Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing Opportunities for Low-Income Women and Student Parents in SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH at Community Colleges

This report analyzes trends in women's representation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields of study at community colleges, as well as promising institutional and broader policy initiatives for improving recruitment, retention, and completion rates for women students in general and student parents in particular. This report is a product of IWPR's Student Parent Success Initiative, a multifaceted project designed to share knowledge, raise awareness, and improve public policies to support positive outcomes for low-income student parents seeking higher education. The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. The Institute works with policymakers, scholars, and public interest groups to design, execute, and disseminate research that illuminates economic and social policy issues affecting women and their families, and to build a network of individuals and organizations that conduct and use women-oriented policy research. IWPR's work is supported by foundation grants, government grants and contracts, donations from individuals, and contributions from organizations and corporations. IWPR is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women's studies and public policy programs at The George Washington University. Gates Foundation, for her support of IWPR's research to facilitate student parent success in postsecondary settings. We are grateful for the helpful comments on an earlier draft of this report that were provided by Catherine Hill and Andresse St. Special thanks are due to the experts consulted for information on the programs profiled in this report: V. A number of public policy efforts are focused on increasing the number of U.S. adults with postsecondary credentials, and especially degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Expanded access to STEM careers has the potential to improve the well-being of low-income and working poor families and to strengthen the U.S. economy overall. Efforts to improve economic outcomes through STEM degree attainment, however, are likely to be much more successful if they address and work to ameliorate longstanding segregation by sex and race in STEM education. Some of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. economy are in STEM fields with total employment predicted to increase at a considerably faster rate than the labor market as a whole. For example, while overall employment is projected to increase by 10 percent between 2008 and 2018, some STEM sub-specialties are expected to expand by 20 …
Dengue Virus Infection of Mast Cells Triggers Endothelial Cell Activation

ABSTRACT Vascular perturbation is a hallmark of severe forms of dengue disease. We show here that antibody-enhanced dengue virus infection of primary human cord blood-derived mast cells (CBMCs) and the human mast cell-like line HMC-1 results in the release of factor(s) which activate human endothelial cells, as evidenced by increased expression of the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Endothelial cell activation was prevented by pretreatment of mast cell-derived supernatants with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-specific blocking antibody, thus identifying TNF as the endothelial cell-activating factor. Our findings suggest that mast cells may represent an important source of TNF, promoting vascular endothelial perturbation following antibody-enhanced dengue virus infection.
Characterization of SepL of EnterohemorrhagicEscherichia coli

ABSTRACT The sepL gene is expressed in the locus of enterocyte effacement and therefore is most likely implicated in the attaching and effacing process, as are the products encoded by open reading frames located up- and downstream of this gene. In this study, thesepL gene of the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strain EDL933 was analyzed and the corresponding polypeptide was characterized. We found that sepL is transcribed monocistronically and independently from theesp operon located downstream, which codes for the secreted proteins EspA, -D, and -B. Primer extension analysis allowed us to identify a single start of transcription 83 bp upstream of thesepL start codon. The analysis of the upstream regions led to the identification of canonical promoter sequences between positions −5 and −36. Translational fusions using lacZ as a reporter gene demonstrated that sepL is activated in the exponential growth phase by stimuli that are characteristic for the intestinal niche, e.g., a temperature of 37°C, a nutrient-rich environment, high osmolarity, and the presence of Mn2+. Protein localization studies showed that SepL was present in the cytoplasm and associated with the bacterial membrane fraction. To analyze the functional role of the SepL protein during infection of eukaryotic cells, an in-frame deletion mutant was generated. ThissepL mutant was strongly impaired in its ability to attach to HeLa cells and induce a local accumulation of actin. These defects were partially restored by providing the sepL gene intrans. The EDL933ΔsepL mutant also exhibited an impaired secretion but not biosynthesis of Esp proteins, which was fully complemented by providing sepL in trans. These results demonstrate the crucial role played by SepL in the biological cycle of EHEC.
The Shrinking Hand: Why Information Technology Leads to Smaller Firms

Abstract We explain the firm downsizing trend of the recent decades by the new abundance of information – the ICT revolution. Production processes differ in their information requirements: while decentralized production by means of market exchanges is information intensive, less information per unit of output is needed in the hierarchically integrated production of firms, and the information/output ratio is decreasing firm size. We formulate a quantity of information theory of the firm embodying these differences and derive a Coase–Rybczinski effect for the aggregate economy, which predicts a decreasing employment share of large firms and an increasing share of small ones when the aggregate quantity of information increases Panel data regressions and other evidence provide support for this hypothesis.
Equilibrium, Adverse Selection, and Statistical Distributions

