Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemical Abundances in the Leading Arm of the Magellanic Stream

The Leading Arm (LA) of the Magellanic Stream is a vast debris field of H i clouds connecting the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. It represents an example of active gas accretion onto the Galaxy. Previously, only one chemical abundance measurement had been made in the LA. Here we present chemical abundance measurements using Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and Green Bank Telescope spectra of four AGN sightlines passing through the LA and three nearby sightlines that may trace outer fragments of the LA. We find low oxygen abundances, ranging from solar to solar, in the confirmed LA directions, with the lowest values found in the region known as LA III, farthest from the LMC. These abundances are substantially lower than the single previous measurement, S/H = 35 ± 7% solar, but are in agreement with those reported in the SMC filament of the trailing Stream, supporting a common origin in the SMC (not the LMC) for the majority of the LA and trailing Stream. This provides important constraints for models of the formation of the Magellanic System. Finally, two of the three nearby sightlines show high-velocity clouds with H i columns, kinematics, and oxygen abundances consistent with LA membership. This suggests that the LA is larger than traditionally thought, extending at least 20° further to the Galactic northwest.
Spike–frequency adaptation is modulated by interacting currents in an Hodgkin-Huxley-type model: Role of the Na,K–ATPase

Spike–frequency adaptation is a prominent feature of spiking neurons. Using a Hodgkin–Huxley–type model, we studied adaptation originating from the Na,K–ATPase electrogenic pump and its evolution in presence of a medium–duration calcium–dependent potassium channel. We found that the Na,K–ATPase induces spike–frequency adaptation with a time constant of up to a few seconds and interacts with the calcium–dependent potassium current through the output frequency, yielding a very typical pattern of instantaneous frequencies. Because channels responsible for spike–frequency adaptation can interact with each other, our results suggest that their meaningful time courses and parameters can be difficult to measure experimentally. To circumvent this problem, we developed a simple phenomenological model that captures the interaction between currents and allows the direct evaluation of the underlying biophysical parameters directly from the frequency vs. current curves. Finally, we found that for weak stimulations, the pump induces phasic spiking and linearly converts the stimulus amplitude in a finite number of spikes acting like an inhibitory spike–counter. Our results point to the importance of considering interacting currents involved in spike–frequency adaptation collectively rather than as isolated elements and underscore the importance of sodium as a messenger for long–term signal integration in neurons. Within this context, we propose that the Na,K–ATPase plays an important role and show how to recover relevant biological parameters from adapting channels using simple electrophysiological measurements.
Adaptive Bayesian Estimation of Discrete‐Continuous Distributions Under Smoothness and Sparsity

We consider nonparametric estimation of a mixed discrete‐continuous distribution under anisotropic smoothness conditions and a possibly increasing number of support points for the discrete part of the distribution. For these settings, we derive lower bounds on the estimation rates. Next, we consider a nonparametric mixture of normals model that uses continuous latent variables for the discrete part of the observations. We show that the posterior in this model contracts at rates that are equal to the derived lower bounds up to a log factor. Thus, Bayesian mixture of normals models can be used for (up to a log factor) optimal adaptive estimation of mixed discrete‐continuous distributions. The proposed model demonstrates excellent performance in simulations mimicking the first stage in the estimation of structural discrete choice models.
Preserved efficacy and reduced toxicity with intermittent linezolid dosing in combination with bedaquiline and pretomanid in a murine TB model

The novel regimen of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL) is highly effective against drug resistant tuberculosis, but linezolid toxicities are frequent. We hypothesized that, for a similar total weekly cumulative dose, thrice-weekly administration of linezolid would preserve efficacy while reducing toxicity compared to daily dosing, in the context of the BPaL regimen. Using C3HeB/FeJ and BALB/c mouse models of tuberculosis disease, thrice-weekly linezolid dosing was compared to daily dosing, with intermittent dosing introduced (a) from treatment initiation or (b) following an initial period of daily dosing. In all animals, BPa was dosed daily throughout treatment. Blood counts were used to assess hematologic toxicity. Following unexpected findings of apparent antagonism, we conducted additional experiments to investigate strain-to-strain differences in the contribution of linezolid to regimen efficacy comparing each 1- and 2-drug component to the BPaL regimen in BALB/c mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv or HN878. Giving linezolid daily for 1-2 months achieved the greatest efficacy, but following that, results were similar if the drug was stopped, dosed thrice-weekly, or continued daily. Erythrocyte counts were lower with daily than thrice-weekly dosing. Linezolid had additive effects with BPa against M. tuberculosis H37Rv but antagonistic effects with BPa against M. tuberculosis HN878. However, overall efficacy of BPaL was high and similar against both strains. Dosing linezolid daily for the first two months, then less frequently thereafter, may optimize its therapeutic margin. Linezolid’s contribution to BPaL regimens may depend on M. tuberculosis strain.
Mutational resilience of antiviral restriction favors primate TRIM5α in host-virus evolutionary arms races

