Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Collective Goods and International Organization

As they pursue their goals, actors—whether individuals, groups, or states—attempt to consume goods and services of various types. Generally they try to obtain such goods through private action. Thus, individuals clothe and entertain themselves by means of their individual actions in various marketplaces. Similarly, states will attempt to achieve goals and put policies into effect through their own actions. They will trade with other countries, develop defensive capabilities, and produce scientific knowledge substantially through their own efforts. States behave, then, as if they were private consumers in a market economy.
Economic significance of predictability in Australian equities

This paper examines evidence of predictability in Australian equities using both statistical and economic metrics of significance. A probit-based predictive model is used to forecast the probability that the 1 month ahead excess market return will be positive. Funds under management are then switched between equities and fixed income on the basis of this forecast. Although the statistical evidence of the model's predictive ability is mixed, the results suggest convincing evidence of an economically significant degree of return predictability. A $A1 investment in the switching strategy (market) in January 1980 grows to over $A55 ($A39) by June 2007. Although the economic significance of the switching strategy remains even in the presence of high transaction costs, robustness checks suggest that the seemingly impressive full-sample results might be sample specific. The apparent superiority of the portfolio-switching strategy can be traced to a handful of observations early in the study during which the predictive model provides a timely signal to exit equities. There is little evidence that the predictive model has forecasting ability across the entire sample. As such, this paper serves both to illustrate how alternate metrics of return predictability can lead to divergent conclusions, and to emphasize the importance of subjecting apparent findings of predictability to robustness checks.
In-hospital initiation of lipid-lowering therapy after coronary intervention as a predictor of long-term utilization: a propensity analysis.

BACKGROUND Despite multiple randomized trials demonstrating their efficacy for the secondary prevention of coronary disease, lipid-lowering agents remain underused. Few studies have examined the relationship between predischarge initiation of lipid-lowering therapy and long-term use. METHODS Using data from patients at 69 centers from the United States and Canada enrolled in the Evaluation in PTCA to Improve Long-term Outcome With Abciximab GP IIb/IIIa Blockade (EPILOG) trial, we performed a retrospective propensity-analyzed cohort study. Patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for stable or recently unstable coronary disease and were older than 21 years, were not taking lipid-lowering therapy at the time of admission, and survived to hospital discharge; 175 were discharged taking lipid-lowering therapy and 1951 were not. RESULTS After 6 months, 77% of patients who started taking lipid-lowering agents before hospital discharge continued taking therapy, compared with only 25% of those discharged without these agents (relative risk, 3.17; 95% confidence interval, 2.88-3.41; P<.001). After restricting the analysis to propensity-matched patients (n = 477) and adjusting for other potential confounders, initiation of a lipid-lowering agent during hospitalization was the strongest independent predictor of use at 6 months (relative risk, 2.50; 95% confidence interval, 2.29-2.65; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Inpatient initiation of lipid-lowering therapy is a strong and independent positive predictor of subsequent use, with patients who start taking lipid-lowering therapy before hospital discharge nearly 3 times as likely to be taking these agents 6 months later. Inpatient initiation of lipid-lowering therapy appears to be an effective strategy for bridging the gap between current medical knowledge and practice.
The Content of Tocols in South African Wheat; Impact on Nutritional Benefits

Wheat is a major component within human consumption, and due to the large intake of wheat, it has an impact on human nutritional health. This study aimed at an increased understanding of how the content and composition of tocols may be governed for increased nutritional benefit of wheat consumption. Therefore, ten South African wheat cultivars from three locations were fractionated into white and whole flour, the content and concentration of tocols were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and vitamin E activity was determined. The content and composition of tocols and vitamin E activity differed with fractionation, genotype, environment, and their interaction. The highest tocol content (59.8 mg kg−1) was obtained in whole flour for the cultivar Elands grown in Ladybrand, while whole Caledon flour from Clarence resulted in the highest vitamin E activity (16.3 mg kg−1). The lowest vitamin E activity (1.9 mg kg−1) was found in the cultivar C1PAN3118 from Ladybrand. High values of tocotrienols were obtained in whole flour of the cultivars Caledon (30.5 mg kg−1 in Clarens), Elands (35.5 mg kg−1 in Ladybrand), and Limpopo (33.7 mg kg−1 in Bultfontein). The highest tocotrienol to tocopherol ratio was found in white flour (2.83) due to higher reduction of tocotrienols than of tocopherols at fractionation. The quantity and composition of tocols can be governed in wheat flour, primarily by the selection of fractionation method at flour production, but also complemented by selection of genetic material and the growing environment.
Exchange Rate Pass Through in Ghana

