Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essays on Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

This dissertation is concerned with the following estimator and some bias corrected estimators of dynamic panel data model. Chapter 2 consider several instrumental variables (IV) and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators for panel data models with weakly exogenous variables, when the T and N, the sample size of time series and cross-section are large and fixed T and large N seperately. In chapter 3 and 4 , we consider the situation for large N and small T. Fixed effect estimator and conventional is biased and GMM estimator suffer from the weak instrumental problems. In chapter 3, we investigate the weak instruments problem of GMM estimator for dynamic panel data models. Chapter 4 consider the second-order bias corrected estimator of multivariate dynamic panel data models for short-run coefficients and long-run coefficients. Acknowledgement This doctoral essay could not have been complicated without the supports of many people. Fisrt of all, I am hearty gratefully to my supervisor, Prof. Hayakawa Kazuhiko. I am also thankful to my supervisor during master course period, Prof. Ginama Isamu. I am also thankful to my condesciples and friends, Gong Zhe, Li Yue, Hou Jie, Ge Bei,Tajima Yuki and Chao Bo. Finaly, this dissertation is delicated to my families, Yu Hua, Huhe Teengesi, Xilin Gaowa and Chairiga.
Self-Awakening, Sleep Inertia, and P3 Amplitude in Elderly People

It is well known that sleepiness is sometimes experienced in the afternoon. A short afternoon nap is thought to be effective in reducing sleepiness. However, sleep inertia occurs even after a short nap, and this could be a major risk factor for injuries from falling by the elderly. In the present study, the effect of self-awakening on sleep inertia after a 20-min. nap was examined. Nine participants (M = 74.1 yr., SD = 5.0 yr.) took part in the three experimental conditions: the self-awakened nap, the forced-awakened nap, and the control (no-nap) conditon. Analysis showed sleepiness and performance after the nap significantly improved compared with the control condition. P3 amplitude tended to be larger after self-awakening than after forced-awakening. The present study indicates a 20-min. nap reduces afternoon sleepiness, and the application of self-awakening may contribute to higher arousal after a nap taken by this elderly group.
SIW cavity-backed circularly polarized dual loop antenna with broadband at Ka band

An SIW cavity-backed dual loop antenna with broadband and circular polarization (CP) operation at Ka band is presented. The dual loop is on the top metal layer of the SIW and is coupled-fed by a longitudinal slot which is on the bottom metal layer. A microstrip-SIW transition is designed as the feed structure. Simulation results show that the antenna has a common bandwidth of 11.1% from 34 to 38 GHz for |S11| < −10 dB as well as for the axial ratio (AR) < 3 dB. A high broadside gain over 8.5 dBi is achieved within the operation band. This design yields good directional radiation patterns and low fabrication cost.
Exploring the dynamic information content of a protein NMR structure: Comparison of a molecular dynamics simulation with the NMR and X‐ray structures of Escherichia coli ribonuclease HI

