Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Racial Residential Segregation in American Cities

This chapter examines the causes and consequences of black-white residential segregation in the United States. Segregation can arise through black self-segregation, collective action to exclude blacks from white neighborhoods, or individual mobility of white households. Historically, whites used racially restrictive covenants and violence to exclude blacks from white areas. More recently, white departures from integrated neighborhoods is a more important factor. Many studies find that blacks who live in segregated metropolitan areas have lower educational attainment and lower earnings than their counterparts in more integrated areas. This difference appears to reflect the causal effect of segregation on economic outcomes. The association between segregated environments and minority disadvantage is driven in part by physical isolation of black neighborhoods from employment opportunities and in part by harmful social interactions within black neighborhoods, especially due to concentrated poverty. The chapter ends by reviewing potential policy solutions to residential segregation, which can be classified as place-based, people-based, or indirect solutions.
Monetary Policy Rules and Transmission Mechanisms under Inflation Targeting in Israel

This paper analyzes Israel's recent inflation targeting policies and their role in the disinflation process in the 1990s. Special features of Israel underlying inflation targeting are: a high-inflation history; lack of consensus about the benefits from reducing inflation and thereby lack of full credibility of monetary policy; the existence of monetary policy overburdening in its attempts to meet the inflation targets; the coexistence of an exchange rate band together with the inflation targets. A key finding of the econometric analysis is that there is a time-varying passthrough from exchange rates to prices, which depends on the state of the business cycle and the size of exchange rate fluctuations. In the present empirical specifications, monetary conditions are shown to have played a key role in accounting for the various turning points along the disinflation process. Estimates of an analogue of a 'Taylor rule' indicate that in contrast with the monetary accommodation that prevailed in the past, monetary policy in the more recent years has acted as an inflation stabilizer.
Financial Contagion Vulnerability: A Comparison of European Capital Markets

This paper investigates contagion to European capital markets associated with seven big financial shocks between 1997 and 2002. We apply a technique using heteroscedasticity adjusted correlation coefficients to discriminate between contagion and interdependence. The analysis focuses on a comparison between developed Western European markets and emerging capital markets in Central and Eastern Europe. We find little evidence of significant increases in cross-market linkages after the crises under investigation. The Central and Eastern European capital markets are not more vulnerable to contagion than Western European markets.
The anthropology of performance

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When do community leaders make a difference? exploring the interaction of actors and institutions

There are an increasing number of opportunities for community leaders to be involved in governing processes. However, the community leader literature fails sufficiently to distinguish the interaction of structure and agency. The thesis establishes a theoretical approach which places community leaders as ‘situated agents’. The thesis establishes a ‘reading-acting-effect’ model to examine how the readings of actors are translated into action and how they interpret the difference this makes. Case studies of two neighbourhoods in Sheffield reveal the changing influence of the community and of the state upon community leaders’ behaviour. In the early stages of development community leaders concentrate on the substantive difference their actions have in their community. The state plays a more significant role as community leaders begin to operate in governance arenas, making compromises to access state resources. State actors play important roles as rule makers and interpreters that affect how community leaders behave. Community leaders face a central dilemma between: modifying their behaviour to work with the state thereby increasing their opportunities to receive funding; and the freedom of working at a distance from the state without such support. Conflict can arise between community leaders as they adopt different positions in relation to the state based on their distinct interpretations of this dilemma.
Depth-Dependent Differences in Community Structure of the Human Colonic Microbiota in Health

Objective The aims of this study were to develop techniques for spatial microbial assessment in humans and to establish colonic luminal and mucosal spatial ecology, encompassing longitudinal and cross-sectional axes. Design A microbiological protected specimen brush was used in conjunction with a biopsy forceps to sample the colon in nine healthy volunteers undergoing colonoscopy. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis was used to determine the major variables in the spatial organization of the colonic microbiota. Results Protected Specimen Brush sampling retrieved region-specific, uncontaminated samples that were enriched for bacterial DNA and depleted in human DNA when compared to biopsy samples. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis revealed a segmentation of bacterial communities between the luminal brush and biopsy-associated ecological niches with little variability across the longitudinal axis of the colon and reduced diversity in brush samples. Conclusion These results support the concept of a microbiota with little longitudinal variability but with some degree of segregation between luminal and mucosal communities.
Differentiation and Recruitment of Th9 Cells Stimulated by Pleural Mesothelial Cells in Human Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

