Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The importance of cognitive and social skills for the duration of unemployment

This paper studies how cognitive and social skills in childhood are related to the duration of unemployment in adolescence and early adulthood. I estimate a flexible proportional hazard rate model for the probability of making a transition from unemployment to employment during an individual’s first unemployment spell. The analysis is based on British cohort data from the National Child Development Study. Results show that higher cognitive and social skills at the age of 7 are associated with an increased probability of finding employment, even when controlling for educational attainment. For men, these effects are mostly driven by individuals with low social skills. The results are robust to controlling for family background, parenting activities and school characteristics.
The Environmental Effects of Trade and Environmental Policy Within and Across Sectors

In the first chapter of this dissertation I analyze how establishment-level choices and dynamics affect aggregate emissions outcomes. To do this I first decompose aggregate emissions into three channels: scale or country size, composition or sector market share, and aggregate technique or emissions intensity. I then extend the decomposition to show how the aggregate technique channel is driven by four establishment-level channels: entry, exit, reallocation of resources between survivors, and within-establishment adjustment of production techniques and emissions intensity. Using establishment-level emissions data and a unique empirical exercise I first show, empirically, how the relative importance of the composition and aggregate technique channels have evolved over time and that changes in aggregate emissions intensity have been the most important channel driving observed declines in aggregate emissions. I follow that up by decomposing the aggregate emissions intensity channel into the four component channels. In the second chapter I combine within and across sector channels through which trade affects our environment by embedding heterogeneous firms and fixed costs into a two-sector representative-firm framework along with endogenous response to environmental policy. In contrast to existing literature that tends to examine these channels separately, the combined framework I develop shows how cross-sector and within-sector responses to trade and environmental policy interact to affect our environment. Finally, in the third chapter I address the question, how does environmental policy affect aggregate emissions intensity when operating within and across firms? To do this, I develop a model with heterogeneous polluting firms to analyze how environmental regulation affects polluting industries and the environment. Firms within a particular industry differ in their productivity which influences their size and emissions intensity. The model allows me to decompose the effect of environmental regulation into two distinct channels: within firm changes in emissions intensity and techniques, and increased exit from the regulated industry. I then evaluate how changes in a unique measure of environmental policy affect environmental outcomes through these two channels in the presence of fixed costs using emissions data from U.S. manufacturing sectors from 1990 2007.
Steroid levels and reproductive cycle of the Galápagos tortoise, Geochelone nigra, living under seminatural conditions on Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos).

The Galápagos Islands are home to 11 subspecies of large terrestrial tortoises (Geochelone nigra). All Galápagos tortoises are considered endangered and approximately 12,000 animals still exist. Until now, the reproductive cycle of the Galápagos tortoise has been studied only in captive animals, and no data from free-ranging tortoises have been available. During a one-year period, blood samples were collected from male and female G. nigra living under seminatural conditions on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos. Plasma steroid hormones were measured by radioimmunoassays (RIAs). In males, plasma testosterone and corticosterone increased a few months before the onset of the mating season. Peak levels were observed while most copulations occurred and environmental temperatures were highest. Both testosterone and corticosterone showed low levels during the cold and dry nesting season and high levels during the hot and rainy mating season. In females, testosterone and corticosterone also rose during the hot and rainy mating season. Both hormones peaked during the second half of the mating season and decreased during the cooler dry season. Female estradiol levels increased at the onset of the mating season, reaching the highest level at the peak of the mating season, which coincided with the highest annual temperatures measured. Estradiol slowly decreased within the next months and rapidly dropped at the onset of the nesting season when temperatures decreased. Progesterone levels were high close to the time of ovulation and showed clearly elevated levels at the beginning of the nesting season after some females had laid their first clutch. Progesterone decreased during the nesting season, when ambient temperatures began to decrease, and reached minimal levels in the postbreeding period shortly before the onset of the next mating season. There were significant annual variations in plasma testosterone in both males and females. Plasma corticosterone was generally higher in males than in females and varied throughout the year in both sexes.
Streptolysin O‐permeabilized granulocytes shed L‐selectin concomitantly with ceramide generation via neutral sphingomyelinase

