Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CONVERGENCE OF TAX BURDEN, TAX REVENUES AND IMPLICIT TAX RATES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES

Formation of a single market is one of the main pr iorities during the integration process of the European Union. For this purpos e it was planned to unify tax rules throughout the entire Community. The main que stion of this paper is whether the European Union has been meeting the obj ective of single market. It focuses on a question whether the tax systems are c onverging in the context of tax burden, tax mixes and implicit tax rates. Beta and Sigma convergences are used for meeting the goal of the paper. The results ggest evidence of a convergence in the field of tax burden and implicit tax r tes during the analyzed period. The results also highlight the fact of a possible i nfluence of EU integration as well as of globalization and tax competition issues .
Dynamic Seigniorage Theory: an Exploration

This paper shows that the optimal extraction of seigniorage implies a strong tendency for inflation to fall over time toward its socially optimal level. The point is made using a multi-period model in which (i) the government can finance deficits through bond issue or money creation, (ii) private-sector expectations are rational, and (iii) the government sets the inflation rate each period in a discretionary manner. One way to view the model is as a synthesis of the "tax-smoothing" theory of government deficits, which predicts that the inflation tax follows approximately a martingale, and of models of discretionary policy making, which predict (absent reputation effects) that inflation is likely to exceed its socially optimal level. Both predictions are modified when the two approaches to explaining inflation are merged. Reputation effects play no role in the analysis.
Do More Open Economies Have Bigger Governments? Another Look

In the Journal of Political Economy, Rodrik (1998) finds a positive association between the openness of an economy and its government size. He explains this paradox by arguing that government expenditures are used to provide social insurance against the risk of terms of trade shocks that open economies face. This paper examines the relationship of other measures of the size of government to openness of an economy and to risk of terms of trade shocks. We present evidence that less open economies are highly interventionist and their governments "large" based on different measures of government than those used by Rodrik. In particular, we find that less open economies tend to have a great deal more government in the form of more government ownership, more use of price controls, a higher likelihood of expropriation of property and repudiation of contracts, and more trade barriers. We also find higher levels of these forms of government in countries with greater exposure to trade shocks. The inter-relationships uncovered by Rodrik (1998), various authors in the literature, and in this paper are still not completely understood. It is clear, though, that focus on budgetary measures of government misses much of the picture regarding the role of government and its relationship to international trade.
Efficient and Cost-Effective Alternative Treatment for Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections and Interstitial Cystitis in Women: A Two-Case Report

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections affecting women. UTIs are primarily caused by Escherichia coli, which increases the likelihood of a recurrent infection. We encountered two cases of recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) with a positive E. coli culture, not improving with antibiotics due to the development of antibiotic resistance. An alternative therapeutic regimen based on parsley and garlic, L-arginine, probiotics, and cranberry tablets has been given. This regimen showed a significant health improvement and symptoms relief without recurrence for more than 12 months. In conclusion, the case supports the concept of using alternative medicine in treating rUTI and as a prophylaxis or in patients who had developed antibiotic resistance.
Forecasting the Spot Exchange Rate with the Term Structure of Forward Premia: Multivariate Threshold Cointegration

In this paper we develop a multivariate threshold vector error correction model of spot and forward exchange rates that allows for different forms of equilibrium reversion in each of the cointegrating residual series. By introducing the notion of an indicator matrix to differentiate between the various regimes in the set of nonlinear processes we provide a convenient framework for estimation by OLS. Empirically, out-of sample forecasting exercises demonstrate its superiority over a linear VECM, while being unable to out-predict a (driftless) random walk model. As such we provide empirical evidence against the findings of Clarida and Taylor (1997).
Challenges of drug resistance in the management of pancreatic cancer

