Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reviewing the public discourse of the Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision) playoff issue pre-BCS: a historical analysis of core event stakeholder perspectives.

Opinions from the various stakeholders of the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), such as conference commissioners, university presidents/chancellors, bowl executives, and coaches, are numerous and well documented by the popular media since the establishment of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998. The public discourse offered by the various popular media sources significantly influenced the behaviors and perspectives of others on the prospects of a Division I FBS playoff before the BCS. Few academic and historical reviews of the core event stakeholders (i.e., athletic directors, coaches, and players) involved with the playoff debate have been formally organized prior to the establishment of the BCS. This research effort analyzed the public discourse generated by the core event stakeholders from 1960 to 1998 and compared the rationale of those supporting a Division I FBS playoff versus those arguments which created a specific culture overtime to prevent the facilitation of a national elimination tournament. Finally, this work discusses whether these anti-playoff concerns, still advocated today, are legitimate.
Chinese FDI to Africa: What is the Nexus with foreign economic cooperation?

Abstract: China, once a major recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI), has recently become one of the main ‘emerging’ investors, especially in developing countries. Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) plays a very prominent role in economic interaction with many African countries. This paper empirically investigates the determinants of Chinese OFDI versus 41 African countries over the period 1998–2007. The analysis is novel because it provides empirical support to the existing, so far purely anecdotic, evidence describing Chinese FDI to Africa as driven by natural resources endowments and market potential. The econometric analysis highlights strong interrelationships between Chinese FDI and economic cooperation, which make standard models of investments unfit when assessing the role of China in Africa. It also suggests some new lines of research, exploiting the strong links between these different sources of financing.
A Public Choice Model of Trade Union Behaviour and Membership

It is commonly assumed in the microeconomic literature concerned with trade union behaviour that the union maximises an aggregate utility function defined over homogeneous individuals, and that the level of membership is fixed. ' The purpose of this paper is to relax these two assumptions. It is suggested below that trade unions may usefully be treated as political organisations comprising heterogeneous individuals and that the effects of union wage policies on the level of membership should be explicitly incorporated into the model. Consider first the assumption that the union is a homogeneous organisation. This is often a convenient simplification, but observation of the behaviour and government of trade unions suggests it is hardly realistic. Trade unions in the United Kingdom are large groups based on a complex organisational structure comprising an executive, a shop steward system, and a body of rank-and-file members. Once the union is considered as a complex organisation, the question arises as to how members' preferences are transmitted through the hierarchical levels, each of which may have conflicting aims. There are two polar theoretical approaches to this question in the industrial relations literature (Clegg, I980). At one extreme, unions are seen as oligarchies unresponsive to members' wishes. Full-time officials, it is argued, secure a monopoly of power to stay in office with the assistance of low membership participation and apathy. At the other extreme, unions are regarded as organisations which are quasi-democratic due to the presence of informal parties or factions, the growth of workplace organisation, and the existence of voting and postal or workplace balloting. These two polar approaches to trade unions as large organisations may be linked up to parallel economic analyses of organisations. If it is believed that trade unions are oligarchies, then it may be enlightening to apply to unions economic models of bureaucracy, or models of the firm comprising both shareholders and management. Alternatively, if it is believed that trade unions are democratic organisations, then public choice behavioural models may be enlightening. The public choice model is chosen in this paper in preference to modern theories of the firm or of bureaucracies, because it is believed that the public choice model represents a closer first approximation to trade union behaviour in the United Kingdom, although of course some particular unions may better fit the oligarchic model. The second major concern of this paper is to relax the assumption of a fixed level of union membership. The use of a fixed membership assumption in the
Time preferences, socioeconomic status and smokers' behaviour, attitudes and risk awareness.

BACKGROUND Tobacco control policies have succeeded in reducing tobacco use, but the negative correlation between smoking prevalence and socioeconomic status (SES) has increased. This study focused on the relationships between time preferences, SES, and smoking behaviour, attitudes and risk awareness. METHODS A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in France in 2008 on a representative national sample of people aged 18-75 (N = 2000, including 621 smokers) years. Two scales measuring planning horizon and impulsivity and various indicators of SES were introduced into the logistic regressions performed on smoking status and smokers' attitudes to anti-smoking campaigns, quitting attempts, attempts to quit or smoke less, fear of smoking-related cancer and risk perception. RESULTS Indicators of lower SES and smoking status were correlated with present time orientation and impulsivity. On modelling smoking status, time orientation and lower SES were found to be significant predictors. Among smokers, lower SES and present time orientation were predictive of smoking-related outcomes: little personal concern with anti-tobacco campaigns, not reporting recent behavioural changes, not expressing personal fear of smoking-related cancer and low risk awareness. When time-related preferences were introduced into the analysis, the effects of several lower SES indicators (especially a low educational level) became non-significant. CONCLUSION The relationship between SES and smoking behaviour, attitudes and beliefs may be partly mediated by time preferences. Time preference is strongly correlated with smoking status, risk perceptions and attitudes towards anti-smoking campaigns. Tobacco control policies should include messages targeting present time-oriented smokers and/or interventions designed to enhance more future-oriented attitudes among smokers.
TRANSACTIVATION OF VIMENTIN BY BETA-CATENIN IN HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELLS

