Using intrinsic fluorescence, circular dichroism, and size exclusion chromatography, we showed that denaturants dissociate the HBV capsids without unfolding the capsid protein; unfolding of dimer only occurred at higher denaturant concentrations. The apparent energy of interaction between dimers measured in dissociation experiments was much stronger than when measured in assembly studies. Unlike assembly, capsid dissociation did not have the concentration dependence expected for a 120-subunit complex; consequently the apparent association energy systematically varied with reactant concentration. These data are evidence of hysteresis for HBV capsid dissociation. Simulations of capsid assembly and dissociation reactions recapitulate and provide an explanation for the observed behavior; these results are also applicable to oligomeric and multidomain proteins. In our calculations, we find that dissociation is impeded by temporally elevated concentrations of intermediates; this has the paradoxical effect of favoring re-assembly of those intermediates despite the global trend toward dissociation. Hysteresis masks all but the most dramatic decreases in contact energy. In contrast, assembly reactions rapidly approach equilibrium. These results provide the first rigorous explanation of how virus capsids can remain intact under extreme conditions but are still capable of “breathing. ” A biological implication of enhanced stability is that a triggering event may be required to initiate virus uncoating.