Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Macroeconomic Policy with a Disparity in Price Elasticity between Private‐ and Public‐ Sector Demands

We introduce a disparity in price elasticity between government demand and consumption demand into a simple money&#8208;in&#8208;the&#8208;utility&#8208;function model. This extension demonstrates that the effect of fiscal policies on production may be positive, negative, or neutral depending on the disparity in price elasticity between sectors. Because the effect of an increase in nominal money supply with constant nominal government expenditure is the opposite to that of a fiscal policy, a fiscal policy financed by seigniorage can have positive, negative, or no effects depending on parameter values. Moreover, the effect of simultaneous implementation of expansionary&#8211;contractionary policies depends on how they are combined.
Stock option pay versus restricted stock: A comparative analysis of their impact on managerial risk-taking and performance extremeness

This study investigates how two stock-based incentives affect the risk-taking behavior of CEOs. We compare stock options and restricted stock in terms of their impact on the magnitude of investments and performance extremeness. We test our hypotheses using data for 23 years starting from 1993 for a large sample of S&P 1500 firms. Our results indicate that both stock option and restricted stock pay increase the magnitude of investments undertaken by CEOs, but that stock options have a much stronger effect. Also, stock option pay increases the likelihood of both big gains and big losses, but restricted stock reduces the likelihood of big losses. Finally, we find that as CEO tenure increases, the effects of stock-based compensation tend to diminish. Therefore, stock-based incentives appear to be a useful solution to the agency problem for short-tenured CEOs, but much less so for long-tenured CEOs.
Targeted cell‐ablation in Xenopus embryos using the conditional, toxic viral protein M2(H37A)

Harnessing toxic proteins to destroy selective cells in an embryo is an attractive method for exploring details of cell fate and cell–cell interdependency. However, no existing “suicide gene” system has proved suitable for aquatic vertebrates. We use the M2(H37A) toxic ion channel of the influenza‐A virus to induce cell‐ablations in Xenopus laevis. M2(H37A) RNA injected into blastomeres of early stage embryos causes death of their progeny by late‐blastula stages. Moreover, M2(H37A) toxicity can be controlled using the M2 inhibitor rimantadine. We have tested the ablation system using transgenesis to target M2(H37A) expression to selected cells in the embryo. Using the myocardial MLC2 promoter, M2(H37A)‐mediated cell death causes dramatic loss of cardiac structure and function by stage 39. With the LURP1 promoter, we induce cell‐ablations of macrophages. These experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of M2(H37A)‐ablation in Xenopus and its utility in monitoring the progression of developmental abnormalities during targeted cell death experiments. Developmental Dynamics 236:2159–2171, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anthropometric Calibration of Virtual Mannequins through Cluster Analysis and Content-based Retrieval of 3-D Body Scans

Computer generated models of the human body generally do not adequately model the complex human morphology. These models therefore do not reflect the anthropometric realities and are not specific enough for commercial use. This paper presents an approach to calibrate virtual models through the use of body measurements as obtained from an anthropometric data set. In this approach, the measurements are used to group three-dimensional body scans into clusters. The virtual mannequins are then calibrated by using the measurements of nearest cluster member. In this way, highly realistic, accurate virtual mannequins are created
Evaluation of a disk method for detection of hippurate hydrolysis by Campylobacter spp

A disk method for detecting hippurate hydrolysis by Campylobacter spp. was evaluated and compared with the conventional tube test used at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (G.K. Morris and C.M. Patton, p. 302-308, in E.H. Lennette, A. Balows, W.J. Hausler, Jr., and H.J. Shadomy, ed., Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 4th ed., 1985) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A total of 118 Campylobacter strains were tested. Eighty-seven strains (74%) were hippurate positive by the HPLC method, and the remaining 31 (26%) were found to be hippurate negative. By using HPLC as the reference technique, the CDC method showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 81%; the disk method showed a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 94%. The disk method can be performed with a small inoculum of bacteria, did not present problems of interpretation, and showed better results than the CDC method (P = 0.015).
Internal Control Quality, Voluntary Disclosure, and Cost of Equity Capital: The Case of an Unregulated Market

This paper examines the direct effect of internal control quality (ICQ) on cost of equity capital and whether ICQ has a moderating effect on the association between voluntary disclosure and cost of equity capital in an emerging market (Egypt). ICQ is measured using a survey of external auditors. A content analysis approach is used to proxy for the level of voluntary disclosure in annual reports. Finally, the Capital Asset Pricing Model framework is used to estimate cost of equity capital. Based on a sample of 512 firm‐year observations over the period 2007–2014, we find that ICQ is negatively and significantly associated with cost of equity capital, indicating that better controls reduce cost of equity capital as predicted by theory. In addition, ICQ moderates the association between voluntary disclosure and cost of equity capital since this association is only negative and significant for companies characterized by high ICQ. These findings remain stable after controlling for endogeneity concerns and political instability. Our study contributes to the internal control literature by focusing on an emergent unregulated market with respect to internal control disclosure and documents that ICQ plays an important role in reducing cost of equity capital (either directly or indirectly) by increasing the value relevance of voluntary disclosure among investors on the Egyptian stock exchange.
Modeling diverse genetic subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma with a next-generation alveolar type 2 organoid platform

