Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Granger Causality Analysis between the GDP and CO2 Emissions of Major Emitters and Implications for International Climate Governance

This paper empirically examines the relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth by applying the co-integration analysis and Granger causality test to the time series data of carbon emissions and gross domestic product (GDP) of the world’s top 20 emitters from 1990 to 2015. Co-integration analysis shows that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth in most countries; Granger causality test verifies a one-way causal link between carbon emissions and economic growth in most major emitters. In developed countries, economic growth is the Granger cause of carbon emissions, while the opposite is true in developing countries. The results reflect different characteristics regarding carbon emission reduction in developed and developing countries as they are at different developing stages. Carbon emission reduction exerts much greater adverse effects on the economic growth of developing countries than it does on that of developed countries. Based on the results of the Granger causal analysis, it is found that the requirements for developing countries to substantially reduce emissions are not in line with the characteristics in their current developing stage and therefore may pose obstructions. Developed countries should take the lead in carrying out emission reductions due to their accountability for historical emissions as well as their development stages and capabilities. In addition, they should aid developing countries in their efforts for transforming and upgrading development and reducing dependence of economic growth on carbon emissions. International climate governance should take into account the needs and characteristics of different countries for future development, and build a mechanism for international cooperation to achieve synergy between social economic development and global climate governance.
Revision Stapedectomy in Israel

Objective To evaluate the audiometric results and surgical findings of revision stapedectomy in Israel. Study Design Retrospective. Setting Tertiary referral center and private otology practice. Patients Seventy-eight patients over 13 years. Results A total of 78 patients were evaluated during a mean follow-up time of 1.5 years. Ten patients with far advanced otosclerosis or dizziness were then excluded. Closure of air-bone gap to within 10 dB was achieved in 67.6% of patients. Pure tone average (PTA, 500–4,000 Hz) improvement in hearing was 22.5 dB. Operative findings at time of revision were prosthesis malfunction (42.6%), incus necrosis (22%), incomplete stapedectomy (11.8%), and fistula (l.5%). Sensorineural hearing loss occurred in one patient. The technique of revision involved regrafting the oval window and the use of a piston prosthesis. Conclusions The surgical findings and results in this study are similar to those in other large studies. Although success was less than in primary stapedectomy, the results justified revisions. Hearing gains were dependent on surgical findings, the number of previous revisions, and associated ossicular problems.
Network-Based Trust Games: An Agent-Based Model

By hybridizing two kinds of games frequently used in experimental economics, namely, trust games and network games, this paper develops a model of the network-based trust game. Through agent-based simulation of the model, we can demonstrate the positive effects of trust on growth. Even though the underlying technology still provides the fundamental channel for growth, there is an indirect effect on growth through network formation. It is in this network formation process that trust plays a role. The trust considered in this paper is a kind of myopic trust which, through the stochastic choice model, can affect agents' decisions regarding networking, portfolios, and kickbacks, which in turn affects network formation, wealth creation, and distribution.
Bed rest increases the amount of mismatched fibers in human skeletal muscle.

The effects of a 37-day period of bed rest on myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression on both mRNA and protein level in human skeletal muscle fibers were studied. Muscle biopsies from vastus lateralis muscle were obtained from seven healthy young male subjects before and after the bed-rest period. Combined in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, and ATPase histochemistry analysis of serial sections of the muscle biopsies demonstrated that fibers showing a mismatch between MHC isoforms at the mRNA and protein level increased significantly after the bed-rest period, suggesting an increase in the amount of muscle fibers in a transitional state. Accordingly, fibers showing a match in expression of MHC-1 and of MHC-2A at the mRNA and protein level decreased, whereas fibers showing a match between MHC-2X mRNA and protein increased after bed rest. Overall, there was an increase in fibers in a transitional state from phenotypic type 1 --> 2A and 2A --> 2X. Furthermore, a number of fibers with unusual MHC mRNA and isoprotein combinations were observed after bed rest (e.g., type 1 fibers with only mRNA for 2X and type 1 fibers negative for mRNA for MHC-beta/slow, 2A, and 2X). In contrast, no changes were revealed after an examination at the protein level alone. These data suggest that the reduced load-bearing activity imposed on the skeletal muscles through bed rest will alter MHC gene expression, resulting in combinations of mRNA and MHC isoforms normally not (or only rarely) observed in muscles subjected to load-bearing activity. On the other hand, the present data also show that 37 days of bed rest are not a sufficient stimulus to induce a similar change at the protein level, as was observed at the gene level.
Estrogen receptor variants in normal human mammary tissue.

