Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Market-Power Foundations of Macroeconomic Policy

THE PREDOMINANT THEORY of markets, namely the Walrasian or Arrow Debreu model of general competitive equilibrium, implies that unemployment never appears and that economic policy never has universally good effects. First, it postulates that the supply and demand by price-taking agents equilibrates in the market for any commodity, including labor. Hence, no unemployment occurs. Second, Walrasian equilibria are efficient, as anticipated by Adam Smith's "invisible hand," and as precisely stated by the first fundamental theorem of welfare economics. ("Efficient" is synonymous with "Pareto optimal.") Thus, either economic policy has no effects or it hurts some group of citizens. The first fundamental theorem does require some substantive conditions, such as complete markets and the absence of physical externalities. ' It is nevertheless a powerful result, because it indicates that, except for distributional concerns, the public interest is well served without the need for cooperation, coordination, or public intervention, as long as all economic agents are price takers. Situations that seem to call for some form of coordination, as the presence of multiple equilibria or of complementarities in production, are in fact covered by the theorem. The possibility of multiple equilibria is totally natural not only in the Walrasian system but, more generally, in any model defined by a system of nonlinear equations. For instance, Walrasian as well as oligopolistic models may well have three equilibria, one of which has high wages and low employment, whereas another one has low wages and high employment.
Strategic behaviour in competing auctions evidence on ebay

This paper provides an empirical research about bidding behaviour and final price evolution in competing auctions. The results obtained have been supported with online auctions data from eBay. About bidding behaviour, we found that bidders use cross-bidding (bidding between competing auctions) and sniping (last minute bidding on an item) strategies to maximise their profits. Moreover, no price decline anomaly was found although there was price dispersion amongst homogeneous lots.
Managing simple re-entrant ow linesTheoretical foundation and Experimental ResultsCarlos

We address several aspects related to managing re-entrant lines in a uni ed manner { capacity allocation, inventory management and production control. Our approach to study these systems is through simulation based optimization. Simulation o ers the exibility to model the complexities adequately while the gradient computation (via In nitesimal Perturbation Analysis) helps identify good solutions quickly. Our framework is a discrete time capacitated multiple product production-inventory system operating under a base stock policy. We analyze several di erent production and capacity allocation rules. We develop expressions for and validate the appropriate IPA derivatives. These derivatives can then be used in an optimization tool which enables the determination of optimal parameters for the several policies proposed. We also present a summary of insights obtained through an extensive computational study.
Hepatitis B virus core antigen as a carrier for Chlamydia trachomatis MOMP multi-epitope peptide enhances protection against genital chlamydial infection

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. There is no safe and effective vaccine to control the spread of Ct. In development of Ct vaccine, selection of appropriate candidate antigens and an effective delivery system may be the main challenges. Multi-epitope of major outer membrane protein (MOMPm) is the most suitable candidate for a Ct vaccine, while hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) has unique advantages as vaccine delivery system. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective immune response of a novel candidate vaccine in a murine model of chlamydial genital infection. This candidate vaccine comprises MOMPm peptide delivered with HBcAg. Our results of Ct-specific serum IgG and secretory IgA assay, cytokine assay, and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte assay revealed that immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine was much better than that of the corresponding synthetic MOMPm peptide. Furthermore, the protective effect of the candidate vaccine was also shown much better than that of the synthetic peptide by calculating the isolation of Chlamydia from vaginal swabs and histopathological analysis. Taken together, our results indicate that HBcAg carrying Ct MOMPm could be an effective immune prophylactic for chlamydial infection.
Trade and Revealed Comparative Advantage Measures: Regional and Central and East European Agricultural Trade

Štefan Bojnec is Senior Research Associate of the Policy Research Group at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The author gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Phare-ACE program of the Commission of the European Communities and from the Slovenian National Science Foundation. Eastern European Economics, vol. 39, no. 1, March–April 2001, pp. 72–98. © 2001 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 0012–8775/2001 $9.50 + 0.00.
Does foreign direct investment generate economic growth in Sub Saharan Africa

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between economic growth and the inflow of foreign direct investment in the SSA region. Secondary data from organizations and institutes are used to examine if other factors may affect total GDP, in addition to FDI. The estimations used in the regression are foreign direct investment, property rights, level of corruption, logistic performance index, education level, initial GDP and life expectancy.
A Syndemic of Psychosocial Problems Places the MSM (Men Who Have Sex with Men) Population at Greater Risk of HIV Infection

