Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI): Perspectives on the status of malaria vaccine development

The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) is a vaccine development program of PATH, a global health nonprofit organization. Established in 1999 and funded primarily by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MVI works to accelerate the development of malaria vaccines and to ensure their availability and accessibility in the developing world. MVI’s vision is a world free from malaria. In recent years, MVI’s vaccine development effort has been largely guided by the Malaria Vaccine Technology Roadmap (TRM). Published in 2006, the TRM communicated the vision of experts in the malaria field toward development and deployment of effective vaccines. With a focus almost exclusively on P. falciparum malaria, the high-level goals set by the community were a 2025 goal to develop and license a vaccine with >80% protective efficacy against clinical disease that lasts for more than four years, and a 2015 landmark goal to develop and license a vaccine that could provide >50% protective efficacy from severe disease and death and lasts longer than one year. In recent years there has been a renewed focus on the development of vaccines that could have a role in the control, elimination and eventual eradication, which was not accommodated under the TRM. This article will summarize progress toward the 2015 and 2025 TRM goals, development of vaccines that target the extensive morbidity caused by P. vivax, as well as leading approaches that are being pursued toward developing vaccines that can break the cycle of transmission and contribute toward a global eradication effort.
An Empirical Investigation of the Growth Cycle Theory of Small Firm Financing

This paper empirically tests the financial growth cycle model for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), which postulates that as firms become larger, older, and more informationally transparent, their financing options become more attractive. We add to the literature by providing one of the first empirical tests of the model using a large, cross‐sectional data set. Our results partially support the financial growth cycle model. Specifically, our results show larger firms, as measured by total number of employees, are more likely to use public equity funding or long‐term debt as opposed to insider funding.
Whole-body hypothermia for neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND Hypothermia is protective against brain injury after asphyxiation in animal models. However, the safety and effectiveness of hypothermia in term infants with encephalopathy is uncertain. METHODS We conducted a randomized trial of hypothermia in infants with a gestational age of at least 36 weeks who were admitted to the hospital at or before six hours of age with either severe acidosis or perinatal complications and resuscitation at birth and who had moderate or severe encephalopathy. Infants were randomly assigned to usual care (control group) or whole-body cooling to an esophageal temperature of 33.5 degrees C for 72 hours, followed by slow rewarming (hypothermia group). Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed at 18 to 22 months of age. The primary outcome was a combined end point of death or moderate or severe disability. RESULTS Of 239 eligible infants, 102 were assigned to the hypothermia group and 106 to the control group. Adverse events were similar in the two groups during the 72 hours of cooling. Primary outcome data were available for 205 infants. Death or moderate or severe disability occurred in 45 of 102 infants (44 percent) in the hypothermia group and 64 of 103 infants (62 percent) in the control group (risk ratio, 0.72; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.54 to 0.95; P=0.01). Twenty-four infants (24 percent) in the hypothermia group and 38 (37 percent) in the control group died (risk ratio, 0.68; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.44 to 1.05; P=0.08). There was no increase in major disability among survivors; the rate of cerebral palsy was 15 of 77 (19 percent) in the hypothermia group as compared with 19 of 64 (30 percent) in the control group (risk ratio, 0.68; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 1.22; P=0.20). CONCLUSIONS Whole-body hypothermia reduces the risk of death or disability in infants with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
The Connectivity of Millimeter-Wave Networks in Manhattan-Type Regions

The millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication exploits tens-of-GHz of available spectrum in the mmWave band for solving the problem of spectrum scarcity in next-generation wireless networks. Maintaining connectivity in urban mmWave networks is one key design challenge because of the blockage effect characterizing mmWave propagation. Specifically, mmWave signals can be blocked by buildings and other large urban objects. Thus, the type of urban model affects the performance of mmWave networks. In this paper, we make the first attempt to study the connectivity of mmWave networks in a Manhattan-type region modeled using a random lattice while base stations (BSs) are Poisson distributed in the plane. In particular, we define and analyze the connectivity probability that a typical user is within the transmission range of a BS and connected by a line-of-sight. By jointly applying random-lattice and stochastic-geometry theories, different lower bounds on the connectivity probability are derived as functions of the buildings' size and distribution as well as the BSs' transmission range and density. We also investigate the asymptotic connectivity probability for the case of dense buildings. Our study yields closed-form relations between the parameters of the building process and the BS process, providing useful guidelines for practical mmWave network deployment and opening up many directions for future extensions.
Accuracy and potential pitfalls of fluoroscopy-guided acetabular cup placement

