Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
POPULATION GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION IN SEA URCHINS (GENUS HELIOCIDARIS)

Within the sea urchin genus Heliocidaris, changes in early embryonic and larval development have resulted in dramatic differences in the length of time larvae spend in the plankton before settling. The larvae of one species, H. tuberculata, spend several weeks feeding in the plankton before settling and metamorphosing into juveniles. The other species, H. erythrogramma, has modified this extended planktonic larval stage and develops into a juvenile within 3–4 days after fertilization. We used restriction site polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA to examine the population genetic consequences of these developmental changes. Ten restriction enzymes were used to assay the mitochondrial genome of 29 individuals from 2 localities for H. tuberculata and 62 individuals from 5 localities for H. erythrogramma. Within H. tuberculata, 11 mitochondrial genotypes were identified. A GST analysis showed high levels of genetic exchange between populations separated by 1,000 kilometers of open ocean. In contrast, in H. erythrogramma, 13 mitochondrial genotypes differing by up to 2.33% were geographically partitioned over spatial scales ranging from 800 to 3,400 kilometers. Between distant localities, there was complete mitochondrial lineage sorting and large sequence divergence between resulting clades. Over much smaller spatial scales (< 1,000 km), genetic differentiation was due to the differential sorting of very similar genotypes. This pattern of mitochondrial variation suggests that these population differences have arisen recently and may reflect the historical interplay between the restricted dispersal capabilities of H. erythrogramma and the climatic and geological changes associated with Pleistocene Ice Ages.
This time it’s personal: the memory benefit of hearing oneself

ABSTRACT The production effect is the memory advantage of saying words aloud over simply reading them silently. It has been hypothesised that this advantage stems from production featuring distinctive information that stands out at study relative to reading silently. MacLeod (2011) (I said, you said: The production effect gets personal. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 18, 1197–1202. doi:10.3758/s13423-011-0168-8) found superior memory for reading aloud oneself vs. hearing another person read aloud, which suggests that motor information (speaking), self-referential information (i.e., “I said it”), or both contribute to the production effect. In the present experiment, we dissociated the influence on memory of these two components by including a study condition in which participants heard themselves read words aloud (recorded earlier) – a first for production effect research – along with the more typical study conditions of reading aloud, hearing someone else speak, and reading silently. There was a gradient of memory across these four conditions, with hearing oneself lying between speaking and hearing someone else speak. These results imply that oral production is beneficial because it entails two distinctive components: a motor (speech) act and a unique, self-referential auditory input.
Does religious piety inspire corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Evidence from historical religious identification

We explore the effect of religious piety on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Prior research links religion to honesty and risk aversion. Accordingly, religion induces managers to be more honest and likely view as opportunistic and unethical an exploitation of other stakeholders. Risk aversion also implies that managers are unlikely to take advantage of other stakeholders as stakeholders can take retaliatory actions against them. Religion therefore motivates managers to treat other stakeholders and the society at large more favourably, resulting in stronger CSR. Our evidence, based on over 17 000 observations across 16 years, shows that religious piety leads to stronger CSR. However, this is the case only when religious piety is sufficiently strong, that is, when it is beyond a certain threshold. To draw a causal inference, we use as our instruments religious piety in the distant past, that is from 1971 to 1952. Religious piety from decades ago is unlikely correlated with current CSR, except through its impact on contemporaneous piety. Our instrumental-variable analysis shows that the effect of religion on CSR is likely causal.
The Relationship between Food Banks and Household Food Insecurity among Low-Income Toronto Families

Étant donné l’absence de politiques publiques précises face au problème de l’insécurité alimentaire des ménages au Canada, les banques alimentaires restent la solution la plus courante, malgré les questions qui se posent au sujet de leur efficacité. En effet, parmi 371 familles à faible revenu de Toronto que nous avons interviewées dans le cadre de cette étude, 75 % avaient vécu de l’insécurité alimentaire, mais seulement 23 % avaient eu recours à une banque alimentaire ; et, pour la plupart des utilisateurs de banque alimentaire, l’insécurité alimentaire était un problème chronique grave. Parmi les raisons qui font que les familles vivant de l’insécurité alimentaire n’ont pas recours à une banque alimentaire, notons une certaine réticence à demander la charité, mais aussi un accès difficile à ces banques pour diverses raisons. Ces résultats remettent en question le rôle que les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux semblent donner aux organismes caritatifs comme moyens de réduire l’insécurité alimentaire, et soulignent la nécessité de politiques publiques claires en cette matière.
Influence of landscape pattern on breeding distribution and success in a threatened Alcid, the marbled murrelet: model transferability and management implications

