Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inequality and Incentives: The Quasi-Natural Experiment of Hungary, 1914-2008

We construct the first top income share series of a formerly socialist economy before, during, and after socialism in order to exploit the quasi-natural experiment of the absence of markets on incentives and income inequality. We investigate top income shares dynamics and the sources of income at the upper tail of the income distri- bution. Within this setup, we study the effect of capital markets and liberalized wage settings on top income shares. Our estimates show that the introduction of wage-setting decentralization had a role in increasing the skill premium and income inequality in years prior the transition.
Adenoviral vectors can impair adrenocortical steroidogenesis: Clinical implications for natural infections and gene therapy

Recombinant adenoviral vectors are effective in transferring foreign genes to a variety of cells and tissue types, both in vitro and in vivo. However, during the gene transfer, they may alter the principal function and local environment of transfected cells. Increasing evidence exists for a selective adrenotropism of adenovirus during infections and gene transfer. Therefore, using bovine adrenocortical cells in primary culture, we analyzed the influence of different adenoviral deletion mutants on cell morphology and physiology. Transfection of cells with an E1/E3-deleted adenoviral vector, engineered to express a modified form of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein, was highly efficient, as documented by fluorescent microscopy. Ultrastructural analysis, however, demonstrated nuclear fragmentation and mitochondrial alterations in addition to intranuclear viral particles. Basal secretion of 17-OH-progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, and cortisol was significantly increased by E1/E3-deleted vectors; yet, the corticotropin-stimulated release of these steroids was decreased. Interestingly, neither purified viral capsids nor E3/E4-deleted adenoviral mutants altered basal and stimulated steroidogenesis of adrenocortical cells. An intact adrenal response is crucial for adaptation to stress and survival. Therefore, the implications of our findings need to be considered in patients with adenoviral infections and those undergoing clinical studies using adenoviral gene transfer. At the same time, the high level of transfection in adrenocortical cells might make appropriately modified adenoviral vectors suitable for gene therapy of adrenocortical carcinomas with poor prognosis.
Hepatitis C virus infection mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus: study of hepatitis C virus infection in a series of 134 Spanish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS We investigated 134 consecutive SLE patients (121 women and 13 men; mean age 35 years) who fulfilled the 1982 revised criteria for SLE of the American College of Rheumatology. Two hundred consecutive volunteer blood donors were also studied. Serum from all patients and controls was tested for antibodies to HCV (by third generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by third generation recombinant immunoblot assay [RIBA-3]). RESULTS Antibodies to HCV were present in 18 patients with SLE (13%) and in 2 (1%) of the blood donors studied. Among the anti-HCV-positive group, HCV infection was confirmed (by RIBA-3 and polymerase chain reaction) in 15 SLE patients (11%) and in the 2 blood donors (1%) (P < 0.001). We observed a lower frequency of cutaneous SLE features (40% versus 76%; P = 0.01) and positivity for anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) (33% versus 81%; P < 0.001), and a higher frequency of hepatic involvement (93% versus 2%; P < 0.001), low C4 levels (73% versus 39%; P = 0.002), low CH50 levels (73% versus 44%; P = 0.03), and cryoglobulins (60% versus 22%; P = 0.02) in SLE patients with HCV infection compared with SLE patients without infection. CONCLUSION The prevalence of HCV infection in SLE patients was higher than in blood donors from the same geographic area. SLE HCV-positive patients showed a lower frequency of cutaneous SLE features and anti-dsDNA antibodies, and a higher prevalence of liver involvement, hypocomplementemia, and cryoglobulinemia. HCV testing should be considered in the diagnosis of SLE, especially in patients who lack the typical cutaneous features of SLE or who have low titers of autoantibodies, cryoglobulinemia, or liver involvement.
Safety as a management concept in the air transport sector: A systematic literature review

Purpose: The main purpose of the present study is to conduct a literature review of the contribution made by safety in air transport, based on the existing international academic literature in the field of the social sciences. It primarily attempts to examine and verify the relationship between safety-related concepts (co-occurrence), the link between the different authors (co-authorship) and the corresponding citations (co-citations). Methodology: To achieve the established objectives, a systematic literature review (SLR) has been conducted using the Scopus database between the years 1990 and 2016, identifying international academic papers related to the research topic of the present study. Findings: It has been verified, on the one hand, that safety in the air transport sector is a field of growing interest, as the number of papers has increased considerably in recent years, thus demonstrating the importance that this topic has acquired over time. On the other hand, however, it must be mentioned that the total quantity of papers related to the topic is low in terms of absolute numbers. The results of the co-occurrence analysis show that the most important aspect of safety is safety management, while the strongest link is between safety management and aircraft accidents, a fact that is foreseeable a priori. Originality/value: The approach used allows a better view of the academic contribution made in relation to safety; this serves as the link among the different elements of the concept studied, and it demonstrates the growing interest in this area.
Methapyrilene Toxicity: Anchorage of Pathologic Observations to Gene Expression Alterations

