Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Inquiry of the Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle in Selected Southeast Asian Countries

This study reexamines the Feldstein-Horioka puzzle in selected Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The long-run equilibrium is estimated using the bounds testing procedure by Pesaran, Shin, and Smith (2001) while the causal relationship between savings and investment utilizes Granger non-causality test of Toda and Yamamoto (1995). The estimators from these two procedures do not seem to support a positive correlation between savings and investment in these three countries as found by Feldstein and Horioka (1980).
Mega-Events: Is Baylor Football to Waco What the Super Bowl is to Houston?

Using monthly data describing 23 cities in Texas from January, 1990, through December, 2008, the net impacts of various professional and collegiate sporting events on sales tax revenues are estimated. Contrary to the rhetoric offered by those who argue in favor of public subsidies to host professional sports franchises and mega-events, the authors find that regular season and many postseason games actually correspond with net decreases in economic activity in the host city, from which we infer that a professional sports franchise generates considerable substitution effects for the local population. The authors find that college football games have a positive impact on local host-city tax revenues and that the relative impact of a season of college football might be roughly equivalent to the relative impact of the Super Bowl.
Frailty and Technology: A Systematic Review of Gait Analysis in Those with Frailty

Background: New technologies for gait assessment are emerging and have provided new avenues for accurately measuring gait characteristics in home and clinic. However, potential meaningful clinical gait parameters beyond speed have received little attention in frailty research. Objective: To study gait characteristics in different frailty status groups for identifying the most useful parameters and assessment protocols for frailty diagnosis. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Age Line. Articles were selected according to the following criteria: (1) population: individuals defined as frail, prefrail, or transitioning to frail, and (2) outcome measures: quantitative gait variables as obtained by biomechanical analysis. Effect sizes (d) were calculated for the ability of parameters to discriminate between different frailty status groups. Results: Eleven publications met inclusion criteria. Frailty definitions, gait protocols and parameters were inconsistent, which made comparison of outcomes difficult. Effect sizes were calculated only for the three studies which compared at least two different frailty status groups. Gait speed shows the highest effect size to discriminate between frailty subgroups, in particular during habitual walking (d = 0.76-6.17). Gait variability also discriminates between different frailty status groups in particular during fast walking. Prominent parameters related to prefrailty are reduced cadence (d = 1.43) and increased step width variability (d = 0.64), whereas frailty (vs. prefrail status) is characterized by reduced step length during habitual walking (d = 1.32) and increased double support during fast walking (d = 0.78). Interestingly, one study suggested that dual-task walking speed can be used to predict prospective frailty development. Conclusion: Gait characteristics in people with frailty are insufficiently analyzed in the literature and represent a major area for innovation. Despite the paucity of work, current results suggest that parameters beyond speed could be helpful in identifying different categories of frailty. Increased gait variability might reflect a multisystem reduction and may be useful in identifying frailty. In addition, a demanding task such as fast walking or adding a cognitive distractor might enhance the sensitivity and specificity of frailty risk prediction and classification, and is recommended for frailty assessment using gait analysis.
A VaR too far? The pricing of operational risk

This paper is a commentary on current and emerging statistical practices for analysing operational risk losses according to the Advanced Measurement Approaches of Basel II, the New Basel Accord. In particular, the limitations of the ability to model operational risk loss data to obtain high severity quantiles when the sample sizes are small are exposed. The viewpoint is that of a mathematical statistician.
Functional Analysis of the Genomic and Antigenomic Promoters of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus

ABSTRACT The promoters involved in transcription and RNA replication by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were examined by using a plasmid-based minireplicon system. The 3′ ends of the genome and antigenome, which, respectively, contain the 44-nucleotide (nt) leader (Le) and 155-nt trailer-complement (TrC) regions, should each contain a promoter for RNA replication. The 3′ genome end also should have the promoter for transcription. Substitution for the Le with various lengths of TrC demonstrated that the 3′-terminal 36 nt of TrC are sufficient for extensive (but not maximal) replication and that when juxtaposed with a transcription gene-start (GS) signal, this sequence was also able to direct transcription. It was also shown that the region of Le immediately preceding the GS signal of the first gene could be deleted with either no effect or with a slight decrease in transcription initiation. Thus, the TrC is competent to direct transcription even though it does not do so in nature, and the partial sequence identity it shares with the 3′ end of the genome likely represents the important elements of a conserved promoter active in both replication and transcription. Increasing the length of the introduced TrC sequence incrementally to 147 nt resulted in a fourfold increase in replication and a nearly complete inhibition of transcription. These two effects were unrelated, implying that transcription and replication are not interconvertible processes mediated by a common polymerase, but rather are independent processes. The increase in replication was specific to the TrC sequence, implying the presence of a nonessential, replication-enhancingcis-acting element. In contrast, the inhibitory effect on transcription was due solely to the altered spacing between the 3′ end of the genome and GS signal, which implies that the transcriptase recognizes the first GS signal as a promoter element. Neither the enhancement of replication nor the inhibition of transcription was due to increased base-pairing potential between the 3′ and 5′ ends. The relative strengths of the Le and TrC promoters for directing RNA synthesis were compared and found to be very similar. Thus, these findings highlighted a high degree of functional similarity between the RSV antigenomic and genomic promoters, but provided a further distinction between promoter requirements for transcription and replication.
Micromorphology of Epicuticular Waxes and Epistomatal Chambers of Pine Species by Electron Microscopy and White Light Scanning Interferometry

