Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technical and scale efficiency of Tanzanian saving and credit cooperatives

The financial sector plays a critical role in economic growth and economic development (Beck & Levine 2004; Levine 1998). However, the impact of the financial sector on economic growth is realized if the sector is efficiently managed and well monitored. The corollary to this is that if the financial sector is not effectively monitored and regulated it may lead to economic crisis. As argued by Sufian (2011) the health of the financial sector is critical for the health of the economy at large. Given the relationship between the financial sector development and economic growth, knowledge about the efficiency of financial institutions and the underlying factors that influence efficiency is crucial. Such knowledge is necessary to provide insights for managers, regulators, policy makers and other stakeholders to formulate policies to improve the efficiency of the financial sector. Despite the importance of knowledge on health industry as articulated above, there is paucity of empirical literature on the performance of financial cooperatives in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. Thus, the objective of this paper is to empirically analyze the efficiency of Tanzanian Saving and Credit Cooperatives. Efficiency analysis was decomposed into three dimensions to explore possible sources of inefficiency. The first dimension was technical efficiency, which explored the overall effectiveness of transforming the productive inputs into desired outputs compared to the data-driven frontier of best practice. The second dimension was pure technical efficiency, which captured managerial efficiency in the intermediation process. The third dimension was scale efficiency, which explored whether firms were operating in an optimal scale of operation. The study used a sample of 103 audited financial statements during 2011. Data envelopment analysis was employed to explore the efficiency scores. The results show that average scores are 42%, 52% and 76% for technical, pure technical and scale efficiencies respectively. Since most of the inefficiencies are either technical or scale in nature, the study recommends increasing the operating scale for smaller firms. Firms operating beyond the optimal scale may need to downsize. Also the managers from technically inefficient firms should reduce the wastage of the productive resources by utilizing their inputs more efficiently.
Prognosis of “pure” petit mal

THE PROGNOSIS of petit ma1 remains obscure at the present time for several reasons. Before the electroencephalogram came into general use twenty years ago, the diagnosis was uncertain. Therefore. any follow-up study of patients who were not examined with the electroencephalogram would be inaccurate. In addition, the follow-up studies of patients with petit ma1 that have been reported14 include patients with both petit ma1 and grand mal. I t was thought that a follow-up study of patients with pure petit ma1 confirmed by electroencephalogram would be of interest and provide some basis for prediction when the physician is first confronted with a child having petit ma1 only. Petit ma1 is rare, existing in 2 to 3 per cent192 of a large series of adults and children with seizures and in 6 to 12 per cent of children3~5 with seizures. As a presenting complaint, petit ma1 without grand ma1 is still rarer.
The Key Sigma Factor of Transition Phase, SigH, Controls Sporulation, Metabolism, and Virulence Factor Expression in Clostridium difficile

ABSTRACT Toxin synthesis in Clostridium difficile increases as cells enter into stationary phase. We first compared the expression profiles of strain 630E during exponential growth and at the onset of stationary phase and showed that genes involved in sporulation, cellular division, and motility, as well as carbon and amino acid metabolism, were differentially expressed under these conditions. We inactivated the sigH gene, which encodes an alternative sigma factor involved in the transition to post-exponential phase in Bacillus subtilis. Then, we compared the expression profiles of strain 630E and the sigH mutant after 10 h of growth. About 60% of the genes that were differentially expressed between exponential and stationary phases, including genes involved in motility, sporulation, and metabolism, were regulated by SigH, which thus appears to be a key regulator of the transition phase in C. difficile. SigH positively controls several genes required for sporulation. Accordingly, sigH inactivation results in an asporogeneous phenotype. The spo0A and CD2492 genes, encoding the master regulator of sporulation and one of its associated kinases, and the spoIIA operon were transcribed from a SigH-dependent promoter. The expression of tcdA and tcdB, encoding the toxins, and of tcdR, encoding the sigma factor required for toxin production, increased in a sigH mutant. Finally, SigH regulates the expression of genes encoding surface-associated proteins, such as the Cwp66 adhesin, the S-layer precursor, and the flagellum components. Among the 286 genes positively regulated by SigH, about 40 transcriptional units presenting a SigH consensus in their promoter regions are good candidates for direct SigH targets.
Targeting and sequestration of truncated Pfs230 in an intraerythrocytic compartment during Plasmodium falciparum gametocytogenesis