The cytoplasmic and nuclear redistribution of beta-catenin and the de novo expression of vimentin are frequently involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition associated with increased invasive/migratory properties of epithelial cells. Because beta-catenin can act as a coactivator of transcription through its binding to the T-cell factor (TCF)/lymphoid enhancer factor 1 transcription factor family, we have explored the possibility that beta-catenin/TCF could directly transactivate vimentin. We first compared vimentin expression in relation with the localization of beta-catenin in eight breast cancer cell lines displaying various degrees of invasiveness and in a model of cell migration using human mammary MCF10A cells. We could thus show a cytoplasmic and/or nuclear distribution of beta-catenin in invasive/migratory cells expressing vimentin, but not in noninvasive/stationary vimentin-negative cell lines. In addition, the human vimentin promoter was found to be up-regulated by beta-catenin and TCF-4 cotransfection. Varying with the cellular background, a diminution of this up-regulation was observed when the putative beta-catenin/TCF binding site of the vimentin promoter was mutated. Our results therefore demonstrate that the vimentin promoter is a target of the beta-catenin/TCF pathway and strongly suggest an implication of this regulation in epithelial cell migration/invasion.
Evidence on the sectoral monetary transmission process under a fixed exchange rate regime

Traditional macroeconomic models suggest that monetary policy changes are largely ineffective in fixed exchange rate economies. However, Edwards and Végh (1997) present a model that shows this might not be the case, as a tightening in monetary policy raises financial costs faced by firms and therefore lowers real wages and, by extension, consumption. This paper empirically tests this hypothesis using data on a country with one of the longest running fixed exchange rate regimes (1975–present). The results of the study confirm the theoretical predictions of Edwards and Végh, but they also show that the propagation of nominal shocks in fixed exchange rate systems is comparatively slower than in countries with a more flexible exchange rate regime.
Characterization of a proton-translocating ATPase in microsomal vesicles from corn roots.

Sealed microsomal vesicles were prepared from corn (Zea mays, Crow Single Cross Hybrid WF9-Mo17) roots by centrifugation of a 10,000 to 80,000g microsomal fraction onto a 10% dextran T-70 cushion. The Mg(2+)-ATPase activity of the sealed vesicles was stimulated by Cl(-) and NH(4) (+) and by ionophores and protonophores such as 2 micromolar gramicidin or 10 micromolar carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone (FCCP). The ionophore-stimulated ATPase activity had a broad pH optimum with a maximum at pH 6.5. The ATPase was inhibited by NO(3) (-), was insensitive to K(+), and was not inhibited by 100 micromolar vanadate or by 1 millimolar azide.Quenching of quinacrine fluorescence was used to measure ATP-dependent acidification of the intravesicular volume. Quenching required Mg(2+), was stimulated by Cl(-), inhibited by NO(3) (-), was insensitive to monovalent cations, was unaffected by 200 micromolar vanadate, and was abolished by 2 micromolar gramicidin or 10 micromolar FCCP. Activity was highly specific for ATP. The ionophore-stimulated ATPase and ATP-dependent fluorescence quench both required a divalent cation (Mg(2+) >/= Mn(2+) > Co(2+)) and were inhibited by high concentrations of Ca(2+). The similarity of the ionophore-stimulated ATPase and quinacrine quench and the responses of the two to ions suggest that both represent the activity of the same ATP-dependent proton pump. The characteristics of the proton-translocating ATPase differed from those of the mitochondrial F(1)F(0)-ATPase and from those of the K(+)-stimulated ATPase of corn root plasma membranes, and resembled those of the tonoplast ATPase.
Monitoring a national cancer prevention program: Successful changes in cervical cancer screening in the netherlands