This paper addresses the problem of multiple equilibria in markets with adverse selection. Akerlof (1970) identified an unique equilibrium of the total market failure under adverse selection. Posterioly, Wilson (1979, 1980) argued that the presence of adverse selection may lead to multiple equilibria. In particular, this paper extends the work of Rose (1993), who stated that the existence of multiple equilibria depends on the distribution of quality. Rose found that multiple equilibria are highly unlikely for most standard probability distributions. This work considers additional statistical distributions for quality. The simulation results suggest the existence of multiple equilibria when the quality follows a beta normal distribution.
Audit Committees and Quarterly Earnings Management

Regulators have frequently expressed concerns about corporate earnings management. Audit committees are expected to monitor managers' financial reporting, including attempts to manipulate earnings numbers. The extant literature has focused on managers'incentives to manipulate earnings numbers. However, managers also have incentives to manage earnings, due to, for example, pressures to meet quarterly analyst forecasts. We test the association between audit committee characteristics and measures of quarterly earnings management. Using a sample of 896 firm-year observations for the years 1996-2000, we report three findings. First, quarterly earnings management is lower for firms whose audit committee directors have greater governance expertise. Second, the extent of stock ownership by audit committee directors is positively associated with quarterly earnings management. Third, the average tenure of audit committee directors is negatively associated with quarterly earnings management.
Apoptosis in Established and Healing Psoriasis

Background: Previous studies have described apoptosis in the stratum granulosum and in the stratum corneum, but not in the germinative compartment in normal skin. In psoriasis, an increased epidermal apoptosis has been observed in the differentiated compartment, suggesting that apoptosis has a key role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, as a counteracting factor to the overproduction of cells. Little is known on apoptosis in the germinative compartment. Methods: Apoptosis was studied on biopsies of normal skin, established lesions of psoriasis and PUVA-treated psoriasis using the transferase-mediated uridine nick end labelling method, which detects fragmented DNA, and electron microscopy. Counting of apoptotic cells was restricted to the germinative compartment as defined by Mib1 staining to evaluate the impact of cell loss on cell production and tissue architecture. Results: The apoptotic index was 0.12% in normal epidermis, 0.035% in established psoriasis and 0.31% in regressive psoriasis. Conclusion: These results have three implications: (1) they show the physiological presence of apoptosis in the germinative compartment in normal epidermis; (2) they suggest that induction of apoptosis is involved in the regression of psoriatic hyperplasia after PUVA therapy; (3) the decrease of physiological apoptosis in the psoriatic lesion suggests that this phenomenon could play a role in the induction of psoriatic hyperplasia.
EEG spike activity precedes epilepsy after kainate‐induced status epilepticus

Purpose: Chronic epilepsy frequently develops after brain injury, but prediction of which individual patient will develop spontaneous recurrent seizures (i.e., epilepsy) is not currently possible. Here, we use continuous radiotelemetric electroencephalography (EEG) and video monitoring along with automated computer detection of EEG spikes and seizures to test the hypothesis that EEG spikes precede and are correlated with subsequent spontaneous recurrent seizures.
Banking sector development and interest rate volatility in emerging economies

Over the last decades, macroeconomic stability is said to be one of the major concerns of emerging economies. Financial sector as a core of macroeconomic stability has been under close consideration of policy makers. The relationship between interest rate uncertainty and banking sector development as one of the most important indicators of financial sector development, especially for emerging economies, has not received enough attention in the literature. Perhaps this article is the most comprehensive study that investigates the relationship between interest rate uncertainty and banking sector development for a large group of emerging economies. To do this, the short-run and long-run models using a bounds testing approach to cointegration for 12 emerging economies over the period 1980–2011 have been developed. Estimated results from all models indicate that interest rate uncertainty has significant effect on banking sector development in both short-run and long-run phenomena in the majority of countries. The findings indicate that the link between interest rate uncertainty and banking sector development in each country depends on each country’s specific structure.
Generalizing Ham Sandwich Cuts to Equitable Subdivisions