BACKGROUND Several estrogen receptor (ER) variant messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have been identified previously in human breast cancer biopsy samples and cell lines. The relative levels of certain ER variant mRNAs have been observed to increase with breast tumor progression. In vitro assays of the function of polypeptides encoded by some of these variant mRNAs have led to speculation that ER variants may be involved in the progression from hormone dependence to independence in breast cancer. PURPOSE We set out to establish if ER variant mRNAs are present in normal human breast tissues and, if so, to compare levels of these variants between normal and neoplastic human breast tissues. METHODS Four human breast tissue samples from reduction mammoplasties and five samples from tissue adjacent to breast tumors were analyzed. The tissue samples were confirmed to be normal (i.e., not malignant) by histopathologic analysis. RNA was extracted immediately from adjacent frozen sections. Human breast tumor specimens originally resected from 19 patients were acquired from a tumor bank and processed in the same way as the normal tissue samples. The RNAs were then reverse transcribed and subsequently amplified with the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR primer sets were designed to detect several different exon-deleted ER variants and a truncated ER variant (i.e., clone 4). A semiquantitative PCR-based method was used to determine the relative expression of exon 5- and exon 7-deleted variants to wild-type ER mRNAs in the nine normal tissues and in 19 ER-positive breast tumor tissues. The Mann-Whitney rank sum test (two-sided) was used to determine P values. RESULTS ER variant mRNAs corresponding to the clone 4 ER truncated variant and to variants deleted in either exon 2, exon 3, exons 2-3, exon 5, or exon 7 were detected in all normal samples. The results were confirmed by restriction enzyme analyses and sequencing of the PCR products. The expression of exon 5-deleted ER variant relative to the wild-type ER mRNA was significantly lower (P< .001) in normal tissue than in tumor tissue. A similar trend was noted for expression of the exon 7-deleted ER variant mRNA; however, the difference did not achieve statistical significance (P= .476). CONCLUSION Several ER variant mRNAs are present in normal human breast tissue, but the level of expression of some of these variants may be lower in normal tissue than in tumor tissue. IMPLICATION These data suggest that the mechanisms generating ER variant mRNAs exist in normal breast tissue and may be deregulated in breast cancer tissues. Further investigation of the role of variant ER expression in development and progression of human breast cancer appears warranted.
Phage display of intact domains at high copy number: A system based on SOC, the small outer capsid protein of bacteriophage T4

Peptides fused to the coat proteins of filamentous phages have found widespread applications in antigen display, the construction of antibody libraries, and biopanning. However, such systems are limited in terms of the size and number of the peptides that may be incorporated without compromising the fusion proteins' capacity to self‐assemble. We describe here a system in which the molecules to be displayed are bound to pre‐assembled polymers. The polymers are T4 capsids and polyheads (tubular capsid variants) and the display molecules are derivatives of the dispensable capsid protein SOC. In one implementation, SOC and its fusion derivatives are expressed at high levels in Escherichia coli, purified in high yield, and then bound in vitro to separately isolated polyheads. In the other, a positive selection vector forces integration of the modified soc gene into a soc‐deleted T4 genome, leading to in vivo binding of the display protein to progeny virions. The system is demonstrated as applied to C‐terminal fusions to SOC of (1) a tetrapeptide; (2) the 43‐residue V3 loop domain of gpl20, the human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 (HIV‐1) envelope glycoprotein; and (3) poliovirus VP1 capsid protein (312 residues). SOC‐V3 displaying phage were highly antigenic in mice and produced antibodies reactive with native gp120. That the fusion protein binds correctly to the surface lattice was attested in averaged electron micrographs of polyheads. The SOC display system is capable of presenting up to ∼ 103 copies per capsid and >104 copies per polyhead of V3‐sized domains. Phage displaying SOC‐VP1 were isolated from a 1:106 mixture by two cycles of a simple biopanning procedure, indicating that proteins of at least 35 kDa may be accommodated.
Binding and internalization of transforming growth factor‐β1 by human hepatoma cells: Evidence for receptor recycling