Cleavage of membrane‐associated L‐selectin regulates leukocyte rolling on vascular endothelium at sites of inflammation. We report that rapid and massive shedding of L‐selectin occurs from granulocytes attacked by the pore‐forming bacterial toxin streptolysin O (SLO). Shedding was not induced by an SLO mutant that retained binding capacity but lacked pore‐forming activity. Cells permeabilized with SLO exhibited a 1.5‐fold increase in the activity of neutral sphingomyelinase, which was accompanied by increased ceramide formation. L‐selectin cleavage was inducible by treatment of cells with bacterial sphingomyelinase, and also through exogenous application of a cell‐permeable ceramide analog. Our data identify a novel path to the shedding process and show that activation of neutral sphingomyelinase with the generation of ceramide is an important event underlying enhanced sheddase function in cells permeabilized by a pore‐forming toxin.
Intertemporal production and intertemporal substitution in output supply and input demand

ABSTRACT This article presents an intertemporal model of production with multiple inputs to investigate substitution opportunities facing firms over time. The firm’s intertemporal profit maximization problem is characterized with the familiar cost function, and various intertemporal substitution elasticities are delineated for output supply and input demand. The absence of intertemporal substitution in production can imply production smoothing, and allowance for intertemporal substitution in labour demand reinforces the prediction of the real business cycle model. For aggregate US manufacturing, we find substantial substitution in output supply and labour demand over time due to intertemporal changes in output price and wage rates.
Identifying regions vulnerable to habitat degradation under future irrigation scenarios

The loss and degradation of natural habitats is a primary cause of biodiversity decline. The increasing impacts of climate and land use change affect water availability, ultimately decreasing agricultural production. Areas devoted to irrigation have been increased to compensate this reduction, causing habitat and biodiversity losses, especially in regions undergoing severe water stress. These effects might intensify under global change, probably contributing to a decrease in habitat quality. We selected four European river basins across a gradient of water scarcity and irrigation agriculture. The habitat quality in the basins was assessed as a function of habitat suitability and threats under current and future global change scenarios of irrigation. Results revealed that the most threatened regions under future scenarios of global change were among those suffering of water scarcity and with bigger areas devoted to irrigation. Loss of habitat quality reached 10% in terrestrial and 25% in aquatic ecosystems under climate change scenarios involving drier conditions. The aquatic habitats were the most degraded in all scenarios, since they were affected by threats from both the terrestrial and the aquatic parts of the basin. By identifying in advance the regions most vulnerable to habitat and biodiversity loss, our approach can assist decision makers in deciding the conservation actions to be prioritized for mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change, particularly front the development of irrigation plans.
Still participating after all these years: a study of life task participation in later life.

The authors examined in 618 older Americans the extent to which individual levels of life satisfaction were connected to participation in the shared tasks of late adulthood (e.g., community service and social life participation). Participation in these shared tasks was an important predictor of life satisfaction, controlling for health, self-reported vitality, social support, individual differences in congeniality, organizational affiliation, and prior levels of satisfaction. Social life participation was particularly important for retirees in predicting life satisfaction, more so than for study participants who were still able to derive enjoyment from work activity. This difference between retired and nonretired subjects was especially pronounced for men and illustrates how the important domains of activity shift with sociocultural expectations and opportunities of a given life phase.
Subgenual prefrontal cortex volumes in major depressive disorder and schizophrenia: diagnostic specificity and prognostic implications.

OBJECTIVE A variety of findings have implicated the portion of the anterior cingulate cortex ventral to the corpus callosum in the pathophysiology of familial depressive disorder. There are, as yet, few data to address the specificity of these abnormalities to depressive disorders or to characterize their stability over time. METHOD The authors studied 10 subjects who were judged to have had major depressive disorder with psychotic features, who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols, and who participated in a longitudinal study of recent-onset psychosis. These were group-matched to 10 subjects with schizophrenia and to 10 well comparison subjects. Volumetric measures were made of the posterior and anterior portions of the subgenual prefrontal cortex for these 30 subjects. Follow-up scans done an average of 4 years after intake were available for seven subjects with major depressive disorder, nine subjects with schizophrenia, and five well comparison subjects. RESULTS Volumes of the left side of the posterior subgenual prefrontal cortex differed significantly by group and were smallest for the group with psychotic major depressive disorder. Volumes of the anterior subgenual prefrontal cortex did not differ significantly by group. Patients with major depressive disorder were more likely to show increases in posterior subgenual prefrontal cortex volume on follow-up than were comparison subjects or patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS These findings add to the evidence that abnormalities in the subgenual region of the anterior cingulate play a role in at least some types of mood disorder.
Determination of IL‐1 and IL‐6 Levels in Human Embryo Culture‐Conditioned Media

