Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Fiscal Consolidation Consequences On Economic Growth In Romania

In the context of the economic and financial crisis the modification of the fiscal policy coordinates was seen either as a way to alleviate the impact of the crisis on the economic growth or as a necessity in order to reinsure fiscal sustainability. In both cases a correct estimation of the fiscal multipliers is crucial. This paper estimates the level of the fiscal multipliers for Romania in order to assess the impact on the economic growth generated by the fiscal consolidation process initiated in 2010. The results show that the levels of the fiscal multipliers are relatively low. However, there is an important difference between the values of the fiscal multipliers in the boom times compared to the periods when the economy operates below its potential and the empirical results showed a level of about 0.1 for the budgetary expenditure over the period 2000Q1- 2008Q2 and around 0.4-0.5 during 2008Q3-2014Q1, while the revenue multiplier was around 0.1 in both periods.
Consumer preference for genetically modified (GM) food: The case of less saturated fat palm oil in Malaysia

Identification of consumer preference for genetically modified (GM) food is a complex process, as the consumer’s decision may differ based on information received. The aim of this study is to capture the determinants of consumer preference for GM palm oil that has less saturated fat using discriminant analysis and binary logistic regression. Data was collected via a face to face survey of 1017 respondents within the affluent Klang Valley area, near Kuala Lumpur. Results from both models indicate that consumer preference is mainly shaped by perception variables such as health effect, religious views and socio-demographic variables like younger age and middle level income. Besides, respondents who were more optimistic and knowledgeable of biotechnology also tend to favor GM palm oil. The study further found that most respondents (56%) were undecided or unwilling to purchase GM food. Overall, results imply the importance of credible and effective dissemination of consumer information by the relevant authorities in the country.
The Empirical Relationship Between Earnings Information and Stock Returns

Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine, using a vector autoregressive model, whether the difference in earnings growth rates caused different reaction speeds in stock prices. Monthly returns of stocks listed in the Taiwan stock market from May 2003 to April 2013 were used as empirical data in this study. The analytical results showed that the returns of portfolios with higher earnings growth rates significantly led those portfolios with lower earnings growth rates when size, trading volume, institutional ownership ratio, and revenue factors were controlled, respectively. This paper finds that the earnings growth rate is a significant determinant of the lead-lag patterns observed in monthly stock returns.
Complexes of Plasmid DNA with Basic Domain 47-57 of the HIV-1 Tat Protein Are Transferred to Mammalian Cells by Endocytosis-mediated Pathways*

Arginine-rich peptides, penetratins, as part of a number of cellular and viral proteins, can penetrate across plasma membrane directly, without participation of endocytosis. We show that one of penetratins, the basic domain 47-57 of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1, transcription factor Tat (Tat peptide), is able to interact with plasmid DNA electrostatically. These interactions result in formation of polyelectrolytic complexes at various negative/positive charge ratios of plasmid DNA and Tat peptide. Plasmid DNA is capable of binding to Tat peptide up to 1.7-fold excess of the complex positive charge. The DNA-Tat complexes can be used for delivery of plasmid DNA into mammalian cells. Transfection efficacy of cultured cells by DNA-Tat complexes is stimulated by free Tat peptide, most likely because it protects DNA-Tat complexes from disruption by anionic proteoglycans of cellular surface. Our data strongly argue in favor of the endocytosis-dependent mechanism of DNA-Tat complex uptake by mammalian cells similarly to internalization of complexes of plasmid DNA with other polycationic carriers. Moreover, different cell lines use different endocytosis-mediated pathways for DNA-Tat complex internalization. Intravenous injections to mice of DNA-Tat complexes in comparison with injections of naked DNA showed an inhibitory effect of DNA-Tat complex positive charge on expression of transferred gene. A low level of foreign gene expression in the liver of mice injected intravenously with positively charged DNA-Tat complexes is accounted for by inactivation of DNA-Tat complexes in the bloodstream due to their interactions with serum albumin. These data should be taken into account in an attempt to develop versatile gene delivery systems based on penetratin application for human disease therapy.
Prognostic Value of Total Lesion Glycolysis Measured by 18F-FDG-PET/CT in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

