Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conditional Cash Transfers: Do They Change Time Preferences and Educational Aspirations?

Conditional Cash Transfer programs are designed to increase human capital in poorer families. They do this directly through incentives and conditions. A further way these programs may influence household decisions is through impacts on preferences. Preferences may change as a result of new habit formation, information received through the program or by the relaxation of budget constraints which gives households a greater ability to look beyond their daily needs to plan for the future. Using a regression discontinuity design we test whether a large CCT program in Colombia affects the time preferences of participating households and aspirations for their children's education. We find that it does not. Thus, the positive impacts identified in previous studies appear to be driven by the ongoing receipt of the cash transfers and the associated conditions. Hence if the transfers were to stop, program benefits would likely be limited to those obtained during the program.
Affect regulation and addictive aspects of repetitive self-injury in hospitalized adolescents.

OBJECTIVE The incidence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in adolescent psychiatric inpatients has been reported to be as high as 61%, yet few data exist on the characteristics and functional role of SIB in this population. Because of the repetitive nature of SIB and its potential to increase in severity, features of SIB and its specific reinforcing effects were examined. METHOD Participants were 42 self-injuring adolescents admitted to a hospital over a 4 month period. Data sources consisted of self-report questionnaires and medical chart review. RESULTS Mean age was 15.7 +/- 1.5 years. Reported urges to self-injure were almost daily in 78.6% of the adolescents ( n= 33), with acts occurring more than once a week in 83.3% (n = 35). The two primary reasons endorsed for engaging in self-injury were "to cope with feelings of depression" (83.3%, n= 35) and "to release unbearable tension" (73.8%, n= 31). Of the sample, 97.6% ( n= 41) endorsed three or more addictive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS SIB in hospitalized adolescents serves primarily to regulate dysphoric affect and displays many addictive features. Those with clinically elevated levels of internalized anger appear at risk for more addictive features of this behavior.
Fiscal Policy and Private Investment In Selected West African Countries

Joseph A. Omojolaibi 1 , Tochi-Nze P. Okenesi and Ekundayo P. Mesagan This study sets out to examine the nexus between fiscal policy and private investment in five selected West African countries using annual data from 1993 to 2014. Employing Fixed Effect Model for Panel data ordinary least square approach, the results showed the existence of a significant crowding in effect of government capital expenditure and tax revenue while non-tax revenue showed a crowding out effect. Recurrent expenditure and external debt also showed crowding out effects but these were insignificant. The accelerator effect of output growth was also found to be insignificant across the countries over the time period. The study called for concerted efforts from these countries to channel funds towards capital projects and also restructure the tax systems to prevent the negative effects of public debt on private investment.
Economic Growth and Unemployment Rate. Case of Albania

This thesis studies the relationship between the economic growth and the unemployment rate in Albania. This relation is known as Okun's law, which states that 1 percent decrease in unemployment; GDP will increase by 3 percent. Albania is one of the countries that have a sluggish development and impact of unemployment is negative in the economy of the country. At the same time the economy itself effect the employment of the people. The unemployment occurs when people are without work or seeking work. During recession there is a high unemployment rate. Even some peaks of the development like in the Total Factor Productivity, integration or infrastructure there have been recession and a bad time for the Albania too. This affected the investments, the business and by lowering their profits they are obligated to lay off employees. So the unemployment rate starts to rise up. This study takes in consideration the years from 2000 to 2013 when the unemployment was rising day by day with negative impact in the economy. This thesis introduces the general relationship between gross domestic product and unemployment. The methodology used a simple regression and takes the economic growth as dependent variable and the unemployment rate as independent. The observed result didn't explain the Okun's law for Albania. The main reason is the current crises that prevent the improvement of economic conditions.
The inheritance of alzheimer's disease: A new interpretation

Ninety‐one families of Alzheimer patients were studied to determine the proportion of familial cases, to obtain pedigrees for the analysis of the mode of inheritance, and to look for clinical differences between the familial and the nonfamilial cases. The diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy in 26 cases. Thirty‐nine cases (43%) were familial, which is defined as more than one case in the family. Our interpretation of the pedigree data is that Alzheimer's disease is etiologically heterogeneous: it may be genetic or sporadic. In the familial type we think that the disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant, with a wide range of age of onset within a family. In one‐third of these families the gene is not expressed until over age 70. No clinical differences were found between the familial and the sporadic groups.
Population Models of Genomic Imprinting. II. Maternal and Fertility Selection