1. The marbled murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus is a threatened Alcid nesting in old-growth coastal forests from central California to Alaska. Logging has greatly reduced the amount and altered the pattern of the species' nesting habitat. Landscape fragmentation effects on the breeding ecology of the species are poorly understood because of the inaccessibility of nest sites. 2. Using radio-telemetry, 157 marbled murrelet nests were located in two old-growth areas in British Columbia, Canada, with different logging histories. Probable breeding success was estimated from nest attendance patterns by radio-tagged parents. Information-theoretic and hypothesis-testing methods were used to model breeding distribution (used vs. random unknown sites) and success (successful vs. failed nests) within c. 50-km radius extents at a scale of 2·3-km radius landscapes. Intersite transferability of distribution models was tested. 3. Breeding distribution was positively related with old-growth patch proximity, edge density (natural and artificial) and contrast, proportion of landscape under old-growth or core habitat, and interspersion of old-growth patches; it was negatively related with coastal zone proximity and mean old-growth patch size. Breeding success was negatively affected by the edge contrast, coast proximity and proportion of young forest, probably reflecting the distribution of nest predators. 4. All distribution models discriminated well between used and random landscapes within the training area. Intersite model transferability was good for 50% of the models. The models less predictive of the training site (area under the curve 0·676-0·738) were more transferable, probably because at the training site, which had considerably less old-growth nesting habitat (18% of extent) than the testing site (55%), breeding distribution was driven by a different subset of predictors. 5. Synthesis and applications. Geographic information system (GIS) data were helpful in discriminating between landscapes known to be used by nesting marbled murrelets and those with unknown breeding status. Previous indirect inferences about landscape-level effects on breeding distribution in the birds were shown to correspond with their true nesting distribution. Our results suggest that habitat fragmentation per se need not have a negative effect on the birds beyond that as a result of habitat loss, unless associated with an increased abundance of predators. Our results fine-tune the existing habitat conservation guidelines by suggesting that protection of old-growth forest adjacent to clearcuts is important. We provide a means for desktop classification of marbled murrelet landscapes. We advise the application of several different models, depending on the amount of remaining old-growth forest, to evaluate the consistency of predictions.
Water use efficiency in the hotel sector of Barbados

Barbados is water stressed, with water production close to its renewable freshwater resources. The hotel sector uses far more water than the general population (756 vs. 240 L/cap-d); water savings there would improve the overall water balance. No comprehensive analysis exists for water use by the Barbados hotel industry; this study addresses the gap. Data were collected from the Barbados Water Authority and from onsite surveys; consumption patterns were compared with international studies which had established environmentally acceptable benchmarks. The water use efficiency of Barbadian hotels was also studied as a function of “influential variables”: unit water consumption was somewhat correlated with the number of rooms, average room rate, property size and number of employees. The lack of success in reducing hotels' water consumption is tied to the fact that water bills represent less than 5% of their annual expenses. A model for unit water consumption was derived using two influential variables: the annual number of guest nights and the number of employees. Ways of fostering sound water practices include promotion among guests of the need to save water, schemes to promote the financial benefits of water conservation by relating unit water pricing to total consumption and awareness-raising among hotel managers.
Haze Removal from Single Images Based on a Luminance Reference Model

Optical transmission estimation is a key procedure for removing haze from certain outdoor images. In this paper, we propose a novel transmission estimation model called the luminance reference model. A luminance reference, which is the intensity lower bound of a local region in the haze free image, is assumed to be a global constant across the image. Based on this assumption, we theoretically prove that, with an appropriate luminance reference, the transmission can be estimated accurately. By using a scene-dependent estimate of the luminance reference, our method can be applied to different types of images. We further propose a two-step guided approach to rapid and robust computation of a transmission map. Our experimental results show that the proposed method is computationally efficient, while producing comparable visual results to the existing state-of-the-art, but more complex methods.
The Impact of a Third Credit Rating on the Pricing of Bonds

This article updates a study that looks at the impact of a third rating from Fitch IBCA on bond prices; it examines the impact on prices of a rating from Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. The empirical evidence indicates that a third credit rating from either DCR or Fitch has value to the bond market. When there is a third rating, upgrades by Moody's and Standard & Poor's are more likely and downgrades less likely. Third ratings also have an incremental impact upon bond yields.
What's the Matter with What's the Matter with Kansas?