AIM [(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography with computed tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) was assessed regarding its utility in prediction of outcomes after curative resection of colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Preoperative (18)F-FDG-PET/CT was performed in 325 patients with colorectal cancer. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean SUV (SUVmean), metabolic volume (MV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. Patients were divided into groups using cut-offs for overall survival (OS). (18)F-FDG-PET/CT parameters and other clinicopathological factors were investigated as prognostic factors. RESULTS The 5-year OS rates in the low and high SUVmax, SUVmean, MV, and TLG groups were 91.4% and 87.0% (p=0.238), 90.8% and 88.2% (p=0.453), 91.7% and 83.8% (p=0.006), and 92.1% and 70.1% (p=0.001), respectively, indicating poorer outcomes in patients with high MV and TLG. In multivariate analysis, high TLG, age ≥65 years, rectal tumor location, and pN(+) were independent factors predicting a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION TLG in (18)F-FDG-PET/CT is a prognostic parameter for colorectal cancer after curative resection.
Positive Exercise Experience Facilitates Behavior Change via Self-Efficacy

Purpose. Motivational processes can be set in motion when positive consequences of physical exercise are experienced. However, relationships between positive exercise experience and determinants of the motivational and the volitional phases of exercise change have attracted only sparse attention in research. Method. This research examines direct and indirect associations between positive experience and motivational as well as volitional self-efficacy, intention, action planning, and exercise in two distinct longitudinal samples. The first one originates from an online observational study in the general population with three measurement points in time (N = 350) and the second one from a clinical intervention study in a rehabilitation context with four measurement points (N = 275). Results. Structural equation modeling revealed the following: Positive experience is directly related with motivational self-efficacy as well as intentions in both samples. In the online sample only, positive experience is associated with volitional self-efficacy. In each sample, experience is indirectly associated with action planning via motivational self-efficacy and intentions. Moreover, action planning, in turn, predicts changes in physical exercise levels. Conclusions. Findings suggest a more prominent role of positive experience in the motivational than in the volitional phase of physical exercise change. Thus, this research contributes to the understanding of how positive experience is involved in the behavior change process.
Convivencia Escolar: Una revisión del concepto

espanolEl presente trabajo reporta un ejercicio de revision del concepto de convivencia escolar con vistas a apoyar su clarificacion y, por tanto, contribuir al desarrollo de un lenguaje comun en la region latinoamericana. Para ello las autoras conducen un trabajo documental orientado a identificar los principales enfoques teoricos en la literatura de convivencia. Posteriormente analizan cuatro estudios enfocados a sistematizar los enfoques prevalecientes en el estudio de la convivencia escolar. Como resultado, proponen un concepto de convivencia desde la perspectiva de la justicia social adaptada a la educacion y lo operacionalizan en tres ambitos de la vida escolar: pedagogico-curricular, oganizativo-administrativo y socio-comunitario. Esta nocion comprehensiva de la convivencia escolar podria apoyar la realizacion de investigaciones futuras, propuestas educativas y evaluaciones de convivencia escolar que ofrezcan una respuesta a la violencia y a la persistente exclusion social que existe en la region latinoamericana. EnglishThis article reports an effort to review the concept of school convivencia (peaceful coexistence, living together) in the Spanish context with the purpose of advancing into its clarification, and thus contributing to developing a common language in the Latin American region. The authors conduct a basic literature review oriented to identify the main theoretical approaches in the convivencia field. Subsequently, they analyze four studies foc used in systematizing the prevailing approaches in the study of school convivencia . As a result, the y propose a concept of convivencia from a social justice perspective adapted to education, and they operationa lize it in three areas of school life: pedagogica l-curricular , organizational administrative , and the socio -communitarian. This comprehensive notion of school convivencia may guide future research, educational init iatives, and school assessments in the convivencia field that may respond to the violence and pervasive social exclusion that exist in the Latin American region.
Capillary Length and Field Capacity in Draining Soil Profiles