Newly discovered IL-9–producing CD4+ helper T cells (Th9 cells) have been reported to contribute to tissue inflammation and immune responses, however, differentiation and immune regulation of Th9 cells in tuberculosis remain unknown. In the present study, our data showed that increased Th9 cells with the phenotype of effector memory cells were found to be in tuberculous pleural effusion as compared with blood. TGF-β was essential for Th9 cell differentiation from naïve CD4+ T cells stimulated with PMA and ionomycin in vitro for 5 h, and addition of IL-1β, IL-4 or IL-6 further augmented Th9 cell differentiation. Tuberculous pleural effusion and supernatants of cultured pleural mesothelial cells were chemotactic for Th9 cells, and this activity was partly blocked by anti-CCL20 antibody. IL-9 promoted the pleural mesothelial cell repairing and inhibited IFN-γ-induced pleural mesothelial cell apoptosis. Moreover, pleural mesothelial cells promoted Th9 cell differentiation by presenting antigen. Collectively, these data provide new information concerning Th9 cells, in particular the collaborative immune regulation between Th9 cells and pleural mesothelial cells in human M. tuberculosis infection. In particular, pleural mesothelial cells were able to function as antigen-presenting cells to stimulate Th9 cell differentiation.
Supporting Regression Test Scoping with Visual Analytics

Background: Test managers have to repeatedly select test cases for test activities during evolution of large software systems. Researchers have widely studied automated test scoping, but have not fully investigated decision support with human interaction. We previously proposed the introduction of visual analytics for this purpose. Aim: In this empirical study we investigate how to design such decision support. Method: We explored the use of visual analytics using heat maps of historical test data for test scoping support by letting test managers evaluate prototype visualizations in three focus groups with in total nine industrial test experts. Results: All test managers in the study found the visual analytics useful for supporting test planning. However, our results show that different tasks and contexts require different types of visualizations. Conclusion: Important properties for test planning support are: ability to overview testing from different perspectives, ability to filter and zoom to compare subsets of the testing with respect to various attributes and the ability to manipulate the subset under analysis by selecting and deselecting test cases. Our results may be used to support the introduction of visual test analytics in practice.
Characterization of the deposition of collagen fibers and lithogenic potential in bladder of rats submitted to a sugar cane biopolymer graft.

OBJECTIVES Suture materials are widely used in urology. The interaction of these materials with the extracellular matrix in the inflammatory process can be estimated by stereology of collagen fibers and the present study was designed to determine the behavior of the bladder tissue of rats to grafts of the biopolymer of sugar cane (BPCA), and the inflammation and intravesical stone formation compared to the polyglactin 910. MATERIALS AND METHODS 42 Wistar rats were divided in four groups: Group I (n = 10) rats submitted to bladder implantation of ~4-0 BPCA suture graft and euthanized at 4 weeks; Group II (n = 10) rats submitted to bladder implantation of 4-0 polyglactin 910 suture graft and euthanized at 4 weeks; Group III (n = 12) rats submitted to bladder implantation of ~4-0 BPCA suture graft and euthanized at 8 weeks; Group IV (n = 10) rats submitted to bladder implantation of 4-0 polyglactin 910 suture graft and euthanized at 8 weeks. Bladders collected at necropsy were analyzed for their weight and the presence of grafts and calculi. Sections were prepared for stereological analysis of collagen fibers. RESULTS The bladder weight was higher in group I, particularly in the presence of bladder stones. The presence of the graft was observed in 100 % (group I), 80 % (group II), 91.6 % (group III) and 30 % (group IV); polyglactin 910 showed an absorption of 70 % in this period. The stereological analysis showed a higher volume density of collagen fibers in group I versus other groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The BPCA was a material with good integration into the bladder of rats; its absorption was slower than that of the polyglactin 910. The presence of urinary stones was lower in bladders with implantation of BPCA, particularly after 8 weeks. There was a greater initial inflammatory response to BPCA graft that was directly related to the increase in bladder weight and the presence of urinary stones, but that equalized the results of polyglactin 910 after 8 weeks.
Ultrastructural Properties in Cortical Bone Vary Greatly in Two Inbred Strains of Mice as Assessed by Synchrotron Light Based Micro‐ and Nano‐CT

Nondestructive SR‐based μCT and nano‐CT methods have been designed for 3D quantification and morphometric analysis of ultrastructural phenotypes within murine cortical bone, namely the canal network and the osteocyte lacunar system. Results in two different mouse strains, C57BL/6J‐Ghrhrlit/J and C3.B6‐Ghrhrlit/J, showed that the cannular and lacunar morphometry and their bone mechanics were fundamentally different.
Determinants of Business Tax Compliance

