Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic mechanism of visual accommodation in teleosts: structure of the lens muscle and its nerve control

The accommodatory system was examined in two teleosts (mackerel and bass). The fine structure and innervation of the lens muscle is presented to characterize the muscle organization. The neural pathway involved in the dynamic accommodation was examined by analysing the fibre spectrum of the ciliary nerve, and the nerve that controls the lens-muscle activity was studied by means of electrical stimulation. The lens muscle is composed of smooth-muscle cells, which contain numerous mitochondria. Many synaptic endings are also found on the muscle cells; these synaptic endings contain many agranular vesicles. From the results of the fibre analysis, it was found that the nerve that controls the lens muscle contains less than 100 myelinated nerve fibres in both fish: the electrical stimulation experiments demonstrate that the muscle is controlled by oculomotor (parasympathetic) nerve fibres. Ultrastructural features of the lens muscle and its nerve control resemble those of the mammalian ciliary muscle. The teleostean lens muscle is classified as a multi-unit smooth muscle.
Characterization of an Iron-Sulfur Flavoprotein from Methanosarcina thermophila *

A gene (isf) encoding an iron-sulfur flavoprotein (Isf) from Methanosarcina thermophila was cloned and sequenced. The gene was located directly upstream of the genes (pta and ack) encoding phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase and is transcribed in the opposite direction. The amino acid sequence deduced from isf contained a cluster of cysteine residues reminiscent of proteins that accommodate either a [4Fe-4S] or [3Fe-4S] center. The protein was heterologously produced in Escherichia coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. The 29-kDa subunit molecular mass of heterologously produced Isf (determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) corresponded to the molecular mass of 30,451 Da calculated from the amino acid composition deduced from isf. Gel filtration estimated a molecular mass of 65 kDa for the native Isf indicating an α2 homodimer. The UV-visible absorption spectrum was characteristic of iron-sulfur flavoproteins with maxima at 484, 452, 430, 378, and 280 nm. Analyses identified 2 FMN, 7-8 non-heme iron atoms, and 6-7 acid-labile sulfur atoms per α2 homodimer. Comparisons of the deduced Isf sequence with sequences in available protein data bases suggested Isf is a novel iron-sulfur flavoprotein. Western blot analysis indicated the presence of Isf in extracts of acetate-grown M. thermophila. Ferredoxin stimulated the CO-dependant reduction of Isf by the CO dehydrogenase·acetyl-CoA synthase complex that suggested ferredoxin is a physiological electron donor to Isf.
Outcomes of a Brief Sexual Health Intervention for Homeless Youth

Homeless youth face various health challenges. The effectiveness of a short intervention to promote sexual health in 572 homeless 16—23-year-olds (M = 19.467+1.89) was conducted using a quasi-experimental repeated measures design. Data collected at three time points (pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and follow-up) via laptop computers were analyzed using multivariate general linear mixed models. A significant condition by time interaction was found for self-reported AIDS/STD knowledge; intervention participants had higher scores at first post-test. Females scored significantly higher on cognitive and behavioral outcomes while males reported significantly more sexual risk-taking behaviors. Findings support gender-specific interventions.
Putting public service motivation into context: a balance between universalism and particularism

Research on Public Service Motivation (PSM) has increased enormously in the last 20 years. Besides the analysis of the antecedents of PSM and its impact on organizations and individuals, many open questions about the nature of PSM itself still remain. This article argues that the theoretical construct of PSM should be contextualized by integrating the political and administrative contexts of public servants when investigating their specific attitudes towards working in a public environment. It also challenges the efficacy of the classic four-dimensional structure of PSM when it is applied to a specific context. The findings of a confirmatory factor analysis from a dataset of 3754 employees of 279 Swiss municipalities support the appropriateness of contextualizing parts of the PSM construct. They also support the addition of an extra dimension called, according to previous research, Swiss democratic governance. With regard to our results, there is a need for further PSM research to set a definite measure of PSM, particularly in regard to the international diffusion of empirical research on PSM. Points for practitioners This study shows that public service motivation is a relevant construct for practitioners and may be used to better assess whether public agents are motivated by values or not. Nevertheless, it stresses also that the measurement of PSM must be adapted to the institutional context as well. Public managers interested in understanding better the degree to which their employees are motivated by public values must be aware that the measurement of this PSM construct has to be contextualized. In other words, PSM is also a function of the institutional environment in which organizations operate.
An Investigation of Teacher Response to National Science Curriculum Reforms in Turkey