The multiconformer nature of solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures of proteins results from the effects of intramolecular dynamics, spin diffusion and an uneven distribution of structural restraints throughout the molecule. A delineation of the former from the latter two contributions is attempted in this work for an ensemble of 15 NMR structures of the protein Escherichia coli ribonuclease HI (RNase HI). Exploration of the dynamic information content of the NMR ensemble is carried out through correlation with data from two crystal structures and a 1.7‐ns molecular dynamics (MD) trajectory of RNase HI in explicit solvent. Assessment of the consistency of the crystal and mean MD structures with nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) data showed that the NMR ensemble is overall more compatible with the high‐resolution (1.48 Å) crystal structure than with either the lower‐resolution (2.05 Å) crystal structure or the MD simulation. Furthermore, the NMR ensemble is found to span more conformational space than the MD simulation for both the backbone and the sidechains of RNase HI. Nonetheless, the backbone conformational variability of both the NMR ensemble and the simulation is especially consistent with NMR relaxation measurements of two loop regions that are putative sites of substrate recognition. Plausible side‐chain dynamic information is extracted from the NMR ensemble on the basis of (i) rotamericity and syn‐pentane character of variable torsion angles, (ii) comparison of the magnitude of atomic mean‐square fluctuations (msf) with those deduced from crystallographic thermal factors, and (iii) comparison of torsion angle conformational behavior in the NMR ensemble and the simulation. Several heterogeneous torsion angles, while adopting non‐rotameric/syn‐pentane conformations in the NMR ensemble, exist in a unique conformation in the simulation and display low X‐ray thermal factors. These torsions are identified as sites whose variability is likely to be an artifact of the NMR structure determination procedure. A number of other torsions show a close correspondence between the conformations sampled in the NMR and MD ensembles, as well as significant correlations among crystallographic thermal factors and atomic msf calculated from the NMR ensemble and the simulation. These results indicate that a significant amount of dynamic information is contained in the NMR ensemble. The relevance of the present findings for the biological function of RNase HI, protein recognition studies, and previous investigations of the motional content of protein NMR structures are discussed. Proteins 1999;36:87–110. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cloning and characterization of subunits of the T-cell receptor and murine leukemia virus enhancer core-binding factor

Moloney murine leukemia virus causes thymic leukemias when injected into newborn mice. A major determinant of the thymic disease specificity of Moloney virus genetically maps to the conserved viral core motif in the Moloney virus enhancer. Point mutations introduced into the core site significantly shifted the disease specificity of the Moloney virus from thymic leukemia to erythroid leukemia (N.A. Speck, B. Renjifo, E. Golemis, T.N. Fredrickson, J.W. Hartley, and N. Hopkins, Genes Dev. 4:233-242, 1990). We previously reported the purification of core-binding factors (CBF) from calf thymus nuclei (S. Wang and N.A. Speck, Mol. Cell. Biol. 12:89-102, 1992). CBF binds to core sites in murine leukemia virus and T-cell receptor enhancers. Affinity-purified CBF contains multiple polypeptides. In this study, we sequenced five tryptic peptides from two of the bovine CBF proteins and isolated three cDNA clones from a mouse thymus cDNA library encoding three of the tryptic peptides from the bovine proteins. The cDNA clones, which we call CBF beta p22.0, CBF beta p21.5, and CBF beta p17.6, encode three highly related but distinct proteins with deduced molecular sizes of 22.0, 21.5, and 17.6 kDa that appear to be translated from multiply spliced mRNAs transcribed from the same gene. CBF beta p22.0, CBF beta p21.5, and CBF beta p17.6 do not by themselves bind the core site. However, CBF beta p22.0 and CBF beta p21.5 form a complex with DNA-binding CBF alpha subunits and as a result decrease the rate of dissociation of the CBF protein-DNA complex. Association of the CBF beta subunits does not extend the phosphate contacts in the binding site. We propose that CBF beta is a non-DNA-binding subunit of CBF and does not contact DNA directly.
Value Addition and Productivity Differentials in the Nigerian Cassava System

There is an increasing need to improve value addition in order to get maximum utility from agricultural systems. Using a retrospective panel data from 482 cassava farmers covering the years 2015–2017, this study examined the effect of value addition on productivity of farmers in the cassava system in Nigeria. We analysed a non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis to examine productivity across cassava production systems over the three year period. We also examined the impact of value addition on productivity using an endogenous switching regression to account for unobservables that determine the decision to add value and productivity of the farmers. The study found that cost and revenue outlays increased with value addition. Cassava farmers in general operated below the efficiency frontier, with total productivity declining over the 2015–2017 period. However, higher value addition farmers had better efficiency and non-reducing productivity in the periods studied. We found evidence of selection bias in the decision to add value and productivity of the farmers. The conditional and unconditional outcome estimates revealed positive gains in productivity with value addition, confirming the hypothesis that value addition increases farming households’ productivity. We recommend that essential services such as extension services, agricultural training, and ease of enterprise registration that drive agricultural value addition be made available to farmers.
The synthesis of ribosomal proteins S16 and L32 is not autogenously regulated during mouse myoblast differentiation

