Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling Currency Crises in Emerging Markets: A Dynamic Probit Model with Unobserved Heterogeneity and Autocorrelated Errors

The paper investigates the causes of currency crises in emerging markets. We estimate the probability of a currency crisis by applying maximum smoothly simulated likelihood to a dynamic LDV model. This approach allows us to take explicit account of the existence of intertemporal links between crises. The results show that currency crises are influenced by real, monetary, debt and global variables. Past banking crises are significant determinants of the probability of currency crises. Moreover, countries that sharply devalued in the past are less prone to experience another currency crisis. We find evidence of unobserved heterogeneity, which may reflect differences in the countries’ institutional/historical background. Finally, the determinants of currency crises differ by type of exchange rate regime.
Kyoto, Efficiency, and Cost-Effectiveness: Applications of FUND

In this paper various emission reduction scenarios are evaluated with FUND-the Climate Framework for Uncertainty, Negotiation, and Distribution model. The aim is to help international negotiators improve upon the Kyoto Protocol. International cooperation in greenhouse gas emission reduction is important, and the more of it the better. The emission reduction targets as agreed in the Kyoto Protocol are irreconcilable with economic rationality. If the targets nevertheless need to be met, it is better to start emission reduction sooner than later in order to minimise costs. Methane emission reduction may be an important instrument to reduce costs.
Participation Costs and Efficient Auctions

Abstract Suppose that risk neutral agents have independently (and perhaps asymmetrically) distributed private valuations for an indivisible object. A mechanism assigns the object, but it is costly to send messages to the coordinator. In these circumstances, the second-price auction has an equilibrium that is classicallyex anteefficient, given general opportunities to invest in information about or enhancements of own valuations. In contrast, the first-price sealed bid auction may have no efficient equilibrium, even if buyers are symmetric. Other properties of the first-price auction are proved. A semirevelation principle is established for mechanisms with participation costs.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: D44, D82.
Seeking equity in the national information infrastructure

Available evidence indicates that there is a growing gap between the information rich and information poor. That gap is part of a larger struggle for control of information resources and for the societal power that accompanies such control. New institutional arrangements are needed to spread the benefits of modern information technologies to all segments of the population. Achieving social equity objectives requires governmental leadership and funding. But current legislative proposals for shaping the National Information Infrastructure (NII) lack clear statements as to how the social equity objectives enunciated by the President and Vice President would be accomplished. These proposals seem to make insufficient provision for expanding the development of more than 150 computerized community information systems (CCIS) created by grass‐roots organizations over the past several years. Locally controlled information delivery systems supported by a federally sponsored system of National and Regional Institutes.
A New Potentiometric Sensor for Determination of Pethidine Hydrochloride in Ampoules and Urine

A simple, precise, rapid and low-cost potentiometric method for pethidine determination in pharmaceuticals and urine is proposed. A chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) for pethidine hydrochloride (PDCl) based on pethidine-phosphotungstate (PD-PT) as ion-pair complex was prepared and fully character-ized in terms of composition, usable pH range, response time and temperature. The pethidine electrode showed Nernstain responses in the concentration range 2.1 × 10–6-1.0 × 10–2 M with a detection limit of 7.3 × 10-7 and usable within the pH range 3.5-6.6. This sensor exhibited a fast response time (about 5-8 s), good stability. The value (dE/dt) of the electrode was found to be 0.00071 V/? C, which indicates fairly high ther-mal stability. Selectivity coefficients determined by matched potential method (MPM) and separate solution method (SSM) showed high selectivity for PDCl with respect to a large number of inorganic cations, organic cations, sugars and some common drug excipients. The sensor could be used successfully in the estimation of PDCl in ampoules and in spiked urine samples.
The effectiveness of participatory ergonomics to prevent low-back and neck pain--results of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to investigate the effectiveness of the Stay@Work participatory ergonomics (PE) program to prevent low-back and neck pain. METHODS A total of 37 departments were randomly allocated to either the intervention (PE) or control group (no PE). During a six-hour meeting, working groups followed the PE steps and composed and prioritized ergonomic measures aimed at preventing low-back and neck pain. Subsequently, working groups were requested to implement the ergonomic measures in the departments. The primary outcomes were low-back and neck pain prevalence and secondary outcomes were pain intensity and duration. Data were collected by questionnaires at baseline, and after 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months follow-up. Additionally, the course of low-back and neck pain (transitions from no symptoms to symptoms and from symptoms to no symptoms) was modeled. RESULTS The randomization procedure resulted in 19 intervention departments (N=1472 workers) and 18 control departments (N=1575 workers). After 12 months, the intervention was not more effective than the control group in reducing the prevalence of low-back and neck pain or reducing pain intensity and duration. PE did not increase the probability of preventing low-back pain [odds ratio (OR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.97-1.57) or neck pain (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.74-1.40). However, PE increased the probability of recovering from low-back pain (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01-1.96), but not from neck pain (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.72-1.26). CONCLUSION PE neither reduced low-back and neck pain prevalence nor pain intensity and duration nor was it effective in the prevention of low-back and neck pain or the recovery from neck pain. However, PE was more effective in the recovery from low-back pain.
Reflection Analysis for Java: Uncovering More Reflective Targets Precisely

