Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE PHYLOGENY OF THE PENTASCHISTIS CLADE (DANTHONIOIDEAE, POACEAE) BASED ON CHLOROPLAST DNA, AND THE EVOLUTION AND LOSS OF COMPLEX CHARACTERS

Abstract We construct a species-level phylogeny for the Pentaschistis clade based on chloroplast DNA, from the following regions: trnL-F, trnT-L, atpB-rbcL, rpL16, and trnD-psbA. The clade comprises 82 species in three genera, Pentaschistis, Pentameris, and Prionanthium. We demonstrate that Prionanthium is nested in Pentaschistis and that this clade is sister to a clade of Pentameris plus Pentaschistis tysonii. Forty-three of the species in the Pentaschistis clade have multicellular glands and we use ancestral character state reconstruction to show that they have been gained twice or possibly once, and lost several times. We suggest that the maintenance, absence, loss, and gain of glands are correlated with leaf anatomy type, and additionally that there is a difference in the degree of diversification of lineages that have these different character combinations. We propose that both glands and sclerophyllous leaves act as defense systems against herbivory, and build a cost/benefit model in which multicellular glands or sclerophyllous leaves are lost when the alternative defense system evolves. We also investigate the association between leaf anatomy type and soil nutrient type on which species grow. There is little phylogenetic constraint in soil nutrient type on members of the Pentaschistis clade, with numerous transitions between oligotrophic and eutrophic soils. However, only orthophyllous-leaved species diversify on eutrophic soils. We suggest that the presence of these glands enables the persistence of orthophyllous lineages and therefore diversification of the Pentaschistis clade on eutrophic as well as oligotrophic soils.
Pricing American Options Fitting the Smile

This paper is a compendium of results—theoretical and computational—from a series of recent papers developing a new American option valuation technique based on linear programming (LP). Some further computational results are included for completeness. A proof of the basic analytical theorem is given, as is the analysis needed to solve the inverse problem of determining local (one‐factor) volatility from market data. The ideas behind a fast accurate revised simplex method, whose performance is linear in time and space discretizations, are described and the practicalities of fitting the volatility smile are discussed. Numerical results are presented which show the LP valuation technique to be extremely fast—lattice speed with PDE accuracy. American options valued in the paper range from vanilla, through exotic with constant volatility, to exotic options fitting the volatility smile.
Livelihoods, Power and Choice: The Vulnerability of the Northern Rizaygat, Darfur, Sudan

L in Darfur are intimately linked to the conflict, none more so than the livelihoods of the Northern Rizaygat, the camel-herding nomads. Their notoriety as part of the Janjaweed militia and the government’s counterinsurgency has completely obscured from view their pastoralist identity linked to their distinctive nomadic culture of camel-herding (aballa). Their traditional livestock migration routes extended from the semi-arid rainy season pastures (the Jizzu) of North Darfur, to the far south bordering Southern Sudan and Central African Republic. They are not the only aballa group in the Darfur region – others include the Zaghawa, Zayadia and Meidob. But they are the only aballa group that do not have their own tribal homeland or dar.
Containment of a country-wide outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Israeli hospitals via a nationally implemented intervention.

BACKGROUND During 2006, Israeli hospitals faced a clonal outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae that was not controlled by local measures. A nationwide intervention was launched to contain the outbreak and to introduce a strategy to control future dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals. METHODS In March 2007, the Ministry of Health issued guidelines mandating physical separation of hospitalized carriers of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and dedicated staffing and appointed a professional task force charged with containment. The task force paid site visits at acute-care hospitals, evaluated infection-control policies and laboratory methods, supervised adherence to the guidelines via daily census reports on carriers and their conditions of isolation, provided daily feedback on performance to hospital directors, and intervened additionally when necessary. The initial intervention period was 1 April 2007-31 May 2008. The primary outcome measure was incidence of clinically diagnosed nosocomial CRE cases. RESULTS By 31 March 2007, 1275 patients were affected in 27 hospitals (175 cases per 1 million population). Prior to the intervention, the monthly incidence of nosocomial CRE was 55.5 cases per 100,000 patient-days. With the intervention, the continuous increase in the incidence of CRE acquisition was halted, and by May 2008, the number of new monthly cases was reduced to 11.7 cases per 100,000 patient-days (P<.001). There was a direct correlation between compliance with isolation guidelines and success in containment of transmission (P=.02). Compliance neutralized the effect of carrier prevalence on new incidence (P=.03). CONCLUSIONS A centrally coordinated intervention succeeded in containing a nationwide CRE outbreak after local measures failed. The intervention demonstrates the importance of strategic planning and national oversight in combating antimicrobial resistance.
An exploratory study on entrepreneurial mindset in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector: A South African perspective on fostering small and medium enterprise (SME) success

