Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An analysis of capital flows and current account dynamics in Zimbabwe (1990-2013)

This study analyzed capital flows and current account dynamics in Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2013. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether Zimbabweâ€™s current account deficit is sustainable or not. The study involved investigating whether the current account deficits violates the intertemporal budget constraints (IBC) or not, investigating the causal relationship between capital flows and current account deficits, and whether there is evidence of speculative capital inflows into the economy which are subject to sudden stops and reversal. When a country runs persistent current account deficits, questions are raised on the ability of a country to generate future current account surpluses to meet its external debt obligations created by past current account deficits. The study applied the intertemporal balance model developed by Liu and Tanner, (1996) to assess sustainability of the current account deficit. The analysis involved testing the stationarity of current account to GDP ratio. Unit root tests were initially conducted by applying the ADF test. However, given its inability to discriminate clearly between non-stationary and stationary series with a higher degree of autocorrelation and sensitivity to breaks, the study also used second generation stationarity tests, notably the Dickey-Fuller Generalized Least Square (DF GLS), the semi-parametric Phillips-Perron test and Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test. In addition, cointegration a test was conducted which also give way to the Error Correction Model (ECM). The study concluded the analysis with Granger Causality Tests on the current and current and capital account balance and the respective sub-components. The results of the unit root tests amply demonstrated that the current account deficits violated the IBC implying that Zimbabweâ€™s current account deficit were unsustainable. The exports and imports of goods and services were co integrated but the Wald Coefficient Restriction tests results indicated that the current account deficits followed an explosive path. The study also took into account the errors and omissions in the analysis. The results confirmed that the current account deficit is unsustainable even when the errors and omission are subtracted from the current account deficit.
Nutrition Transition and the Structure of Global Food Demand

Abstract Estimating future demand for food is a critical aspect of global food security analyses. The process linking dietary changes to wealth is known as the nutrition transition and presents well‐identified features that help to predict consumption changes in poor countries. This study proposes to represent the nutrition transition with a nonhomothetic, flexible‐in‐income demand system. The resulting model is estimated statistically based on cross‐sectional information from FAOSTAT. The model captures the main features of the nutrition transition: rise in demand for calories associated with income growth; diversification of diets away from starchy staples; and a large increase in caloric demand for animal‐based products, fats, and sweeteners. The estimated model is used to project food demand between 2010 and 2050 based on a set of plausible futures (trend projections and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenarios). The main results of these projections are: (a) global food demand will increase by 47%, less than half the growth in the previous four decades; (b) this growth will be attributable mainly to lower‐middle‐income and low‐income countries; (c) the structure of global food demand will change over the period, with a doubling of demand for animal‐based calories and a much smaller 19% increase in demand for starchy staples; and (d) the analysis of a range of population and income projections reveals important uncertainties—depending on the scenario, the projected increases in demand for animal‐based and vegetal‐based calories range from 74% to 114%, and from 20% to 42%, respectively.
Movement of mitochondria in the axons and dendrites of cultured hippocampal neurons

Mitochondria generate ATP and are involved in the regulation of cytoplasmic calcium levels. It is thought that local demand for mitochondria differs between axons and dendrites. Moreover, it has been suggested that the distribution of both energy need and calcium flux in dendrites changes with patterns of synaptic activation, whereas the distribution of these demands in axons is stable. The present study sought to determine whether there are differences in mitochondrial movements between axons and dendrites that may relate to differences in local mitochondrial demand. We labeled the mitochondria in cultured hippocampal neurons with a fluorescent dye and used time‐lapse microscopy to examine their movements. In both axons and dendrites, approximately one‐third of the mitochondria were in motion at any one time. In both domains, approximately 70% of the mitochondria moved in the anterograde direction, whereas the remainder moved in the retrograde direction. The velocity of the movements in each direction in each domain ranged from 0.1 μm/sec to approximately 2 μm/sec, and the means and distributions of the velocities were similar. Only one difference in the behavior of mitochondria between axons and dendrites emerged from this analysis. Mitochondria in axons were more likely to move with a consistently rapid velocity than were those in dendrites. As a result, mitochondria in axons tended to travel farther than mitochondria in dendrites. These results suggest that the transport of mitochondria in axons and dendrites is similar despite any differences in mitochondrial demand between the two domains. J. Comp. Neurol. 427:340–350, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of local air pollution on the deposition of peroxyacetyl nitrate to a nutrient-poor natural grassland ecosystem

