Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Antidumping Duties for Sale? Case-Level Evidence on the Grossman-Helpman Protection for Sale Model

Do contributions to politicians affect trade policy? To examine this question, we have compiled a new, unique database containing information on political donations by the specific firms and labor organizations that have petitioned for antidumping protection from imports, as well as data on the outcomes of their requests. Using an empirical framework based on the Grossman and Helpman (1994) “protection for sale” model, we examine the relationship between antidumping decisions and political activism. Our results indicate that money does matter. We find that politically active petitioners are more likely to receive protection and that antidumping duty rates tend to be higher for that group. In addition, the relationship between the import penetration ratio and duties imposed depends on whether or not petitioners are politically active—antidumping duties are positively correlated with the import penetration ratio for politically inactive petitioners but negatively correlated for politically active petitioners, consistent with the Grossman-Helpman model's predictions.
Effects of Supplemental Dietary Energy Source on Feed Intake, Lactation Performance, and Serum Indices of Early-Lactating Holstein Cows in a Positive Energy Balance

The present study investigated the effects of the supplemental dietary energy source on early lactating cows in a positive energy balance. Cows in the control group were fed a basal total mixed ration containing high-quality hay as forage, and the dietary concentrate to forage ratio was 45:65. The corn supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in the milk fat content (P P = 0.15), whereas the fat supplementation resulted in a decreasing trend of the milk protein and lactose content (P ≤ 0.1). Additionally, the corn supplementation significantly decreased the serum 5-hydroxytryptamine level (P < 0.05). The results support the proposal that the source of supplemental dietary energy has varying effects on feed intake, lactation performance, and the intermediate metabolism of early lactating cows in a positive energy balance. 5-Hydroxytryptamine secretion may be associated with the varying effects of the source of supplemental dietary energy.
Cross-Listing and Corporate Social Responsibility

This paper investigates the dynamics of cross-listing and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Using a sample of 10,815 firm-year observations from 54 countries over the period 2002–2011, we find that cross-listed firms have better CSR performance than non–cross-listed domestic firms. This result is robust to endogeneity and different types of cross-listing. We also find that CSR increases (decreases) significantly after cross-listing in (delisting from) U.S. markets. The positive impact of cross-listing on CSR performance is stronger for firms from countries with weaker institutions, lower country-level sustainability, and higher liability of foreignness, and for firms operating in industries with high litigation risk. Finally, we find that cross-listed firms with better CSR performance exhibit higher valuations.
IMPACT OF ETIOLOGY ON THE OUTCOME OF PEDIATRIC RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical features and surgical outcomes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in pediatric patients and to identify the independent effect of each etiology on the outcome. Methods: A review of patients younger than 18 years who underwent vitreoretinal surgery was conducted at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, between 2008 and 2013. Patients were classified according to etiology. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between outcomes and each etiologic factor. Results: A total of 86 cases (mean age: 12.9 ± 4.8 years; 76.7% male) were included. The mean follow-up was 46.3 ± 23.9 months. In 90.7% of patients, at least one etiology could be identified, including myopia (55.8%), congenital or developmental disease (39.5%), trauma (27.9%), and previous intraocular surgery (17.4%). Among the risk factors examined in this study, congenital or developmental disease had the worst functional outcomes (P = 0.006). Myopia was a good prognostic factor for a better retinal reattachment rate (P = 0.030). Myopic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment had the lowest probability of surgical failure (8.08%), and idiopathic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment had the lowest likelihood of postoperative visual decline (4.65%). Conclusion: Myopia and congenital or developmental disease are the leading etiologies of pediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Different etiologies are associated with distinctive outcomes, and congenital and developmental diseases are independent prognostic factors of a poor response.
Physiological properties of rod photoreceptor electrical coupling in the tiger salamander retina

Using dual whole‐cell voltage and current clamp recording techniques, we investigated the gap junctional conductance and the coupling coefficient between neighbouring rods in live salamander retinal slices. The application of sinusoidal stimuli over a wide range of temporal frequencies allowed us to characterize the band‐pass filtering properties of the rod network. We found that the electrical coupling of all neighbouring rods exhibited reciprocal and symmetrical conductivities. On average, the junctional conductance between paired rods was 500 pS and the coupling coefficient (the ratio of voltage responses of the follower cell to those of the driver cell), or K‐value, was 0.07. Our experimental results also demonstrated that the rod network behaved like a band‐pass filter with a peak frequency of about 2–5 Hz. However, the gap junctions between adjacent rods exhibited linearity and voltage independency within the physiological range of rods. These gap junctions did not contribute to the filtering mechanisms of the rod network. Combined with the computational modelling, our data suggest that the filtering of higher frequency rod signals by the network is largely mediated by the passive resistive and capacitive (RC) properties of rod plasma membranes. Furthermore, we found several attributes of rod electrical coupling resembling the physiological properties of gene‐encoded Cx35/36 gap junctions examined in other in vitro studies. This indicates that the previously found Cx35/36 expression in the salamander rod network may be functionally involved in rod–rod electrical coupling.
Clinical Significance of an Early Protocol Biopsy in Living‐Donor Renal Transplantation: Ten‐Year Experience at a Single Center

