Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating technical efficiency of Australian dairy farms using alternative frontier methodologies

Technical efficiency is estimated and examined for a cross-section of Australian dairy farms using various frontier methodologies; Bayesian and Classical stochastic frontiers, and Data Envelopment Analysis. The results indicate technical inefficiency is present in the sample data. Also identified are statistical differences between the point estimates of technical efficiency generated by the various methodologies. However, the rank of farm level technical efficiency is statistically invariant to the estimation technique employed. Finally, when confidence/credible intervals of technical efficiency are compared significant overlap is found for many of the farms’ intervals for all frontier methods employed. The results indicate that the choice of estimation methodology may matter, but the explanatory power of all frontier methods is significantly weaker when interval estimate of technical efficiency is examined.
Real-Time Quantitative PCR Detection of Four Human Bocaviruses

ABSTRACT Human bocavirus (HBoV) was discovered in 2005 and is associated with respiratory tract symptoms in young children. Three additional members of the genus B ocavirus, HBoV2, -3, and -4, were discovered recently from fecal specimens, and early results indicate an association between HBoV2 and gastrointestinal disease. In this study, we present an undifferentiating multiplex real-time quantitative PCR assay for the detection of these novel viruses. Differentiation of the individual bocavirus species can be subsequently achieved with corresponding singleplex PCRs or by sequencing. Both multiplex and singleplex assays were consistently able to detect ≤10 copies of HBoV1 to -4 plasmid templates/reaction, with dynamic quantification ranges of 8 logs and 97% to 102% average reaction efficiencies. These new assays were used to screen stool samples from 250 Finnish patients (median age, 40 years) that had been sent for diagnosis of gastrointestinal infection. Four patients (1.6%; median age, 1.1 years) were reproducibly positive for HBoV2, and one patient (0.4%; 18 years of age) was reproducibly positive for HBoV3. The viral DNA loads varied from <103 to 109 copies/ml of stool extract. None of the stool samples harbored HBoV1 or HBoV4. The highly conserved sequence of the hydrolysis probe used in this assay may provide a flexible future platform for the quantification of additional, hitherto-unknown human bocaviruses that might later be discovered. Our results support earlier findings that HBoV2 is a relatively common pathogen in the stools of diarrheic young children, yet does not often occur in the stools of adults.
The use of Rasch measurement to improve the Oswestry classification scheme.

OBJECTIVES To use Rasch measurement to assess and modify the original classification categories of the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (Oswestry), to examine the hypothesis that the items from the Oswestry form a unidimensional construct and a hierarchical representation of low back pain (LBP) disability, and to compare ordinal Likert resultant scores to interval Rasch scaled scores with disability categories serving as a framework. DESIGN Rasch analysis model. Existing Oswestry admission data generated by FOTO were analyzed. SETTING Statistical analysis of sample database. PARTICIPANTS A sample of 942 patients with LBP referred for physical therapy between 1993 and 1994. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Construct validity; disability categories (as assessed by Likert and Rasch models); and fit statistics (infit, outfit as mean squares). RESULTS All items from the Oswestry except the pain item fit the Rasch model. Construct validity of the scale using the Rasch model required the structure of the rating scale to be modified from 6 response levels to 4. A hierarchical representation of LBP disability was supported. A comparison of the disability categories based on Likert and Rasch scaling revealed them to be nonequivalent. The new scaling changed the disability categories for 44% of patients. CONCLUSION Rasch analysis produced disability categories in the Oswestry that are linear and, therefore, useful for quantitatively assessing self-reported disability levels.
Relationship between Consumer Sentiment and Stock Price in Korea

Both consumer sentiment and stock prices are considered leading indicators of general economic conditions. This paper analyses the relationship between the consumer sentiment index and stock prices in Korea. The findings are that stock returns Granger-cause consumer sentiment, but not vice versa. Second, both wealth effect and information effect are accountable for the causal relationship. Third, only the positive news of consumer sentiment influences daily stock returns to show an asymmetry between positive and negative news.
K‐space description for MR imaging of dynamic objects

The spatial frequency (k) space concept is extended to describe the imaging of time‐dependent objects. This work builds on the existing k‐space description of MRI and is useful for simplifying the analysis of explanations of motion artifacts, algorithms for the correction of motion, and efficient imaging schemes for dynamic objects. Specific examples of the use of this concept for different imaging techniques are presented.
Bias in utility assessments: further evidence and explanations