Thomas Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? asserts that the Republican Party has forged a new “dominant political coalition” by attracting working-class white voters on the basis of “class animus” and “cultural wedge issues like guns and abortion. ” My analysis confirms that white voters without college degrees have become significantly less Democratic; however, the contours of that shift bear little resemblance to Frank’s account. First, the trend is almost entirely confined to the South, where Democratic support was artificially inflated by the one-party system of the Jim Crow era of legalized racial segregation. (Outside the South, support for Democratic presidential candidates among whites without college degrees has fallen by a total of one percentage point over the past half-century.) Second, there is no evidence that “culture outweighs economics as a matter of public concern” among Frank’s working-class white voters. The apparent political significance of social issues has increased substantially over the past 20 years, but more among better-educated white voters than among those without college degrees. In both groups, economic issues continue to be most important. Finally, contrary to Frank’s account, most of his white working-class voters see themselves as closer to the Democratic Party on social issues like abortion and gender roles but closer to the Republican Party on economic issues.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Third-Instar Piophila casei (Diptera: Piophilidae), a Fly Species of Forensic Importance

Abstract The morphology of third-instar Piophila casei (L.) is described by means of scanning electron microscopy. Features of the anterior cephalic region and creeping welts that are used in larval skipping and creeping, respectively, are highlighted. Morphological features classically used for larval identification are also illustrated.
Involvement of peripheral adenosine 5′‐triphosphate and P2X purinoceptor in pain‐related behavior produced by orthotopic melanoma inoculation in mice

Adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) plays an important role in nociceptive processing. We used a mouse model of skin cancer pain to investigate the role of ATP in cancer pain. Orthotopic inoculation of B16‐BL6 melanoma cells into the hind paw produced spontaneous licking of the tumor‐bearing paw. Intraperitoneal injection of the P2 purinoceptor antagonist suramin suppressed spontaneous licking dose‐dependently. Two P2X purinoceptor antagonists also suppressed spontaneous licking. An intraplantar injection of ATP, which did not induce licking in the healthy paw, increased licking of the tumor‐bearing paw. Spontaneous firing of the tibial nerve was significantly increased in tumor‐bearing mice and was inhibited by suramin. Extracellular concentration of ATP was significantly increased in the tumor‐bearing paw than in the normal paw. ATP is concentrated in the culture medium of melanoma, lung cancer and breast cancer cells, but not fibroblasts. The P2X3 receptor was expressed in about 40% of peripherin‐positive small and medium‐sized neurons in the dorsal root ganglia. P2X3‐positive neurons were significantly increased in melanoma‐bearing mice. These results suggest that ATP and P2X, especially P2X3, receptors are involved in skin cancer pain, due to the increased release of ATP and increased expression of P2X3 receptors in the sensory neurons.
Obesity promotes melanoma tumor growth: Role of leptin

Epidemiological studies suggest that obesity increases the risk of developing several cancers, including melanoma. Obesity increases the expression of angiogenic factors, such as leptin, that may contribute to tumor growth. However, a direct cause and effect relationship between obesity and tumor growth has not been clearly established and the role of leptin in accelerating tumor growth is unclear. Our objective in the present study was to examine the rate of melanoma tumor growth in lean and obese mice with leptin deficiency or high levels of plasma leptin. We injected 1x106 B16F10 melanoma cells subcutaneously into lean wild type (WT), obese melanocortin receptor 4 knockout (MC4R-/-), which have high leptin levels, obese leptin-deficient (ob-/-), pair fed lean ob-/-, and lean ob+/- mice. Mean body weights were 29.7±0.3 g (WT), 46.3±1.9 g (MC4R-/-), 63.7±0.9 g (ob-/-), 30.5±1.0 g (pair fed ob-/-), and 31.6±1.7 g (ob+/-). Tumors were much larger in the obese leptin deficient ob-/- (5.1±0.9 g) and obese MC4R-/- (5.1±0.7 g) than in lean WT (1.9±0.3 g) and ob+/- (2.8±0.7 g) mice. Prevention of obesity by pair feeding ob-/- mice dramatically reduced tumor weight (0.95±0.2 g) to a level that was significantly lower than in WT mice of the same weight. Tumor VEGF levels were the highest in the obese mouse tumors (p
Defined Contribution Plans Emerging in the Public Sector

This article discusses the history of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The implementation of the act developed an environment for employers, public and private, to transition from defined benefit (DB) retirement plans to defined contribution (DC) retirement plans. This transition has many implications for both employers and employees. The article argues that the transition to DC retirement plans is becoming more prevalent in the public sector and it suggests that the implementation of a workplace financial literacy program can enhance public employees' ability to make better decisions with regard to financial behavior and retirement planning. The article presents a nonexperimental single group pretest/posttest design to investigate the effects of a workplace financial literacy program. The findings suggest that participants are less stressed, more satisfied with their financial situation, less worried about monthly living expenses, and more confident about overcoming financial emergencies.
Essays on Immigration and Economic Policy