Methapyrilene (MP) exposure of animals can result in an array of adverse pathological responses including hepatotoxicity. This study investigates gene expression and histopathological alterations in response to MP treatment in order to 1) utilize computational approaches to classify samples derived from livers of MP treated rats based on severity of toxicity incurred in the corresponding tissue, 2) to phenotypically anchor gene expression patterns, and 3) to gain insight into mechanism(s) of methapyrilene hepatotoxicity. Large-scale differential gene expression levels associated with the exposure of male Sprague—Dawley rats to the rodent hepatic carcinogen MP for 1, 3, or 7 days after daily dosage with 10 or 100 mg/kg/day were monitored. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis were successful in classifying samples in agreement with microscopic observations and revealed low-dose effects that were not observed histopathologically. Data from cDNA microarray analysis corroborated observed histopathological alterations such as hepatocellular necrosis, bile duct hyperplasia, microvesicular vacuolization, and portal inflammation observed in the livers of MP exposed rats and provided insight into the role of specific genes in the studied toxicological processes.
Financial Integration in Money Markets: Evidence from SAARC Region

The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the extent of financial integration between the four major money markets (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh) in the SAARC region. To determine the association between these money markets, this study deployed variety of robust time series techniques such as JJ Co-integration Test, Granger Causality Test, Impulse Response Functions (IRF), and Variance Decomposition Analysis (VDC). Monthly data for the period 2007-2015 was utilized for the data analysis whereas Call Money rates and Interbank rates were used as proxies of money markets. The empirical findings confirmed the presence of long term relationship between the nominal interest rates in SAARC region. Additionally, the results also unveiled the existence of bi-directional causal relationship between the money markets of Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. It was also found that Bangladesh’s money market is most rigid and unresponsive to other market in the region. This study also confirmed the existence of robust ingredients for formulation of a monetary union in the SAARC region.
Escherichia coli Protein Expression System for Acetylcholine Binding Proteins (AChBPs)

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are ligand gated ion channels, identified as therapeutic targets for a range of human diseases. Drug design for nAChR related disorders is increasingly using structure-based approaches. Many of these structural insights for therapeutic lead development have been obtained from co-crystal structures of nAChR agonists and antagonists with the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP). AChBP is a water soluble, structural and functional homolog of the extracellular, ligand-binding domain of nAChRs. Currently, AChBPs are recombinantly expressed in eukaryotic expression systems for structural and biophysical studies. Here, we report the establishment of an Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression system that significantly reduces the cost and time of production compared to the existing expression systems. E. coli can efficiently express unglycosylated AChBP for crystallography and makes the expression of isotopically labelled forms feasible for NMR. We used a pHUE vector containing an N-terminal His-tagged ubiquitin fusion protein to facilitate AChBP expression in the soluble fractions, and thus avoid the need to recover protein from inclusion bodies. The purified protein yield obtained from the E. coli expression system is comparable to that obtained from existing AChBP expression systems. E. coli expressed AChBP bound nAChR agonists and antagonists with affinities matching those previously reported. Thus, the E. coli expression system significantly simplifies the expression and purification of functional AChBP for structural and biophysical studies.
Researching Corporate Social Responsibility in the Middle East- the current state and future directions

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has the potential to yield economic and social value in the Middle East (ME), especially given the current high environmental flux in the region. Although much scholarly has been paid to CSR issues, a key question remains about how to operate responsibly in the ME, particularly since institutional environments and stakeholders’ needs vary across ME states. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the current state of CSR in the ME. We identify thirty-eight articles that are most pertinent to CSR in the ME and examine the main theoretical frameworks, methodologies, trajectories for further conceptual development, gaps where new research pathways need to be created and also future research questions. From the systematic review, we reveal how attention on CSR in the ME is slowly gaining traction. A snapshot of the gaps identified include the collaboration between business and NGOs, the impact of stakeholders and institutions on CSR, the impact of political and economic crisis on CSR and the influence of individualistic characteristics shaping managers’ CSR behaviour. In addition to such gaps, we present an agenda for future research.
IPO Trading with Short-term & Intraday Temporal Functionalities

