Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contemporary Relevance and Ongoing Controversies Related to the CES Production Function

The CES specification has been an important watershed in the development of the production function and its applications over the past fifty years. While the original formulation and estimation were rooted in sound economic theory many issues have been unresolved. In particular, the economic sources of the elasticity of substitution and the meaning of the ``returns to scale'' parameter remained ambiguous. Similarly, the efficient method of estimating the elasticity of substitution is as yet not clear. The primary reason is that several proposed methods of estimating the non-linear CES function did not pay attention to the economic decision processes underlying the observed choices from which estimation begins. Despite these shortcomings substitution and its applications have been so important that a whole lot of applications have been conceptualized. Several important insights have been recorded from the empirical work. However, it was found that the elasticity of substitution concept must be supplemented, or supplanted altogether, by several other explanations, equally rooted in economic theory and well documented empirical regularities, to provide a complete understanding of empirical phenomena. We may need many more years to finally decide which of the developments are worthwhile and which ones deserve discarding. It may take another genius of the stature of Minhas to steer the research out its current turbulence.
Strategic Disclosure in the Patent System

Patent applications are evaluated in light of the prior art. What this means is that patent examiners evaluate a claimed invention by comparing it with what in a rough sense corresponds to the set of ideas and inventions already known to the public. This is done for three reasons. First, the comparison helps to ensure that patents issue only in cases where an inventor has made a non-trivial contribution to the public's store of knowledge. Second, it protects a possible reliance interest on the part of the public since, once an invention is widely known, members of the public might reasonably assume that the invention is free for all to use. And third, it pressures inventors to file their patent applications promptly lest some other inventor disclose a related invention or the applicant himself inadvertently let slip some fraction of his own research result. The prior art inquiry has a fourth policy implication, however, and while this one might not have been one of the motivating factors for establishing the inquiry in the first place, it is just as important when it comes to designing and interpreting sensible prior art rules. That additional wrinkle is simply this: the fact that patent applications are evaluated in light of the prior art gives firms a strategic incentive to create prior art. A firm can publish a journal article or engage in a public demonstration and in that way affect both a rival's ability to patent a related invention and the rival's incentive to do so. Perhaps surprisingly, this can make the disclosing firm better off even though, by revealing information, the firm is likely helping its rival and, worse, narrowing or even fully preempting the very patent it seeks. In this Article, then, we explain the incentive for strategic disclosure. We show that a firm trailing in a given patent race has an incentive to disclose information in the hopes of preempting a rival's patent, but only if the laggard itself has little chance of leapfrogging the leader and winning the race. We show that a firm leading a patent race similarly has an incentive to disclose, this time in an effort to reduce its rival's expected payoff and in that way encourage the rival to quit the race. We consider the possibility that private negotiations will displace public disclosures, for example with the laggard agreeing not to disclose and in exchange receiving from the ultimate patentee some form of favorable licensing agreement. Lastly, we consider the implications all this might have for the patent system overall.
CONTENT-BASED AUTOFOCUSING IN AUTOMATED MICROSCOPY

Autofocusing is the fundamental step when it comes to image a cquisition and analysis with automated microscopy devices. Despite all efforts that have been put i nto developing a reliable autofocus system, recent methods still lack robustness towards different microscop e modes and distracting artefacts. This paper presents a novel automated focusing approach that is generally appli cable to different microscope modes (bright-field, phase contrast, Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) and fluorescence microscopy). The main innovation consists in a Content-based focus search that makes use of a priori knowledge about the observed objects by employing local object features and Boosted Learning. He nce, this method turns away from common autofocus approaches that apply solely whole image frequen cy measurements to obtain the focus plane. Thus, it is possible to exclude artefacts from being brought into f ocus calculation as well as locating the in-focus layer of specific microscopic objects.
Static and dynamic characterization of the LIGHTarm exoskeleton for rehabilitation

This paper presents LIGHTarm, a passive gravity compensated exoskeleton for upper-limb rehabilitation suitable for the use both in the clinical environment and at home. Despite the low-cost and not actuated design, LIGHTarm aims at providing remarkable back-drivability in wide portions of the upper-limb workspace. The weight-support and back-drivability features are experimentally investigated on three healthy subjects through the analysis of the EMG activity recorded in static conditions and during functional movements. Kinematics is also monitored. Preliminary results suggest that LIGHTarm sharply reduces muscular effort required for limb support, quite uniformly in the workspace, and that remarkable back-drivability is achieved during the execution of functional movements.
The Role of Lifelong Learning in Political Stability and Non-Violence: Evidence from Africa