Reflection, which is widely used in practice and abused by many security exploits, poses a significant obstacle to program analysis. Reflective calls can be analyzed statically or dynamically. Static analysis is more sound but also more imprecise (by introducing many false reflective targets and thus affecting its scalability). Dynamic analysis can be precise but often miss many true reflective targets due to low code coverage.We introduce MIRROR, the first automatic reflection analysis for Java that increases significantly the code coverage of dynamic analysis while keeping false reflective targets low. In its static analysis, a novel reflection-oriented slicing technique is applied to identify a small number of small path-based slices for a reflective call so that different reflective targets are likely exercised along these different paths. This preserves the soundness of pure static reflection analysis as much as possible, improves its scalability, and reduces substantially its false positive rate. In its dynamic analysis, these slices are executed with automatically generated test cases to report the reflective targets accessed. This significantly improves the code coverage of pure dynamic analysis. We evaluate MIRROR against a state-of-the-art dynamic reflection analysis tool, TAMIFLEX, by using 10 large real-world Java applications. MIRROR detects 12.5% - 933.3% more reflective targets efficiently (in 362.8 seconds on average) without producing any false positives. These new targets enable 5 - 174949 callgraph edges to be reachable in the application code.
Naturally-Occurring Neospora caninum Infection in an Adult Sheep and Her Twin Fetuses

Neospora caninum tissue cysts were found in the brains of surgically delivered twin fetuses at 119 days of gestation. In the brains of both fetuses, there was an inflammatory reaction involving perivascular cuffings of mononuclear cells, glial nodules. The dam of these fetuses died because of metritis. Histopathological examination of the ewe revealed N. caninum tissue cysts and focal gliosis with mononuclear cell cuffings. A N. caninum-specific DNA fragment was detected in a brain homogenate of the ewe by the polymerase chain reaction method. This is the first report of N. caninum infection in twin ovine fetuses and in an adult sheep.
Serum anti-Helicobacter pylori IgA and IgG antibodies in asymptomatic children in Serbia

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori and the distribution of anti-H.pylori IgA and IgG antibodies in asymptomatic children aged between 7 and 18 y. We studied the serum samples of 283 children using the commercial ELISA test for the detection of anti-H. pylori IgA and IgG antibodies. The overall prevalence of anti-H. pylori antibodies was 36.4%. The seroprevalence was 35%, 28.3%, 37.5%, and 42.2% for the ages of 7, 10, 14 and 18 y, respectively. Serum IgG antibodies alone were detected in 88.3%, IgA alone in 4.9%, and both IgA and IgG antibodies were detected in 6.8% of samples. The mean levels of IgG antibodies to H. pylori increased with age. We concluded that the prevalence of H. pylori antibodies in Serbian children was high (36.4%), ranging from 35% to 42.2%. The detection of IgG antibodies is useful for the determination of seroprevalence in asymptomatic children.
Perspectives on heterococcolith geochemical proxies based on high‐resolution X‐ray fluorescence mapping

Heterococcoliths are micron‐scale calcite platelets produced by coccolithophores. They have been the most abundant and continuous fossil record over the last 215 million years (Myr), offering great potential for geochemical studies, although the heterococcolith fossil record remains underutilised in this domain. We have mapped heterococcoliths' composition using X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) with a 100‐nm resolution beam to decipher element distributions in heterococcoliths and to investigate the potential development of geochemical proxies for palaeoceanography. The study presents two Middle Jurassic Watznaueria britannica heterococcoliths from Cabo Mondego, Portugal. XRF analysis was performed with a 17 keV incident energy beam at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ID22NI beamline to study elements from Sr down to S. Ca, Sr and Mn are distributed following the heterococcolith crystalline arrangement. Cl, Br and S display an homogeneous distribution, whereas K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Rb are concentrated at the edges and in the central area of the heterococcoliths. Distributions of K, Fe, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and to a lesser extent V and Cr are highly influenced by clay contamination and peripheral diagenetic overgrowth. Mn is related to diagenetic Mn‐rich CaCO3 overgrowth on top of or between heterococcoliths shields. Cl and Br are likely to be present in heterococcoliths inside interstitial nano‐domains. We assume that the cytoplasm [Cl−] and [Br−] are mediated and constant during heterococcolithogenesis. Assuming a linear correlation between cytoplasm [Cl−] and sea water [Cl−], heterococcolith Cl may have potential as a salinity proxy. As S is incorporated into heterococcoliths by sulphated polysaccharides, our study suggests a role for such polysaccharides in heterococcolithogenesis for at least 170 Myr. The low Sr/Ca in the W. britannica specimens studied here may either highlight an unusual cellular physiology of Mesozoic coccolithophores or result from low growth rates in oligotrophic environments.
Involvement of GRP78 in inhibition of HBV secretion by Boehmeria nivea extract in human HepG2 2.2.15 cells

