Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Output-based allocation of emissions permits for mitigating the leakage and competitiveness issues for the Japanese economy

The adoption of domestic emissions trading schemes (ETS) can impose a heavy burden on energy-intensive industries. Particularly, energy-intensive industries competing with foreign competitors could lose their international edge. Although the abatement of CO2 emissions in industrialized countries entails the reduction of their energy-intensive production, a corresponding increase in the production of energy-intensive goods in countries without CO2 regulations may lead to carbon “leakage. ” This paper examines the effects of various allocation methods of emissions permits in the Japanese ETS on the economy and CO2 emissions using a multiregional and multisector computable general equilibrium model. Specifically, we apply the Fischer and Fox (Land Econ 83(4):575–599, 2007) model to the Japanese economy to address carbon leakage and competitiveness issues. We compare auction schemes, grandfathering schemes, and output-based allocation (OBA) schemes. We further extend the model by examining a combination of auctions and OBA. Though the auction scheme is found to be the best in terms of macroeconomic impacts, the leakage rate is high and the harm to energy-intensive sectors can be significant. OBA causes less leakage and damage to energy-intensive sectors, but the macroeconomic impact is undesirable. Considering all three effects—leakage, competitiveness, and macroeconomics—we find that combinations of auctions and OBA are desirable.
Effects of IFN-B on TRAIL and Decoy Receptor Expression in Different Immune Cell Populations from MS Patients with Distinct Disease Subtypes

Using quantitative RT-PCR, we compared mRNA levels for TRAIL [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–related apoptosis-inducing ligand] and its receptors in various immune cell subsets derived from the peripheral blood of untreated normal subjects (NS) and patients with distinct subtypes of multiple sclerosis (MS): active relapsing-remitting MS (RRA), quiescent relapsing-remitting MS (RRQ), secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) or primary-progressive MS (PPMS). Consistent with a role for TRAIL in the mechanism of action of interferon-β (IFN-β), TRAIL mRNA levels were increased in monocytes from patients clinically responsive to IFN-β (RRQ) but not those unresponsive to this therapeutic (RRA). TRAIL-R3 (decoy receptor) expression was elevated in T cells from untreated RRMS patients while IFN-β therapy reversed this increase suggesting that IFN-β may promote the apoptotic elimination of autoreactive T cells by increasing the amount of TRAIL available to activate TRAIL death receptors. Serum concentrations of soluble TRAIL were increased to a similar extent by IFN-β therapy in RRQ, RRA and SPMS patients that had not generated neutralizing antibodies against this cytokine. Although our findings suggest altered TRAIL signaling may play a role in MS pathogenesis and IFN-β therapy, they do not support use of TRAIL as a surrogate marker for clinical responsiveness to this therapeutic.
THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION: A CASE‐STUDY OF URBAN INDIA†

Recent evidence of a substantial link between quality of schooling and individual productivity suggests that, from an economic efficiency perspective, quality aspects of education deserve attention. This paper presents empirical evidence on the relative quality and efficiency of private and government-funded schools in urban India, using data from Uttar Pradesh. The results suggest that standardizing for home background and controlling for sample selectivity greatly reduces the raw average achievement advantage of private school students over public school students, but does not wipe it out. Private schools' standardized achievement advantage (or better quality) is complemented by their lower unit costs to enable them to be more efficient. The results support much of the existing evidence on the relative efficiency of private and public schools. Copyright 1996 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia with B-cell lymphoid blast crisis at presentation