Business success in the new economy is merely not a function of relevant skills; but also requires people who have entrepreneurial mindsets. As much as entrepreneurial mindset is important for business success, it is also vital to understand the current level of entrepreneurial mindsets in each entrepreneurial community by identifying which factors are lacking that needs to be improved as a means to foster the success of entrepreneurs. This study’s objective is to understand the level of entrepreneurial mindset in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in South Africa. The population for the study comprised of entrepreneurs in the SME sector in Bloemfontein area. The questionnaire, answered by 86 entrepreneurs, was designed with the aid of an entrepreneurial mindset tool and Mind Prober 3.0. The respond and result gotten from the questionnaires distributed indicated a low level of entrepreneurial mindset in South Africa. This deduction led to the establishment of the fact that the lack of an entrepreneurial mindset contributes to the high failure rate of SMEs in South Africa. Further observation on this study also established that entrepreneurs with an entrepreneurial mindset performed better in certain factors (creativity, risk taking propensity, growth mindset etc) which are considered vital for business success. A culmination of these briefly exemplified elements thus makes it necessary to look into means and the need of fostering SME success in South Africa. Key words: Entrepreneurial mindset, small and medium enterprises, success, South Africa.
Ross–Konno Procedure for the Surgical Treatment of Prosthesis‐Patient Mismatch After Prosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement

The Ross–Konno procedure has become a widely recognized surgical method for the treatment of complex left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) in patients of younger age. We applied this method in two young females who presented following mechanical aortic valve replacement with severe prosthesis‐patient mismatch (PPM) resulting in significant gradient across the left ventricular outflow tract and congestive heart failure. In both cases the postoperative course was uneventful with immediate improvement in clinical symptoms. Both patients remain in excellent clinical and hemodynamic condition four and six years after the Ross–Konno procedure. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12210 (J Card Surg 2013;28:666–669)
DOES EDUCATION MATTER? MYTHS ABOUT EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Grading Student Achievement in Higher EducationThe Myth of Research-Based Policy and PracticeThe Crisis of the MeritocracyDoes Education Matter? Ivory Tower BluesThe First Year At University: Teaching Students In TransitionInternational Handbook of Education for the Changing World of WorkInternationale Bibliographie der Rezensionen wissenschaftlicher LiteraturDebates in Mathematics EducationLearning, Curriculum and Employability in Higher EducationVocational EducationEducation and International DevelopmentEducation Policy UnravelledRetention And Student Success In Higher EducationHow Do You Know? Perspectives on Legal EducationEncyclopedia of Education Economics and Finance14-19 EducationGlobal Reconstructions of Vocational Education and TrainingDeveloping Professional Practice 14-19Introduction to Education StudiesWhat's the Good of Education? Teacher Professionalism in Further and Higher EducationWhy Knowledge Matters in CurriculumHigher Education and Civic Engagement: International PerspectivesThe Routledge International Handbook of Student-Centered Learning and Teaching in Higher EducationThe Challenges of Education in BrazilLiving Well Now and in the FutureHigher Education and Local Economic DevelopmentThe Gove LegacyThe Routledge Companion to EducationKey Issues in Education and Social JusticeEducation and Social MobilityCan We Measure what Matters Most? Education Policy UnravelledThe False Promise of Global LearningEducation: A Very Short IntroductionEducation, Nature, and SocietyWhy Social Justice MattersSelling Out Education
Noise trading in small markets

Considering noise traders as agents with unpredictable beliefs, the author shows that, in an imperfectly competitive market with risk averse investors, noise traders may earn higher expected utility than rational investors. This happens when, by deviating from the Nash equilibrium strategy, noise traders hurt rational investors more than themselves. It follows that the willingness of arbitrageurs to exploit noise traders' misperceptions is lower relative to a perfectly competitive economy. This result reinforces the theory that noise trading may explain closed-end fund discounts and small firms' returns, since these markets are less competitive than the market for large firms' stock. Copyright 1996 by American Finance Association.
Humans Starving for Life : What Animal Studies Can and Cannot Tell Us about the Use of Caloric Restriction to Prolong Human Lifespan 1 , 2

