Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A spectrum of disease in Human African trypanosomiasis: the host and parasite genetics of virulence

SUMMARY For over 50 years it has been known that there are considerable differences in the severity and rate of progression of both Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and T. b. gambiense infection between individuals. Yet research into the factors, whether parasite or host, which control virulence in Human African trypanosomiasis is in its infancy. In this paper we review the clinical evidence for virulence variation and the epidemiological and experimental data that give clues as to the mechanisms involved. Evidence will be presented for both asymptomatic forms of T. b. gambiense infection and low virulence forms of T. b. rhodesiense infection in humans. While in both cases the mechanisms remain to be elucidated, the overall infection virulence phenotype is determined by both parasite and host genotype.
Federalism in Africa: The Case of Ethnic-based Federalism in Ethiopia

Ethiopia adopted ethnic federalism and restructured the regions along ethnic lines as soon as the EPRDF took political power by overthrowing the Marxist military government in 1991. The aim of this paper is to examine the merits and the demerits of federalism. The paper particularly assesses federalism in Africa by taking the case of Ethiopia as an example. The paper argues that in order to ensure the success of federalism, it should not be imposed from above. Since its introduction in 1991 and officially sanctioned in the country’s 1994 Constitution, ethnic federalism and Article 39 of the Constitution that awarded the self-rule states (regions) the right to secede has become the major source of intense debate. For some, ethnic federalism and the right to secede discourage ethnic tensions in the country and encourage the various ethnic groups to live together peacefully. However, for others, this “experiment” can go out of hand and may lead the country into never-ending ethnic wars and eventually to disintegration. This paper, by taking into account of Ethiopia’s and other countries’ experiences, will examine both sides of the arguments.
Hydrochlorothiazide and cutaneous T cell lymphoma

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and leukemic Sézary syndrome (SS) are the most common cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL), but their etiology remains unknown. After patients were observed with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)‐associated CTCL, HCTZ was examined as a putative chronic antigen in a cohort of prospectively staged patients.
Designing for Inter-Organizational Coordination in Indonesia's Maritime Domain

Abstract : Indonesia has major agencies in its maritime domain responsible for law enforcement at sea and the management of resources and port authorities. However, there is little coordination among these maritime stakeholders. Indeed, Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (IMSCB), charged with coordinating policy and operations, is facing major challenges. The goal of this study is to identify alternative structural designs for the maritime domain and to recommend a design that has the potential to improve coordination and integration of all governmental and non-governmental bodies within this domain.
Explanation of SILC Probability Density Distributions With Nonuniform Generation of Traps in the Tunnel Oxide of Flash Memory Arrays

In this paper, we develop a detailed physical model to interpret the dependence of the stress induced leakage current (SILC) distributions on the nature and position of the generated defects, and we exploit it to reconsider in detail previously published experimental data on the statistical distribution of the SILC in Flash arrays. We found that a unique symmetrical spatial distribution of traps, which is rapidly decreasing from the Si-SiO2 interfaces toward the center of the oxide, can explain the oxide-thickness and stress-level dependence of the measured SILC distributions. The generation of cooperating defects with increasing stress time is also analyzed and discussed.
R&D Intensity and Corporate Financial Policy: Some International Evidence

This paper presents evidence on the financial policies of firms strongly engaged in research and development activities. By referring to the under-investment paradox, the asset substitution problem, the asset specificity proposition and the information asymmetry literature, we postulate that R&D-intensive firms should adopt specific financial policies. In conformity with our hypotheses, empirical results based on a sample of R&D-intensive and non-R&D firms in four major industrialized countries (Europe, the UK, Japan and the US) show that R&D-intensive firms exhibit significant lower debt and dividend payment levels, but shorter debt maturities and higher cash levels than non-R&D ones. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2001.
Tunneling magnetothermopower in magnetic tunnel junction nanopillars.

We study tunneling magnetothermopower (TMTP) in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junction nanopillars. Thermal gradients across the junctions are generated by an electric heater line. Thermopower voltages up to a few tens of μV between the top and bottom contact of the nanopillars are measured which scale linearly with the applied heating power and hence the thermal gradient. The thermopower signal varies by up to 10 μV upon reversal of the relative magnetic configuration of the two CoFeB layers from parallel to antiparallel. This signal change corresponds to a large spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient of the order of 100 μV/K and a large TMTP change of the tunnel junction of up to 90%.
The Demand for the Services of Non-Federal Governments

