Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Groundnut Seed Systems in West Africa: Current Practices, Constraints and Opportunities

Low productivity of groundnut-based systems, afl atoxin regulations, and stricter grades and standards have lowered the competitiveness of the West African groundnut in the domestic, regional and international markets. To regain its market, groundnut productivity has to increase through the adoption of new technologies and the development of sustainable seed systems. The availability and uptake of high quality seed by farmers is fundamental to the transformation of predominant traditional agricultural production practices to achieve increased stability and sustainable food production in West Africa. New seeds with higher yield potential or ability to relieve constraints faced by farmers in using traditional varieties form part of the improved inputs required to increase crop production. Previous support by the CFC and ICRISAT has been largely successful in germplasm conservation, variety maintenance and the development of appropriate groundnut varieties that meet farmers’ preferences and market requirements. Governments have attempted to develop seed multiplication and distribution schemes through state seed projects. However, in the light of increased liberalization of economies and structural adjustment policies, governments are disengaging from seed production and distribution activities. There is therefore a need to rethink alternative and sustainable arrangements for seed production and delivery schemes. This technical paper summarizes information on the structure, conduct and performance of formal and informal groundnut seed supply systems in the four countries of West Africa namely Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. It highlights a range of technical, socioeconomic, institutional and policy constraints facing the groundnut seed industry in West Africa. Low and inconsistent supply of breeder seed, poor seed demand estimation, lack of or non-functional national variety release committees, inappropriate institutional arrangements and the biological features of groundnut have limited the private sector entry and the performance of the groundnut seed industry. Options likely to be sustainable should focus on local village seed schemes whereas small-scale private seed entrepreneurs or community-based seed systems should be encouraged to become seed entrepreneurs or engaged in the seed industry. There is evidence of vertical integration between inputs and product markets. Appropriate linkages between seed and grain producers, and grain producers and processors are necessary to drive the private sector entry in the seed industry.It is our hope and expectation that this report will provide valuable information towards improving the performance of groundnut seed markets and offer alternative and sustainable seed multiplication and delivery options to smallholder farmers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa where the economies are still agriculture-dependent
Fear of Floating and De Facto Exchange Rate Pegs with Multiple Key Currencies

This paper adopts and develops the "fear of floating" theory to explain the decision to implement a de facto peg, the choice of anchor currency among multiple key currencies, and the role of central bank independence for these choices. We argue that since exchange rate depreciations are passed-through into higher prices of imported goods, avoiding the import of inflation provides an important motive to de facto peg the exchange rate in import-dependent countries. This study shows that the choice of anchor currency is determined by the degree of dependence of the potentially pegging country on imports from the key currency country and on imports from the key currency area, consisting of all countries which have already pegged to this key currency. The fear of floating approach also predicts that countries with more independent central banks are more likely to de facto peg their exchange rate since independent central banks are more averse to inflation than governments and can de facto peg a country's exchange rate independently of the government.
Abstraction in time: Finding hierarchical linguistic structure in a model of relational processing

Abstract mental representation is fundamental for human cognition. Forming such representations in time, especially from dynamic and noisy perceptual input, is a challenge for any processing modality, but perhaps none so acutely as for language processing. We show that LISA (Hummel & Holyaok, 1997) and DORA (Doumas, Hummel, & Sandhofer, 2008), models built to process and to learn structured (i.e., symbolic) rep resentations of conceptual properties and relations from unstructured inputs, show oscillatory activation during processing that is highly similar to the cortical activity elicited by the linguistic stimuli from Ding et al.(2016). We argue, as Ding et al.(2016), that this activation reflects formation of hierarchical linguistic representation, and furthermore, that the kind of computational mechanisms in LISA/DORA (e.g., temporal binding by systematic asynchrony of firing) may underlie formation of abstract linguistic representations in the human brain. It may be this repurposing that allowed for the generation or mergence of hierarchical linguistic structure, and therefore, human language, from extant cognitive and neural systems. We conclude that models of thinking and reasoning and models of language processing must be integrated —not only for increased plausiblity, but in order to advance both fields towards a larger integrative model of human cognition
Ionic Mechanisms of Cardiac Cell Swelling Induced by Blocking Na+/K+ Pump As Revealed by Experiments and Simulation

