Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Plan for Addressing the Financial Crisis

This paper critiques the proposed emergency legislation for spending $700 billion on purchasing financial firms' troubled assets to address the 2008 financial crisis. It also puts forward a superior alternative for advancing the two goals of the proposed legislation - restoring stability to the financial markets and protecting taxpayers. I show that the proposed legislation can be redesigned to limit greatly the cost to taxpayers while doing much better in terms of restoring stability to the financial markets. The proposed redesign is based on four interrelated elements: * No overpaying for troubled assets: The Treasury's authority to purchase troubled assets should be limited to doing so at fair market value. * Addressing undercapitalization problems directly: Because the purchase of troubled assets at fair market value may leave financial firms severely under-capitalized, the Treasury's authority should be expanded to allow purchasing, again at fair market value, new securities issued by financial institutions in need of additional capital. * Market-based discipline: to ensure that purchases are made at fair market value, the Treasury should conduct them through multi-buyer competitive processes with appropriate incentives. * Inducing infusion of private capital: to further expand the capital available to the financial sector, and to reduce the use of public funds for this purpose, financial firms should be required or induced to raise capital through right offerings to their existing shareholders. Compared with the Treasury's proposed legislation, the alternative proposal put forward in this paper would provide a far better way to use taxpayers' funds to address the financial crisis. The approach of buying troubled assets through privately managed and competing funds put forward in this paper, which was subsequently followed by the Treasury in its March 2009 plan for buying troubled assets, is further developed in "<em>How to Make TARP II Work</em>," a February 2009 discussion paper available at <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm? abstract_id=1341939" target="_blank">http://ssrn.com/abstract=1341939</a> The proposal for using competing private funds for buying trouble assets put forward in this paper is further developed in <em>How To Make TARP II Work</em> (Harvard Law & Econ. Discussion Paper No. 626, 2009), available at <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=1341939" target="_blank">http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract =1341939</a>, and in “<em>Buying Troubled Assets</em>, <em>Yale Journal on Regulation</em>, 2009, available at <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=1392808" target="_blank">http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=1392808</a>.
Cyclotides

In recent years, a number of peptides containing a cyclic structural fold have been described. Among them, the cyclotides family was widely reported in different plant tissues, being composed of small cyclic peptides containing 6 conserved cysteine residues connected by disulfide bonds and forming a cysteine-binding cyclic structure known as a cyclic cysteine knot. This structural scaffold is responsible for an enhanced structural stability against chemical, thermal, and proteolytic degradation. Because of the observed stability and multifunctionality, including insecticidal, antimicrobial, and anti-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) action, much effort has gone into trying to elucidate the structural-function relations of cyclotide compounds. This review focuses on the novelties involving gene structure, precursor formation and processing, and protein folding of the cyclotide family, shedding some light on molecular mechanisms of cyclotide production. Because cyclotides are clear targets for drug development and also biotechnology applications, their chemical synthesis, heterologous systems production, and protein grafting are also addressed.
Litter Size Influences Maternal but not Paternal Care in Three Species of Voles, as Measured by Nest Attendance

Abstract Total parental expenditure of mammals and birds has been predicted to increase with litter or brood size, but data from rodents provide little support for this prediction. We examined the effects of natural variation in litter size on parental nest attendance in pine (= woodland), prairie, and meadow voles housed in seminatural environments. In all 3 species, mothers spent less time in the nest with large litters than with small; time spent in the nest by fathers was unaffected by litter size. We suggest that failure to meet the prediction of increased parental expenditure with increased litter size reflects basic differences in the manner in which mammals and birds feed altricial young.
Overeducation Among Immigrants in Sweden: Incidence, Wage Effects and State-Dependence

The utilization and reward of the human capital of immigrants in the labor market of the host country has been studied extensively. In the Swedish context this question is of great policy relevance due to the high levels of refugee migration and inflow of tied movers. Using Swedish register data covering the period 2001-2008, we analyze the incidence and wage effects of overeducation among non-Western immigrants. We also analyze whether there is state-dependence in overeducation and extend the immigrant educational mismatch literature by investigating whether this is a more severe problem among immigrants than among natives. In line with previous research we find that the incidence of overeducation is higher among immigrants and the return to overeducation is lower indicating that immigrants lose more from being overeducated. We find a high degree of state-dependence in overeducation both among natives and immigrants, but to a higher extent among immigrants.
Reproduction and Spacing of Piping Plovers Breeding at High Density at Appam Lake, North Dakota