Cellular processing of 125I‐labeled transforming growth factor‐β1 was investigated in the human hepatoma cell lines Hep G2 and Hep 3B. Binding of 125I‐transforming growth factor‐β1 to cell surface receptors was specific, saturable and calciumindependent. Both cell lines exhibited a single class of high‐affinity (Kd = 2.2 × 10−10 mol/L) binding sites (4.5 × 103 for the Hep G2 cell; 1.5 × 103 for the Hep 3B cell) for both human and porcine transforming growth factor‐β1. Binding was temperature dependent, time dependent and pH dependent. Cell‐bound 125I‐transforming growth factor‐β1 was removed by brief exposure to acidic medium (pH <4) but was converted into an acid‐resistant state rapidly after shifting the cells to 37°C. Spontaneous dissociation of bound ligand over a 6 hr period at 4° C was less than 10%. Disuccinimidyl suberate was used to covalently label 125I‐transforming growth factor‐β1 to cell‐surface binding sites. Labeling of the ligand/receptor complexes was inhibited by unlabeled transforming growth factor‐β1 but was unaffected by other growth factors. The radiolabeled complexes showed approximate molecular weights of 280,000, 85,000 and 65,000 when run on reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cell‐bound 125I‐transforming growth factor‐β1 was internalized and degraded at 37° C, and the products were released into the medium as trichloroacetic acid‐nonprecipitable radioactivity. The lysosomotropic base chloroquine and the carboxylic ionophore monensin inhibited degradation and release of 125I‐labeled products from the cells.
Clonal analysis of hepatitis B viruses among blood donors from Joinville, Brazil: Evidence of dual infections, intragenotype recombination and markers of risk for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is classified into seven major genotypes (A–H). Brazil, a country of continental proportions, has three prevailing lineages of HBV genotypes A, D, and F. Distinct HBV genotypes have been associated with differential risk of disease progression. Pre‐S gene deletions and single nucleotide polymorphisms have also been linked to progression to liver diseases. In this study, the molecular epidemiology of HBV was examined in Southern Brazil. The occurrence of multiple HBV infections, HBV recombination, and genetic markers of disease progression were also evaluated. Seventy‐eight persons infected with HBV had their viruses characterized molecularly by nested PCR, DNA sequencing, and phylogenetic inference. Multiple infections and recombinant viruses were evaluated by clonal and bootscanning analyses. The vast majority (96%) of the strains belonged to different D subgenotypes. Three of the four strains with unresolved genotypic classification showed evidence of dual infections with distinct D subgenotypes by clonal analysis. There was also evidence of intragenotype mosaic viruses. While four viruses had pre‐S deletions as major variants, another two displayed minor variants with such characteristics. One strain carried the F141L mutation, associated recently with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. These results emphasize the need for monitoring HBV genotype distribution around South America, as well as for the presence of genetic markers of disease progression in subjects diagnosed with HBV recently. J. Med. Virol. 83:2103–2112, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isolation from Agricultural Soil and Characterization of a Sphingomonas sp. Able To Mineralize the Phenylurea Herbicide Isoproturon

