Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chronic Poverty and Migration

This paper provides an overview of conceptual understandings of, and methodological research issues on, the relationship between chronic, or long-term, poverty and processes of migration. The paper presents a framework to enable an analysis of social relations and processes of exclusion, and the ways in which these are structured around poverty-related capitals. While livelihood strategies are diverse and multiple, for many poor people, migration represents a central component of these. This paper explores how research can be carried out to examine the characteristics of those who move and those who stay, the processes by which they are compelled or excluded from adopting migration as a livelihood strategy and the circumstances under which migration sustains chronic poverty or presents an opportunity to move out of poverty. Subsequently the paper addresses some of the implications of current migration-related policies for chronic poverty. Taking chronic poverty to mean the intergenerational transfer of poverty and recognising that those amongst the chronically poor are the least likely to benefit from current national and international development efforts (Hulme et al 2001), this paper identifies possible future research priorities for the Chronic Poverty Research Centre into the relationship between moving, staying put and chronic poverty.
Krüppel-like Factor 5 Causes Cartilage Degradation through Transactivation of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9*

Although degradation of cartilage matrix has been suggested to be a rate-limiting step for endochondral ossification during skeletal development, little is known about the transcriptional regulation. This study investigated the involvement of KLF5 (Krüppel-like factor 5), an Sp/KLF family member, in the skeletal development. KLF5 was expressed in chondrocytes and osteoblasts but not in osteoclasts. The heterozygous deficient (KLF5+/-) mice exhibited skeletal growth retardation in the perinatal period. Although chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation were normal, cartilage matrix degradation was impaired in KLF5+/- mice, causing delay in replacement of cartilage with bone at the primary ossification center in the embryonic limbs and elongation of hypertrophic chondrocyte layer in the neonatal growth plates. Microarray analyses identified MMP9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9) as a transcriptional target, since it was strongly up-regulated by adenoviral transfection of KLF5 in chondrogenic cell line OUMS27. The KLF5 overexpression caused gelatin degradation by stimulating promoter activity of MMP9 without affecting chondrocyte differentiation or vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the culture of chondrogenic cells; however, in osteoclast precursors, it affected neither MMP9 expression nor osteoclastic differentiation. KLF5 dysfunction by genetic heterodeficiency or RNA interference was confirmed to cause reduction of MMP9 expression in cultured chondrogenic cells. MMP9 expression was decreased in the limbs of KLF5+/- embryos, which was correlated with suppression of matrix degradation, calcification, and vascularization. We conclude that KLF5 causes cartilage matrix degradation through transcriptional induction of MMP9, providing the first evidence that transcriptional regulation of a proteinase contributes to endochondral ossification and skeletal development.
Two-dimensional transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (TRNOESY) studies of nucleotide conformations in arginine kinase complexes.

Two-dimensional proton transfer nuclear Overhauser spectroscopy (TRNOESY) studies of the conformations of the adenosine moieties in the nucleotides bound at the active site of the lobster (Homarus americanus) muscle arginine kinase are reported. TRNOESY measurements were made using a sample protocol chosen to minimize contributions from weak non-specific binding of the nucleotides to the observed NOE's. This was done by making the measurements as a function of ligand concentration while keeping the ligand to enzyme concentration ratio fixed at 10:1. The experiments were performed at 500 MHz and 10 degrees C for six different mixing times in the range 40-300 ms. The measurements were made on three complexes of the enzyme: E.MgATP, E.MgADP, and the long-lived transition-state-analog complex (E.MgADP.NO-3.arginine). All the complexes, including the transition-state-analog complex with an estimated lifetime of about 50 ms, satisfy the fast-exchange condition. The TRNOE buildup curves for all the nucleotide-proton pairs in each complex were analyzed using a complete relaxation matrix appropriate for fast exchange. The interproton distances obtained from the NOE analysis were used as constraints in obtaining an energy-minimized conformation on the basis of the program CHARMm. The glycosidic torsion angle (chi) for the adenosine moiety in all three complexes is about 50 degrees +/- 5 degrees. The glycosidic orientation agrees well with that determined for MgATP and MgADP complexes of creatine kinase (Murali et al., 1993), MgATP bound at the active and ancillary sites of pyruvate kinase (Jarori et al., 1994a), and PRPP synthetase (Jarori et al., 1994b). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A pilot study evaluating predictors of postoperative outcomes after major abdominal surgery: physiological capacity compared with the ASA physical status classification system

