Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial distribution of radioisotope concentrations in the offshore water and sediment of the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean), Bangladesh

Concentrations of natural and fall-out radionuclides in the offshore seawater and sediment from some parts of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, were determined using a coaxial germanium detector. The average activities of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs were recorded as 31.2±5.8, 51.9±9.4, 686.4±170.5 and 0.5±0.6 Bq kg−1 dry weight, respectively, for sediment, and 4.8±1.2, 5.4±1.2 and 39.1±8.6 Bq L−1 for 238U, 232Th and 40K, respectively, in seawater. The concentration of 137Cs in seawater was below the detection limit. The concentration of sediment 238U was found to be positively correlated with 232Th (, p<0.05) and 40K (r=0.96, p<0.01), while 232Th was positively correlated with 40K (r=0.91, p<0.05). In sediment, the concentration of 238U was negatively correlated (r=−0.86, p<0.05) with sea depth. In the seawater sample, the only significant relationship found was between concentration of 232Th and water depth (r=−0.86, p<0.05). One-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the level of radioisotope concentrations of seawater and sediment was highly significant for 238U (F=122, df=11, p=0.01), 232Th (F=143, df=11, p=0.01) and 40K (F=86, df=11, p=0.01). The results showed that the level of radioactivity decreased from coast to open sea. Imminent threat due to radioactivity was not observed in these parts of the Bay of Bengal.
No major effects of preoperative education in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement--a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION The outcome of total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA) may be optimised through preoperative patient education (PPE). It is hypothesised that PPE reduces anxiety, ensures realistic patient expectations and enhances post-operative outcome. The objective was to determine whether the literature supports a positive effect of PPE on post-operative outcomes including anxiety, pain, length of hospital stay (LOS), patient satisfaction, post-operative complications, mobility, and expectations. METHODS PubMed and Embase searches were performed on 1 October 2014. Randomised studies of preoperative edu-cation (written, verbal and audiovisual) imparted by health professionals to patients were included. RESULTS A total of twelve studies including 1,567 participants were identified. Six studies involved patients undergoing THA, five studies involved both THA and TKA, and one study TKA only. No convincing evidence in favour of PPE on outcomes regarding pain, LOS, patient satisfaction, post-operative complications, mobility and expectations was found. However, there was evidence for a reduction in preoperative anxiety. CONCLUSION PPE has not been shown to affect post-operative outcomes - except for a significant reduction in preoperative anxiety. However, this conclusion may be flawed by the general heterogeneity of the pooled studies. Hence, there is a strong need for properly designed randomised and controlled studies that are sufficiently powered, performed in generalised optimised hospital settings including optimised logistics and clinical enhancements that allow for discrimination between outcome parameters.
Migration, Remittances, and the Distribution of Income: Evidence from the Pacific

This article discusses why it is not surprising that empirical studies of the effect of remittances on the distribution of income sometimes find that remittances increase inequality and sometimes find that they decrease it. As has been shown by Stark, Taylor and Yitzhaki (1986), the impact depends on the share of remittances in total income, the distribution of remittances, and where the recipients of remittances are located in the overall distribution of income. These factors differ across locations over time.
Children in South Asia Have Higher Body Mass–Adjusted Blood Pressure Levels Than White Children in the United States: A Comparative Study