Major science education curriculum reform is taking place in Turkey involving a substantial break with past science curricula. Such reform has significant implications for teachers but to date there has been little research on teacher response to these reforms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the impact on the teachers who are charged with implementing reforms. Semi-structured interviews with 18 elementary science teachers were conducted and additional observational data was recorded. The interview schedule comprised 23 questions in 9 themes. According to the data analysis, the main problem for teachers is that curriculum reforms involve overly big innovative ideas within unrealistically short timelines and with limited economic investment in human resources and supporting materials. In addition, there is a lack of organization and coherence between system stakeholders. Another drawback is the very centralized educational system and the idea that change can be driven from the top down.
Private Enforcement Capital and Contract Enforcement in Transition Economies

The enforcement of contracts is necessary for efficient exchange and investment in economic activities. There are many situations where public institutions are ineffective in enforcing contracts. This is the case in economies in transition where public enforcement institutions themselves are being reformed. Under such conditions private mechanisms could enforce contracts. “External” private enforcement is done by third parties, e.g., strong-arm private agents. Although such enforcement may be effective, it may have unwanted externalities. Alternatively, “internal” private enforcement can be done through the use of so-called private enforcement capital, i.e., private losses that result from breaching the contract. These losses result directly from contract termination, or non-renewal, and indirectly from reputational damage. By designing contracts such that these private losses from contract breach outweigh potential benefits, contracts can be made “self-enforcing. ” In this article we first present a conceptual framework to interpret contracts and to analyze how the use of private enforcement capital can enforce contracts. Then we illustrate such (internal) private contract enforcement mechanisms with several case study examples of agri-business contracting in transition countries where public enforcement fails.
Power, Interests and Coalitions: the political economy of mass privatisation in Turkey

Abstract Privatisation has been on the policy agenda in Turkey since the mid-1980s. Yet progress was slow throughout the first two decades of the Turkish neoliberal experiment. More recently, however, Turkey has experienced a major privatisation boom in the aftermath of the 2001 crisis. This paper tries to understand the nature of the recent privatisation boom from a political economy perspective and attempts to account for the paradox of the mass or hyper-privatisation experience of Turkey, comparable with Mexico and Argentina in the 1990s. A key concept here is the ‘pro-privatization coalition’. An attempt is made to understand how this coalition is progressively strengthened while the power of the anti-privatisation coalition has been undermined in the post-2001 era. An interesting insight in this context concerns the importance of legal and institutional changes which also help to shift the balance from the anti- to the pro-privatization coalition. The final part of the paper aims to study the changing nature of resistance to privatisation by selective references to the opposition to some of the major privatisation deals in Turkey.
Livestock as a buffer against HIV and AIDS income shocks in the rural households of Zimbabwe

The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which households use livestock sales to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS income shocks. Using survey data from the Muzarabani and Bindura districts of Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe, the econometric analysis indicated that livestock, particularly poultry and small stock, play a significant role in smoothing income fluctuations due to HIV/AIDS. Cattle sales compensate for 71 per cent of income shortfalls due to HIV/AIDS. About 90 per cent of HIV/AIDS-afflicted households, headed mainly by women or children, used poultry and goats as consumption-smoothing strategies when faced with negative income shocks. Government and other stakeholders were advised to support the use of small stock as a strategy for coping with HIV/AIDS economic shock in female- or child-headed households in rural areas.
Remote collection of animal DNA and its applications in conservation management and understanding the population biology of rare and cryptic species

Obtaining useful information about elusive or endangered species can be logistically difficult, particularly if relying entirely on field signs such as hair, feathers or faeces. However, recent developments in molecular technology add substantially to the utility of such 'non-invasive' samples, which provide a source of DNA that can be used to identify not only species but also individuals and their gender. This provides great potential to improve the accuracy of abundance estimates and determine behavioural parameters, such as home-range size, individual habitat and dietary preferences, and even some forms of social interaction. Non-invasive samples can also be a useful alternative to blood or tissue samples (the collection of which traditionally has required trapping of animals) as genetic material for applications such as relatedness, population genetic and phylogenetic analyses. Despite the huge potential of non-invasive genetic sampling, the current technology does have limitations. The low quantity and quality of DNA often obtained from such sources results in an increased risk of genotyping errors, which may lead to incorrect inferences, particularly false identification of individuals. Appropriate precautions and pilot studies are required to minimise these risks, and in some cases it may be wise to employ traditional methods when they are adequate. W R
Creating a project climate for successful product innovation

