Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sovereigns, Upstream Capital Flows, and Global Imbalances

The paper presents new stylized facts on the direction of capital flows. We find (i) international capital flows net of government debt and/or official aid are positively correlated with growth; (ii) sovereign debt flows are negatively correlated with growth only if debt is financed by another sovereign; (iii) public savings are robustly positively correlated with growth as opposed to private savings. Sovereign to sovereign transactions can fully account for upstream capital flows and global imbalances. These empirical facts contradict the conventional wisdom and constitute a challenge for existing theories.
Studies of endotoxin-induced decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity

A variety of invasive stimuli have been shown to induce hyperlipidemia due to impaired removal of triglyceride from the circulation. The mechanism by which endotoxin induces a deficiency in the activity of the key enzyme of triglyceride metabolism, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), has been studied. In C3H/HeN (endotoxin-sensitive) mice, LPL activity in adipose tissue was markedly suppressed 16 h after endotoxin administration. In contrast, the endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ mice were less sensitive to the suppressive effect of endotoxin on LPL activity. After endotoxin administration, a transferable factor had been detected in the blood of C3H/HeN mice 2 h after the injection of endotoxin that causes a suppression of adipose tissue LPL activity in C3H/HeJ mice as well as in C3H/HeN mice. Conditioned medium from the cultures of peritoneal exudate cells of C3H/HeN mice incubated in endotoxin also suppresses adipose tissue LPL in C3H/HeJ mice. These studies demonstrate that exudate cells produce a humoral factor in response to endotoxin, which suppresses adipose tissue LPL.
Orientation Independent Cell Phone Based Gait Authentication

Gait authentication using a cell phone based accelerometer sensor offers an unobtrusive, user-friendly, and periodic way of authenticating individuals on their cell phones. In this study, we present an approach to deal with inevitable errors induced by continuously changing sensor orientation and other noise under a realistic scenario (when the phone is placed inside the trouser pockets and the user is walking) by using the magnitude data of tri-axes accelerometer and wavelet based noise elimination modules. This study utilizes a gait data set of 35 participants collected at their respective normal walking pace in two different sessions with an average gap of 25 days between the sessions.
The universality of simple distributional methods : Identifying syntactic categories in Mandarin Chinese

The problem of acquiring language is a difficult and complex one. The traditional assumption is that infants acquire language by virtue of innate knowledge, which reduces the problem to one of tuning this innate knowledge of language in general, to the specific characteristics of the language spoken in the infant’s early environment (e.g. Chomsky, 1980). Nevertheless, without empirical assessment of potential learning mechanisms and sources of information, it may be premature to decide which aspects of language, if any, require drawing on innate knowledge. This paper considers a simple distributional learning mechanism, which does not draw on explicit prior knowledge. This method has previously been shown to be informative about the syntactic category membership of individual words in English, French, and German. We ask whether it can provide similar constraints in Chinese.
Income and Democracy?

Existing studies establish a strong cross-country correlation between income and democracy but do not control for factors that simultaneously affect both variables. We show that controlling for such factors by including country fixed effects removes the statistical association between income per capita and vari- ous measures of democracy. We present instrumental-variables estimates that also show no causal effect of income on democracy. The cross-country corre - lation between income and democracy reflects a positive correlation between changes in income and democracy over the past 500 years. This pattern is con - sistent with the idea that societies embarked on divergent political-economic development paths at certain critical junctures. (JEL D7�, E�1)
Switched system modeling and robust steering control of the tail end phase in a hot strip mill

Abstract In this article, a robust steering control for the last phase of the rolling process in a hot strip mill is proposed. This phase, called tail end phase, may be modelled as a linear switched system. The switchings make the system unstable and the task of the tail end steering control consists in guaranteeing the safety of the industrial plant. The control law has to take into account the physical variations of the rolled products and an uncertainty in the switching time. Simulation results concerning the ArcelorMittal hot strip mill of Eisenhuttenstadt are presented.
Designing a Structured and Interactive Learning Environment Based on GIS for Secondary Geography Education

Abstract Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer-based tools for geographic data analysis and spatial visualization. They have become one of the information and communications technologies for education at all levels. This article reviews the current status of GIS in schools, analyzes the requirements of a GIS-based learning environment from constructivist perspectives, and discusses the major issues in the design of a constructivist GIS-based learning environment based on experience from the development of World Explorer, a GIS-based learning environment that provides a theme-oriented data and information base, supports multiple representations and multiple linkages of information, and facilitates interactive learning and knowledge construction.
Short versus long gamma-ray bursts: spectra, energetics, and luminosities

