Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimates of Mincerian Returns to Schooling in Nigeria

In the face of declining rates of primary and secondary school enrolment and increasing post-secondary school enrolment rates, the Nigerian government introduced the free universal basic education programme in 1999. To understand better the economic forces underlying the recent trends in school enrolment rates and appraise the new education policy from the perspective of private efficiency returns, I estimate the private returns to schooling associated with levels of educational attainment for wage and self-employed workers using data from the General Household Survey. The estimates for both men and women are small at primary and secondary levels, 2–3% and 4%, respectively, but are substantial at post-secondary education level, 10–15%. Inter-generational returns to schooling decline for primary education but rise for post-secondary education. These schooling return estimates may account for the recent trends in school enrolments. Thus, increasing public investment to encourage increased attendance in basic education is not justifiable on grounds of private efficiency, unless investments to increase school quality have higher private returns. With high private returns to post-secondary schooling, students at this level should pay tuition to recoup more of the public costs of schooling, which may be redistributed to poor families through scholarships.
The Estimation Methodology of the 2011 National Household Survey

Prior to 2011, the Canadian census of population was conducted with a mandatory longform sent to 20% of the households and a mandatory short-form sent to the rest of the households. The 2011 Census was conducted with a mandatory short-form sent to the entire population. A voluntary survey called the National Household Survey (NHS) was created to collect the information that used to be collected with the long-form. To minimize the impact of non-response, a sample of 30% was selected for the NHS and after several weeks of collection, the follow-up efforts were concentrated on a random subsample of the remaining non-respondents. The design-weighted response rate was 77%, while for the last census long-form the response rate was 94%. This paper describes the estimation methodology used in the 2011 NHS. Design weights were first calculated. A non-response weight adjustment was done using census and linked administrative data and by converting a nearest-neighbour and whole-household imputation approach to a reweighting approach. Weight calibration to many census totals was performed. Variance was estimated with a multi-phase variance formula and Taylor linearization.
A Simple Approximation of Tobin's Q

This paper develops a simple formula for approximating Tobin's q. The formula requires only basic financial and accounting information. Results of a series of regressions comparing our approximate q values with those obtained via Lindenberg and Ross' (1981) more theoretically correct model indicate that at least 96.6% of the variability of Tobin's q is explained by approximate q.
Identification of migR, a Regulatory Element of the Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain iglABCD Virulence Operon Required for Normal Replication and Trafficking in Macrophages

ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis, the etiological agent of tularemia, is capable of infecting a wide range of animals and causes a severe, lethal disease in humans. The pathogen evades killing by cells of the innate immune system utilizing genes encoding a pathogenicity island, including iglABCD, and instead utilizes these cells as a niche for replication and dissemination to other organs within the host. Regulators of the igl genes (e.g., MglA, SspA, FevR and PmrA) have been identified, but environmental stimuli and mechanisms of regulation are as yet unknown and are likely to involve additional gene products. In this work, we more closely examine the roles that environmental iron and the ferric uptake repressor protein (Fur) play in the regulation of the iglABCD operon. We also used a genetic approach to identify and characterize a new regulator of the igl operon, designated migR (macrophage intracellular growth regulator; FTL_1542). Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR in a site-directed migR mutant confirmed the reduction in the number of iglC transcripts in this strain and also demonstrated reduced expression of fevR. Comparison of the migR and fevR mutants in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and epithelial cell lines revealed a reduced ability for each mutant to grow in MDMs, yet only the fevR mutant exhibited impaired replication in epithelial cell lines. Confocal analysis of infected MDMs revealed that although neither mutant reached the MDM cytosol, the fevR mutant was trapped in lamp-1-positive phagosomes, whereas the migR mutant resided in mature phagolysosomes enriched with both lamp-1 and cathepsin D. Disruption of migR and fevR also impaired the ability of F. tularensis to prevent neutrophil oxidant production. Thus, we have identified migR, a gene that regulates expression of the iglABCD operon and is essential for bacterial growth in MDMs and also contributes to the blockade of neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity.
The value relevance of earnings and book values in equity valuation: An international perspective ‐ The case of Kuwait

This study examines the value relevance of earnings and Book values derived under the Kuwaiti accounting system that assures a complete compliance with the International Accounting Standards. Using a valuation model provided by Ohlson (1995), the study uses statistical association between stock prices and both earnings and book values to measure value‐relevance of the accounting system. The study also compares the incremental explanatory power of earnings and book values and examines some conditions under which earnings or book values would explain a relatively higher proportion of the variation of stock prices. The results show that earnings and book values jointly and individually are positively and significantly related to stock prices. The incremental information content of earnings is greater than that of book values. Earnings become less value‐relevant and book values more so as firms experience negative earnings. The best fit for the model was obtained for the industrial and food sectors followed by service and financial institutions. Earnings add more to the overall explanatory of the valuation model than book values for financial institutions, services, investments and real estate sectors; whereas book values have superiority only for the industrial sector. The results of our study are generally consistent with the results obtained from U.S. and other developed markets except for the fact that the incremental information content of earnings is greater than that of book values.
Where's My Cheque? A Note on Postal Strikes and the Demand for Money in Canada