Background—Blood pressure during childhood is an established predictor of adult blood pressure, which in turn increases mortality as a result of cardiovascular disease. Adult South Asian populations are particularly predisposed to cardiovascular disease compared with whites, but the prevalence of high blood pressure and determinants of blood pressure in South Asian children have not been explored or compared with those of white children. Methods and Results—Analyses were performed on 5641 South Asian children 5 to 14 years old included in the nationally representative National Health Survey of Pakistan (NHSP) (1990–1994) and on 4756 white children 5 to 14 years old included in Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1988–1994). Anthropometric measurements were obtained. Blood pressure was measured twice in the seated position with a mercury sphygmomanometer and an appropriate-size cuff. High blood pressure was defined as a systolic or diastolic blood pressure level that was ≥95th percentile of age-, sex-, and height-percentile–specific reference level for the US population. Mean body mass index (BMI)–adjusted blood pressure values were compared among children in 2 data sets by use of linear regression analysis. The overall prevalence (95% CI) of high blood pressure in South Asian children 5 to 14 years old was 12.2% (11.3% to 13.1%): 15.8% (14.5% to 17.1%) in boys and 8.7% (7.6% to 9.8%) in girls. This is in sharp contrast with the predicted 5% prevalence of high blood pressure in children in the United States (P<0.001). The mean BMI-adjusted systolic blood pressure levels (SD) were 100 (11) versus 99 (11) mm Hg (P<0.001), and diastolic blood pressure levels (SD) were 63 (10) versus 52 (12) mm Hg (P<0.001) in NHSP versus NHANES III, respectively. Conclusions—South Asian children have higher body-mass–adjusted blood pressure levels than white children in the United States. Further studies are needed to determine factors responsible for these differences. Immediate attention is needed to address high blood pressure and its risk factors in native South Asian children.
Nash Equilibria of Repeated Games with Observable Payoff Vectors

Abstract We study a model of repeated games with imperfect monitoring where the payoff vector is observable. In this situation, any profitable deviation is detectable by all the players but the identity of the deviator may be unknown. We design collective punishments directed against the set of potential deviators. A particular class of signals is studied for which a characterization of the set of equilibrium payoffs is obtained. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C73.
Safety and Immunogenicity of Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine in 2- to 10-year-old Human Immunodeficiency Virus-infected Children

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children are at increased risk of meningococcal infection and poor response to quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), but MCV4 has not been studied in preadolescent HIV-infected children. Methods: The P1065 trial enrolled 2- to 10-year-old HIV-infected children with CD4 ≥25% to receive MCV4 at entry and at week 24. Rates of response (≥4-fold increase in rabbit serum bactericidal antibody) against each meningococcal serogroup (A, C, Y, W-135), geometric mean titers, and rates of seroprotection (rabbit serum bactericidal antibody titer ≥1:128) were determined from sera obtained at entry and weeks 4, 24, 28, and 72. Adverse events were assessed for 6 weeks after each MCV4 dose. Results: At entry, 47% of the 59 participants were male, 56% black, 31% Latino, median age was 6 years, 88% were receiving antiretroviral therapy, and 75% had viral load <400 copies/mL. There were no serious adverse events within 6 weeks after MCV4 doses; all vaccination reactions were mild. Response after a single MCV4 dose was high to serogroup A (92%) and W-135 (98%); responses improved after a second dose for serogroup C (43%–80%) (P < 0.0001) and Y (76%–84%) (P = 0.38). By week 72, seroprotection rates were 93%, 91%, 78%, and 46% for serogroups W-135, Y, A, and C, respectively. Conclusions: Two doses of MCV4 were safe and immunogenic in 2- to 10-year-old HIV-infected children. The second dose increased the proportion of children who made a response to serogroup C. Seroprotection waned substantially for serogroups A and C within 1 year of last MCV4 dose.
Higher-order industrial Capabilities and competitive advantage

This paper makes some analytical suggestions to help explain the advantages that firms derive from clustering or networking. The concept of 'higher-order capabilities' is introduced to identify the assets which may give firms in such clusters or networks some competitive advantages over firms that are not members of such clusters. Higher-order capabilities are non-traded interdependencies among firms, and may be approached in terms of the resource-based view of recent strategic thinking.
The progressivity of public education in Greece: empirical findings and policy implications

This paper examines the short-run distributional effects of publicly provided education services in Greece using static incidence analysis. Public education is found to be inequality-reducing but the progressivity of the system withers away as we move up to higher educational levels. We employ a framework of both relative and absolute inequality measurement and discuss the merits of the latter. Under this alternative setting, primary education transfers retain their progressivity, the progressivity of secondary education transfers diminishes and tertiary education becomes clearly regressive. Lastly, we simulate the first-round fiscal and distributional effects of a hypothetical graduate tax imposed on current graduates.
Low Risk Stocks Outperform within All Observable Markets of the World