Under several hypotheses for the evolutionary origin of imprinting, genes with maternal and reproductive effects are more likely to be imprinted. We thus investigate the effect of genomic imprinting in single-locus diallelic models of maternal and fertility selection. First, the model proposed by Gavrilets for maternal selection is expanded to include the effects of genomic imprinting. This augmented model exhibits novel behavior for a single-locus model: long-period cycling between a pair of Hopf bifurcations, as well as two-cycling between conjoined pitchfork bifurcations. We also examine several special cases: complete inactivation of one allele and when the maternal and viability selection parameters are independent. Second, we extend the standard model of fertility selection to include the effects of imprinting. Imprinting destroys the “sex-symmetry” property of the standard model, dramatically increasing the number of degrees of freedom of the selection parameter set. Cycling in all these models is rare in parameter space.
N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Subunit NR 3 A in the Retina : Developmental Expression , Cellular Localization , and Functional Aspects

PURPOSE. Recently, a novel N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit, NR3A, has been discovered in the brain and shown to decrease NMDAR activity by modulating the calcium permeability of the receptor channel. The insertion of NR3A within the NMDAR complex may thus alter NMDAR properties and play a crucial role during processes of neuronal development and degeneration. The present study is the first to investigate the expression and cellular localization of NR3A on the protein level in the retina and to elucidate its putative functional roles within the retinal circuitry.
Sharp-Rejection Wideband Bandstop Filter Using Stepped Impedance Resonators

A novel wideband bandstop filter is proposed in this paper. Using one uniform impedance resonator and two stepped impedance resonators, five transmission zeros are introduced in the stopband. Appropriate positioning of these zeros ensures the high selectivity and flat rejection level of the stopband. The bandwidth of the filter can be conveniently controlled by the characteristic impedances of the connecting lines and resonators. A complete analytic analysis is proposed to fully control the positions of transmission zeros, and the design equations and design rules for the bandstop filter are given in detail by using the lossless transmission line model. To illustrate the concept, a wideband bandstop filter with center frequency at 2 GHz and rejection level below 20 dB is fabricated. Theoretical, simulated, and measured results are found in good agreement with each other, and the measured 20-dB rejection bandwidth is as wide as 150%.
Longitudinal increase in vitamin D binding protein levels after initiation of tenofovir/lamivudine/efavirenz among individuals with HIV

Objective:To examine longitudinal change in vitamin D binding protein (DBP) levels during the first year after initiation of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/lamivudine/efavirenz and compare these findings with concurrent changes in markers of skeletal metabolism. Design:Secondary analysis of plasma samples collected from an ongoing multicenter clinical trial. Methods:Plasma samples collected at 0, 24, and 48 weeks after initiation of TDF + lamivudine + efavirenz from 134 adult participants enrolled in a multicenter randomized trial were analyzed. Data regarding sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were obtained as part of the parent study. Laboratory analyses included plasma DBP, intact parathyroid hormone, total 25-hydroxy vitamin D, phosphorus, the bone resorption marker collagen type 1 cross-linked C-telopeptide, and the bone formation marker total procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to measure changes in biomarkers over time. Results:Our sample included 108 men and 26 women (mean age 33.6 ± 9.6 years). Median levels of DBP increased significantly from baseline to 48 weeks [154 (91.8–257.4) versus 198.3 (119.6–351.9) &mgr;g/ml, P < 0.001]. A concurrent rise in intact parathyroid hormone levels was observed over the same period [32.3 (24.4–40.9) versus 45.2 (35.1–60.4) pg/ml, P < 0.001]; however, 25-hydroxy vitamin D and phosphorus levels remained stable. Bone resorption and formation markers rapidly increased from 0 to 24 weeks, followed by a slight decline or plateau, but remained significantly elevated at 48 weeks (P < 0.001). Conclusion:Our study provides longitudinal data supporting a potential role for DBP in bone loss associated with TDF-based therapy. Further research to elucidate the mechanistic pathways and clinical impact of these findings is warranted.
The corpus callosum and empathy in adults with a history of preterm birth

Abstract Reduced posterior corpus callosum (CC) area has been consistently observed in children and adolescents born very preterm (VPT). CC structural differences are also observed in people diagnosed with empathy disorders. This study examined empathy in relation to CC size in VPT adults and controls. CC area was manually measured for 17 VPT adults and 9 controls. Participants completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980) and the Empathy Quotient (Baron-Cohen & Wheelwright, 2004). VPT adults had reduced posterior CC area in contrast to controls, and a positive linear trend was observed between posterior CC size and gestational age. No between-group empathy differences were observed, although self-reported personal distress in response to social situations was higher in VPT adults, and negatively associated with anterior CC area. We conclude that VPT adults have a smaller posterior CC, which is associated with gestational age, and elevated social distress, which may be mediated by anterior CC size. (JINS, 2010, 16, 716–720.)
Deep ploughing increases agricultural soil organic matter stocks