The capillary length (λs) and time (ts) are dynamic scalars that emerge routinely in the infiltration problem when gravitational and pressure gradients forces are involved. During drainage, however, capillary gradients oppose gravity and retain soil moisture close to surface. In this case, the pull of capillary gradients increases with drainage time and offsets gravity resulting in a quasi‐hydrostatic pressure distribution and negligibly small drainage flux in the profile. In this paper, it is proposed to anchor the dynamic concept of field capacity—the attainment of a small negligible drainage flux—in the physics of soil moisture redistribution as influenced by gravity and capillary forces. Similar to infiltration, this dynamic approach grounds the concept of field capacity in soil hydrology and allows its estimation from readily measured intrinsic physical characteristics such as λs, ts, and Ks. Finally, we exploit an analytical solution by Broadbridge and White (1988, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR024i001p00145) to track the drainage front as soil water redistributes in an initially saturated soil profile. While initially large, the downward migrating drainage front decelerates with time reaching near steady state condition at t ≈ 1,000ts. Quasi‐hydrostatic pressure matric head and water content profiles develop above the drainage front.
Knowledge, perceptions and acceptability of HPV vaccination among medical students in Chongqing, China.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate medical students' knowledge of HPV and HPV related diseases and assess their attitudes towards HPV vaccination. METHODS A total of 605 medical undergraduates from Chongqing Medical University in China were surveyed using a structured and pretested questionnaire on HPV related knowledge. RESULTS Some 68.9% of the medical students were females, and mean age was 21.6 (±1.00) years. Only 10.6% correctly answered more than 11 out of 14 questions on HPV related knowledge, 71.8% being willing to receive/ advise on HPV vaccination. Female students (OR: 2.69; 95% CI: 1.53-4.72) and students desiring more HPV education (OR: 4.24; 95% CI: 1.67-10.8) were more willing to accept HPV vaccination. HPV vaccination acceptability was observed to show a positive association with HPV related knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Our survey found low levels of HPV related knowledge and HPV vaccination acceptability among participating medical students. HPV education should be systematically incorporated into medical education to increase awareness of HPV vaccination.
Measurement of Placental Perfusion by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI at 4.7 T

Purpose:The purposes of this study were to develop quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) at 4.7 T for perfusion measurement and to evaluate the ability of this technique to distinguish between low and normal levels of placental perfusion in a controlled rat model. Materials and Methods:This study was approved by the animal care committee. Poor placental perfusion in the left uterine horn was achieved by ligation of the left uterine vascular pedicle on the 17th embryonic day in 12 pregnant rats. High–temporal resolution DCE-MRI (<1 second) was performed on the 19th embryonic day. Single-compartment analysis was used to calculate placental blood flow (F), volume fraction (Vb), and time delay (Dt) for each placenta and its 2 layers in both uterine horns. Mixed regression analysis was used to compare parameters between the ligated and nonligated horn and between placental layers. Results:We examined 53 placentas: 11 on the ligated side and 42 on the control side. On the control side, the mean (SD) values were 115 (72) mL/min per 100 mL for F, 38.6% (11.7%) for Vb, and 5.5 (5.3) seconds for Dt.Placental blood flow was significantly lower on the ligated side (66 [30] mL/min per 100 mL; P = 0.001). Placental blood flow and Vb were significantly higher, whereas Dt was significantly lower in the inner layer than in the outer layer in both horns (P=0.0001). Conclusions:Quantitative analyses of perfusion are feasible with DCE-MRI at 4.7 T.Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can differentiate between low and normal levels of placental perfusion in a rat model. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging at 4.7 T is a promising preclinical tool for quantifying and monitoring microvascularization.
An investigation of the genetic diversity of the Kerkennah islands and Mahdia (Tunisia) using biparental markers

Abstract Background: Kerkennah is one of the main inhabited islands of Tunisia. The origin of the population of Kerkennah has not been established and no well-defined ethnic groups have been identified nor are genetic studies available. Mahdia, a Tunisian coastal city, has a long history dating back to ancient times. Aim: To discover the genetic diversity of the two studied populations and analyse their relationships with other Mediterranean populations. Subject and methods: Seven human-specific Alu insertion polymorphisms were typed in 99 individuals born in Kerkennah and Mahdia. Results: A neighbour-joining tree and MDS multidimensional scaling analysis showed that these Tunisian populations are scattered amongst North African and Europeans populations, indicating their high genetic diversity and mosaic aspect. The important finding of this study was the proximity of Kerkennah to Moroccans. Hence, the actual gene pool of this insular population may descend from the ancestral population known to be of Moroccan origin. Concerning Mahdia, its closeness to Eurasian populations and some Tunisian groups reflected a high Eurasian genetic component for North African populations and confirmed their heterogeneity. Conclusion: The strategic location of the two studied populations and their fortifications have allowed them to play a leading role in the Mediterranean basin.
American College of Sports Medicine. Position Stand. Physical activity, physical fitness, and hypertension.

