Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Defence Expenditure Reduction: Balancing Between Austerity and Security in Greece

Abstract This paper aims at contributing a literature update by assessing the impact of policies focusing on defence-procurement spending on the growth rate of the Greek economy with special reference to the recent crisis environment using artificial neural networks. The main conclusion drawn in the case of the Greek economy in general and during austerity times in particular, is that defence-procurement policy is considerably inflexible concerning both increases and reductions. In fact any further decreases will have a direct impact on the security of the country given the dramatic reduction of the defence budget and the arms race against Turkey. By contrast, any increases will only burden the balance of payments without adding to the GDP, once the bulk of the defence equipment is imported due to the inefficiency of the domestic defence industrial base. A compromise, therefore, between security and austerity would call for a gradual shift towards domestic sources procurement, assuming, of course, considerable upgrading of the Hellenic defence industrial base.
Influence of hepatitis B virus genotype on the long-term outcome of chronic hepatitis B in western patients.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate if the variable outcome of chronic hepatitis B may be related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype. METHODS The clinical and virologic events observed over prolonged follow-up in 258 Spanish patients with chronic hepatitis B infected with different genotypes of HBV were compared. RESULTS The prevalence of genotype A, D, and F was 52%, 35%, and 7%, respectively. Concomitant sustained biochemical remission and clearance of HBV DNA occurred at a higher rate in genotype A- than in genotype D- (log-rank, 14.2; P = 0.002) or genotype F-infected patients (log-rank, 4.2; P = 0.03). The rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance was higher in genotype A than in genotype D hepatitis (log-rank, 4.6; P = 0.03). Sustained remission and clearance of HBsAg were associated with infection with genotype A by Cox regression analysis. Seroconversion to antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) was unrelated to HBV genotype, but the rate of sustained remission after seroconversion was higher in genotype A than in genotype D hepatitis both in patients who seroconverted to anti-HBe during follow-up (log-rank, 4.5; P = 0.03) and in patients with positive anti-HBe at baseline (log-rank, 6.66; P = 0.009). Death related to liver disease was more frequent in genotype F than in genotype A (P = 0.02) or genotype D (P = 0.002) hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS The long-term outcome of chronic hepatitis B is different in patients infected with HBV genotype A, D, or F.
Regenerating Communities: Women's Experiences of Urban Regeneration

In the UK, New Labour has placed great emphasis on community-based urban regeneration as part of its strategy to combat social exclusion. However, there is little understanding of the ways in which regeneration policies impact on the lives and communities of `socially excluded' women. This paper draws on qualitative research into women's experiences of urban regeneration. It argues that, although local communities continue to play an important role for many of the women in the research, regeneration policies can increase exclusion and lead to the destruction of many of these communities—and in particular that this can have a dramatic impact on women, as they are more likely to rely on local community support networks than men.
Four-OAM-Mode Antenna With Traveling-Wave Ring-Slot Structure

Based on metallic traveling-wave ring-slot structure, an easily realized four-orbital angular momentum (OAM)-mode antenna capable of generating four coaxially propagating waves with OAM modes of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$l$</tex-math></inline-formula> = <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {-3}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {-2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {+2,}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {+3}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, respectively, is experimentally demonstrated at 10 GHz. The feeding network is simply implemented using two <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {90^{\circ }}$</tex-math></inline-formula> hybrid couplers. A ring-focus double-reflector with a favorable focus-diameter-ratio is specially designed to gain a high directivity. The main characteristics of the antenna—such as <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$S$</tex-math></inline-formula>-parameters, directivity, and near-field radiation—are presented both in simulation and experiment. Employing a pair of four-OAM-mode antennas, the experiment shows that the near-field OAM-based radio communication channels are naturally isolated.
Comparison of the autofluorescence bronchoscope and the white light bronchoscope in airway examination.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The sensitivity and accuracy of white light bronchoscopy (WLB) in airway examination are low. Autofluorescence bronchoscope (AFB) can determine early lesions in bronchial mucosa more sensitively, but it has seldom performed in China. To assess the clinical value of the AFB in airway examination, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of the AFB and WLB in detecting cancer of the airway mucosa. METHODS Between September 2009 and May 2010, bronchoscope examinations using both the AFB and WLB were performed on 136 patients, 95 men and 41 women with a median age of 61.5 years (ranged from 25 to 84 years). There were 46 lesions located in the central airway, 84 in the peripheral lung parenchyma, and 6 in the mediastinal region. All patients received local and general anesthesia and were subsequently examined with the WLB and AFB in tandem. All procedures were completed safely. Abnormal visual findings were recorded, and biopsies of the affected regions were collected for pathologic examination. RESULTS Of 241 regions sampled for biopsy, 76 sites contained malignant lesions, whereas 165 sites contained benign lesions. The AFB detected 72 of the 76 malignant lesions, but the WLB detected only 50. The sensitivities of the AFB and WLB were 94.7% and 65.8%, respectively, and the specificities were 57.0% and 83.6%, respectively. The negative predictive values of the AFB and WLB were 95.9% and 84.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The AFB is more sensitive than the WLB in detecting cancerous lesions in the mucosa, and is an effective airway examination.
Safety and efficacy evaluation of pertuzumab in patients with solid tumors