Abstract Knowledge of potential breeding density and associated reproduction is critical for conserving Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) in the northern Great Plains. Each year during 1995–1998 we observed 34–50 plover pairs nesting on Appam Lake, an isolated 1.9-km2 alkali lake in northwestern North Dakota. During peak abundance in 1996 and 1997, there were 4.2 and 5.3 pairs/km of available beach, respectively; mean distances between nest sites of nearest neighbor pairs were 99.4 m and 79.5 m. We detected no relationship between spacing and numbers of fledglings produced by individual breeding pairs. Mean production was 1.2 fledglings/pair (0.9 during 1996 and 1.5 during 1997, n = 25 and 29 pairs, respectively). Our observations suggest Piping Plovers may reproduce adequately at high breeding densities on prairie alkali lakes, but further study of the relationship between breeding density and reproductive success is needed.
The imaginary Starobinsky model

The recent detection by the BICEP2 collaboration of a high level of tensor modes seems to exclude the Starobinsky model of inflation. In this paper we show that this conclusion can be avoided: one can embed the Starobinsky model in supergravity and identify the inflaton field with the imaginary (instead of the real) part of the chiral scalaron multiplet in its formulation. Once coupled to matter, the Starobinsky model may then become the chaotic quadratic model with shift symmetry during inflation and is in good agreement with the current data.
Purification and characterization of an organic solvent and detergent-tolerant novel protease produced by Bacillus sp. RKY3

BACKGROUND: Purification and characterization of a novel protease produced by Bacillus sp. RKY3, has been investigated, with special emphasis on the stability of the enzyme in the presence of different oxidizing and reducing agents as well as organic solvents. The enzyme was purified in two steps through concentration of the crude enzyme by ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by anion exchange chromatography. RESULTS: The purified protease had a molecular mass of approximately 38 kDa, which was highly active over a broad range of pH between 7.0 and 9.0 and was also stable over a wide pH range from 5.0 to 11.0. Although the optimum temperature for enzyme activity was found to be 60 °C, it was rapidly deactivated at temperatures above 60 °C. It also showed good stability at 50 °C, with a 70 min half-life. Ca2+ ions did not greatly enhance the activity or the stability of the enzyme. PMSF (1 mmol L−1) completely inhibited the protease activity, and thus the purified protease was considered to be serine protease. The purified protease was stable with oxidants (H2O2, 2%), reducing agents (sodium dodecyl sulfate, 2%), and organic solvents (25%) such as benzene, hexane, and toluene. CONCLUSION: The purified enzyme, protease, seems to possess potential applications in protease-based detergent and bleaching industries. The enzymatic activity against a wide variety of substrates suggests that the purified enzyme should be investigated for a range of commercial applications, especially for soy protein and gelatin hydrolysis in the food processing industry. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluación de los efectos en las propiedades fisicoquímicas, sensoriales y texturales de polidextrosa, fructosa y sorbitol como sustitutos de azúcar en la elaboración de arequipe

Introduction. The concern on the excessive consumption of sugar in the diet has provoked a modification of traditional products to reduce their sucrose content and, at the same time, keep their sensorial and physical-chemical characteristics similar to those of other products made with normal sucrose content. Objective. To evaluate the effects of sugar substitutes such as polydextrose, fructose and sorbitol in the physical, chemical, sensorial and textural properties of arequipe. Materials and methods. Five formulations were made, one standard and, in the other four, 50% of the sugar was replaced with polydextrose, fructose and sorbitol. They were combined at two concentrations (fructose at 3,9 and 4,7% and sorbitol 3,9 and 8,5%). The response variables to evaluate the effect of sugar substitutes were physical, chemical, sensorial and textural evaluations. Results.The statistic analysis showed significant differences in the sensorial and textural proofs. The most accepted treatment was number 012 (fructose 3,9%, sorbitol 8,5%) which achieved a reduction of calories of 38%. Conclusion. A product that acomplishes the Colombian NTC 3757 technical norm was obtained.
The Impact of Financial Constraints on Tradable and Non-Tradable R&D Investments in Portugal

We develop a directed technical change model with two sectors, tradable and non-tradable, and dynamic firms’ decisions to invest in R&D in the presence of financial constraints. The model establishes a linkage between R&D decisions, product and process innovations, future productivity, profits, and credit constraints. The model is estimated using Portuguese firms’ data of the tradable and non-tradable sectors. We find that the previous R&D investments raises the innovating probabilities, the innovating probabilities are higher in the tradable sector, and the startup costs of innovation tend to be higher than the maintenance costs. The results also show complementary between the R&D benefits and the firm’s financial strength, diminishing marginal returns to capital on innovation benefits, and high heterogeneity of the innovation costs across industries. Finally, when the firms’ financial strength and the trade-off between tradable and non-tradable goods are considered, the R&D benefits in the non-tradable sector do not compensate its cost given the higher productivity and innovation probabilities of the tradable sector. As a result, the R&D investments in the tradable sector illustrates a misallocation of financial resources.
Asymmetric Substitutability: Theory and Some Applications