Abstract This paper provides empirical evaluation of a number of determinants of tax evasion by firms. The analysis includes both standard determinants, such as tax rates and probability of detection, and non-traditional factors, such as trust in government, compliance costs, and corruption. Firm-level survey data from 4,538 firms in 23 transition economies are analyzed. One of the main findings is that fighting corruption is more important in deterring tax evasion than conventional measures.
Association of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D with Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Markers: Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study (FIN-D2D)

Objectives Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) level has been associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases. Our aim was to determine lifestyle and clinical factors that are associated with 25OHD level and to investigate connection of 25OHD level with metabolic and cardiovascular disease markers. Design In total, 2868 Finnish men and women aged 45–74 years participated in FIN-D2D population-based health survey in 2007. Participants that had a serum sample available (98.4%; n = 2822) were included in this study. 25OHD was measured with chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay method. Results The mean 25OHD level was 58.2 nmol/l in men (n = 1348) and 57.1 nmol/l in women (n = 1474). Mean 25OHD level was lower in the younger age groups than in the older ones (p<0.0001 both in men and women). This study confirmed that low physical activity (p<0.0001 both in men and women), smoking (p = 0.0002 in men and p = 0.03 in women) and high BMI (p<0.0001 in women) are factors that independently associate with low 25OHD level. Of the metabolic and cardiovascular disease markers high triglyceride concentration (p = 0.02 in men and p = 0.001 in women) and high apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratio (p = 0.04 in men and p = 0.03 in women) were independently associated with low 25OHD level. Conclusions Higher age did not predict lower 25OHD level in this study population of aged 45–74 years which may derive from a healthy life-style of “active pensioners”. Low physical activity and smoking came up as independent lifestyle factors associated with low 25OHD level. Defining the molecular mechanisms behind the associations of 25OHD with low physical activity and smoking are important objective in future studies. The association of 25OHD with BMI, high triglyceride concentration and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratio may be related to the role of vitamin D in inflammation, but more detailed studies are needed.
Urine Specimens from Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women Inhibitory to Amplification of Chlamydia trachomatis Nucleic Acid by PCR, Ligase Chain Reaction, and Transcription-Mediated Amplification: Identification of Urinary Substances Associated with Inhibition and Removal of Inhibitory Activity

ABSTRACT The presence of endogenous amplification inhibitors in urine may produce false-negative results for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis nucleic acids by tests such as PCR, ligase chain reaction (LCR), and transcription-mediated amplification (TMA). Consecutive urine specimens from 101 pregnant women and 287 nonpregnant women submitted for urinalysis were processed for C. trachomatis detection. Aliquots were spiked with the equivalent of one C. trachomatis elementary body and were tested by three commercial assays: AMPLICOR CT/NG, Chlamydia LCX, and Chlamydia TMA. The prevalence of inhibitors resulting in complete inhibition of amplification was 4.9% for PCR, 2.6% for LCR, and 7.5% for TMA. In addition, all three assays were partially inhibited by additional urine specimens. Only PCR was more often inhibited by urine from pregnant women than by urine from nonpregnant women (9.9 versus 3.1%;P = 0.011). A complete urinalysis including dipstick and a microscopic examination was performed. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the following substances were associated with amplification inhibition: beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (odds ratio [OR], 3.3) and crystals (OR, 3.3) for PCR, nitrites for LCR (OR, 14.4), and hemoglobin (OR, 3.3), nitrites (OR, 3.3), and crystals (OR, 3.3) for TMA. Aliquots of each inhibitory urine specimen were stored at 4 and −70°C overnight or were extracted with phenol-chloroform and then retested at dilutions of 1:1, 1:4, and 1:10. Most inhibition was removed by storage overnight at 4 or −70°C and a dilution of 1:10 (84% for PCR, 100% for LCR, and 92% for TMA). Five urine specimens (three for PCR and two for TMA) required phenol-chloroform extraction to remove inhibitors. The results indicate that the prevalence of nucleic acid amplification inhibitors in female urine is different for each technology, that this prevalence may be predicted by the presence of urinary factors, and that storage and dilution remove most of the inhibitors.
Do we need big banks ? Evidence on performance , strategy and market discipline q