The current treatment of choice for metastatic pancreatic cancer involves single-agent gemcitabine or a combination of gemcitabine with capecitabine or erlotinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor). Only 25–30% of patients respond to this treatment and patients who do respond initially ultimately exhibit disease progression. Median survival for pancreatic cancer patients has reached a plateau due to inherent and acquired resistance to these agents. Key molecular factors implicated in this resistance include: deficiencies in drug uptake, alteration of drug targets, activation of DNA repair pathways, resistance to apoptosis and the contribution of the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, for newer agents including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, overexpression of signaling proteins, mutations in kinase domains, activation of alternative pathways, mutations of genes downstream of the target and/or amplification of the target represent key challenges for treatment efficacy. Here we will review the contribution of known mechanisms and markers of resistance to key pancreatic cancer drug treatments.
Identification of a human OX-40 ligand, a costimulator of CD4+ T cells with homology to tumor necrosis factor

The human OX-40 cell surface antigen is a CD4+ T cell activation marker that acts as a costimulatory receptor and is a member of the nerve growth factor receptor/tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family. Using a soluble form of the receptor, the extracellular region fused with human immunoglobulin Fc, we expression cloned the human OX-40 ligand cDNA from a library derived from an activated B lymphoblastoid cell line MSAB. The encoded protein is identified as gp34, a type II transmembrane antigen previously known to be expressed only by human T cell lymphotropic virus 1-infected cells. We describe gp34 as a new member of the TNF family, and find that the recombinant ligand expressed in COS cells costimulates phorbol myristate acetate, phytohemagglutinin, and anti-CD3-induced CD4+ T cell proliferation.
Novel breast cancer susceptibility locus at 9q31.2: results of a genome-wide association study.

BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies have identified several common genetic variants associated with breast cancer risk. It is likely, however, that a substantial proportion of such loci have not yet been discovered. METHODS We compared 296,114 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 1694 breast cancer case subjects (92% with two primary cancers or at least two affected first-degree relatives) and 2365 control subjects, with validation in three independent series totaling 11,880 case subjects and 12,487 control subjects. Odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in each stage and all stages combined were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Heterogeneity was evaluated with Cochran Q and I(2) statistics. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS We identified a novel risk locus for breast cancer at 9q31.2 (rs865686: OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.85 to 0.92, P = 1.75 × 10(-10)). This single-nucleotide polymorphism maps to a gene desert, the nearest genes being Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4, 636 kb centromeric), RAD23 homolog B (RAD23B, 794 kb centromeric), and actin-like 7A (ACTL7A, 736 kb telomeric). We also identified two variants (rs3734805 and rs9383938) mapping to 6q25.1 estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), which were associated with breast cancer in subjects of northern European ancestry (rs3734805: OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.27, P = 1.35 × 10(-7); rs9383938: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.26, P = 1.41 × 10(-7)). A variant mapping to 10q26.13, approximately 300 kb telomeric to the established risk locus within the second intron of FGFR2, was also associated with breast cancer risk, although not at genome-wide statistical significance (rs10510102: OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.17, P = 1.58 × 10(-6)). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide further evidence on the role of genetic variation in the etiology of breast cancer. Fine mapping will be needed to identify causal variants and to determine their functional effects.
Given that China's Regions Have Become More Economically Unequal since the Market-Oriented Reforms in 1978, What is the Impact of the Regional Disparities on Economic Growth Overall?

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 LITERATURE REVIEW 7 CONCEPTUAL MODEL & METHODOLOGY 12 DATA & SUMMARY STATISTICS 17 Data 17 Analysis of descriptive tables and charts 17 REGRESSION RESULTS & FINDINGS 23 The analysis of regression results 23 The outcome of the tested hypothesis 26 Key Findings: Discussion of variables statistically significant 26 Discussion of variables not statistically significant 27 POLICY RELEVANCE 29 CONCLUSION 32 REFERENCE 34 LIST OF TABLES AND CHART Table 1: Variables in the Model 16 Table 2: Overall Data / Data Description 20 Chart 1: Disparity Status among 31 Provinces in China by Year from 1996-2004. 21 Table 3: Comparison Statistics between a Group of Coastal Provinces and a Group of Non-Coastal Provinces 22 Table 4: Regression Results with Different Combinations of Fixed Effect 24 Table 5: Beta Coefficient Values of Model 1 25
Game-theoretic equilibrium analysis applications to deregulated electricity markets