For malaria to be transmitted, the Plasmodium falciparum parasite must invade an erythrocyte and undergo gametocytogenesis. When mature intraerythrocytic gametocytes are taken up in a blood meal by a mosquito they emerge as gametes and, once fertilized, continue to differentiate into infectious sporozoites. One of the major proteins associated with the surface of the parasite during gamete differentiation is Pfs230, a 360 kDa member of a family of P. falciparum proteins that contains a repeated cysteine motif domain. To characterize the role of different regions of Pfs230, the gene was disrupted by targeted integration and clones isolated that expressed distinct sections of Pfs230. Independent clones D1.356 a and b express the first 452 amino acids (aa) of Pfs230 and do not contain a cysteine motif domain, whereas clones D2.850 a and b express the first 950 aa, including the first cysteine motif domain. Although both sets of clones undergo gametogenesis and produce morphologically normal gametes, neither truncated Pfs230 is located on the surface of the gamete. In clones D1.356 a and b, the 452 aa Pfs230 is secreted into the parasitophorous vacuole and released as a soluble protein when the parasite emerges from the erythrocyte as a gamete. In marked contrast, the 950 aa form of Pfs230 expressed by clones D2.850 a and b is sequestered in a novel tubular compartment in the erythrocyte cytoplasm. This sexual‐stage tubular intraerythrocytic compartment (STIC) is not recognized by antibodies specific for proteins associated with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (Pfs16 or Exp‐1) or Maurer’s clefts (Pfsbp 1 or mAb LWL1) or intraerythrocytic asexual parasite proteins (PfEMP2 or HRP II).
The Zeal Deal: Prosecutorial Resistance to Post-Conviction Claims of Innocence

This Article analyzes the institutional and political factors deterring prosecutors from accepting the possible legitimacy of post-conviction innocence claims and formulating creative responses to them. Specifically, the institutional culture of most prosecutors' offices treasures convictions; an attorney's conviction rate may serve as a barometer of that person's stature within the organization and a key factor in determining that person's chances for internal advancement. This professional incentive for prosecutors to obtain and maintain convictions may be bolstered by profound psychological and personal bases for believing in the soundness of the verdicts and pragmatic reasons for discounting the possibility that there may be some creditable claims within the heap of post-conviction filings. Likewise, there are a series of political incentives for prosecutors to resist post-conviction innocence claims, even potentially meritorious ones, with zeal. Candidates vying for the office of chief prosecutor typically campaign on a general tough-on-crime platform, strewn with references to their overall win-loss record and reminders about specific successes in high-profile cases. Appearing "soft" on criminals, such as by accepting the possible validity of a prisoner's innocence claim, detracts from that tough-on-crime rhetoric and is largely anathema to prosecutors. The major exceptions to this general rule are when political considerations suggest that openness to the innocence claim may be advantageous, which is of little consolation to the prisoner whose claim happens to surface at a time when the political stars are not so perfectly aligned. This Article concludes by mentioning a series of potential reforms designed to help rehabilitate the ideal that prosecutors are obliged to do justice in the post-conviction arena.
The relationship between renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions in Turkey: An ARDL bounds testing approach

This paper deals with the relationship between renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions by incorporating economic growth, population density and trade openness as potential determinants of environmental pollution function in case of Turkey over the period 1960 to 2010. The ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration and vector error correction model (VECM) are used to investigate the long-run and causal relationships between the variables. The empirical results reveal that there exist a long-run equilibrium relationship between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, population density, trade openness and carbon emissions. The empirical results also reveal that renewable energy consumption has a negative long run effect on carbon emissions. There exists an evidence supporting the presence of a positive relationship between carbon emissions and the other variables in the long run. However, there exists no evidence of short run relationship between renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions. The results show bi-directional long run Granger causality between trade openness, population density and carbon emissions and also uni-directional Granger causality running from economic growth and renewable energy consumption to carbon emissions in the long run. Besides, the findings present some policy implications for Turkish economy.
Programmed Cell Death 1 and Helios Distinguish TCR-αβ+ Double-Negative (CD4−CD8−) T Cells That Derive from Self-Reactive CD8 T Cells

TCR-αβ+ double-negative (DN; CD4−CD8−) T cells represent a poorly understood cellular subset suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus. DN T cells have been proposed to derive from CD8+ cells. However, the conditions that govern the loss of CD8 expression after Ag encounter are unknown. In this study, we tracked the fate of CD8 T cells from transgenic TCR mice exposed to their cognate Ags as self or in the context of infection. We demonstrate that CD8 T cells lose CD8 expression and become DN only when cognate Ag is sensed as self. This process is restricted to tissues where the Ag is present. We also show that DN T cells derived from self-reactive CD8 cells express the inhibitory molecules PD-1 and Helios. These molecules identify a subset of DN T cells in normal mice. A similar population expands when CD8 T cells from repertoires enriched in self-reactive cells (Aire-deficient) are transferred into cognate hosts. Collectively, our data suggest that a subset of DN T cells, identified by the expression of PD-1 and Helios, represent self-reactive cells. Our results provide an explanation for the origin of DN T cells and introduce CD8 loss as a process associated with self-Ag encounter.
Evaluation of Encapsulation Materials for High-Temperature Power Device Packaging