Abstract Background: The development of targeted therapies benefits patients with certain markers in the treatment of breast cancer. Pertuzumab is a novel humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) dimerization. The Food and Drug Administration has approved pertuzumab in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Methods: To assess the safety and efficacy profile of pertuzumab, we searched PubMed and Embase (articles from January 1966 to January 2015) using the keyword “pertuzumab”. Results: Fourteen eligible studies were included in our final analysis. From the results of our analysis, diarrhea (56.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 49.6%–63.9%), nausea (34.0%, 95% CI 27.7%–40.8%), and rash (25.6%, 95% CI 20.8%–31.0%) were the most common adverse effects in pertuzumab alone and pertuzumab-based therapies. Based on randomized controlled clinical trials, diarrhea (odds ratio [OR] 2.310, 95% CI 1.818–2.936), rash (OR 1.848, 95% CI 1.094–3.122), and febrile neutropenia (OR 1.672, 95% CI 1.130–2.474) were of statistical significance, which meant that pertuzumab played a prominent role in the incidence of diarrhea. Meanwhile, pertuzumab showed its effective role in cancer control and lifetime prolongation. Conclusion: In conclusion, considering that the common adverse effects for pertuzumab are gastrointestinal and skin toxicities, which are easier to handle than other toxicities, pertuzumab is a safe and effective drug for patients with solid tumors.
The efficiency of the health system in South Africa: evidence from stochastic frontier analysis

The availability of increased resources and the lack of parallel improvement in health status have renewed interest on health system performance, particularly where progress towards the Millennium Development Goals has been slow. Since the political transition in 1994, South Africa has consistently invested over eight of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health, but so far returns remain uneven, with some localities delivering lower outcomes than others, even when they have comparable input levels. This study measures the performance of the country's health system, following a stochastic production frontier approach. Results have revealed that eight of the 52 districts in the country had an efficiency score of below 60%, and in four of these, the score was below 50%. Technical inefficiency was positively and significantly associated with HIV prevalence and illiteracy rates reported for districts. Overall mean technical efficiency (TE) in the country was around 80%. Given this, further improvements in health outcome in the country are expected to depend both on its ability to address existing inefficiencies and on the capacity to invest additional resources in communities where existing services were already inadequate.
The nature of corticospinal paths driving human motoneurones during voluntary contractions

The properties of the human motor cortex can be studied non‐invasively using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Stimulation at high intensity excites corticospinal cells with fast conducting axons that make direct connections to motoneurones of human upper limb muscles, while low‐intensity stimulation can suppress ongoing EMG. To assess whether these cells are used in normal voluntary contractions, we used TMS at very low intensities to suppress the firing of single motor units in biceps brachii (n= 14) and first dorsal interosseous (FDI, n= 6). Their discharge was recorded with intramuscular electrodes and cortical stimulation was delivered at multiple intensities at appropriate times during sustained voluntary firing at ∼10 Hz. For biceps, high‐intensity stimulation produced facilitation at 17.1 ± 2.1 ms (lasting 2.4 ± 0.9 ms), while low‐intensity stimulation (below motor threshold) produced suppression (without facilitation) at 20.2 ± 2.1 ms (lasting 7.6 ± 2.2 ms). For FDI, high‐intensity stimulation produced facilitation at 23.3 ± 1.2 ms (lasting 1.8 ± 0.4 ms), with suppression produced by low‐intensity stimulation at 25.2 ± 2.6 ms (lasting 7.5 ± 2.6 ms). The difference between the onsets of facilitation and suppression was short: 3.1 ± 1.2 ms for biceps and 2.0 ± 1.5 ms for FDI. This latency difference is much less than that previously reported using surface EMG recordings (∼10 ms). These data suggest that low‐intensity cortical stimulation inhibits ongoing activity in fast‐conducting corticospinal axons through an oligosynaptic (possibly disynaptic) path, and that this activity is normally contributing to drive the motoneurones during voluntary contractions.
Islamic human resource practices and organizational performance

