Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3DTV streaming over Peer-to-Peer networks using FEC-based noncooperative multiple description

Recent works have shown how Multiple Description Coding (MDC) and Peer-to-Peer transmission protocols prove to be extremely helpful in streaming video sequences. The quality of the reconstructed sequence can be significantly improved by differentiating the Quality-of-Service levels via distributed packet classifications performed by each peer independently. The packet labelling can be modelled via noncooperative games where the different uploading nodes are players/descriptions competing for the available network resources. The paper shows how this framework can be effectively employed for the transmission of 3D video sequences adopting an FEC-based multiple description scheme that encapsulates different kinds of data streams (color information, geometry) into a set of equally-important packets. Experimental results show that the classification strategy based on game theory improves the quality of the reconstructed sequence with respect to standard classification strategies.
New media, first time voters and the 2007 Australian federal election

Researchers suggest that the youth of today has disengaged from the political landscape in Australia. However, the online realm provides potential first time voters an avenue in which to engage in politics in an environment that is generally associated with a youthful demographic. New media tactics utilised during the 2007 Australian federal election aimed to not only attract youthful voters, but also to educate and deliver policy on a level generally associated with the 18-24 demographic. This study explored the effectiveness of new media in the political communication context, in particular with relation to first time voters. This research found that first time voters were not as engaged as predicted, and that the third party sites were more popular with undecided voters than the formal political party sites in voter influence.
Evaluation of changes in liver function test in first, second and third trimester of normal pregnancy

Background: Understanding of physiological adaptations of normal pregnancy remains a major goal of obstetrics, and without such knowledge, it is almost impossible to understand disease processes that can threaten women during pregnancy. Aim of this study is to evaluate changes in serum liver function tests in normal pregnant women in first, second and third trimester. Methods: A hospital based cross sectional in vitro study conducted at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad (India). A study consists of 150 pregnant women and 50 matched control. Among the 150 pregnant women, 50 were in first trimester, 50 were in second trimester and 50 were in third trimester. Serum sample was taken and assessed for routine liver function tests. Results: Serum total and direct bilirubin concentrations were significantly lower in second and third trimester. Serum ALT and AST activity was slightly but significantly increased in third trimester. Serum ALP activity was significantly higher in second and third trimester. ALP activity increases as pregnancy advances. Serum GGT values were significantly lowers in third trimester. No significant change in serum total proteins concentration, but serum albumin concentration was significantly lower and serum globulin concentration was significantly higher in all three trimester. Serum albumin/globulin ratio was significantly reduced in second and third trimester. Conclusion: Such changes in in liver function tests during normal pregnancy can be misinterpreted as pathological and can also unmask or worsen preexisting disease. So t he identification and understanding of these physiological changes in pregnancy is important for the diagnosis of liver diseases during pregnancy.
Federal regulations.

My research applies behavioral science methods to design and evaluate population-level strategies to prevent three of the largest causes of preventable death worldwide: poor nutrition, tobacco use, and alcohol use, with the overall goal of preventing cancer and other chronic diseases. My nutrition research has a focus on Latino populations in the US. the cumulative toll of chronic stress: pathways and disparities in allostatic across life for public health policymaking: the case of sugar-sweetened five-country evaluation of nutrition labelling policies: consumer use, understanding, and knowledge of processed foods. ”
Welfare Implications of Non-Scale R&D-Based Growth Models

Non-scale R&D-based growth models imply that the decentral and the socially optimal long-run growth rate coincide. Nonetheless, the distortions inherent in a market economy bias both the R&D investment share and the saving rate. As a result, the level of the balanced growth path may differ substantially between the two types of solution, implying a dramatic loss in welfare. The present paper explores the sources and magnitude of this gap. In addition, the consequences of public policies are examined, distinguishing between isolated policy measures from an overall policy programme.
The Scope of Government and the Wealth of Nations

Pushed along by the failures of socialism, the idea that a market economy provides the foundation for prosperity has gained widespread acceptance in recent years. Many countries have moved toward an environment more consistent with economic freedom and the smooth operation of a market economy. Trade barriers have been reduced, monetary systems have become more stable, marginal tax rates have been lowered, and various price controls—including exchange and interest rate controls—have been liberalized or eliminated.1 Yet in one critical dimension—the size of government—most nations have moved in the other direction. Over the past several decades, government expenditures as a share of GDP have been rising, resulting in more resource allocation through government. Table 1 illustrates the growth of government in countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Data for the 1960–96 period are shown for all 23 nations that have been members throughout the period. Measured as a share of GDP, total government expenditures have grown substantially in every one of the OECD countries. In 1960 government
Trichloroethylene exposure results in the phosphorylation of histone H2AX in a human hepatic cell line through cytochrome P450 2E1‐mediated oxidative stress