ABSTRACT A soil bacterium (designated strain SRS2) able to metabolize the phenylurea herbicide isoproturon, 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (IPU), was isolated from a previously IPU-treated agricultural soil. Based on a partial analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and the cellular fatty acids, the strain was identified as a Sphingomonas sp. within the α-subdivision of the proteobacteria. Strain SRS2 was able to mineralize IPU when provided as a source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. Supplementing the medium with a mixture of amino acids considerably enhanced IPU mineralization. Mineralization of IPU was accompanied by transient accumulation of the metabolites 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1-methylurea, 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-urea, and 4-isopropyl-aniline identified by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, thus indicating a metabolic pathway initiated by two successive N-demethylations, followed by cleavage of the urea side chain and finally by mineralization of the phenyl structure. Strain SRS2 also transformed the dimethylurea-substituted herbicides diuron and chlorotoluron, giving rise to as-yet-unidentified products. In addition, no degradation of the methoxy-methylurea-substituted herbicide linuron was observed. This report is the first characterization of a pure bacterial culture able to mineralize IPU.
The representation of disabled women in Anglo American advertising:examining how cultural disability tropes impact on the subjective wellbeing of disabled women

This thesis critically analyses the representation of disabled women in a small sample of Anglo-American advertisements (produced post-2000), from a feminist disability studies perspective. From my application of textual and discourse analyses to nine advertisements featuring women with mobility impairment, mental health issues or visual impairment and gathering of data on how a sample of women with impairments respond to advertising representations of disability, I extend existing knowledge on the extent to which the makers of advertisements are representing disabled women in positive and empowering ways. Mitchell and Snyder’s (2015) concept of ‘inclusionism’ and Davis’ (2013) critique of ‘diversity’ in mainstream contexts particularly inform my argument that the makers of ads often presume to be empowering disabled women and promoting human diversity, whereas, the opinions of women with impairments frequently suggest otherwise. My findings indicate that individual responses to advertisements are inextricably linked with individual subjectivities and embodied realities. I argue that problematic advertising representations of disabled women do not automatically cause women with impairments to experience lowered levels of subjective wellbeing. Rather, many women with impairments use oppressive portrayals and cultural tropes surrounding disability and gender as an opportunity to reassert their affirmative identities as disabled women. I intend for the conclusions of my thesis to be used by the makers of advertisements who aim to promote authentic, rather than tokenistic, representations of diversity in their advertisements. In addition, my research adds to existing knowledge in the field by critically highlighting how tokenistic approaches to ‘diversity’ in advertisements constitutes ‘inclusionism’.
Adapted Treatment Guided by Interim PET-CT Scan in Advanced Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND We tested interim positron-emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) as a measure of early response to chemotherapy in order to guide treatment for patients with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma. METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed advanced classic Hodgkin's lymphoma underwent a baseline PET-CT scan, received two cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) chemotherapy, and then underwent an interim PET-CT scan. Images were centrally reviewed with the use of a 5-point scale for PET findings. Patients with negative PET findings after two cycles were randomly assigned to continue ABVD (ABVD group) or omit bleomycin (AVD group) in cycles 3 through 6. Those with positive PET findings after two cycles received BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone). Radiotherapy was not recommended for patients with negative findings on interim scans. The primary outcome was the difference in the 3-year progression-free survival rate between randomized groups, a noninferiority comparison to exclude a difference of 5 or more percentage points. RESULTS A total of 1214 patients were registered; 937 of the 1119 patients (83.7%) who underwent an interim PET-CT scan according to protocol had negative findings. With a median follow-up of 41 months, the 3-year progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate in the ABVD group were 85.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82.1 to 88.6) and 97.2% (95% CI, 95.1 to 98.4), respectively; the corresponding rates in the AVD group were 84.4% (95% CI, 80.7 to 87.5) and 97.6% (95% CI, 95.6 to 98.7). The absolute difference in the 3-year progression-free survival rate (ABVD minus AVD) was 1.6 percentage points (95% CI, -3.2 to 5.3). Respiratory adverse events were more severe in the ABVD group than in the AVD group. BEACOPP was given to the 172 patients with positive findings on the interim scan, and 74.4% had negative findings on a third PET-CT scan; the 3-year progression-free survival rate was 67.5% and the overall survival rate 87.8%. A total of 62 patients died during the trial (24 from Hodgkin's lymphoma), for a 3-year progression-free survival rate of 82.6% and an overall survival rate of 95.8%. CONCLUSIONS Although the results fall just short of the specified noninferiority margin, the omission of bleomycin from the ABVD regimen after negative findings on interim PET resulted in a lower incidence of pulmonary toxic effects than with continued ABVD but not significantly lower efficacy. (Funded by Cancer Research UK and Others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00678327.).
Discovering Patterns in Online Reviews of Beijing and Lisbon Hostels