In the first essay, I study job-education mismatch and estimate its impact on the earnings of recent immigrants to Canada. Previous related studies have largely ignored cross-country differences in schooling quality. This essay presents a novel idea to account for cross-country differences in the quality of education, using Card and Krueger’s (1992) two-step approach. The earning impact of job-education mismatch is estimated using an Over-Required-Under Education technique. Data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada is used, and both cross sectional and panel data estimation methods are used to estimate the earning equations. Results show that recent immigrants to Canada have a persistent high incidence and intensity of over-education with substantial negative impact on their earnings. Most importantly is that not accounting for differences in educational quality across source countries leads to: 1) Overstating (understating) the incidence of over-education (under-education). 2) Understating (overstating) the return to over-education (under-education) for immigrants from countries with low quality of schooling. 3) Overstating (understating) the return to over-education (under-education) for immigrants from countries with high quality of schooling. In the second essay, I quality-adjust human capital acquired from different source countries. This is achieved by explicitly deriving quality-adjustment indices, using data on adult males from the 2001 Canadian census. The derived indices are then used to examine the role of schooling quality in explaining the differential returns to schooling and over-education rates by nativity. I also use these indices to identify important inputs in the production technology of schooling quality. The key finding of this study is that accounting for schooling quality virtually eliminates the native-immigrant gaps in the returns to schooling and in the incidence of over-education. Results show wide variations in the return to schooling across countries. These variations are significantly explained by cross-country differences in educational resources, particularly government educational expenditure and the length of the school term. The third essay studies the effect of graphic cigarette warning labels on smoking prevalence and quit attempts. The Generalized Estimating Equation model is used to estimate the population-averaged (marginal) effects of tobacco graphic warnings on smoking prevalence and quit attempts. It is found that graphic warnings had a statistically significant effect on smoking prevalence and quit attempts. In particular, the warnings decreased the odds of being a smoker and increased the odds of making a quit attempt.
Founders' syndrome in women's nonprofit organizations: Implications for practice and organizational life

This qualitative study examines the impact of “founders' syndrome” in ten feminist nonprofit organizations, giving attention to the ways in which original members and organizers (founders) retain control and set the agenda of these organizations beyond their official terms of office. In these community-based organizations, founders' syndrome provides stability, but it also affects the ability of younger members to contribute and influence organizational direction. Implications for practice are drawn from the study's results.
The prevalence of pressure ulcers in four paediatric institutions.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE Pressure ulcers are a common nursing care issue in hospitals. They are associated with psychological and physical suffering, an increased morbidity and mortality rate and higher overall health care costs. The aim of the current study is to describe the frequency of pressure ulcers in a paediatric care setting and to identify the population at risk, as well as to assess the factors predisposing to the development of pressure ulcers. DESIGN A point prevalence study. METHODS The study was conducted in four paediatric hospitals in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and included children from the age of 0-18 years. The method of data collection was a direct systematic inspection and assessment of the skin, taking into account the clinical condition of the patient for risk assessment. A valid risk assessment and data collection instrument was used and, each patient was assessed by a previously instructed rater pair. RESULTS Of all possible patients, 81% (n = 155) were included. An overall pressure ulcer prevalence of 27.7% (including grade 1) was registered. Thirty-six patients (84%) had grade 1 ulcers, including many caused by external medical devices. Sixty-five per cent (n = 100) of all patients were considered at risk (Braden score < or = 20) of developing a pressure ulcer. Thirty-five per cent of patients in the risk group were afflicted with one or more pressure ulcers. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of pressure ulcers in paediatric patients is greater then previously appreciated and the problem requires further exploration. The high percentage of grade 1 pressure ulcers caused by medical devices requires nursing interventions to prevent lesions for these patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The high prevalence rate in paediatric patients is disconcerting and requires further exploration in terms of interventions needed to improve outcomes for this patient group.
Financial Crises In Spain: Lessons From The Last 150 Years*

Abstract Financial crises are not unique to current financial systems. Are crises alike? Have they become more frequent, longer lasting and more severe since the 20th century? What does history tell us? The objective of this paper is to study the financial crises that have occurred in Spain over the last 150 years. We consider different types of crises (banking, currency and stock market crises), together with all their possible combinations, estimate their frequency by period and measure their length and depth. The main conclusion we obtain is that Spanish crises have been more frequent than in the rest of the world and have been more severe and more complex since 1973, as the 2007 crisis is confirming. Resumen Las crisis financieras no son un fenómeno reciente. ¿Son todas las crisis parecidas? , ¿han sido las crisis más frecuentes, largas y severas en el siglo XX? , ¿qué nos muestra la historia? El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar las crisis financieras en España en los últimos 150 años. Se han considerado diferentes tipos de crisis (bancarias, de tipo de cambio y bursátiles), así como sus posibles combinaciones, se ha estimado la frecuencia de las crisis en varios períodos y se ha medido su duración e intensidad. La principal conclusión obtenida es que las crisis financieras en España han sido más frecuentes que en el resto del mundo y desde 1973 han sido también más severas y más complejas, como está confirmando la crisis que estalló en 2007.