Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Capital Assistance and Small Firm Growth: Implications for Regional Economic Welfare

This paper analyses the role of finance capital in regional economic development. A cost-benefit approach is invoked in order to estimate the welfare impacts of a regional loan and guarantee program for small firms in Israel. Program-created employment is treated as a benefit and an employment account that separates net from gross employment, is presented. An estimate of net wage benefits is then derived. This involves adjusting wages across different earnings classes in order to account for the variation in opportunity costs of labor at different levels. The estimation of costs includes the opportunity costs of capital, administration, default and tax-raising costs. Results point to substantial regional welfare effects. We stress the need to account for changing regional economic structure in this kind of evaluation framework. Acknowledgments; This research project was funded by the Department for Rural and Urban Development of the Jewish Agency, Jerusalem. Thanks to the anonymous referees for helpful comments on earlier drafts and to Adi Sidi for assistance with the data management.
Tests for interest rate convergence and structural breaks in the EMS: further analysis

In this paper the linkages existing between the interest rates within the European Union countries are assessed, to discover if the Exchange Rate Mechanism has led to a converging process. This hypothesis is tested using the uncovered interest rate parity relative to the Maastricht Treaty's interest rate criterion. The obtained results allow classification of the European countries from the point of view of the degree of convergence already achieved. The techniques used are unit roots, allowing for endogenously determined changes in the deterministic trends of the data, as well as the Kalman filter, which permits the convergence path of the series to be followed.
Economic Shocks and the Fed’s Policy--The Transmission Conduit and Its International Linkage

This paper uses a Bayesian Vector Autoregression (BVAR) model to evaluate the impacts of policy and financial shocks on several economic variables.We use both expected federal funds and unexpected federal funds rates as an indicator of monetary policy respectively.In addition to the traditional financial market measures, i.e., bank loan and equity price changes to signal the financial shocks, we introduce a new credit measure that reflects the differential credit access for small and large firms. We use U.S. monthly data from July 1954 to March 2009.The results of our impulse response functions and variance decomposition provide a positive assessment of the Fed’s recent policy actions.We also extend the framework to include four foreign countries and show that foreign stock prices are significantly affected by U.S. equity shock in a later time period, indicating a stronger global integration recently.Nevertheless, the U.S. equity market is not affected much by the foreign equity market.
Do IFRS Reconciliations Convey Information? The Effect of Debt Contracting

We examine whether earnings reconciliation from U.K. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) convey information. As a result of debt contracting, mandatory accounting changes are expected to affect the likelihood of violating existing covenants based on rolling GAAP, leading to a redistribution of wealth between shareholders and lenders. Consistent with this prediction, we find significant market reactions to IFRS reconciliation announcements. These market reactions are more pronounced among firms that face a greater likelihood and costs of covenant violation and early announcements. While the association between later announcements and weaker market reactions is consistent with contractual implications of technical changes to earnings, which investors quickly learn to predict, it is inconsistent with IFRS forcing all firms in the sample to reveal firm‐specific information through accruals. Thus, by showing that mandatory IFRS also affects debt contracting, we expand on existing IFRS research that focuses on how accounting quality and cost of capital are impacted.
Common Challenges in Gum Arabic Production and Commercialization in West Africa: A Comparative Study of Cameroon, Niger and Senegal

SUMMARY As gum arabic is widely used in food and non-food industries, demand is high all over the world. Still, smaller production countries in West Africa such as Cameroon, Niger and senegal seem to have so many difficulties producing and commercializing gum arabic that their market shares have declined significantly over the years despite their production potential. This paper reviews the development of the gum arabic market chains in Cameroon, Niger and senegal, in order to evaluate the limiting factors and identify appropriate strategies to the sector progress. The main challenges in production and commercialization are limited knowledge and management of resources, pricing and quality. Some of the general strategies that could improve performance are the professionalization of the sector, the integration of Acacia senegal development into rural economic activities, capacity building for producers and other actors, and the organization of the marketing system.
Persistent Disruption of an Established Morphine Conditioned Place Preference

In human addicts, craving and relapse are frequently evoked by the recall of memories connected to a drug experience. Established memories can become labile if recalled and can then be disrupted by several interfering events and pharmacological treatments, including inhibition of protein synthesis. Thus, reactivation of mnemonic traces provides an opportunity for disrupting memories that contribute to pathological states. Here, we tested whether the memory of a drug experience can be weakened by inhibiting protein synthesis after the reactivation of its trace. We found that an established morphine conditioned place preference (mCPP) was persistently disrupted if protein synthesis was blocked by either anisomycin or cycloheximide after the representation of a conditioning session. Unlike other types of memories, an established mCPP did not become labile after contextual recall, but required the concomitant re-experience of both the conditioning context and the drug. An established mCPP was disrupted after the conditioning session if protein synthesis was blocked selectively in the hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, or nucleus accumbens but not in the ventral tegmental area. This disruption seems to be permanent, because the preference did not return after further conditioning. Thus, established memories induced by a drug of abuse can be persistently disrupted after reactivation of the conditioning experience.
A multi functional plug-in for exergames

