Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REFORMING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND SUPPORT FOR PROPORTIONAL OUTCOMES

The system used to elect US presidents, the electoral college, was called into question following the 2000 presidential election, when Al Gore received over 500,000 more votes than George W. Bush nationwide but ultimately lost the election following a lengthy court battle over Florida’s electoral votes. Although George W. Bush had failed to win the popular vote, his plurality of 537 votes over Al Gore in Florida netted all of the state’s 25 electoral votes, giving him a total of 271 electoral votes, one vote more than needed to secure a majority in the electoral college. In 2004, George W. Bush received a majority of the popular vote but would have lost the election had he had failed to secure a plurality in the state of Ohio. These two cases suggest a potential legitimacy problem for the electoral college that raises serious questions about the need for reform. Replacing the electoral college with another system would require a constitutional amendment that most agree would be extremely difficult to pass. Nevertheless, the US Constitution gives states the power to choose the method of selecting presidential electors. Most states employ a winner-take-all system on a statewide basis. However two states, Maine and Nebraska, select their electors on the basis of whether a candidate carries a congressional district. In 2004, an initiative appeared on the ballot in Colorado that proposed dividing the state’s nine electoral votes on a proportional basis. In a close election, this would effectively give the loser up to four electoral votes, which could change the outcome of a presidential election. The use of the initiative process to advance electoral reform is a growing trend in the United States. Recent initiatives include efforts to limit legislative terms (various states, 1992–8), reform redistricting (Arizona, 2000), provide for election-day voter registration (California and Colorado, 2002), adopt preferential voting (Alaska, 2002), reform the primary system (California, 1996 and 2004; Washington, 2004; Colorado, 2002) and extend the use of vote by mail in general elections (Colorado, 2002; Oregon, 1998). The reliance on popular support to achieve reforms that change the rules of the game raises questions about the ability of voters to reason through complex choices. Critics of direct democracy often raise questions about voters’ ability to make informed decisions. The electoral college, for example, is believed to be poorly understood (Center for Voting and Democracy 2004). Moreover, while most modern democracies have systems that are based on proportional representation, the United States has little experience with such a system. How, then, can voters make reasoned decisions on matters that they know little about? For these reasons, the Colorado initiative provides a unique opportunity to assess how Americans view the electoral process and reason about electoral reform. When voters were confronted with a decision on whether to approve a change in the process, were
Plasma cell numbers decrease in bone marrow of old patients

The BM is well understood to play a key role in plasma cell homing and survival in mice. In humans, BM plasma cells and their functions are less well characterized. In this study, we used paired bone biopsies from the femur shaft and blood samples from persons of different ages to analyze age‐related changes of plasma and memory B cells. Our results demonstrated that plasma cells were mainly located in the BM, while a higher percentage of memory B cells was in the peripheral blood than in the BM. The frequency of plasma and memory B cells from both sources decreased with age, while immature and naïve B cells were unaffected. An age‐related decline of tetanus‐ and diphtheria‐specific BM plasma cells was observed, whereas influenza A‐ and cytomegalovirus‐specific BM plasma cells were not affected. With the exception of cytomegalovirus, peripheral antibody concentrations correlated with BM plasma cells of the same specificity, but were independent of antigen‐specific peripheral blood memory B cells. Our results demonstrate that the BM houses decreased numbers of plasma cells in old age. The number of cells of certain specificity may reflect the number and time point of previous antigen encounters and intrinsic age‐related changes in the BM.
Reversibility of the structural effects of pressure overload hypertrophy of cat right ventricular myocardium

The purpose of the present quantitative structural study was to determine whether the histological alterations seen in pressure overloaded myocardium return to normal, as in vitro contractile function does, upon removal of the pressure overload stimulus. Three experimental groups of four cats each were studied: a group with pulmonary artery banding to create a pressure overload, a group that had been subjected to an equivalent duration of pressure overload and then had that pressure overload removed, and a group of sham‐operated controls. Seven to 10 weeks after each operative procedure, the right ventricular pressure was elevated only in the pulmonary artery‐banded group. The right ventricle/body weight ratio was significantly increased in the pressure overloaded group only. The body weight at sacrifice, the left ventricle/body weight ratio, and the right ventricular end‐diastolic pressure did not differ significantly in the three groups. The striking histological changes in the right ventricular myocardium hypertrophying in response to a pressure overload were the decrease in the volume density of cardiocytes and the increase in connective tissue in papillary muscles. These were reversed when the pressure overload was removed. This study demonstrates that when a pressure overload is removed, myocardial structure returns to normal as the function returns to normal. Given the critical importance of the proportion of cardiocytes and connective tissue components to both systolic and diastolic cardiac function, these data support the hypothesis that the abnormal proportions of these structures provide a potential morphological basis for at least some of the functional abnormalities observed in pressure overload hypertrophy of the cat right ventricle.
Concentration, potential entry, and performance in the airline industry.