The success of screening, an important cancer prevention tool, depends on the quality and efficiency of protocols and guidelines for screening and follow‐up. However, even centrally organized screening programs such as the Dutch cervical screening program occasionally show problems in performance. To improve this program, the screening scheme, follow‐up, administration and financing protocols and guidelines were thoroughly changed in 1996. This study evaluates the consequences for the performance of the national program. Five‐year coverage rate, the proportion of screened women sent to follow‐up, follow‐up compliance and duration, and the yearly number of Pap smears before and after the changes in 1996 were compared. Five‐year coverage increased substantially in the added target age groups (30–34, and 54–60 years); in the old target age group (35–53 years) it remained around 80%. The percentage of screened women sent to follow‐up decreased from almost 19–3% per screening round, due to a more restrictive use of the Pap 2 classification, and an evidence‐based cessation of follow‐up of negative smears without endocervical cells. Follow‐up compliance has improved, and the average time until a woman is either referred or rejoins the regular screening schedule, has become shorter. The total number of smears, a strong determinant of screening costs, has decreased by 20% primarily due to the changed follow‐up recommendations. In conclusion, the 1996 changes in protocols and guidelines, and their implementation have increased coverage and efficiency, and decreased the screening‐induced negative side effects. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
From Organized Dependence to Disorganized Despotism: Changing Labour Regimes in Chinese Factories

Like opening Pandora's box, Chinese reforms have unleashed institutional and social forces which have led to a variety of production regimes co-existing under the permissive banner of “market socialism. ” The industrial scene of Guangdong, which boasts of itself as one of the first, the most and the best reformed provincial economies, bears witness to the profound and wide-ranging transformation in production politics. Compared to the era of state socialism, a restructuring of industrial employment has evidently occurred. The 740 state-owned industrial enterprises in Guangzhou, for instance, now account for only 15 per cent of a total of 4,903 industrial establishments, and the 307,000 employees in the state industrial sector account for one-third of the city's 940,000-strong industrial workforce. Twenty-one per cent and 46 per cent of all industrial employees are found respectively in 2,005 collective enterprises and 2,158 private, foreign and joint ventures. As recently as 1985, the state industrial sector was still dominant, employing 65 per cent of the city's industrial workforce, and producing 68 per cent of industrial output. The composition of the work force has also significantly changed: among the 2.03 million urban (including non-industrial) employees in Guangzhou, 700,000 are “registered” migrant workers, of whom 280,000 work in state and collective enterprises. For the province as a whole, registered migrant workers numbered 3.6 million in 1996, while a generally-accepted estimate for the entire migrant labour population reached a staggering 11 million. In the pre-reform days, this massive pool of rural labour was sequestered in the countryside by the hukou system and the number of those who found employment in state factories as temporary contract workers was estimated to be only about 6 per cent of all employees in urban state enterprises by 1978. Complexity is further induced by a new round of deepening reform measures in the 1990s, targeting enterprise ownership, scientific management and labour laws.
No Effects of Early Viscosupplementation After Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy

Background: The management of the postoperative period after knee arthroscopic surgery may be challenging because surgical trauma deeply alters the joint microenvironment, causing the release of several catabolic molecules and proinflammatory factors that might slow down functional recovery. The possibility of using hyaluronic acid (HA) to promote postoperative pain relief and expedite functional improvement seems attractive, considering its biological properties. Purpose: The aim of the present double-blind randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects, in terms of pain control and functional recovery, provided by a single HA injection performed at the end of arthroscopic meniscectomy. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A total of 90 patients, 18 to 55 years old, were included according to the following criteria: (1) chronic, symptomatic meniscal tears requiring partial resection; (2) a healthy contralateral knee; (3) no previous surgery on the index knee; and (4) no other concurrent articular lesions requiring surgical treatment (eg, cartilage or ligament injuries). Patients were randomized into 2 treatment groups: one underwent meniscectomy alone, whereas the other also received an injection of 3 mL HA at the end of the procedure. All patients were evaluated at baseline and then at 15, 30, 60, and 180 days using the following tools: International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, VAS for general health status, and Tegner scores. The transpatellar circumference and active and passive ranges of motion were also recorded during the follow-up evaluations. Results: No major adverse events were reported using HA postoperatively. A statistically significant increase in all the clinical scores was reported in both treatment groups, but no significant intergroup difference was documented at any follow-up evaluation. No difference was observed also in the objective measurements. The mean time to return to full sports activity was not different between groups, and a comparable satisfaction rate was recorded in both treatment groups. Conclusion: Early postoperative viscosupplementation did not provide significant clinical benefits after arthroscopic meniscectomy. Despite the lack of major adverse events, the administration of a single HA injection at the end of the surgical procedure is not a successful strategy to provide either faster functional recovery or symptomatic improvement after meniscectomy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02629380.
Synthesis, AntiBacteriol, and Antifungal Activities of Some New Benzimidazoles.