Although the Na+/K+ pump is one of the key mechanisms responsible for maintaining cell volume, we have observed experimentally that cell volume remained almost constant during 90 min exposure of guinea pig ventricular myocytes to ouabain. Simulation of this finding using a comprehensive cardiac cell model (Kyoto model incorporating Cl− and water fluxes) predicted roles for the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA) and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, in addition to low membrane permeabilities for Na+ and Cl−, in maintaining cell volume. PMCA might help maintain the [Ca2+] gradient across the membrane though compromised, and thereby promote reverse Na+/Ca2+ exchange stimulated by the increased [Na+]i as well as the membrane depolarization. Na+ extrusion via Na+/Ca2+ exchange delayed cell swelling during Na+/K+ pump block. Supporting these model predictions, we observed ventricular cell swelling after blocking Na+/Ca2+ exchange with KB-R7943 or SEA0400 in the presence of ouabain. When Cl− conductance via the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) was activated with isoproterenol during the ouabain treatment, cells showed an initial shrinkage to 94.2 ± 0.5%, followed by a marked swelling 52.0 ± 4.9 min after drug application. Concomitantly with the onset of swelling, a rapid jump of membrane potential was observed. These experimental observations could be reproduced well by the model simulations. Namely, the Cl− efflux via CFTR accompanied by a concomitant cation efflux caused the initial volume decrease. Then, the gradual membrane depolarization induced by the Na+/K+ pump block activated the window current of the L-type Ca2+ current, which increased [Ca2+]i. Finally, the activation of Ca2+-dependent cation conductance induced the jump of membrane potential, and the rapid accumulation of intracellular Na+ accompanied by the Cl− influx via CFTR, resulting in the cell swelling. The pivotal role of L-type Ca2+ channels predicted in the simulation was demonstrated in experiments, where blocking Ca2+ channels resulted in a much delayed cell swelling.
Defense spending and investment in the United States

Effects of defense spending on investment in the United States are examined. Findings reveal that there is a positive cointegration relation between defense spending and investment. Findings do not indicate a tradeoff between defense spending and investment. Nondefense government spending has a greater positive effect on investment compared to defense spending. The results suggest that the anticipated rise in defense spending during the first decade of the twenty-first century should promote investment and thereby enhance capital accumulation and economic growth.
Case Studies in the Failure of Healthcare Informati on Systems

Public and private organizations are investing incr easing amounts into the development of healthcare information technology. These applicati ons are perceived to offer numerous benefits. Software systems can improve the exchange of information between healthcare facilities. They support standardised procedures that can help to in crease consistency between different service providers. Electronic patient records ensure minim um standards across the trajectory of care when patients move between different specializations. H ealthcare information systems also offer economic benefits through efficiency savings; for example by providing the data that helps to identify potentia l bottlenecks in the provision and administration of care. However, a number of high-profile failures reveal the problems that arise when staff must cope with the loss of these applications. In particula r, teams have to retrieve paper based records that oft en lack the detail on electronic systems. Individuals who have only used electronic informati on systems face particular problems in learning how to apply paper-based fallbacks. The following pages compare two different failures of Healthcare Information Systems in the UK and North America. The intention is to ensure that future initiatives to extend the integration of electronic patient records will build on the 'lessons learned ' from previous systems.
On speed of channel polarization

We review some recent progresses in studies on speed of channel polarization. Firstly, results on a coderate-dependent upper bound of block error probability of polar codes with successive cancellation decoding are reviewed. Then an approach of constructing polar codes for non-binary input alphabet with asymptotic speed of polarization much faster than previous approaches is briefly described.
A Detailed Mathematical Model Predicts That Serial Engagement of IgE–FcεRI Complexes Can Enhance Syk Activation in Mast Cells

The term serial engagement was introduced to describe the ability of a single peptide, bound to a MHC molecule, to sequentially interact with TCRs within the contact region between a T cell and an APC. In addition to ligands on surfaces, soluble multivalent ligands can serially engage cell surface receptors with sites on the ligand, binding and dissociating from receptors many times before all ligand sites become free and the ligand leaves the surface. To evaluate the role of serial engagement in Syk activation, we use a detailed mathematical model of the initial signaling cascade that is triggered when FcεRI is aggregated on mast cells by multivalent Ags. Although serial engagement is not required for mast cell signaling, it can influence the recruitment of Syk to the receptor and subsequent Syk phosphorylation. Simulating the response of mast cells to ligands that serially engage receptors at different rates shows that increasing the rate of serial engagement by increasing the rate of dissociation of the ligand–receptor bond decreases Syk phosphorylation. Increasing serial engagement by increasing the rate at which receptors are cross-linked (for example by increasing the forward rate constant for cross-linking or increasing the valence of the ligand) increases Syk phosphorylation. When serial engagement enhances Syk phosphorylation, it does so by partially reversing the effects of kinetic proofreading. Serial engagement rapidly returns receptors that have dissociated from aggregates to new aggregates before the receptors have fully returned to their basal state.
The Temporal Efficiency of So2 Emissions Trading