Trichloroethylene (TCE), a chlorinated hydrocarbon, was recently reclassified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Genotoxic events are known to be crucial steps in the initiation of cancer. The genotoxic properties of TCE have been examined in many studies using a standard battery of genotoxicity tests both in vitro and in vivo. However, consistent results have not been obtained, and studies investigating the mechanism behind the genotoxicity of this compound are lacking. In the present study, we examined the genotoxicity of TCE by assessing phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ‐H2AX), a new sensitive and reliable marker of DNA damage, in WRL‐68 cells, cultured human hepatocytes and mouse livers. Our results showed that TCE exposure results in the generation of γ‐H2AX, both in vitro and in vivo. By investigating the in vitro mechanism, we found that TCE increases the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that this increase in ROS levels is attenuated in the presence of disulfiram, a specific cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) inhibitor. Furthermore, γ‐H2AX induced by TCE was also attenuated by CYP2E1 inhibitors and the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine. These results suggested that ROS, produced via cytochrome P450 2E1‐mediated metabolic processing, is a major causal factor for γ‐H2AX generation upon exposure to TCE.
A Study on Flow Experience Structures: Enhancement or Death, Prospects for the Korean Wave

ABSTRACT In proposing the concept of flow which focuses on experiencing the sites visited by Korean Wave tourists as induced by drama or movies, the role of involvement level (variables) of Korean Wave tourists in influencing flow construct as they experience the sites of FIT (Film Induced Tourism) was investigated. The involvement level of Korean Wave visitors was found to operate as a mechanism by which challenge, skills, and focused attention on site might be more organized or more actively experienced. This recognizes that there is clearly a need for making the FIT sites exposed much by any mix of various media. The findings of this study showed that challenges and skills influence enjoyment as an output factor of flow. Film site visitors are assumed to participate in the roles of film characters, experiencing the places and the atmosphere. The degree of visitors' reflections of the film optimizes awareness of flow experiences on the site. Therefore it is necessary to provide more detailed experiential programs on the film sites with a wide variety of flow-related contents in the film.
The Study of Business and Politics

This article reviews the literature on business-government-society relations during the past three decades. It describes the growth of scholarship on business power, business political activity, the changing political agenda, interest group representation, and changing social expectations and explores in detail three approaches to the study of the political and social role of business: a comparative perspective, an emphasis on the contemporary political and social environment of business, and an exploration of the nature of business power. While we have clearly learned much about this important subject, the intellectual fragmentation of this field prevents it from realizing its full scholarly potential.
The Effect of Motivation on Self-Employment Duration in Germany: Necessity versus Opportunity Entrepreneurs

Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (GSOEP), we analyze whether necessity and opportunity entrepreneurs differ in terms of self-employment duration. We find that the two types of entrepreneurs differ regarding their duration in self-employment. Once controlled for educational variables however, this effect turns out to be no longer significant. We therefore conclude that the difference observed is no original effect but is due to selection. We then go on to discuss the implications of our finding for entrepreneurship-policy making. Suggestions to improve governmental start-up support programmes are given. Estimations are carried out with discrete time hazard rate models controlling for unobserved heterogeneity.
Africa as a source location: literature review and implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the scope of sourcing research in Sub-Sahara African (SSA) from scholarly journals published from 1980 to 2013 on sourcing-related issues. The study identifies what is known about sourcing from this region and the implications for managers and researchers in supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach – Totally, 40 scholarly journals (supply chain journals and other journals publishing on diverse business topics) were found relevant and reviewed. Content (all field) search using the names of each SSA countries (e.g. Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, etc.) was carried out in the supply chain journals to filter out articles discussing sourcing-related topics. For other business journals, keyword search was performed (procurement, sourcing, purchasing, outsourcing, supplier relations, supplier selection, supplier development, supply management, offshore, supply chain and logistics). Findings – The literature review suggests that studies discussing sourci.
Helicobacter pylori and CagA seropositivity and its association with gastric and oesophageal carcinoma

