Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essays on the Market for Higher Education and Public Policies

My dissertation analyzes the government provision of education. The first chapter evaluates how state performance-based funding affects student outcomes and other intermediate measures. I find significant increases to completion rates, retention rates and student's future income attributed to these programs. Further, the improvements increase with the amount of state funding allocated based on college performance. My second chapter uses a quantitative equilibrium model of the market for higher education to evaluate the impact of performance-based federal financial aid. The model reveals that basing a rating system entirely on one measure may lead to minor increases in the incentivized area and considerable decreases in other areas. My final chapter develops a majority voting model with both K-12 and post-secondary education to gain insight into how the education budget is allocated in the presence of heterogeneous agents with conflicting preferences. The model predicts an inverted U-shape relationship between income inequality and the education fund allocation within a state. This prediction is confirmed by the data.
Learning By Doing: The Long-Term Impact of Experiential Learning Programs on Student Success

Abstract As the advisers for the Model United Nations and Judicial Internship programs at our university, we have witnessed first-hand the benefits of simulations and experiential learning. Specifically, students are able to apply knowledge from other classes to real-world situations, all while honing their writing skills and communication skills, as well as their ability to analyze and synthesize information—skills that are critical to success in a wide variety of careers. This practical experience also gives students confidence as they prepare for and make decisions about their future career paths. While we have anecdotal evidence suggesting that these programs contribute to student success, we use survey data from former students to assess formally the longer-term impact of participating in these programs. We find that experiential learning programs contribute to student success by improving time to graduation and increasing the likelihood of attending graduate school or law school and/or finding employment after graduation. In addition, the students’ own assessments indicate that these programs instill numerous practical skills and provide insights that help prepare students for success in their future careers.
Members of the Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein H Family Activate Splicing of an HIV-1 Splicing Substrate by Promoting Formation of ATP-dependent Spliceosomal Complexes*

In this study we analyzed members of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) H protein family to determine their RNA binding specificities and roles in splicing regulation. Our data indicate that hnRNPs H, H′, F, 2H9, and GRSF-1 bind the consensus motif DGGGD (where D is U, G, or A) and aggregate in a multimeric complex. We analyzed the role of these proteins in the splicing of a substrate derived from the HIV-1 tat gene and have shown that hnRNP H family members are required for efficient splicing of this substrate. The hnRNP H protein family members activated splicing of the viral substrate by promoting the formation of ATP-dependent spliceosomal complexes. Mutational analysis of six consensus motifs present within the intron of the substrate indicated that only one of these motifs acts as an intronic splicing enhancer.
EGF upregulates Na+/H+ exchanger NHE1 by post‐translational regulation that is important for cervical cancer cell invasiveness

Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1) is involved in cell migration but little is known about the signal pathways that regulate NHE1 activity and that are associated with tumor cell invasiveness. This study is to investigate the mechanisms by which epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates NHE1 expression to promote cervical cancer cell invasiveness and the clinical significance in early‐stage cervical cancer. NHE1 protein was scanty in normal or noncancerous cervical tissues of all surgical specimens examined (n = 92). Tumor tissues clearly expressed NHE1 protein with different amounts. The differential expression level of NHE1 is associated with the clinical outcome. NHE1 protein was also differentially expressed between normal cervical epithelial cells and two cervical cancer cell lines. Cervical cancer cells benefit some enhanced cellular functions from NHE1 abundance, such as cell volume regulation, migration, and invasion. Interestingly, NHE1 colocalized with EGF in cervical cancer tissues. Studies in cell culture systems indicated that EGF‐stimulated NHE1 abundance in a time‐dependent manner by post‐translational regulation. This implies a likely autocrine or paracrine EGF stimulation of NHE1 production in vivo. In addition, the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase pathway is the dominant signal controlling EGF‐stimulated NHE1 abundance. Pharmacological inhibition of NHE1 activity markedly inhibited the basal and EGF‐stimulated cervical cancer cell migration. Image studies and immunoprecipitaion experiments suggest that EGF‐induced NHE1 translocation to the leading‐edge lamellipodia, where NHE1 interacted with actin‐associated protein Ezrin, thereby remodeling cytoskeleton and stimulating cervical cancer cell migration. In conclusion, EGF upregulates NHE1 by post‐translational regulation that is important for cervical cancer cell invasiveness. J. Cell. Physiol. 214: 810–819, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Capital Flows and Money Supply: The Degree of Sterilization in Pakistan