Using a total of 30 cadaveric hips, the accuracy of a fluoroscopy-based computer navigation system for cup placement in total hip arthroplasty (THA) was investigated and an error analysis was carried out. The accuracy of placing the acetabular component within a predefined safe zone using computer guidance was compared to the precision that could be achieved with a freehand approach. Accurate control measurements of the implanted cup were obtained using fiducial-based matching to a pre-operative CT scan with respect to the anterior pelvic plane. A significantly higher number of cups were placed in the safe zone with the help of the navigation system. The variability of cup placement could be reduced for cup abduction but not substantially for cup version. An error analysis of inaccurate landmark reconstruction revealed that the registration of the mid-pubic point with fluoroscopy was a potential source of error. Keeping this pitfall in mind, fluoroscopy-based navigation in THA is a useful tool for registration of the pelvic coordinate system, particularly those points that cannot be reached by direct pointer digitization with the patient in the lateral decubitus position.
Purine metabolism by intracellular Chlamydia psittaci

Purine metabolism was studied in the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia psittaci AA Mp in the wild type and a variety of mutant host cell lines with well-defined deficiencies in purine metabolism. C. psittaci AA Mp cannot synthesize purines de novo, as assessed by its inability to incorporate exogenous glycine into nucleic acid purines. C. psittaci AA Mp can take ATP and GTP, but not dATP or dGTP, directly from the host cell. Exogenous hypoxanthine and inosine were not utilized by the parasite. In contrast, exogenous adenine, adenosine, and guanine were directly salvaged by C. psittaci AA Mp. Crude extract prepared from highly purified C. psittaci AA Mp reticulate bodies contained adenine and guanine but no hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase activity. Adenosine kinase activity was detected, but guanosine kinase activity was not. There was no competition for incorporation into nucleic acid between adenine and guanine, and high-performance liquid chromatography profiles of radiolabelled nucleic acid nucleobases indicated that adenine, adenosine, and deoxyadenosine were incorporated only into adenine and that guanine, guanosine, and deoxyguanosine were incorporated only into guanine. Thus, there is no interconversion of nucleotides. Deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine were cleaved to adenine and guanine before being utilized, and purine (deoxy)nucleoside phosphorylase activity was present in reticulate body extract.
WAS JAPANESE GROWTH EXPORT-LED?

In three periods of its modern economic history (1913-37, 1952-73, and 1973-90), Japan grew up to twice as rapidly as did other major industrialized countries. This paper investigates whether growth in these years was export-led. The results of five very different tests suggest that domestic forces rather than foreign demand propelled longer-run growth. This was particularly so in the high-growth period of 1952-73. Exports may, however, have been crucial in initiating several cyclical upswings. Copyright 1996 by Royal Economic Society.
Services Trade Liberalisation and Patterns of Trade in Intermediates: Determinants, Comparative Advantage and Intra-Firm Trade

This dissertation consists of four chapters, which are self-contained and can be read independently of each other. In Chapter 1, we analyse services trade liberalisation, which is a prerequisite for international production networks to arise. In particular, we study the determinants of services liberalisation undertaken by countries under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of 1995. In Chapters 2-4, we analyse different aspects of the patterns of trade in intermediates. In Chapter 2, we assess the determinants of bilateral trade in intermediate goods and services. In Chapter 3, we investigate the role of institutions and transport infrastructure as sources of comparative advantage for intermediate goods. In Chapter 4, we study trade in intermediates in the context of the activities of multinational enterprises by assessing the determinants of the share of intra-firm trade in total trade of intermediates.
A Multiple Cause-of-Death Analysis of Asthma Mortality in the United States, 1990–2001

Objectives. Most analyses of asthma mortality in the United States have relied solely on underlying cause-of-death data, which may underestimate the magnitude of asthma-related mortality. We used multiple cause-of-death data to examine asthma-related mortality trends in the United States. Methods. Data were selected from the United States Multiple Cause-of-Death Files, 1990–2001. Mortality rates and 95% confidence intervals were computed to examine differences in asthma mortality over time and by age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Location of death and seasonal variations in asthma mortality were also assessed, as well as the impact of seasonal respiratory infections. Results. We identified 135,668 asthma-related deaths in the United States over the 12-year period, representing an age-adjusted mortality rate of 4.4 per 100,000. Only 45% of the asthma-related deaths had asthma recorded as the underlying cause. Whites and older adults were less likely to have asthma listed as the underlying cause. Asthma mortality rates mirrored underlying cause trends, increasing slightly between 1990 and 1995, declining between 1996 and 1998, and further declining after International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 implementation in 1999. Mortality was highest among blacks and the elderly and was higher among females than males. Asthma-related deaths peaked in the winter months and were over four times more likely than non-asthma deaths to have acute upper respiratory infections, influenza, or acute bronchitis listed on the death record. The proportion of asthma-related deaths occurring outside a medical setting increased steadily over the period, from 23.3% in 1990 to 29.4% in 2001. Conclusions. The burden of asthma may be underestimated by relying solely on underlying cause-of-death data. Further research is needed to determine the reasons for the steady increase in out-of-hospital deaths and the continued demographic disparities in mortality.
Is There a Lottery Premium in the Stock Market?