Abstract. Dry deposition of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is known to have a phytotoxic impact on plants under photochemical smog conditions, but it may also lead to higher productivity and threaten species richness of vulnerable ecosystems in remote regions. However, underlying mechanisms or controlling factors for PAN deposition are not well understood and studies on dry deposition of PAN are limited. In this study, we investigate the impact of PAN deposition on a nutrient-poor natural grassland ecosystem situated at the edge of an urban and industrialized region in Germany. PAN mixing ratios were measured within a 3.5 months summer to early autumn period. In addition, PAN fluxes were determined with the modified Bowen ratio technique for a selected period. The evaluation of both stomatal and non-stomatal deposition pathways was used to model PAN deposition over the entire summer–autumn period. We found that air masses at the site were influenced by two contrasting pollution regimes, which led to median diurnal PAN mixing ratios ranging between 50 and 300 ppt during unpolluted and between 200 and 600 ppt during polluted episodes. The measured PAN fluxes showed a clear diurnal cycle with maximal deposition fluxes of ~−0.1 nmol m−2 s−1 (corresponding to a deposition velocity of 0.3 cm s−1) during daytime and a significant non-stomatal contribution was found. The ratio of PAN to ozone deposition velocities was found to be ~0.1, which is much larger than assumed by current deposition models. The modelled PAN flux over the entire period revealed that PAN deposition over an entire day was 333 μg m−2 d−1 under unpolluted and 518 μg m−2 d−1 under polluted episodes. Additionally, thermochemical decomposition PAN deposition accounted for 32% under unpolluted episodes and 22% under polluted episodes of the total atmospheric PAN loss. However, the impact of PAN deposition as a nitrogen source to the nutrient-poor grassland was estimated to be only minor, under both unpolluted and polluted episodes.
Big Comparisons, Little Knowledge: Public Engagement with PISA in the United States and Israel

Abstract Over the past two decades, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has become an influential actor in the education sector. This has been accomplished, partly, by the administration of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) since 2000. Overall, PISA is intended to inform the public, parents, teachers, and those who run education systems of the status of education in their country. Research shows that policymakers draw on PISA results when they launch and design education reforms. To date, however, we know very little about whether PISA is successfully informing the general public, which is the main sponsor and benefactor of PISA. Using public opinion surveys from the United States and Israel, this chapter examines knowledge and perception of PISA. Recent reports suggest that both countries are in the middle ranks of all countries participating in PISA, with the United States being in the middle ranks of OECD countries and Israel being in the lower ranks of this group. Findings from public opinion surveys reveal three interesting patterns. First, in both countries, the public tend to underestimate how well 15-year olds perform on international standardized tests. Second, college graduates are more likely than those with less education to underestimate the performance of teens on international standardized tests. Third, although the public seems to be misinformed about PISA results, we find considerable public support for PISA and international standardized tests more generally. Implications of the findings for policy and future research in the field of international and comparative education are discussed.
Inhibin A, Inhibin B and Activin A in Follicular Fluid of Infertile Women with Tubal Damage, Unexplained Infertility and Endometriosis 1

PROBLEM: To measure and compare concentrations of inhibin A, inhibin B, activin A and oestradiol in the follicular fluid of women with endometriosis, tubal damage and unexplained infertility with oocyte quality and fertilising capacity. Also, to assess whether impaired follicular function in women with endometriosis might be related to altered inhibin or activin concentrations and whether this correlated. METHOD OF STUDY: Follicular fluids were collected from individual follicles during oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in natural cycles. Inhibin A, inhibin B and activin A were measured using two‐site enzyme immunoassay, and oestradiol was assayed by fluoro‐immunometric method. RESULTS: Follicular fluid inhibin A levels were found to be significantly higher in women with endometriosis. Inhibin A was directly correlated with follicle size. There was no correlation between the levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, activin A and oocyte quality or fertilising capacity in the three groups of women. CONCLUSIONS: Follicular fluid concentration of inhibin A is elevated in follicles of women with endometriosis and is positively correlated with follicle maturation. However, we were unable to demonstrate any association between the follicular fluid concentrations of inhibin A, inhibin B, activin A or oestradiol and the quality and fertilisation capacity of oocytes in women with tubal damage, unexplained infertility or endometriosis.
Changes in Achilles tendon mechanical properties following eccentric heel drop exercise are specific to the free tendon

Mechanical loading of the Achilles tendon during isolated eccentric contractions could induce immediate and region‐dependent changes in mechanical properties. Three‐dimensional ultrasound was used to examine the immediate effect of isolated eccentric exercise on the mechanical properties of the distal (free tendon) and proximal (gastrocnemii) regions of the Achilles tendon. Participants (n = 14) underwent two testing sessions in which tendon measurements were made at rest and during a 30% and 70% isometric plantar flexion contractions immediately before and after either: (a) 3 × 15 eccentric heel drops or (b) 10‐min rest. There was a significant time‐by‐session interaction for free tendon length and strain for all loading conditions (P < 0.05). Pairwise comparisons revealed a significant increase in free tendon length and strain at all contraction intensities after eccentric exercise (P < 0.05). There was no significant time‐by‐session interaction for the gastrocnemii (medial or lateral) aponeurosis or tendon for any of the measured parameters. Immediate changes in Achilles tendon mechanical properties were specific to the free tendon and consistent with changes due to mechanical creep. These findings suggest that the mechanical properties of the free tendon may be more vulnerable to change with exercise compared with the gastrocnemii aponeurosis or tendon.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Porphyromonas gingivalis Lysine-specific Gingipain