One effect of a postal strike is an increase in the money supply. A plausible explanation for this phenomenon is that a postal strike tends to delay customers' payments to firms. Although their revenues are delayed, firms have financial obligations such as payrolls which cannot be postponed. Consequently, they find themselves temporarily liquidity-constrained and they borrow from the banking system. The Bank of Canada's policy has been to accommodate this additional and temporary demand for liquidity. Agents who have bills to pay mentally debit their accounts and therefore think of themselves as holding their desired cash balances. However, their actual cash balances are, in fact, higher than desired balances. This phenomenon causes standard demand for money equations to underestimate substantially money demand at the time of a strike. Furthermore, because of their dynamic aspect (i.e., the presence of a lagged dependent variable), these specifications overestimate demand the following period. For example, a model identical to the one presented below but excluding any strike variable was estimated by S. Poloz (1980). His equation underestimated and then overestimated real money demand by 3.21 per cent and 6.05 per cent and by 5.84 per cent and 1.71 per cent for the 1974ii and 1975iv postal strikes respectively. In a recent paper, Clinton and Lynch (1979) proposed the use of two dummy variables to capture the effect of the 1974ii and 1975iv postal strikes. Although the coefficients of the dummy variables have the right sign and are
The Satisfaction of the Nordic Tourist with the Azores as a Destination

Abstract The Northern European markets are considered strategic for the Azores, one of the outermost regions of Europe. Progressively, the Azores are becoming a desirable destination to inhabitants of modern and stressful urban areas of Europe. Because tourism is a very competitive business worldwide, it is crucial to employ tourism policies that enhance competitiveness. It is reasonable to argue that these policies should be guided by accurate knowledge of the strong and weak characteristics of the Azores, as a destination competing in a global market. Under this context, this study seeks to comprehend how the typical Nordic visitor feels pleased with his stay in the Azores. Using a large database of responses from tourists, we employ statistical methods to assess the degree of satisfaction of the average Nordic visitor with the Azores as a destination.
n-3 fatty acids reduce plasma 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease

Background: Metabolism of arachidonic acid by cytochrome P450 &ohgr;-hydroxylase leads to the formation of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) that regulates vascular function, sodium homeostasis and blood pressure (BP). Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids is known to alter arachidonic acid metabolism and reduce the formation of the lipid peroxidation products F2-isoprostanes, but the effect of n-3 fatty acids on 20-HETE has not been studied. Method: We previously reported a significant effect of n-3 fatty acids but not coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) to reduce BP in a double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention, wherein patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were randomized to n-3 fatty acids (4 g), CoQ (200 mg), both supplements or control (4 g olive oil), daily for 8 weeks. This study examined the effect of n-3 fatty acids on plasma and urinary 20-HETE in the same study, as well as plasma and urinary F2-isoprostanes, and relate these to changes in BP. Results: Seventy-four patients completed the 8-week intervention. n-3 fatty acids but not CoQ significantly reduced plasma 20-HETE (P = 0.001) and F2-isoprostanes (P < 0.001). In regression models adjusted for BP at baseline, postintervention plasma 20-HETE was a significant predictor of the fall in SBP (P < 0.0001) and DBP (P < 0.0001) after n-3 fatty acids. Conclusion: This is the first report that n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces plasma 20-HETE in humans and that this associates with reduced BP. These results provide a plausible mechanism for the reduction in BP observed in patients with CKD following n-3 fatty acid supplementation.
[Observations on human parvovirus B19 infection diagnosed in 2011].