This research finds that extreme stock returns are associated with low–priced stocks, which in turn are correlated with a significant decline in average returns. They infer from this finding that investors in low–priced stocks accept lower (even negative) average returns as the premium paid for the chance to earn an extreme return. They refer to this sacrifice in average return the “lottery premium. ” Their analysis shows that the lottery premium is higher on $1 stocks than on $7 stocks; that the lottery premium has become greater over time; and that the lottery premium is higher in up markets than in down markets.
Serum leptin levels and insulin resistance are associated with gallstone disease in overweight subjects.

AIM To establish an association between the serum leptin levels and the development of gallstone disease (GD). METHODS We carried out a non-matched case-controlled study in a university hospital in Mexico City. Two hundred and eighty-seven subjects were included: 97 cases with gallstones and 190 controls. Body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma leptin, insulin, serum lipid, and lipoprotein levels were measured. Insulin resistance was calculated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Unconditional logistic regression analysis (univariate and multivariate) stratified by BMI was used to calculate the risk of GD. RESULTS The multivariate conditional regression analysis revealed a model for those patients with BMI <30. The selected variables in the model were HOMA-IR index with OR = 1.31, P = 0.02 and leptin higher than median with OR = 2.11, P = 0.05. In the stratum of BMI >=30, we did not find a useful model. CONCLUSION We concluded that insulin resistance and the development of GD appears to be associated with serum leptin levels in subjects with overweight, but not in obese subjects with similar metabolic profiles.
Helicobacter pylori IgA and IgG antibodies, serum pepsinogen I and the risk of gastric cancer: Changes in the risk with extended follow‐up period

The prediction of Helicobacter pylori antibodies immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) and serum pepsinogen I (PG I) on gastric cancer occurrence was studied in a nested case‐control study, based on 225 incident cancer cases and 435 matched controls from a Finnish cohort followed from 1966–1991. The odds ratio of noncardia gastric cancer between infected and noninfected persons was 3.12 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.97–4.95) for elevated IgA and 2.88 (CI: 1.63–5.07) for elevated IgG antibodies. The odds ratio between low and high PG I was 2.24 (CI: 1.43–3.49). The strength of association was significant for IgA antibodies during the total follow‐up, but for IgG antibodies this was only true for follow‐up periods of 15 years or more. IgA antibodies were significantly associated with all registered histological subtypes apart from intestinal type adenocarcinoma. The highest gastric cancer risk was found among individuals with simultaneously elevated IgA and IgG antibodies and low PG I with an odds ratio of 10.9 (CI: 4.31–27.7) in comparison with those who were negative for both antibodies and had normal PG I. Elevated IgA and IgG antibodies and low PG I were not associated with cancers of the gastric cardia. The findings support the hypothesis that H. pylori infection is a cause of noncardia gastric cancer. Although elevated H. pylori IgA and IgG antibodies and low PG I independently could predict the occurrence of noncardia gastric cancer, their power to do so varied with the stage and length of the follow‐up period and it increased when they were applied in combination. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antioxidants Enhance Mammalian Proteasome Expression through the Keap1-Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT Proteasomes degrade damaged proteins formed during oxidative stress, thereby promoting cell survival. Neurodegenerative and other age-related disorders are associated with reduced proteasome activity. We show herein that expression of most subunits of 20S and 19S proteasomes, which collectively assemble the 26S proteasome, was enhanced up to threefold in livers of mice following treatment with dithiolethiones, which act as indirect antioxidants. Subunit protein levels and proteasome activity were coordinately increased. No induction was seen in mice where the transcription factor Nrf2 was disrupted. Promoter activity of the PSMB5 subunit of the 20S proteasome increased with either Nrf2 overexpression or treatment with antioxidants in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Tandem antioxidant response elements in the proximal promoter of PSMB5 that controlled these responses were identified. We propose that induction of the 26S proteasome through the Nrf2 pathway represents an important indirect action of these antioxidants that can contribute to their protective effects against chronic diseases.
TWO (OR THREE) NOTIONS OF FINITISM