The present study proposes to analyze the impact of the capital flows on the economic growth. The change in the capital flows affects the money supply in the economy which in return influences the economic growth. The augmented dickey fuller test (ADF), descriptive Analysis, correlation method, and the auto regressive distribution lag are employed in this work. The ADF test is delved to examine the Stationarity of the variables and the correlation between them. The descriptive analysis is used to check the normality of the variable whether the variables is normally distributed or not. The survey bases on time series data ranging from the year 1974 to 2014. The variables as the gross domestic product (GDP), exchange rate (ER), inflation (INF), consumer price index (CPI), money supply (M2), total reserves (TR) and the foreign direct investment (FDI), price indices (PI). The research findings are Foreign direct investment, Exchange rate, Inflation rate, Consumer Price Index has the positive impact on the GDP while the Private Investment, Total reserves, and Money supply have the negative impact on the GDP. The value of the R square is 0.99874 which is very good. It means that the 99 percent variations exist in dependent variable due to independent variables.
Dynamic ultrafiltration model for proteins: A colloidal interaction approach

A rigorous dynamic mathematical model for predicting the rate of ultrafiltration of proteins has been developed. The model is based on sophisticated descriptions of the protein–protein interactions within the layer close to the membrane surface which are responsible for controlling permeation rate. Electrostatic interactions are accounted for by a Wigner–Seitz cell approach, including a numerical solution of the nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation. London–van der Waals forces are calculated using a computationally efficient means of approximating screened, retarded Lifshitz–Hamaker constants. Configurational entropy effects are calculated using an equation of state giving excellent agreement with molecular dynamic data. Electroviscous effects are also taken into account. These descriptions of protein–protein interactions are used to develop an a priori model, with no adjustable parameters, that allows quantitative prediction of the rate of filtration of proteins as a function of zeta potential (and hence pH), ionic strength, applied pressure, protein size, and membrane resistance. A comparison with experimental data for the filtration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) shows that the model is in excellent agreement with such data. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A 1-year randomised controlled trial comparing zirconia versus metal-ceramic implant supported single-tooth restorations.

PURPOSE To compare the biological, technical and aesthetic outcomes of single implant-supported all-ceramic versus metal-ceramic crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-six patients with premolar agenesis were randomly treated with 38 all-ceramic (AC) and 37 metal-ceramic (MC) implant-supported single-tooth restorations. A quasi-randomisation of consecutively included restorations in patients with one or more implants was used, i.e. a combination of parallel group (for 13 patients with one restoration) and split-mouth (for 23 patients with ≥2 restorations). All patients were recalled for baseline and 1-year followup examinations. Biological and technical outcomes, including complications, were clinically and radiographically registered. The Copenhagen Index Score and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were used to assess professional and patient-reported aesthetic outcomes, respectively, by blinded assessors. RESULTS One-year after loading, no patient dropped out and no implant failed, though one MC restoration had to be remade. The marginal bone loss was not significantly different between AC and MC restorations (AC: mean 0.08 mm, SD 0.25; MC: mean 0.10 mm, SD 0.17). Seven out of 10 inflammatory reactions were registered at AC restorations. Two technical complications, one loss of retention and one chipping of veneering porcelain were recorded at two metal-ceramic crowns. The marginal adaptation of the all-ceramic crowns was significantly less optimal than the metal-ceramic crowns (P = 0.014). The professional-reported colour match of all-ceramic crowns was significantly better than metal-ceramic crowns (P = 0.031), but other aesthetic parameters as well as the VAS scores demonstrated no statistically significant difference between AC and MC restorations. CONCLUSIONS Marginal bone loss and the aesthetic outcomes were not significantly different between AC and MC restorations in this short-term follow-up study, though inflammatory reactions in the peri-implant mucosa as well as less optimal marginal adaptation were more frequently registered for all-ceramic compared to the metal-ceramic crowns.
Labor-Based Asset Pricing