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the most common histological subtype, accounts for 40% of all cases. While genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) recapitulate the histological progression and transcriptional evolution of human LUAD, they are slow and technically demanding. In contrast, cell line transplant models are fast and flexible, but are often derived from clonal idiosyncratic tumors that fail to capture the full spectrum of clinical disease. Organoid technologies provide a means to create next-generation cancer models that integrate the most relevant features of autochthonous and transplant-based systems, yet robust and faithful LUAD organoid platforms are currently lacking. Here, we describe optimized conditions to continuously expand murine alveolar type 2 cells (AT2), a prominent cell-of-origin for LUAD, in organoid culture. These organoids display canonical features of AT2 cells, including marker gene expression, the presence of lamellar bodies, and an ability to differentiate into the AT1 lineage. We used this system to develop flexible and versatile immunocompetent organoid-based models of KRAS and ALK-mutant LUAD. Notably, the resultant tumors closely resemble their autochthonous murine counterparts and human LUAD. In contrast to comparable organoid platforms, our system supports long-term maintenance of the AT2 cellular identity, providing unprecedented ease and reliability to study AT2 and LUAD biology in vitro and in vivo.
Migration and left-behind parents and children of migrants in Cambodia: a look at household composition and the economic situation

ABSTRACT This paper examines composition of households formed after the outmigration of a household member in rural Cambodian and correlates household types with indicators of economic condition. The paper focuses on households containing left-behind parents and the children of migrants. Excess mortality in the 1970s due to war suggests the association between migration and economic condition may be gendered. This could be exacerbated when migration leads to a skip-generation household containing a left-behind parent and a child of migrant without an own parent of the child present. Data come from the Cambodian Rural-Urban Migration Project (CRUMP), a project designed to study migration in rural Cambodia. Most households formed after a migration contain a left-behind parent of migrant. While about 22 per cent of these households contain a left-behind child of migrant, the per cent is over 60 per cent when the migrant is themselves a parent. The economic situation tends to be worst for left behind solo mothers (mothers of migrants who do not live with a spouse) and best for left-behind coupled parents of migrants. There is evidence that the combination of left-behind solo mothers living with children of migrants in a skip-generation situation is the most disadvantaged.
Tensor locality preserving projections for face recognition

Automated face detection and recognition is one of the most attentional branches of biometrics and it is also the one of the most active and challenging tasks for computer vision and pattern recognition . Over the past few years, some embedding methods have been proposed for feature extraction and dimensionality reduction in various machine learning and pattern classification tasks. Locality Preserving Projection (LPP) has been used in such applications as face recognition and image. In this paper, we propose some novel tensor embedding methods which, unlike previous methods, take data directly in the form of tensors of arbitrary order as input. These methods allow the relationships between dimensions of a tensor representation to be efficiently characterized. Extensive experiments show that our methods are not only more effective but also more efficient.
New Gender Dynamics in Post-Reform China: Family, Education, and Labor Market

Abstract This introduction paper briefly discusses the five empirical paper and the theoretical theme that organize these papers for the special issue of “New Gender Dynamics in Post-reform China. ” We introduce theoretically informed empirical research conducted by a young generation of family and gender scholars. Guided by the critiques over the separation and interaction between the public and private spheres occurring during China’s transition from a socialist economy to a market economy, they examine married women’s well-being, their decision-making regarding fertility, the gendered patterns of children’s household chores, female college students `transition from college to the job market, and rural migrant women’s paid domestic work in the city. Through the empirical research, the collection of articles aims to provide new evidence and enhance theoretical knowledge to further enrich our understanding of the complexities and dynamics of changing gender inequalities in the public and private spheres within Chinese society.
The use of Caenorhabditis elegans in parasitic nematode research