In this paper, we estimate the pass-through impact of exchange rate movements on domestic prices between January 1994 and December 2012, using a recursive VAR. The model consists of six variables, which are ordered as: oil prices, output gap, exchange rate, non-food prices, overall consumer prices, and money market interest rates with the implicit assumption that the identified shocks contemporaneously impact variables ordered after the shock without a contemporaneous feedback. We establish that the effect of a nominal exchange rate shock on domestic prices is incomplete, broadly modest and decays within 18-24 months, but such effects are mostly felt within 12 months. Generally, the impact of the exchange rate shock on overall CPI inflation is more benign than for non-food inflation. We also find evidence in support of Taylor’s hypothesis that the exchange rate pass-through is positively correlated with the level of inflation.
Comparative Protein Structure Modeling Using MODELLER

Comparative protein structure modeling predicts the three‐dimensional structure of a given protein sequence (target) based primarily on its alignment to one or more proteins of known structure (templates). The prediction process consists of fold assignment, target‐template alignment, model building, and model evaluation. This unit describes how to calculate comparative models using the program MODELLER and how to use the ModBase database of such models, and discusses all four steps of comparative modeling, frequently observed errors, and some applications. Modeling lactate dehydrogenase from Trichomonas vaginalis (TvLDH) is described as an example. The download and installation of the MODELLER software is also described. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Unemployment and Endogenous Reallocation Over the Business Cycle

This paper studies the extent to which the cyclicality of occupational mobility shapes that of aggregate unemployment and its duration distribution. We document the relation between workers' occupational mobility and unemployment duration over the long run and business cycle. To interpret this evidence, we develop a multisector business cycle model with heterogenous agents. The model is quantitatively consistent with several important features of the US labor market: procyclical gross and countercyclical net occupational mobility, the large volatility of unemployment and the cyclical properties of the unemployment duration distribution, among many others. Our analysis shows that occupational mobility due to workers' changing career prospects, and not occupation‐wide differences, interacts with aggregate conditions to drive the fluctuations of the unemployment duration distribution, and the aggregate unemployment rate.
Resolving Superimposed MUAPs Using Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper presents an algorithm to resolve superimposed action potentials encountered during the decomposition of electromyographic signals. The algorithm uses particle swarm optimization with a variety of features including randomization, crossover, and multiple swarms. In a simulation study involving realistic superpositions of two to five motor-unit action potentials, the algorithm had an accuracy of 98%.
Measuring party orientations towards European integration: Results from an expert survey

Some observers have held that political parties have been minor players in the process of European integration due to the low salience of the issue and the prevalence of intra party disagreement over European questions. Although recent scholarship and the rising salience of European issues have brought increased attention to the role of political parties, the study of the relationship between party positions and both public opinion and policy outcomes has been hampered by an absence of comparable data on party positions. This research note presents the findings of an expert survey on party positions on the issue of European integration. In addition to estimates of the parties' positions on the issue itself, this survey provides information on the importance of the issue of European integration to each party, and the extent of internal dissent within parties. The data also indicate that parties have, on average, become increasingly pro-European over the period 1984–1996. Both the salience of the issue of integration and the extent of intra-party disagreement have increased during this period. However, deep intra-party divisions appear less prevalent than commonly believed.
Corporate borrowing and profitability in India

This paper examines effects of different types of corporate borrowing on firm profitability in India. We show that in contrast to the conventional thinking on the importance of monitored debt in determining firm performance, what matters more is arm's-length lending in the form of fixed deposits in influencing firm profitability. We argue that the strategic implications of fixed deposits can be mainly attributed to the fact that they are both unsecured and privately held, which make the creditors associated with this type of debt the most likely to monitor firms' performance. The results suggest that debt structure matters, and it is important to take into account institutional differences and the heterogeneity of debt in the analysis of capital structure on firm performance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inflation Expectations and the Two Forms of Inattentiveness

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the structure and dynamics of professionals' forecast of inflation. Recent papers have focused on their forecast errors and how they may be affected by informational rigidities, or inattentiveness. In this paper we extend the existing literature by considering a second form of inattentiveness. While showing that both types of inattentiveness are closely related, we focus on the inattentiveness that forecasters face when undertaking multi-period forecast and, thereby, the expected momentum of inflation. Using number survey-based data for the US and UK, we establish a new structure for the professional's forecast error with direct implications for the persistence of real effects
HSA-based multi-target combination therapy: regulating drugs’ release from HSA and overcoming single drug resistance in a breast cancer model