This paper provides an empirical evaluation of the temporal efficiency of the U.S. Acid Rain Program, which implemented a nationwide market for trading and banking sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission allowances. We first develop a model of efficient banking and select appropriate parameter values. Then, we use aggregate data from the first seven years of the Acid Rain Program, to assess the temporal efficiency of the observed banking behavior. We find that banking has been surprisingly efficient and we discuss why this finding disagrees with the common perception of excessive banking in this program.
Increasing pumping efficiency in a micro throttle pump by enhancing displacement amplification in an elastomeric substrate

Fluid transport is accomplished in a micro throttle pump (MTP) by alternating deformation of a micro channel cast into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric substrate. The active deformation is achieved using a bimorph PZT piezoelectric disc actuator bonded to a glass diaphragm. The bimorph PZT deflects the diaphragm as well as alternately pushing and pulling the elastomer layer providing displacement amplification in the PDMS directly surrounding the micro channel. In order to improve pumping rates we have embedded a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) ring into the PMDS substrate which increases the magnitude of the displacement amplification achieved. FEM simulation of the elastomeric substrate deformation predicts that the inclusion of the PMMA ring should increase the channel deformation. We experimentally demonstrate that inclusion of a PMMA ring, having a diameter equal to that of the circular node of the PZT/glass/PDMS composite, increases in the throttle resistance ratio by 40% and the maximum pumping rate by 90% compared to an MTP with no ring.
Is the endangered Grevy's zebra threatened by hybridization?

Hybridization between an abundant species and an endangered species is cause for concern. When such hybridization is observed, it is both urgent and necessary to assess the level of threat posed to the endangered species. We report the first evidence of natural hybridization between two equids: the endangered Grevy's zebra Equus grevyi and the abundant plains zebra Equus burchelli. Grevy's zebra now number <3000 individuals globally, and occur only in northern Kenya and Ethiopia. In recent years, Grevy's zebra have become increasingly concentrated in the south of their range due to habitat loss in the north. Both species are sympatric in the Laikipia ecosystem of northern Kenya, where we have observed purportedly hybrid individuals. Using mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA, we confirmed the hybrid status of the morphologically identified hybrids and demonstrate conclusively that all first‐generation hybrids are the offspring of plains zebra females and Grevy's zebra males. Behaviorally, hybrids integrate themselves into plains zebra society, rather than adopting the social organization of Grevy's zebra. Two hybrids have successfully raised foals to over 3 months in age, including one which has reached adulthood, indicating the fertility of female hybrids and viability of their offspring. We hypothesize that hybridization occurs due to (1) skewed sex ratios, in favor of males, within Grevy's zebra and (2) the numerical dominance of plains zebra in the region where hybridization is occurring. Stakeholders have discussed hybridization as a potential threat to Grevy's zebra survival. We argue, however, based on behavioral observations, that hybridization is unlikely to dilute the Grevy's zebra gene pool in the short term. As a conservation concern, hybridization is secondary to more direct causes of Grevy's zebra declines.
Rich Club Organization and Intermodule Communication in the Cat Connectome

Macroscopic brain networks have been shown to display several properties of an efficient communication architecture. In light of global communication, the formation of a densely connected neural “rich club” of hubs is of particular interest, because brain hubs have been suggested to play a key role in enabling short communication pathways within neural networks. Here, analyzing the cat connectome as reconstructed from tract tracing data (Scannell et al., 1995), we provide several lines of evidence of an important role of the structural rich club to interlink functional domains. First, rich club hub nodes were found to be mostly present at the boundaries between functional communities and well represented among intermodule hubs, displaying a diverse connectivity profile. Second, rich club connections, linking nodes of the rich club, and feeder connections, linking non-rich club nodes to rich club nodes, were found to comprise 86% of the intermodule connections, whereas local connections between peripheral nodes mostly spanned between nodes of the same functional community. Third, almost 90% of all intermodule communication paths were found to follow a sequence or “path motif” that involved rich club or feeder edges and thus traversed a rich club node. Together, our findings provide evidence of the structural rich club to form a central infrastructure for intermodule communication in the brain.
Greed, financial innovation or laxity of regulation?: A close look into the 2007‐2009 financial crisis and stock market volatility

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the causes of the 2007-2009 mortgage crisis, liquidity crisis, stock market volatility in the USA and their spillover effects on the global economy. Design/methodology/approach - The paper critically reviews the 2007-2009 financial crisis from both academic and practitioners' viewpoints. Findings - The paper explores how the liquidity crisis has evolved with the advent of poorly supervised financial products, especially the credit default swaps and subprime mortgage loans. Further, it analyzes the laxity in regulations that encouraged high financial leverages, shadow banking system and excessive stock market volatility and worsened the recent financial crisis. Originality/value - The implication of this paper is to understand numerous policy reforms that will help the global capital markets to be more transparent and less vulnerable to systematic risks; the suggested policy reforms may also help to prevent such financial calamities in the future.
Why Do Corporate Managers Misstate Financial Statements? the Role of Option Compensation and Other Factors