Host antiviral proteins engage in evolutionary arms races with viruses, in which both sides rapidly evolve at interaction interfaces to gain or evade immune defense. For example, primate TRIM5α uses its rapidly evolving “v1” loop to bind retroviral capsids, and single mutations in this loop can dramatically improve retroviral restriction. However, it is unknown whether such gains of viral restriction are rare, or if they incur loss of pre-existing function against other viruses. Using deep mutational scanning, we comprehensively measured how single mutations in the TRIM5α v1 loop affect restriction of divergent retroviruses. Unexpectedly, we found that the majority of mutations increase antiviral function. Moreover, most random mutations do not disrupt potent viral restriction, even when it is newly acquired via single adaptive substitutions. Our results indicate that TRIM5α’s adaptive landscape is remarkably broad and mutationally resilient, maximizing its chances of success in evolutionary arms races with retroviruses.
2 Why Estimate Production ( Technical ) Efficiency ?

Our chapter details a wide variety of approaches used in estimating productivity and efficiency based on methods developed to estimate frontier production using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The estimators utilize panel, single cross section, and time series data sets. The R programs include such approaches to estimate firm efficiency as the time invariant fixed effects, correlated random effects, and uncorrelated random effects panel stochastic frontier estimators, time varying fixed effects, correlated random effects, and uncorrelated random effects estimators, semi-parametric efficient panel frontier estimators, factor models for cross-sectional and time-varying efficiency, bootstrapping methods to develop confidence intervals for index number-based productivity estimates and their decompositions, DEA and Free Disposable Hull estimators. The chapter provides the professional researcher, analyst, ∗Corresponding author. Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA; phone: +1 713-348-3322; email: rsickles@rice.edu †Professor of Economics, School of Economics, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseokro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea, Phone: +82-2-820-5493, email: whsong@cau.ac. kr ‡Professor of Economics, School of Economics, University of Queensland, 530 Colin Clark Building (39), St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia; Phone:+ 61 7 3346 7054 e-mail:v.zelenyuk@uq.edu. au §The authors would like to thank Kerda Varaku for her assistance in preparing our manuscript. All remaining errors are the responsibility of the authors. 1 Econometrics Using R. , Handbook of Statistics, C.R. Rao and H.D. Vinod, eds., Elsevier, 41 (forthcoming, 2019) : 1-31.
Adipose tissue macrophages orchestrate β cell adaptation in obesity through secreting miRNA-containing extracellular vesicles

Obesity induces an adaptive expansion of β cell mass and insulin secretion abnormality. Here, we explore a novel role of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) in mediating obesity-induced β cell function and proliferation through releasing miRNA-containing extracellular vesicles (EVs). ATM EVs derived from obese mice notably suppress insulin secretion in both in vivo and in vitro experiments, whereas there are more proliferating β cells in the islets treated with obese ATM EVs. Depletion of miRNAs blunts the ability of obese ATM EVs to regulate β cell responses. miR-155, a highly enriched miRNA within obese ATM EVs, exerts profound regulation on β cell functions, as evidenced by impaired insulin secretion and increased β cell proliferation after miR-155 overexpression in β cells. By contrast, knockout of miR-155 can attenuate the regulation of obese ATM EVs on β cell responses. We further demonstrate that the miR-155-Mafb axis plays a critical role in controlling β cell responses. Taken together, these studies show a novel mechanism by which ATM-derived EVs act as endocrine cargoes delivering miRNAs and subsequently mediating β cell adaptation and functional dysfunction in obesity.
Brain networks subserving functional core processes of emotions identified with componential modeling

Emotions have powerful effects on the mind, body, and behavior. Although psychology theories emphasized multi-componential characteristics of emotions, little is known about the nature and neural architecture of such components in the brain. We used a multivariate data-driven approach to decompose a wide range of emotions into functional core processes and identify their neural organization. Twenty participants watched 40 emotional clips and rated 119 emotional moments in terms of 32 component features defined by a previously validated componential model. Results show how different emotions emerge from coordinated activity across a set of brain networks coding for component processes associated with valuation appraisal, hedonic experience, novelty, goal-relevance, approach/avoidance tendencies, and social concerns. Our study goes beyond previous research that focused on either categorical or dimensional emotions and highlighting how novel methodology combined with componential modelling may allow emotion neuroscience to move forward and unveil the functional architecture of human affective experiences.
Integrating genotypes and phenotypes improves long-term forecasts of seasonal influenza A/H3N2 evolution