A series of mouse myoblast cell lines was constructed that contain 1 to 34 extra copies of either the S16 or the L32 ribosomal protein (r-protein) gene. The metabolism of the S16 and L32 r-proteins and mRNAs was examined in myoblasts and fibers of these cell lines to determine whether the synthesis of these r-proteins is autogenously regulated. The incorporation of extra copies of these r-protein genes into the genome resulted in the accumulation of the corresponding mRNAs to levels that were directly proportional to the gene copy number. The levels of the overproduced mRNAs decreased after the differentiation of mouse myoblasts into fibers in parallel to the decrease in the levels of the endogenous r-protein mRNAs. These results indicate that the synthesis of these r-proteins is not autogenously regulated at the level of transcription, RNA processing, or mRNA stability. To determine whether the synthesis of these r-proteins is regulated at the level of translation, the translational efficiencies of the overproduced mRNAs were inferred from their distribution in polysomal gradients. The translational efficiencies of these overproduced r-protein mRNAs in myoblasts are similar to those of the endogenous r-protein mRNAs. After myoblast differentiation, the translational efficiencies of the overproduced r-protein mRNAs decrease exactly like those of the endogenous r-protein mRNAs. Examination of the synthesis and stability of r-proteins in one of the L32-overproducing cell lines demonstrated that the overproduced L32 r-protein degrades shortly after its synthesis. The synthesis and stability of the other r-proteins were unaffected in this cell line. Thus, the synthesis of S16 and L32 r-proteins is not autogenously regulated at any level in either myoblasts or fibers.
Three‐stage chromogenic assay for the analysis of activation properties of factor X by cancer procoagulant

The cysteine proteinase, cancer procoagulant (CP;EC 3.4.22.26) was isolated from human amnion-chorion and purified by precipitation with polyethylene glycol and either ion exchange or immunoaffinity chromatography. A new, sensitive, three-stage chromogenic assay was developed for determination of CP factor X-activating activity. Using this assay some properties induding dose–response, effect of calcium, phospholipid and pH on the activation of factor ± by CP were determined. There was an excellent linear correlation (r2 = 0.99) between concentration and the enzymatic activity of CP. The activation of factor X by purified CP was calcium dependent with an optimum calcium concentration of 7 mM. CP was not phospholipid dependent. There was a rather broad pH optimum between pH 6.9 and 7.25 for the activation of factor X by CP.
Efficient delivery of circulating poliovirus to the central nervous system independently of poliovirus receptor.

The transgenic (Tg) mice carrying the human gene for poliovirus receptor (PVR) are susceptible to poliovirus intravenously (i.v.) inoculated as well as intracerebrally or intraspinally inoculated. Thus, i.v. -inoculated poliovirus may invade the central nervous system (CNS) through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). To know the contribution of PVR to tissue distribution and BBB permeability of i.v. -inoculated polioviruses, these dissemination processes were investigated and compared between the Tg mice and non-Tg mice. Distribution profile of i.v. -inoculated poliovirus in various tissues of the Tg mice is similar to that in non-Tg mice. The data suggest that tissue distribution of the virus occurs independently of the transgene for PVR. The amount of poliovirus delivered to the CNS suggested the existence of a specific delivery system of the virus to the CNS. Virus accumulation in the CNS of the Tg mice was measured up to 7.5 hr after the i.v. inoculation. The viruses, regardless of whether the virulent or attenuated strain, seem to accumulate at a constant rate of approximately 0.2 microliter/min/g tissue. Similar phenomena were observed when the viruses were inoculated into non-Tg mice. The rates of the virus accumulation in the CNS are more than 100 times higher than that of albumin, which is considered not to permeate through the BBB via a specific transport system, and only three times lower than that of monoclonal antibody against transferrin receptor (OX-26), which is a potential candidate as a drug delivery vehicle specific to the CNS. These data suggest that polioviruses permeate through the BBB at a fairly high rate, independently of PVR and virus strains.
Effects of acclimation temperature and cadmium exposure on cellular energy budgets in the marine mollusk Crassostrea virginica: linking cellular and mitochondrial responses