Caloric restriction (CR) is the only experimental nongenetic paradigm known to increase lifespan. It has broad applicability and extends the life of most species through a retardation of aging. There is considerable interest in the use of CR in humans, and animal studies can potentially tell us about the impacts. In this article we highlight some of the things that animal studies can tell us about CR in humans. Rodent studies indicate that the benefits of CR on lifespan extension are related to the extent of restriction. The benefits of CR, however, decline as the age of onset of treatment is delayed. Modeling these impacts suggests that if a 48-y-old man engaged in 30% CR until his normal life expectancy of 78, he might increase his life expectancy by 2.8 y. Exercise and cold exposure induce similar energy deficits, but animals respond to these energy deficits in different ways that have a minor impact on lifespan. Measurements of animal responses when they cease restriction indicate that prolonged CR does not diminish hunger, even though the animals may have been in long-term energy balance. Neuroendocrine profiles support the idea that animals under CR are continuously hungry. The feasibility of restricting intake in humans for many decades without long-term support is questionable. However, what is unclear from animal studies is whether taking drugs that suppress appetite will generate the same impact on longevity or whether the neuroendocrine correlates of hunger play an integral role in mediating CRs effects. J. Nutr. 137: 1078–1086,
Is Communism to Blame for Political Disenchantment in Post-Communist Countries? Cohort Analysis of Adults' Political Attitudes

In this article, we apply a new, original technique of cohort analysis to test empirically whether political disenchantment in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe can be linked to the previous political culture. On the basis of International Social Survey Programme 1996 and 2006 data we find a surprisingly similar and unique cohort effect in all analysed post-communist countries, reflecting persistent generational differences in perceived political competence (interest and understanding of political processes). However, the communist legacy does not seem to be important for explaining low self-efficacy or distrust in political authorities and their responsiveness to citizens' demands.
Aboriginals with multiple sclerosis

Background: MS is common in people of northern European ethnicity who live in northern geographic areas; however, MS is rarely identified among aboriginal peoples living in the same areas. Objectives: To determine the prevalence, clinical features, HLA type, and viral infections associated with MS among aboriginals in Manitoba, Canada. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in which the clinical features of all aboriginal patients with MS together with HLA type and human herpesvirus-6, HIV-1, human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1, and endogenous retrovirus associated with MS (MSRV) infections were analyzed and compared with results from nonaboriginal patients with MS. Results: Seven aboriginals with MS were identified with a period prevalence among aboriginals of 40:100,000. Clinical features included relapsing–remitting (n = 6) or primary progressive (n = 1) phenotypes with aggressive disease courses and frequent involvement of optic nerves and spinal cord (n = 5) compared with nonaboriginal patients. Autopsy of one patient showed necrosis and eosinophil infiltrates in a cervical spinal cord lesion and a demyelinated optic nerve. Analysis of HLA alleles at the DRB1 and DQB1 loci indicated that the HLA types detected were common in aboriginals, but there were no HLA alleles previously associated with the development of MS. Analysis of the copy number of MRSV did not show differences among aboriginals and nonaboriginals with or without MS. Conclusions: Aboriginals of Algonkian background are at increased risk for an aggressive type of MS, resembling neuromyelitis optica, which is resistant to conventional MS treatments and occurs independently of HLA alleles previously associated with MS.
Staged Privatization: A Market Process with Multi-Stage Lockups

Most privatizations around the world take the form of staged privatization with multistage lockups and step-by-step unlocking of shares. A lockup prevents the shares of a company from being sold to the public for a specified or unspecified period of time. This paper presents a theory and provides empirical evidence for staged privatization under market forces. The theory is based on a specification of a lockup effect on demand, where the existence of this lockup effect is shown by our empirical analysis. With this theory, we can analyze how various factors, such as the lockup effect, demand elasticity, growth potential and business fluctuations, affect staged privatization, in particular, the equilibrium speed of privatization. Our paper is the first to analyze a market-oriented, multistage privatization process, instead of a fully government-controlled or centrally planned process. Interestingly, staged privatization resembles initial public offerings (IPOs). Hence, our study can shed light on IPOs from a unique angle. Our empirical analysis provides evidence in support of our theoretical findings.
Optimal Resource Allocation for Two-Way Relay-Assisted OFDMA