This paper reports the results of a study into leadership of new service development projects in consumer banking. A sample of UK businesses embracing both new entrants and mature incumbent players was studied. The results highlight considerable similarity in the project “micro‐climate” for successful projects. It is argued that a micro‐climate is created by appropriate leadership practices and styles. The paper highlights lessons in the organisation of innovation and the contributions of different types of leaders.
Fees and the Efficiency of Tradable Permit Systems: An Experimental Approach

The paper presents the results of an economic experiment in which the effects of fees on allocative efficiency of tradable utilization permits (e.g. pollution permits) are explored. Laboratory subjects (university students) play the roles of firms whose generic product requires a specific input or permits. Scarcity is exogenously introduced by a fixed supply of tradable production permits. Three treatments are compared: No fee imposed (N); a fixed tax per permit (T); and partial retraction of permits and subsequent redistribution by auction (A). Treatments T and A represent two different ways of imposing fees, which are designed to be revenue equivalent. Our results indicate that, after controlling for deviation of permit prices from a prediction based on fundamentals, fees have an impact on distribution of permits. Interestingly, a fixed tax enhances efficiency compared to the case of no fees while retraction and reallocation by auction tends to reduce efficiency. Apparently, subjects’ decision making is affected by the imposition of fees, but how and to what extent depends on the method used.
Persistence of contact allergy among Danish adults: an 8‐year follow‐up study

In 1990, a random sample of 567 persons of the 15–69‐year‐old population living in the Western part of Copenhagen County, Denmark, was patch tested in a cross‐sectional study. In 1998, a follow‐up study was performed. Out of 540 invited, 365 (68%) were re‐patch tested. In the follow‐up study, the persistence of allergic contact sensitivity, defined as 1 or more positive patch tests in both surveys, was 71% (37 out of 52 subjects). Nickel allergy persisted in 79% (19 out of 24 subjects), while 60% (21 out of 35 subjects) had a positive patch test reaction to 1 or more allergens, other than nickel, in both surveys. The lowest persistence was 50% (5 out of 10 subjects) and this was found for patch test reactivity to 1 or more of the cosmetic ingredients included in the patch test series. 8 years after the baseline study had demonstrated allergic contact sensitivity, 71% of the subjects still had at least 1 positive patch test. Nickel allergy persisted in 79%. Allergen avoidance should probably be lifelong to prevent elicitation of contact dermatitis.
The Performance of Privatized Financial Institutions in Egypt: The Case of Alexandria Bank

Privatization has been advocated as a central part of the Egyptian economic reform program targeted to encourage a more effective participation of the private sector in most economic fields. The paper addresses the Egyptian privatization agenda, the progress of the privatization program, and structure of Egyptian banking system and the privatization of the financial sector. It also examines the pre-and post-privatization performance of state-owned commercial banks in Egypt (Alexandria Bank), using a combination of data for five years before and five years after privatization. In Egypt, the choice between the different methods of privatization is determined on a case-by-case basis. The CAMEL approach (Capital, Asset, Management Efficiency, Earnings, and Liquidity) has been adopted by applying three ratios under each category for five years before and five years after privatization. The performance of the bank of Alexandria after privatization on average is significantly better at the level of capital adequacy and earnings. The mean of asset quality and the mean of liquidity are lower after privatization but this stand for better performance as a result of substantial reduction of operating expenses and more investments. The management efficiency is almost the same before and after privatization. There is a significant difference between performance of the two stages and most likely in favor of privatization. Despite the criticism targeted to the Egyptian privatization program, the paper found positive consequences of privatization, particularly post-privatization performance.
Famine, fertility, and fortune in china

In this paper, I investigate the long term effects of China's Great Famine in 1959-1961 on cohorts affected by the famine in the first year of life. Using China's 2000 population census data and after controlling for positive fertility selections in the famine, I find that women exposed to the famine in the first year of life had a lower probability of completing high school and lived in less wealthy households. I do not find any significant effects of the famine on men. In addition, I find that if positive fertility selections are not controlled for, the negative effects become weaker.
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Management of Labour in Two Australian Mining Industry Companies