The proteinases of Porphyromonas gingivalis are key virulence factors in the etiology and progression of periodontal disease. Previous work in our laboratories resulted in the purification of arginine- and lysine-specific cysteine proteinases, designated gingipains, that consist of several tightly associated protein subunits. Recent characterization of arginine-specific gingipain-1 (gingipain R1; RGP-1) revealed that the sequence is unique and that the protein subunits are initially translated as a polyprotein encoding a proteinase domain and multiple adhesin domains (Pavloff, N., Potempa, J., Pike, R. N., Prochazka, V., Kiefer, M. C., Travis, J., and Barr, P. J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 1007-1010). We now show that the lysine-specific gingipain (gingipain K; KGP) is also biosynthesized as a polyprotein precursor that contains a proteinase domain that is 22% homologous to the proteinase domain of RGP-1 and multiple adhesin domains. This precursor is similarly processed at distinct sites to yield active KGP. The key catalytic residues in the proteinase domain of KGP are identical to those found in RGP-1, but there are significant differences elsewhere within this domain that likely contribute to the altered substrate specificity of KGP. Independent expression of the proteinase domain in insect cells has shown that KGP does not require the presence of the adhesin domains for correct folding to confer proteolytic activity.
Activity-dependent phosphorylation of Ser187 is required for SNAP-25-negative modulation of neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels

Synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) is a SNARE protein that regulates neurotransmission by the formation of a complex with syntaxin 1 and synaptobrevin/VAMP2. SNAP-25 also reduces neuronal calcium responses to stimuli, but neither the functional relevance nor the molecular mechanisms of this modulation have been clarified. In this study, we demonstrate that hippocampal slices from Snap25+/− mice display a significantly larger facilitation and that higher calcium peaks are reached after depolarization by Snap25−/− and Snap25+/− cultured neurons compared with wild type. We also show that SNAP-25b modulates calcium dynamics by inhibiting voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and that PKC phosphorylation of SNAP-25 at ser187 is essential for this process, as indicated by the use of phosphomimetic (S187E) or nonphosphorylated (S187A) mutants. Neuronal activity is the trigger that induces the transient phosphorylation of SNAP-25 at ser187. Indeed, enhancement of network activity increases the levels of phosphorylated SNAP-25, whereas network inhibition reduces the extent of protein phosphorylation. A transient peak of SNAP-25 phosphorylation also is detectable in rat hippocampus in vivo after i.p. injection with kainate to induce seizures. These findings demonstrate that differences in the expression levels of SNAP-25 impact on calcium dynamics and neuronal plasticity, and that SNAP-25 phosphorylation, by promoting inhibition of VGCCs, may mediate a negative feedback modulation of neuronal activity during intense activation.
Estrogen regulated expression of the p21Waf1/Cip1 gene in estrogen receptor positive human breast cancer cells

The cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor protein p21Waf1/Cip1 is a potent tumor suppressor. Here, we demonstrate that estradiol regulates the p21Waf1/Cip1 gene. Estradiol induces p21Waf1/Cip1 mRNA expression within 30–60 min independent of new protein synthesis in the estrogen receptor α (ERα) positive human breast cancer cell line MCF‐7. Similar to other estradiol responsive promoters, the p21Waf1/Cip1 upstream promoter region has several estrogen response element (ERE) half‐sites nestled in AP‐1 binding sites, which are positioned upstream to Sp1 binding sites. Using the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we show that estradiol stimulation resulted in the recruitment of transcription factors ERα, Sp1, and Sp3 to the p21Waf1/Cip1 upstream promoter element. The Sp1 inhibitor mithramycin A abrogated Sp1, and to a lesser extent Sp3 binding, and markedly reduced the estradiol stimulated p21Waf1/Cip1 gene expression. However, ERα binding was not affected in the mithramycin A and estradiol treated cells. On closer examination of the half‐site ERE/AP‐1 sites upstream to the Sp1 sites in a separate ChIP experiment, we found a pronounced association of ERα upon estradiol treatment compared to almost negligible binding of Sp1 or Sp3. Together these studies provide evidence that ERα is recruited to the half‐site ERE/AP‐1 sites in the p21Waf1/Cip1 upstream promoter element. Although Sp1/Sp3 is not involved in the recruitment of ERα to the promoter, Sp1 is necessary for estrogen‐induced p21Waf1/Cip1 promoter activity. J. Cell. Physiol. 224:28–32, 2010 © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beta-endorphin modulation of lymphocyte proliferation: effects of ethanol.