We compare the spectral properties of 79 short and 79 long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) detected by BATSE and selected with the same limiting peak flux. Short GRBs have a low-energy spectral component harder and a peak energy slightly higher than long GRBs, but no difference is found when comparing short GRB spectra with those of the first 1-2 s emission of long GRBs. These results confirm earlier findings for brighter GRBs. The bolometric peak flux of short GRBs correlates with their peak energy in a similar way to long bursts. Short and long GRBs populate different regions of the bolometric fluence-peak energy plane, short bursts being less energetic by a factor similar to the ratio of their durations. If short and long GRBs had similar redshift distributions, they would have similar luminosities yet different energies, which correlate with the peak energy Epeak for the population of long GRBs. We also test whether short GRBs are consistent with the Epeak−Eiso and Epeak−Liso correlations for the available sample of short (6 events) and long (92 events) GRBs with measured redshifts and E obs : while short GRBs are inconsistent with the Epeak−Eiso correlation of long GRBs, they could follow the Epeak−Liso correlation of long bursts. All the above indications point to short GRBs being similar to the first phases of long bursts. This suggests that a similar central engine (except for its duration) operates in GRBs of different durations.
Industrial Structure, Prefectural Inequality, and Convergence in Pre-war Japan (1874-1940)

The aim of this paper was to examine changes in prefectural income inequality and industrial structure during the pre-war period (1874-1940). The findings of the analysis can be summarized as follows. Prefectural income inequality, which increased in the early stages of Japan’s modern economic development, was mainly due to within-industry differences in labor productivity. From 1874 to 1890 labor productivity differences in the manufacturing, mining, and construction sector increased considerably. Although further analyses are necessary to draw firmer conclusions, it appears that the rise of major industrial centers such as Osaka during this period played a key role. Nevertheless, it is important to note that industrialization was not confined to urban centers, but also took place in other (rural) regions, where increases in employment in the manufacturing sector kept pace with the leading areas. In this sense, it could be said that industrialization during this period was not regionally biased. Moreover, regional inequality increased only moderately in the following period from 1890 to 1909, when the industrialization process had gathered steam. The reason is that although differences in labor productivity due to differences in industrial structure increased during this period, within-industry productivity differences in manufacturing and services did not rise further or in fact declined. A likely reason, it was suggested, was active investment in rural areas as part of the “regional industrialization ideology,” which mitigated labor productivity differences. Overall, the analysis in this paper suggests that changes in industrial structure and in withinindustry differences in labor productivity played a key role in shaping trends in spatial income inequality in Japan.
Explicit Polyhedral Bounds on Network Coding Rate Regions via Entropy Function Region: Algorithms, Symmetry, and Computation

The problem of automating rate region converse proofs in multi-source network coding is considered, and an algorithm for explicitly computing polyhedral outer bounds on the rate regions of multi-source network coding instances using known bounds on the entropy function region is proposed. This algorithm is based on the Convex Hull Method, which is an algorithm to compute projections of polyhedra. An interpretation of the network symmetry group as a group of symmetries of a polyhedron is discussed, which in turn enables the use of well-known techniques for exploiting symmetry in polyhedral computation to reduce the complexity of calculating the rate region bounds. A variant of the convex hull method that is capable of exploiting the knowledge of the network symmetry group is discussed. The techniques described in this work are implemented in a software package, called the Information Theoretic Converse Prover. The computational performance of convex hull method for explicitly computing rate region outer bounds with varying knowledge of symmetry is discussed, followed by several examples of computation with the Information Theoretic Converse Prover.
When Middle-Class Parents Choose Urban Schools: Class, Race, and the Challenge of Equity in Public Education

In recent decades a growing number of middle-class parents have considered sending their children to - and often end up becoming active in - urban public schools. Their presence can bring long-needed material resources to such schools, but, as Linn Posey-Maddox shows in this study, it can also introduce new class and race tensions, and even exacerbate inequalities. Sensitively navigating the pros and cons of middle-class transformation, When Middle-Class Parents Choose Urban Schools asks whether it is possible for our urban public schools to have both financial security and equitable diversity. Drawing on in-depth research at an urban elementary school, Posey-Maddox examines parents' efforts to support the school through their outreach, marketing, and volunteerism. She shows that when middle-class parents engage in urban school communities, they can bring a host of positive benefits, including new educational opportunities and greater diversity. But their involvement can also unintentionally marginalize less affluent parents and diminish low-income students' access to the improving schools. In response, Posey-Maddox argues that school reform efforts, which usually equate improvement with rising test scores and increased enrollment, need to have more equity-focused policies in place to ensure that low-income families also benefit from - and participate in - school change.
The ratio of CD8 to Treg tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is associated with response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