Background This pilot study compared the risk predictive value of preoperative physiological capacity (PC: defined by gas exchange measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing) with the ASA physical status classification in the same patients (n=32) undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery. Methods Uni- and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to measurements of PC and ASA rank data determining their predictive value for postoperative morbidity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to discriminate between the predictive abilities, exploring trade-offs between sensitivity and specificity. Results Individual statistically significant predictors of postoperative morbidity included the ASA rank [P=0.038, area under the curve (AUC)=0.688, sensitivity=0.630, specificity=0.750] and three newly identified measures of PC: PAT (% predicted anaerobic threshold achieved, <75% vs ≥75%), ΔHR1 (heart rate response from rest to the anaerobic threshold), and HR3 (heart rate at the anaerobic threshold). A two-variable model of PC measurements (ΔHR1+PAT) was also shown to be statistically significant in the prediction of postoperative morbidity (P=0.023, AUC=0.826, sensitivity=0.813, specificity=0.688). Conclusions Three newly identified PC measures and the ASA rank were significantly associated with postoperative morbidity; none showed a statistically greater association compared with the others. PC appeared to improve predictive sensitivity. The potential for new unidentified measures of PC to predict postoperative outcomes remains unexplored.
Association analysis of the HOPA12bp polymorphism in schizophrenia and manic depressive illness

Variations in exon 42 of the HOPA (human opposite paired) gene have been associated with mental retardation, hypothyroidism and psychiatric disorders. We attempted to replicate the association with schizophrenia using 309 parent‐offspring trios from Bulgaria and 367 unrelated cases and 368 blood donors from the UK. We also tested 125 bipolar trios from Bulgaria, 112 bipolar trios from the UK and a sample of 178 unrelated bipolar cases and 188 blood donors from the UK. The frequency of HOPA12bp in the 556 UK blood donors was 2.6% and it was not significantly different in the UK patients groups, where it ranged from 1.2 to 3.8%. Sixteen mothers transmitted the HOPA12bp allele to schizophrenic offspring, while 12 did not transmit, a non‐significant difference. There was a trend for under‐transmission of the rare allele to bipolar patients (T/NT = 4/10) and they had a lower rate of that allele than schizophrenic patients in the Bulgarian population (1% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.043). However the two diagnostic groups had similar allele frequencies in the UK populations: 2% versus 2.6%, P = 0.6. We conclude that the HOPA polymorphism is unlikely to be a major risk factor in the pathogenesis of these major psychiatric disorders although there could be a small effect in schizophrenia. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Accountability and Political Competition: Theory and Evidence ∗

One of the central issues in political economy concerns how to create a form of government that responds to voters needs. The preconditions for achieving this are widely debated. Recent interest has focused on various institutions such as the media or citizens’ initiatives in calling the government to account. The traditional Public Choice view is that government rarely serves the public interest and that a variety of checks and balances are necessary to have a well-functioning polity. This view reached its apotheosis in the Leviathan formulation of government motives in Brennan and Buchanan (1980). However, more modern incarnations of this view place agency problems at centre stage following on from the seminal contributions of Barro (1970) and Ferejohn (1986). The standard setting is a model where an incumbent can commit effort to produce better performance on a valence issue. Voters cannot observe the actions and must infer the amount of effort put in and/or the incumbent’s type from the observable outcomes. This paper focuses on the role of political competition as a device for enhancing accountability. The standard model of political agency pays little attention to some of the structural factors that shape the effort making
On the Assessment of Beta Before World War I: Case Study of Brussels Stock Exchange (BSE)