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the relationship between Islamic human resource practices and organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach – The simple random technique on 300 Islamic organizations in Malaysia was used. In all, 120 completed questionnaires were returned, but only 114 were usable. Findings – There are some positive and significant relationships between Islamic human resource practices and organizational performance. Basically, there is only one Islamic human resource practice, namely, training and development practice, that is positively and significantly related to organizational performance. Research limitations/implications – This study is only limited to the Islamic organizations that are implementing Islamic human resource practices in total. Thus, the findings could only be generalized to this type of institution. Practical implications – Thus, the Islamic organizations should emphasize on this practice to obtain higher organizational performance. Social implications –.
Experience of Psychotropic Medication –An Interview Study of Persons with Psychosis

Psychotropic drugs, particularly antipsychotic types, are a cornerstone of the treatment of people with psychosis. Despite numerous studies showing that drug treatment with psychotropic drugs initially alleviates psychiatric symptoms, the proportion of people with mental health problems and symptoms that do not follow doctors' prescriptions, thus exhibiting so-called non-adherence, is considerable. Non-adherence is predominantly seen as a clinical feature and as a patient characteristic that is especially due to patients' poor understanding that they are ill. There is also a widespread notion that non-adherence is of great disadvantage to the patient. This article is based on interviews with 19 persons diagnosed with psychosis. It challenges the notion of patients being either adherent or non-adherent to the doctor's orders. The findings show that persons with psychosis are active agents when it comes to adjusting medication. The interviewees created their own strategies to gain power over treatment with psychotropic drugs. The most common strategies were to adjust the doses or take breaks of varying lengths from the medication. These deviations from prescriptions were important to conceal, not only from their own psychiatrists, but from all psychiatric staff.
Educational mismatch and spatial flexibility in Italian local labour markets

According to recent literature, this paper highlights the relevance of spatial mobility as an explanatory factor of the individual risk of job-education mismatch. To investigate this causal link, we use individual information about daily home-to-work commuting time and choices to relocate in a different local area to get a job. Our model takes into account relevant local labour market features. We control for selective access to employment and test for endogeneity of spatial mobility. Results show a negative impact of commuting time on educational mismatch for upper-secondary graduates, as well as a negative impact of migration/migration distance for university graduates.
On the Uniformity of Investment Banking Spreads: The Seven Percent Solution is Not Unique

We investigate investment bank gross spreads for Hong Kong IPOs during 1991-2000 and find pronounced clustering - nearly 94 percent have spreads of exactly 2.5 percent. This clustering is invariant to issue size and decreases through time. We find that SEO spreads cluster as well - at 2.0 percent and at 2.5 percent. We document institutional features that contribute to the low level of spreads, and provide preliminary evidence that the recent arrival of the book-building process for Hong Kong IPOs has increased the level and decreased the clustering of IPO gross spreads.
Insight of scent: experimental evidence of olfactory capabilities in the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans)

SUMMARY Wandering albatrosses routinely forage over thousands of kilometres of open ocean, but the sensory mechanisms used in the food search itself have not been completely elucidated. Recent telemetry studies show that some spatial behaviours of the species are consistent with the ‘multimodal foraging strategy’ hypothesis which proposes that birds use a combination of olfactory and visual cues while foraging at sea. The ‘multimodal foraging strategy’ hypothesis, however, still suffers from a lack of experimental evidence, particularly regarding the olfactory capabilities of wandering albatrosses. As an initial step to test the hypothesis, we carried out behavioural experiments exploring the sensory capabilities of adult wandering albatrosses at a breeding colony. Three two-choice tests were designed to investigate the birds' response to olfactory and visual stimuli, individually or in combination. Perception of the different stimuli was assessed by comparing the amount of exploration directed towards an ‘experimental’ display or a ‘control’ display. Our results indicate that birds were able to perceive the three types of stimulus presented: olfactory, visual and combined. Moreover, olfactory and visual cues were found to have additional effects on the exploratory behaviours of males. This simple experimental demonstration of reasonable olfactory capabilities in the wandering albatross supports the ‘multimodal foraging strategy’ and is consistent with recent hypotheses of the evolutionary history of procellariiforms.
Modified High-Power Nanosecond Marx Generator Prevents Destructive Current Filamentation