We report here our 10‐year experience of a biopsy performed at day 14 after transplantation in 304 patients with stable graft function. The factors that may have influenced subclinical rejection were analyzed according to histology. The incidence of subclinical rejection was 13.2%. Addition of mycophenolate mofetile (MMF) as a primary immunosuppressant significantly decreased the incidence of subclinical rejection compared with patients without such treatment (odds ratio, 0.23; p < 0.05). On the other hand, HLA‐DR antigen mismatch (odds ratio, 2.39) and unrelated donor (odds ratio, 2.10) were also significantly associated with decreased subclinical rejection (p < 0.05). The incidence of acute rejection in patients with normal findings was lower than in those with borderline changes or subclinical rejection (0.23 ± 0.05 vs. 0.48 ± 0.07 and 0.60 ± 0.11, respectively; p < 0.05). The graft survival rates in patients with subclinical rejection were lower than in patients with normal or borderline changes at 1 (88.4% vs. 97.9% and 99.1%; p < 0.05), 5 (77.8% vs. 96.2% and 95.9%; p < 0.05) and 10 (62.3% vs. 96.2% and 93.7%; p < 0.05) years. Thus, a protocol biopsy performed on day 14 after transplantation is useful for predicting graft survival. Triple therapy including MMF, related donor and HLA‐DR antigen match are important factors for reducing subclinical rejection in living‐donor renal transplantation.
Emotion Recognition: The Role of Featural and Configural Face Information

Several studies investigated the role of featural and configural information when processing facial identity. A lot less is known about their contribution to emotion recognition. In this study, we addressed this issue by inducing either a featural or a configural processing strategy (Experiment 1) and by investigating the attentional strategies in response to emotional expressions (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, participants identified emotional expressions in faces that were presented in three different versions (intact, blurred, and scrambled) and in two orientations (upright and inverted). Blurred faces contain mainly configural information, and scrambled faces contain mainly featural information. Inversion is known to selectively hinder configural processing. Analyses of the discriminability measure (A′) and response times (RTs) revealed that configural processing plays a more prominent role in expression recognition than featural processing, but their relative contribution varies depending on the emotion. In Experiment 2, we qualified these differences between emotions by investigating the relative importance of specific features by means of eye movements. Participants had to match intact expressions with the emotional cues that preceded the stimulus. The analysis of eye movements confirmed that the recognition of different emotions rely on different types of information. While the mouth is important for the detection of happiness and fear, the eyes are more relevant for anger, fear, and sadness.
The Othering of Domestic Violence: The EU and Cultural Framings of Violence against Women

Violence against women is a universal problem, affecting women at all levels of society; however, differently situated women have unique experiences with violence. Theoretically, this calls for the necessity to balance universality with intersectionality. Analyzing EU policy texts, we argue that the recognition of different forms of violence has led to an increased tendency toward culturalization, i.e. articulating culture as the only explanation behind certain forms of violence or focusing exclusively on culturalized forms of violence. While largely ignoring the gendered nature of violence, cultural framings of violence also create a dichotomy between “insiders” (non-violent Europeans) and “outsiders” (violent others).
Influence of lateral pressure to the implant bed on osseointegration: an experimental study in dogs.

AIM To study osseointegration and bone-level changes at implants installed using either a standard or a reduced diameter bur for implant bed preparation. MATERIAL AND METHODS In six Labrador dogs, the first and second premolars were extracted bilaterally. Subsequently, mesial roots of the first molars were endodontically treated and distal roots, including the corresponding part of the crown, were extracted. After 3 months of healing, flaps were elevated and recipient sites were prepared in all experimental sites. The control site was prepared using a standard procedure, while the test site was prepared using a drill with a 0.2 mm reduced diameter than the standard one used in the contra-lateral side. After 4 months of healing, the animals were euthanized and biopsies were obtained for histological processing and evaluation. RESULTS With the exception of one implant that was lost, all implants were integrated in mineralized bone. The alveolar crest underwent resorption at control as well as at test sites (buccal aspect ∼1 mm). The most coronal contact of bone-to-implant was located between 1.2 and 1.6 mm at the test and between 1.3 and 1.7 mm at the control sites. Bone-to-implant contact percentage was between 49% and 67%. No statistically significant differences were found for any of the outcome variables. CONCLUSIONS After 4 months of healing, lateral pressure to the implant bed as reflected by higher insertion torques (36 vs. 15 Ncm in the premolar and 19 vs. 7 Ncm in the molar regions) did not affect the bone-to-implant contact.
A guided search framework in multiple model control