Economists usually describe goods as being either (gross) complements or (gross) substitutes. Yet, what is less known is that one good may be a gross substitute for a second good, while the second good is a gross complement to the first good. This article develops a theory of asymmetric gross substitutability and suggests some potential examples and applications. (JEL D11)
Foliar applications of fertilizer salts inhibit powdery mildew on tomato

Foliar applications of a number of inorganic fertilizer salts were found to significantly reduce powdery mildew [Erysiphe orontii] on greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, cv. Trust) leaves. In a series of single-application experiments, the foliar applications, each with 0.1% surfactant, were applied to the third and fourth leaves of young tomato plants 24 h before inoculation with an atomized application of mildew conidia. Control treatments consisted of a water application and a water plus surfactant application. Powdery mildew colonies were counted 7–10 days later. Surfactant alone significantly reduced mildew colony numbers. CaCl2, Ca(NO3)2, and K2HPO4 reduced colony counts compared with the surfactant alone. All combinations of Ca salts, or Ca salts plus elemental S, significantly reduced mildew colony counts compared with surfactant alone. In a second set of experiments, the effects of repeated applications on already naturally infected tomato plants were evaluated. Young tomato plants were moved to a greenhouse containing several heavily mildew-infected tomato plants, allowing natural infection. The following day and every 7–10 days thereafter, treatments were applied to all leaves. Colony counts on selected leaves were made weekly or just before spraying. Surfactant alone was not as effective as in the single-application treatments, often having no effect. All the Ca-salt treatments that were effective in the single-application series were effective as multiple applications. Repeated applications of combinations of Ca salts were often just as effective as applications of elemental S. KCl, MgSO4, and K2HPO4 also significantly reduced mildew counts with multiple applications. This study did not attempt to explain the differences or similarities in efficacy of the salts tested; both osmotic (concentration) and specific-ion effects could play a role.Key words: surfactant, Erysiphe orontii, Lycopersicon esculentum, greenhouse, calcium, potassium, sulphur, magnesium, powdery mildew.
An Electron Microscopic Study of the Intestinal Villus

The structure of the intestinal villus of the rat was studied in thin sections of tissue fixed in buffered osmium tetroxide and embedded in methacrylate. The simple columnar epithelium investing the villus is surmounted by a striated border consisting of slender projections of the cell surface. These microvilli are arranged in almost crystalline, hexagonal array, and increase the apical surface area of the cell by a factor of 24. The core of each microvillus is filled with fine fibrils which arise from the filamentous substance of the terminal web underlying the striated border. Each microvillus is covered by a tubular extension of the plasma membrane of the epithelial cell. Pinocytotic vesicles originating from the plasma membrane occur at the bases of the intermicrovillous spaces. The nucleus, mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum of the epithelial cell display no unusual features. Small bits of ergastoplasm occur in the apical cytoplasm. A thin basement membrane separates the epithelium from the lamina propria which consists of vessels, nerves, and numerous lymphocytes, eosinophiles, mast cells, plasma cells, smooth muscle fibers, and macrophages suspended in a delicate stroma of fibroblasts and collagen fibers. Intercellular fat droplets often occur in this stroma, even in animals fasted for 40 hours. The blood capillaries are distinguished by their extremely attenuated, fenestrated endothelial cells. The lacteal has a thicker endothelium which, although not fenestrated, appears to have significant interruptions, especially at the margins between neighboring lining cells. Strands of smooth muscle always accompany the lacteal but do not form an integral part of its wall. Unmyelinated nerves, many of which are too small to be distinguished with the light microscope, course through the lamina propria in association with the vessels. The nerve fibers evidently do not cross the basement membrane into the epithelium. Neuromuscular junctions or other terminal apparatus were not found.
Studying Abroad and the Effect on International Labor Market Mobility: Evidence from the Introduction of Erasmus

We investigate the e¤ect of studying abroad on international labor market mobility later in life for German university graduates. As a source of identifying variation, we exploit the introduction and expansion of the ERASMUS student exchange program, which significantly increases a student's probability of studying abroad. Using an Instrument Variable approach we control for unobserved heterogeneity between individuals who studied abroad and those who did not. Our results indicate that student exchange mobility is an important determinant of later international labor market mobility: We find that studying abroad increases an individual's probability of working in a foreign country by about 15 to 20 percentage points, suggesting that study abroad spells are an mportant channel to later outmigration. The results are robust to a number of specification checks.
Phylogenetics and Mitogenome Organisation in Black Corals (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia): An Order-Wide Survey Inferred From Complete Mitochondrial Genomes