Abstract. We prove a generalization of the famous Ham Sandwich Theorem for the plane. Given gn red points and gm blue points in the plane in general position, there exists an equitable subdivision of the plane into g disjoint convex polygons, each of which contains n red points and m blue points. For g=2 this problem is equivalent to the Ham Sandwich Theorem in the plane. We also present an efficient algorithm for constructing an equitable subdivision.
The Moderating Influence of Financial Market Development on the Relationship between Loan Guarantees for SMEs and Local Market Employment Rates

We empirically examine whether a major government intervention in the small firm credit market yields significantly better results in markets that are less financially developed. The government intervention that we investigate is mall usiness dministration (SBA) guaranteed lending. After controlling for the appropriate cross‐sectional market characteristics, we find that SBA guaranteed lending has a significantly more positive impact on the average annual level of employment when the local market is relatively less financially developed. This result has important implications for public policy directives concerning where SBA guaranteed lending should be directed.
Use of a novel marker, calponin, for myoepithelial cells in fine‐needle aspirates of papillary breast lesions

Benign and malignant papillary lesions of the breast (PBL) can be difficult to distinguish in fine‐needle aspirates (FNA). This study evaluates the use of smooth muscle actin (SMA) and a new smooth muscle‐specific protein, calponin, for identifying myoepithelial cells (MEC) by immunohistochemical methods in paraffin‐embedded cell blocks of FNA of PBL.
Rethinking board role performance: Towards an integrative model

This research focuses on the board role evolution analysis which took place simultaneously with the development of different corporate governance theories and perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to provide understanding of key factors that make a board effective in the performance of its role. We argue that analysis of board role performance should incorporate both structural and process variables. This paper’s contribution is the development of an integrative model that aims to establish the relationship between the board structure and processes on the one hand, and board role performance on the other.
Protest Begets Progress, Probably: Human Development Report 2013

Is this a significant publication or just another UN agency report? It deals with the rise of the South, which is the most important trend among the transformations that have been taking place since approximately 2000. It does so from a human development perspective, with a view to how development affects the majority of the population — in fact, the world population — which is a profoundly relevant perspective to adopt. In addition it seeks to renew the human development approach. So I think it is an important work. The Human Development Report 2013 (HDR) is optimistic about overall development trends, yet also identifies setbacks and offers sobering information on trends in inequality; it seeks to innovate human development thinking and identifies the major drivers of development transformation. It features well-organized data and graphs, documents propositions with examples across the spectrum of developing countries, and covers issues ranging from protests to global governance. I will review these elements and conclude with an overall assessment. The report on the whole is remarkably upbeat and leaves behind the pessimism that has long prevailed in development studies. It represents a clear break with the sense of impasse and perplexity that has prevailed in development thinking since the 1990s. The sources of development pessimism have been several: disaffection with the Washington Consensus; postmodern questioning of social engineering alongside radical post-development and anti-development critiques; and critiques of development as part of late capitalism. To a large extent these critiques have been commentaries not on
Putting Big Data analytics to work: Feature selection for forecasting electricity prices using the LASSO and random forests

Successful companies are increasingly those companies that excel in the task of extracting knowledge from data. Tapping the source of ‘Big Data’ requires powerful algorithms combined with a strong understanding of the data used. One of the key challenges in predictive analytics is the identification of relevant factors that may explain the variables of interest. In this paper, we present a case study in predictive analytics in which we focus on the selection of relevant exogenous variables. More specifically, we attempt to predict the German electricity spot prices with reference to historical prices and a deep set of weather variables. In order to choose the relevant weather stations, we use the least absolute shrinkage selection operation (LASSO) and random forests to implicitly execute a variable selection. Overall, in our case study of German weather data, we manage to improve forecasting accuracy by up to 16.9% in terms of mean average error.
Bottlenecks and Market Power in Interconnected Electricity Markets