The idea of using multiple models to cope with parameter uncertainties in adaptive systems was first introduced in the 1990s. Conventionally, methods based on this mechanism typically suffer from “curse of dimension,” which means that the number of required identification models grows exponentially with respect to the number of unknown parameters. In this paper, the parameter identification problem is formulated as a time-varying optimization procedure, and a guided multiple model search framework is proposed to solve it. Instead of sampling the identification models in a large parameter space, models are sampled locally and used to estimate the search direction. As a result, the number of needed identification models grows linearly in this approach, in comparison with the exponential growth of existing methods. The proposed method also provides a unified form for nonlinear systems with non-affine unknown parameters, which is out of the scope of classical adaptive control theory. Moreover, theoretical convergence analysis is provided with specific conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by simulations and comparisons with existing methods.
The effects of an intentional transition from extrapleural pneumonectomy to extended pleurectomy/decortication.

OBJECTIVES For many years, extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) was the operation of choice for the radical management of pleural mesothelioma in the UK. However, doubts surrounding the efficacy of EPP, and the change in demographics of the affected population, have prompted a transition in our practice towards extended pleurectomy/decortication (EPD). The aim of this study was to determine the effects an intentional transition from EPP to EPD has had on patient outcome. METHODS Data from 362 patients undergoing radical surgery (229 EPD, 133 EPP) during 1999-2014 were included. Demographics and outcome were compared between the two groups; EPP versus EPD. RESULTS The median age of patients undergoing EPD was significantly higher than those undergoing EPP [57 years (range 14-70 years) vs 65 years (range 42-81 years), P < 0.001]. There was a significantly higher proportion of patients with performance status ≥1 in the EPD group (46.3 vs 35.4%, P = 0.047). There was no difference in the median length of hospital stay between the two groups [14 days (range 1-133 days) vs 13 days (range 0-93 days), P = 0.409]. There was also no difference between the groups in terms of in-hospital mortality (EPP 5.3% and EPD 6.6%, P = 0.389), 30-day mortality [EPP 8 (6.0%) and EPD 8 (3.5%), P = 0.294] or 90-day mortality [EPP 18 (13.5%) and EPD 21 (9.2%), P = 0.220]. There was a significantly higher early reoperation rate in the EPP group (15.0 vs 6.2%, P = 0.008) but a significantly higher late reoperation rate in the EPD group (0.8 vs 5.3%, P = 0.037). There was no significant difference in overall survival or disease-free interval between the two groups (P = 0.899 and P = 0.399, respectively). However, overall survival was significantly greater in patients over the age of 65 undergoing EPD (12.5 vs 4.7 months, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION The transition from EPP to EPD in our standard practice has enabled us to operate on more elderly, frail patients with no significant increase in use of hospital resources, and without detriment to overall survival.
Phase II study of thalidomide in patients with metastatic melanoma

The aim of this study was to determine the antitumour activity and toxicity of thalidomide in patients with metastatic melanoma. Between July 1999 and July 2001, 20 patients with metastatic melanoma were enrolled into this study. Patients were required to have progressive disease following standard therapies (unless there was a known contraindication for their usage) and to be free from symptomatic brain metastases. Thalidomide was administered orally at a starting dose of 200 mg/day, with increments of 100 mg every 7 days to a maximum dose of 800 mg/day. Patients experiencing intolerable side effects had their dose reduced to the maximum tolerated dose. Response and tolerance to treatment were assessed at 4 week intervals and therapy was continued until progression of disease or development of intolerable side effects despite appropriate dose reduction. All 20 patients were assessable for response. No objective response (complete or partial remission) was observed. In seven patients (35%), stable disease with a duration of 12–32 weeks (median 16 weeks) was seen. The median time to progression for all patients was 8 weeks (range 5–32 weeks) and the median overall survival was 20 weeks (range 7–130+ weeks). Treatment was generally well tolerated. Nine patients (45%) were able to tolerate the maximal planned dose of thalidomide (800 mg/day). Constipation, fatigue, somnolence and dryness of skin or mouth were the most common side effects. Thalidomide appears to possess cytostatic activity in patients with metastatic melanoma. Further studies of thalidomide in melanoma are warranted.
Hysteresis Loss Improvement in HTS Transformers Using Hybrid Winding Schemes