Background The MSM (Men who have sex with men) population suffers from very high rates of concurrent psychosocial problems. Together, these problems comprise a syndemic that increases the risk of HIV infection for this community. The precise mechanisms through which this syndemic can raise the likelihood of HIV infection warrant further exploration. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 522 MSM were enrolled via a multiframe sampling approach and were asked to report psychosocial problems, risky sexual behaviors and HIV test results. A count of psychosocial health problems was calculated to test the additive relationship of these factors on HIV risk. Adjusting analysis and restriction analysis were used to determine a proposed intermediate pathway. Psychosocial health problems are highly concurrent and intercorrelated among urban MSM. Greater numbers of health problems are significantly and positively associated with HIV infection, which is mediated, at least partially, by risky sexual behaviors. Conclusions/Significance MSM experience concurrent psychosocial health problems that correlate with HIV infection in this community. We recommend the development of coping strategies for this population to deal with these psychosocial problems, both in prevention research and health policy.
Modeling the impact of drought on canopy carbon and water fluxes through parameter optimization using an ensemble Kalman filter

Modeling the impact of drought on canopy carbon and water fluxes through parameter optimization using an ensemble Kalman filter W. Ju, S. Wang, G. Yu, Y. Zhou, and H. Wang International Institute for Earth System Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China Received: 6 July 2009 – Accepted: 31 July 2009 – Published: 21 August 2009 Correspondence to: W. Ju (juweimin@nju.edu.cn) Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union.
Decreased SGK1 Expression and Function Contributes to Behavioral Deficits Induced by Traumatic Stress

Exposure to extreme stress can trigger the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The molecular mechanisms underlying the structural and functional alterations within corticolimbic brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala of individuals subjected to traumatic stress, remain unknown. In this study, we show that serum and glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) expression is down-regulated in the postmortem PFC of PTSD subjects. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inhibition of SGK1 in the rat medial PFC results in helplessness- and anhedonic-like behaviors in rodent models. These behavioral changes are accompanied by abnormal dendritic spine morphology and synaptic dysfunction. Together, the results are consistent with the possibility that altered SGK1 signaling contributes to the behavioral and morphological phenotypes associated with traumatic stress pathophysiology.
Manipulating Parts with an Array of Pins: A Method and a Machine

This article investigates the manipulation of polygonal parts using a simple device consisting of a grid of retractable pins mounted on a vertical plate. This “Pachinko machine” is intended as a reconfigurable parts feeder for flexible assembly. A part dropped on this device may come to rest on the actuated pins, bounce out, or fall through. The authors propose a novel algorithm for part reorientation. Its input consists of the shape of a part, its initial position and orientation, and a goal configuration, and its output is a sequence of pin actuations that will bring the part to the goal configuration. The proposed approach does not attempt to predict the part motion between the equilibria associated with the active pins in the output sequence; instead, it constructs the capture region of each equilibrium (i.e., the maximal subset of the part’s configuration space such that any motion starting within it is guaranteed to end at the equilibrium). Assuming frictionless contacts and dissipative dynamics, reorienting a part reduces to finding a path from initial to goal states in a directed graph whose nodes are the equilibria and whose arcs link pairs of nodes such that the first equilibrium lies in the capture region of the second one. The proposed approach has been implemented on a prototype of the Pachinko machine, and initial experiments are presented.
Adequacy of core needle biopsy specimens and fine-needle aspirates for molecular testing of lung adenocarcinomas.

OBJECTIVES Molecular testing of lung adenocarcinomas for epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutations and an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocation is important to guide directed therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The goal of this study was to determine whether transthoracic computed tomography-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens were equally suitable for molecular testing. METHODS We determined the percentage of 52 CNB and 120 FNA specimens that contained sufficient paraffin-embedded tumor tissue for EGFR, KRAS, and ALK testing over a period of 2 years. We correlated sample sufficiency with the sampling method, tumor size, biopsy operator, pathologist assessing the adequacy of the sample, and the number of FNA passes performed. RESULTS Univariate analysis showed that CNB specimens provided a significantly higher number of samples sufficient for molecular testing than did FNA specimens (67% vs 46%; P = .007) and that one operator achieved a significantly higher percentage of sufficient FNA specimens. Binomial logistic regression found sufficiency of FNA samples to correlate with tumor size (P = .015) but not operator. CONCLUSIONS When paraffin-embedded tissue is used for molecular testing of lung cancer, CNB specimens are more likely than FNA specimens to provide adequate tissue for molecular testing. Obtaining a sufficient FNA specimen depends on the tumor size and the individual performing the biopsy.
Essays on Financial Market Volatility and Real Economic Activity