PROBLEM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) and IL‐6 in 24‐hour human embryo culture‐conditioned media (HECCM) and to find any embryo‐related factor(s) to predict pregnancy during IVF procedure.
Choline acetyltransferase may contribute to the risk of Tourette syndrome: Combination of family-based analysis and case–control study

Abstract Objectives: Twin and family analyses have revealed a genetic contribution to Tourette syndrome (TS) and post-mortem studies have raised the intriguing possibility of a reduction in cholinergic interneuronsin TS patients. Methods: We selected five tag SNPs (rs100824791, rs12264845, rs1880676, rs3793790 and rs3793798) of choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) from the Han Chinese population Hapmap database. Genotyping was conducted on 401 TS nuclear family trios and 405 control subjects. Transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and haplotype relative risk (HRR) analyses were used to analyse the family-based study and a case–control study was also used to assess the genetic susceptibility to TS. Results: The results revealed a significant over-transmission of rs3793790 (TDT, χ2 = 9.121, P = 0.003; HRR, χ2 = 6.579, P = 0.01), while case–control analysis found no differences between the two groups (genotype, χ2 = 0.436, P = 0.804; allele, χ2 = 0.149, P = 0.700). Also, rs3793798 also indicated a positive association associated with TS (TDT, χ2 = 5.025, P = 0.028; HRR, χ2 = 0.250, P = 0.617). However, the other three SNPs investigated were found not to be associated with TS in both in the family-based and case–control studies. Conclusions: Our association analysis demonstrates that CHAT may contribute to TS susceptibility in the Han Chinese population. This gives strong support to the involvement of cholinergic interneurons in the aetiology of TS and reveals a potential therapeutic target.
Performance analysis of various attacks under AODV in WSN & MANET using OPNET 14.5

The overall support and trustworthiness among nodes in wireless environment to relay each other's packets expose them to a wide range of security attacks. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) introduce a new standard of ambient supervision with many potential applications. The environment of wireless sensor networks and Mobile Ad-hoc networks make them very attractive to the challengers and they become vulnerable to some types of intruders since they are arranged in open and unsecured atmosphere and are comprised of low-priced small devices. This paper introduces an algorithm to design a Mobile Ad-hoc network (MANET) or Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and compares the effect of different network and physical layer attacks (wormhole, black hole, jamming, byzantine) based on some Quality of service parameters in presence of AODV routing protocol. We simulate various attacks using the network simulator OPNET 14.5 and then analyze them in the basis of some quality of service parameters under AODV routing protocol.
The Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Part I: Background and Clinical Comparison to Bare Metal Stents

The development of coronary artery stents that release (elute) a drug locally into the diseased vasculature has revolutionized the practice of interventional cardiology. These devices were designed to minimize the incidence of in-stent restenosis that may occur with bare metal stents. The paclitaxel-eluting stent is the most recent drug-eluting stent approved for use in the United States and is a bare metal stent coated with paclitaxel that is gradually released from the stent into the vessel wall with undetectable systemic concentrations of the drug. Paclitaxel functions to stabilize the assembly of microtubules, thereby interfering with cell division, motility, and shape, and ultimately inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, key processes in the development of neointimal hyperplasia during in-stent restenosis. Clinical trials have repeatedly demonstrated the superiority of the paclitaxel-eluting stent over the bare metal stent in terms of reducing restenosis rates and percent stenosis diameter as well as other angiographic end points. Although the rates of major adverse cardiac events are reduced with the paclitaxel-eluting stent compared with the bare metal stent, this is primarily the result of a reduction in the need for target vessel revascularization, whereas rates of myocardial infarction and death have not been shown to be significantly affected.
The Quality of Randomized Clinical Trials in the Field of Surgery: Studies on Laparoscopic versus Open Appendectomy as an Example