Airline markets do not satisfy the theoretical conditions for perfect contestability, and theory does not indicate which deviations from perfect contestibilty significantly affect performance. Thus, the effect of potential entry on performance in airline markets is explored empirically. The best model for explaining fares is found to be one in which the measure of market concentration takes into account not only the number and size distribution of incumbents, but also the number of potential entrants not significantly disadvantaged due to economies of scale and scope. The hypothesis that all city-pair markets are perfectly contestable is rejected. Coauthors are Richard L. Johnson, Andrew S. Joskow, Gregory J. Werden, and Michael A. Williams. Copyright 1989 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Bank Behaviour and the Channel of Monetary Policy in Japan, 1965-1999

Using monthly data, this paper investigates whether there are differential effects of monetary policy across bank size and business size in Japan, to test the presence of the “bank lending channel” of monetary policy. It also considers that channel for the aggregate of banks. Prior to the end of 1984, support is found for the bank lending channel and also partly for the money channel. The study of the period from 1985 onwards suggests that no channel of monetary policy has been substantially effective in Japan.
Money for Science? The Impact of Research Grants on Academic Output*

This paper evaluates the impact of subsidies on the academic performance of researchers in Argentina. Academic performance is measured in terms of number of publications and in terms of impact factors in peer-reviewed journals. The performance of researchers with financially supported projects is compared with that of a control group of researchers who submitted projects accepted in terms of quality but not supported because of shortage of funds. We use non-experimental data and a difference-in-differences approach along with propensity score matching techniques, where we control for pre-programme observable attributes as well as for researchers’ time-invariant unobservable characteristics. Our findings suggest a positive and statistically significant effect of subsidy on academic performance, especially for young researchers.
A digital programmable telemetric system for recording extracellular action potentials

352 Recording neuronal activity in unrestrained animals has been one of the major goals in neuroscience, since this procedure allows patterns of neuronal firing to be correlated with specific behaviors. This has been successfully done with electronic devices in which the recorded neuronal activity is received through wires connected to electrodes implanted in discrete brain regions of the animals under study (Fee & Leonardo, 2001). However, these systems can be used only with animals whose body movements have been restricted (Obeid, Nicolelis, & Wolf, 2004) or with small animals (e.g., birds, rats) that are free to move in small compartments. This hindrance has been overcome with the use of wireless telemetric devices (Eichenbaum, Pettijohn, Deluca, & Chorover, 1977), which are more suited for studies in which neuronal activity should be recorded in animals able to move in complex environments (e.g., tunnels; Irazoqui, Mody, & Judy, 2005) or over long distances (Lei et al., 2004). Diverse strategies for sending neuronal electrical activity wirelessly have been developed. Until recently, all of these approaches used analog radio frequency (RF) links. Some of these prototypes are based on discrete components, whereas others use application-specific integrated circuits or hybrid configurations (Eichenbaum et al., 1977; Mohseni, Najafi, Eliades, & Wang, 2005; Schregardus et al., 2006). Multichannel systems offer several advantages, such as the possibility of gathering data in less time, the opportunity to continue acquisition even when the signals from one or more electrodes are lost, the option of using stereotrodes, and the ability to compare traces obtained simultaneously from various neuronal structures (Liu, O’Connor, & Strohl, 2006; Mohseni et al., 2005). Preliminary studies in which prerecorded data for digital processing and transmission have been used have been published as well (Bossetti, Carmena, Nicolelis, & Wolf, 2004). A major advantage of digital data transmission is its superior immunity to external RF interference, as compared with that of analog systems. To our knowledge, so far, the only published work related to a telemetric system based on digital data transmission has been described by Obeid et al. (2004). However, this device, which was designed for experiments with monkeys, weighed 235 g, making it unviable for use with smaller, unrestrained animals. Critical parameters for a biotelemetric system in small animals are high input impedance, minimal input noise, reduced voltage, low power consumption, compact size, and low weight. In addition, appropriate bandwidth and gain, among other electrical specifications, must be met, in accordance with the particular characteristics of neural signals (e.g., spike duration of about 1 msec and amplitude on the order of 100 V). A digital programmable telemetric system for recording extracellular action potentials
The Fitness Trend Moves East: Emerging Market Demand in the UAE