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) are an ecologically and culturally important group of deep-sea cnidarians. However, as the majority of species inhabit depths >50 m, they are relatively understudied. The inaccessibility of well-preserved tissue for species of interest has limited the scope of molecular analysis, and as a result only a small number of antipatharian mitochondrial genomes have been published. Using next generation sequencing, 18 complete and five partial antipatharian mitochondrial genomes were assembled, increasing the number of complete mitochondrial genomes to 22. This includes species from six antipatharian families, four of which were previously unrepresented, enabling the first family-level, full mitochondrial gene analysis over the whole order. The circular mitogenomes ranged in size from 17,681 to 21,669 bp with the large range in size due to the addition of an intron in COX1 in some species and size variation of intergenic regions. All mitogenomes contained the genes standard to all hexacoral mitogenomes (13 protein coding genes, two rRNAs and two tRNAs). The only difference in gene content is the presence of the COX1 intron in five families. The most variable mitochondrial gene is ND4 which may have implications for future barcoding studies. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that Leiopathidae is sister to all other families. Families Antipathidae, Cladopathidae and Schizopathidae are polyphyletic, supporting previous studies that call for a taxonomic revision.
Neoparamoebic gill infections: host response and physiology in salmonids

Amoebic gill diseases (AGD) caused primarily by the amphizoic Neoparamoeba spp. have been identified as significant to fish health in intensive aquaculture. These diseases have consequently received significant attention with regard to disease pathophysiology. Neoparamoeba perurans has been putatively identified as the aetiological agent in salmonids, with other species such as turbot Psetta maxima and sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax also affected. Similarly, Neoparamoeba spp. have also been identified in co-infections with other gill diseases in salmonids. While infection of the gills results in an acute multifocal hyperplastic host response, reduced gill surface area and increased mucous cell densities, ion regulation and respiration in terms of blood gasses are only marginally affected. This may be partially attributed to reserve respiratory capacity and a reduction in mucous viscosity allowing for a greater flushing of the gill, so reducing the gill mucus boundary layer. Clinical and acute infections result in significant cardiovascular compromise with increases in aortic blood pressure, and systemic vascular resistance in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, which are not seen in rainbow Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta. Increases in vascular resistance appear to be due to vascular constriction potentially reducing blood flow to the heart in compromised fishes, the overall effect being to lead to a compensatory tissue remodelling and change in cardiac shape in chronically infected fishes. The combined effect of reduced gill surface area and cardiovascular compromise leads to a significant reduction in swimming performance and increases in the routine metabolic rate that lead to an increase in the overall metabolic cost of disease.
Plant coexistence in coastal heaths: species attributes Floristic patterns and

An investigation was made of plant coexistence in coastal heaths. A 4km stretch of Pleistocene beach sand was selected, and patterns of variation in heath vegetation on ridges and slopes in the beach system were studied. The sampling design covered variation with geographic distance among transects, plots within transects and quadrats within plots which were orthogonal to the alignment of ridges and slopes. Cover of vascular plant species was scored within each quadrat and both multivariate and univariate analyses tested the hypothesis that variation in the data was associated with environmental difference and geographic distance. There was a strong floristic variation between the ridge and slope habitats. However, within these habitats there was no significant variation with distance at scales of kilometres, nor at hundreds of metres within transects nor at tens of metres within plots in floristic composition, in numbers of species, and in cover. Though differing floristically, the vegetation of the slopes and ridges had similar curves of importance values and fairly similar spectra of life forms and forms of post-fire regeneration in their constituent species, although the ridges had slightly more obligate-seeding species and fewer species of sedges and herbs than the slopes. The two habitats shared several genera, however, within such genera, species with similar attributes mostly occurred in different habitats. Hypotheses were suggested to explain segregation of species between the two habitats and the coexistence of species within habitats. Since patterns of variation among habitats were consistent over both smaller and larger scales of distance examined, experiments to test hypotheses may be designed so that their findings might be applied generally to the whole system studied.
Egyptian fever of cattle

The disease, Egyptian fever of cattle, has been observed at the Serum Institute, Abbassiah, in Cyrenaican and Cyprus cattle, and less frequently in native Egyptian cattle. The responsible Theileria has been determined as T. annulata (Dzchunkowsky & Luhz, 1904), and both natural and experimental transmission has been demonstrated with Hyalomma excavatum Koch 1844, of Delpy (1949b). H. excavatum in Egypt is a three-host tick, which hibernates during the winter months in the walls of buildings in the engorged nymphal and fasting adult stages. Transmission has been effected with nymphae and adults, infected in each case by feeding the preceding stage on reacting or recovered cattle. On no occasion has infection been observed to pass through the egg to the larval stage. Infection can also be transmitted by inoculation of the blood of a reacting animal in which schizonts are demonstrable.