This article provides global evidence supporting the Low Volatility Anomaly: that low risk stocks consistently provide higher returns than high risk stocks. This study covers 33 different markets during the time period from 1990-2011. (Two previous studies by Haugen & Heins (1972) and Haugen & Baker (1991) show the same negative payoff to risk in time periods 1926-1970 and 1970-1990. ) The procedure for our study is intentionally simple, transparent and easily replicable. Our samples include non-survivors. We look at an international universe of stocks beginning with the first month of 1990 until December 2011; we compute the volatility of total return for each company in each country over the previous 24 months. Stocks in each country are ranked by volatility and formed into deciles. In the total universe and in each individual country low risk stocks outperform, the relationship with respect to Sharpe ratios is even more impressive. We believe this anomaly is caused primarily by agency issues, namely the compensation structures and internal stock selection processes at asset management firms which lead institutional investors on average to hold more volatile stocks. The article also addresses the implications for how corporate finance managers make capital investment decision in light of this evidence. The evidence presented here dethrones both CAPM and the Efficient Market Hypothesis.
Pitch- and Formant-Based Order Adaptation of the Fractional Fourier Transform and Its Application to Speech Recognition

Fractional Fourier transform (FrFT) has been proposed to improve the time-frequency resolution in signal analysis and processing. However, selecting the FrFT transform order for the proper analysis of multicomponent signals like speech is still debated. In this work, we investigated several order adaptation methods. Firstly, FFT- and FrFT- based spectrograms of an artificially-generated vowel are compared to demonstrate the methods. Secondly, an acoustic feature set combining MFCC and FrFT is proposed, and the transform orders for the FrFT are adaptively set according to various methods based on pitch and formants. A tonal vowel discrimination test is designed to compare the performance of these methods using the feature set. The results show that the FrFT-MFCC yields a better discriminability of tones and also of vowels, especially by using multitransform-order methods. Thirdly, speech recognition experiments were conducted on the clean intervocalic English consonants provided by the Consonant Challenge. Experimental results show that the proposed features with different order adaptation methods can obtain slightly higher recognition rates compared to the reference MFCC-based recognizer.
Calmodulin Kinase II Constitutively Binds, Phosphorylates, and Inhibits Brush Border Na+/H+ Exchanger 3 (NHE3) by a NHERF2 Protein-dependent Process*

Background: NHE3 is regulated by a signaling complex on its C terminus, only some of the components of which are known. Results: CaMKIIγ binds to the NHE3 C terminus and phosphorylates and inhibits basal NHE3 activity by altering turnover number. Conclusion: CaMKIIγ is part of an NHE3 signaling complex. Significance: Signaling complexes that form on transport proteins take part in regulation of the transporter The epithelial brush border (BB) Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) accounts for most renal and intestinal Na+ absorption. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibits NHE3 activity under basal conditions in intact intestine, acting in the BB, but the mechanism is unclear. We now demonstrate that in both PS120 fibroblasts and polarized Caco-2BBe cells expressing NHE3, CaMKII inhibits basal NHE3 activity, because the CaMKII-specific inhibitors KN-93 and KN-62 stimulate NHE3 activity. This inhibition requires NHERF2. CaMKIIγ associates with NHE3 between aa 586 and 605 in the NHE3 C terminus in a Ca2+-dependent manner, with less association when Ca2+ is increased. CaMKII inhibits NHE3 by an effect on its turnover number, not changing surface expression. Back phosphorylation demonstrated that NHE3 is phosphorylated by CaMKII under basal conditions. This overall phosphorylation of NHE3 is not affected by the presence of NHERF2. Amino acids downstream of NHE3 aa 690 are required for CaMKII to inhibit basal NHE3 activity, and mutations of the three putative CaMKII phosphorylation sites downstream of aa 690 each prevented KN-93 stimulation of NHE3 activity. These studies demonstrate that CaMKIIγ is a novel NHE3-binding protein, and this association is reduced by elevated Ca2+. CaMKII inhibits basal NHE3 activity associated with phosphorylation of NHE3 by effects requiring aa downstream of NHE3 aa 690 and of the CaMKII-binding site on NHE3. CaMKII binding to and phosphorylation of the NHE3 C terminus are parts of the physiologic regulation of NHE3 that occurs in fibroblasts as well as in the BB of an intestinal Na+-absorptive cell.
How Far Has the Transition Progressed