SUMMARY In order to understand the role of metabolic regulation in environmental stress tolerance, a comprehensive analysis of demand-side effects (i.e. changes in energy demands for basal maintenance) and supply-side effects (i.e. metabolic capacity to provide ATP to cover the energy demand) of environmental stressors is required. We have studied the effects of temperature (12, 20 and 28°C) and exposure to a trace metal, cadmium (50 μg l–1), on the cellular energy budget of a model marine poikilotherm, Crassostrea virginica (eastern oysters), using oxygen demand for ATP turnover, protein synthesis, mitochondrial proton leak and non-mitochondrial respiration in isolated gill and hepatopancreas cells as demand-side endpoints and mitochondrial oxidation capacity, abundance and fractional volume as supply-side endpoints. Cadmium exposure and high acclimation temperatures resulted in a strong increase of oxygen demand in gill and hepatopancreas cells of oysters. Cd-induced increases in cellular energy demand were significant at 12 and 20°C but not at 28°C, possibly indicating a metabolic capacity limitation at the highest temperature. Elevated cellular demand in cells from Cd-exposed oysters was associated with a 2–6-fold increase in protein synthesis and, at cold acclimation temperatures, with a 1.5-fold elevated mitochondrial proton leak. Cellular aerobic capacity, as indicated by mitochondrial oxidation capacity, abundance and volume, did not increase in parallel to compensate for the elevated energy demand. Mitochondrial oxidation capacity was reduced in 28°C-acclimated oysters, and mitochondrial abundance decreased in Cd-exposed oysters, with a stronger decrease (by 20–24%) in warm-acclimated oysters compared with cold-acclimated ones (by 8–13%). These data provide a mechanistic basis for synergism between temperature and cadmium stress on metabolism of marine poikilotherms. Exposure to combined temperature and cadmium stress may result in a strong energy deficiency due to the elevated energy demand on one hand and a reduced mitochondrial capacity to cover this demand on the other hand, which may have important implications for surviving seasonally and/or globally elevated temperatures in polluted estuaries.
Short-term experiments on ion transport by seedlings and excised roots : technique and validity.

The absorption of K(+) by excised roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv California Mariout) has been systematically compared with that of entire, undisturbed seedlings. Some experiments have also been done with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and an amphiploid obtained from a cross between it and salt-tolerant tall wheatgrass (Lophopyrum elongatum Host Löve [syn. Agropyron elongatum Host]). For all three genotypes, the rate of K(+) absorption measured in a 20-min period was identical for entire 8-d-old seedlings and their excised roots within the experimental error. Manipulation gentler than root excision, viz. careful transfer of seedlings from one experimental solution to another, was also without effect on the rate of K(+) absorption. Absorption of K(+) measured by assay of its (86)Rb label in the tissue was identical with that measured by K(+) depletion of the experimental solutions assayed chemically. For the plant materials and conditions of these experiments, the excised root technique for studying ion transport into roots is validated. The advantages of the technique, and findings differing from the present ones, are discussed.
Convergence Analysis of MCMC Algorithms for Bayesian Multivariate Linear Regression with Non‐Gaussian Errors

When Gaussian errors are inappropriate in a multivariate linear regression setting, it is often assumed that the errors are iid from a distribution that is a scale mixture of multivariate normals. Combining this robust regression model with a default prior on the unknown parameters results in a highly intractable posterior density. Fortunately, there is a simple data augmentation (DA) algorithm and a corresponding Haar PX‐DA algorithm that can be used to explore this posterior. This paper provides conditions (on the mixing density) for geometric ergodicity of the Markov chains underlying these Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. Letting d denote the dimension of the response, the main result shows that the DA and Haar PX‐DA Markov chains are geometrically ergodic whenever the mixing density is generalized inverse Gaussian, log‐normal, inverted Gamma (with shape parameter larger than d/2) or Fréchet (with shape parameter larger than d/2). The results also apply to certain subsets of the Gamma, F and Weibull families.
Detection of Yersinia pestis fraction 1 antigen with a fiber optic biosensor