There is increasing interest in the use of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a tool for parasitic nematode research and there are now a number of compelling examples of its successful application. C. elegans has the potential to become a standard tool for molecular helminthology researchers, just as yeast is routinely used by molecular biologists to study vertebrate biology. However, in order to exploit C. elegans in a meaningful manner, we need a detailed understanding of the extent to which different aspects of C. elegans biology have been conserved with particular groups of parasitic nematodes. This review first considers the current state of knowledge regarding the conservation of genome organisation across the nematode phylum and then discusses some recent evolutionary development studies in free-living nematodes. The aim is to provide some important concepts that are relevant to the extrapolation of information from C. elegans to parasitic nematodes and also to the interpretation of experiments that use C. elegans as a surrogate expression system. In general, examples have been specifically chosen because they highlight the importance of careful experimentation and interpretation of data. Consequently, the focus is on the differences that have been found between nematode species rather than the similarities. Finally, there is a detailed discussion of the current status of C. elegans as a heterologous expression system to study parasite gene function and regulation using successful examples from the literature.
Simulating and analysis of cyber attacks on a BLPC network

In this paper, at first, the main vulnerability of a BPLC network in the cyberspace of a home-area section is introduced. Then, we simulate several cyberattacks using a modified version of a NSL-KDD dataset that is applicable in any desired BPLC network. The nodes are mainly metering and controlling devices that handle the consumed Internet traffic plus electricity bill. The communicational protocol for our network is IEEE 1901 which is a standard protocol among broadband communication devices that work in a BPLC network. In the main part of our simulations, we have benefited from three types of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) using two Artificial Immune System (AIS) algorithms as well as an algorithm based on Support Vector Machines (SVM). At the end of our simulations, we compare these three Intrusion Detection Systems according to FPR, FNR, and DR criteria. Simulation results show that with our modified dataset and methods we can ensure a pretty high accuracy in intrusion detection and prevention in the home area of a desired BPLC network.
Monocyte adhesion to human vein grafts: a marker for occult intraoperative injury?

OBJECTIVE Monocyte adhesion to the vessel wall is believed to be an important initiating event in atherosclerosis and intimal hyperplasia. We hypothesized that occult intraoperative vein injury induces an immediate increase in monocyte adhesion that may be critical to the development of vein graft disease. METHODS Vein segments were obtained from patients (n = 23) undergoing lower extremity bypass. The initial segment (V1, n = 17) was excised immediately at the time of conduit harvest. A second segment (V2, n = 23) was obtained from the distal conduit just before performing the distal anastomosis. Segments were incubated with radiolabeled THP-1 cells (monocytoid cell line) for 1 hour at 37 degrees C, then rinsed and solubilized for determination of bound radioactivity. In a subset of grafts (n = 4), THP-1 cells were preincubated with monoclonal antibody (mAB) 7E3 (which binds to the monocyte integrin Mac-1 at its fibrinogen [Fg]-binding site) or control (mAB 14E11). Fg deposition and endothelial coverage were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (n = 10). Statistical analysis was performed using the paired t test and analysis of variance. Follow-up graft patency data were obtained and correlated with adhesion values using an exact test (StatXact, Cytel Software, Cambridge, Mass). RESULTS Monocyte adhesion was significantly increased after surgical manipulation (V1, 2400 +/- 770 versus V2, 7343 +/- 1555 cells/cm(2); P <. 02). Fg deposition was abundant in V2 sections and not seen in V1. Monocyte adhesion to V2 segments was significantly reduced (58% of control, P <.01) by 7E3 treatment. Graft follow-up was complete with a mean interval of 11 months. Higher V2 adhesion values were associated with occluded grafts (P =.07). The median value for the six occluded grafts was 6234 cells/cm(2) versus 3892 cells/cm(2) for the 17 patent grafts. CONCLUSIONS Monocyte adhesion to the vein wall is immediately increased after surgical manipulation and is inhibited by mAB 7E3. Early monocyte adhesion to vein grafts is likely to involve interactions between Mac-1 and Fg. Heightened levels of monocyte adhesion at implantation may be a marker for subsequent vein graft failure.
Influence of organizational culture on knowledge transfer: Evidence from the Government of Dubai

Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, Dubai, United Arab Emirates School of Business, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia UBD School of Business and Economics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam Correspondence Mohammad Habibur Rahman, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, Convention Tower, 13th Floor, PO Box 72229, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Email: mohammad.habibur@mbrsg.ac. ae
Barriers to Social Enterprise Growth

This study investigates barriers to social enterprise growth. The research employs qualitative case study data gathered from young social enterprises to examine the interplay between social enterprise and individual, organizational and institutional barriers to growth. We find that social enterprise barriers to growth are based on values differences, business models, and institutional norms. We theorize three strategic responses to overcome barriers to growth: values‐based decision‐making, leveraging social mission, and anchoring.
Optimization of in vitro expansion of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells for cell‐therapy approaches: Further insights in the search for a fetal calf serum substitute