Abstract High-resolution imaging and quantitative surface analysis of epicuticular waxes and epistomatal chambers of pine species were performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy and white light scanning interferometry. Both juvenile and adult needles were collected from the two-year-old seedlings of Pinus rigida and Pinus densiflora and subjected to surface observations. Epicuticular wax structures developed on the cuticle layer as well as in the epistomatal chambers and appeared to occlude the cavities in the two pine species. The stomata of P. densiflora were characterized by more distinctly raised rings around openings than P. rigida. The most common epicuticular wax structures of the two pine species included tubules with terminal openings and coiled rodlets. Wax platelets were deposited on epistomatal chambers. Either rodlets or tubules seemed to be longer and thicker in P. rigida than those in P. densiflora. White light scanning interferometry revealed quantitative surface profiles, demonstrating more ridged (ca. 4 μm high) stomatal apertures and nearly twofold deeper (ca. 20 μm deep) epistomatal chambers of P. densiflora than those of P. rigida. These results suggest that white light scanning interferometry can be applied to unravel the quantitative surface features of epicuticular sculptures on plant leaves.
Image compression using wavelet transform with lifting scheme and SPIHT in digital cameras for Bayer CFA

In order to avoid data redundancy, many methods of compressing Bayer images before interpolation were proposed. Structure conversion presented by Koh has been an effective method for Bayer patterned images to improve the compression quality. On this basis, Xie proposed an improved structure conversion algorithm to further improve the compression performance. Combining the improved structure conversion using 9/7 wavelet transform with lifting scheme and set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) algorithm, this paper proposes an efficient method in digital cameras with color filter array (CFA). Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the improved structure conversion algorithm both in objective and subjective aspects.
Suturing Versus Immobilization of a Muscle Laceration

Muscle laceration remains a difficult problem for orthopaedic surgeons. Despite many studies related to the muscle's ability to regenerate after muscle degeneration, very few reports are available regarding structural and functional recovery after skeletal muscle laceration. We developed an animal model of muscle laceration in mice, where the gastrocnemius muscles were reproducibly transected. We compared the effect of a surgical repair versus a short period of immobilization (5 days) on the muscle healing. The natural course of muscle recovery was monitored at several points after injury using histologic, immunohistochemical, and functional testing. In the injured muscle, we observed a high number of regenerating myofibers and development of fibrotic scar tissue. Suturing the lacerated muscle immediately after injury promoted better healing of the injured muscle and prevented the development of deep scar tissue in the lacerated muscle; conversely, immobilization resulted in slower muscle regeneration and the development of a large area of scar tissue. Tetanus strength 1 month after injury was 81% of control muscles for the sutured muscles, 35% for the lacerated muscles with no treatment, and 18% for the immobilized muscles. Based on this study, suturing a muscle laceration with a modified Kessler stitch results in the best morphologic and functional healing.
Unleashing synergies in strategic networks of SMEs: The influence of partner fit on corporate entrepreneurship

An increasing number of firms participate in inter-firm networks to improve their innovation, renewal, and venturing; efforts that can be termed ‘corporate entrepreneurship’. This article contributes to the literature by developing and testing explanations for how partner fit (that is, complementary capabilities and organizational compatibilities) influences networking firms’ corporate entrepreneurship. Using survey data on SMEs engaged in strategic networks with multiple partners, we found support for an argument suggesting that partner fit requires mediating variables to unleash the potential synergies of partner fit for corporate entrepreneurship. Specifically, our results suggest partner fit triggers resource leverage through processes of both combining resources and accumulating resources from interaction with network partners. Thus, a positive indirect relationship between partner fit and corporate entrepreneurship is present.
The evidence of strategic pricing policies of Turkish textile exports

