Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial development and economic growth: evidence from southern African development community countries

ABSTRACT:This paper examines causality between financial development and economic growth for 10 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries for the period 1994 to 2013. We employed the vector autoregression (VAR) approach to conduct Granger causality tests to determine the direction of causality relationship between financial development and economic growth. Before conducting Granger causality tests, we performed the following prerequisite tests: unit root tests to test for data stationarity, and cointegration tests to examine short-and long-run relationships between financial development and economic growth. Our results provide evidence of two of the three main views on the link between financial development and economic growth: the supply leading theory (financial development causes economic growth or positive causality); and the demand following response (economic growth causes financial development or reverse causality). Specifically, our empirical results suggest that when broad money (BM) and direct credit (DC) are used as measures of financial development, there is evidence of the demand following response for 50% and 60% of the sample, respectively. Results also showed that financial development caused economic growth in 20% and 30% of the sample when BM and DC are used to measure financial development, respectively. No evidence of causality was recorded for 30% and 10% of the countries when BM and DC were used to measure financial development, respectively. In light of the dominance of reverse causality and the presence of no causality for some countries, we conclude that financial liberalization failed to increase economic growth for 80% and 70% of the sample when broad money and domestic credit were used to measure financial development, respectively. The differences in the direction of causality across SADC countries could be due to a wide variation in the policies governing the financial sector, colonial origin and other institutional factors which shape the laws governing how banks and other financial institutions operate in different countries. Our findings suggest different policy routes for countries within the SADC region with regard to how they can grow their economies. Specifically, countries for which the reverse causality result holds should direct more resources towards stimulating economic growth through channels other than financial development in order to develop their financial sectors. On the other hand, we recommend that countries for which the financial development leading to economic growth result holds should channel more of their resources towards growing their financial sectors in order to drive economic growth.
Image Language Terminal Symbols from Feature Analysis

This article presents an approach to generate the image description in the form of sequence of symbols, suitable for further processing with parsing and grammar inference tools. The algorithm assumes presence of a training set of example images. From this set a number of image patches is selected. Using sparse kernel feature analysis, the similarity functions for each symbol are prepared. These functions are used to get terminal symbol locations within analyzed image. A list of symbol locations is then reduced into a tree. Application experiments performed with a database of car images show the potential of the method to represent the structure of object images.
Electrosynthesis of Organic Compounds from Carbon Dioxide Is Catalyzed by a Diversity of Acetogenic Microorganisms