There is great interest in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for cell‐therapy and tissue engineering approaches. MSCs are currently expanded in vitro in the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS); however, FCS raises concerns when used in clinical grade preparations. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether MSCs expanded in medium supplemented with platelet‐lysate (PL), already shown to promote MSC growth, are endowed with biological properties appropriate for cell‐therapy approaches. We confirm previously published data showing that MSCs expanded in either FCS or PL display comparable morphology, phenotype, and differentiation capacity, while PL‐MSCs were superior in terms of clonogenic efficiency and proliferative capacity. We further extended these data by investigating the immune‐regulatory effect of MSCs on the alloantigen‐specific immune response in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC). We found that MSCs‐PL are comparable to MSCs‐FCS in their capacity to: (i) decrease alloantigen‐induced cytotoxic activity; (ii) favor differentiation of CD4+ T‐cell subsets expressing a Treg phenotype; (iii) increase early secretion of IL‐10 in MLC supernatant, as well as induce a striking augmentation of IL‐6 production. As compared with MSCs‐PL, MSCs‐FCS were more efficient in suppressing alloantigen‐induced lymphocyte subset proliferation and reducing early IFNγ‐secretion. Resistance to spontaneous transformation into tumor cells of expanded MSCs was demonstrated by molecular karyotyping and maintenance of normal morphology/phenotype after prolonged in vitro culture. Our data support the immunological functional plasticity of MSCs and suggest that MSCs‐PL can be used as an alternative to MSCs‐FCS, although these latter cells might be more suitable for preventing/treating alloreactivity‐related immune complications. J. Cell. Physiol. 211: 121–130, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Trimester-specific reference intervals for haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in pregnancy

Abstract Background: Diabetes in pregnancy imposes additional risks to both mother and infant. These increased risks are considered to be primarily related to glycaemic control which is monitored by means of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The correlation of HbA1c with clinical outcomes emphasises the need to measure HbA1c accurately, precisely and for correct interpretation, comparison to appropriately defined reference intervals. Since July 2010, the HbA1c assay in Irish laboratories is fully metrologically traceable to the IFCC standard. The objective was to establish trimester-specific reference intervals in pregnancy for IFCC standardised HbA1c in non-diabetic Caucasian women. Methods: The authors recruited 311 non-diabetic Caucasian pregnant (n=246) and non-pregnant women (n=65). A selective screening based on risk factors for gestational diabetes was employed. All subjects had a random plasma glucose <7.7 mmol/L and normal haemoglobin level. Pregnancy trimester was defined as trimester 1 (T1, n=40) up to 12 weeks +6 days, trimester 2 (T2, n=106) 13–27 weeks +6 days, trimester 3 (T3, n=100) >28 weeks to term. Results: The normal HbA1c reference interval for Caucasian non-pregnant women was 29–37 mmol/mol (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial; DCCT: 4.8%–5.5%), T1: 24–36 mmol/mol (DCCT: 4.3%–5.4%), T2: 25–35 mmol/mol (DCCT: 4.4%–5.4%) and T3: 28–39 mmol/mol (DCCT: 4.7%–5.7%). HbA1c was significantly decreased in trimesters 1 and 2 compared to non-pregnant women. Conclusions: HbA1c trimester-specific reference intervals are required to better inform the management of pregnancies complicated by diabetes.
Simulators for use in anaesthesia

There are many simulators available for use in anaesthetic‐related education and research. Those who wish to purchase a simulator or to establish a simulation facility face a daunting task in understanding the differences between simulators. Recent reviews have focused on narrower areas of simulation, such as airway management or basic life support, or on the application of simulators. It would be difficult to deal in detail with every simulator ever made for anaesthesia, but in the present review we cover the spectrum of currently available anaesthetic simulators, provide an overview of different types of simulator, and discuss a selection of simulators of particular interest, including some of historical significance and some examples of ‘home made’ simulators. We have found no common terminology amongst authors for describing or classifying simulators, and propose a framework for describing (or classifying) them that is simple, clear and applicable to any simulator.
A novel wavelet de-noising method for on-site PD measurements on HV cables

The ageing of high and medium voltage power cable insulation is an increasing problem for the electric power industry, particularly under current economic constraints. To prevent insulation failure causing forced service outage, insulation condition monitoring techniques must be applied. Partial discharge (PD) measurement has been recognized as an effective diagnostic tool for insulation assessment. This is because most insulation failures start with PD phenomenon. However, on-site PD measurement signals are often affected by strong electromagnetic interference (EMI). Therefore, de-noising techniques have to be applied to recover the PD signal from noise to provide true information about the cable condition for asset management. This paper suggests using wavelet transform (WT) to reject on-site measurement noise. The existing wavelet de-noising methods are presented and their limitations led to the proposed new method. A novel WT de-noising threshold value selection method is introduced. Laboratory experiment results based on this novel method are presented. Its performance is compared with other WT de-noising methods. Results show this proposed method could greatly improve the measurement sensitivity and effectively remove on-site noise.