This paper examines the strategic pricing behaviour (Pricing to Market; PTM) policies of textile exports in the 1990s for a hyperinflation country, Turkey, whose currency has been depreciating continually for the last two decades. The findings show that Turkish textile export categories exhibit evidence of strategic pricing behaviour when the Turkish textiles export data is analysed for different frequencies. The results show that evidence of strategic pricing behaviour is observed in response to changes in real exchange rates for textile exports for closer lagging periods and strategic pricing behaviour diminishes with further lagging periods. Also, evidence of strategic pricing behaviour is observed in a more recurrent fashion with higher frequency data, three-month periods, than with relatively lower frequency data, six-month and 12-month periods. Another interesting finding is that Turkish textile exporters prefer to increase their prices as a reaction if they had adjusted their prices in an overshooting fashion in response to real exchange changes in the previous period. The most important finding of the paper is that while Turkish textile exporters prefer to adjust their export pricing without fully absorbing the real exchange depreciation and by increasing their relative markups for some textile categories, they prefer to adjust their export prices by lowering their markups in addition to fully absorbing the real exchange depreciation for some other textile categories in order to increase their market share overseas.
Primitive endothelial cell lines from the porcine embryonic yolk sac

SummaryEndothelial cell lines have been established from cells that were isolated from porcine yolk sacs from day 18 and day 22 embryos and propagated in vitro under various growth conditions. After expansion in vitro, the general properties of the cells proved similar for the different media used. The endothelial cells expressed cell surface receptors for acetylated low-density lipoprotein and also expressed cell surface-associated angiotensin-converting enzyme. The cells showed a characteristically high level of binding for Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin I and Dolichos biflorus agglutinin but did not bind significant amounts of Ulex europaeus lectin I. The cells expressed low but serologically detectable levels of Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens but failed to bind antibodies directed against Class II MHC antigens. α5β1 integrins were weakly expressed, whereas vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD106) and αvβ3 integrins were not detected. Three-dimensional tube formation was readily observed in cultures grown on Matrigel and occurrel even in uncoated plastic dishes in the absence of Matrigel. In contrast to most of the adult porcine endothelial cells, yolk sacderived endothelial cells did not posses serologically detectable receptors for porcine growth hormone (GH), an observation consistent with the finding that GH did not increase the proliferative rate of these cells. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated the presence of Weibel-Palade bodies, tight endothelial cell junctions, and typical rough endoplasmic reticulum. Exposure of the cells to either concanavalin-A-stimulated porcine splenocyte culture supernatants or to human tumor necrosis factor α did not cause upregulation of VCAM-1 or Class II MHC antigens. Addition of prrcine interferon-γ led to an increase in the level of expression of Class I MHC. Yolk sac endothelial cells from day 22 embryos showed a low but detectable level of expression of Class II MHC antigens, whereas the endothelial cells from day 18 embryos showed no expression of Class II antigens after interferon-γ stimulation. The cells maintained competence to develop vascular structures in vitro and could do so after coinjection with murine tumor cells into adult, immunocompromised mice.
Trade Expansion and Contract Enforcement

Consider a world of traders separated in geographic, economic, or social space. Honest trade offers larger gains for more distant traders, but frequencies of meetings, and information flows about cheating, have local bias. Honesty is self‐enforcing only between pairs of sufficiently close neighbors. Global honesty prevails only in a sufficiently small world. The extent of self‐enforcing honesty is likely to decrease when the world expands beyond this size. Costly external enforcement is useful only if the world is sufficiently large, and its net payoff need not be larger than that of a self‐governing small community. Intermediate‐size worlds fare worst.
Decreased adult hippocampal neurogenesis in the PDAPP mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Abnormal subgranular zone (SGZ) neurogenesis is proposed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD)‐related decreases in hippocampal function. Our goal was to examine hippocampal neurogenesis in the PDAPP mouse, a model of AD with age‐dependent accumulation of amyloid‐β42 (Aβ42)‐containing plaques that is well studied with regard to AD therapies. A secondary goal was to determine whether altered neurogenesis in the PDAPP mouse is associated with abnormal maturation or number of mature cells. A tertiary goal was to provide insight into why hippocampal neurogenesis appears to be increased in AD post‐mortem tissue and decreased in most AD mouse models. We report an age‐dependent decrease in SGZ proliferation in homozygous PDAPP mice. At 1 year of age, PDAPP mice also had new dentate gyrus granule neurons with abnormal maturation and fewer dying cells relative to control mice. In contrast to decreased SGZ cell birth, PDAPP mice had increased birth of immature neurons in the outer portion of the granule cell layer (oGCL), providing insight into why some studies link AD with increased neurogenesis. However, these ectopic oGCL cells were still rare compared with SGZ proliferating cells, emphasizing that the primary characteristic of PDAPP mice is decreased neurogenesis. The decrease in SGZ neurogenesis was not associated with an age‐dependent loss of dentate granule neurons. The altered neurogenesis in the PDAPP mouse may contribute to the age‐related cognitive deficits reported in this model of AD and may be a useful adjunct target for assessing the impact of AD therapies. J. Comp. Neurol. 495:70–83, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Are adult body circumferences associated with height? Relevance to normative ranges and circumferential indexes.