High-temperature power electronics represent an increasing demand. Higher power density or severe ambient temperature applications become the trend, while silicon carbide components with 250-300 °C Tjmax are emerging. Among materials used in high-voltage power module, soft encapsulants play a significant role in improving both semiconductor die and module package voltage ratings, especially under enhanced electrical and thermal constraints. In operation close to their upper temperature limit, two silicone materials were selected among the most thermally stable soft insulators available today. Up to 300 °C, dielectric properties and their stability under isothermal aging in air ambient tests were characterized. The gel, tested using sandwich structures, exhibits cracking of its exposed-to-air face, at an aging temperature as low as 250 °C after less than 100 h. The elastomer, tested as free films, presents no cracking, no degraded electrical characteristics, and a 6 % relative mass loss, after 500 h aging. Moreover, the elastomer insulating properties, at low and high electric field, remains stable up to 300 °C (short-term tests), contrary to the gel which shows a strong increase in dc electrical conductivity. So the elastomer shows promising properties for improved encapsulation performance at 250 °C, to be further investigated in package configurations.
Predictability and Diversification Benefits of Investing in Commodity and Currency Futures

We re-examine diversification benefits of investing in commodities and currencies by considering a risk-averse investor with mean-variance preferences who exploits the possibility of predictable time variation in asset return means, variances, and covariances. We implement unconditional and conditional efficient portfolio strategies designed to exploit this predictability, together with more traditional and/or ad hoc ones yet hitherto relatively unexplored in this context (including the equally weighted, fixed weight, volatility timing, and reward-to-risk timing strategies). We find that, for all portfolio strategies, commodities and currencies do not improve the investment opportunity set of the investor with an existing portfolio of stocks, bonds and T-bills, and an investment horizon of one month. Our findings, which reverse the conclusions of previous studies that focus on static portfolio strategies, are robust across several performance metrics.
Re-Analysis of Correlations among Four Impulsivity Scales

Impulsivity plays a key role in normal and pathological behavior. Although there is some consensus about its conceptualization, there have been many attempts to build a multidimensional tool due to the lack of agreement in how to measure it. A recent study claimed support for a three-dimensional structure of impulsivity, however with weak empirical support. By re-analysing those data, a four-factor structure was found to describe the correlation matrix much better. The debate remains open and further research is needed to clarify the factor structure. The desirability of constructing new measures, perhaps analogously to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, is emphasized.
The heavenly chorus: interest group voices on TV news

The work of E. E. Schattschneider (1960) and others suggests that there may be systematic biases or unrepresentativeness in the voices that interest groups contribute to public deliberation about policy. Evidence from hundreds of TV news stories concerning 80 diverse policy issues from the 1969-82 period indicates that corporations and business groups predominated (especially on economic issues), with 36.5% of all interest group mentions, contrasted with only 13.2% for labor. Professional and agricultural interests were rarely heard from. Citizen action groups had 32% of all interest group stories, but these often concerned unpopular protest activity. Such imbalances, apparently resulting from differential command of money and other resources, seem to violate norms of equal access, representativeness, balance, and diversity in the marketplace of ideas.
Clinical evaluation of the addition of lyophilized, heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB to oral rehydration therapy in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children.

BACKGROUND Addition of a medication to the World Health Organization protocol for treatment of acute diarrhea in children is controversial. In this trial, the clinical efficacy of a medication (Lactéol Fort sachets; Laboratoire du Lactéol du Docteur Boucard, Houdan France) containing lyophilized heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB was assessed as an adjunct to oral rehydration therapy. METHODS Children aged 3 to 24 months with acute diarrhea and mild or moderate dehydration were enrolled in the study. Children received oral rehydration therapy for the first 4 hours. After this first rehydration phase, undiluted milk formula or breast milk was fed alternately with oral rehydration solution. Children were fed rice gruel as tolerated. They received either one sachet containing 10 billion of lyophilized heat-killed L. acidophilus LB or placebo at admission and at 12-hour intervals for five doses. RESULTS Seventy-three children (37 L. acidophilus LB, 36 placebo) were enrolled, of whom 40 (17 L. acidophilus LB, 23 placebo) received an antibiotic before inclusion. Rotavirus was identified in approximately 50% of the children in each group. After 24 hours of treatment, the number of rotavirus-positive children with watery stools was significantly lower (p = 0.012) in the L. acidophilus LB group. Mean duration of diarrhea was decreased (p = 0.034) with L. acidophilus LB (43.4 hours) versus placebo (57.0 hours). This decreased duration was particularly marked in children with no antibiotic therapy before inclusion (31.1 hours): 42.9 hours for the L. acidophilus LB group versus 74.0 hours for the placebo group (p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS Addition of L. acidophilus LB to oral rehydration therapy was effective in the treatment of children with acute diarrhea by decreasing the duration of diarrhea.
Consideration of technological and environmental heterogeneity in cost efficiency analysis