Summary. Previous studies showed that the root extract of Boehmeria nivea (BNE) can significantly suppress the production of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vitro and in vivo. In this study, viral core and large‐surface proteins accompanied with their encapsidated viral DNA were observed to accumulate within the cells. Notably, 78‐kDa glucose‐regulated protein (GRP78) was found to be suppressed by BNE, and stimulation of the GRP78 expression by thapsigargin could rescue virus production initially inhibited by BNE. The antiviral effect of BNE was reversible, which also coincided with the level of GRP78. Furthermore, we synthesized the GRP78 siRNA to knockdown the expression of GRP78 protein, and the production of supernatant HBV DNA was reduced simultaneously. Moreover, combined treatment of BNE and 3TC exhibited an additive anti‐hepatitis B virus effect. In conclusion, the inhibitory effect of BNE on blocking assembled virion secretion might be via the reduction of GRP78.
“Competitive Balance in Sports Leagues: An Introduction”

The authors summarize the literature on competitive balance to point out that there is no need for Zimbalist's editorial position that a single measurement of competitive balance is the correct measure, whereas others are not. Different measurements are of different use, and all lines of research into competitive balance have, to date, proven quite instructive. To ignore this is to forgo important insights into the behavior of competitive balance.
Effective application of multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis to tracing Staphylococcus aureus in food‐processing environment

A total of 256 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 98 samples (34 swabs and 64 food samples) obtained from small or medium meat‐ and cheese‐processing plants in Slovakia. The strains were genotypically characterized by multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA), involving multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with subsequent separation of the amplified DNA fragments by an automated flow‐through gel electrophoresis. With the panel of isolates, MLVA produced 31 profile types, which was a sufficient discrimination to facilitate the description of spatial and temporal aspects of contamination. Further data on MLVA discrimination were obtained by typing a subpanel of strains by multiple locus sequence typing (MLST). MLVA coupled to automated electrophoresis proved to be an effective, comparatively fast and inexpensive method for tracing S. aureus contamination of food‐processing factories.
Sudden shifts in variance in the Spanish market: persistence and spillover effects

In this paper we use the Iterated Cumulative Sums of Squares (ICSS) algorithm to detect sudden changes in variance in the Spanish stock Market. However, we employ an alternative methodology based on an EGARCH model to better capture the asymmetric behavior of the stock markets. We also use these sudden shifts to analyze the information spillovers between large and small cap portfolios. The results of this study show a significant decrease in the volatility persistence of both portfolios when sudden changes are taken into account. Spillover effects are also reduced but, in contrast with most of the previous evidence, we find a feedback relationship between the large and small portfolios. In this paper we shed some light on the understanding of the stock market by suggesting a common behavior of the portfolios. This results may be valid for a great number of markets and useful for the building of accurate asset pricing models or forecasting volatilities.
Random cell movement promotes synchronization of the segmentation clock

In vertebrate somitogenesis, the expression of segmentation clock genes oscillates and the oscillation is synchronized over nearby cells. Both experimental and theoretical studies have shown that the synchronization among cells is realized by intercellular interaction via Delta–Notch signaling. However, the following questions emerge: (i) During somitogenesis, dynamic rearrangement of relative cell positions is observed in the posterior presomitic mesoderm. Can a synchronized state be stably sustained under random cell movement? (ii) Experimental studies have reported that the synchronization of cells can be recovered in about 10 or fewer oscillation cycles after the complete loss of synchrony. However, such a quick recovery of synchronization is not possible according to previous theoretical models. In this paper, we first show by numerical modeling that synchronized oscillation can be sustained under random cell movement. We also find that for initial perturbation, the synchronization of cells is recovered much faster and it is for a wider range of reaction parameters than the case without cell movement. When the posterior presomitic mesoderm is rectangular, faster synchronization is achieved if cells exchange their locations more with neighbors located along the longer side of the domain. Finally, we discuss that the enhancement of synchronization by random cell movement occurs in several different models for the oscillation of segmentation clock genes.
Dividend initiations and long-run IPO performance