Acknowledgements None of this work would have been possible without the selfless assistance of a great number of people. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Ross Baldick for his guidance, encouragement, support and great ideas throughout the whole process of my research. He is a wonderful mentor, and his commitment to teaching and dedication to his students was an inspiration to always strive to become a better engineer. I will be forever in debt to Dr. Baldick for all that I have learned from him. I would like to gratefully thank the members of my committee for their valued guidance, time, helpful discussion and contribution to this work. Dr. Kenneth Hendricks provided invaluable guidance and advice on my research; Dr. You Seok Son has been a great supporter for doing research and understanding the electricity industry.
Inflow/Outflow Boundary Conditions for Particle-Based Blood Flow Simulations: Application to Arterial Bifurcations and Trees

When blood flows through a bifurcation, red blood cells (RBCs) travel into side branches at different hematocrit levels, and it is even possible that all RBCs enter into one branch only, leading to a complete separation of plasma and RBCs. To quantify this phenomenon via particle-based mesoscopic simulations, we developed a general framework for open boundary conditions in multiphase flows that is effective even for high hematocrit levels. The inflow at the inlet is duplicated from a fully developed flow generated in a pilot simulation with periodic boundary conditions. The outflow is controlled by adaptive forces to maintain the flow rate and velocity gradient at fixed values, while the particles leaving the arteriole at the outlet are removed from the system. Upon validation of this approach, we performed systematic 3D simulations to study plasma skimming in arterioles of diameters 20 to 32 microns. For a flow rate ratio 6:1 at the branches, we observed the “all-or-nothing” phenomenon with plasma only entering the low flow rate branch. We then simulated blood-plasma separation in arteriolar bifurcations with different bifurcation angles and same diameter of the daughter branches. Our simulations predict a significant increase in RBC flux through the main daughter branch as the bifurcation angle is increased. Finally, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the new methodology in simulations of blood flow in vessels with multiple inlets and outlets, constructed using an angiogenesis model.
Acute pyelonephritis in adults: a case series of 223 patients.

BACKGROUND Acute pyelonephritis (APN) is a common disease which rarely evolves into abscesses. METHODS We prospectively collected clinical, biochemical and radiological data of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of APN from 2000 to 2008. RESULTS Urinary culture was positive in 64/208 patients (30.7%) and blood cultures in 39/182 cases (21.4%). Two hundred and thirteen patients were submitted to computed tomography (CT) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR): confirmation of APN was obtained in 196 patients (92%). Among these, 46 (23.5%) had positive urine culture, 31 (15.8%) had positive blood culture and 15 (7.6%) had positive cultures of both urine and blood. In 98 patients, either urine or blood cultures were negative, but CT/NMR were positive for APN. Fifty of the 213 patients submitted to CT/NMR (23.5%) had intrarenal abscesses: only 2 were evidenced by ultrasound examination. No differences were found between patients with positive or negative CT with regards to fever, leucocytosis, C-reactive protein, pyuria, urine cultures and duration of symptoms before hospitalization. No differences were found between patients with or without abscesses with regards to these parameters and risk factors. Patients with abscesses had a longer duration of treatment and hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that in APN it is not always possible to routinely document urinary infection in a clinical setting. This finding could be explained by previous antibiotic treatment, low bacterial growth or atypical pathogens. Systematic CT or NMR is necessary to exclude evolution into abscesses, which cannot be suspected on clinical grounds or by ultrasound examination and may also develop in the absence of risk factors.
Enchantment Under the Sea: An Intelligent Enviroment for User Friendly Music Mixing