Abstract Adopting a fitness lifestyle is in its infancy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) compared to Western societies. This research focuses on identifying characteristics and exercise behaviours in an emerging market. The setting was Western-style clubs and amenities which were being patronized by multi-ethnic members in an Arab country and culture. Three study objectives included: (1) basic demographics showing membership trends; (2) factors influencing club choice; and (3) reasons for continued use. Data was collected in three focus groups and later from 304 questionnaires self-administered at five clubs located in luxury international hotels. Key findings included: (a) more than 50% of members/respondents were Arab; (b) members preferred clubs in close proximity to their home; and (c) workout, health and stress relief were important reasons for continued use. The data revealed two optimum member groups. Results suggest opportunities for gender, age and nationality segmentation when targeting potential members.
The science of intervention development for type 1 diabetes in childhood: systematic review.

AIM This paper is a report of a review of the science of intervention development for type 1 diabetes in childhood and its implications for improving health outcomes in children, adolescents, and/or their families. BACKGROUND Previous reviewers have identified insufficient evidence to support the application of effective interventions for type 1 diabetes in clinical practice. The need for quality randomized controlled trials to address shortcomings in previous study designs has been highlighted as a priority for future intervention research. However, there is also a need to consider the scientific development of interventions, which to date has received little attention. DATA SOURCE A search for published randomized controlled trials over 5 years (2004-2008) was conducted in electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Psychinfo, ERIC). Reference lists of papers identified from electronic searches were examined for additional papers. METHODS A systematic review was conducted. Studies were included if (i) an intervention for managing any aspect of type 1 diabetes was implemented, (ii) children, adolescents and/or their families were sampled, (iii) a randomized controlled trial, (iv) published in English. RESULTS Fourteen randomized controlled trials were reviewed on education (n = 7), psychosocial (n = 5) and family therapy (n = 2) interventions. Compared to education interventions, family therapy and most psychosocial interventions were developed with greater scientific rigour, and demonstrated promising effects on more health outcomes measured. CONCLUSION Interventions developed within clearly-defined scientific criteria offer potential for improving health outcomes in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their families. Future reviews on interventions for type 1 diabetes in childhood need to include criteria for assessing the science of intervention development.
Trend model testing of growth convergence in 15 OECD countries, 1946-1997

A framework based on a linear deterministic trend function is introduced in order to model growth convergence. The approach is a practical solution to the nonlinearity and nonstationarity found in the convergence of output-per-capita gaps between the USA and 14 OECD countries in 1946–1997. Convergence is found to be a typical feature of European OECD countries and Japan, but for some major countries it altered since the beginning of 1980. Some evidence of divergence exists too. Valid statistical inference on trend-growth estimates is based on sample-size standardized t - and Wald-test statistics, since the model residuals are close to I(1). Small-sample test values are derived using bootstrap methods.
Mitochondrial DNA mutation and muscle pathology in mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes

We sought a relationship between abnormalities of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and muscle pathology in patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes (MELAS) at the single fiber level, using histochemistry, in situ hybridization, and single fiber PCR. Most type 1 ragged‐red fibers (RRF) showed positive cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity at the subsarcolemmal region, while type 2 RRF showed little COX activity. However, there was no difference in the amount of total (mutant and wild‐type) mtDNAs and the proportion of mutant mtDNA between type 1 RRF and type 2 RRF. These observations suggest that mitochondrial proliferation and nuclear factors affect muscle pathology, including COX activity, in MELAS. Total mtDNAs were greatly increased in RRF. The proportion of mutant mtDNA was significantly higher in RRF than in non‐RRF. The amount of both wild‐type and mutant mtDNAs was increased in RRF in MELAS, which fact does not support the contention of a replicative advantage of mutant mtDNA. The proportion of mutant mtDNA was significantly higher in the strongly succinate dehydrogenase–reactive blood vessels (SSV) than in non‐SSV. The similar morphological behavior in these vessels and fibers suggests that increased mutant mtDNA is responsible for mitochondrial proliferation and dysfunction in both tissues. It seems likely that systemic vascular abnormalities involving cerebral vessels lead to the evolution of strokelike episodes in MELAS. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recovery during Lunch Breaks: Testing Long-Term Relations with Energy Levels at Work