This paper describes the development of a software complement for Blender (a freely available animation software) which allows to insert motion data obtained from a motion capture camera device. The main target is to provide Blender with a tool to develop exergames, i.e. serious games for performing physical exercises, which are fully adaptive to the user's needs and capabilities, especially addressing chronical patients or handicapped. The plugin incorporates both: motion control and recording, allowing to store user movements. Transmission is realized via the OSC (Open Sound Control) protocol. The tool is still under development, here a first version is presented showing its functionalities in a demo-game. In the future, sensor data from other devices is planned to be integrated.
Does it pay to delay social security

Social Security benefits may be commenced at any time between ages 62 and 70. As individuals who claim later can, on average, expect to receive benefits for a shorter period, an actuarial adjustment is made to the monthly benefit to reflect the age at which benefits are claimed. We investigate the actuarial fairness of that adjustment in light of recent improvements in mortality and historically low interest rates. We show that delaying is actuarially advantageous for a large number of people, even for individuals with mortality rates that are twice the average. At real interest rates closer to their historical average, singles with mortality that is substantially greater than average do not benefit from delay, although primary earners with high mortality can still improve the present value of the household's benefits through delay. We also investigate the extent to which the actuarial advantage of delay has grown since the early 1960s, when the choice of when to claim first became available, and we decompose this growth into three effects: (1) the effect of changes in Social Security's rules, (2) the effect of changes in the real interest rate, and (3) the effect of changes in life expectancy. Finally, we quantify the extent to which the gains from delay can be expected to increase in the future as a result of mortality improvements.
Aggregation State‐Dependent Activation of the Classical Complement Pathway by the Amyloid β Peptide

Abstract: Activation of the classical complement pathway has been widely investigated in recent years as a potential mechanism for the neuronal loss and neuritic dystrophy characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. We have previously shown that amyloid β peptide (Aβ) is a potent activator of complement, and recent evidence suggesting that the assembly state of Aβ is crucial to the progress of the disease prompted efforts to determine whether the ability of Aβ to activate the classical complement pathway is a function of the aggregation state of the peptide. In this report, we show that the fibrillar aggregation state of Aβ, as determined by thioflavin T fluorometry, electron microscopy, and staining with Congo red and thioflavine S, is precisely correlated with the ability of the peptide to induce the formation of activated fragments of the complement proteins C4 and C3. These results suggest that the classical complement pathway provides a mechanism whereby complement‐dependent processes may contribute to neuronal injury in the proximity of fibrillar but not diffuse Aβ deposits in the AD brain.
The Haemophilus influenzae Hap autotransporter mediates microcolony formation and adherence to epithelial cells and extracellular matrix via binding regions in the C‐terminal end of the passenger domain

The pathogenesis of non‐typable Haemophilus influenzae disease begins with colonization of the nasopharynx and is facilitated by bacterial adherence to respiratory mucosa. The H. influenzae Hap autotransporter is a non‐pilus adhesin that promotes adherence to epithelial cells and selected extracellular matrix proteins and mediates bacterial aggregation and microcolony formation. In addition, Hap has serine protease activity. Hap contains a 110 kDa internal passenger domain called HapS and a 45 kDa C‐terminal translocator domain called Hapβ. In the present study, we sought to define the structural basis for Hap adhesive activities. Based on experiments using a panel of monoclonal antibodies against HapS, a deletion derivative lacking most of HapS and a purified fragment of HapS, we established that adherence to epithelial cells is mediated by sequences within the C‐terminal 311 residues of HapS. In additional experiments, we discovered that bacterial aggregation is also mediated by sequences within the C‐terminal 311 residues of HapS and occurs via HapS–HapS interaction between molecules on neighbouring organisms. Finally, we found that adherence to fibronectin, laminin and collagen IV is mediated in part by sequences within the C‐terminal 311 residues of HapS and in full by sequences within the C‐terminal 511 residues of HapS. Taken together, these results demonstrate that all Hap adhesive activities reside in the C‐terminal portion of HapS. Coupled with earlier observations, the current results establish that HapS adhesive activities and HapS protease activity are contained in separate modules of the protein.
marA locus causes decreased expression of OmpF porin in multiple-antibiotic-resistant (Mar) mutants of Escherichia coli

