Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three essays on the effects of budgetary policy in developing countries

The use of fiscal policy as a stabilization and stimulus tool face a renewed interest from analyst and policy makers. After almost three decades where neo-Classical ideas were dominant, the recent financial crisis (late 2007) marked the reborn of Keynesian ideas on the importance of the State budget during economic downturns. This dissertation focuses on this issue and provides with stylized facts of fiscal policies in developing economies, and the main aim being to be able to say whether fiscal policy is an efficient political economy tool. Chapter 2 focuses on the issue of unanticipated fiscal measures on the economy. Using a structural VAR approach it investigates whether unanticipated budget measures can be used to stimulate a declining economy and what kind of challenges and threats this strategy imposes to public authorities. Chapter 3, relying on a gravity model, analyses the relationship between emerging and advanced economies fiscal aggregates and capital flows. It shows that there exists a “global” crowding out effect of investment towards emerging markets and, most important is that world economy is entering into a new paradigm. The last chapter from a panel of Sub-Saharan African and Latin American economies studies the issue of fiscal procyclicality. The empirical strategy has allowed us on a yearly basis to characterise the cyclical behaviour of fiscal policies in both set of countries. It has been shown that developing countries especially African ones are adopting progressively more prudent and disciplined policies.
Rationale, design, and protocol of a randomized controlled trial of the safety and efficacy of dabigatran etexilate versus dose-adjusted warfarin in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis

Rationale To prevent recurrent venous thrombotic events after acute cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis, guidelines recommend long-term oral anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists. Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant experience in cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis is limited to case reports and series. Aim To compare dabigatran with dose-adjusted warfarin in patients with cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis for the prevention of recurrent venous thrombotic event. Sample size One hundred and twenty patients. Methods and design This study is a phase III, prospective, randomized, parallel-group, open-label, multicenter, exploratory trial with blinded endpoint adjudication. Patients with acute cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis after 5–15 days of treatment with parenteral heparin are randomized to either dabigatran etexilate 150 mg twice daily or dose-adjusted (international normalized ratio 2–3) warfarin (≤24 weeks). Study outcome The primary endpoint is a composite of patients with new venous thrombotic event (recurring cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis, deep venous thrombosis of any limb, pulmonary embolism, and major bleeding (International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis definition)) during the treatment period. Statistics will be descriptive (number and frequencies). Study timelines Inclusion started in December 2016. Final results are expected by the end of 2018. Discussion This exploratory trial is the first to compare vitamin K with non-vitamin K antagonists in cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis. It will provide evidence to guide physicians and patients in choosing oral anticoagulants to prevent venous thrombotic event after acute cerebral venous or dural sinus thrombosis. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02913326.
Russia, the Eurasian Customs Union and the EU: Cooperation, Stagnation or Rivalry?

Until recently regional integration in the post-Soviet space had been largely declarative. However, the latest initiative, the Eurasian Customs Union (ECU) appears more viable because of: first, a better institutional framework; second, a commitment to implementation followed by actual action (despite a range of transitional problems); and, third, the introduction of a system of rules harmonised with international norms and the WTO regime. This initiative has serious implications for EU-Russia relations in general and the EU’s strategy in the post-Soviet space, i.e. the ‘shared neighbourhood’, in particular. With the ECU, Russia offers a forward-looking, advanced form of economic integration and as such an alternative to EU-centered initiatives in the post-Soviet space. Ukraine has turned into a normative battleground where Russia endeavours to dissuade Ukraine from pursuing the landmark Association Agreement with the EU, containing the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and is striving to get Ukraine to join the ECU instead. This emerging normative rivalry requires revisiting the EU’s approach to its ‘external governance’ approach in the Eastern neighbourhood in terms of short- and long-term opportunities and challenges.
Single Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy Session Dampens Acute Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Responses to Mental Stress in Healthy Male Participants