1,2-Diaminobenzimidazoles 2 were synthesized by N-amination of 2-aminobenzimidazoles 1 with hydroxylamine-O-sulphonic acid. Substituted 1-alkyl and 1-alkylarylbenzimidazoles 3 were prepared from various benzimidazoles by alkylating with the corresponding alkyl halides. As an example, 1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (34) was N-aminated with O-(mesitylenesulphonyl)-hydroxylamine to give 5,6-dimethyl-l-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-aminobenzimidazoliuni mesitylenesulphonate (6). Compounds 4, 7 and 5 are derivatives of 1,2-(5-nitro-2-furfurylideneamino)-benzimidazoles and were synthesized by the carbonyl-amine condensation of 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde with appropriate 1,2-diaminobenzimidazoles 2 and 2-aminobenzimidazoles 1 and 3, respectively. An attempt to prepare the derivative of 3-(5-nitro-2-furfurylidenamino)-benzimidazolium mesitylenesulphonate (8) from compounds 6 was unsuccessful. The antiMicrobiol activities of the above compounds were screened against different strains of bacteria and fungi. The general structure-activity relationships of tested benzimidazoles 3-7 were determined.
Magnetic resonance examination of patients with implanted pacemakers: An evaluation of magnetic field gradients slew rate

Performing safe magnetic resonance imaging of patients with “MR conditional” pacemakers needs to meet some specific restrictions. One of these is related to the slew rate (SR) parameter, defined as the speed of magnetic field gradients rising up to their required strengths. Unfortunately, SR values cannot be easily checked at the tomograph console. The present work provides an accurate evaluation of the maximum SR for a set of widely used clinical MR sequences. The experimental approach is based on indirect measurement of time‐varying spatial magnetic field gradients. All MR sequences evaluated match safety SR prescriptions. Moreover, an appropriate choice of sequence scan parameters defines some optimized scan protocols tailored for the tomograph considered in the present study. Bioelectromagnetics. 38:307–314, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Positioning an Emerging Wine Route in the Niagara Region

Summary The Niagara Region is not only home to Niagara Falls but also home to an emerging wine route with more than 50 wineries. The Niagara Wine Route has two distinct clusters. The wineries in the east are in the tourist town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, which receives many international visitors while the wineries in the west are not typically on a tourist route and receive more domestic tourists. Through the results of a visitor survey at eight wineries, the paper will illustrate the different markets visiting the Niagara Wine Route and suggests possible implications for marketing strategies for this emerging wine route.
Self management pilot study on women with breast cancer: lessons learnt in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE With increasing survival rates, breast cancer is now considered a chronic condition necessitating innovative care to meet the long-term needs of survivors. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study on self-management for women diagnosed with breast cancer and their implications for Asian health care providers. METHODS A pre-test/ post-test pilot study was conducted to gain preliminary insights into program feasibility and barriers to participation, and to provide justification for a larger trial. RESULTS The study found the 4 week self-management program feasible and acceptable, with a favourable trend in quality of life. The recruitment barriers ranged from competing medical appointments, uncollaborative health providers, linguistic barriers and social-household concerns. Supporting facilitators identified were family, health professionals and fellow participants ("buddies"). Lessons from the study are discussed with regard to Asian health providers. CONCLUSION There is preliminary evidence that self management is a workable and potentially useful model even in an Asians entrenched-hierarchical medical model of care. The initial challenge was breaking down barriers in acceptancee of a collaborative stance. A clinical trial is now warranted to gather more evidence.
Detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples by polymerase chain reaction

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay was developed for the detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in induced sputum and bronchoscopic alveolar lavage samples. The primer pair was selected from the published sequence of the thymidylate synthase gene of P. carinii derived from infected rats. The amplified DNA fragment of 403 bp was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and by Southern and slot blot hybridization. No positive reaction was seen with DNA from different microorganisms typically found in the respiratory tract. P. carinii DNA was demonstrated in 30 of 42 sputum samples from immunosuppressed patients, whereas 21 of 42 sputum samples were positive by indirect immunofluorescence (IFL). Among the 42 patients, 14 were receiving prophylactic chemotherapy. In that group, PCR detected P. carinii in nine sputum samples, whereas IFL detected P. carinii in only four sputum samples. A positive PCR result was also seen in 5 of 43 IFL-negative bronchoscopic alveolar lavage samples from patients with respiratory symptoms. The PCR assay detected 10 copies of the target DNA, which corresponds to 10(-18) g of the specific P. carinii sequence. The results indicate that PCR amplification in combination with DNA hybridization is specific and is a more sensitive diagnostic method than IFL for the detection of P. carinii.
The Effect of the Erm on Participating Economies

The effects of membership in the ERM are analyzed using vector autoregression techniques. The results indicate that while the ERM has had little effect on the nature of the shocks hitting the economies, it has had a significant effect on the response of member countries to these shocks, making them both more elongated and more similar. Long-time members of the ERM also have significantly more correlated shocks than other countries. These results conform to the thesis that the ERM represents a move by countries with relatively similar underlying shocks to coordinate macroeconomic policy.