I introduce a conjectural variation model to test for market power in partially open power markets where transmission capacity varies. Following Bresnahan (1982) [6], the degree of exercised market power can be estimated by including a rotational term from the demand schedule in the estimation of the supply curve. The rotational term is commonly found by including an interaction term in the estimation of demand. I show how a theoretically superior rotational term can be obtained by incorporating varying transmission capacity directly into the estimation of aggregate demand using a censored regression. I implement this method on the eastern Danish electricity market (DK2) and find that limited, although statistically very significant, market power was exercised in eastern Denmark in the period from 2001 to 2008, given the data avilable. I also discuss how a domestic monopolist might feasibly have incentives to create a monopolist regime at peak demand hours by gaming the transmission capacity limits and find this might help explain the large prevalence of spikes in eastern Denmark. I find that a local monopolist would have strong incentives to oppose e.g. welfare enhancing demand smoothening initiatives.
Multi-unit Controlled Release Systems of Nifedipine and Nifedipine:Pluronic® F-68 Solid Dispersions: Characterization of Release Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Nifedipine (N) and nifedipine:Pluronic® F-68 solid dispersion (SD) pellets were developed and characterized for drug release mechanisms from a multi-unit erosion matrix system for controlled release. Nifedipine was micronized using a jet mill. Solid dispersion with Pluronic F-68 was prepared by the fusion method. Nifedipine and SD were characterized by particle size analysis, solubility, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Samples were subsequently processed into matrix pellets by extrusion/spheronization using Eudragit® L 100-55 and Eudragit® S 100 as release rate-controlling polymers. Drug release mechanisms from pellets were characterized by microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry; DSC and XRD studies indicated no polymorphic changes in N after micronization and also confirmed the formation of SD of N with Pluronic F-68. Pellets of N showed a 24-hr drug release profile following zero-order kinetics. Pellets of SD showed a 12-hr release profile following first-order kinetics. Aqueous solubility of N after SD formation was found to be increased 10-fold. Due to increased solubility of N in SD, the drug release mechanism from the multi-unit erosion matrix changed from pure surface erosion to an erosion/diffusion mechanism, thereby altering the release rate and kinetics.
Internationalisation of R&D: trends, drivers and managerial challenges

This paper reviews the literature on MNEs' international R&D activities with the purpose of assessing extent and trends, identifying central concepts, frameworks, typologies and debates, and assessing managerial implications. Reviewed statistics indicates that the fire growth in R&D internationalisation, well documented in the previous literature, may have come to an end. Furthermore, as a qualitative flip side to this apparent quantitative stagnation, managerial focus is shifting towards organisational consolidation of the existing complex international R&D structures. Based on discussions of prevailing motives for internationalising R&D, the paper further proposes that these motives can usefully be ascribed to six types: market-driven, production-driven, technology-driven, innovation-driven, cost-driven and policy-driven.
Ben Bernanke and Bagehot 's Rules

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has claimed that the Fed's bank bailouts during the 2008 financial crisis were consistent with Walter Bagehot's rules for a lender of last resort. This paper demonstrates Bernanke's claims to be mistaken. First, we outline Bagehot's doctrine for a classical lender of last resort. Next, we discuss Bernanke's theory of bank bailouts and his statements regarding the Fed's role in the 2008 bank bailouts. Finally, we examine the bailouts and demonstrate that, contrary to Bernanke's claims, the Fed's actions were not consistent with Bagehot's rules for a lender of last resort.
Effect of post-induction nutrient feeding strategies on the production of bioadhesive protein in Escherichia coli.

The effect of post-induction nutrient feeding strategies on the production of bioadhesive protein using an IPTG inducible expression system in Escherichia coli was investigated. Cells were cultured in an exponential fed-batch mode to the OD600 of ca. 100 (48 gDCW/L) prior to induction. Six different post-induction nutrient feeding strategies (pH-stat, exponential, constant and linear change in feeding rate with three different slopes) were then applied, and bioadhesive protein production was examined. It was found that post-induction cell growth was independent of nutrient feeding rate. However, bioadhesive protein production was significantly affected by post-induction feeding strategies. Linearly changing post-induction feeding rate with a suitable slope allowed production of bioadhesive protein up to 5.3 g/L, which was higher than that obtained by the other post-induction feeding strategies.
Reproducibility study of left ventricular measurements with breath‐hold cine MRI using a semiautomated volumetric image analysis program

The reproducibility of a semiautomated method of volumetric analysis allowing estimates of left ventricular (LV) parameters in approximately 5 minutes of analysis time is reported. Twenty normal volunteers underwent cine breath‐hold cardiac MRI on two occasions with two observers using this new semiautomated method to estimate LV parameters. Reproducibility of this technique was comparable to published data with a variability of less than approximately 10% for all LV parameters calculated. Using this technique, the 95% confidence limits for change for left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) = ± 15 ml, left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV) = ± 8 ml, LV mass = ± 24 g, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) = ± 6%. This new method also compared favorably to established manual methods. This new method permits estimation of LV parameters with acceptable reproducibility in a time that may permit routine quantitation of cardiac MR studies.