ABSTRACT This study employed a data mining approach to model the quantitative scores given to hostels located in Beijing, China, and Lisbon, Portugal, in guests’ online reviews posted on Booking.com. A neural network was built using a total of nine input features (e.g. age, most and least favorite aspects, travel and traveler types, nationality, hostel, and month and weekday of review) to model the score distributions. Each feature’s contribution to the scores was then extracted through data-based sensitivity analysis. The most favorite aspect and continent of origin were the two most significant features for hostels in both cities. Lisbon guests were also highly influenced by the hostel itself and traveler type as compared with Beijing travelers. Notably, facilities are the most favorite aspect valued by guests staying in Lisbon, while those that stay in Beijing hostels give more importance to value for money. These findings denote different guest behaviors are associated with each city’s particular offerings.
Self-Rated Health Status and Health Care Utilization Among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Israeli Jewish Women

ABSTRACT Introduction: Since 1989, Israel has absorbed over 700,000 Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, among them about 375,000 women. Immigrants are known to have greater and/or different health needs than non-immigrant residents, and to face unique barriers to receiving care. However, research addressing the specific health problems of these immigrant women has been scarce. Objectives: To compare self-reported health status and health care utilization patterns among immigrant and non-immigrant Israeli Jewish women; and to explore ways to overcome existing barriers to their care. Methods: A telephone survey was conducted in September and October 1998 among a random national sample of women age 22 and over, using a standard questionnaire. In all, 849 interviews were completed, with a response rate of 84%. In this article we present comparative data from a sub-set that included 760 immigrant respondents from the former Soviet Union and non-s immigrant Jewish respondents. Results: A greater proportion of immigrant versus non-immigrant women reported poor perceived health status (17% vs. 4%), chronic disease (61% vs. 38%), disability (31% vs. 18%) and depressive mood symptoms (52% vs. 38%). Lower rates of immigrant women visited a gynecologist regularly (57% vs. 83%) and were satisfied with their primary care physician. Lower rates of immigrants reported discussing health promotion issues such as smoking, diet, physical activity, HRT, and calcium intake with their physician. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for designing services that will effectively promote immigrant women's health, both in Israel and elsewhere.
The Bright Side of Paying Dividends: Evidence from Stock Price Crash Risk

We examine the economic benefits of paying dividends from the perspective of stock price crash risk. We find that dividend payments mitigate stock price crash risk. In addition, we show that dividend payments reduce bad news hoarding (overinvestment) while bad news hoarding (overinvestment) is positively associated with stock price crash risk, suggesting that curbing bad news hoarding and curtailing overinvestment are two channels through which dividend payments mitigate crash risk. Finally, our main results are robust to various sensitivity checks including controls for potential endogeneity concerns. Our findings are important because they (1) suggest that dividend payments, an easily observable cue, can help investors assess crash risk and thus adjust their investment portfolios, (2) support some policymakers’ proposition that dividend payments constrain managerial misreporting and protect shareholders (e.g., Breeden, 2003; Glassman, 2005), and (3) complement a recent literature about dividend payments enhancing earnings quality (e.g., Skinner and Soltes, 2011) by adding that dividend payments generate a net economic benefit in the form of reduced crash risk, curbed bad news hoarding, and curtailed overinvestment.