Seasonal influenza virus A/H3N2 is a major cause of death globally. Vaccination remains the most effective preventative. Rapid mutation of hemagglutinin allows viruses to escape adaptive immunity. This antigenic drift necessitates regular vaccine updates. Effective vaccine strains need to represent H3N2 populations circulating one year after strain selection. Experts select strains based on experimental measurements of antigenic drift and predictions made by models from hemagglutinin sequences. We developed a novel influenza forecasting framework that integrates phenotypic measures of antigenic drift and functional constraint with previously published sequence-only fitness estimates. Forecasts informed by phenotypic measures of antigenic drift consistently outperformed previous sequence-only estimates, while sequence-only estimates of functional constraint surpassed more comprehensive experimentally-informed estimates. Importantly, the best models integrated estimates of both functional constraint and either antigenic drift phenotypes or recent population growth.
Effects of Oil Price Shocks on Industrial Production: Evidence from Some Oil-Exporting Countries

This paper examines the effects of oil price shocks on industrial production in three oil-exporting countries, namely Iran, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia using annual data for the period 1970–2005. First, the Gregory and Hansen cointegration technique, allowing for the presence of potential structural breaks in data, is applied to empirically examine the long-run co-movement between oil price and output. Second, we test whether different measures of oil price shocks, including non-linear or asymmetric ones, Granger-cause output. The results indicate a strong causality from oil price shocks to output growth for Iran and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the oil prices–output relationship in these two countries appears more significant when asymmetric specifications are used to model the relationship between variables. In the case of Indonesia, however, none of the oil proxies have any significant effect on output both in the short and long run. The results confirm the relatively successful experience of countries such as Indonesia in the diversification of the real sector to minimise the harmful effects of oil booms and busts.
Contagion of Pro- and Anti-Social Behavior Among Peers and the Role of Social Proximity

This paper uses a novel experimental design to study the contagion of pro- and anti-social behavior and the role of social proximity among peers. Across systematic variations thereof, we find that anti-social behavior is generally more contagious than pro-social behavior. Surprisingly, we also find that social proximity amplifies the contagion of anti-social behavior more strongly than the contagion of pro-social behavior. Anti-social individuals are also most susceptible to the behavioral contagion of other anti-social peers. These findings paired with the methodological contribution inform the design of effective norm-based policy interventions directed at facilitating pro-social behavior and reducing anti-social behavior in social and economic environments.
Economic Impacts of Migration and Population Growth

The Productivity Commission released its research report into the 'Economic Impacts of Migration and Population Growth' in May 2006. According to the Commission's findings increasing skilled migration would make a positive, but small, overall contribution to Australia's future per capita income levels. The report was commissioned by the Australian Government. To assess the effect of skilled migration, the Commission estimated the economic effects of a simulated permanent increase in skilled migration of about 50 per cent on the level in 2004-05, using the Monash model at the Centre of Policy Studies. Positive effects arise from higher participation rates and an up-skilling of the workforce. But some of the economy wide consequences have a negative effect, such as less capital per worker and a decline in the terms of trade. By 2024-25, the net effect is an increase in income per capita, on average, is projected to be about $400 (or about 0.7 per cent), compared with a base case scenario. Most of the gains are likely to accrue to the migrants. The result is consistent with previous Australian studies and others conducted overseas. Recent changes to Australia's migration program include a greater emphasis on skills, increased numbers of temporary migrants, and more diversification in the country of origin. A greater emphasis on skills has resulted in improved labour market outcomes for migrants. English language proficiency stood out as a key factor determining the ease of settlement and labour market success of migrants to Australia.
Delisted Firms and Momentum Profits

I find that approximately 40 percent of the momentum profit is generated by delisting returns. Most of the delisting-profit is derived from bankrupt firms, while merged firms have a minor effect on the momentum profitability. I further show that ex-ante, firms with high likelihood to go bankrupt exhibit stronger momentum, and firms with high likelihood to be merged exhibit weaker momentum; and that almost the entire profits of these bankruptcy- and merger-candidates strategies are generated by delisting returns. These findings have implications on the size and the implementability of momentum.
The Effect of Partial Retirement on Labor Supply, Public Balances and the Income Distribution: Evidence from a Structural Analysis