Objective. Helicobacter pylori infection is an established risk factor for non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma. Infection with H. pylori strains harbouring the cagA pathology island may augment this association. H. pylori infection may at the same time reduce the risk for oesophageal carcinoma. However, prospective data on the association between CagA seropositivity and gastric or oesophageal carcinomas are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CagA seropositivity among H. pylori seropositive subjects is associated with gastric or oesophageal carcinomas. Material and methods. A nested case-control study was performed in the Malmö Preventive Medicine cohort consisting of 32,906 middle-aged subjects. Tumour cases were identified by the Swedish National Cancer Registry. The Western blot method Helicoblot 2.1 was used to detect H. pylori and CagA seropositivity. Results. Non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma was associated with H. pylori seropositivity, odds ratio 17.8 (95% CI: 4.2–74.8; 67 cases). The odds ratio for CagA seropositivity among H. pylori seropositive subjects was 9.7 (95% CI: 1.5–∞). No significant associations were found between cardia gastric adenocarcinoma and H. pylori or CagA seropositivity among H. pylori seropositive subjects; odds ratios were 1.5 (95% CI: 0.51–4.8) and 2.7 (95% CI: 0.38–∞), respectively (24 cases). Oesophageal adenocarcinoma and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma were not significantly associated with H. pylori seropositivity or with CagA seropositivity among H. pylori seropositive subjects; the odds ratios associated with oesophageal adenocarcinoma were 0.46 (95% CI: 0.07–2.6) and 0.38 (95% CI: 0.02–24), respectively. Corresponding odds ratios for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma were 0.44 (95% CI: 0.15–1.2; 37 cases) and 2.0 (95% CI: 0.24–∞), respectively. Conclusions. CagA seropositivity among H. pylori seropositive subjects is a risk factor for non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma.
Income inequality income composition and macroeconomic trends: Israel 1979-93.

This paper offers several explanations for income inequality trends in Israel during 1979-93. Two types of analysis are employed: decomposition of the Gini coefficient by income source and population subgroup, and time-series regression on macroeconomic variables. It is found that the slight increase in inequality over the period is a result of opposing forces and that the major difference between the inflation (1979-84) and stabilization (1985-93) periods is in the inequality-reducing effect of direct taxes, increasing in the first period while declining in the second. Unemployment had a regressive impact, whereas inflation acted as a progressive tax in the first but not in the second. Copyright 1996 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Management accounting change

This special issue is devoted to the subject of management accounting change. It comprises five studies that address various dimensions of this important research area, each study adopting different perspectives and different research methodologies. This foreword seeks to establish why the research area is of importance, highlights potential channels for future investigation, and assesses the contribution of the studies in this issue.
Performance of Microfinance Institutions in Muslim Countries

Purpose - – The aim of the paper is to analyze whether performance measures and their factors for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Muslim countries are significantly different from those in their non-Muslim counterparts, central to the Islamic scholars' argument that religious and cultural norms in Muslim countries may drive the preference of Islamic microfinance over conventional microfinance. Design/methodology/approach - – Using a cross-sectional dataset of 2,138 firm-years for 754 different MFIs across 83 countries, 33 Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) member Muslim countries and 50 non-member countries, we analyzed the MFI performance based on three sets of measures: outreach, loan recovery and profitability and overall financial performance measures, with respect to two sets of explanatory variables, namely, country-specific and firm-level variables. Findings - – Results show that country gross domestic product size is positively related with profitability, and the percentage of women borrowers is also significant in driving loan recovery and firm profitability in the OIC sample, but they are otherwise not significant for the rest of the world sample. Practical implications - – This study contributes to the understanding of the core argument in the motivation of Islamic MFIs, which is whether cultural and religious factors are important for MFI success in Muslim countries. Originality/value - – This study introduces a variable that measures the difference between a country's independence year and their OIC membership year as a proxy for the “country religious inclination” of a Muslim country. Results suggest that countries with delayed membership in OIC show lower inclination to popular Islamic beliefs and higher market penetration of conventional microfinance outreach. Positive relationships among a country's religious inclination and loan loss ratios and loan provisions are also consistent with the moral hazard hypothesis that few religious communities may be more prone to default.
A Nosocomial Outbreak of Human Monkeypox in the Central African Republic

Abstract An outbreak of familial monkeypox occurred in the Central African Republic in 2015/2016 by 3 transmission modes: familial, health care–related, and transport-related. Ten people (3 children and 7 adults) were infected. Most presented with cutaneous lesions and fever, and 2 children died. The viral strain responsible was a Zaire genotype strain.
Conserved Functions of the MATE Transporter BIG EMBRYO1 in Regulation of Lateral Organ Size and Initiation Rate