We investigate incentives that led to the rash of restated financial statements at the end of the 1990s market bubble. We find the likelihood of a misstated financial statement increases greatly when the CEO has very sizable holdings of stock options "in-the-money" (i.e., stock price above exercise price). Misstatements are also more likely for firms that are constrained by an interest-coverage debt covenant, raise new debt or equity capital, or have a CEO who serves as board chair. Our results indicate that agency costs increased (Jensen 2005a) as substantially overvalued equity caused managers to take actions to support the stock price.
Explicit formulas for Dirichlet and Hecke $L$-functions

In 1997, the author proved that the Riemann hypothesis holds if and only if λn = ∑ [1−(1−1/ρ)n] > 0 for all positive integers n, where the sum is over all complex zeros of the Riemann zeta function. In 1999, E. Bombieri and J. Lagarias generalized this result and obtained a remarkable general theorem about the location of zeros. They also gave an arithmetic interpretation for the numbers λn. In this note, the author extends Bombieri and Lagarias’ arithmetic formula to Dirichlet L-functions and to L-series of elliptic curves over rational numbers.
Growth and public support to innovation and imitation

The paper studies technology policy within a version of Jones's (1995) non-scale R&D-based growth framework that incorporates imitation of foreign techniques. The transitional dynamics of the model can account for some well-known empirical regularities regarding the relationship between the level of economic development and public support to technology innovation and imitation. The paper also documents that mos predictions of the model are consistent with the empirical evidence. Overall, these results suggest that foreign techniques can be the main driving force behind imitation policy. The paper shows as well that, even though policy in Jones-type non-scale models has no long-run growth effects, level effects can be substantial.
Does Math Achievement h'APP'en when iPads and Game-Based Learning are Incorporated into Fifth-Grade Mathematics Instruction?

After 10 years of No Child Left Behind standards-focused education, mathematics scores have improved only marginally for elementary-aged students. Students who developed a solid conceptual mathematics foundation at the elementary level succeeded later in higher-level mathematics courses; thus, educators have sought ways to increase mathematics achievement, especially among elementary school students. Educators have utilized advances in technology with gamebased learning applications and wireless Internet access to create exciting interactive learning opportunities for students that may translate into student achievement. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to examine the effects of iPad use as a 1-to-1 (1:1) computing device on 5th-grade students’ mathematics achievement in two rural Virginia elementary schools. A nonequivalent groups pretest and posttest design was used with 104 fifth-grade students. For one academic quarter of nine weeks, the experimental group used iPads as 1:1 computing devices daily during mathematics class while the control group members did not. A pretest was administered before the iPad intervention and a posttest was administered after the iPad intervention. The change from pretest to posttest was not significantly different between the two groups as measured by a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Recommendations for future study include increasing the intervention duration, using additional participants, collecting qualitative data, and providing students with continuous 24-hour, seven-day-a-week iPad access.
Expression and mutational analysis of c-CBL and its relationship to the MET receptor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

MET is frequently overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and degraded by c-CBL E3-ubiquitin ligase. We investigated genetic variations of c-CBL in HNSCC and the relationship between c-CBL and MET expression. High MET, low c-CBL expression was detected in 10 cell lines and 73 tumor tissues. Two novel mutations (L254S, L281F), and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) P782L were identified from archival tumor tissues. 27.3% of loss of heterozygosity was found at CBL locus. Ectopic expression of wild-type c-CBL in SCC-35 cells downregulated MET expression and decreased cell viability. These results suggest MET overexpression is related to altered c-CBL expression, which may influence tumorigenesis.
Ambition, Electoral Competition, and Legislative Representation in Mexico, 1997-2009

Explaining legislative behavior in the Mexico represents a puzzle given the state of existing theory. Despite a ban on consecutive reelection, Mexican legislators engage in many behaviors thought to be the result of seeking reelection. Furthermore, existing theories of progressive ambition also cannot explain the tendency of many Mexican legislators to seek less prestigious offices after serving for a single term. This dissertation develops a novel theory of political ambition that accounts for the movement up and down the career ladder by Mexican federal legislators, and highlights several behavioral implications of the pursuit of political careers in a context where reelection to the same office is not possible. To test the theory, I collected data on the past and future career choices of all federal deputies who served from 1997 to 2009, as well as data on bill sponsorship, pork-barreling, and roll-call voting. The empirical chapters then examine the influence of electoral competition on careers and behavior, career patterns among deputies and the factors that shape and constrain particular career paths, how pork-