Purpose – Education as a weapon in the fight against conflict and violence remains widely debated in policy and academic circles. Against the background of growing political instability in Africa and the central role of the knowledge economy in 21st century development, this paper provides three contributions to existing literature. It assesses how political stability/ non-violence is linked to the incremental, synergy and lifelong learning effects of education. Design/methodology/approach – We define lifelong learning as the combined knowledge acquired during primary, secondary and tertiary education. Principal component analysis is used to reduce the dimensions of educational and political indicators. An endogeneity robust dynamic system Generalized Methods of Moments is used for the estimations. Findings – We establish three main findings. First, education is a useful weapon in the fight against political instability. Second, there is an incremental effect of education in the transition from secondary to tertiary schools. Third, lifelong learning also has positive and synergy effects. This means that the impact of lifelong learning is higher than the combined independent effects of various educational levels. The empirical evidence is based on 53 African countries for the period 1996-2010. Practical implications – A plethora of policy implications are discussed, inter alia: how the drive towards increasing the knowledge economy through lifelong learning can be an effective tool in the fight against violence and political insurgency in Africa. Originality/value – As the continent is nursing knowledge economy ambitions, the paper is original in investigating the determinants of political stability/non violence from three dimensions of education attainment: the incremental, the lifelong learning and a synergy effect.
Hepatic Atypical Protein Kinase C: An Inherited Survival-Longevity Gene that Now Fuels Insulin-Resistant Syndromes of Obesity, the Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

This review focuses on how insulin signals to metabolic processes in health, why this signaling is frequently deranged in Western/Westernized societies, how these derangements lead to, or abet development of, insulin-resistant states of obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and what our options are for restoring insulin signaling, and glucose/lipid homeostasis. A central theme in this review is that excessive hepatic activity of an archetypal protein kinase enzyme, “atypical” protein kinase C (aPKC), plays a critically important role in the development of impaired glucose metabolism, systemic insulin resistance, and excessive hepatic production of glucose, lipids and proinflammatory factors that underlie clinical problems of glucose intolerance, obesity, hepatosteatosis, hyperlipidemia, and, ultimately, type 2 diabetes. The review suggests that normally inherited genes, in particular, the aPKC isoforms, that were important for survival and longevity in times of food scarcity are now liabilities in times of over-nutrition. Fortunately, new knowledge of insulin signaling mechanisms and how an aberration of excessive hepatic aPKC activation is induced by over-nutrition puts us in a position to target this aberration by diet and/or by specific inhibitors of hepatic aPKC.
Increased phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in COPD lungs

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is upregulated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To date, dual labelling to identify cell-type-specific presence of phosphorylated (phospho-)p38 MAPK has not been carried out. Phospho-p38 MAPK was quantified in a variety of cell types in the lung tissue of 20 COPD patients, 12 smokers and 12 nonsmokers using immunohistochemistry. Paired blood and sputum neutrophils (from seven subjects with COPD), and CD8 and epithelial cells (from three subjects with COPD) were cultured with a p38 MAPK inhibitor. Supernatant tumour necrosis factor-α and CXCL8 levels were analysed by ELISA. Sputum and blood neutrophil cytospins were analysed for phospho-p38 MAPK. Phospho-p38 MAPK was increased in bronchial epithelial cells, macrophages and CD20+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in COPD lungs. Sputum and lung tissue neutrophils were devoid of phospho-p38 in all patient groups. The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB100 attenuated pro-inflammatory mediator release in COPD lung CD8 cells and airway epithelia, but there was no effect on COPD sputum neutrophils. Our data indicate cell-specific anti-inflammatory effects of p38 MAPK inhibition in the lung.
Study of Relationship Between Depression and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia

Depression is among the personality traits of schizophrenic patients, which results from psychotic features or is a consequence of a period of psychosis. Depression in schizophrenic patients is one of the important factors affecting their quality of life. The study population of this descriptive and analytic study consists of patients with chronic schizophrenia in Zahedan in 2014. The sample included 60 patients who simultaneously suffered from depression and were selected using random sampling (30 males and 30 females). The research instruments included the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (the inventory was filled out by the tester). In order to form a statistics analysis, we used Pearson correlation and regression multivariate. Investigating the study hypotheses showed that there was a negative correlation between the high level of depression and low quality of life. the relationship between depression and the quality of life subscales showed that in women, the variable of symptoms and complications was a significant predictor; however, the other two variables (energy and motivation and psychosocial) were not significant predictors. In case of men, psychosocial variable was a significant predictor; however, the other two variables (energy and motivation and symptoms and complications) were not significant predictors. In general, depression on these patients makes discontent of life on them; therefore, elimination of their depression on their treatment is necessary.
Ultra-Deep Sequencing of HIV-1 near Full-Length and Partial Proviral Genomes Reveals High Genetic Diversity among Brazilian Blood Donors