The empirical literature relating crosssectional variations of per capita public spending to various economic, political and demographic factors is both lengthy and varied. ' Differences in expenditures over political units are explained by differences in per capita incomes, urbanization, area, population density, taxable capacity, tax rates, absolute population size, grantsin-aid from higher levels of government, and school-aged population rates. With few exceptions,2 the models employed in these studies are ad hoc constructions with little basis in the theory of choice.3 Our aims are to posit a model of public spending derived from the received theory of collective decision making4 and to test the significance of certain variables assumed by this simple theory to be important determinants of the levels of state and local government expenditures.
Human resource management and performance: still searching for some answers

Over the past 20 years, there has been a considerable expansion in theory and research about human resource management and performance. This paper reviews progress by identifying a series of phases in the development of relevant theory and research. It then sets out a number of challenges for the future on issues of theory, management processes and research methodology. The main conclusion from the review is that after over two decades of extensive research, we are still unable to answer core questions about the relationship between human resource management and performance. This is largely attributed to the limited amount of research that is longitudinal and has been able to address the linkages between HRM and performance and to study the management of HR implementation.
Maternal diet influences DNA damage, aortic telomere length, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense capacity in rats

Low birth weight is associated with in creased cardiovascular disease (CVD) in humans. Detri mental effects of low birth weight are amplified by rapid catch–up growth. Conversely, slow growth during lactation reduces CVD risk. Gestational protein restriction causes low birth weight, vascular dysfunction, and accelerated aging in rats. Atherosclerotic aortic tissue has shortened telomeres, and oxidative stress accelerates telomere short ening through generation of DNA single–strand breaks (ssbs). This study tested the hypothesis that maternal diet influences aortic telomere length through changes in DNA ssbs, antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress. We used our models of gestational protein restriction followed by rapid catch–up growth (the recuperated group) and pro tein restriction during lactation (the postnatal low–protein [PLP] group). Southern blotting revealed fewer aortic DNA ssbs and subsequently fewer short telomeres (P<0.05) in the PLP group. This result was associated with reduced (P<0.01) 8–hydroxy–2–deoxyguanosine, a marker of oxidative stress. PLP animals expressed in creased (P<0.01) manganese superoxide–dismutase, cop per–zinc superoxide–dismutase, catalase, and glutathione– reductase. Age–dependent changes in antioxidant defense enzymes indicated more protection to oxidative stress in the PLP animals;conversely, recuperated animals demon strated age–associated impairment of antioxidant de fenses. We conclude that maternal diet has a major influence on aortic telomere length. This finding may provide a mechanistic link between early growth patterns and CVD. — Tarry‐Adkins, J. L. , Martin‐Gronert, M. S. , Chen, J.‐H. , Cripps, R. L. , Ozanne, S. E. Maternal diet influences DNA damage, aortic telomere length, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense capacity in rats. FASEB J. 22, 2037–2044 (2008)
Increased acquired activated protein C resistance in unselected patients with hematological malignancies

Summary. Background: We have previously found that activation of coagulation in patients with various hematological malignancies was apparently not initiated by tissue factor (TF). Acquired activated protein C (APC) resistance may be another mechanism responsible for such hypercoagulation, and has been demonstrated in patients with solid tumors, but not in patients with hematological malignancy. Objective: To investigate acquired APC resistance in a hypercoagulable cohort of patients with hematological malignancies. Patients/methods: Blood samples from 93 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphatic leukemia, multiple myeloma, or non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma, were analyzed before start and after completion of cancer therapy. APC resistance was measured using calibrated automated thrombography. The APC sensitivity ratio (APC‐SR) was calculated as the ratio of the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) determined in plasma probed with either APC or buffer. Results: Untreated patients were found to have higher APC‐SR than healthy controls, and patients with AML had higher APC‐SR as compared to the other diagnoses, both findings being consistent with acquired APC resistance. The acquired APC resistance was partly ameliorated with cancer treatment. Decreased levels of protein S and TF pathway inhibitor were inversely correlated to APC resistance. Conclusions: APC resistance may contribute to the hypercoagulable state in hematological malignancies.
The role of risk in environment‐related supplier initiatives

This paper extends previous literature on the greening of supply chains by giving explicit consideration to two main areas – the role of risk, and the motives for undertaking different sorts of environment‐related supplier initiatives. A model is presented which describes the extent and type of environment‐related supplier initiatives that may be undertaken by firms as a result of the interaction of the perceived losses to the firm associated with inaction, and the actual level of strategic purchasing in the firm.
Economic Liberalization and Wage Inequality in the Presence of Labour Market Imperfection

Removal of tariff restrictions from the relatively low-skill sectors; growth in foreign direct investment; and, decline of trade union strength of the unskilled workers are cited in the empirical literature as the prime factors responsible for the growing incidence of wage inequality in many of the developing countries in the liberalized trade and investment regime. This paper has made an attempt to provide a theoretical foundation of those empirical findings in terms of a three sector general equilibrium model reasonable for at least a few developing economies. The analysis of the paper has found that the wage inequality rises unambiguously due to policies like an increase in the relative price of the high-skill commodity and a reduction of import tariff from the low-skill manufacturing sector. However, an inflow of foreign capital produces a favourable effect on the wage inequality under a reasonable factor intensity condition. Interestingly, contrary to the common wisdom, a policy of labour market reform may raise the competitive unskilled wage and improve wage inequality under reasonable condition.
Constructing career competency model of hospitality industry employees for career success.