I establish empirically and theoretically that expectations of returns and cash flows are linked to firms' labor search decisions. Using a dataset that covers the near-universe of online job vacancy postings, I show that vacancy rates negatively predict stock returns and positively predict cash flows in the cross-section of firms and industries. The predictive power of vacancy postings is strengthened for firms facing less favorable labor-market conditions. Incorporating the supply and demand information of the aggregate labor market, I construct a new measure of employment value that strongly predicts aggregate stock and bond market returns, even in the presence of other known predictors. A production-side asset pricing model that combines heterogeneous production decisions with varying firm labor-market conditions generates these empirical findings.
Elevated Urinary Prostaglandin Excretion and the Effect of Indomethacin on Renal Function in Incipient Diabetic Nephropathy

We investigated whether the glomerular synthesis of prostaglandins modulates the glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion in incipient diabetic nephropathy (defined as urinary albumin excretion between 30 and 300 mg/24 h (microalbuminuria) in two out of three sterile ketone‐free 24‐h urine collections in patients having insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) without hypertension or other kidney disease). The urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 was significantly elevated in 8 insulin‐dependent diabetic patients with incipient nephropathy as compared with 9 normoalbuminuric IDDM patients and 11 healthy controls: 317 (182–1273); 95 (67–225); 132 (54–263) pg/min, respectively (2p<0.01). Glomerular filtration rate (single bolus 51Cr‐EDTA technique) and albuminuria (radioimmuno‐assay) were measured twice within 2 weeks in 8 females having IDDM with incipient nephropathy. The study design was a randomized double‐blind trial with the patients receiving either indomethacin (150 mg/day) or placebo for 3 days prior to the kidney function studies. Indomethacin treatment induced a significant reduction in urinary prostaglandin E2 excretion (73%) (2p<0.01), urinary albumin excretion rate diminished from 207 (63–253) to 87 (49–147) mg/24 h (2p<0.01), fractional clearance of albumin declined (70%) (2p<0.01). Glomerular filtration rate remained stable (108 (88–133) versus 110 (95–142) ml/min). Blood glucose and blood pressure were comparable during the placebo and indomethacin treatment (12.6 ± 3 versus 13.4 ± 5 mmol/l and 122/79±3/9 versus 122/82±4/10 mmHg, respectively).
Article – Speaking the Unspeakable? Nicola Lacey’s Unspeakable Subjects and Consent in the Age of #MeToo

In the midst of the #MeToo movement, a woman named Grace came forward describing an experience – that she had labelled sexual assault – with actor/comedian Aziz Ansari. This encounter did not reflect a clear and dichotomous giving or withholding of consent in line with a yes or no to sex. Because of this ambiguity, Grace’s assault became somewhat of a catalyst for #MeToo. The movement was divided into critics on the one hand, who argued her evening with Ansari was no more than an episode of bad heterosex, and supporters on the other, for whom Grace’s account resonated and who subsequently backed the need for deeper conversations on the topic of sexual consent. Considering these debates and Grace’s experience, this paper looks to the work of Nicola Lacey in Unspeakable Subjects to analyse how current ideas of sexual consent, in the 2003 Sexual Offences Act and beyond, fail to reflect a nuanced understanding of sexual harms, consequently neglecting ambiguous experiences in heterosex – like Grace’s – of consented to unwanted sex. Through an exploration of Lacey’s concept of sexual integrity, scholarship in the area of BDSM and other sociolegal approaches to considering consent and sex more ethically, this paper advocates expanding our view of consent to involve a critical analysis of how multiple power dynamics can intersect to affect individuals’ abilities to freely and meaningfully consent in heterosex.
A review of eye-tracking research in tourism