Abstract Multi-drug delivery systems, which may be promising solution to overcome obstacles, have limited the clinical success of multi-drug combination therapies to treat cancer. To this end, we used three different anticancer agents, Cu(BpT)Br, NAMI-A, and doxorubicin (DOX), to build human serum albumin (HSA)-based multi-drug delivery systems in a breast cancer model to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of overcoming single drug (DOX) resistance to cancer cells in vivo, and to regulate the drugs’ release from HSA. The HSA complex structure revealed that NAMI-A and Cu(BpT)Br bind to the IB and IIA sub-domain of HSA by N-donor residue replacing a leaving group and coordinating to their metal centers, respectively. The MALDI-TOF mass spectra demonstrated that one DOX molecule is conjugated with lysine of HSA by a pH-sensitive linker. Furthermore, the release behavior of three agents form HSA can be regulated at different pH levels. Importantly, in vivo results revealed that the HSA–NAMI-A–Cu(BpT)Br–DOX complex not only increases the targeting ability compared with a combination of the three agents (the NAMI-A/Cu(BpT)Br/DOX mixture), but it also overcomes DOX resistance to drug-resistant breast cancer cell lines.
Decreased Postnatal Survival and Altered Body Weight Regulation in Procolipase-deficient Mice*

In vitro, pancreatic triglyceride lipase requires colipase to restore activity in the presence of inhibitors, like bile acids. Presumably, colipase performs the same function in vivo, but little data supports that notion. Other studies suggest that colipase or its proform, procolipase, may have additional functions in appetite regulation or in fat digestion during the newborn period when pancreatic triglyceride lipase is not expressed. To identify the physiological role of procolipase, we created a mouse model of procolipase deficiency. TheClps −/− mice appeared normal at birth, but unexpectedly 60% died within the first 2 weeks of life. The survivors had fat malabsorption as newborns and as adults, but only when fed a high fat diet. On a low fat diet, the Clps −/−mice did not have steatorrhea. The Clps −/−pups had impaired weight gain and weighed 30% less thanClps+/+ or Clps +/−littermates. After weaning, the Clps −/− mice had normal rate of weight gain, but they maintained a reduced body weight compared with normal littermates even on a low fat diet. Despite the reduced body weight, the Clps −/− mice had a normal body temperature. To maintain their weight gain in the presence of steatorrhea, the Clps −/− mice had hyperphagia on a high fat diet. Clps −/− mice had normal intake on a low fat diet. We conclude that, in addition to its critical role in fat digestion, procolipase has essential functions in postnatal development and in regulating body weight set point.
Ratings of Perceived Exertion of ACSM Exercise Guidelines in Individuals Varying in Aerobic Fitness

The physiological responses of high (HF) and low fit (LF) individuals at given perceived exercise intensities were compared to ranges provided by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Participants were 7 LF and 8 HF men between the ages of 22 and 26 years. All participants performed a maximum oxygen uptake and lactate threshold test and two 15-min experimental runs in which they exercised at a constant perceived exercise intensity (RPE 13 and 17). The LF group exhibited significantly greater maximum oxygen uptake reserve (%VO2R; p < .05) and velocity of lactate threshold (p < .01) values than HF at RPE 13 and 17. Both groups had significantly greater %VO2R and maximum heart rate values at RPE 13 in comparison with the ACSM ranges, using the highest value for the given range (p ≤ .001).
Improving the pole relocating properties of vector fitting

This paper describes a modification of the vector fitting (VF) procedure for rational function approximation of frequency domain responses. The modification greatly improves the ability of VF to relocate poles to better positions, thereby improving its convergence performance and reducing the importance of the initial pole set specification. This is achieved by removing the high frequency asymptotic requirement of the scaling function used by VF. Calculated results demonstrate a major improvement of performance when fitting responses that are contaminated with noise. The procedure is also shown to be advantageous for transmission line modeling and wide band transformer modeling
The comparability of international accounting standards and US GAAP: an empirical study of Form 20-F reconciliations

This paper studies the comparability between US GAAP and International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) by looking at the Form 20-F reconciliation adjustments to US GAAP made by firms using IASs in the period from 1995 to 2001. Adjustments have been classified in categories to identify the characteristics of reported differences: frequency, significance and materiality. Previous research by Street et al. and by Adams et al. found evidence that the differences were both material and significant. We identify the areas that are frequently reconciled and that produce material adjustments. Overall, we conclude that, although material differences still exist, IASs and US GAAP seem to be converging.
First-in-human Phase 1 CRISPR Gene Editing Cancer Trials:Are We Ready?