Finitism is given an interpretation based on two ideas about strings (sequences of symbols): a replacement principle extracted from Hilbert’s work and a counting principle inspired by Tait. These principles are used to justify an equational arithmetic ${\cal T}_{{\cal L}^2 } $ based on the algebra of lower elementary functions. The extension of this algebra to Grzegorczyk’s class ɛ2 can be justified by means of an additional finitistic choice principle, thus obtaining a second equational theory ${\cal T}_{{\cal E}^2 } $. It is unknown whether ${\cal T}_{{\cal E}^2 } $ is strictly stronger than ${\cal T}_{{\cal L}^2 } $ since ɛ2 may coincide with the class of lower elementary functions. If the objects of arithmetic are taken to be binary numerals instead of tally numerals, then it becomes possible to provide a finitistic justification for a theory ${\cal T}_B $ that may be incomparable to ${\cal T}_{{\cal E}^2 } $ (neither of the two includes the other). I conclude by suggesting that the equational theory of Kalmar elementary functions is a strict upper bound for finitistic arithmetic.
MIMO Radar Waveform Design With PAPR and Similarity Constraints

The paper investigates the joint design of transmit waveform and receive filter for multiple-input multiple-output radar in the presence of signal-dependent interference, subject to a peak-to-average-power ratio constraint as well as a waveform similarity constraint. Owing to this kind of signal dependence and constraints, the formulated optimization problem of the output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) maximization is NP-hard. To this end, an auxiliary variable is first introduced to modify the original problem, and then a primal-dual algorithm based on the block successive upper-bound minimization method of multipliers (BSUM-M) is developed to deal with the resulting problem. Moreover, an active set method is exploited to solve the quadratic programming problem involved in each update procedure of the proposed BSUM-M algorithm. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm over state-of-the-art methods in terms of the output SINR, beampattern, computational complexity, pulse compression, and ambiguity properties.
‘They do it anyway’: a study of Primary 1 teachers' perceptions of children's transition into primary education

Almost all 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds in Scotland now experience some form of pre‐school provision prior to school entry. Given such high rates of participation, the impact of pre‐school experiences on children's readiness for primary school has become an important issue for those involved in the early stages of compulsory schooling. Teachers in early years classes need to be aware of the experiences and achievements of individual children in their pre‐school setting to enable each child to transfer into mainstream education with the least amount of disruption to their learning. This study was carried out in one small Scottish local authority and explored the perceptions of early years teachers, from a diverse range of primary schools, of what information is important for them as children start school. This article presents the perspectives of Primary 1 teachers on children's readiness for schooling. It reports the factors, which these teachers identified as having an impact on successful transition from the pre‐school setting into the primary school.
Professional socialisation of valuers: What the literature and professional bodies offers

Professional socialization refers to the acquisition of values, attitudes, skills and knowledge pertaining to a professional subculture. This paper reviews the literature about professional socialization and the dimensions that contribute to the process and definition of professional socialization. This literature analysis is undertaken of cognate professions because there is no direct literature relating to valuers. The summary of the legislative requirements within Australia and the membership requirements of professional valuation bodies are examined to determine if these include elements of professional socialization from a real world perspective. A Comparative Study of Multiple Linear Regression Technique versus Artificial Neural
Model-based analysis of dynamics in vergence adaptation

We previously proposed a model to study the dynamics of disparity vergence responses. This model was based on known physiology and consisted of pulse and step neural control processes feeding a linear second-order oculomotor plant. Here, we apply a slightly modified version of that model to analyze the influence of short-term adaptation on vergence dynamics. This analysis showed that, unlike normal vergence responses, adapted responses could not be accurately simulated without a delay between the step and pulse components. Through simulations of normal vergence and adapted vergence responses, we found a strong correlation between delay of the step signal and the size of the movement overshoot. This correlation suggests a strong interaction between neural process generating the pulse and step motor control signals.
An empirical investigation of capital expenditure announcements

The market reaction to capital expenditure announcements is studied in the backdrop of Jensen's (1986) free cash flow hypothesis. Initial results confirm McConnell and Muscarella's (1985) original findings suggesting that announcement-period returns follow in sign announced changes in capital spending. Moreover, estimating regressions similar to Lang et al. (1991) provides evidence that is somewhat weak, supportive of the free cash flow hypothesis in explaining announcement-period returns. Finally, an alternative information-signalling explanation for the market reaction cannot be ruled out entirely.
The French Assemblée nationale: The case of a weak legislature?

This article sets out the situation of the French National Assembly. It focuses on the activity of French deputies in order to assess their real power. After the main aspects of the Fifth Republic are presented, the article scrutinises the influence of deputies and reveals that, even if the government's domination of the legislative process is real, there is still room for manoeuvre amongst deputies. Indeed, even if the deputies of the Right and Left conceive their roles differently, their influence remains a fact either because of strategic calculations from the government or because of the organisation of the legislative arena itself.