For an international sample of banks, we construct measures of a bank’s absolute size and its systemic size defined as size relative to the national economy. We then examine how a bank’s risk and return on equity, its activity mix and funding strategy, and the extent to which it faces market discipline depend on both size measures. We show that bank returns increase with absolute size, yet decline with systemic size, while neither size measure is associated with bank risk as implicit in the Z-score. These results are consistent with the view that growing to a size that is systemic is not in the interest of bank shareholders. We also find that systemically large banks are subject to greater market discipline as evidenced by a higher sensitivity of their funding costs to risk proxies, consistent with the view that they can become too large to save. A bank’s interest costs, however, are estimated to decline with bank systemic size for all banks apart from those with very low capitalization levels. This suggests that market discipline, exercised through funding costs, does not prevent banks from attaining larger systemic size. 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1042-9573/$ see front matter 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.jfi. 2013.02. 002 q We thank two anonymous referees, Christoph Kaserer, Wolf Wagner and seminar participants at De Nederlandsche Bank, the University of Mannheim Business School and the conference on ‘Banks – how big is big enough’ organized by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in May 2012 for useful comments. This paper’s findings, interpretations, and conclusions are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Tilburg University, The Netherlands. Fax: +31 13 4663042. E-mail addresses: A.Bertay@uvt.nl (A.C. Bertay), Ademirguckunt@worldbank.org (A. Demirgüç-Kunt), Huizinga@uvt.nl (H. Huizinga). J. Finan. Intermediation 22 (2013) 532–558
Factors Predicting Social Responsibility in College Students

This study investigated factors that may contribute to the development of social responsibility in college students. A sample of 31 male and 69 female students attending either a private Christian university or a non-religiously affiliated private university participated in the study, completing the Starrett (1 996) Global Social Responsibility Inventory (GSRI) and an accompanying research questionnaire. Subjects were recruited from general education courses at the two universities and received extra credit for their participation. This study examined factors contributing to high scores on the three sub-scales ofthe GSRI: 1) Global Social Responsibility scale (GSRS) 2) Responsibility Toward People scale (RPS) 3) Social Conservatism scale (SCS). Variables found in the literature and hypothesized to promote social responsibility considered in the study were: self-efficacy, exposure to injustice, parental modeling, annual familial income, participation in organized religion, the importance of religion and/or spirituality, church attendance, previous service experience, predicted ·future participation in community service, and gender. Results indicated that students from the private non-religious university scored higher on the GSRS. Students from the religiously affiliated private university scored higher on the SCS and both universities Social Responsibility in College Students iv had similar means on the RPS. Multiple regression analysis indicated that predicted future participation in community service accounted for 1 1 % of the variance and the importance of religion and or spirituality added another 5% to the variance on the GSRC. For the RPS, future participation in community service accounted for 1 6% of the variance and familial annual income added 4% to the variance. In regard to the SCS, the importance of religion and/or spirituality accounted for 20% of the variance. Annual family income added 4% and anticipated future participation in community service
Assessing Unobserved Heterogeneity in SEM Using REBUS-PLS: A Case of the Application of TAM to Social Media Adoption

The present study applies the REBUS-PLS algorithm to handle unobserved heterogeneity in the context of the application of the technology acceptance model (TAM) to social media adoption and use within a workplace environment. Using data collected from 2556 social media users within their workplace from UK, US, Canada, India and Australia, the REBUS-PLS algorithm automatically detects three groups of social media users, each of them being characterized by different values for model parameters and manifest variable means. A post-hoc analysis of each group shows that metropolitan geographic location, postgraduate education level, country and ages range from 18 to 24 & 25 to 34 are the places where we can find main differences that depict the three discovered social media users groups. Finally, implications for research and practice are discussed.
Inferring Stop-Locations from WiFi

Human mobility patterns are inherently complex. In terms of understanding these patterns, the process of converting raw data into series of stop-locations and transitions is an important first step which greatly reduces the volume of data, thus simplifying the subsequent analyses. Previous research into the mobility of individuals has focused on inferring ‘stop locations’ (places of stationarity) from GPS or CDR data, or on detection of state (static/active). In this paper we bridge the gap between the two approaches: we introduce methods for detecting both mobility state and stop-locations. In addition, our methods are based exclusively on WiFi data. We study two months of WiFi data collected every two minutes by a smartphone, and infer stop-locations in the form of labelled time-intervals. For this purpose, we investigate two algorithms, both of which scale to large datasets: a greedy approach to select the most important routers and one which uses a density-based clustering algorithm to detect router fingerprints. We validate our results using participants’ GPS data as well as ground truth data collected during a two month period.