Mar (multiple antibiotic resistant) mutants of Escherichia coli express chromosomally mediated resistance to a variety of structurally unrelated hydrophilic and hydrophobic antibiotics. Insertion of transposon Tn5 into the marA locus at min 34.05 on the chromosome completely reverses the Mar phenotype (A. M. George and S. B. Levy, J. Bacteriol. 155:531-540, 1983). We found that among changes in the outer membrane of Mar mutants, porin OmpF was greatly reduced, although Mar mutants were more resistant than cells lacking only OmpF. Transduction of the marA region from a Mar strain, but not a wild-type strain, led to loss of OmpF. P1 transduction of marA::Tn5 into a Mar mutant partially restored OmpF levels. Therefore, OmpF reduction required a mutation in the marA region. Mar mutants of an ompF-lacZ operon fusion strain expressed 50 to 75% of the beta-galactosidase activity of the isogenic non-Mar parental strain, while Mar mutants of a protein fusion strain expressed less than 10% of the enzyme activity in the non-Mar strain. These changes were completely reversed by insertion of marA::Tn5. The responsiveness of OmpF-LacZ to osmolarity and temperature changes was similar in Mar and wild-type strains. Although some transcriptional control may have been present, OmpF reduction appeared to occur primarily by a posttranscriptional mechanism. The steady-state levels of ompF mRNA were twofold lower and the mRNA was five times less stable in the Mar mutant than in the wild-type strain. Expression of micF, which lowers ompF mRNA levels, was elevated in Mar strains, as revealed by a micF-lacZ fusion. Studies with strains deleted for the micF locus showed that the marA-dependent reduction of OmpF required an intact micF locus. Our findings suggest that the marA locus directly or indirectly increases micF expression, causing a posttranscriptional decrease in ompF mRNA and reduced amounts of OmpF.
Differences in Quality of Diabetes Care Between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem

Aims. To evaluate whether differences exist in the quality of diabetes care delivered to the Arab and Jewish populations in Jerusalem. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in West Jerusalem's 4 major hospitals. Participants were patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 45 to 75 years of age, who were insured by Israel's largest health maintenance organization (HMO) and admitted to an emergency room (ER) between May and June 2004 for any medical cause. Hospital files were reviewed, patients were interviewed, and computerized data were retrieved from the HMO's database. Results. Arab patients received less nutritional counseling (odds ratio [OR] = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.24-0.85; P = .013), fewer recommendations about and less support in performing physical activities (OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.24-0.74; P = .003), and less guidance in performing self foot examinations (OR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.32-0.96; P = .035). Conclusions. Arab patients in Jerusalem receive lower quality diabetes care compared with Jewish residents. (Am J Med Qual 2008;23:60-65)
Moving toward risk-based deposit insurance premiums in the European Union: the case of Spain

This article provides a scenario-based analysis of how the European Union proposal for a new funding model for deposit insurance systems (DISs) would affect the Spanish banking sector. We examine the risk profiles of commercial banks, savings banks and credit cooperatives over the period 2007 to 2011 and compare the contributions to the deposit insurance fund (DIF) under the current flat-rate regime with those that would have occurred under the new risk-sensitive system. We find that a risk-based scheme could provide an incentive for sound management by reducing the premiums for credit institutions with better risk profiles. We also conclude that the proposed reform may help to mitigate the moral hazard associated with larger credit institutions.
Respiratory syncytial virus infections in hospitalized infants: Association between viral load, virus subgroup, and disease severity

The relationships between host factors, virus strain, viral load, and illness severity in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)‐induced bronchiolitis are poorly defined. These relationships were evaluated prospectively in 81 previously healthy infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis. Disease severity was determined by the respiratory rate, the duration of hospitalization, and whether patients during their hospitalization required pediatric intensive care unit admission or mechanical ventilation. RSV typing into subgroup A and B was obtained by RT‐PCR‐hybridization assay. The nasopharyngeal RSV viral loads were measured by real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR. Disease severity correlated significantly with the presence of risk factor (estimated gestational age < 37 weeks and/or birth weight < 2,500 g) and with chronologic age ≤ 28 days at time of sample collection. The results revealed significant association between disease severity and nasopharyngeal RSV viral load. Analysis also showed that disease severity was not associated significantly with RSV subgroup. Thus, RSV disease severity is likely to be determined by an interplay between host and virus factors, including RSV load. J. Med. Virol. 79:1951–1958, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of estrogen receptors and androgen receptor and their clinical significance in gastric cancer