BACKGROUND We have previously shown that alcohol suppresses the natural killer (NK) cell activity of splenic lymphocytes partly by reducing the secretion of opioid peptide beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and its positive influence on NK-cell cytolytic activity in rats. The inhibition of NK-cell cytolytic activity was also associated with a reduced number of NK cells after chronic ethanol administration. Hence, the possibility arises that chronic ethanol may alter NK cell proliferation, survival, or both. In this study, we investigated whether ethanol treatment for 1 to 4 weeks reduces the proliferation of other lymphocyte subsets and whether beta-EP regulates ethanol's effect on lymphocyte proliferation. METHODS Male rats were ad libitum-fed rat chow, pair-fed with isocaloric liquid diet, or fed with ethanol-containing liquid diet for 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks. Groups of these rats were infused with beta-EP with or without the delta-receptor antagonist naltrindol into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Splenocytes were isolated and used for flow cytometric analysis of the changes in the number of various lymphocyte subsets. Lymphocyte proliferation was determined by mitogen stimulation assays. RESULTS Ethanol consumption resulted in a reduction of the number of CD161+ NK cells, CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD4+ T-helper cells, and CD8a+ cytotoxic T cells in a time-dependent fashion. Alcohol consumption also suppressed the proliferative response of lymphocyte subsets to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, and lipopolysaccharide. Beta-EP promoted the lymphocytes' proliferative response to mitogens, whereas naltrindol blocked the effects of the opioid. Chronic alcohol consumption reduced the proliferative response of lymphocytes to beta-EP. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that chronic alcohol administration reduces immune function partly by decreasing the opioid-regulated mitogen-stimulated proliferation of lymphocyte subsets.
Low maternal vitamin D status and fetal bone development: Cohort study

Recent findings suggest that maternal vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy has consequences for the offspring's bone health in later life. To investigate whether maternal vitamin D insufficiency affects fetal femur growth in ways similar to those seen in childhood rickets and study the timing during gestation of any effect of maternal vitamin D status, we studied 424 pregnant women within a prospective longitudinal study of maternal nutrition and lifestyle before and during pregnancy (Southampton Women's Survey). Using high‐resolution 3D ultrasound, we measured fetal femur length and distal metaphyseal cross‐sectional area, together with the ratio of femoral metaphyseal cross‐sectional area to femur length (femoral splaying index). Lower maternal 25‐hydroxyvitamin vitamin D concentration was not related to fetal femur length but was associated with greater femoral metaphyseal cross‐sectional area and a higher femoral splaying index at 19 weeks' gestation [r = −0.16, 95% confidence interbal (CI) −0.25 to −0.06 and r = −0.17, 95% CI −0.26 to −0.07, respectively] and at 34 weeks' gestation (r = –0.10, 95% CI −0.20 to 0.00 and r = −0.11, 95% CI −0.21 to −0.01, respectively). Three groups of women were identified with 25‐hydroxyvitamin vitamin D concentrations that were sufficient/borderline (>50 nmol/L, 63.4%), insufficient (25 to 50 nmol/L, 30.7%), and deficient (≤25 nmol/L, 5.9%). Across these groups, the geometric mean femoral splaying indices at 19 weeks' gestation increased from 0.074 (sufficient/borderline) to 0.078 (insufficient) and 0.084 (deficient). Our observations suggest that maternal vitamin D insufficiency can influence fetal femoral development as early as 19 weeks' gestation. This suggests that measures to improve maternal vitamin D status should be instituted in early pregnancy. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Economic growth, democracy and political instability: cross country analysis

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A metabolic link between the urea cycle and cancer cell proliferation

ABSTRACT Clinical observations in citrullinemia type I, an inborn error of metabolism, led us to explore the benefits of somatic ASS1 silencing in cancer. We found that downregulation of ASS1 results in preferential utilization of its substrate, aspartate, for pyrimidine synthesis to support cell proliferation. Reducing aspartate availability for pyrimidine synthesis restricted cancerous proliferation.
Single Stock Call Options as Lottery Tickets: Overpricing and Investor Sentiment

Abstract The authors investigate whether the overpricing of out-of-the money single stock calls can be explained by Tversky and Kahneman's [1992] cumulative prospect theory (CPT). They hypothesize that these options are expensive because investors overweight small probability events and overpay for positively skewed securities (i.e., lottery tickets). The authors find that overweighting of small probabilities embedded in the CPT explains the richness of out-of-the money single stock calls better than other utility functions. Nevertheless, overweighting of small probabilities events is less pronounced than suggested by the CPT, is strongly time varying, and most frequent in options of short maturity. The authors find that fluctuations in overweighting of small probabilities are largely explained by the sentiment factor.