Subsoils play an important role within the global C cycle, since they have high soil organic carbon (SOC) storage capacity due to generally low SOC concentrations. However, measures for enhancing SOC storage commonly focus on topsoils. This study assessed the long‐term storage and stability of SOC in topsoils buried in arable subsoils by deep ploughing, a globally applied method for breaking up hard pans and improving soil structure to optimize crop growing conditions. One effect of deep ploughing is translocation of SOC formed near the surface into the subsoil, with concomitant mixing of SOC‐poor subsoil material into the ‘new’ topsoil. Deep‐ploughed croplands represent unique long‐term in situ incubations of SOC‐rich material in subsoils. In this study, we sampled five loamy and five sandy soils that were ploughed to 55–90 cm depth 35–50 years ago. Adjacent, similarly managed but conventionally ploughed subplots were sampled as reference. The deep‐ploughed soils contained on average 42 ± 13% more SOC than the reference subplots. On average, 45 years after deep ploughing, the ‘new’ topsoil still contained 15% less SOC than the reference topsoil, indicating long‐term SOC accumulation potential in the topsoil. In vitro incubation experiments on the buried sandy soils revealed 63 ± 6% lower potential SOC mineralisation rates and also 67 ± 2% lower SOC mineralisation per unit SOC in the buried topsoils than in the reference topsoils. Wider C/N ratio in the buried sandy topsoils than in the reference topsoils indicates that deep ploughing preserved SOC. The SOC mineralisation per unit SOC in the buried loamy topsoils was not significantly different from that in the reference topsoils. However, 56 ± 4% of the initial SOC was preserved in the buried topsoils. It can be concluded that deep ploughing contributes to SOC sequestration by enlarging the storage space for SOC‐rich material.
CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Improve the Survival of Pregnant and Fetal Mice following Listeria monocytogenes Infection

ABSTRACT Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause the death of both mother and fetus. Previous studies established that immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) increase the resistance of healthy adult mice to many infectious pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes. This study examines whether the innate immune response elicited by CpG ODN can reduce the susceptibility of pregnant mice to lethal listeria challenge. The results indicate that CpG ODN treatment significantly improves maternal survival and reduces pathogen transmission to offspring. CpG ODN administered during pregnancy did not induce abortion, birth defects, or reduce the size or health of litters. These findings suggest that CpG ODN may provide a safe and effective means of improving the health of mothers and fetuses during pregnancy.
Corrected Confidence Bands for Functional Data Using Principal Components

Functional principal components (FPC) analysis is widely used to decompose and express functional observations. Curve estimates implicitly condition on basis functions and other quantities derived from FPC decompositions; however these objects are unknown in practice. In this article, we propose a method for obtaining correct curve estimates by accounting for uncertainty in FPC decompositions. Additionally, pointwise and simultaneous confidence intervals that account for both model‐ and decomposition‐based variability are constructed. Standard mixed model representations of functional expansions are used to construct curve estimates and variances conditional on a specific decomposition. Iterated expectation and variance formulas combine model‐based conditional estimates across the distribution of decompositions. A bootstrap procedure is implemented to understand the uncertainty in principal component decomposition quantities. Our method compares favorably to competing approaches in simulation studies that include both densely and sparsely observed functions. We apply our method to sparse observations of CD4 cell counts and to dense white‐matter tract profiles. Code for the analyses and simulations is publicly available, and our method is implemented in the R package refund on CRAN.
Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry through ORAI1 Is Critical for T Cell-Mediated Autoimmunity and Allograft Rejection