Trading is a temporal (i.e. time-based) historical living system with a number of functions, like: Initial Public Offerings (IPO), Seasoned Equity Offerings (SEO), stock (instrument) price action Gaps, Breakouts, etc. In this domain, a number of warning dynamics timing functionalities is available, like: On Open Gup-Ups (ooGUp), On Open Gup-Downs (ooGDn), Morning Breakouts (mB), etc. All these time-based functionalities are regarded as 2nd level functions (i.e. functions of functions; because of the timing involved) with great trading opportunities, and they are defined–for the first time in the corporate finance literature- by this paper as Temporal (timing) Trading Functionalities (TTF). In particular, the IPOs with the embedded TTF functionalities are great trading opportunities for the institutions, the individual (noncommercial) market investors, the swing traders, and the speculators. Data analysis shows that during the seasoned equity offerings time, shareowners significantly increase their share share-holding, including offerings that would be classified as overpriced at that time; hence, the involved trading volatility is increased resulting in great trading and profit opportunities. This paper contributes to corporate finance literature by examining the IPOs functions and define and document their inherit TTF functionalities. For this purpose, four categories of shareholders are regarded: The longterm institution and non-commercial traders (investors), the swing momentary institution traders (institutions), the shortterm non-commercial traders (speculators) and the intraday non-commercial traders (speculators). Paper concludes that, in IPO/TTF trading, the swing traders(institutions), incorporating in their trading strategies the short-term TTF functionalities, are benefit at the expense of momentary and intraday speculators, while the long-term investors are not affected by the IPO offerings.
Commission versus Council Secretariat: An Analysis of Bureaucratic Rivalry in European Foreign Policy

Abstract. The European Commission and the EU Council Secretariat support the Member States in the conduct of European foreign policy, yet they have not always been able to get along. This article gives an overview of their inter-institutional relations across history, foreign policy instruments (declarations, crisis management joint actions and representation) and regions. The main argument is that the relationship between both institutions is generally cooperative, but that tensions do arise in a limited number of cases where the roles of the Commission and the Council Secretariat are unclear, perceived to overlap or in competition. In these instances, they have generally found a modus vivendi and their inter-institutional relations have subsequently improved. Such informal arrangements do not address, however, the underlying structural problems – that the Council Secretariat challenges the Commission’s political and informational role in the context of foreign policy. Differences between both institutions are therefore still regularly displayed. This continues to undermine EU consistency and its effectiveness in international relations.
Nurses' Reassessment of Postoperative Pain After Analgesic Administration

ObjectivesTo identify when and how nurses reassess patients' pain after analgesic administration in the postoperative context. MethodsFifty-two nurses were observed caring for postoperative patients (N=364) in 2 surgical settings in a major metropolitan hospital. Seventy-four observation periods of 2 hours duration were studied. The research assistant observed nurses' activities in caring for the allocated patients', detailing behavioral and verbal responses onto audiotape. ResultsOf the 316 pain activities that occurred in 74 observation periods, 14 (4.4%) were reassessments after analgesic administration. Four themes were evident from the 14 reassessments: opportunistic reassessment, the use of simple questioning, a focus on surgical wound pain not procedural pain, and nurse-initiated reassessment. ConclusionsDespite the focus on meeting standards of care in the area of pain management, there was an extraordinary lack of patient reassessment by nurses after the administration of analgesics. Given the raised awareness internationally on assessment generally and a lack of evidence focused on reassessment after an intervention, this may explain why research is failing to identify shifts in pain severity scores and indeed patient pain.
The future of coral reefs