Despite the mounting studies exploring the role of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and androgen receptor (AR) in gastric cancer (GC), there remain controversies in those findings. The present study investigated the expression of ERα, ERβ and AR in Chinese gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry, analyzed their clinical relevance in gastric cancer, and examined the potential mechanisms by which ERα and AR modulated GC progression. The positive rate of ERα, ERβ and AR in GC tissues was 6% (9/150), 93.5% (143/153), and 42.4% (59/139), respectively. The expression of ERα was an independent unfavorable risk factor for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.639, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.432-9.246, p = 0.007) for GC patients. Moreover, AR was borderline significantly associated with poor progress free survival (PFS) after adjustment with other variables (HR = 1.573, 95% CI = 0.955-2.592, p = 0.075). Knockdown of ERα inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells possibly via modulating the expression of p53, p21, p27, cyclin D1 and E-cadherin. Downregulation of AR suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells and inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated pathways. Conclusion The present study showed that positive ERα was associated with poor prognosis of Chinese GC patients. ERα might modulate the proliferation, migration and invasion via regulating the expression of p53, p21, p27, cyclin D1 and E-cadherin. ERα could be a valuable prognostic biomarker and promising therapeutic target for Chinese GC patients.
Target Financial Reporting Quality and M&A Deals That Go Bust

This study investigates the role of financial reporting quality in merger and acquisition (M&A) deals that are ultimately terminated, i.e., go bust. If a target is a U.S. publicly-traded company, an acquirer’s initial assessment of the potential benefits associated with the acquisition of the company is based on publicly available information. Generally, the acquirer obtains limited private information from the target prior to announcing the deal, but engages in transactional due diligence after signing the acquisition agreement to affirm that the financial reporting warranties made by the target are accurate. We construct a low quality financial reporting score based on measures prior research identifies as being associated with less-reliable, less-relevant, and less-precise financial reporting. We find that acquirers offer higher premiums for targets with low quality financial reporting. However, we also find that low quality financial reporting increases the likelihood of deal renegotiation, and contributes to the probability of deals going bust. We document that failed targets are more likely to restate their financial statements after the announcement of the deal, supporting our conjecture that low quality financial reporting contributes to deals being terminated. Our research provides new insights into the capital market consequences of financial reporting quality and identifies a new determinant of financial statement restatements.
Food safety knowledge on the Bt mutant protein Cry8Ka5 employed in the development of coleopteran-resistant transgenic cotton plants

Insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been exploited in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops for pest control. However, several pests are still difficult to control such as the coleopteran boll weevil Anthonomus grandis. By applying in vitro molecular evolution to the cry8Ka1 gene sequence, variants were generated with improved activity against A. grandis. Among them, Cry8Ka5 mutant protein showed coleoptericidal activity 3-fold higher (LC50 2.83 μg/mL) than that of the original protein (Cry8Ka1). Cry8Ka5 has been used in breeding programs in order to obtain coleopteran-resistant cotton plants. Nevertheless, there is some concern in relation to the food safety of transgenic crops, especially to the heterologously expressed proteins. In this context, our research group has performed risk assessment studies on Cry8Ka5, using the tests recommended by Codex as well as tests that we proposed as alternative and/or complementary approaches. Our results on the risk analysis of Cry8Ka5 taken together with those of other Cry proteins, point out that there is a high degree of certainty on their food safety. It is reasonable to emphasize that most safety studies on Cry proteins have essentially used the Codex approach. However, other methodologies would potentially provide additional information such as studies on the effects of Cry proteins and derived peptides on the indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota and on intestinal epithelial cells of humans. Additionally, emerging technologies such as toxicogenomics potentially will offer sensitive alternatives for some current approaches or methods.
Measurements and models of a land mobile satellite channel and their applications to MSK signals

The fading and shadowing effects observed on land mobile satellite signals are characterized in statistical terms. Models are developed in terms of probability distribution of the signal's envelope and phase as well as its rate of change with time. The multipath fading and shadowing effects modelled are typical of those encountered in a mobile-satellite link in rural and suburban areas. A comparison of the models with experimental data at 870 MHz and 1542 MHz is given. Applications of the models to predict performance of a minimum shift keying (MSK) signal at 2400 bits/s show that large margins are required to compensate for the effects of fading and shadowing. In addition, the results show that conventional coherent demodulation of a MSK signal may not be feasible due to phase variation caused by fading and shadowing. On the other hand, the results show that random FM has negligible effect on the probability of error of the MSK signal at 2400 bits/s when frequency demodulation is used.