ORAI1 is the pore-forming subunit of the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel, which is responsible for store-operated Ca2+ entry in lymphocytes. A role for ORAI1 in T cell function in vivo has been inferred from in vitro studies of T cells from human immunodeficient patients with mutations in ORAI1 and Orai1−/− mice, but a detailed analysis of T cell-mediated immune responses in vivo in mice lacking functional ORAI1 has been missing. We therefore generated Orai1 knock-in mice (Orai1KI/KI) expressing a nonfunctional ORAI1-R93W protein. Homozygosity for the equivalent ORAI1-R91W mutation abolishes CRAC channel function in human T cells resulting in severe immunodeficiency. Homozygous Orai1KI/KI mice die neonatally, but Orai1KI/KI fetal liver chimeric mice are viable and show normal lymphocyte development. T and B cells from Orai1KI/KI mice display severely impaired store-operated Ca2+ entry and CRAC channel function resulting in a strongly reduced expression of several key cytokines including IL-2, IL-4, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Cell-mediated immune responses in vivo that depend on Th1, Th2, and Th17 cell function were severely attenuated in ORAI1-deficient mice. Orai1KI/KI mice lacked detectable contact hypersensitivity responses and tolerated skin allografts significantly longer than wild-type mice. In addition, T cells from Orai1KI/KI mice failed to induce colitis in an adoptive transfer model of inflammatory bowel disease. These findings reaffirm the critical role of ORAI1 for T cell function and provide important insights into the in vivo functions of CRAC channels for T cell-mediated immunity.
Avoiding transport bottlenecks in an expanding root system: xylem vessel development in fibrous and pioneer roots under field conditions.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Root systems develop to effectively absorb water and nutrients and to rapidly transport these materials to the transpiring shoot. In woody plants, roots can be born with different functions: fibrous roots are primarily used for water and nutrient absorption, whereas pioneer roots have a greater role in transport. Because pioneer roots extend rapidly in the soil and typically quickly produce fibrous roots, they need to develop transport capacity rapidly so as to avoid becoming a bottleneck to the absorbed water of the developing fibrous roots and, as we hypothesized, immediately activate a specific type of autophagy at a precise time of their development. METHODS Using microscopy techniques, we monitored xylem development in Populus trichocarpa roots in the first 7 d after emergence under field conditions. KEY RESULTS Newly formed pioneer roots contained more primary xylem poles and had larger diameter tracheary elements than fibrous roots. While xylogenesis started later in pioneer roots than in fibrous, it was completed at the same time, resulting in functional vessels on the third to fourth day following root emergence. Programmed cell death was responsible for creating the water conducting capacity of xylem. Although the early xylogenesis processes were similar in fibrous and pioneer roots, secondary vascular development proceeded much more rapidly in pioneer roots. CONCLUSIONS Compared to fibrous roots, rapid development of transport capacity in pioneer roots is not primarily caused by accelerated xylogenesis but by larger and more numerous tracheary elements and by rapid initiation of secondary growth.
Melanocortin receptor agonist transiently increases oxygen consumption in rats

Acute injections of melanocortin (MC) agonist and antagonist are highly effective in reducing or increasing food take, respectively. Much less is known about how injection of MC receptor active substances affects metabolism, in particular during long term administration. Here we investigated the effect of 8 days continuous i.c. v. infusion of either MC receptor agonist MTII or the selective MC4 receptor antagonist HS024 on oxygen consumption, food intake and body weight in rats. We observed significant increase in oxygen consumption 2 days after the start of the MTII infusion. However, this increase had disappeared by day 4 of the study. No difference was observed in the oxygen consumption after injection of HS024. MTII substantially decreased the food intake during the first days, but then the feeding recovered and the body weight stabilised at a new level. The immediate effect of the MC receptor agonist on both food intake and metabolism was thus transient, even though the weight loss was maintained. The HS024 treated rats were hyperphagic throughout the test period, continuously gaining weight, resulting in increased fat pads and high leptin levels. This is the first study that describes long term effects of MC receptor agonist and antagonist on metabolism and energy balance.
Hemorheology in experimental research: is it necessary to consider blood fluidity differences in the laboratory rat?

This study was designed to identify whether blood fluidity differs between commercially available laboratory rat strains. The hemorheological profiles of seven clinically healthy wild-type rat strains were analyzed to determine whether any diversity in blood fluidity might affect the outcome of cardiovascular studies. Study 1: 65 healthy adult rats (Lewis, Long–Evans, Hairless, Wistar and Fisher; mixed gender and comparable ages) were compared. In order to determine the greatest possible difference, the two strains with the greatest hematocrit (HCT) differences were selected for more detailed evaluation. Red blood cell (RBC) deformability (maximum elongation index, shear stress for half-maximal deformation of RBC; both P < 0.0001), and the effect of plasma protein concentration upon plasma viscosity (P < 0.0001) were different between Lewis and Long–Evans strains. Whole blood viscosity – although different at native HCT (P < 0.004) – was unaltered following HCT standardization of samples. Differences in RBC aggregation were statistically significant but these were small and may not be clinically relevant. Study 2: these 65 animals were compared with 21 animals (10–16 weeks old; both sexes) from mutant strains (Dahl SS/JrHsdMcwiCrl, n = 10; ZDF-Leprfa/Crl, n = 11). In both mutant strains, plasma and whole blood viscosity were increased compared with commonly used strains at native and standardized HCT (P < 0.001). Unusually high RBC aggregation values were seen in the ZDF rat strain (P < 0.001). It was concluded that the variability in blood fluidity among clinically healthy adult laboratory rat strains was both statistically and clinically significant. A hemorheological profile should be added to a routine phenotyping process, since both variables can significantly influence study outcomes.