ABSTRACT Microbial electrosynthesis, a process in which microorganisms use electrons derived from electrodes to reduce carbon dioxide to multicarbon, extracellular organic compounds, is a potential strategy for capturing electrical energy in carbon-carbon bonds of readily stored and easily distributed products, such as transportation fuels. To date, only one organism, the acetogen Sporomusa ovata, has been shown to be capable of electrosynthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine if a wider range of microorganisms is capable of this process. Several other acetogenic bacteria, including two other Sporomusa species, Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium aceticum, and Moorella thermoacetica, consumed current with the production of organic acids. In general acetate was the primary product, but 2-oxobutyrate and formate also were formed, with 2-oxobutyrate being the predominant identified product of electrosynthesis by C. aceticum. S. sphaeroides, C. ljungdahlii, and M. thermoacetica had high (>80%) efficiencies of electrons consumed and recovered in identified products. The acetogen Acetobacterium woodii was unable to consume current. These results expand the known range of microorganisms capable of electrosynthesis, providing multiple options for the further optimization of this process.
Pharmacokinetic assessment of a five-probe cocktail for CYPs 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT * Numerous cocktails using concurrent administration of several cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoform-selective probe drugs have been reported to investigate drug-drug interactions in vivo. * This approach has several advantages: characterize the inhibitory or induction potential of compounds in development toward the CYP enzymes identified in vitro in an in vivo situation, assess several enzymes in the same trial, and have complete in vivo information about potential CYP-based drug interactions. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS * This study describes a new cocktail containing five probe drugs that has never been published. * This cocktail can be used to test the effects of a new chemical entity on multiple CYP isoforms in a single clinical study: CYP1A2 (caffeine), CYP2C9 (warfarin), CYP2C19 (omeprazole), CYP2D6 (metoprolol), and CYP3A (midazolam) and was designed to overcome potential liabilities of other reported cocktails. AIMS To assess the pharmacokinetics (PK) of selective substrates of CYP1A2 (caffeine), CYP2C9 (S-warfarin), CYP2C19 (omeprazole), CYP2D6 (metoprolol) and CYP3A (midazolam) when administered orally and concurrently as a cocktail relative to the drugs administered alone. METHODS This was an open-label, single-dose, randomized, six-treatment six-period six-sequence William's design study with a wash-out of 7 or 14 days. Thirty healthy male subjects received 100 mg caffeine, 100 mg metoprolol, 0.03 mg kg(-1) midazolam, 20 mg omeprazole and 10 mg warfarin individually and in combination (cocktail). Poor metabolizers of CYP2C9, 2C19 and 2D6 were excluded. Plasma samples were obtained up to 48 h for caffeine, metoprolol and omeprazole, 12 h for midazolam, 312 h for warfarin and the cocktail. Three different validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods were used. Noncompartmental PK parameters were calculated. Log-transformed C(max), AUC(last) and AUC for each analyte were analysed with a linear mixed effects model with fixed term for treatment, sequence and period, and random term for subject within sequence. Point estimates (90% CI) for treatment ratios (individual/cocktail) were computed for each analyte C(max), AUC(last) and AUC. RESULTS There was no PK interaction between the probe drugs when administered in combination as a cocktail, relative to the probes administered alone, as the 90% CI of the PK parameters was within the prespecified bioequivalence limits of 0.80, 1.25. CONCLUSION The lack of interaction between probes indicates that this cocktail could be used to evaluate the potential for multiple drug-drug interactions in vivo.
A Measurement Setup for Quantification of Electromagnetic Interference in Metallic Casings

In this paper, a test setup is proposed for quantification of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in an enclosure of digital systems. Small probes at the casing walls are used to measure the internal fields and derive network parameters for the typical coupling between internal components. It is shown that the setup is viable for estimating EMI between enclosed components in a frequency range from 10 MHz to 6 GHz. Measurement results from the proposed setup are in excellent agreement with those of analytical and numerical methods. A statistical approach is introduced to evaluate the measurement results from a twelve-port vector network analyzer at high frequencies above the first resonance. Using this approach, typical components in digital systems are analyzed and simplified geometrical models are given. These models allow full-wave simulations of realistic setups with feasible computation times. A good model-to-hardware correlation between simulation and measurement results over the whole frequency range is achieved. It is demonstrated that the proposed measurement and evaluation approach of the fabricated cavity shows the same characteristic behavior of a real office workstation with internal components.
Inverse association between prostatic polyunsaturated fatty acid and risk of locally advanced prostate carcinoma

An effect of fatty acids has been implicated in men with advanced‐stage prostate carcinoma and in men who have died of the disease. To evaluate the influence of fatty acids in men with prostate carcinoma at earlier stages, the authors examined the relation between prostatic concentrations of fatty acids and locally advanced prostate carcinoma in men with clinically organ‐confined disease.
Antibiogram and characterization of resistance markers among Escherichia coli Isolates from urinary tract infections.