Hypertension is present in epidemic proportions in adults of industrialized societies and is associated with a markedly increased risk of developing numerous cardiovascular pathologies. There is a continuing debate as to the efficacy of aggressive pharmacological therapy in individuals with mild to moderate elevations in blood pressure. This has led to a search for nonpharmacological therapies, such as exercise training, for these individuals. The available evidence indicates that endurance exercise training by individuals at high risk for developing hypertension will reduce the rise in blood pressure that occurs with time. Thus, it is the position of the American College of Sports Medicine that endurance exercise training is recommended as a nonpharmacological strategy to reduce the incidence of hypertension in susceptible individuals. A large number of studies indicate that endurance exercise training will elicit a 10 mm Hg average reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in individuals with mild essential hypertension (blood pressures 140-180/90-105 mm Hg). Endurance exercise training also has the capacity to improve other risk factors for cardiovascular disease in hypertensive individuals. Endurance exercise training appears to elicit even greater reductions in blood pressure in patients with secondary hypertension due to renal dysfunction. The mode (large muscle activities), frequency (3-5 d.wk-1), duration (20-60 min), and intensity (50-85% of maximal oxygen uptake) of the exercise recommended to achieve this effect are generally the same as those prescribed for developing and maintaining cardiovascular fitness in healthy adults. Exercise training at somewhat lower intensities (40-70% VO2max) appears to lower blood pressure as much, or more, than exercise at higher intensities, which may be important in specific hypertensive populations. Physically active and fit individuals with hypertension have markedly lower rates of mortality than sedentary, unfit hypertensive individuals. Thus, it seems reasonable to recommend exercise as the initial treatment strategy for individuals with mild to moderate essential hypertension. A follow-up period should assess the efficacy of the patient's exercise program, and adjunct therapies should be implemented according to the individual patient's blood pressure and CAD risk factor goals. Individuals with more marked elevations in blood pressure (> 180/105 mm Hg) should add endurance exercise training to their treatment regimen only after initiating pharmacologic therapy. Resistive, or strength, exercise training is not recommended to lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension when done as their only form of exercise training. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Evaluating content-centric vs. user-centric ad affect recognition

Despite the fact that advertisements (ads) often include strongly emotional content, very little work has been devoted to affect recognition (AR) from ads. This work explicitly compares content-centric and user-centric ad AR methodologies, and evaluates the impact of enhanced AR on computational advertising via a user study. Specifically, we (1) compile an affective ad dataset capable of evoking coherent emotions across users; (2) explore the efficacy of content-centric convolutional neural network (CNN) features for encoding emotions, and show that CNN features outperform low-level emotion descriptors; (3) examine user-centered ad AR by analyzing Electroencephalogram (EEG) responses acquired from eleven viewers, and find that EEG signals encode emotional information better than content descriptors; (4) investigate the relationship between objective AR and subjective viewer experience while watching an ad-embedded online video stream based on a study involving 12 users. To our knowledge, this is the first work to (a) expressly compare user vs content-centered AR for ads, and (b) study the relationship between modeling of ad emotions and its impact on a real-life advertising application.
Motion analysis of underactuated locomotion robot with quick return linkages on slippery level surface

The authors showed that an underactuated locomotion robot can generate a stable forward motion on downhill by utilizing the effects of sliding and wobbling. It was, however, difficult to generate forward motion on level surface. Our next research objective is therefore achieving stable motion generation on slippery level surface. It is being developed that a new type of the robot utilizing wobbling effects by quick return linkage. In this paper, we report the numerical simulation results and the parametric analysis results, and furthermore, we also outline the experimental robot we are developing now. We numerically show that the robot can successfully generate a stable level motion by utilizing the wobbling effect of a quick return linkage. Furthermore, we conduct parametric studies to analyze the change in the moving speed with respect to the driving frequency of the quick return linkage.
Introduction of ID2 Enhances Invasiveness in ID2-null Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells via the SNAIL Axis.

AIM Inhibitor of DNA-binding (ID) proteins are negative regulators of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that generally stimulate cell proliferation and inhibit differentiation. However, the role of ID2 in cancer progression remains ambiguous. Here, we investigated the function of ID2 in ID2-null oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS We introduced an ID2 cDNA construct into ID2-null OSCC cells and compared them with empty-vector-transfected cells in terms of cell proliferation, invasion, and activity and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). RESULTS ID2 introduction resulted in enhanced malignant phenotypes. The ID2-expressing cells showed increased N-cadherin, vimentin, and E-cadherin expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In addition, cell invasion drastically increased with increased expression and activity of MMP2. Immunoprecipitation revealed a direct interaction between ID2 and zinc finger transcription factor, snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAIL1). CONCLUSION ID2 expression triggered a malignant phenotype, especially of invasive properties, through the ID2-SNAIL axis. Thus, ID2 represents a potential therapeutic target for OSCC.