This study provides a review of eye-tracking as a technique for measurement of attention. The review discusses its theoretical basis, advantages and disadvantages, data collection procedures, analysis methods, and application in tourism and hospitality. Areas for further research in tourism and hospitality are provided based on a systematic review of tourism research using eye-tracking.
Endoscopic Endonasal Treatment of a Pott's Puffy Tumor

Pott's puffy tumor is an infrequent entity characterized by a subperiosteal abscess associated with frontal bone osteomyelitis. It has become rare due to the development of antibiotics and is usually seen as a complication of frontal sinusitis. Although Pott's puffy tumor is more commonly described in children, it should also be included in the differential diagnosis of swelling on the forehead in adults. Once the diagnosis is suspected, appropriate imaging should be performed to evaluate the possible complications. The treatment of Pott's puffy tumor combines medical and surgical approaches in order to prevent further complications. The goal of surgery is to drain the sinus and to excise the infected bone if necessary. The endoscopic endonasal approach is a safe and effective alternative to the external approach. This report describes the case of a 25-year-old man with Pott's puffy tumor resulting from frontal sinusitis.
Service innovation in the hotel industry: culture, behavior, performance

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to focus on the service innovation culture (SIC) in the formation of frontline employees’ (FLE) innovation performance based on two fit theories. More specifically, the research evaluates and examines the mediating role of challenge-oriented citizenship behavior (COCB) and charged behavior in the aforementioned relationship. To test the hypotheses, two-step structural equation modeling with bootstrapping estimation was conducted in AMOS, using data from 215 full-time frontline hotel employees over a one-month time period. This study establishes that the development of a SIC is positively related to the innovation performance of FLE. Likewise, the results indicate that there is a partially mediating role for the COCB and expanded charged behavior (encompassing vitality and creative self-efficacy) of FLE in the relationship between SIC and innovation performance. The findings of this study highlight the need for managers to incorporate a secure and trusting work environment so FLE will eagerly participate in the service innovation process by voicing their novel ideas. Managers can also consider the significance of the employee selection procedures and take advantage of employing university graduate for frontline service jobs.
Psychiatric morbidity at a female residential drug treatment centre in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE To describe the psychiatric co-morbidity of female psychotropic substance abusers treated at a residential treatment centre. METHODS Subjects were recruited from a female residential substance abuse treatment centre in Hong Kong--the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation for Drug Abusers. Demographic data and substance abuse habits were recorded. Psychiatric diagnoses were established with the Structured Clinical Interview for the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. RESULTS Of the 42 residents, 32 agreed to participate in the study. All of whom completed the questionnaire and the Structured Clinical Interview for the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Concerning substance abuse, 84%, 38%, and 34% of the subjects were dependent on ketamine, methamphetamine and cocaine, respectively. The most common lifetime psychiatric diagnosis was substance-induced mood disorder (47%), followed by substance-induced psychotic disorder (16%). CONCLUSIONS Psychiatric disorders complicate heavy substance abuse in the majority of female patients. Regular screening of this population with standardised diagnostic instruments for psychiatric comorbidity is clearly warranted.
Unmasking of CD22 Co-receptor on Germinal Center B-cells Occurs by Alternative Mechanisms in Mouse and Man*