The amount of hysteresis losses is a key parameter for the design of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers. Leakage field, particularly its radial component, decreases critical current and increases hysteresis losses in HTS tapes. Prior art proposed the adoption of two auxiliary windings to an HTS transformer for minimizing the leakage flux densities by generating a field that opposes the leakage field, thereby reducing the hysteresis loss in an exemplary HTS transformer. In this paper, a proposed design will become prominent by obtaining a variant of distributive ratios via an intelligent choice of the secondary-primary-secondary-primary turn ratios in the neighborhood of the auxiliary windings to produce magnetic poles canceling or diminishing the corresponding leakage fields to the maximum effect. The mentioned schemes require accurate, yet efficient, advanced numerical techniques using 3-D solver of FLUX software for a precise calculation of the leakage flux density and hysteresis losses in an exemplary HTS transformer as a precious guide.
A Comparison of Ear Reattachment Methods: A Review of 25 Years since Pennington

Background: A failed ear reattachment tends to complicate subsequent reconstruction with autogenous rib cartilage. The various reattachment methods differ in technical demand, in the secondary damage of periauricular tissue, and in aesthetic outcome. In the past 25 years, the microsurgical method has proven to be especially successful. The aim of this work was to assess case reports of auricular trauma since the first microsurgical ear replantation by Pennington. Methods: An extensive review of the literature of acute ear trauma published between 1980 and 2004 was performed. For a better comparison, the type of damage, the reattachment technique, and the final outcome were categorized. Representative cases of traumatic auricular lesions, which were reconstructed with rib or conchal cartilage at the authors' hospital, were included. Results: Seventy-four cases in 56 publications were analyzed. The microsurgical replantation showed excellent aesthetic results but demanded an intensive perioperative and postoperative treatment. Pocket methods were used mainly in partial amputations. Repairs with periauricular tissue flaps made a quite inconsistent impression. Direct reattachments, such as composite grafts, were indicated only in extended lacerations. Conclusions: To replant an avulsed auricle is still a challenge for surgeons. Microsurgically reanastomosed ear replantation appears to be the best method because a superior outcome can be achieved without jeopardizing a subsequent ear reconstruction with rib cartilage in case of failure. The pocket method and periauricular skin or fascia flaps should be abandoned. They rarely achieve such a consistently good aesthetic outcome as a secondary reconstruction with rib cartilage.
Foreign Direct Investment, Financial Integration, and Growth: Panel Data Analysis for North African Countries

The purpose of this work is to examine empirically the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), financial integration and economic growth of North African economies. The study of the relationship between foreign direct investment, financial integration and economic growth has been largely analyzed in the economic literature (Bornschier and al 1978; Borensztein and al 1992; De Gregorio 1993; Alesina and al 1994; Quinn 1997; Levine and Zervos 1998; Borensztein and al 1998; Edwards 2001; Agenor 2001; Prasad and al.
Measures of Success: Developing an Understanding of Students Enrolled in Community College Educational Opportunity Programs in the State University of New York System

Community colleges have become a major nationaland state-level focal point to increase the number of credentials awarded. Academically underprepared students may not be entering community colleges to earn a credential. This quantitative study examined students enrolled in community college Educational Opportunity Programs (EOPs) in the State University of New York from the perspectives of student-defined goal completion, self-efficacy, and perceptions of the EOP. The study used secondary data available from the State University of New York’s Office of Institutional Research as well as an online survey instrument. Results of the study showed a multivariate relationship between goal completion, enrollment in EOP, race, and type of self-defined goal. The study also revealed that students perceived additional financial aid assistance as the most influential component of the EOP. A positive correlation was found between the social and course self-efficacy subscales. As a result of the study, community colleges are encouraged to examine their policies and practices around EOP enrollment, advisement, and services provided. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Theresa L. Pulos Second Supervisor Linda Hickmon Evans Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/education_etd/238 Measures of Success: Developing an Understanding of Students Enrolled in Community College Educational Opportunity Programs in the State University of New York System
Epidemiologic Transition in Australia – the last hundred years

Mortality change in Australia since 1907 is analysed in the light of Epidemiologic Transition theory. Trends in life expectancy by sex and the sex difference, are examined at ages 0, 50, 65 and 85 years. Trends in mortality by major cause of death are broadly related to the stages of the Epidemiologic Transition, and a decomposition of changes in life expectancy by age and cause of death is used to further elaborate on the progression through three stages, the Age of Receding Pandemics, the Age of Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases and the Age of Delayed Degenerative Diseases. A consideration of temporal changes in age patterns of mortality decline includes a focus on infant mortality, the accident hump and mortality at older ages. In the early decades of the twentieth century, Australia was a leader in the Epidemiologic Transition, but had lost this advantage by 1950. Differentials by state/territory, indigeneity and socio-economic factors identify the leaders and laggards in the transition.