INTRODUCTION The incidence of human parvovirus B19 infection is unknown. AIM A retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory findings was carried out in patients diagnosed with human parvovirus B19 infection in 2011 in a virologic laboratory of a single centre in Hungary. METHODS Clinical and laboratory data of patients with proven human parvovirus B19 infection were analysed using in- and out-patient files. RESULTS In 2011, 72 patients proved to have human parvovirus B19 infection with the use of enzyme immunoassay. The clinical diagnoses of these patients were as follows: human parvovirus B19 infection (30.6%), transient aplastic crisis (16.7%), arthritis (8.3%) and acute hepatitis (4.1%). Symptoms of each of the four phases of the infection occurred in various combinations with the exception of the monophase of cheek exanthema. This occurred without the presence of other symptoms in some cases. Leading symptoms and signs were exanthema (in 74.6% of cases), haematological disorders (in 69% of cases), fever (in 54.9% of cases) and arthritis (in 33.8% of cases). Several atypical dermatological symptoms were also observed. Acute arthritis without exanthema was noted in 8 patients. Of the 72 patients with proven human parvovirus B19 infection there were 7 pregnant women, and one of them had hydrops foetalis resulting spontaneous abortion. In 16 patients (22.5%) human parvovirus B19 IgG was undetectable despite an optimal time for testing. CONCLUSION The observations of this study may contribute to a better recognition of clinical symptoms of human parvovirus B19 infection.
Pupil response biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION A screening process that could provide early and accurate diagnosis or prognosis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) would enable earlier intervention, and enable current and future treatments to be more effective. Ocular pathology and changes to vision and ocular function are being investigated for early detection and monitoring of AD. OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between pupil flash response (PFR) parameters, AD and brain amyloid plaque burden. METHODS Nineteen AD and seventy healthy control (HC) participants were recruited from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Flagship Study of Ageing. The potential correlations between PFR parameters and 1) AD and 2) brain amyloid plaque burden in the HC group (as a pre-clinical feature of AD), were investigated in this study. RESULTS Our results demonstrate statistically significant relationships between PFR parameters, neocortical plaque burden and AD. A logistical model combining PFR parameters provided AD-classification performance with sensitivity 84.1%, specificity 78.3% and area under the curve 89.6%. Furthermore, some of the AD specific PFR parameters were also associated with neocortical plaque burden in pre-clinical AD. CONCLUSIONS These PFR changes show potential as an adjunct for noninvasive, cost-effective screening for pre-clinical AD.
The impact of corporate strategy on the capital structure of Australian companies

Research into the capital structure of firms has been the subject of extensive empirical investigation but further progress may be constrained by the conventional paradigm underlying most of this work. This paper seeks to extend the debate by examining the endogenous influence of corporate strategy on financing decisions made by firms. While the theoretical specification of the possible relationship has to be developed further, various models were constructed and company data from Australia, an economy with some notoriety for fairly loose corporate debt management, was used to examine various hypothesized relationships. Our analysis suggests that corporate strategy influences capital structure, particularly for the most diversified firms, and that the emerging relationship is complex. Profit, cash flow, the rate of growth and the level of earnings risk are important additional internal influences on capital structure. The results are reasonably robust and indicate that this focus of enquiry has considerable potential for further resolution of the capital structure puzzle, as well as contributing to the debate on the impact of institutional shareholders on the corporate strategy of the firms in which they invest.
Roles of porphyrins and host iron transport proteins in regulation of growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50

Porphyromonas gingivalis (Bacteroides gingivalis) requires iron in the form of hemin for growth and virulence in vitro, but the contributions of the porphyrin ring structure, porphyrin-associated iron, host hemin-sequestering molecules, and host iron-withholding proteins to its survival are unknown. Therefore, the effects of various porphyrins, host iron transport proteins, and inorganic iron sources on the growth of P. gingivalis W50 were examined to delineate the various types of iron molecules used for cellular metabolism. Cell envelope-associated hemin and iron stores contributed to the growth of P. gingivalis in hemin-free culture, and depletion of these endogenous reserves required eight serial transfers into hemin-free medium for total suppression of growth. Comparable growth of P. gingivalis was observed with 7.7 microM equivalents of hemin as hemoglobin (HGB), methemoglobin, myoglobin, hemin-saturated serum albumin, lactoperoxidase, cytochrome c, and catalase. Unrestricted growth was recorded in the presence of haptoglobin-HGB and hemopexin-hemin complexes, indicating that these host defense proteins do not sequester HGB and hemin from P. gingivalis. The iron chelator 2,2'-bipyridyl functionally chelated hemin-associated iron, resulting in dose-dependent inhibition of growth in hemin-restricted cultures at 1 to 25 microM 2,2'-bipyridyl concentrations. In the absence of an exogenous iron source, protoporphyrin IX did not support P. gingivalis growth. These findings suggest that the iron atom in the hemin molecule is the critical constituent for growth and that the tetrapyrrole porphyrin ring structure may represent an important vehicle for delivery of iron into the P. gingivalis cell. P. gingivalis does not have a strict requirement for porphyrins, since growth occurred with nonhemin iron sources, including high concentrations (200 muM) of ferric, ferrous, and nitrogenous inorganic iron, and P. gingivalis exhibited unrestricted growth in the presence of host transferrin, lactoferrin, and serum albumin. The diversity of iron substrates utilized by P. gingivalis and the observation that growth was not affected by the bacteriostatic effects of host iron-withholding proteins, which it may encounter in the periodontal pocket, may explain why P. gingivalis is such a formidable pathogen in the periodontal disease process.
The Role of External Powers in the Indochina Crisis. Edited by Gene T. Hsiao. [Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University, 1973. 187 pp. Hardback $11.50; paperback $3.95.]