Background: The field of surgery undergoes rapid renewal and introduction of surgical techniques and instruments. Thus, the quality of the randomized clinical trials in this field should be evaluated. We assessed the quality of randomized trials comparing laparoscopic versus open appendectomy as a model. Method: Using MEDLINE and EMBASE, 42 first-time published randomized clinical trials in the English language met the inclusion criteria. Factors related to the methodological quality, e.g. blinding, sample size calculation and intention-to-treat analysis, were reviewed. Results: Method of random number generation was described in only 15 (36%) of the studies, i.e., it was not clear if the remaining two thirds of the studies were actually randomized or not. Although not using blocking, the trials often reported similar sample size in the intervention and control groups. Proper concealment of the allocation status was reported in almost half of the studies. None of the trials was judged to use proper double-blinding measures. Sample size calculation was present in one of five trials and half of the studies performed analysis according to intention-to-treat. Conclusions: It seems that surgical trials do not always follow the basic methodological guidelines to maintain the high quality of randomized clinical trials. Compliance with the CONSORT statement and transparency in result reporting is strongly recommended to improve the quality of randomized trials in the field of surgery.
The oxygen cost of breathing may predict weaning from mechanical ventilation better than the respiratory rate to tidal volume ratio.

OBJECTIVE To compare the respiratory rate to tidal volume ratio with the oxygen cost of breathing to see which could more accurately predict the outcome of ventilator weaning for surgical patients. DESIGN Prospective comparison of two modalities used to predict the likelihood of successful ventilator weaning. PATIENTS Twenty-eight consecutive patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency requiring long-term mechanical ventilation in the surgical intensive care unit at New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Mass, were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The oxygen cost of breathing and the respiratory rate to tidal volume ratio were measured during spontaneous breathing. Patients extubated within 2 weeks of being studied were designated as extubated while patients not extubated within this period or requiring reintubation were recorded as not extubated. RESULTS The oxygen cost of breathing predicted successful extubation in all five patients who were extubated, and failure in 20 of 23 patients who could not be extubated (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 87%). In contrast, the respiratory rate to tidal volume ratio predicted extubation for only two of five patients who were extubated and predicted failure in only 12 of 23 patients who could not be extubated (sensitivity, 40%; specificity, 52%). CONCLUSION For this group of patients requiring prolonged ventilation, the oxygen cost of breathing proved to be a more reliable predictor of both successful extubation and failure.
Informality currencies: a tale of Misha, his brigada and informal practices among Uzbek labour migrants in Russia

Abstract This article explores the role of informality among Uzbek construction workers in Russia. We start from a relationship that is based on economic reward and common interests and go on to explore the non-economic components of this relationship. Economically, the workers entrust their supervisor and agree to work for him for a given amount of money. However, this decision is also embedded in a non-economic dimension. All workers, and their master, come from the same village so that an additional layer of social obligations are involved. First, workers are able to receive a treatment that goes beyond economic relations, with favours or more mild attitudes when needed. Second, they are also able to put pressure on the line manager through their families in case things do not work out the way they expected. We use the case study to propose the existence of a non-monetary currency (or even currencies) that complement formal currencies. Money, its symbolism and the power attached to it still play a major role in the relationships and dependencies analyzed here. These points help us in suggesting that relations encompass a wide range of transactions and rituals that go beyond mere economic interest and that cannot be neglected when understanding informality.
Role of microenvironmental periostin in pancreatic cancer progression

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a prominent desmoplastic reaction. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are the principal effector cells responsible for stroma production. Aberrant up-regulation of periostin expression has been reported in activated PSCs. In this study, we investigated the role of periostin and the mechanisms underlying its aberrant upregulation in PDAC. We used lentiviral shRNA and human recombinant periostin protein to down and up regulate periostin expression in vitro. Specific oncogenic signaling pathways such as EGFR-Akt and EGFR-Erk-c-Myc were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Tissue microarray immunohistochemical assays including 80 pancreatic cancer tissues and paired normal tissues were used to understand the function relationship between periostin expression and PDAC pathologic stage and overall survival. We found that periostin was strongly expressed in PSCs and the stroma of PDAC tumors. We also observed a significant decrease in proliferation, metastasis, and clonality of pancreatic cancer cells when co-cultured with supernatant of periostin shRNA-transfected PSCs. Specifically, the biological behavior of periostin correlated with EGFR-Akt and EGER-Erk-c-Myc signaling pathways. Moreover, increased periostin expression significantly associated with advanced disease stage and decreased survival rate in PDAC patients. Together, our findings provide novel insights into the role of microenvironmental periostin in pancreatic cancer progression, and periostin may serve as a prognostic biomarker for PDAC.