Judgments about simple gambles, such as those used in utility assessment, can generate sizable and systematic bias. After Hershey and Schoemaker (Hershey, J. C., P. J. H. Schoemaker. 1985. Probability vs. certainty equivalence methods in utility measurement: Are they equivalent? Management Sci. 31 1213--1231.), we employ both the probability and certainty equivalence methods to explore bias. Our results show that: (1) the direction and degree of bias depend on characteristics of the assessment gamble such as the reference probability and the difference between outcomes, (2) presenting subjects with explicit anchors can change the size and direction of the bias, and (3) subjects using heuristic response strategies show significantly more bias than those using expectation strategies. We also discuss the status of possible explanations for the bias, in light of these new results, including PE mode reframing, random error, and anchoring and adjustment.
Modeling the effects of nutritional and socioeconomic factors on the growth and morbidity of Kenyan school children

This paper estimates dynamic models for the height, head circumference, weight, and morbidity of approximately 110 Kenyan school children (6–9 years) in a multivariate longitudinal data framework. Dynamic models allow anthropometric dimensions to depend on the respective measurements in the previous period. The system of 4 equations specified for height, head circumference, weight, and morbidity incorporates the inter‐relationships among these variables; explanatory variables in the model consist of nutritional, socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental factors. The model parameters are estimated using the principle of maximum‐likelihood, while controlling for the unobserved between‐children differences. The main findings are, first, that calcium intakes are positively associated with height while protein and energy intakes are associated with weight. Vitamin A intakes are negatively associated with morbidity. Second, socioeconomic status plus the cash income of the household is a significant predictor of height, head circumference, and morbidity. Third, maternal height is positively associated with children's height and maternal body mass index (BMI) is positively associated with children's weight. Fourth, parents' scores on psychological tests, mother's age, and children's hemoglobin concentration are negatively associated with morbidity while mothers' morbidity is positively associated with children's morbidity. Implications of the modeling results are discussed. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:317–326, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
`Europe' in the News: A Cross-National Comparative Study of the News Coverage of Key EU Events

This study is a cross-nationally comparative investigation of the news coverage in Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands of three major EU events: (1) the January 1999 first-step introduction of the euro, (2) the June 1999 European Parliamentary elections, and (3) the December 2000 summit in Nice. The visibility of the three events, the news agenda, and the role played by national news organizations in covering the EU events are examined. The study draws on content analyses of the most widely watched main evening television news programmes as well as interviews with news practitioners in the three countries. The results showed that news coverage of European affairs is cyclical, peaking during the events but hardly visible before and after. A number of cross-national differences were found: overall, Danish news devoted most attention to the EU events, followed by Britain and the Netherlands. News organizations differed in the editorial policy and the degree of effort invested in covering the events. Danish, and to some extent the British and Dutch, public broadcasters exerted more discretion in the choice of issues covered and assumed a proactive agenda-setting role compared with their private counterparts. The findings are discussed in the light of the role of news in public opinion formation processes about EU affairs.
Programme knowledge and value of work-family practices and organizational commitment

This study examined the relationship between the programme knowledge and value of work-family practices and organizational commitment. Employee programme knowledge of work-family policies was significantly related to affective commitment. This finding suggests that organizations should pay attention to how much their employees know about work-family benefits and how practices can be accessed. While the value of paid parental leave was positively related to normative commitment, the perceived value of childcare policy was negatively associated with both affective and normative commitment. These findings suggest that organizations must be aware that how employees perceive work-family practices can influence their commitment towards the organization. Specifically, practices that are viewed as having minimal value might actually lead to a reduction in commitment.
Oscillating patterns based face antispoofing approach against video replay

Typically, an automatic face authentication (FA) procedure begins with data (facial images) acquisition, procedure that can be carried out with or without human monitoring (in unconstrained settings), the subsequent steps being automatically processed. When the human monitoring is absent for the access procedure (i.e., the system is operating in the “wild”), the current FA systems can be easily cheated by spoofing identities using photographs or recorded video playback containing genuine information. The aim of this paper is to present an approach to indicating potential spoof attacks when a video recording of a genuine user is playback in front of a FA system. The approach relies on detecting specific image artifacts, more precisely oscillating patterns. Smooth image areas are first identified in the pixel domain as containing potential oscillating-like patterns. Several image statistics are next extracted and corresponding feature vectors are formed. Eventually, these feature vectors are classified as real or attack feature vectors by means of Lagrangian Support Vector Machines (LSVMs). When compared to two state-of-the-art methods, namely local binary patterns (LBP) and concentric Fourier based features, the experimental results indicate that the proposed approach substantially outperforms the two for this particular type of video data.
Predicting Audit Opinions Evidence From The Athens Stock Exchange