BACKGROUND Weight scales as height squared, which is an observation that forms the basis of body mass index (weight/height(2)). If, and how, circumferences, including waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC), scale to height remains unclear, but this is an important consideration when developing normative ranges or applying WC/height and HC/height as risk indexes. OBJECTIVE The study aim was to examine the scaling of weight, WC, and HC to height in NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) III participants. DESIGN Subjects were adult non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Mexican American men (n = 7422) and nonpregnant women (n = 7999) who had complete demographic and anthropometric data. In addition to height, allometric models were developed for each measure that controlled for age, race, and self-reported health status. RESULTS After adjustment for age and race, weight scaled to height in men and women with mean (±SEE) powers of 2.29 ± 0.11 and 1.80 ± 0.07, respectively (both P < 0.001). Although univariate circumference-height models were weak or nonsignificant, when adjusted for age and race WC and HC scaled to height with powers of 0.76 ± 0.08 and 0.45 ± 0.05, respectively, in men and 0.80 ± 0.05 and 0.53 ± 0.04, respectively, in women (all P < 0.001). Age- and race-adjusted incremental increases in circumferences ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 cm per centimeter increase in height. Both WC/height and HC/height scaled negatively to height in men and women, and WC/HC scaled negatively to height in women only (all P < 0.001). Health status-adjusted models were similar. CONCLUSIONS Circumferences and related ratios scale significantly to height, notably after adjustment for age and race, across subjects who are representative of the US population. These observations have implications for the clinical and epidemiologic use of these anthropometric measures and indexes.
Quality of stroke prevention in general practice: relationship with practice organization.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between elements of practice organization related to stroke prevention in general practice, and suboptimal preventive care preceding the occurrence of stroke. DESIGN This study was conducted among 69 Dutch general practitioners in the Rotterdam region. Information on the implementation of elements of practice organization related to stroke prevention was collected by postal questionnaire. Data on the process of patient care were collected by means of chart review and interviews with general practitioners. Cases of stroke (n = 186) were retrospectively audited by an expert panel with guideline-based review criteria. Using logistic regression analysis we investigated the relationship between the probability of suboptimal care delivery and the presence of specific elements of practice organization related to stroke prevention (tailored information systems, formal delegation of preventive tasks, standardization of care). RESULTS For some elements of practice organization significant relationships with the quality of stroke prevention were found. Suboptimal care was less common among general practitioners with a higher level of noting high risk patients in the patient records (odds ratio 0.30; 95% CI 0.13-0.69, P = 0.01), delegating follow-up visits to support staff (odds ratio 0.42; 95% CI 0.22-0.82, P = 0.01) and compliance with the hypertension guideline (odds ratio 0.57; 95% CI 0.41-0.78, P = <0.001). Except for practice type (general practitioners in health centres less often provided suboptimal care, P = 0.02), no significant relationships with general practitioner and practice characteristics were found. CONCLUSION This study shows that general practitioners with a higher level of integrated organizational structures for stroke prevention (record keeping, formal delegation of preventive tasks, guideline compliance) are less likely to deliver suboptimal care.
Preventing Financial Reporting Fraud: A Holistic View of the Attributions Made Following Potential Fraudulent Financial Reporting Events

Constituents in the judicial process such as jurors and lawyers who often play a critical role in the aftermath of an alleged financial reporting fraud have largely been ignored in the accounting literature. Literature in psychology suggests that both laypeople and highly trained professionals frequently over-attribute causality of an observed behavior to the disposition of the person performing that behavior. In doing so, these individuals underestimate the power of situations and fail to recognize important environmental factors that lead to a particular behavior. Within the context of fraudulent financial reporting, there is little understanding of how jurors and lawyers initially perceive and react to fraudulent behavior. Consequently, it is possible jurors and lawyers who are asked to evaluate the causality of a suspected fraudulent event, are inaccurate in their assessment of the causality of that event. This study addresses the question of whether or not the various constituents in the judicial process are biased in their attributions when evaluating causal factors related to financial reporting decisions. More specifically, it focuses on how individuals outside the profession of accounting, laymen jurors and corporate lawyers, make attributions when observing decisions related to fraudulent financial reporting, and whether or not these attributions differ from those made by corporate accountants. Further, after identifying differences in attributions, this study attempts to determine the causes of these differences; and whether recent changes in business culture have been effective in curbing financial reporting fraud.