Big embryo 1 encodes a trans-Golgi localized MATE transporter required for regulation of lateral organ size and initiation rate in plants. Genetic networks that determine rates of organ initiation and organ size are key regulators of plant architecture. Whereas several genes that influence the timing of lateral organ initiation have been identified, the regulatory pathways in which these genes operate are poorly understood. Here, we identify a class of genes implicated in regulation of the lateral organ initiation rate. Loss-of-function mutations in the MATE transporter encoded by maize (Zea mays) Big embryo 1 (Bige1) cause accelerated leaf and root initiation as well as enlargement of the embryo scutellum. BIGE1 is localized to trans-Golgi, indicating a possible role in secretion of a signaling molecule. Interestingly, phenotypes of bige1 bear striking similarity to cyp78a mutants identified in diverse plant species. We show that a CYP78A gene is upregulated in bige1 mutant embryos, suggesting a role for BIGE1 in feedback regulation of a CYP78A pathway. We demonstrate that accelerated leaf formation and early flowering phenotypes conditioned by mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana BIGE1 orthologs are complemented by maize Bige1, showing that the BIGE1 transporter has a conserved function in regulation of lateral organ initiation in plants. We propose that BIGE1 is required for transport of an intermediate or product associated with the CYP78A pathway.
The Global Financial Crisis and its Impact on Emerging Market Economies in Europe and the CIS: Evidence from Mid-2010

Emerging market economies were major beneficiaries of the economic boom before 2007. More recently, they have become victims of the global financial crisis. Their future development depends, to a large extent, on global economic prospects. Today the global economy and the European economy are much more integrated and interdependent than they were ten or twenty years ago. Every country must recognize its limited economic sovereignty and must be prepared to deal with the consequences of global macroeconomic fluctuations. The statistical data for 2009 provides a mixed picture with respect to the impact of the crisis on various groups of countries and individual economies. On average, Central and Eastern Europe experienced a smaller output decline than the Euro area and the entire EU while the CIS, especially its European part, contracted more dramatically. However, there was a deep differentiation within each country group. Looking globally, richer countries, which are more open to trade and in which the banking sector plays a larger role and which rely more on external financing, suffered more than less sophisticated economies, which are less dependent on trade and credit (especially from external sources). With some exceptions, the previous good growth performance helped rather than handicapped countries in the CEE and CIS regions in the crisis year of 2009. The post-crisis recovery has been rather modest and incomplete. It remains vulnerable to new shocks (like the Greek Fiscal crisis), the danger of sovereign default and other uncertainties. Full post-crisis recovery and increasing potential growth will require far going economic and institutional reforms on both national, regional (e.g., EU) and global levels.
Spinoff Wealth Effects and the Dismantling of Internal Capital Markets

We provide evidence directly linking spinoff announcement returns to the pre-spinoff conduct of internal capital markets. Firms' internal capital markets may enhance value by channeling capital to divisions with superior investment opportunities (high Tobin's q), and/or by starving divisions with poor opportunities (low Tobin's q). Alternatively, these markets may reduce value by doing just the opposite. We examine whether the dismantling of internal capital markets contributes to the effects of spinoffs on shareholder value by estimating a model of the announcement return. The key explanatory variable is a measure of investment efficiency that accounts for the amount and direction of capital subsidy from parent to division, and the division's q-ratio relative to that of the parent. We find evidence of higher announcement returns when the parent allocates capital to the divested division in a seemingly inefficient manner.
The Stress-Responsive dgk Gene from Streptococcus mutans Encodes a Putative Undecaprenol Kinase Activity

ABSTRACT We analyzed a previously constructed stress-sensitive Streptococcus mutans mutant Tn-1 strain resulting from disruption by transposon Tn916 of a gene encoding a protein exhibiting amino acid sequence similarity to the Escherichia coli diacylglycerol kinase. It was confirmed that the mutation led to significantly reduced lipid kinase activity, while expression of the intact gene on a plasmid restored both kinase activity and the wild-type phenotype. Further analysis revealed that the product of the dgk gene in S. mutans predominantly recognizes a lipid substrate other than diacylglycerol, most likely undecaprenol, as demonstrated by its efficient phosphorylation and the resistance of the product of the reaction to saponification. The physiological role of the product of the dgk gene as a putative undecaprenol kinase was further supported by a significantly higher sensitivity of the mutant to bacitracin compared with that of the parental strain.