This paper develops a structural dynamic retirement model to investigate effects and corresponding underlying mechanisms of a partial retirement program on labor supply, fiscal balances, and the pension income distribution. The structural approach allows for disentangling the two counteracting mechanisms that drive the employment effects of partial retirement: 1) the crowding-out from full-time employment, and 2) the movement from early retirement or unemployment to partial retirement. It also allows for investigating the role of financial compensations in a partial retirement program. Based on a unique German administrative dataset, I perform counterfactual policy simulations that analyze the role of partial retirement combined with financial subsidies and an increased normal retirement age. The results show that partial retirement extends working lives but reduces the overall employment volume. The fiscal consequences of partial retirement are negative but substantially less so when wages and pensions in partial retirement remain uncompensated. Partial retirement decreases inequality in pension income and provides a way to smooth consumption especially for retirees in lower income deciles in the context of an increased normal retirement age.
High-temperature structure of 
Co3O4
: Understanding spinel inversion using 
in situ
 and 
ex situ
 measurements

In this paper we investigate the high-temperature structure of Co3O4, a compound that has been studied extensively over the last 60 years due to its unresolved high-temperature structure. In situ thermal analysis and x-ray diffraction confirm previously reported high-temperature structural changes and show that these changes are unrelated to the high-temperature decomposition to CoO. Raman-active peaks are also extinguished over the same temperature range. By considering the changing lattice parameter, A-O, and B-O bond lengths as well as cation size we are able to calculate the degree of inversion which reaches a maximum of 0.6. To further study the structure in this experimentally inaccessible range we quench samples and perform ex situ measurements including redox titration, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and neutron diffraction. We do not observe any evidence of large oxygen vacancy concentrations or octahedral CoB3+ ions with high spin state. However, we do show an evolution in the magnetic moment from magnetic structure refinement from (2.4 μB) to (2.7 μB) that coincides exactly with the high-temperature anomaly and suggests partial inversion (0.46) of the spinel structure in fairly good agreement with the inversion calculated from bond lengths.
Convergence Equations and Income Dynamics: The Sources of OECD Convergence, 1970-1995

This paper illustrates how convergence equations can be used to analyse the dynamics of the income distribution using a simple extension of standard techniques. Using data for a sample of OECD countries, I estimate an equation that relates growth in income per capita to the standard growth theory variables, government size and labour market performance indicators. The estimated model and the underlying data are then used in a convergence accounting exercise that yields quantitative estimates of the contribution of each of these variables to the relative growth performance of each country and to observed convergence in the sample.
Variability and adaptability of Miscanthus species evaluated for energy crop domestication

A growing body of evidence indicates that second‐generation energy crops can play an important role in the development of renewable energy and the mitigation of climate change. However, dedicated energy crops have yet to be domesticated in order to fully realize their productive potential under unfavorable soil and climatic conditions. To explore the possibility of domesticating Miscanthus crops in northern China where marginal and degraded land is abundant, we conducted common garden experiments at multiple locations to evaluate variation and adaptation of three Miscanthus species that are likely to serve as the wild progenitors of the energy crops. A total of 93 populations of Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, and Miscanthus lutarioriparius were collected across their natural distributional ranges in China and grown in three locations that represent temperate grassland with cold winter, the semiarid Loess Plateau, and relatively warm and wet central China. Evaluated with growth traits such as plant height, tiller number, tiller diameter, and flowering time, the Miscanthus species showed high levels of genetic variation within and between species. There were significant site × population interactions for almost all traits of M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis, but not M. lutarioriparius. The northern populations of M. sacchariflorus had the highest establishment rates at the most northern site owing to their strong cold tolerance. An endemic species in central China, M. lutarioriparius, produced not only the highest biomass of the three species but also higher biomass at the Loess Plateau than the southern site near its native habitats. These results demonstrated that the wild species harbored a high level of genetic variation underlying traits important for crop establishment and production at sites that are colder and drier than their native habitats. The natural variation and adaptive plasticity found in the Miscanthus species indicated that they could provide valuable resources for the development of second‐generation energy crops.
A Case Analysis on the Adequacy of Work-Life Balance Practices in UK Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine whether work-life balance (WLB) practices are satisfactorily provided in UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the impact of the availability of these work-life policies on turnover intentions. A review of extant literature reveals scarce knowledge in this area of research and this study presents a rudimentary effort to fill this gap. Research Design & Methods: Using qualitative design, the data set comprised of in-depth interviews with thirty-six employees working in small and medium-sized UK convenience stores and supermarkets with less than ninety employees. Findings: Informal nature of human resource management policies emerged from the findings as one of the constraining forces impeding work-life agendas in SMEs and causing low staff retention in UK. Although other themes were found to contribute to retention challenges, however, these additional reasons were not independent, but all considered integrated. Implications & Recommendations: Consequently, the practical implication of devising ways to overcome WLB and retention deficiencies in this context were also explored. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in studying the importance of WLB practices to some of these grass root businesses that make up a large proportion of the economy in the UK. As the limitation of this study is that it is wholly qualitative in nature, it is suggested that future research should rely on quantitative designs that provides more internally valid tests via computational techniques.