Coral reefs, with their millions of species, have changed profoundly because of the effects of people, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Reefs are subject to many of the same processes that affect other human-dominated ecosystems, but some special features merit emphasis: (i) Many dominant reef builders spawn eggs and sperm into the water column, where fertilization occurs. They are thus particularly vulnerable to Allee effects, including potential extinction associated with chronic reproductive failure. (ii) The corals likely to be most resistant to the effects of habitat degradation are small, short-lived “weedy” corals that have limited dispersal capabilities at the larval stage. Habitat degradation, together with habitat fragmentation, will therefore lead to the establishment of genetically isolated clusters of inbreeding corals. (iii) Increases in average sea temperatures by as little as 1°C, a likely result of global climate change, can cause coral “bleaching” (the breakdown of coral–algal symbiosis), changes in symbiont communities, and coral death. (iv) The activities of people near reefs increase both fishing pressure and nutrient inputs. In general, these processes favor more rapidly growing competitors, often fleshy seaweeds, and may also result in explosions of predator populations. (v) Combinations of stress appear to be associated with threshold responses and ecological surprises, including devastating pathogen outbreaks. (vi) The fossil record suggests that corals as a group are more likely to suffer extinctions than some of the groups that associate with them, whose habitat requirements may be less stringent.
Measuring Health Literacy in Individuals With Diabetes

Objective. To identify instruments used to measure health literacy and numeracy in people with diabetes; evaluate their use, measurement scope, and properties; discuss their strengths and weaknesses; and propose the most useful, reliable, and applicable measure for use in research and practice settings. Methods. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the instruments. Nutbeam’s domains of health literacy and a diabetes health literacy skill set were used to evaluate the measurement scope of the identified instruments and to evaluate their applicability in people with diabetes. Results. Fifty-six studies were included, from which one diabetes-specific (LAD) and eight generic measures of health literacy (REALM, REALM-R, TOFHLA, s-TOFHLA, NVS, 3-brief SQ, 3-level HL Scale, SILS) and one diabetes-specific (DNT) and two generic measures of numeracy (SNS, WRAT) were identified. These instruments were categorized into direct measures, that is, instruments that assess the performance of individuals on health literacy skills and indirect measures that rely on self-report of these skills. The most commonly used instruments measure selective domains of health literacy, focus mainly on reading and writing skills, and do not address other important skills such as verbal communication, health care system navigation, health-related decision making, and numeracy. The structure, mode, and length of administration and measurement properties were found to affect the applicability of these instruments in clinical and research settings. Indirect self- or clinician-administered measures are the most useful in both clinical and research settings. Conclusion. This review provides an evaluation of available health literacy measures and guidance to practitioners and researchers for selecting the appropriate measures for use in clinical settings and research applications.
Measurement Matters – A Meta-Study of the Determinants of Corporate Capital Structure

This study aggregates the mixed empirical evidence of the seven most commonly investigated determinants of corporate capital structure. We apply meta-regression analysis on a data set of 3,890 reported results, manually collected from 100 primary studies. Our results reveal that − in descending order of importance − tangible assets (positive sign), market-to-book ratio (negative sign), and profitability (negative sign) are significant determinants of corporate debt level. In addition, we find evidence for publication selection bias in academic literature. Accordingly, specific results are systematically overrepresented, as authors prefer reporting statistically significant estimates in line with theory or existing empirical results. Significant determinants, as well as publication selection bias, are more pronounced for characteristics like market-based measures of capital structure, total debt measures of capital structure, and for top articles in highly renowned journals, compared to book-based measures of capital structure or long-term debt measures of capital structure or randomly selected articles including more unknown and unpublished studies.
Role of the Rab3A-binding domain in targeting of rabphilin-3A to vesicle membranes of PC12 cells

Rab3A is a small GTPase implicated in the docking of secretory vesicles in neuroendocrine cells. A putative downstream target for Rab3A, rabphilin-3A, is located exclusively on secretory vesicle membranes. It contains near its C terminus two C2 domains that bind Ca2+ in a phospholipid-dependent manner and an N-terminal, Rab3A-binding domain that includes a Cys-rich region. We have determined that the Cys-rich domain binds two Zn2+ ions and is necessary but not sufficient for efficient binding of rabphilin to Rab3A. A minimal Rab3A-binding domain consists of residues 45 to 170 of rabphilin. HA1-tagged Rab3A and a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-rabphilin fusion were used to examine the roles of Rab3A and of rabphilin domains in the subcellular localization of these proteins. A Rab3A mutant (T54A) that does not bind rabphifin in vitro colocalized with the GFP-rabphilin fusion, indicating that Rab3A targeting is independent of its interaction with rabphilin. Deletion of the C2 domains of rabphilin reduced membrane association of GFP-rabphilin but did not cause mistargeting of the membrane-associated fraction. However, disruption of the zinc fingers, which drastically reduced Rab3A binding, did not reduce membrane association. These results suggest that the C2 domains are required for efficient membrane attachment of rabphilin in PC12 cells and that Rab3A binding may act to target the protein to the correct membrane.