This paper studies the optimal resource allocation problem for the relay-assisted orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) -based multiuser system. A new transmission protocol, named hierarchical OFDMA, is proposed to support two-way transmissions between the base station (BS) and each mobile user (MU) with or without an assisting relay station (RS) in "relay" or "direct" mode, respectively. In particular, two-way relaying is applied to MUs in relay mode with two relay-operations: decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify- and-forward (AF). Applying convex optimization techniques, efficient algorithms are developed for optimizing the resource allocation at the BS, RSs, and MUs. Simulation results show that substantial throughput gains are achievable by the proposed two- way relaying and optimal resource allocation schemes over the conventional one-way relaying and fixed resource allocation for relay-assisted OFDMA-based wireless networks.
Central Bank Independence in Transition Economies

The paper discusses recent changes in central bank laws and the relationship between inflation and central bank independence in transition economies. Two indices of legal independence are constructed, covering political and economic aspects of independence. Most of the countries experienced high-inflation episodes in the recent past and changes introduced to the laws after, or simultaneously, with stabilization programmes strengthened the position of the central banks. In further analysis, an inverse relationship emerges between inflation and indices of central bank independence. However, the robust relationship is present only at a high level of economic liberalization. This conclusion is supported by results from regressions on time-aggregated and panel data, even after controlling for the government fiscal position and the absence/presence of an IMF stabilization package.
On the Collaboration Support in Information Retrieval

Collaborative Information Retrieval (CIR) is a well-known setting in which explicit collaboration occurs among a group of users working together to solve a shared information need. This type of collaboration has been deemed as beneficial for complex or exploratory search tasks. With the multiplicity of factors impacting on the search effectiveness (e.g., collaborators’ interactions or the individual perception of the shared information need), CIR gives rise to several challenges in terms of collaboration support through algorithmic approaches. More particularly, CIR should allow us to satisfy the shared information need by optimizing the collaboration within the search session over all collaborators, while ensuring that both mutually beneficial goals are reached and that the cognitive cost of the collaboration does not impact the search effectiveness. In this survey, we propose an overview of CIR with a particular focus on the collaboration support through algorithmic approaches. The objective of this article is (a) to organize previous empirical studies analyzing collaborative search with the goal to provide useful design implications for CIR models, (b) to give a picture of the CIR area by distinguishing two main categories of models using the collaboration mediation axis, and (c) to point out potential perspectives in the domain.
Economic losses related to raw milk quality on commercial dairy farms in Kosovo

The main goal of this research is to study the impact of somatic cell counts (SCC) on the profitability of commercial dairy farms in Kosovo based on the existing raw milk quality standards in order to determine the economic losses caused by high somatic cell counts in the raw milk produced by Kosovo dairy farms. The research results come from individual raw milk samples that were taken from June to September 2007 on 50 farms in the Dukagjini region and in the Kosovo plain . These samples were collected from 656 lactating cows out of a total of 816 cows under investigation. The strategy of the study is based in the collection and analysis of data concerning the following parameters: SCC, herd size, raw milk yield, raw milk protein and application of proper milking proce dures. Based on the existing administrative instruction for raw milk quality standards for the year 2007 , research found that the overall annual financial losses calculated on the 50 dairy farms under investigation reached an amount of €42,263 per year, whilst the average annual financial loss per farm was €845. Sixty -four percent (64%) of the 50 dairy farms produced milk that fell in Class III of the Administrative Order and received a price being 20% lower than the Class I price, resulting in an average annual loss of 2,772 euros/farm.
IPO profit forecasts and their role in signalling firm value and explaining post-listing returns

The study examines the role of profit forecasts published in the prospectuses of initial public offerings. While it is very rare to see such forecasts in American IPOs, the practice is pervasive in some other countries. For example, Singaporean new issue prospectuses have an established history of providing point estimates of post-listing earnings and, since 1993, profit forecasts have been mandated by the Stock Exchange. Earnings forecasts are hypothesized to be a signal of company value and the accuracy of the forecasts are hypothesized to explain post-listing returns. Using data from new issues in Singapore during the period 1979-1992, various tests are employed to examine the relationships between profit forecasts appearing in prospectuses and market valuations. The results indicate that the earnings forecasts are a major signal of IPO value and that they are more important than other signalling mechanisms such as the retained share ownership of the entrepreneurs. The accuracies of the forecasts are positively related to post-listing stock returns. Stock returns in the three years after listing are close to zero and this contrasts with results from many other countries that find significant and substantial negative returns. The three-year post-listing stock returns are positively associated with IPO profitability.