In order to evaluate and compare the efficiency levels across banking industries, we adopt the meta-frontier model that can assess the technological difference among countries. Given the importance of country specific conditions, we include in our analysis the different specificities of each country to incorporate the technological as the environmental differences in the evaluation of banking efficiencies. Using data on the banking industries of several countries in the MENA region, over the period 1991–2011, the results of the efficiency scores corrected by the technological and environmental gap led us to conclude that Egyptian banks are the most efficient in terms of cost compared with banks in other countries. Egyptian banks enjoy a very favourable banking technology. Our results support the hypothesis that traditional techniques of efficiency analysis based on the efficiency scores of a specific and pooled frontier tend to mystify efficiency levels and may incorrectly identify efficient banks. This paper contributes to the efficiency literature by incorporating technological and environmental heterogeneities in the evaluation of efficiency. This helps to characterize the production process of a bank and provides common standards by which the efficiencies of banks in different countries can be compared in a meaningful way with each other.
ANTI‐OXIDANT EFFECTS OF ATORVASTATIN IN DEXAMETHASONE‐INDUCED HYPERTENSION IN THE RAT

1 Dexamethasone (Dex)‐induced hypertension is characterized by endothelial dysfunction associated with nitric oxide (NO) deficiency and increased superoxide () production. Atorvastatin (Ato) possesses pleiotropic properties that have been reported to improve endothelial function through increased availability of NO and reduced production in various forms of hypertension. In the present study, we investigated whether 50 mg/kg per day, p.o. , Ato could prevent endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) downregulation and the increase in in Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats, thereby reducing blood pressure. 2 Male SD rats (n = 30) were treated with Ato (50 mg/kg per day in drinking water) or tap water for 15 days. Dexamethasone (10 µg/kg per day, s.c.) or saline was started after 4 days in Ato‐treated and non‐treated rats and continued for 11–13 days. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured on alternate days using the tail‐cuff method. Endothelial function was assessed by acetylcholine‐induced vasorelaxation and phenylephrine‐induced vasoconstriction in aortic segments. Vascular eNOS mRNA was assessed by semi‐quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. 3 In rats treated with Dex alone, SBP was increased from 109 ± 2 to 133 ± 2 mmHg on Days 4 and Day 14, respectively (P < 0.001). In the Ato + Dex group, SBP was increased from 113 ± 2 to 119 ± 2 mmHg on Days 4 to 14, respectively (P < 0.001), but was significantly lower than SBP in the group treated with Dex alone (P < 0.05). Endothelial‐dependent relaxation and eNOS mRNA expression were greater in the Dex + Ato group than in the Dex only group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Aortic superoxide production was lower in the Dex + Ato group compared with the group treated with Dex alone (P < 0.0001). 4 Treatment with Ato improved endothelial function, reduced superoxide production and reduced SBP in Dex‐treated SD rats.
A randomized treatment duration‐finding study of terbinafine in onychomycosis

Terbinafine is an allylamine antifungal compound shown to be effective in the oral treatment of onychomycosis. Because of the fungicidal acivity of the drug, a shorter duration of treatment, compared with the currently used oral treatment modalities, can be expected in onychomycosis of the toenail. In the present randomized study, the efficacy of oral terbinaifne treatment (250mg/day) was assessed for periods of 6.12, and 24 weeks. All patients were followed for up to 48 weeks after starting treatment. Of the 120 patients with toenail onychomycosis who entered the study, 98 were evaluable for efficacy. The involvement of the toenails was assessed both clinically and mycologically throughout the study. Evaluation at 24 weeks showed that complete cure of toenail onychomycosis was achieved in 67% of patients treated for 6 weeks, 82% treated for 12 weeks, and 85% treated for 24 weeks. At the end of a further 24 weeks of follow‐up, cure rates were 40%, 71% and 79%, respectively. The adverse effects of terbinafine were mostly mild‐to‐moderate gastrointestinal symptoms. Three patients discontinued treatment because of side‐effects. In conclusion, oral treatment with terbinafine is effective and generally well tolerated in patients with onychomycosis. Our results demonstrate that, for toenail onychomycosis, a treatment period of 12 weeks is sufficient.