A traditional Marx circuit (TMC) based on avalanche transistors with a shortened emitter and a base was investigated numerically by using a two-dimensional (2-D) physics-based approach and experimentally, and compared with a special Marx circuit (SMC) suggested here, in which an intrinsic base triggering of all the stages protects the transistors, especially the second one, from thermal destruction due to current filamentation. This is because the entire emitter–base perimeter in the SMC participates in switching, whereas in a TMC the switching is initiated across the entire area of the emitter but then changes to current filamentation due to certain 3-D transient effects reported earlier. Very significant difference in local transient overheating in the transistors operating in TMC and SMC determines the difference in reliability of those two pulse generators. The results suggest a new circuit design for improving reliability and explain the difference in the operating mode of different transistors in the chain which makes the second transistor most prone to destructive thermal filamentation. This new understanding points additionally to ways of optimizing the design of the transistors to be used in a Marx circuit.
Evolving Market Efficiency in Istanbul Stock Exchange

The main purpose of this study is testing weak-form market efficiency hypothesis in ISE using the broadest sample and time series coverage that have been ever used. We use stock prices data of all companies that constitute ISE-100 index with time series covering 1990-2002 years. We test not only whether ISE is efficient in the weak-form sense, but also whether and how it is becoming more efficient. For this purpose, we use generalized auto-regressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) model. Our research findings show that the stock returns of the individual stocks that constitute 65% of the sample space do not show random walk behavior. However, remaining part of the individual stocks exhibit significant random walk behavior. The findings for the ISE-100 national index provide support to the evolving market efficiency hypothesis. While ISE-100 index do not follow random walk for the initial period of the analysis, it gains random-walk behavior in the second period. The discrimination analysis between stocks whose returns do not follow random walk behavior and those whose returns follow random walk behavior do not significantly discriminate them.
Distributed public governance in the European Union

This article examines the role, powers and future of independent European agencies as an aspect of the current debate surrounding European governance. It argues that the design and implementation of independent agencies in the EU should not be seen as a construct of apolitical administrative engineering or integration but should be interpreted as a central component of political debates regarding the future constitutional structure of the EU vis-à-vis member states. In order to demonstrate the validity of this argument, the article reflects upon five themes (growth, co-ordination, accountability, depoliticization and power) which have arisen as central issues in relation to delegated governance at the national level. These themes are analysed in order to assess the main lessons that could usefully be considered during this critical period of constitutional reflection and design for the EU.
Policy measures and failures on foreign currency household lending in central and eastern Europe

I found that during booming years national policy makers were strongly constrained to decrease or effectively manage the risks of unhedged foreign currency lending (FCL) to households due to the economic characteristics of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Strong FCL growth was mainly driven by private sector consumption and investment. Foreign banking groups easily intermediated international financing into open CEE markets. International measures, which could have limited FCL, were not taken. I found an inconsistency: FCL was primarily a result of macroeconomic imbalances, but macroeconomic policies mostly proved inefficient to downsize it. Administrative measures seemed to be the most effective, however, only for a short period due to the high degree of financial liberalisation. Regulatory measures proved less efficient, while relatively frequently used supervisory actions did not have any notable effects. Financial education, moral suasion, and market development measures (with the exception of long-term, fixed rate local currency (LC) housing finance) were not efficient at all. Out of 12 investigated countries 6 had some success to limit FCL. Others did not have any efficient policy mix. Comparing the experiences of Hungary and other countries I found that the ‘we cannot do anything’ is a worse policy approach than the ‘we will try to do something’ one in spite of its deficiencies. The euro membership could not automatically eliminate FCL as the example of Slovenia shows.
Firm‐specific and economy wide determinants of firm profitability: Greek evidence using panel data

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of profitability for a sample of Greek non-financial firms listed in the Athens Stock Exchange for the period 1995-2003. This is a very important period for the Greek economy on the way to European monetary union (EMU). Design/methodology/approach - The methodologies employed include panel data estimation techniques. This research attempts to exploit the determinants of firm profitability of non-financial Greek firms listed in Athens Exchange utilizing firm-specific publicly available accounting variables using panel data estimation techniques rather than cross-sectional analysis. Findings - According to the findings, firm profitability was positively affected by size, sales growth and investment and negatively by leverage and current assets. Additionally, we found that the EMU participation and the adoption of the euro were negatively related to firm profitability. Practical implications - Taking into account the fact that the Greek economy has undergone significant transformation during the period under examination on its way to join EMU and to adopt the euro currency, a model has been formulated where both firm-specific and economy wide factors determine firm profitability. Originality/value - This paper focuses on a less developed and efficient stock market. In contrast to previous studies that did not take into account the convergence of the Greek economy to EMU averages and the subsequent adoption of the euro, this paper analyses data for the pre-EMU and the post-EMU periods in an attempt to quantify a potential macroeconomic effect on firm-specific profitability.