Purpose – This study aimed to focus on developing a career competency model by examining the relationships among career competencies and career success from a career development viewpoint. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted questionnaire survey to collect data from a sample of 277 respondents at 36 international tourist hotels and used the AMOS statistical software package to perform structural equation modeling (SEM) for analysis. Findings – The results showed that career competency model is a multifaceted construct comprising four competency dimensions that influence the career success of food and beverage (F&B) department employees in international tourist hotels. In particular, the competencies related to “career adjustment and control” competency dimension were the most influential competencies for career success. Originality/value – The career competencies detailed in this study are a potential reference for the planning of core or general education courses in the hospitality domain. H.
Costs of Equity Capital and Model Mispricing

Costs of equity for individual firms are estimated in a Bayesian framework using several factor-based pricing models. Substantial prior uncertainty about mispricing often produces an estimated cost of equity close to that obtained with mispricing precluded, even for a stock whose average return departs significantly from the pricing model's prediction. Uncertainty about which pricing model to use is less important, on average, than within-model parameter uncertainty. In the absence of mispricing uncertainty, uncertainty about factor premiums is generally the largest source of overall uncertainty about a firm's cost of equity, although uncertainty about betas is nearly as important.
Altered neural reward representations in pathological gamblers revealed by delay and probability discounting.

CONTEXT The neural basis of excessive delay discounting and reduced risk sensitivity of pathological gamblers with a particular focus on subjective neural reward representations has not been previously examined. OBJECTIVE To examine how pathological gamblers represent subjective reward value at a neural level and how this is affected by gambling severity. DESIGN Model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging study with patients and control subjects. SETTING Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. PARTICIPANTS Participants were recruited from the local community by advertisement and through self-help groups. A sample of 16 pathological gamblers (according to the DSM-IV definition) was matched by age, sex, smoking status, income, educational level, and handedness to 16 healthy controls. RESULTS Pathological gamblers showed increased discounting of delayed rewards and a trend toward decreased discounting of probabilistic rewards compared with matched controls. At the neural level, a significant group × condition interaction indicated that reward representations in the gamblers were modulated in a condition-specific manner, such that they exhibited increased (delay discounting) and decreased (probability discounting) neural value correlations in the reward system. In addition, throughout the reward system, neuronal value signals for delayed rewards were negatively correlated with gambling severity. CONCLUSIONS The results extend previous reports of a generally hypoactive reward system in pathological gamblers by showing that, even when subjective reward valuation is accounted for, gamblers still show altered reward representations. Furthermore, results point toward a gradual degradation of mesolimbic reward representations for delayed rewards during the course of pathological gambling.
Price and Earnings Momentum in Australian Stock Returns

There is no prior published Australian research on earnings momentum and only one prior unpublished work of limited depth and scope. We provide some of the first Australian evidence on earnings momentum and revisit price momentum with the first Australian evidence of the behaviour of returns beyond 12 months. Price momentum is found to be a feature of this market, but there is some reversal of returns during the second year after portfolio formation, suggesting trend chasing behaviour. Earnings momentum is also present, but with weak continuation into the second year. Price momentum and earnings momentum are shown to provide independent explanatory power over future returns.
Accounting and Stock Price Performance in Dynamic CEO Compensation Arrangements

In this study we examine the long‐run effects of unexpected firm performance on CEO compensation. We find that unexpectedly good accounting performance is initially associated with increases in CEO pay. However, this initial effect soon reverses, and is followed by lower CEO pay in later years. Overall, the CEO's long‐run cumulative financial gain from unexpectedly good accounting performance is not significantly different from zero. In contrast, unexpectedly good stock price performance is associated with increases in CEO pay for several years. Thus, the CEO's long‐run cumulative financial gain from unexpectedly good stock price performance is positive and significant.
Simple plane wave implementation for photonic crystal calculations.