As the opening contribution to a four-page symposium, this paper provides an overview of the economic transformation in reforming countries of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, describing reforms, their consequences, and lessons economists might derive from transition. The topics covered are political developments, liberalization, institutional reconstruction, reforms of systems for social protection, and the early results of transition. The final section considers future possibilities in the light of the last few years' events, concluding that the process of democratic capitalism is well established in central Europe, but uncertainty still prevails in most of the former Soviet Union.
On the Riskiness of Universal Banking: Evidence from Banks in the Investment Banking Business Pre- and Post-GLBA

We explore whether an economically significant differential exists in market-based risk measures between universal banks and traditional banks. Using a three-asset portfolio regression model, we find that between 1990 and 2007-a period of gradual deregulation culminating in passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) of 1999-an increased participation in investment banking was associated with higher total and unsystematic risks and no significant change in systematic risk. Small risk-reduction benefits emerged in the post-GLBA era, but such benefits were likely the result of the particular sample period rather than a fundamental change in bank structure following the GLBA. Our results cannot justify the GLBA on risk-reduction grounds, though the Act may be defensible for other reasons. Copyright (c) 2009 The Ohio State University.
An improved analytical algorithm for remote estimation of chlorophyll-a in highly turbid waters

An analytical three-band algorithm for spectrally estimating chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) has been proposed recently and the model does not need to be trained. However, the model did not consider the effects of the absorption due to colored detritus matter (CDM) and backscattering of the water column, resulting in an overestimation when Chl-a < 50 mg m − 3 and an underestimation when Chl-a ≥ 50 mg m − 3. In this letter, an improved three-band algorithm is proposed by integrating both backscattering and CDM absorption coefficients into the model. The results demonstrate that the improved three-band model resulted in more accurate estimation of Chl-a than the previously used three-band model when they were applied to water samples collected from five highly turbid water bodies with Chl-a ranging from 2.54 to 285.8 mg m − 3. The best results, after model modification, were observed in three Indiana reservoirs with R2 = 0.905 and relative root mean square error of 20.7%, respectively.
Clinicopathologic and Biological Significance of Kallikrein 6 Overexpression in Human Gastric Cancer

Purpose: Human kallikrein genes (KLK) have been reported to be involved in human malignancies and several KLKs are promising biomarkers of prostate, ovarian, testicular, and breast cancers. Herein, we investigated the clinicopathologic and biological significance of KLK6 gene expression in human gastric cancer. Patients and Methods: Using real-time reverse transcription-PCR, we analyzed the KLK6 expression status with respect to various clinicopathologic variables in 66 patients with gastric cancer. In addition, we established a KLK6 stably suppressed gastric cancer cell line (MKN28) using small interfering RNA–mediated gene silencing, and investigated its effects on the cell proliferation rate, cell cycle, and invasiveness. Results: The KLK6 gene expression in cancerous tissue (0.37 ± 0.53) was significantly (P < 0.000001) higher than that in noncancerous tissue (0.026 ± 0.060). Elevated KLK6 expression was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion (P = 0.03). Furthermore, patients with a high KLK6 expression had a significantly poorer survival rate than those with a low KLK6 expression (P = 0.03). Therefore, we showed that KLK6 gene silencing with KLK6 small interfering RNA effectively suppressed the cell proliferation rate (P = 0.002), cell population in the S phase (P < 0.01), and invasiveness (P < 0.01) in comparison to mock-transfected cells. Conclusions: The KLK6 gene is markedly overexpressed in gastric cancer tissue and its expression status may be a powerful prognostic indicator for patients with gastric cancer. Our findings also suggest that KLK6 may possibly be a novel target for gastric cancer therapy by gene-silencing procedures.
Interrogational Neuroimaging in Counterterrorism: A “No-Brainer” or a Human Rights Hazard?