This dissertation studies how financial market volatility or uncertainty in the U.S. economy affects real economic activity both in the U.S. and other open economies. Chapter 1 critically examines a stylized fact about the effects of uncertainty shocks on the U.S. economy. A link between uncertainty and firms' investment, hiring, and production decisions has drawn much attention in contemporary discussions after the 2008 financial crisis. Bloom (2009) showed that uncertainty events, identified by spikes in stock market volatility, triggered immediate falls in output and employment, followed by rapid rebounds. I show that such stock market volatility shocks failed to produce this same pattern of responses after 1983. Chapter 2 studies the effects of risk aversion shocks, measured by increases in the VIX , on emerging market economies (EMEs). By estimating a structural vector autoregression (VAR) model, I find that, although risk aversion shocks do not have much impact on U.S. output, they do have a noticeable impact on the output of EMEs. To explain the contrast between the impact of risk appetite shocks on EMEs and the impact on the U.S. economy, a credit channel is proposed as a propagation mechanism. In the model, an increase in the VIX is translated to a risk-aversion shock that generates a flight to quality. As international investors pull their money from EMEs, borrowing costs increase and domestic credit falls as a consequence of credit market imperfections. Higher borrowing costs, in turn, lead to a fall in investment that causes a real depreciation and a decline in total output through sectoral linkages. Finally, Chapter 3, which is co-authored with Prakash Loungani, studies the effect of uncertainty shocks on unemployment dynamics by separating out the role of aggregate and sectoral channels. Using SP500 data from the first quarter of 1963 through the third quarter of 2014, we construct a separate index to measure sectoral uncertainty and compare its effects on the unemployment rate with that of aggregate uncertainty in a standard VAR model, augmented by a local projection method. We find that aggregate uncertainty shocks lead to an immediate increase in unemployment, followed by swift reversals. In contrast, sectoral uncertainty shocks have a long-lasting impact on unemployment, with the peak impact occurring after two years. Our findings highlight an additional channel through which uncertainty shocks have persistent effects on unemployment by requiring substantial inter-industry labor reallocation.
Variants of Interleukin-7/Interleukin-7 Receptor Alpha are Associated with Both Neuromyelitis Optica and Multiple Sclerosis Among Chinese Han Population in Southeastern China

Background:Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are autoimmune demyelinating diseases of the central nerve system. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) and interleukin-7 receptor alpha (IL-7R&agr;) were proved to be important in the pathogenesis of both diseases because of the roles they played in the differentiations of autoimmune lymphocytes. The variants of both genes had been identified to be associated with MS susceptibility in Caucasian, Japanese and Korean populations. However, the association of these variants with NMO and MS has not been well studied in Chinese Southeastern Han population. Here, we aimed to evaluate the association of six IL-7 variants (rs1520333, rs1545298, rs4739140, rs6993386, rs7816065, and rs2887502) and one variant of IL-7RA (rs6897932) with NMO and MS among Chinese Han population in southeastern China. Methods:Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MassARRAY system) and Sanger sequencing were used to determine the variants of IL-7 and IL-7RA in 167 NMO patients, 159 MS patients and 479 healthy controls among Chinese Han population in southeastern China. Samples were excluded if the genotyping success rate <90%. Results:Statistical differences were observed in the genotypes of IL-7 rs1520333 in MS patients and IL-7RA rs6897932 in NMO patients, compared with healthy controls (P = 0.035 and 0.034, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference in the genotypes of IL-7 rs2887502 between MS and NMO patients (P = 0.014). And there were statistically significant differences in the rs6897932 genotypes (P = 0.004) and alleles (P = 0.042) between NMO-IgG positive patients and healthy controls. Conclusions:The study suggested that among Chinese Han population in southeastern China, the variant of IL-7RA (rs6897932) was associated with NMO especially NMO-IgG positive patients while the variant of IL-7 (rs1520333) with MS patients. And the genotypic differences of IL-7 rs2887502 between MS and NMO indicated the different genetic backgrounds of these two diseases.
Exploring the Perception of Self-Efficacy Among Teachers and Principals in Meeting