INTRODUCTION Urinary tract infection is the most frequently diagnosed kidney and urologic disease, and Escherichia coli is by far its most common etiological agent. Uropathogenic E. coli are responsible for approximately 90% of urinary tract infections seen in individuals with ordinary anatomy therefore, it is essential to review the antibiogram of uropathogenic E. coli periodically to help clinicians decide on the appropriate therapy. METHODOLOGY We evaluated E. coli isolated from urinary tract infections at the National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre for antibiogram, plasmid transferability and stability of resistance markers. RESULTS In total, 90.9% of the isolates were found to be sensitive to nitrofurantoin while the highest proportion of the isolates was found to be resistant to nalidixic acid. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of all antimicrobials for different isolates were well within the limits specified by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Resistance against tetracycline was not transferred either by conjugation and transformation. Streptomycin resistance was found to be lost in the maximum number of tested isolates showing loss at the 10th, 15th and 20th passages. CONCLUSION Changing trends in antibiotic resistance necessitates the periodic generation of antibiogram data to help health authorities revise treatment strategies for urinary tract infections caused by E. coli.
Maximization of Production of His‐Tagged Glycine Oxidase and Its M261 Mutant Proteins

Glycine oxidase (GOX) from Bacillus subtilis is a new flavoprotein of great potential biotechnological use that catalizes the oxidative deamination of various amines (glycine, sarcosine, and N‐ethyl‐glycine) and d‐amino acids (d‐alanine and d‐proline). However, its commercial application is hindered by its low heterologous expression in Escherichia coli due to its codon bias and the sensitivity of its N‐terminus to proteases. The first problem has been solved by cloning the GOX gene from B. subtilis ATCC 6633 into the Rosetta E. coli strain, which contains the pRARE plasmid. The second problem was overcome by inserting the gene in the pET28a expression vector, which not only has a 6×His tag but also increases the N‐terminus in 36 amino acids without impairing either the enzymatic activity or the ribosome binding region. After induction with 0.5 mM isopropyl thio‐β‐d‐galactoside for 5 h in TB‐medium, the soluble and active chimeric GOX was expressed up to 15.81 U·g−1 cell, with a fermentation yield of 399 U·L−1. The latter value represents about 16% of the total soluble protein content of the cell. The three latter values are higher than the best found in the literature by 16‐, 28‐ and 4‐fold, respectively. The enzyme was purified with a nickel HiTrap chelating‐affinity column in 96% yield to apparent homogeneity. It was fully active and was stable for months at –80 °C in the presence of 10% glycerol. Its substrate specificity was similar to that previously described, but the constructed M261 mutants unexpectedly decreased in KM compared with the wild‐type, especially in the M261Y mutant. Noteworthy, there was decrease in the KM for N‐ethyl‐glycine of up to 0.7 mM, similar to that found with N‐alkyl‐glycine oxidase. Such mutants open up new possible uses of this enzyme not only in the pharmacological industry but also in the clinical field for diabetic complications.
Russia’s Arctic strategies in the context of the Ukrainian crisis

Abstract This study aims to examine Moscow’s Arctic policies in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis. Particularly, it tries to explain why the Kremlin – in contrast with its strategies in the post-Soviet space – opted for a cooperative model of its behaviour in the High North. Furthermore, this paper discusses the question whether Moscow has radically changed its Arctic strategies in the context of the Ukrainian crisis or its course basically remained the same? Based on the analysis of Russia’s principal doctrinal documents, this article explores Moscow’s threat perceptions and its strategic priorities in the Arctic. The authors emphasise the inward-, rather than outward-looking nature of Russia’s Arctic strategy which focuses on numerous economic, societal, environmental and socio-cultural problems of the Russian North. In fact, Moscow’s international strategy in the region is subordinated to its domestic needs. On the other hand, Russia’s preoccupation with its internal problems does not preclude the Kremlin from a rather assertive international course when it comes to the protection of Russia’s national interests in the Arctic. In this context, the authors analyse Moscow’s renewed claim on the expansion of the Russian continental shelf and military modernisation programmes. In sum, the authors believe that Russia is serious about being a responsible and predictable actor who is interested in fostering regional cooperation and strengthening multilateral regimes and institutions in the Arctic.
Coverage of the 2003 post-election protests in Azerbaijan: impact of media ownership on objectivity