We neither invented lie detection technology nor can do much about the need for it, we have just devised a more reliable version…. Of course, if the public and its representatives believe that there is a threshold beyond which this technology should not progress, I am ready to stop and focus my energy in other directions. I can understand the ethical revulsion against a 'truth-telling machine. ’… Every technology can bring good or bad results, depending on who uses it…. It's the scientist's job to try to push the envelope, and it is the job of… the public and its representatives to help gauge when we are approaching a danger zone…. As a researcher, more than anything, I for one need some guidance. —Ruben C. Gur, Director of the Brain Behavior Center at the University of Pennsylvania (on fMRI lie-detection)
The Specification and Influence of Asset Markets

This paper is a chapter in the forthcoming Handbook of International Economics. It surveys the literature on the specification of models of asset markets and the implications of differences in specification for the macroeconomic adjustment process. Builders of portfolio balance models have generally employed "postulated" asset demand functions, rather than deriving these directly from micro foundations. The first major sec-tion of the paper lays out a postulated general specification of asset markets and summarizes the fundamental short-run results of portfolio balance models using a very basic specification of asset markets. Then,rudimentary specifications of a balance of payments equation and goods market equilibrium conditions are supplied, so that the dynamic distribution effects of the trade account under static and rational expectations with both fixed goods prices and flexible goods prices can be analyzed.The second major section of the paper surveys and analyzes microfoundation models of asset demands using stochastic calculus. The microeconomic theory of asset demands implies some but not all of the properties of the basic specification of postulated asset demands at the macrolevel. Since the conclusions of macroeconomic analysis depend crucially on the form of asset demand functions, it is important to continue to explore the implications of micro foundations for macro specification.
Syndecan-2 expression in colorectal cancer-derived HT-29 M6 epithelial cells induces a migratory phenotype.

Members of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan family, the syndecans have emerged as integrators of extracellular signals, such as ECM components or growth factors, that activate cytoplasmic signaling cascades and regulate cytoskeletal functions. Specifically, syndecan-2 has been implicated in various cellular processes, from differentiation to migration, including its participation in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion. Here, we focused on the involvement of syndecan-2 in epithelial versus mesenchymal differentiation. Colorectal cancer-derived HT-29 M6 epithelial cells were stably transfected with full-length syndecan-2 cDNA, and the effect on cell morphology, adhesion, and mobility was evaluated. Characteristic features of migratory cells such as loss of intercellular contacts, flatter shape and multiple membrane projections were observed in syndecan-2 transfectants. Western blot analysis of the major component of epithelial adherens junctions, E-cadherin, revealed decreased expression levels. Furthermore, syndecan-2 induced stronger adhesion to collagen type I, specifically inhibited by heparin. This was correlated with an increased ability for migration, as demonstrated by wound healing experiments and transwell assays, without affecting their growth rate. These results indicate that syndecan-2 expression in mucus-secreting HT-29 M6 cells induces differentiation toward a migratory mesenchymal-like phenotype.
College Selectivity and Earnings

This article shows that college performance and selectivity have significant effects on earnings. It suggests that work that does not include college performance overstates the effect of college selectivity for Whites and understates it for Blacks. While the size of the effect of college selectivity for Blacks is larger than for Whites, the large Black earnings gain is offset for students whose own Scholastic Aptitude Test scores are significantly below the median of the college they attend. This results from the lower probability of graduation for "mismatched" Blacks and the subsequently lower earnings for those who fail to complete college.