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence drawn from publicly traded companies in Greece as far as the predictability of going-concern opinions, and other business situations (problem companies, tax contingent liabilities) based on a transition from a tax-driven accounting system which is characterized by a stakeholder (debtholder) orientation to shareholder oriented and independent of tax reporting considerations after the adoption of IFRS. This study examines companies listed in the Athens Stock Exchange to determine whether the findings with regard to the prediction of troubled companies, going-concern audit opinions and tax contingent liabilities are robust in a different accounting system than that in prior studies. We employ discriminant analysis and a logit specification to test our models. Results indicate that more noticeably going-concern audit opinions can be predicted with rates ranging from 96.7% to 98.7%. Research findings are subject to limitations since they are drawn from publicly traded companies only. The selection of models that better fits to the Greek data provides additional evidence to the existing literature not only in so far as the statistical techniques but also in respect to the business environment (after the adoption of IFRS). These models can act as early warning systems in an effort to avoid further bankruptcies or liquidations or even to prevent window dressing phenomena.
Technical efficiency and scale efficiency in the Italian banking sector: A non-parametric approach

Measures of technical and scale efficiencies are derived in the Italian banking industries by implementing non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis on a cross section of 174 Italian banks taken in 1991. The methodology of the parametric and non-parametric approaches to measure efficiency are discussed. The existence of both technical and allocative efficiency is established. This result is robust to modifications in the specification of inputs and outputs suggested by the Intermediation Approach and by the Asset Approach. In implementing both the Intermediation and the Asset Approach the traditional specification of inputs is modified to allow an explicit role for financial capital. In addition, regression analysis is used on a bank-specific measure of inefficiency to investigate determinants of banks' efficiency. Efficiency is best explained by productive specialization, size and, to a lesser extent, by location.
Sonic hedgehog and BMP2 exert opposing actions on proliferation and differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells.

Although Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) plays a critical role in brain development, its actions on neural progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation have not been clearly defined. Transcripts for the putative Shh-receptor genes patched (Ptc) and smoothened (Smo) are expressed by embryonic, postnatal, and adult progenitor cells, suggesting that Shh can act directly on these cells. The recombinant human amino-terminal fragment of Shh protein (Shh-N) alone did not support the survival of cultured progenitor cells, but treatment with Shh-N in the presence of bFGF increased progenitor cell proliferation. Furthermore, treatment of embryonic rat progenitor cells propagated either in primary culture or after mitogen expansion significantly increased the proportions of both beta-tubulin- (neuronal marker) and O4- (oligodendroglial marker) immunoreactive cells and reduced the proportion of nestin- (uncommitted neural progenitor cell marker) immunoreactive cells. By contrast Shh-N had no effect on the elaboration of GFAP- (astroglial marker) immunoreactive cells. Cotreatment with Shh-N and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) inhibited the anti-proliferative, astroglial-inductive, and oligodendroglial-suppressive effects of BMP2. Our observations suggest that Shh-N selectively promotes the elaboration of both neuronal and oligodendroglial lineage species and inhibits the effects of BMP2 on progenitor cell proliferation and astroglial differentiation.
Sesame Oil Prevents Acute Kidney Injury Induced by the Synergistic Action of Aminoglycoside and Iodinated Contrast in Rats

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of sesame oil on acute kidney injury induced by the synergistic action of aminoglycoside and iodinated contrast in rats. Acute kidney injury was induced by a 5-day course of daily gentamicin injections (100 mg/kg of body weight, subcutaneously) and then iodinated contrast (4 ml/kg, intravenously) in male specific-pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats. Sesame oil (0.5 ml/kg, orally) was given 1 h before iodinated contrast. Renal function and oxidative stress were assessed 6 h after iodinated contrast injection. Renal function was evaluated by measuring serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. Renal oxidative stress was assessed by determining renal lipid peroxidation, myeloperoxidase, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, nitrite/nitrate, and inducible nitric oxide synthase levels. Sesame oil significantly prevented the rise of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. Furthermore, there was a parallel inhibition of the rise in levels of expression of renal lipid peroxidation, myeloperoxidase, hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anion, nitrite/nitrate, and inducible nitric oxide synthase in rats with gentamicin-plus-iodinated contrast-induced acute kidney injury. We conclude that sesame oil may attenuate aminoglycoside-plus-iodinated contrast-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting renal oxidative stress in rats.
An early lesion in hepatic carcinogenesis: Loss of heterozygosity in human cirrhotic livers and dysplastic nodules at the 1p36‐p34 region