Background: Changes in glycosylation on germinal center B-cells have the potential to influence CD22. Results: CD22 is unmasked on germinal centers due to loss of its preferred ligand. Conclusion: Different biosynthetic mechanisms in mice and humans down-regulate the preferred CD22 ligand on germinal center B-cells. Significance: Conserved unmasking of CD22 on germinal center B-cells from mice and humans suggests an important role for CD22 in the germinal center. CD22 is an inhibitory B-cell co-receptor whose function is modulated by sialic acid (Sia)-bearing glycan ligands. Glycan remodeling in the germinal center (GC) alters CD22 ligands, with as yet no ascribed biological consequence. Here, we show in both mice and humans that loss of high affinity ligands on GC B-cells unmasks the binding site of CD22 relative to naive and memory B-cells, promoting recognition of trans ligands. The conserved modulation of CD22 ligands on GC B-cells is striking because high affinity glycan ligands of CD22 are species-specific. In both species, the high affinity ligand is based on the sequence Siaα2–6Galβ1–4GlcNAc, which terminates N-glycans. The human ligand has N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) as the sialic acid, and the high affinity ligand on naive B-cells contains 6-O-sulfate on the GlcNAc. On human GC B-cells, this sulfate modification is lost, giving rise to lower affinity CD22 ligands. Ligands of CD22 on naive murine B-cells do not contain the 6-O-sulfate modification. Instead, the high affinity ligand for mouse CD22 has N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) as the sialic acid, which is replaced on GC B-cells with Neu5Ac. Human naive and memory B-cells express sulfated glycans as high affinity CD22 ligands, which are lost on GC B-cells. In mice, Neu5Gc-containing glycans serve as high affinity CD22 ligands that are replaced by Neu5Ac-containing glycans on GC B-cells. Our results demonstrate that loss of high affinity CD22 ligands on GC B-cells occurs in both mice and humans through alternative mechanisms, unmasking CD22 relative to naive and memory B-cells.
Do mesothelin/MUC16 interactions facilitate adenocarcinoma metastases to intracranial meningiomas?

Background: Meningiomas have been shown to express mesothelin, a high affinity binding site for MUC16, a transmembrane protein on adenocarcinoma cells. The mechanisms underlying adenocarcinoma metastases to meningiomas may provide insight into tumor-to-tumor metastases and adenocarcinoma metastases to leptomeningeal cells. Methods: Two meningiomas containing metastases from adenocarcinomas were identified and evaluated immunohistochemically for the expression and localization of mesothelin and MUC16. Results: Both meningiomas show extensive mesothelin immunoreactivity, and the adenocarcinomas metastatic to the meningiomas show mesothelin and MUC16 immunoreactivity at the interface with meningioma. Conclusions: Interactions between MUC16 and/or mesothelin on the cell membrane of adenocarcinoma cells with mesothelin on meningioma cells may facilitate adenocarcinoma metastases to meningiomas and possibly the leptomeninges.
D10S1423 identifies a susceptibility locus for Alzheimer's disease (AD7) in a prospective, longitudinal, double‐blind study of asymptomatic individuals: Results at 14 years

Typical forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) appear to be influenced by multiple susceptibility loci. This report describes the prospective, longitudinal, double‐blind assessment of the age‐specific risk of AD encountered by 325 asymptomatic first‐degree relatives of AD probands who carried the D10S1423 (AD7) 234 bp allele, the APOE E4 allele, or both, after 14 years of systematic follow‐up. A total of 30 incident cases of AD were detected during the first 3752 subject‐years of surveillance. The effects of carrying either or both of the D10S1423 234 bp and APOE E4 alleles on the age‐specific risk of developing AD were determined using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. The risk of developing AD was the greatest for individuals who carried both alleles (Mantel–Cox statistic = 16.46, df = 3, P = 0.0009; Breslow statistic = 13.38, df = 3, P = 0.004). Cox proportional hazards models were developed to estimate the risk ratios for each genotype, controlling for the potential effects of age at recruitment, sex, and years of education. Only individuals who carried both risk alleles exhibited a risk ratio that differed significantly from 1 (risk ratio = 7.5, P = 0.002, 95% CI = 2.1–27.0). Neither age at recruitment, sex, nor years of education made significant contributions to the model, although women tended to be at greater risk (P = 0.06). Recent evidence that D10S1423 resides within open reading frame C10orf112, whose predicted product resembles a low‐density lipoprotein receptor, suggests a molecular mechanism for this gene–gene interaction. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.