TO THE EDITOR: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a rare hematological malignancy accounting for less than 3% of pediatric and adolescent leukemias, with an annual incidence of approximately 1 per million children and young people aged 20% blasts in the marrow or the presence of extra-medullary blast proliferation [3, 4]. Blast transformation of CML is lymphoid in 30% of cases and myeloid in the remaining 70%. We report the case of a 10-year-old boy who presented with a 6-week history of weight loss and left-sided upper abdominal pain. On examination, he was found to have substantial splenomegaly extending into the right iliac fossa. His full blood count showed a hemoglobin level of 6.6 g/dL, a platelet count of 148×109/L, and a total white cell count of 575×109/L. A differential count showed the following: blasts, 30%; promyelocytes, 6%; myelocytes, 24%; metamyelocytes, 11%; neutrophils, 7%; eosinophils, 9%; basophils, 3%; monocytes, 1%; and lymphocytes, 10% (Fig. 1). Flow cytometry of the blast population showed that the blasts expressed CD19, cyCD79a, CD10, HLA-DR, CD34, and TdT surface antigens. Chromosome analysis showed a t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation consistent with a Philadelphia chromosome (Fig. 2A). Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed BCR-ABL1 fusion signals in 90% of the nuclei (Fig. 2B). A minor breakpoint cluster region (210 kDa) was confirmed using RT-PCR. In the absence of a documented CML-CP, distinguishing between lymphoid blast crisis of CML and a Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL can be difficult. A diagnosis of CML in B-cell lymphoid blast crisis rather than de novo precursor B-cell ALL was made because of the concurrent presence of basophilia, a predominance of metamyelocytes and myelocytes, and the p210 BCR-ABL transcript. The patient did not have any additional chromosomal anomalies associated with advanced phase CML and was negative for IgH rearrangement on FISH analysis. Fig. 1 Blood film demonstrating chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blast transformation. Fig. 2 (A) Karyotype showing t(9;22)(q34;q11) Philadelphia translocation. (B) Interphase FISH, Vysis dual-fusion probe set. Green: BCR; red: ABL1; yellow: fused BCR and ABL signals corresponding to der(9) and der(22) translocation products. The patient achieved a complete hematological response and a minor cytogenetic response following induction therapy comprising dexamethasone, vincristine, daunorubicin, asparaginase, and imatinib. Nonetheless, he subsequently died of idiopathic pneumonitis after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. The progression from CML-CP to CML-BC in the pre-tyrosine kinase era is well described, but CML-BC at presentation in children is extremely rare. The case reported here adds to the literature on the simultaneous presence of features of both lymphoblastic transformation and CML at presentation in the absence of cytogenetic clonal evolution. Further research into the biology of the aggressive phase of CML is required to develop novel targets to improve outcomes.
Assessment of the Reporting Quality of Placebo-controlled Randomized Trials on the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes With Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mainland China

Abstract Placebo-controlled randomized trials are often used to evaluate the absolute effect of new treatments and are considered gold standard for clinical trials. No studies, however, have yet been conducted evaluating the reporting quality of placebo-controlled randomized trials. The current study aims to assess the reporting quality of placebo-controlled randomized trials on treatment of diabetes with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Mainland China and to provide recommendations for improvements. China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Wanfang database, China Biology Medicine database, and VIP database were searched for placebo-controlled randomized trials on treatment of diabetes with TCM. Review, animal experiment, and randomized controlled trials without placebo control were excluded. According to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 checklists items, each item was given a yes or no depending on whether it was reported or not. A total of 68 articles were included. The reporting percentage in each article ranged from 24.3% to 73%, and 30.9% articles reported more than 50% of the items. Seven of the 37 items were reported more than 90% of the items, whereas 7 items were not mentioned at all. The average reporting for “title and abstract,” “introduction,” “methods,” “results,” “discussion,” and “other information” was 43.4%, 78.7%, 40.1%, 49.9%, 71.1%, and 17.2%, respectively. The percentage of each section had increased after 2010. In addition, the reporting of multiple study centers, funding, placebo species, informed consent forms, and ethical approvals were 14.7%, 50%, 36.85%, 33.8%, and 4.4%, respectively. Although a scoring system was created according to the CONSORT 2010 checklist, it was not designed as an assessment tool. According to CONSORT 2010, the reporting quality of placebo-controlled randomized trials on the treatment of diabetes with TCM improved after 2010. Future improvements, however, are still needed, particularly in methods sections.
Cognitive Impairment Involving Social Cognition in SPG4 Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Objectives. To describe cognitive assessment including social cognition in SPG4 patients. Methods. We reported a series of nine patients with SPG4 mutation with an extensive neuropsychological examination including social cognition assessment. Results. None of our patients presented with mental retardation or dementia. All presented with mild cognitive impairment with a high frequency of attention deficit (100%), executive disorders (89%), and social cognition impairment (78%). An asymptomatic patient for motor skills presented with the same cognitive profile. No correlation was found in this small sample between cognitive impairment and motor impairment, age at disease onset, or disease duration. Conclusions. SPG4 phenotypes share some cognitive features of frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cognitive disorders including executive disorders and social cognition impairment are frequent in SPG4 patients and might sometimes occur before motor disorders. Therefore, cognitive functions including social cognition should be systematically assessed in order to improve the clinical management of this population.
Forecasting Fiscal Variables: Only a Strong Growth Plan Can Sustain the Greek Austerity Programs - Evidence from Simultaneous and Structural Models

The goal of the present paper is to investigate not only the dynamics of the Greek public debt, but also the appropriate measures required for achieving fiscal consolidation. The empirical estimation is carried out using a macroeconomic dataset spanning the period 1980-2008 and both the 3SLS methodological approach on a theoretical model and the structural VAR methodology to perform forecast tests and to calibrate the future paths of the public debt variable up to 2020. The results suggest that only an aggressive growth policy could permit the country to achieve debt sustainability. The results are expected to have important implications to policy makers for designing effective macroeconomic policy in terms of achieving sustainable levels of public debt.
Variant Philadelphia translocations: molecular-cytogenetic characterization and prognostic influence on frontline imatinib therapy, a GIMEMA Working Party on CML analysis.