Disc Jokeys (DJs) generally mix music in a confined isolated space. This can make the DJ have depression sentiments and it can also difficult the DJ's understanding of his public. We present Enchantment Under The Sea: a new intelligent environment that allows the disc jokey to roam freely, interact directly with his audience, receive informative feedback about the public's social interactions, while also respecting the DJs privacy concerns. The music interface is controlled using Microsoft's wireless touch mouse with ubiquitous gestures that resemble dance moves. The music mixing interface is displayed on the walls of the event, where two different display modalities are enabled: open interface, in which the public can observe all of the DJ's decisions with the music mixing interface and also actively give music suggestions to the DJ. And a closed interface, where all the music controllers are mapped to sea animals, that only the DJ knows the mapping to, thus providing privacy to the DJ's work. The public's social interactions are measured with sonar sensors whose data is provided to the DJ through the musical interface. We report results of a controlled usability inspection.
EFFECT OF MOLYBDENUM ON NITROGENASE AND NI- TRATE REDUCTASE ACTIVITIES OF WHEAT INOCU- LATED WITH AZOSPIRILLUM BRASILENSE GROWN UN- DER DROUGHT STRESS

Summary. The effect of Mo on nitrate reductase and nitrogenase activities as well as the growth and mineral nutrition of wheat inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense in greenhouse pot experiments under drought stress conditions was evaluated. Plant dry weight and total N-yield appeared to be drastically affected by the severe drought stress. This inhibition was associated with a decline in nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrogenase (NA) activities of both shoot and root systems. Under severe water stress (35%) low nitrogen-fixing activity and low Azospirillium content were obtained. Mo application affected positively wheat growth, total plant N-yield, saccharides, protein, potassium and magnesium contents both in control and inoculated plants under severe water stress (35%). Nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrogenase (NA) activities in inoculated and uninoculated plants in the absence of Mo declined as a result of water stress injury. Mo application caused a stronger increase in the activity of nitrate reductase compared to nitrogenase activity. Application of Mo led to an increased accumulation of K + ions up to 2-fold compared to the respective Mo-untreated plants. Our results indicated that Mo could contribute considerably to the tolerance of water deficits in wheat inoculated with Azospirillum. Abbreviations: Mo- Molybdenum; NR- Nitrate reductase; NA- Nitrogenase; SMC - Soil moisture content; AZ- Azospirillum brasilense
On utility of gene set signatures in gene expression-based cancer class prediction

Machine learning methods that can use additional knowledge in their inference process are central to the development of integrative bioinformatics. Inclusion of background knowledge improves robustness, predictive accuracy and interpretability. Recently, a set of such techniques has been proposed that use information on gene sets for supervised data mining of class-labeled microarray data sets. We here present a new gene set-based supervised learning approach named SetSig and systematically investigate the predictive accuracy of this and other gene set approaches compared to the standard inference model where only gene expression information is used. Our results indicate that SetSig outperforms other gene set approaches, but contrary to earlier reports, transformation of gene expression data to the space of gene set signatures does not result in increased accuracy of predictive models when compared to those trained directly from original (not transformed) data.
Output consensus for multiple non-holonomic systems under directed communication topology

In this paper, the problem of output consensus for multiple non-holonomic systems in chained form has been investigated. First, an output consensus controller under the strongly connected communication topology is devised by two steps, where a time-varying control strategy and the backstepping design technique are employed. Then, the results are extended to the general directed topology case via graph decomposition, in which the input-to-state stability theory plays a critical role. We prove that the proposed controller can achieve the semi-global output consensus among multiple non-holonomic systems, provided that the interaction graph contains a spanning tree. Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the designed controller.
On the isolation of spectacles and the extraction of faces for personal identification