Background Here, we aimed to gain a comprehensive picture of the HIV-1 diversity in the northeast and southeast part of Brazil. To this end, a high-throughput sequencing-by-synthesis protocol and instrument were used to characterize the near full length (NFLG) and partial HIV-1 proviral genome in 259 HIV-1 infected blood donors at four major blood centers in Brazil: Pro-Sangue foundation (São Paulo state (SP), n 51), Hemominas foundation (Minas Gerais state (MG), n 41), Hemope foundation (Recife state (PE), n 96) and Hemorio blood bank (Rio de Janeiro (RJ), n 70). Materials and Methods A total of 259 blood samples were obtained from 195 donors with long-standing infections and 64 donors with a lack of stage information. DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to amplify the HIV-1 NFLGs from five overlapping fragments. The amplicons were molecularly bar-coded, pooled, and sequenced by Illumina paired-end protocol. Results Of the 259 samples studied, 208 (80%) NFLGs and 49 (18.8%) partial fragments were de novo assembled into contiguous sequences and successfully subtyped. Of these 257 samples, 183 (71.2%) were pure subtypes consisting of clade B (n = 167, 65%), C (n = 10, 3.9%), F1 (n = 4, 1.5%), and D (n = 2, 0.7%). Recombinant viruses were detected in 74 (28.8%) samples and consist of unique BF1 (n = 41, 15.9%), BC (n = 7, 2.7%), BCF1 (n = 4, 1.5%), CF1 and CDK (n = 1, 0.4%, each), CRF70_BF1 (n = 4, 1.5%), CRF71_BF1 (n = 12, 4.7%), and CRF72_BF1 (n = 4, 1.5%). Evidence of dual infection was detected in four patients coinfected with the same subtype (n = 3) and distinct subtype (n = 1). Conclusion Based on this work, subtype B appears to be the prevalent subtype followed by a high proportion of intersubtype recombinants that appeared to be arising continually in this country. Our study represents the largest analysis of the viral NFLG ever undertaken worldwide and provides insights into the understanding the genesis of the HIV-1 epidemic in this particular area of South America and informs vaccine design and clinical trials.
The Spatial Dimension of Welfare and Poverty : Lessons from a Regional Targeting Program in Indonesia

This paper examines the spatial dimension of welfare and poverty in Indonesia and explores the effective policy interventions to remedy the regional economic disparity which was most vividly shown during the recent economic crisis. The econometric estimations confirm the existence of a spatial poverty trap, where poverty persists for generations. The inclusion of the placement of Impres Desa Tertingal (IDT) implemented during 1994–96 suggests that the regional targeting programme could fail to achieve its policy goal when the empowerment of local communities is insufficient. It is suggested that full–scale decentralization could remedy the targeting policy failure. JEL classification: O15; O18; R15
Protein Degradation and Protection Observed in the Presence of Novel Wound Dressing Components

Chronic wounds typically have excessive levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and proinflammatory cytokines that impair healing. Reducing these detrimental proteins may be key to healing chronic wounds. Proprietary protease blends were formulated specifically to degrade excessive amounts of proinflammatory factors that could prevent wound healing. Applications of protease-containing wound dressings to acute and chronic wounds have been observed clinically to resolve inflammation and appear to aid healing. The purpose of this study was to test in vitro a deliberate blend of proteases for the ability to deactivate or activate known proteins associated with inflammation or healing. Purified human target proteins were incubated with test and control solutions and samples removed at various time points. Blinded samples were tested using a novel infrared protein multiplex sandwich-ELISA-type array technique. Many proinflammatory proteins such as MMPs, cytokines and chemokines were susceptible to degradation. Many proteins such as growth factors, cytokines and TIMP1 were resistant to degradation. Not all proinflammatory proteins were deactivated. Family protein structure did not appear to affect susceptibility to degradation or deactivation. These results suggest that specific protease containing wound dressings appear to reduce multiple detrimental components which may disrupt their deleterious effects on the wound bed and microenvironment. By improving the wound microenvironment through the use of definitive proteases, these novel wound dressings may help transition wounds into the subsequent phase of healing.
Embedding diversity in a university justice curriculum

This paper reports on an action-learning project conducted within the first year criminal justice curriculum in an Australian university. The project was initiated after an audit of first year units and student feedback revealed that there were gaps in the curriculum that possibly were disadvantaging certain groups of students, including mature, international, queer and disabled students, rendering them invisible. Official (university controlled student surveys and other feedback mechanisms) and anecdotal feedback found that at least some students in these groups felt disenfranchised; that is, unable to relate to either the subject mater, other students, or the university setting itself. As a school in which social justice provides the context for learning about criminal justice, first year subject coordinators as a group came to recognise the need for embedding diversity in the curriculum.
Asymmetric latent semantic indexing for gene expression experiments visualization