Variant Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome translocations have been reported in 5%-10% of patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Variant translocations may involve one or more chromosomes in addition to 9 and 22, and can be generated by 2 different mechanisms, 1-step and 2-step rearrangements, as revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The prognostic significance of the occurrence of variant translocations has been discussed in previous studies. The European LeukemiaNet recommendations do not provide a "warning" for patients with variant translocations, but there is limited information about their outcome after therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. To identify the role of variant translocations in early chronic phase (CP) CML patients treated with imatinib mesylate, we performed an analysis in a large series of 559 patients enrolled in 3 prospective imatinib trials of the Gruppo Italiano Malattie EMatologiche dell'Adulto (GIMEMA) Working Party on CML. Variant translocations occurred in 30 patients (5%). Our data show that the presence of variant translocations has no impact on the cytogenetic and molecular response or on outcome, regardless of the involvement of different mechanisms, the number of involved chromosomes, or the presence of deletions. Therefore, we suggest that patients with variant translocations do not constitute a "warning" category in the imatinib era. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as NCT00514488 and NCT00510926.
Climate and changing winter distribution of alcids in the Northwest Atlantic

Population level impacts upon seabirds from changing climate are increasingly evident, and include effects on phenology, migration, dispersal, annual survivorship and reproduction. Most population data on seabirds derive from nesting colonies; documented climate impacts on winter ecology are scarce. We studied interannual variability in winter abundance of six species of alcids (Charadriiformes, Alcidae) from a 58-year time series of data collected in Massachusetts 1954-2011. We used counts of birds taken during fall and winter from coastal vantage points. Counts were made by amateur birders, but coverage was consistent in timing and location. We found significant association between winter abundance of all six species of alcids and climate, indexed by North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), at two temporal scales: 1. ) Significant linear trends at the 58-year scale of the time series; and 2. ) Shorter term fluctuations corresponding to the 5-8 year periodicity of NAO. Thus, variation in winter abundance of all six species of alcids was significantly related to the combined short-term and longer-term components of variation in NAO. Two low-Arctic species (Atlantic Puffin and Black Guillemot) peaked during NAO positive years, while two high Arctic species (Dovekie and Thick-billed Murre) peaked during NAO negative years. For Common Murres and Razorbills, southward shifts in winter distribution have been accompanied by southward expansion of breeding range, and increase within the core of the range. The proximate mechanism governing these changes is unclear, but, as for most other species of seabirds whose distributions have changed with climate, seems likely to be through their prey.
Evolving Post-World War II U.S. Inflation Dynamics

For postwar U.S. data, this paper uses Bayesian methods to account for the four sources of uncertainty in a random coefficients vector autoregression for inflation, unemployment, and an interest rate. We use the model to assemble evidence about the evolution of measures of the persistence of inflation, prospective long-horizon forecasts (means) of inflation and unemployment, statistics for testing an approximation to the natural-unemployment-rate hypothesis, and a version of the Taylor rule. We relate these measures to stories that interpret the conquest of U.S. inflation under Volcker and Greenspan as reflecting how the monetary policy authority came to learn an approximate version of the natural-unemployment-rate hypothesis. We study Taylor's warning that defects in that approximation may cause the monetary authority to forget the natural-rate hypothesis as the persistence of inflation attenuates.
The Driving Force of the Market: Essays in Austrian Economics

This book offers a unique insight into the character of Austrian economics. This work also collects the recent work of the leading authorities in this area, and will be an indispensible tool for all those interested in the implications of Austrian approach on economics. The author also examines *the market economy *theories of Competition and Entrepreneurship *the Mises-Hayek legacy.
Job Stability Trends, Lay‐Offs, and Transitions to Unemployment in West Germany

This paper examines the evolution of different aspects of job stability, notably the termination reasons and the transition states. We estimate Semi‐Parametric Cox Hazard Models with competing risks for West Germany and find an increasing hazard of job ending that is driven by an increasing hazard of being laid off, primarily. One explanation found is that men with fixed‐term contracts face increasing risks of being displaced. In accordance with the technological change hypothesis we also find that men with a high degree of non‐routine interactive tasks face a declining risk of displacement.
Assessing the Reliability, Validity and Adaptability of PSSUQ

Psychometrically qualified usability evaluation instruments offer many advantages to the usability practitioner. Advantages include objectivity, replicability, quantification, economy, communication, and scientific generalization. It is important that instruments used in usability evaluation have shown acceptable estimates of reliability, validity, adaptability and practicality. This paper compares the psychometric properties of the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) instrument in Lewis’ study to a recent study that tailored the PSSUQ instrument to measure the user satisfaction of the usability of a webbased health provider interface. Lewis reported that the PSSUQ had acceptable psychometric properties. However, Lewis’ stated PSSUQ had limited generalizability and needed further examination. This research validated the PSSUQ instrument using a larger sample size in a different domain. The factor analysis and the clustering of the sub-scale items were different than Lewis’ results. Nevertheless, this research concluded that the PSSUQ instrument is adaptable and produced solid psychometric results.
The politics of media policy