This study had two aims. First, we examined whether lunch break settings, activities, and recovery experiences were associated with lunchtime recovery cross-sectionally. Second, we investigated whether lunchtime recovery was related to energy levels (i.e., exhaustion and vigor) across a 12-month period. We collected longitudinal questionnaire data among 841 Finnish workers (59% female, mean age 47 years) from 11 different organizations in various fields at two time points (spring 2013 and 2014). We used hierarchical regression analysis to test our hypotheses. We found that recovery experiences, that is, psychological detachment from work and control during the lunch break, were related to successful lunchtime recovery. After controlling for background factors, main job characteristics (workload and autonomy), and the outcomes at baseline, successful lunchtime recovery was related to a decrease in exhaustion and to an increase in vigor one year later. To conclude, lunch breaks offer an important setting for internal recovery during working days and seem to relate to energy levels at work over time.
Chaotic particle swarm optimization for detecting SNP–SNP interactions for CXCL12-related genes in breast cancer prevention

Genome-wide association studies have revealed that many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with breast cancer, and yet the potential SNP–SNP interactions have not been well addressed to date. This study aims to develop a methodology for the selection of SNP–genotype combinations with a maximum difference between case and control groups. We propose a new chaotic particle swarm optimization (CPSO) algorithm that identifies the best SNP combinations for breast cancer association studies containing seven SNPs. Five scoring functions, that is, the percentage correct, sensitivity/specificity, positive predictive value/negative predictive value, risk ratio, and odds ratio, are provided for evaluating SNP interactions in different SNP combinations. The CPSO algorithm identified the best SNP combinations associated with breast cancer protection. Some SNP interactions in specific SNPs and their corresponding genotypes were revealed. These SNP combinations showed a significant association with breast cancer protection (P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of the respective best SNP combinations were all higher than 90%. In contrast to the corresponding non-SNP–SNP interaction combinations, the estimated odds ratio and risk ratio of the SNP–SNP interaction in SNP combinations for breast cancer were less than 100%. This suggests that CPSO can successfully identify the best SNP combinations for breast cancer protection. In conclusion, we focus on developing a methodology for the selection of SNP–genotype combinations with a maximum difference between case and control groups. The CPSO method can effectively identify SNP–SNP interactions in complex biological relationships underlying the progression of breast cancer.
International Stock Price Movements: Links and Messages

SINCE THE BEGINNING of 1986, the major stock markets have become increasingly internationalized by deregulation . By 1987 some 600 foreign stocks traded in the New York market, and the markets in London, Frankfurt, and Tokyo had also attracted numerous foreign listings. Some analysts worried that the growing international integration of financial markets could help transfer national financial disturbances to other markets. ' The spectacle, in October of 1987, of nearly simultaneous price collapses around the world was evidence to the point. In this paper we analyze the daily movements in the stock price indexes, from close to close, of the United States, Japan, Great Britain, and Germany during 1986-88, focusing particularly on the correlation of price movements in these, the world's four largest equity markets. We begin by assuming that stock markets anticipate successfully most events that bear on dividends and discount rates, and that changes in stock prices will be related only to unanticipated events. Dealing with daily changes in asset prices and yields assures this, because more than a normal return can never be expected in efficient markets on financial assets, such as foreign deposits or bundles of shares, or on storable
Socially Nudged: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Friends' Social Influence in Online Product Ratings

Social-networking functions are increasingly embedded in online rating systems. These functions alter the rating context in which consumer ratings are generated. In this paper, we empirically investigate online friends’ social influence in online book ratings. Our quasi-experimental research design exploits the temporal sequence of social-networking events and ratings and offers a new method for identifying social influence while accounting for the homophily effect. We find that rating similarity between friends is significantly higher after the formation of the friend relationship, indicating that with social-networking functions, online rating contributors are socially nudged when giving their ratings. Exploration of contingent factors suggests that social influence is stronger for older books and for users who have smaller networks, and that relatively more recent and extremely negative ratings cast more salient influence. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2017. 0741.