Abstract Context The efficacy of osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMTh; manipulative care provided by foreign-trained osteopaths) is supported by observational data and patient feedback, but there is still a need for objective, quantitative biomarkers that allow measurement of the underlying mechanisms. No study exploring the protective potential of OMTh for mental stress has been published, to the authors’ knowledge. Objectives To explore the modulating effect of OMTh on autonomic neural regulation of the heart and verifiy its ability to influence the activity of the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Methods Healthy young adult men who had never received OMTh were exposed to either a brief protocol using craniosacral techniques or sham therapy (control) involving the same anatomical areas. A laboratory stress episode consisting of a 5-minute arithmetic task participants were required to perform in front of a committee preceded the therapy sessions. Continuous electrocardiograph recordings were done before, during, and after the stress episode. Heart rate and frequency-domain parameters of heart rate variability (specifically, high-frequency component power in normalized units and the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency power) were measured to quantify the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and the state of sympathovagal balance at the level of the heart, respectively. Saliva samples were also collected at points throughout the study to determine cortisol levels. Results Osteopathic manipulative therapy reduced the overall chronotropic effect of the stressor (t=−2.9, P<.05) and counteracted the vagal withdrawal and the shift of autonomic balance toward sympathetic prevalence (t=−2.8, P<.05) that were observed in control participants. Moreover, OMTh participants had a much lower overall cortisol level during the mental stressor compared with control participants (t=−2.3, P<.05). Participants in the OMTh group did not show the statistically significant reduction in the amplitude of the cortisol awakening response observed in their control counterparts after the stress episode (control: t=2.7, P<.05; OMT: P=.83). Conclusion The application of a single OMTh session to healthy participants induced a faster recovery of heart rate and sympathovagal balance after an acute mental stressor by substantially dampening parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic prevalence. The OMTh session also prevented the typical increase in cortisol levels observed immediately after a brief mental challenge.
Individual Differences in Loss Aversion and Preferences for Skewed Risks Across Adulthood

In a previous study, we found adult age differences in the tendency to accept more positively skewed gambles (with a small chance of a large win) than other equivalent risks, or an age-related positive-skew bias. In the present study, we examined whether loss aversion explained this bias. A total of 508 healthy participants (ages 21–82) completed measures of loss aversion and skew preference. Age was not related to loss aversion. Although loss aversion was a significant predictor of gamble acceptance, it did not influence the age-related positive-skew bias.
Housing Policy in Algeria Issues and Perspectives

is a major issue in the developing countries. It has gained nowadays a great interest with worldwide commitment and became one of development priorities. This report deals with development policies in the social and economic fields of the country in general and housing in particular. It shows the first priorities chosen by the new State 1 after the independence in 1962, in order to construct infrastructures and amenities for the daily-life. At that time, the housing sector was not given any priority since many houses were left empty by those who fled the country after the war. Although many villages were destroyed and related people gathered in controlled new settlements or in slums near the urban areas, there was enough room to those who came to the cities looking for job. After nearly 20 years of public investment in the sectors of industry, social, education and cultural amenities, housing issues became greater and actions had to be taken to face the overwhelming crisis. Policies and strategies were set up in order to tackle the housing demand and to reorganize the sprawling urban areas. In the beginning of the 90s, due to economic constraints, the State budget could not supply sufficient funds for a long time; the involvement of all the concerned actors was seen as a sustainable issue. The first actions began to be taken; they need to be consolidated and improved in order to set up an efficient framework, in which housing demand could be satisfied at an economical cost and in suitable ways. Proposals are made to strengthen the on going actions through institutional, organization and technical measures.
Poverty Measurement: We Know Less Than Policy Makers Realize

There is a widespread policy interest in poverty estimates at both national and global level. There has been an explosion of poverty measurement in the last two decades enabled by the growing availability of household survey data. These measurements are used by policy-makers to assess progress towards national and global goals for inclusive growth and poverty reduction. But the evidence base rests on shaky foundations, and policy-makers may have undue confidence in poverty and inequality estimates. Many household surveys are poorly designed to measure monetary living standards and poverty in an era of rising affluence and urban transition. Some key problems in measuring food consumption, housing services and the cost of living are discussed here. Alternatives to monetary measurement, such as using questions on life satisfaction and happiness, also rest on shaky foundations.
Regional Income Inequality lowers Life Satisfaction: Evidence from OECD Countries

This paper analyzes the e ffect of regional income inequality within countries on individual life satisfaction. We use data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and the European Values Survey (EVS) containing approximately 97,000 observations from 1981-2008. Regional income inequality is measured by the coeffi cient of variation of regional GDP per capita. We find that higher regional income inequality leads to lower life satisfaction in OECD countries. In non-OECD countries, we find no signifi cant e ffect. This may be related to the higher dynamics of regional inequality in middle and low income countries, where people still hope to participate in income increases in the future, while regional inequality is persistent in high income countries.
Tetrahedral Meshing in the Wild YIXIN HU