The Politics of Media Policy provides a critical perspective on the dynamics of media policy in the US and UK and offers a comprehensive guide to some of the major points of debate in the media today. While many policymakers boast of the openness and pluralism of their media systems, this book exposes the commitment to market principles that saturates the media policy environment and distorts the development and application of democratic media policies. Based on interviews with dozens of politicians, regulators, special advisers, lobbyists and campaigners, The Politics of Media Policy considers how governments, civil servants and media corporations have shaped the drawing up of rules concerning a range of issues including media ownership, media content, public broadcasting, digital television, copyright and trade agreements.
A Distributionally-robust approach for finding support vector machine

The classical SVM is an optimization problem minimizing the hinge losses of mis-classified samples with the regularization term. When the sample size is small or data has noise, it is possible that the classifier obtained with training data may not generalize well to population, since the samples may not accurately represent the true population distribution. We propose a distributionally-robust framework for Support Vector Machines (DR-SVMs). We build an ambiguity set for the population distribution based on samples using the Kantorovich metric. DR-SVMs search the classifier that minimizes the sum of regularization term and the hinge loss function for the worst-case population distribution among the ambiguity set. We provide semi-infinite programming formulation of the DR-SVMs and propose a cutting-plane algorithm to solve the problem. Computational results on simulated data and real data from University of California, Irvine Machine Learning Repository show that the DR-SVMs outperform the SVMs in terms of the Area Under Curve (AUC) measures on several test problems.
Maternal Serum Levels of 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D During Pregnancy and Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in the Offspring

Previous studies indicate reduced risk of type 1 diabetes after intake of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy or early childhood. We aimed to test whether lower maternal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OH D) during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. In this case-control study nested within a cohort of 29,072 women in Norway, 25-OH D levels were measured using a radioimmunoassay on samples from late pregnancy in 109 women delivering a child who developed type 1 diabetes before 15 years of age (case subjects) and from 219 control women. Dividing the levels of maternal 25-OH D into quartiles, there was a trend toward a higher risk of type 1 diabetes with lower levels of vitamin D during pregnancy. The odds of type 1 diabetes was more than twofold higher for the offspring of women with the lowest levels of 25-OH D compared with the offspring of those with levels above the upper quartile. Given future replication in independent cohorts, our findings provide support for the initiation of a randomized intervention trial to prevent type 1 diabetes in children by enhancing maternal 25-OH D status during pregnancy.
The Return of the Housing Question

The global financial crisis, rooted so fundamentally in the private market model of housing provision, reminds us that neoliberal housing policies work primarily in the interest of the powerful capitalist property sector and not the public. In this essay, I address the political question of what anticapitalists should do about housing by returning to the stage of an often ferocious debate between Marxists, socialists and anarchists that dates back beyond Friedrich Engels’ famous 1872 polemic, The housing question (Engels, 1872). In what follows, I draw on the various insights as well as the commonalities and tensions present in these debates to devise a set of ‘ethical coordinates’ (Gibson-Graham, 2006) that might guide an anticapitalist housing politics. These coordinates are built out of recent theoretical discussions of Peter Linebaugh’s concept of ‘commoning’, and particularly the work of Massimo De Angelis (2006, 2007), and they rest on three ethics of commoning: the prefigurative desire to ‘live-in-common’ and solve our housing problems collectively in the here and now; the strategic need to defend and produce ‘anticapitalist commons’ (Kamola and Meyerhoff, 2009) that impose limits to capital and open up an outside to accumulation; and the hegemonic quest for an alternative world in which commons and commoning can be generalised at the expense of capitalism.
WHAT DETERMINES PRIVATE DEBT HOLDINGS FOR LIFE INSURERS ? A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION

A major investor in private debt market is life insurance companies. They have long-term, fixed-rate liabilities that are matched by private debt investment. Life insurance companies, as the lenders in the private debt market, have the ability to evaluate the credit quality of borrowers and to perform ongoing risk monitoring. In this study we examine the determinants of private debt holdings for life insurance companies. Using data of 667 life insurers’ history of private debt holdings from 2003 to 2007, we find that the private debt holdings for life insurer are strongly associated with their financial strength, organization form, regulation stringency, group affiliation, liquidity level and geographic market structure. Mutual insurers, insurers that have higher financial quality, that face stringent regulation, that are affiliated with groups, and those with less liquidity and less concentrated geographic market structure are more likely to be lenders in the private debt market. The results highlight the role of firm characteristics in life insurers’ private debt holdings.