A simple implementation of plane wave method is presented for modeling photonic crystals with arbitrary shaped 'atoms'. The Fourier transform for a single 'atom' is first calculated either by analytical Fourier transform or numerical FFT, then the shift property is used to obtain the Fourier transform for any arbitrary supercell consisting of a finite number of 'atoms'. To ensure accurate results, generally, two iterating processes including the plane wave iteration and grid resolution iteration must converge. Analysis shows that using analytical Fourier transform when available can improve accuracy and avoid the grid resolution iteration. It converges to the accurate results quickly using a small number of plane waves. Coordinate conversion is used to treat non-orthogonal unit cell with non-regular 'atom' and then is treated by standard numerical FFT. MATLAB source code for the implementation requires about less than 150 statements, and is freely available at http://www.lions. odu.edu/~sguox002.
Transaction-cost efficiency and the democratic deficit

The extensive literature on the European Union's (EU) democratic deficit suffers from two serious limitations. First, it proposes to solve the problem by analogy with national practices instead of looking for its roots, and possible solutions, in the integration process itself. Second, this literature considers only the normative aspects of a condition that also has significant efficiency implications. Analogical reasoning has led to a continuous expansion of the powers of the European Parliament (EP) without any notable increase in democratic legitimacy. The origin of the democratic deficit is, quite simply, the failure to convert a majority of voters to the cause of political integration. This failure forced integrationist elites to sacrifice democracy on the altar of deeper integration in the hope of ‘making Europe without Europeans’. The strategy of pursuing political integration under the guise of economic integration backfired when it became evident that the EU kept falling behind its major international competitors in spite of ambitious projects like the Single European Market and Economic Monetary Union (EMU). One reason for this unsatisfactory performance is that in sacrificing democracy for the sake of deeper integration, EU leaders also sacrificed many formal and informal methods developed by democratic regimes in order to reduce various political transaction costs. Thus delegation of monetary policy to an independent central bank is a well-known method for solving the time inconsistency problem. In case of serious external shocks, however, a balance must be struck between commitment to monetary stability and flexibility. This is possible in a democracy, where elected policy-makers are able to provide the necessary political counterweight to the central bank's technocrats; this is impossible in the EU, where the European Central Bank (ECB) operates in a political vacuum. In turn, exclusive commitment to monetary stability further undermines the legitimacy of the Union. At present it seems that the only feasible way of reducing the democratic deficit is to reduce the mismatch between the extensive commitments of the EU and its limited normative and institutional resources.
Growth Trajectories of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants From Birth to Young Adulthood: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Study

We compared sex-specific growth attainment of a population-based cohort of 147/166 (89%) extremely low birthweight (ELBW < 1000 g) and 131/145 (90%) sociodemographically comparable normal birthweight (NBW) cohort at young adulthood, and examined the pattern of growth trajectories and correlates of growth at ages 1, 2, 3, and 8 y, and teen and young adulthood (mean age, 23.3 versus 23.6 y). The proportion considered small for gestational age was ELBW 25% versus NBW 3%; and 26% versus 2% had neurosensory impairments. Weight for age z-scores for ELBW showed substantial decline to age 3 y, with subsequent significant catch-up to adolescence and smaller gains to adulthood. Height for age z-scores showed both sexes of ELBW were disadvantaged at every age compared with NBW and their expected mid-parental height. The BMI z-scores for ELBW showed a sustained incline from age 3 to adulthood, where both sexes normalized to above zero, and were comparable to their peers. ELBW children showed growth failure during infancy, followed by accelerated weight gain and crossing of BMI percentiles at adolescence, a pattern that may increase the risk of insulin resistance and coronary heart disease. However, normalization of BMI for both sexes at adulthood suggests that final growth was proportionate.
Determinants of dividend policies for ADR firms

Purpose - – Cross-listed firms may face unique incentives for establishing dividend policies in comparison to US firms. This study aims to test the implications of the lifecycle and signaling theories of dividend policy in the context of non-US firms cross-listed on US stock exchanges via American depository receipts (ADRs). Design/methodology/approach - – ADRs are classified according to the firms' dividend paying histories as regular payers, non-payers, former payers, new payers and switchers. Multinomial logit regressions measure the likelihood of dividend payers to pay dividends, as well as the possibility of a dividend amount increase, decrease, or no change, based upon previously identified determinants of dividend payments and a measure of economic conditions in the home country. Findings - – The results indicate that firm size, growth opportunities, and the mix of earned and contributed capital partially explain observed dividend policies for ADR firms. Multinomial logit regressions reveal profitability and home-country macro-economic conditions significantly affect ADR firms' decisions to change their dividend policies. Originality/value - – The findings suggest macro-economic conditions affect dividend payment changes among ADR firms. The results also imply that the lifecycle and catering theories may help explain dividend changes among ADR firms.