This paper uses completely new data to study the variations in beta when it deviates from the constancy assumption presumed by the market model. The concentration of the various researches on beta based on post 1926 data makes the 19th century Brussels Stock Exchange (BSE) data a very good out-sample dataset to test beta variations. Various models proposed in the literature to capture the variations in beta were studied. Blume’s correlation techniques reveal that beta is not stable at the individual stocks level and that the stability can be improved by portfolio formation. Using root mean square error (RMSE) criterion, it was shown that the market model betas are weak in predicting future betas. The predictability can be improved by adjusting betas with the Blume and Vasicek mean reversion techniques. Further results from this study reveal that few stocks have lead or lag relationship with the market index. Small sized stocks were detected to be more prone to outliers.
The General Duty to Obey the Law in Comparative Perspective

174 words) This paper offers a new approach to study the general duty to obey the law (GDOL) in comparative perspective. GDOL is crucial for those studying the authority of law and rule of law, as well as those studying compliance and ethical decision making in relation to the law. It conceptualizes and tests a new scale to measure GDOL in a sample of 717 law students from China, the USA, the Netherlands and Israel. The new construct has good internal and convergent validity. The data reveal that variation in GDOL across the four countries is limited, and China is not the expected outlier in the sample. GDOL varies with legal education, with less formal legal education related to a higher GDOL in the first year and to a lower GDOL in senior years. Also students with a higher altruistic orientation to study law reported higher GDOL. In conclusion, GDOL and the related authority of law may be not just a matter of national and institutional differences but also one of personal preferences and personality. Introduction Legal systems can only function well if there is voluntary compliance, and when there is no need to implement each and every rule through the threat of sanctions (cf. Tyler 1997). While of course such voluntary compliance is most easily developed for rules that people agree with, modern legal systems include many rules where widespread moral support may not be optimal. It is here that Tyler (1997) has argued that the general duty to obey the law is crucial. If people perceive that they have a duty to obey the law, simply because it is the law, regardless of circumstances, neither enforcement nor moral agreement with the law are necessary. Modern legal systems that govern large and heterogeneous jurisdictions with challenges both in terms of enforcement and moral agreement, therefore hinge upon the people’s perceptions about the general duty to obey the law.
Isolation of a gene encoding a functional zinc finger protein homologous to erythroid Krüppel-like factor: identification of a new multigene family

We have identified and characterized the gene for a novel zinc finger transcription factor which we have termed lung Krüppel-like factor (LKLF). LKLF was isolated through the use of the zinc finger domain of erythroid Krüppel-like factor (ELKF) as a hybridization probe and is closely related to this erythroid cell-specific gene. LKLF is expressed in a limited number of tissues, with the predominant expression seen in the lungs and spleen. The gene is developmentally controlled, with expression noted in the 7-day embryo followed by a down-regulation at 11 days and subsequent reactivation. A high degree of similarity is noted in the zinc finger regions of LKLF and EKLF. Beyond this domain, the sequences diverge significantly, although the putative transactivation domains for both LKLF and EKLF are proline-rich regions. In the DNA-binding domain, the three zinc finger motifs are so closely conserved that the predicted DNA contact sites are identical, suggesting that both proteins may bind to the same core sequence. This was further suggested by transactivation assays in which mouse fibroblasts were transiently transfected with a human beta-globin reporter gene in the absence and presence of an LKLF cDNA construct. Expression of the LKLF gene activates this human beta-globin promoter containing the CACCC sequence previously shown to be a binding site for EKLF. Mutation of this potential binding site results in a significant reduction in the reporter gene expression. LKLF and EKLF can thus be grouped as members of a unique family of transcription factors which have discrete patterns of expression in different tissues and which appear to recognize the same DNA-binding site.
Characteristics of the Large Neutral Amino Acid Transport System of Bovine Brain Microvessel Endothelial Cell Monolayers