This paper undertakes an examination of the espoused commitment to CSR principles and its relationship with the labour management systems in two Australian mining companies. The paper explores the extent to which the adoption of a CSR strategy has affected the management of labour in three respects: "collective" relations with unions; "partnership-style" relations with unions and workers; and the adoption of HPWS measures. The paper concludes that while each company has made substantial "in principle" commitments as a result of CSR, there is nothing to suggest that CSR considerations are sufficiently powerful in themselves to bring about systemic change in the management of labour. Copyright (c) 2007 The Authors; Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Incidence and persistence of depression in HIV in Uganda 1 Incidence and persistence of major depressive disorder among people living with HIV in Uganda

Institutional Affiliation Mental Health Project, MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS/ MRC-DFID African Leadership Award, Entebbe, Uganda Department of Psychiatry, Makerere College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Butabika National Psychiatric Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa Senior Wellcome Trust Fellowship, London, United Kingdom
Microautosamplers for discrete sample injection and dispensation

Microfluidic systems show considerable potential for use in the continuous reaction and analysis of biosamples for various applications, such as drug screening and chemical synthesis. Typically, microfluidic chips are externally connected with large‐scale autosamplers to inject specific volumes of discrete samples in the continuous monitoring and analysis of multiple samples. This paper presents a novel microelectromechanical system (MEMS)‐based autosampler capable of performing the discrete injection and dispensation of variable‐volume samples. This microdevice can be integrated with other microfluidic devices to facilitate the continuous monitoring and analysis of multiple biosamples. By means of electroosmotic focusing and switching controlled by the direct application of electric sources on specific fluid reservoirs, a precise sample volume can be injected into the specified outlet port. Fluorescence dye images verify the performance of the developed device. An injection‐and‐washing scheme is developed to prevent cross‐contamination during the continuous injection of different samples. This approach renders feasible the injection of several discrete samples using a single microchip. Compared to its large‐scale counterparts, the developed microautosampler is compact in size, has low fabrication costs, is straightforward to control, and most importantly, is readily integrated with other microfluidic devices (e.g., microcapillary electrophoresis chips) to form a microfluidic system capable of the continuous monitoring and analysis of bioreactions. The proposed microautosampler could be promising towards realizing the micrototal analysis system (μ‐TAS) concept.
Implications of securities class actions for cost of equity capital

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of class action litigation on firms' cost of equity capital.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses three different models to estimate the cost of equity capital. To separate the impact of lawsuit filings on the cost of equity capital from that of the revelation event, a sample of lawsuits with a long lag between the disclosure events and filing dates was analyzed. Also, a comparison group study was conducted to illustrate the distinct impact of a lawsuit filing on the defendant firm's cost of equity capital. Finally, a multivariate analysis was used to examine the factors that affect the magnitude of such impact.Findings – The paper finds that filing of a class action lawsuit results in a significant increase in the defendant firm's cost of equity capital incremental to the effect of the disclosure event. Additionally, increases in the cost of equity capital after the lawsuit filings are higher when the lawsuits involve generally acce.
Discrimination in an Equilibrium Search Model

I construct an equilibrium search model where some employers have a distaste for hiring minority workers and show that this bias results in economic discrimination against minority workers. Although only unprejudiced firms hire minority workers, minority workers receive lower wages than workers not facing discrimination whenever any employers in the market have a distaste for minority workers. One implication of the model is that gender or racial wage differentials understate the utility loss from discrimination. In addition, the wages of minority workers increase when their proportion increases in the labor market.
Roles of Fiscal Policy in New Zealand

Economic growth is one of the objectives of the current government. Fiscal policy, encompassing government expenditure and taxation decisions, can significantly impact on economic growth. This paper proposes a framework which views fiscal policy through three lenses and applies this approach to consider how fiscal policy affects economic growth. The three lenses are: fiscal sustainability, fiscal structure and fiscal stabilisation. The paper reviews international literature pertaining to these three lenses and discusses the extent to which these lenses are incorporated into New Zealand’s current fiscal framework. Contemporary New Zealand fiscal challenges are discussed and, in light of these challenges, the paper concludes with consideration of areas to investigate which may yield improvements to the New Zealand fiscal framework.