A prospective first-in-human Phase 1 CRISPR gene editing trial in the United States for pa-tients with melanoma, synovial sarcoma, and multiple myeloma offers hope that gene editing tools may usefully treat human disease. An overarching ethical challenge with first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trials, however, is knowing when it is ethically acceptable to initiate such trials on the basis of safety and effi-cacy data obtained from pre-clinical studies. If the pre-clinical studies that inform trial design are them-selves poorly designed – as a result of which the quality of pre-clinical evidence is deficient – then the ethical requirement of scientific validity for clinical research may not be satisfied. In turn, this could mean that the Phase 1 clinical trial will be unsafe and that trial participants will be exposed to risk for no potential benefit. To assist sponsors, researchers, clinical investigators and reviewers in deciding when it is ethically acceptable to initiate first-in-human Phase 1 CRISPR gene editing clinical trials, structured processes have been developed to assess and minimize translational distance between pre-clinical and clinical research. These processes draw attention to various features of internal validity, construct validi-ty, and external validity. As well, the credibility of supporting evidence is to be critically assessed with particular attention to optimism bias, financial conflicts of interest and publication bias. We critically ex-amine the pre-clinical evidence used to justify the first-in-human Phase 1 CRISPR gene editing cancer trial in the United States using these tools. We conclude that the proposed trial cannot satisfy the ethical requirement of scientific validity because the supporting pre-clinical evidence used to inform trial design is deficient.
Relation between personal values and corruption permissiveness of government servants in India and the moderating role of dissatisfaction with the financial condition of the family

In India, a need for a more value-based bureaucracy is being felt and expressed in view of the growing trend of corruption cases and the continuing failure of the existing system in arresting this trend. The need seems to have emerged from an assumption that there is a definite relationship between the personal values and corruption permissiveness of an individual. The existing literature, however, hardly contains any direct evidence in the support of this assumption. This gap has profound practical and theoretical implications; therefore, this paper examines the assumption with a view to fill the gap. It also explores the possibility that the financial condition of the family of government servants moderates this relationship. The paper found significant evidence in support of both assumptions.
High voltage testing of medium voltage shielded power cables

An overview is given of several test procedures used for high-voltage testing of medium-voltage (2001-3500 V) shielded power cables. After a brief review of various medium-voltage cable constructions and standards, the author describes AC and DC withstand testing for different insulation thickness, partial discharge testing, field testing of cables (at the time of initial installation), as well as factors affecting leakage currents, and maintenance and proof testing. <<ETX>>
The Economic Performance of Foreign Affiliates in Canada

This study compares the economic performance of foreign-owned and Canadian-owned establishments. The authors' results show that foreign affiliates have significantly higher value-added per worker and pay higher wages than do Canadian establishments but these differences vanish once they control for factors such as size and capital intensity. The authors find no significant differences in the performance of Canadian establishments owned by U.S., European, and Japanese firms. Their findings suggest that foreign investment may benefit Canada but do not provide support for country-specific investment promotion policies.
Survival and Success among African Manufacturing Firms

Recent reforms in most African economies of their trading and exchange rate regimes have eliminated much of the protection which previously limited competition. Despite these reforms, African manufacturing firms remain unsuccessful, particularly in international export markets. In this paper we consider the roles of learning, competition and market imperfections in determining three aspects of firm performance, namely firm exit, firm growth and productivity growth. We use a pooled panel data set of firms in Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania that spans a period of five years. We find that the main determinant of exit is firm size, with small firms having much higher exit rates than large ones. Productivity impacts on firm survival among large firms, but not among small firms. Reasons for this result are discussed. We find evidence that, among surviving firms, old firms grow slower than young firms, which is interpreted as evidence consistent with market constraints limiting growth of firms in Africa. We find no evidence that larger firms have faster rates of productivity or input growth, or are more efficient in the sense of benefiting from scale economies. We also find that competitive pressure enhances productivity growth. Given that one of the objectives of the reform programmes implemented in all three countries was to stimulate higher efficiency levels, this finding shows that one aspect of the reform programme has been successful.
Molecular imaging of regional brain tumor biology

Energy metabolism measurements in gliomas in vivo are now performed widely with positron emission tomography (PET). This capability has developed from a large number of basic and clinical science investigations that have cross fertilized one another. This article presents several areas that exemplify questions that have been explored over the last two decades. While the application of PET with [18F]‐2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxyglucose (FDG‐PET) has proven useful for grading and prognosis assessments, this approach is less clinically suitable for assessing response to therapy, even though results to date raise very intriguing biological questions. Integration of metabolic imaging results into glioma therapy protocols is a recent and only preliminarily tapped method that may prove useful in additional trials that target DNA or membrane biosynthesis, or resistance mechanisms such as hypoxia. There are exciting future directions for molecular imaging that will undoubtedly be fruitful to explore, especially apoptosis, angiogenesis and expression of mutations of genes, e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor, that promote or suppress cellular malignant behavior. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 39: 25–35, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.