We propose a novel tetrahedral meshing technique that is unconditionally robust, requires no user interaction, and can directly convert a triangle soup into an analysis-ready volumetric mesh. The approach is based on several core principles: (1) initial mesh construction based on a fully robust, yet eicient, iltered exact computation (2) explicit (automatic or user-deined) tolerancing of the mesh relative to the surface input (3) iterative mesh improvement with guarantees, at every step, of the output validity. The quality of the resulting mesh is a direct function of the target mesh size and allowed tolerance: increasing allowed deviation from the initial mesh and decreasing the target edge length both lead to higher mesh quality. Our approach enables łblack-boxž analysis, i.e. it allows to automatically solve partial diferential equations on geometrical models available in the wild, ofering a robustness and reliability comparable to, e.g., image processing algorithms, opening the door to automatic, large scale processing of real-world geometric data.
A novel atomistic approach to determine strain-gradient elasticity constants : Tabulation and comparison for various metals , semiconductors , silica , polymers and the ( Ir ) relevance for nanotechnologies

Strain-gradient elasticity is widely used as a suitable alternative to size-independent classical continuum elasticity to, at least partially, capture elastic size effects at the nanoscale. In this work, borrowing methods from statistical mechanics, we present mathematical derivations that relate the strain-gradient material constants to atomic displacement correlations in a molecular dynamics computational ensemble. Using the developed relations and numerical atomistic calculations, the strain-gradient constants are explicitly determined for some representative semiconductor, metallic, amorphous and polymeric materials. This method has the distinct advantage that amorphous materials can be tackled in a straightforward manner. For crystalline materials we also employ and compare results from both empirical and ab initio based lattice dynamics. Apart from carrying out a systematic tabulation of the relevant material parameters for various materials, we also discuss certain subtleties of strain-gradient elasticity, including: the paradox associated with the sign of the strain-gradient constants, physical reasons for low or high characteristic length scales associated with see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. jmps.2007. 02.011 nding author. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, 1 713 743 4256. dress: psharma@uh.edu (P. Sharma).
Rheumatological presentation of Bartonella koehlerae and Bartonella henselae bacteremias

Introduction: Systemic Bartonella spp. infections are being increasingly reported in association with complex medical presentations. Individuals with frequent arthropod exposures or animal contact appear to be at risk for acquiring long standing infections with Bartonella spp. Case report: This case report describes infections with Bartonella koehlerae and Bartonella henselae in a female veterinarian whose symptoms were predominantly rheumatologic in nature. Infection was confirmed by serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enrichment blood culture, and DNA sequencing of amplified B koehlerae and B henselae DNA. Long-term medical management with antibiotics was required to achieve elimination of these infections and was accompanied by resolution of the patient's symptoms. Interestingly, the patient experienced substantial improvement in the acquired joint hypermobility mimicking Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (EDS) type III. Conclusion: To facilitate early and directed medical interventions, systemic bartonellosis should potentially be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with incalcitrant rheumatological symptoms and frequent arthropod exposures or extensive animal contact.
PROMs for Pain in Adult Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Measurement Properties

Pain is one of the most devastating symptoms for cancer patients. One third of patients who experience pain do not receive effective treatment. A key barrier to effective pain management is lack of routine measurement and monitoring of pain. Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recommended for measuring cancer pain. However, evidence to guide the selection of the most appropriate measure to identify and monitor cancer pain is limited. A systematic review of measurement properties of PROMs for pain in cancer patients is needed to identify the best validated measure for adoption to an electronic platform.
Pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of Michelia champaca in gut, airways and cardiovascular disorders

Objective: To discover the mechanism behind ameliorative effects of Michelia champaca (M. champaca) in gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. Methods: Anti- spasmodic potential was evaluated by trying the M. champaca extract (aqueous:ethanolic) on rabbit aorta, trachea and jejunum in vitro. Isotonic and isometric transducers coupled with Power Lab data acquisition system was used to record the responses of isolated tissues. Results: M. champaca extract relaxed the spontaneous and high K+ (80 mmol/L)-induced contractions of isolated jejunum preparation of rabbit showing a Ca2+ channel blocking mechanism. Moreover, extract shifted calcium concentration response curves towards right like standard calcium channel blocker verapamil. In rabbit tracheal preparation, M. champaca relaxed both carbachol (1 1 μmol/L) and high K+-induced contractions, likewise verapamil. In rabbit aorta preparation, M. champaca relaxed phenylephrine (1 μmol/L) and high K+-induced contractions similar to verapamil. Conclusion: M. champaca possesses spasmolytic, airways relaxant and vasodilator actions mediated perhaps due to blocking of Ca2+ channels, hence validating its therapeutic usage in diarrhea, asthma and hypertension.
Implementing Internet-Based Self-Care Programs in Primary Care: Qualitative Analysis of Determinants of Practice for Patients and Providers