Abstract: The large neutral amino acid (LNAA) transport system, or L (leucine) system, in primary cultures of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cell monolayers has been characterized. The transendothelial transport of leucine in this in vitro blood‐brain barrier (BBB) model was determined to be bidirectional and time, temperature, and concentration dependent. Leucine transport was saturable, and the apparent Km and Vmax were determined to be 0.18 mM and 6.3 nmol/mg/min, respectively. Transendothelial transport of leucine was resistant to inhibition by ouabain and sodium azide. Other LNAAs, including the centrally acting drugs α‐methyl‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (α‐methyldopa), l‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl alanine (l‐DOPA), α‐methyltyrosine, and baclofen, inhibited leucine transport. The leucine carrier system was also found to be stereospecific. Sucrose, used as a diffusion marker, moved across the monolayers slowly, and its concentration was not significant for at least 30 min.
Validation and comparison of three formulae to estimate sodium and potassium excretion from a single morning fasting urine compared to 24-h measures in 11 countries

Background and objectives: Although 24-h urinary measure to estimate sodium and potassium excretion is the gold standard, it is not practical for large studies. We compared estimates of 24-h sodium and potassium excretion from a single morning fasting urine (MFU) using three different formulae in healthy individuals. Methods: We studied 1083 individuals aged 35–70 years from the general population in 11 countries. A 24-h urine and MFU specimen were obtained from each individual. A subset of 448 individuals repeated the measures after 30–90 days. The Kawasaki, Tanaka, and INTERSALT formulae were used to estimate urinary excretion from a MFU specimen. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between estimated and measured sodium excretion was higher with Kawasaki (0.71; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.65–0.76) compared with INTERSALT (0.49; 95% CI: 0.29–0.62) and Tanaka (0.54; 95% CI: 0.42–0.62) formulae (P <0.001). For potassium, the ICC was higher with the Kawasaki (0.55; 95% CI: 0.31–0.69) than the Tanaka (0.36; 95% CI: −0.07 to 0.60; P <0.05) formula (no INTERSALT formula exists for potassium). The degree of bias (vs. the 24-h urine) for sodium was smaller with Kawasaki (+313 mg/day; 95% CI: +182 to +444) compared with INTERSALT (−872 mg/day; 95% CI: −728 to −1016) and Tanaka (−548 mg/day; 95% CI: −408 to −688) formulae (P <0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively). Similarly for potassium, the Kawasaki formula provided the best agreement and least bias. Blood pressure correlated most closely and similarly with the 24-h and Kawasaki estimates for sodium compared with the other two formulae. Conclusion: In a diverse population, the Kawasaki formula is the most valid and least biased method of estimating 24-h sodium excretion from a single MFU and is suitable for population studies.
SUV: standard uptake or silly useless value?

Quantification has always held a pervasive allure for nuclear medicine. There is a sense that anything that can be quantified should be. Once we have the numbers in hand, there is a mysterious tendency to accord them special value. Why this should be the case is unclear. Perhaps it is because of the functional nature of nuclear medicine studies, which seem as if they should be quantified. Perhaps it is because it is so easy to extract numbers from our studies. Whatever the cause, the phenomenon has been particularly strong in PET, in which we hear at every turn that PET is {open_quotes}quantitative. {close_quotes} DiChiro and Brooks commented on this phenomenon years ago, noting that, in many applications, subjective interpretation of PET images is actually superior to the use of quantitative data. Undaunted, however, the field has continued to lean heavily toward numbers as the final arbiter of correctness. 15 refs., 2 tabs.
Carbon dioxide and the uneasy interactions of trees and savannah grasses