The purpose of this study is to determine bias in press news coverage of the 2003 post-election street protests, which resulted from the presidential election in Azerbaijan. This study provides a look at the extent of state and private media ownership of newspapers in Azerbaijan conducting a content analysis of three highly circulated local newspapers, one state owned and the others privately owned, during a three week period following the election day when the main subject of local newspapers’ coverage was protest actions in the streets of the capital city, Baku. The data are news and articles regarding the street protests from three newspapers: state owned Kalg, privately owned Echo, and Zerkalo. The period under study consists of 3 weeks, from October 15, 2003, the election day, to November 7, 2003. A content analysis of 126 news articles in the three local newspapers found that significant differences exist in newspaper coverage reflecting differences in ownership. The study showed how ownership of media outlets affects political coverage of the street protests by opposition party supporters through unbalanced coverage and framing. The general conclusion of this study is that the privately owned newspapers are more objective than state owned newspapers in their coverage of the political protest.
A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of PP-501-B in Correction of Nasolabial Folds

BACKGROUND Many new brands of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are being produced, but comparative research on the characteristics of similar products is limited. OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of a new HA filler, PP-501-B (Cleviel Contour; Pacific Pharma, Seoul, Korea), which is used for correcting nasolabial folds (NLFs), and to compare the performance of PP-501-B with that of Restylane Perlane (Q-Med). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 103 subjects with visible NLFs were enrolled in this randomized, multicenter, patient/evaluator-blind, active-controlled, matched-pair clinical study. Each subject was injected with PP-501-B in 1 NLF and Restylane Perlane in the other. All participants were reassessed for cosmetic changes at 8, 16, and 24 weeks. Wrinkle severity was rated using the 5-point Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS). RESULTS At Week 24, the mean improvement in the WSRS compared with baseline was 1.87 ± 0.73 for the PP-501-B side and 1.92 ± 0.71 for the Restylane Perlane side. Both fillers were well tolerated, and adverse reactions were mild. CONCLUSION The new HA filler, PP-501-B, to the market, with suitable characteristics and ample safety profiles, will widen the selection of agents for physicians and patients because the purpose, area, and depth of filler injections vary.
Clinicopathological Significance of Stromelysin-3 Expression in Colorectal Cancer

Objective: Stromelysin-3 (ST3) is a member of the matrix metalloproteinases and suggested to play a role in tissue remodeling observed in growth and metastasis of tumors. ST3 overexpression in breast cancer is associated with a worse outcome. Our aims were to analyze ST3 expression in primary colorectal tumors and metastases, and further to identify relationships of the expression to clinicopathological factors. Materials and Methods: ST3 expression was immunohistochemically analyzed in 200 primary colorectal adenocarcinomas and 36 corresponding lymph node metastases. Results: Scoring was performed by counting the percentages of positive cells and the percentages of positive areas. One hundred and one (51%) cases showed ≤5% positive cells and 99 (49%) >5% positive cells. One hundred and two (51%) cases showed ≤30% positive area and 98 (49%) >30% positive area. ST3 expression determined by both scoring methods was individually related to females, distally located tumors, infiltrative growth pattern and microsatellite stability. No relationship was found with age, Dukes’ stage, differentiation and survival. Conclusions: These results suggest that ST3 protein was more involved in the pathway of colorectal cancer development in females, distal locations, infiltrative growth patterns and microsatellite stability.
Pacific Communities in Australia

This report strives to provide a greater understanding and awareness of Pacific communities in Australia. Through the compilation of data gained from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, this document is the first of its kind on reviewing the human geography of Pacific people across various life domains in an Australian context.
High prevalence of noise following Delta ceramic‐on‐ceramic total hip arthroplasty