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 1 has been suggested, by karyotyping, to be an initial episode in human hepatocarcinogenesis. However, this alteration has not yet been investigated in cirrhotic nodules (CNs) or dysplastic nodules (DNs). In an initial study from explanted or resected cirrhotic livers, LOH in 1p36‐p32 was examined in 31 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 25 low‐grade dysplastic nodules (LGDNs), and 24 high‐grade dysplastic nodules (HGDNs). In HCCs, LOH was detected most frequently at loci D1S2843 (1p36.1) (28.6%), D1S513 (1p34.3) (29.2%), and MYCL1 (1p34.1) (28.6%). In HGDN and LGDN, LOH incidences at D1S513 were 11.1% and 13.6%, respectively. To further refine those results and to determine sequential relationships among CN, DN, and HCC, LOH was next studied in an additional 53 HCCs, 56 HGDNs, 30 LGDNs, and 215 CNs from 11 explanted human cirrhotic livers, including 30 “nodule‐in‐nodule” lesions. Seven markers between D1S2843 (1p36.12) and MYCL1 (1p34.1), and 1 each at D1S484 (1q24.1), IGF2R‐3 (6q26), and TP53 (17p13.1) were used. LOH at D1S2843 and D1S513 was detected in HCCs (20.4% and 23.5%, respectively), HGDNs (7.7% and 18.5%), LGDNs (13.6% and 6.9%), and CNs surrounding either HCCs or DNs (7.4% and 8.3%). These results demonstrate that LOH at D1S2843 and D1S513 are early events in human liver carcinogenesis. Data from CN surrounding either HCCs or DN, and also nodule‐in‐nodule lesions, provide evidence supporting a CN→DN→HCC progression. Different deletion patterns from multiple HCCs and DNs suggest independent origins for carcinogenesis in the same individual.
Auditor Tenure and Shareholder Ratification of the Auditor

SYNOPSIS: Legislators and regulators have expressed concerns about the effect of long auditor tenure on audit quality. There is little direct evidence on investors’ perceptions about long auditor tenure. In this paper, we use shareholder votes on auditor ratification as a proxy for investor perceptions about audit quality. We find, using data from 635 firms during 2006, that shareholder votes against (or abstaining from) auditor ratification are positively correlated with auditor tenure. The results suggest that shareholders view long auditor tenure as adversely affecting audit quality, and provide an empirical basis for arguments related to the impact of long auditor tenures on shareholders’ perceptions of audit quality.
Long-Term Volatility, Growth and Asset Pricing

Is there a fundamental link between macroeconomic risk and growth? This question is central for the design of stabilization policies and for welfare. However, no consensus has yet emerged in the literature. We revisit the link between macroeconomic risk and growth from an asset pricing perspective. Asset prices contain important information about macroeconomic risk and long-term growth prospects. We analyze this information by examining the asset pricing implications of a model in which the level and dynamics of aggregate growth rates result endogenously from agents’ optimal decisions, namely an endogenous growth model. Furthermore, we assume agents have EpsteinZin preferences. We use the additional discipline provided by asset market data to pin down the link between volatility and growth more precisely. In particular, we show that asset market data imply a positive relationship between volatility and growth in our baseline calibration. Moreover, absent in the canonical real business cycle model, the endogenous growth model generates long and persistent swings in aggregate growth rates; when coupled with recursive preferences, this allows us to quantitatively match a wide array of facts from asset market, macroeconomic and growth data.
Age-associated differences in TNF-alpha and nitric oxide production in endotoxic mice.

Gram-negative bacterial infection is a common cause of septic shock in the older population in the U.S. We employed an experimental model of sepsis to study the cause of increased lethality due to LPS in older animals. Three ages of male B6JC3J/Nia mice, young (2 mo old), mature (12 mo old), and senescent (24 mo old), were treated with bacterial LPS, and the older mice were found to be 10 times more sensitive to LPS lethality. Increased sensitivity to LPS in senescent mice correlated with significantly elevated plasma TNF-alpha and nitric oxide levels. Abs to TNF-alpha afforded aged animals passive protection against a supralethal dose of LPS, establishing a central role for TNF in the increased sensitivity to LPS seen in the aged animals. Other cytokines, such as IL-1 and IFN-gamma, appeared secondary to TNF and nitric oxide in the age-associated sensitivity to LPS. Plasma corticosterone levels were increased by LPS at a time when maximal levels of plasma TNF-alpha were observed in both age groups, although the kinetics of hormone production and the magnitude of TNF-alpha release varied among the age groups. Exogenously administered dexamethasone protected senescent animals given a high dose of LPS, by decreasing cytokine levels. The increased sensitivity to LPS observed in aged animals, therefore, seems to be due to excessive TNF and nitric oxide production, resulting from perturbed endogenous hormonal control of cytokine production.