A fiber optic biosensor was used to detect the fraction 1 (F1) antigen from Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague. The instrument employs an argon ion laser (514 nm) to launch light into a long-clad fiber and measures the fluorescence produced by an immunofluorescent complex formed in the evanescent wave region. This sensing area is a short section (12.5 cm) at the end of the optical fiber from which the cladding has been removed and in which the silica core has been tapered. Capture antibodies, which bind to F1 antigen, were immobilized on the core surface to form the basis of the sandwich fluoroimmunoassay. The ability to detect bound F1 antigen was provided by adding tetramethylrhodamine-labeled anti-plaque antibody to form fluorescent complexes. The evanescent wave has a limited penetration depth (< 1 lambda), which restricts detection of the fluorescent complexes bound to the fiber's surface. The direct correlation between the F1 antigen concentration and the signal provided an effective method for sample quantitation. This method achieved a high level of accuracy for determining F1 antigen concentrations from 50 to 400 ng/ml in phosphate-buffered saline, serum, plasma, and whole blood, with a 5-ng/ml limit of detection. Subsequent blind studies, which included serum samples from patients, yielded results in good agreement with measurements by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A major advantage of the fiber optic biosensor is that results can be generated within minutes while isolating the user from hazardous samples. These factors favor development of this biosensor into a facile and rapid diagnostic device.
Beyond narratives of victim and villain: Characteristics and service needs of domestic minor victims of sex trafficking, and the challenges of service delivery

Young people involved in the sex trade have existed throughout history. Following passage of the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) by the U.S. Congress, 22 U.S.C. 7102(8), U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who are under the age of 18 and trading sex in any capacity are now considered domestic minor victims of human trafficking. With the TVPA's passage, public awareness and services for victims of human trafficking increased. However, strategies to meet the needs of these young people are in the early stages of development. Knowledge gaps exist about the characteristics of young people who trade sex, what services these young people would like to receive, and the challenges of service provision. This study focused on three agencies that received funding to work with domestic minor victims of sex trafficking: the SAGE Project, Inc. in San Francisco, the Streetwork Project at Safe Horizon in New York, and the STOP-IT Program at Salvation Army in Chicago. This study addressed the following questions through a secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data: (1) What are the characteristics of young people who trade sex? ; (2) What services do the young people request and what do they receive? ; and (3) What are the challenges case managers experience in their work with this population?
Data hiding method for broadcasting system

A novel method of hiding data into multimedia contents by using watermarking technology is described in this paper. This method can be used for analog images, digital raw images, JPEG and other compressed images and has advantages over the existing data hiding methods in terms of less distortion to original multimedia contents, robustness against noise attacks, and efficient data embedding/detection. By modifying the summed value of selected DCT coefficients and making the quantization adaptive to the DCT amplitudes and other parameters, the data hiding method is found to be robust against signal distortions in broadcasting system due to noise, contrast and luminance change, pixel shift, and multi-path interference.
L‐arginine or tempol supplementation improves renal and cardiovascular function in rats with reduced renal mass and chronic high salt intake

Early life reduction in nephron number and chronic high salt intake cause development of renal and cardiovascular disease, which has been associated with oxidative stress and nitric oxide (NO) deficiency. We investigated the hypothesis that interventions stimulating NO signalling or reducing oxidative stress may restore renal autoregulation, attenuate hypertension and reduce renal and cardiovascular injuries following reduction in renal mass and chronic high salt intake.
Judicial cooperation in civil matters

Free movement of goods, services, capital and people across borders is constantly on the increase. In civil matters having cross-border implications, the European Union is developing judicial cooperation, thus building bridges between the different legal systems. Its main objectives are legal certainty and easy and effective access to justice, implying identification of the competent jurisdiction, clear designation of the applicable law and speedy and effective recognition and enforcement procedures.