Aims We evaluated the short‐term functional outcome and prevalence of bearing‐specific generation of audible noise in 301 patients (336 hips) operated on with fourth generation (Delta) medium diameter head, ceramic‐on‐ceramic (CoC) total hip arthroplasties (THAs). Patients and Methods There were 191 female (63%) and 110 male patients (37%) with a mean age of 61 years (29 to 78) and mean follow‐up of 2.1 years (1.3 to 3.4). Patients completed three questionnaires: Oxford Hip Score (OHS), Research and Development 36‐item health survey (RAND‐36) and a noise‐specific symptom questionnaire. Plain radiographs were also analysed. A total of three hips (0.9%) were revised. Results There were 52 patients (54 hips, 17%) who reported noise, and in 25 (48%) of them the noise was frequently heard. In the multiple regression analysis, the only independent risk factor for noise was a specific THA brand, with a threefold increased risk (95% confidence intervals 1.39 to 6.45, p = 0.005) of noise compared with the reference THA brand. Patients with noisy hips had lower median OHS (43 versus 46.5, p = 0.002) and their physical functioning (p = 0.021) subscale in RAND‐36 was reduced. Conclusion Noise was surprisingly common in this population.
Effects of lactic acid and glycolic acid on human osteoblasts: A way to understand PLGA involvement in PLGA/calcium phosphate composite failure

The use of degradable composite materials in orthopedics remains a field of intense research due to their ability to support new bone formation and degrade in a controlled manner, broadening their use for orthopedic applications. Poly (lactide‐co‐glycolide) acid (PLGA), a degradable biopolymer, is now a popular material for different orthopedic applications and is proposed for use in tissue engineering scaffolds either alone or combined with bioactive ceramics. Interference screws composed of calcium phosphates and PLGA are readily available in the market. However, some reports highlight problems of screw migration or aseptic cyst formation following screw degradation. In order to understand these phenomena and to help to improve implant formulation, we have evaluated the effects of PLGA degradation products: lactic acid and glycolic acid on human osteoblasts in vitro. Cell proliferation, differentiation, and matrix mineralization, important for bone healing were studied. It was found that the toxicity of polymer degradation products under buffering conditions was limited to high concentrations. However, non‐toxic concentrations led to a decrease in cell proliferation, rapid cell differentiation, and mineralization failure. Calcium, whilst stimulating cell proliferation was not able to overcome the negative effects of high concentrations of lactic and glycolic acids on osteoblasts. These effects help to explain recently reported clinical failures of calcium phosphate/PLGA composites, but further in vitro analyses are needed to mimic the dynamic situation which occurs in the body by, for example, culture of osteoblasts with materials that have been pre‐degraded to different extents and thus be able to relate these findings to the degradation studies that have been performed previously. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:864–871, 2012
Intestinal parasites of the Arctic fox in relation to the abundance and distribution of intermediate hosts

SUMMARY The intestinal parasite community of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) on the Svalbard archipelago in the High Arctic was investigated in relation to the abundance and distribution of intermediate hosts. Five species of cestodes (Echinococcus multilocularis, Taenia crassiceps, Taenia polyacantha, Taenia krabbei and Diphyllobothrium sp.), ascaridoid nematodes and one unidentified acanthocephalan species were found. The cestodes E. multilocularis, T. crassiceps and T. polyacantha all showed a decreasing prevalence in the fox population with increasing distance from their spatially restricted intermediate host population of sibling voles (Microtus levis). In addition, the prevalence of E. multilocularis in a sample from the vole population was directly related to the local vole abundance. The cestode T. krabbei uses reindeer as intermediate host, and its prevalence in female foxes was positively related to the density of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhyncus). Finally, the prevalence of the ascaridoid nematodes also decreased with increasing distance from the vole population, a finding that is consistent with the idea that voles are involved in transmission, most likely as paratenic hosts. The prevalence of the remaining species (Diphyllobothrium sp. and an unidentified acanthocephalan) was very low. We conclude that the distribution and abundance of intermediate host structure the gastrointestinal parasite community of the Arctic fox on the Svalbard archipelago.