Background Access to evidence-based interventions for common mental health conditions is limited due to geographic distance, scheduling, stigma, and provider availability. Internet-based self-care programs may mitigate these barriers. However, little is known about internet-based self-care program implementation in US health care systems. Objective The objective of this study was to identify determinants of practice for internet-based self-care program use in primary care by eliciting provider and administrator perspectives on internet-based self-care program implementation. Methods The objective was explored through qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews with primary care providers and administrators from the Veterans Health Administration. Participants were identified using a reputation-based snowball design. Interviews focused on identifying determinants of practice for the use of internet-based self-care programs at the point of care in Veterans Health Administration primary care. Qualitative analysis of transcripts was performed using thematic coding. Results A total of 20 physicians, psychologists, social workers, and nurses participated in interviews. Among this group, internet-based self-care program use was relatively low, but support for the platform was assessed as relatively high. Themes were organized into determinants active at patient and provider levels. Perceived patient-level determinants included literacy, age, internet access, patient expectations, internet-based self-care program fit with patient experiences, interest and motivation, and face-to-face human contact. Perceived provider-level determinants included familiarity with internet-based self-care programs, changes to traditional care delivery, face-to-face human contact, competing demands, and age. Conclusions This exploration of perspectives on internet-based self-care program implementation among Veterans Health Administration providers and administrators revealed key determinants of practice, which can be used to develop comprehensive strategies for the implementation of internet-based self-care programs in primary care settings.
Prevalence and antibiogram of Listeria monocytogenes in cases of abortion and stillbirths in sheep of Kashmir.

Prevalence of listeric abortions in organized and unorganized sheep farms of Kashmir valley was studied during 2008-2009. A total 52 cases of abortions/stillbirths were screened for isolation of Listeria species. Listeria monocytogenes was the only species isolated from the cases of abortions/stillbirths under study. An overall prevalence of 15.38% of listeriosis was recorded in these farms. The prevalence was higher in organized (18.51%) than in the un-organized farms (12.0%). Out of a total 8 isolates recovered, 4 were isolated from only brain tissues, 2 from both brain and livers and one each from liver and stomach contents. All the isolates under study were sensitive to gentamicin, doxycycline, ampicillin, tetracycline and pencillin G and resistant to nalidixic acid, co-trimaxozole, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin and lemoloxacin.
Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity: Housing in Czechoslovakia, 1945-1960

Eastern European prefabricated housing blocks are often vilified as the visible manifestations of everything that was wrong with state socialism. For many inside and outside the region, the uniformity of these buildings became symbols of the dullness and drudgery of everyday life. "Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity" complicates this common perception. Analyzing the cultural, intellectual, and professional debates surrounding the construction of mass housing in early postwar Czechoslovakia, Zarecor shows that these housing blocks served an essential function in the planned economy and reflected an interwar aesthetic, derived from constructivism and functionalism, that carried forward into the 1950s. With a focus on prefabricated and standardized housing built from 1945 to 1960, Zarecor offers broad and innovative insights into the country s transition from capitalism to state socialism. She demonstrates that during this shift, architects and engineers consistently strove to meet the needs of Czechs and Slovaks despite challenging economic conditions, a lack of material resources, and manufacturing and technological limitations. In the process, architects were asked to put aside their individual creative aspirations and transform themselves into technicians and industrial producers. "Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity" is the first comprehensive history of architectural practice and the emergence of prefabricated housing in the Eastern Bloc. Through discussions of individual architects and projects, as well as building typologies, professional associations, and institutional organization, it opens a rare window into the cultural and economic life of Eastern Europe during the early postwar period. "
Classifying the Informative Behaviour of Emoji in Microblogs

Emoji are pictographs commonly used in microblogs as emotion markers, but they can also represent a much wider range of concepts. Additionally, they may occur in different positions within a message (e.g. a tweet), appear in sequences or act as word substitute. Emoji must be considered necessary elements in the analysis and processing of user generated content, since they can either provide fundamental syntactic information, emphasize what is already expressed in the text, or carry meaning that cannot be inferred from the words alone. We collected and annotated a corpus of 2475 tweets pairs with the aim of analyzing and then classifying emoji use with respect to redundancy. The best classiﬁcation model achieved an F-score of 0.7. In this paper we shortly present the corpus, and we describe the classiﬁcation experiments, explain the predictive features adopted, discuss the problematic aspects of our approach and suggest future improvements.