Exploring The Perceptions Self-Efficacy Among Teachers and Principals in Meeting The Demands of Contemporary School Reform Initiatives Public schools in the United States are facing unprecedented pressures to account for the achievement of all students. The mission and purpose of public schools are being heavily scrutinized and the demand for accountability is intense and growing. Given these high demands, the ways in which principals and teachers perceive their own sense of self-efficacy can have important impact on successful outcomes of school change. The literature defines self-efficacy as how one judges his or her own capabilities to reach goals and to persist in the face of obstacles and challenges (Bandura, 1977). Studies have shown that there is a connection between a teacher‘s or principal‘s beliefs about their sense of self-efficacy and their persistence to reach their goals for school reform (Anderson, Greene, & Loewen, 1988; McCormick, 2001; Tschannen-Moran, M., & Barr, M. (2004). The purpose of this qualitative study is two fold: to explore how teachers in three rural communities in the northeastern part of the country perceive their self-efficacy and its relationship to meeting the expectations and mandates placed on public schools to successfully educate all students. Additionally, principals' perceptions of their ability to support teachers and lead their schools to meet these demands were examined. Through the methods of a narrative inquiry, eight teachers and two principals representing various backgrounds and experiences from grades K-12 were interviewed about their perceptions of school reform, their own aspirations, their sense of personal/collective efficacy, and their commitment to the profession related to their success and feelings of achievement in their schools. Results of data analysis indicate that teachers perceive their efficacy in very unique and personal ways. Teachers‘ sense of self-efficacy was influenced by their own philosophy of teaching, opportunities for collaboration, instructional challenges they faced, learner outcomes, rural community considerations, and the school‘s sense of collective efficacy. With respect to principals, a number of themes emerged that influenced their sense of self-efficacy including their perceived sense of autonomy, leadership role style, external pressures for accountability, and the overall sense of the school‘s collective efficacy. Overall, this study provides an understanding of ways in which rural school teachers and administrators perceive their sense of self-efficacy in relationship to how they engage in efforts toward school reform. Given that this study was limited to teachers and principals from rural schools, further research that examines the experiences of educators who work in more urban settings would add to the understanding of how urban cultures may influence perceptions of efficacy in bringing about school change. Further research that explores the relationship of teachers‘ perceptions of self-efficacy with student achievement may also add to the literature base.
Observable sequentiality and full abstraction

One of the major challenges in denotational semantics is the construction of fully abstract models for sequential programming languages. For the past fifteen years, research on this problem has focused on developing models for PCF, an idealized functional programming language based on the typed lambda calculus. Unlike most practical languages, PCF has no facilities for observing and exploiting the evaluation order of arguments in procedures. Since we believe that such facilities are crucial for understanding the nature of sequential computation, this paper focuses on a sequential extension of PCF (called SPCF) that includes two classes of control operators: error generators enable us to construct a fully abstract model for SPCF that interprets higher types as sets of error-sensitive functions instead of continuous functions. The error-sensitve functions form a Scott domain that is isomorphic to a domain of decision trees. We believe that the same construction will yield fully abstract models for functional languages with different control operators for observing the order of evaluation.
Removal of Cadmium from Industrial Effluents by Electrocoagulation Process Using Aluminum Electrodes

The object of this study is evaluation of cadmium removal from industrial wastewater by electrocoagulation process. For this study a glass tank in 1.56 liter volume with four plate electrode was used to do experiments. The electrodes made of aluminum and connect to the positive and negative pole of DC power supply (bipolar mode). The tank was filled with synthetic wastewater that was containing cadmium ion in concentration 5, 50 and 500 mg l and then it was started up. The amount of cadmium ion removal was 1 measured at pH 3, 7 and 10 and in electric potential range of 20, 30 and 40 volts. At the end of each stage of experiment, Sludge Volume Index (SVI) was measured. The results obtained at different electrical potential showed that initial concentration of cadmium can effect on efficiency removal and for higher concentration of cadmium, higher electrical potential or more reaction time is needed. On the other hand, if the initial concentration increases, the time required of process should increase too. The final pH was always higher than initial pH. As expected, the results showed that for a given time, the removal efficiency increased significantly with increase of current density. The highest electrical potential (40 V) produced the quickest treatment with >99% cadmium reduction occurring after only 20 min. The result showed that, in this process, the use of different electrical potentials can provide a wide range of pH for doing this process.
A Community-Based Walk-In Screening of Depression in Taiwan

Depression is a crucial public health problem because of its relatively high association with suicidal attempts, prolonged social isolation, poor physical health, and dementia. However, the available data and study on the prevalence of depression in Taiwan were mostly completed within the previous 1 to 2 decades, and these studies were limited to certain areas or populations. Little is known regarding the current status of depression in Taiwan. We used a brief tool, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), to screen depression in 4 areas among the general and aged population. The results showed a higher CES-D score in the southern area among general (mean ± SD: 7.8 ± 8.4) or aged participants (mean ± SD: 7.2 ± 8.0) compared with other areas. The ratio of suspected depression patients was 16.4% of all recruited participants and 13.3% of aged participants. These results may provide information for this public health issue.