entitled "Appraisals and Conclusions," that "the past twenty years should go down in history as the watershed in the management of China's demographic affairs" (p. 388), especially since no previous government has really attempted to manage it. At least in this final chapter the reader could expect some judgment on the size, rate of growth, or distribution of China's population, but he will not find any clues to these issues either here or elsewhere in the book. I can certainly understand the author's reluctance to "expend additional energy and time to conjure up yet another set of estimates and projections of China's population" (p. ix), but I believe that additional time and energy properly directed would have helped this publication. Lm A_
WT1 and kidney progenitor cells

Kidney development has been studied over the past sixty years as a model of embryonic induction during organogenesis. Wilms’ tumor-1 (WT1), that encodes a transcription factor and RNA-binding protein, was one of the first tumor suppressor genes identified, and was soon thereafter shown to be associated with syndromic forms of childhood kidney disease and gonadal dysgenesis. Kidney agenesis, resulting from a null mutation in the WT1 gene, was one of the first examples of organ agenesis resulting from a gene targeting experiment. Thus, the study of the WT1 gene and its encoded proteins has been at the forefront of developmental biology, tumor biology and the molecular basis for disease. WT1 is now known to have an important role in kidney progenitor cells during development. This review will discuss recent advances in our understanding of kidney progenitor cells, and the recent identification of WT1 target genes in these cells.
Structure of the Cu{100}-c(2 x 2)N surface: A scanning-tunneling-microscopy study.

Scanning-tunneling-microscopy studies of the Cu{100}-c(2×2)N surface reveal that it is covered with square-shaped structures with sides 52±4 A long, running parallel to the directions. Within these structures it is possible to resolve a square-based lattice, with a lattice parameter of 4 A consistent with the c(2×2) structure. We use a lattice-parameter-mismatch model based on the bulk-lattice constants of Cu 3 N to account for the regularity in shape and size of the square-shaped structures
Sarcoplasmic reticulum and L‐type Ca2+ channel activity regulate the beat‐to‐beat stability of calcium handling in human atrial myocytes

Non‐technical summary Cardiac arrhythmias occur when the heart is unable to beat rhythmically, and can be induced if the heart is forced to work in excess of its capacity. Here we examine how cells isolated from the atrial chamber of the human heart respond when their beating rate is increased. Our results show that there are differences in the ability of individual heart cells to respond rhythmically when they are forced to beat fast. Moreover, we find that mechanisms that regulate the level of calcium ions in the heart cells determine their ability to respond rhythmically. These results show that pharmacological control of calcium levels in heart cells might be useful in the treatment of people who suffer cardiac arrhythmias during excessive exercise.
Extract from Ceratonia siliqua Exhibits Depigmentation Properties

Skin hyper‐pigmentation is a condition initiated by the overproduction of melanin existing in the melanocytes. Melanin pigment is responsible for the colour of skin in humans. It is formed through a series of oxidative reactions involving the amino acid tyrosine in the presence of the key enzyme tyrosinase. In continuation with our efforts to identify tyrosinase inhibitors from plants sources, the methanol extract from leaf, bark and fruit of Ceratonia siliqua were screened for tyrosinase inhibition and diphenolase activity. The bark extract exhibited significant inhibition on mushroom tyrosinase using L‐tyrosine as a substrate and showed diphenolase activity. The extract further significantly lowered tyrosinase mRNA levels in B16‐F10 mouse melanocytes. Bioassay‐guided fractionation led to the isolation of six compounds. Compounds (−)‐epicatechin‐3‐O‐gallate, 1,2,3,6‐tetra‐O‐galloyl‐ß‐D‐glucose and gallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate showed tyrosinase inhibitions with the IC50 values of 27.52, 83.30 and 28.30 µg/mL, respectively. These compounds also exhibited L‐DOPA activities with IC50 values of >200, 150 and 200 µg/mL, respectively. A clinical study was conducted using 20 volunteers in a patch testing trial for irritancy potential and skin depigmentation. The clinical results showed the sample to be non‐irritant with irritancy potential of −34.21 and depigmentation trial showed an improvement in the even skin tone of UV induced pigmentation at 3% after 28 days of application. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.