Savannahs are a mixture of trees and grasses often occurring as alternate states to closed forests. Savannah fires are frequent where grass productivity is high in the wet season. Fires help maintain grassy vegetation where the climate is suitable for woodlands or forests. Saplings in savannahs are particularly vulnerable to topkill of above-ground biomass. Larger trees are more fire-resistant and suffer little damage when burnt. Recruitment to large mature tree size classes depends on sapling growth rates to fire-resistant sizes and the time between fires. Carbon dioxide (CO2) can influence the growth rate of juvenile plants, thereby affecting tree recruitment and the conversion of open savannahs to woodlands. Trees have increased in many savannahs throughout the world, whereas some humid savannahs are being invaded by forests. CO2 has been implicated in this woody increase but attribution to global drivers has been controversial where changes in grazing and fire have also occurred. We report on diverse tests of the magnitude of CO2 effects on both ancient and modern ecosystems with a particular focus on African savannahs. Large increases in trees of mesic savannahs in the region cannot easily be explained by land use change but are consistent with experimental and simulation studies of CO2 effects. Changes in arid savannahs seem less obviously linked to CO2 effects and may be driven more by overgrazing. Large-scale shifts in the tree–grass balance in the past and the future need to be better understood. They not only have major impacts on the ecology of grassy ecosystems but also on Earth–atmosphere linkages and the global carbon cycle in ways that are still being discovered.
Sensor based efficient decision making framework for remote healthcare

The increase in demand of remote health monitoring for elderly motivates the development of a novel framework for decision making under realistic conditions. Existing works on health monitoring focuses more on sensor development, se- curity, data collection and feature extraction. But, there is no solution for analyzing multidimensional physiological parameters and activity recognition integrated in a single system. Existing systems compromises either on accuracy or detection time. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a new idea for an automated Sensor based Decision Making (SbDM) framework that categorizes activity, vital parameters and uses Open Geo-spatial Consortium (OGC) standard for web enablement of sensor data. Two schemes such as abnormality detection in vital parameters and activity recognition are proposed in SbDM. SbDM combine generative Hidden Markov Model for activity prediction and discriminative Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System for accurate activity classification. These two modules are combined for early detection and accurate activity recognition. Combined activity recognition systems help to improve the reliability of the system and reduce false decision. SbDM also implements Decision Tree Pruning for abnormality detection in vital parameters. Activity and vital parameters measurements are closely related for future decision making or alert generation.
Sub-20-dB noise figure and positive link gain in a chip-based Si3N4 microwave photonic filter

We present a microwave photonic notch filter based on a Si3N4 photonic chip, with a noise figure of less than 20 dB, a positive link gain and an ultra-deep rejection beyond 50 dB in the stopband. This level of performance is achieved by using on-chip resonators' unique phase responses, and thorough optimizations of the photonic link.
Cerebral glucose hypometabolism is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in patients with intractable epilepsy and cortical dysplasia

Metabolic imaging studies, such as positron emission tomography (PET), allow for an assessment of physiologic functioning of the brain, and [18F]fluoro‐2‐deoxyglucose (FDG)–PET is now a commonly used technique in presurgical epilepsy evaluations. Focal interictal decreases in glucose consumption are often but inconsistently concordant with the ictal onset area, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The current study tests the hypothesis that areas of glucose hypometabolism, determined by FDG‐PET, are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in patients with medically intractable epilepsy associated with isolated focal cortical dysplasia (FCD).
Analysis of gain enhancement in antenna arrays covered with metamaterial superstrates using transmission line modeling

Reciprocity theorem in conjunction with transmission line analogy and the cavity model is employed to develop a very fast analytical solution for the radiation fields of microstrip antenna arrays covered with magneto-dielectric superstrates. The superstrate is designed using broadside coupled split ring resonator (SRR) inclusions and is placed at approximately one-tenth of a wavelength apart from a 4×1 microstrip patch array operating at 2.2 GHz. Good agreement is obtained between the proposed analytical formulation and full-wave numerical simulations. The proposed formulation requires only 2.5 % of the time acquired by full-wave analysis. A gain increase of about 3.5 dB is achieved after covering the antenna array with the engineered magnetic superstrate.