We propose a new method to visualize gene expression experiments inspired by the latent semantic indexing technique originally proposed in the textual analysis context. By using the correspondence word-gene document-experiment, we define an asymmetric similarity measure of association for genes that accounts for potential hierarchies in the data, the key to obtain meaningful gene mappings. We use the polar decomposition to obtain the sources of asymmetry of the similarity matrix, which are later combined with previous knowledge. Genetic classes of genes are identified by means of a mixture model applied in the genes latent space. We describe the steps of the procedure and we show its utility in the Human Cancer dataset.
PENGARUH STRUKTUR MODAL, PROFITABILITAS DAN UKURAN PERUSAHAAN PADA NILAI PERUSAHAAN

ABSTRAK Perusahaan mempunyai tujuan jangka panjang yaitu untuk memaksimumkan kemakmuran pemegang saham. Memaksimumkan kemakmuran pemegang saham dapat ditempuh dengan memaksimumkan nilai sekarang . Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh struktur modal, profitabilitas dan ukuran perusahaan pada nilai perusahaan di Bursa Efek Indonesia periode 2009-2011. Populasi penelitian ini adalah industri manufaktur yang tercatat di Bursa Efek Indonesia tahun 2009-2011. Metode penentuan sampel dengan metode purposive sampling , dengan beberapa kriteria yang telah ditentukan maka jumlah sampel adalah sebanyak 71 perusahaan manufaktur. Data penelitian merupakan data sekunder diperoleh dari Indonesian Capital Market Directory (ICMD) tahun 2009-2011. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis regresi linear berganda. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa: 1) struktur modal berpengaruh negatif dan signifikan pada nilai perusahaan, 2) profitabilitas berpengaruh positif dan signifikan pada nilai perusahaan 3) ukuran perusahaan tidak berpengaruh pada nilai perusahaan. Kata Kunci : struktur modal, profitabilitas, ukuran perusahaan, nilai perusahaan
Developmental welfare capitalism in East Asia with a special emphasis on South Korea

The aim of this paper is to clarify the kind of capitalist society that is emerging in South Korea. To keep the conceptual analysis focused, the paper addresses the questions of how and why the structural and institutional socio-economic and political arrangements have changed during South Korea's catch-up process and what others could learn from it. Using a historical-comparative approach, the paper shows how the economic policy and welfare protection of the developmental welfare capitalism in East Asia in general and in South Korea in particular have changed during the differ-ent stages of the economic catch-up process. In addition, it points out the major chal-lenges that the model faces in the future. It appears that the socio-economic and po-litical arrangements of the era reflect the level of economic development and starting conditions, on the one hand, and the balance of power between labour, capital and the political establishment, on the other hand. The biggest challenge to the democra-tised and export oriented East Asian developmental welfare capitalism is the urgency to find quick but sustainable solutions to the accumulated social problems in the con-text of worldwide economic recession and intensified globalisation.
Constrained Clustering Algorithms: Practical Issues and Applications

Recently a new fashion of semi-supervised clustering algorithms, coined as Constrained Clustering, has emerged. These algorithms can incorporate some a priori domain knowledge to the clustering process, allowing the user to guide the method and improve the quality of the partitions. Up to this date, the research on this topic has been focused on developing new algorithms, mostly overlooking certain practical questions whose importance is capital in realworld problems. In this thesis we identify and study two of these issues, constraint extraction and robustness to noise. In this thesis we perform an analysis of the robustness of some Constrained Clustering algorithms to noisy sets of constraints, designing an experiment in which their behaviour is tested with synthetic sets of inaccurate constraints created with two noise models, one of them based on intuitions about the nature of real errors in the constraints. The strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm are discussed and used to conclude the scenarios in which using it is the best decision. Moreover, we likewise propose in this work two schemes to automatically extract constraints in two important domains: web pages and text in general. In the former we use information external to the web pages (their social tags), whereas in the later we use information which is not taken into account by the usual text representation schemes (the order of the words). Both methods are tested in thorough experiments over reference collections and compared with suitable baselines. Lastly, and keeping with the practical focus of this thesis, we have as well analysed how to apply Constrained Clustering to tackle an existing real-world problem, the Avoiding Bias task, proposing a scheme that uses constraints to codify the partition to be avoided. We study as well how to improve the quality of the alternative partitions, proposing two approaches which use spectral clustering techniques.