Dividend initiations are an economically significant event that has important implications for a firm’s future financial capacity. Given the market’s expectation of a consistent payout, managers of IPO firms must approach the initial dividend decision cautiously. We compare the long-run performance of IPO firms that initiated a dividend with that of similarly matched non-payers, and find robust results that firms which initiated a dividend perform significantly better up to five years after the initiation date. Further tests show that the post-initiation firm performance is explained mostly by dividend theory of signalling rather than free cash flow.
The structure of common and uncommon mental disorders

Background Co-morbidity patterns in epidemiological studies of mental illness consistently demonstrate that a latent internalizing factor accounts for co-morbidity patterns among unipolar mood and anxiety disorders, whereas a latent externalizing factor underlies the covariation of substance-use disorders and antisocial behaviors. However, this structure needs to be extended to include a broader range of disorders. Method Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the structure of co-morbidity using data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys (n = 16 233). Results In the best-fitting model, eating and bipolar disorders formed subfactors within internalizing, impulse control disorders were indicators of externalizing, and factor-analytically derived personality disorder scales split between internalizing and externalizing. Conclusions This was the first large-scale nationally representative study that has included uncommon mental disorders with sufficient power to examine their fit within a structural model of psychopathology. The results of this study have important implications for conceptualizing myriad mental disorders.
Visual and visuospatial development in young children with Williams syndrome

This study investigated the relation between sensory visual problems and the severity of visuospatial difficulties in a large group of young children with Williams’syndrome (WS). A questionnaire describing visual and associated problems was completed by the families of 108 children with WS and detailed follow‐up assessments were conducted, including visual, spatial, motor, visuocognitive, and linguistic tests of 73 of these children (mean age 7 years 3 months; 40 males, 73 females). Children with WS showed a much higher incidence of common paediatric sensory vision problems (strabismus, visual acuity loss, amblyopia, reduced stereopsis) than normally developing children. It was found that delays with respect to age normative values increased with age on all tests. No significant correlation was found between the presence of a visual deficit and the severity of the visuospatial problems, suggesting that the difficulties children with WS have in understanding spatial arrangements are not simply a result of their earlier sensory visual problems. Results confirm the dissociation between visuospatial and language abilities in children with WS, and support the neurobiological model of a split between ventral and dorsal stream processing of visual information with a generalized deficit in dorsal stream processing in young children with WS.
Not all myofibroblasts are alike: revisiting the role of PDGF‐A and PDGF‐B using PDGF‐targeted mice

Analyses of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF-receptor knockout mice show that the development of specific subsets of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) depend on PDGF. Pericytes and mesangial cells failed to develop in PDGF-B deficient emtryos, whereas alveolar SMCs failed to develop in PDGP-A deficient embryos. The ontogeny of pericytes and alveolar SMCs suggests a common theme in the formation of PDGF-dependent SMCs, in which PDGF-receptor positive SMC progenitors spread from proximal to distal sites along PDGF-expressing epithelial, or endothelial, tubes.
Fan Loyalty and Stadium Funding in Professional Baseball

This article reexamines the demand for baseball and provides estimates of fan loyalty for U.S.-based professional baseball teams using techniques developed in the stochastic frontier literature. Fans choose to attend games based on price-quality combinations and some intangible fan loyalty. The main focus of this article is to estimate the relative fan loyalty for U.S. professional baseball teams. Fan loyalty is then compared with the outcomes of referenda seeking public funding for new stadiums. Relative fan loyalty is significant in predicting the outcome of public-funding votes.
Right hemisphere contributions to imitation tasks

Humans imitate biological movements faster than non‐biological movements. The faster response has been attributed to an activation of the human mirror neuron system, which is thought to match observation and execution of actions. However, it is unclear which cortical areas are responsible for this behavioural advantage. Also, little is known about the timing of activations. Using whole‐head magnetoencephalography we recorded neuronal responses to single biological finger movements and non‐biological dot movements while the subjects were required to perform an imitation task or an observation task, respectively. Previous imaging studies on the human mirror neurone system suggested that activation in response to biological movements would be stronger in ventral premotor, parietal and superior temporal regions. In accordance with previous studies, reaction times to biological movements were faster than those to dot movements in all subjects. The analysis of evoked magnetic fields revealed that the reaction time benefit was paralleled by stronger and earlier activation of the left temporo‐occipital cortex, right superior temporal area and right ventral motor/premotor area. The activity patterns suggest that the latter areas mediate the observed behavioural advantage of biological movements and indicate a predominant contribution of the right temporo‐frontal hemisphere to action observation–execution matching processes in intransitive movements, which has not been reported previously.