ABSTRACT Introduction: Randomized controlled trials of platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for bladder cancer have shown that patients who achieve a pathologic response to NAC exhibit 5 y survival rates of approximately 80–90% while NAC resistant (NR) cases exhibit 5 y survival rates of approximately 30–40%. These findings highlight the need to predict who will benefit from conventional NAC and the need for plausible alternatives. Methods: The pre-treatment biopsy tissues from a cohort of 41 patients with muscle invasive bladder who were treated with NAC were incorporated in tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry for PD-L1, CD8, and FOXP3 was performed. Percentage of PD-L1 positive tumor cells was measured. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) densities, along with CD8 and Treg-specific TILs, were measured. Results: TIL density was strongly correlated with tumor PD-L1 expression, consistent with the mechanism of adaptive immune resistance in bladder cancer. Tumor cell PD-L1 expression was not a significant predictor of response. Neither was the CD8 nor Treg TIL density associated with response. Intriguingly though, the ratio of CD8 to Treg TIL densities was strongly associated with response (p = 0.0003), supporting the hypothesis that the immune system plays a role in the response of bladder cancer to chemotherapy. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first report in bladder cancer showing that the CD8 to Treg TIL density in the pre-treatment tissues is predictive for conventional NAC response. These findings warrant further investigations to both better characterize this association in larger cohorts and begin to elucidate the underlying mechanism(s) of this phenomenon.
Assessing Least Squares Monte Carlo for the Kulatilaka Trigeorgis General Real Options Pricing Model

We assess the applicability of (Longstaff and Schwartz, 2001) Least Squares Monte Carlo method to the General Real Options Pricing Model of (Kulatilaka and Trigeorgis, 1994). We study LSMC under different stochastic processes: GBM, up to three dimensions, models 1, 2 and 3 in (Schwartz, 1997), benchmarking every application by lattice methods. We explore empirically a generalization of proposition 1 page 124 in (Longstaff and Schwartz, 2001) with respect to the number of discretization points, of basis functions and the number of simulated paths. We study the speed precision tradeoff of LSMC individual estimates. Finally, we show their statistical properties.
Expression levels of multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4) in human leukemia and lymphoma cell lines, and the inhibitory effects of the MRP-specific inhibitor MK-571 on methotrexate distribution in rats

In the development of anti-blood cancer drugs, the chronic myelocytic leukemia (KU812), acute myelocytic leukemia (KG-1) and lymphoma (U937) cell lines are commonly used in preclinical pharmacology studies as human cancer xenograft models in mice. In the present study, mRNA expression levels of typical human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in these human blood cancer cell lines were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Based on the results, the expression level of multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4) was found to be extremely high in KU812 cells compared with those of other transporters. Additionally, MRP4 expression levels were found to be relatively high in U937, KG-1 and a blood cell line derived from a healthy subject (RPMI 1788). In addition, to elucidate the contribution of MRP4 to the methotrexate (MTX) distribution in normal blood cells and tissues, [3H]MTX was intravenously (i.v.) administered to two groups of rats. Animals in one group received [3H]MTX only; the other group was concomitantly administered i.v. MK-571, a typical inhibitor of MRP transporters. No marked difference was observed between the two groups; the Kp values (tissue concentration/plasma concentration) of the concomitant group showed slightly higher values compared with those of the MTX alone group in erythrocytes (1.4 times, P<0.001), spleen (1.3 times, P<0.05) and thymus (1.2 times, P<0.05), respectively. Although in the present study we could not evaluate the direct involvement of MRP4 in blood cancer cells in which MRP4 expression was excessively high, these results suggest a possible functional role of MRP4 in blood cancer cells and albeit only slightly in normal blood cells/tissues.
Dual-Purpose Offline LED Driver for Illumination and Visible Light Communication

This paper presents a dual-purpose offline LED driver with illumination control and visible light communications (VLC). LEDs, due to their nonlinear I-V characteristics, are driven by constant current sources. The proposed dual-purpose offline LED driver realizes a constant current source by a buck converter without a capacitor using average current mode control. VLC is implemented through variable pulse position modulation scheme using a shunt switch in parallel to LED string. Conventional LED drivers are typically designed to perform illumination control with pulsewidth modulation (PWM) dimming at low frequencies (<; 20 kHz), which results in audible noise due to the mechanical vibrations of inductors and piezoelectric properties of ceramic capacitors. The proposed converter presents an illumination control with PWM dimming frequencies above the audible range. The detailed control and modeling of the proposed dual-purpose LED driver using high-frequency model of LED string is discussed. The effects of the phosphor on phosphor-based white LEDs for VLC are reported. The proposed driver is experimentally evaluated on 110/120 ac mains with 450-lm output. The linear characteristics of PWM dimming for data transfer of 2 Mb/s are demonstrated. Detailed simulation and experimental results to validate the operation of the proposed converter are presented.
Effect of Lifestyle on Asthma Control in Japanese Patients: Importance of Periodical Exercise and Raw Vegetable Diet