An improved algorithm for isolating spectacles from faces is presented. To increase the recognition accuracy of human faces, the faces must be isolated precisely. In conventional systems, however, faces with spectacles are occasionally not exactly extracted because of the presence of spectacles. From this point of view, an improved algorithm for isolating spectacles and faces is presented. From the experimental results, it is clear that the extraction accuracy increases approximately 10% to an accuracy of 98.5%.
PENGARUH PENERAPAN GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DAN KEPEMILIKAN INSTITUSIONAL TERHADAP KINERJA KEUANGAN ( STUDI PADA PERUSAHAAN PESERTA CGPI YANG TERDAFTAR DI BEI TAHUN 2009-2011)

Penerapan Good Corporate Governance (GCG) pada perusahaan merupakan suatu konsep yang digunakan guna menjaga konsistensi dan kepercayaan masyarakat terhadap perusahaan . Keberadaan GCG saat ini menjadi sebuah kebutuhan yang menjembatani kebutuhan antara investor dan manajemen perusahaan. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penerapan GCG dan kepemilikan institusional terhadap kinerja keuangan . Populasi yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah perusahaan yang terdaftar pada Corporate Governance Perception Index (CGPI) selama periode tahun 2009-2011. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan dengan metode purposive Sampling. Pengujian hipotesis dilakukan dengan analisis regresi linear berganda . Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa GCG dan kepemilikan Institusional memiliki pengaruhbaik terhadap ROE maupun ROA. Kata kunci: GCG, Kepemilikan Institusional, ROE, ROA ABSTRACT The Implementation of Good Corporate Governance (GCG) is a concept that used in order to maintain consistency and public confidence in company . The existence of GCG is currently becoming a necessity that bridges between investor with company manajement. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the implementation of good corporate governance and institutional ownership on financial performance. The population used in this study is a company registered on the Corporate Governance Perception Index (CGPI) during the period 2009-2011. Sampling was done by purposive sampling method . Hypothesis testing used linear regression analysis . Results of this study indicate that GCG and institusional ownership has a influence on ROE and ROA. Keywords:GCG, Institusional Ownership, ROE, ROA
Energy use and energy access in relation to poverty

This paper looks at how access and use of energy are related to poverty. Different approaches to how energy poverty might be measured are presented. One approach involves the estimation of basic energy needs of a household based on engineering calculations and certain normative assumptions. The second looks at poverty in relation to access to different energy sources. An alternative approach is then provided that combines the elements of access and consumption of energy in order to examine how these relate to the well being of households. Examining well being in terms of both these dimensions – access to clean and efficient energy sources; and sufficiency in terms of the quantity of energy consumed, could be an important complementary measure of poverty. The consumption dimension includes non-commercial consumption and thus includes self-produced and bartered products. The access dimension can serve as an indicator of the extent of market integration, or more specifically, as an indicator of the opportunity to join the modern market economy.
The magnitude of local adaptation under genotype-dependent dispersal

Dispersal moves individuals from patches where their immediate ancestors were successful to sites where their genotypes are untested. As a result, dispersal generally reduces fitness, a phenomenon known as “migration load. ” The strength of migration load depends on the pattern of dispersal and can be dramatically lessened or reversed when individuals move preferentially toward patches conferring higher fitness. Evolutionary ecologists have long modeled nonrandom dispersal, focusing primarily on its effects on population density over space, the maintenance of genetic variation, and reproductive isolation. Here, we build upon previous work by calculating how the extent of local adaptation and the migration load are affected when individuals differ in their dispersal rate in a genotype-dependent manner that alters their match to their environment. Examining a one-locus, two-patch model, we show that local adaptation occurs through a combination of natural selection and adaptive dispersal. For a substantial portion of parameter space, adaptive dispersal can be the predominant force generating local adaptation. Furthermore, genetic load may be largely averted with adaptive dispersal whenever individuals move before selective deaths occur. Thus, to understand the mechanisms driving local adaptation, biologists must account for the extent and nature of nonrandom, genotype-dependent dispersal, and the potential for adaptation via spatial sorting of genotypes.