Background The avoidance of inhaled allergens or tobacco smoke has been known to have favorable effects on asthma control. However, it remains unclear whether other lifestyle-related factors are also related to asthma control. Therefore, a comprehensive study to examine the associations between various lifestyle factors and asthma control was conducted in Japanese asthmatic patients. Methods The study subjects included 437 stable asthmatic patients recruited from our outpatient clinic over a one-year period. A written, informed consent was obtained from each participant. Asthma control was assessed using the asthma control test (ACT), and a structured questionnaire was administered to obtain information regarding lifestyle factors, including tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, physical exercise, and diet. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results The proportions of total control (ACT = 25), well controlled (ACT = 20-24), and poorly controlled (ACT < 20) were 27.5%, 48.1%, and 24.5%, respectively. The proportions of patients in the asthma treatment steps as measured by Global Initiative for Asthma 2007 in step 1, step 2, step 3, step 4, and step 5 were 5.5%, 17.4%, 7.6%, 60.2%, and 9.4%, respectively. Body mass index, direct tobacco smoking status and alcohol drinking were not associated with asthma control. On the other hand, younger age (< 65 years old), passive smoking, periodical exercise (> 3 metabolic equivalents-h/week), and raw vegetable intake (> 5 units/week) were significantly associated with good asthma control by bivariate analysis. Younger age, periodical exercise, and raw vegetable intake were significantly associated with good asthma control by multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusions Periodical exercise and raw vegetable intake are associated with good asthma control in Japanese patients.
APPLICATION OF RISK CONTROL PRINCIPLES IN RELATIONS WITH THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY

Adams Randall M. ____ (Writer) (Last Name) (First Name) (Initial) American Psychological Association Publication Manual, 5 th Edition______________ (Style Manual Used in this Study) This study examines historical and current practices and trends in the evolution of the relationships that exist between corporations and the insurance and health care industries in the context of occupational health care, prevention and wellness initiatives, and benefits. The historical implementation of prevention, health and wellness programs by industry is traced, and the development of managed care as an adaptation by the insurance industry of these workplace initiatives is discussed. The practice of occupational health is discussed, including developments in traditional medical approaches as well as emerging concepts of the role of complementary and alternative 3 options in the provision of occupational health services. The role of chiropractic is particularly examined. Methodology includes literature review, professional experience of the author, review of examples of clinical settings in occupational health, personal communication and interviews with practitioners in occupational health and vocational consultation. Corporations are identified as having the core financial stake in the development of innovative approaches to amelioration of challenges faced in protecting the health and well being of their workforce. Corporate concerns are seen historically as the source of concepts that have been co-opted by other industries, such as managed care concepts by the insurance industry, or wellness and prevention by the health care industry. Significantly, the insurance and health care industries can be seen in some respects as reactive to the innovations and demands of the corporate marketplace, rather than proactive. Results are discussed in terms of actions corporate management systems might take to develop more effective policies and programs in their health and wellness endeavors. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Constrained Nets for Graph Matching and Other Quadratic Assignment Problems

Some time ago Durbin and Willshaw proposed an interesting parallel algorithm (the elastic net) for approximately solving some geometric optimization problems, such as the Traveling Salesman Problem. Recently it has been shown that their algorithm is related to neural networks of Hopfield and Tank, and that they both can be understood as the semiclassical approximation to statistical mechanics of related physical models. The main point of the elastic net algorithm is seen to be in the way one deals with the constraints when evaluating the effective cost function (free energy in the thermodynamic analogy), and not in its geometric foundation emphasized originally by Durbin and Willshaw. As a consequence, the elastic net algorithm is a special case of the more general physically based computations and can be generalized to a large class of nongeometric problems. In this paper we further elaborate on this observation, and generalize the elastic net to the quadratic assignment problem. We work out in detail its special case, the graph matching problem, because it is an important problem with many applications in computational vision and neural modeling. Simulation results on random graphs, and on structured (hand-designed) graphs of moderate size (20-100 nodes) are discussed.