Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How sensitive are Britain's inpayments and outpayments to the value of the British pound

Purpose – To avoid aggregation bias by using trade data at bilateral level so that we can determine how sensitive are Britain's inpayments and outpayments to the value of the British pound. Design/methodology/approach – The method is based on the bounds testing approach to cointegration and error-correction modeling. Findings – The main finding is that while UK inpayments are not sensitive to the exchange rate, her outpayments are. Research limitations/implications – Future research must concentrate on disaggregating data further, perhaps at commodity level. Practical implications – The results could be used to identify Britain's trading partners against which Britain can devalue the pound and improve her trade balance. Originality/value – No study has attempted to test the impact of real depreciation of the pound on Britain's payments and receipts with her major trading partners.
Flexible cystoscopy in men: is topical anaesthesia with lignocaine gel worthwhile?

OBJECTIVE The value of 2% lignocaine gel as a topical anaesthetic for flexible cystoscopy in men was tested in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 138 patients were entered into the study. Group A patients (n = 75) received 10 ml of 2% lignocaine gel intraurethrally whilst 10 ml of plain lubricating gel was instilled in the remaining 63 patients (Group B). Patient discomfort was recorded by means of a four-point descriptive pain scale (completed by both surgeon and patient) and a 100 mm non-graphic rating visual analogue scale (patient only). RESULTS The results showed no significant difference between the two treatments irrespective of the method of recording. CONCLUSION This study shows that 2% lignocaine gel offers no advantage over plain lubricating gel in providing analgesia for flexible cystoscopy. In this situation good lubrication may be a more important factor than topical anaesthesia.
Evolution of virulence in fungal plant pathogens: exploiting fungal genomics to control plant disease

The propensity of a fungal pathogen to evolve virulence depends on features of its biology (e.g. mode of reproduction) and of its genome (e.g. amount of repetitive DNA). Populations of Leptosphaeria maculans, a pathogen of Brassica napus (canola), can evolve and overcome disease resistance bred into canola within three years of commercial release of a cultivar. Avirulence effector genes are key fungal genes that are complementary to resistance genes. In L. maculans these genes are embedded within inactivated transposable elements in genomic regions where they are readily mutated or deleted. The risk of resistance breakdown in the field can be minimised by monitoring disease severity of canola cultivars and virulence of fungal populations using high throughput molecular assays and by sowing canola cultivars with different resistance genes in subsequent years. This strategy has been exploited to avert yield losses due to blackleg disease in Australia.
Stochastic volatility and the goodness-of-fit of the Heston model

Recently, Drăgulescu and Yakovenko proposed an analytical formula for computing the probability density function of stock log returns, based on the Heston model, which they tested empirically. Their research design inadvertently favourably biased the fit of the data to the Heston model, thus overstating their empirical results. Furthermore, Drăgulescu and Yakovenko did not perform any goodness-of-fit statistical tests. This study employs a research design that facilitates statistical tests of the goodness-of-fit of the Heston model to empirical returns. Robustness checks are also performed. In brief, the Heston model outperformed the Gaussian model only at high frequencies and even so does not provide a statistically acceptable fit to the data. The Gaussian model performed (marginally) better at medium and low frequencies, at which points the extra parameters of the Heston model have adverse impacts on the test statistics.
Fast dipping treatment for dense perovskite thin films

Many groups have tried to make a dense organi-inorganic hybrid perovskite layer with one-step process. And perovskite synthesis method with the diethyl ether has been attempted in their own ways, such as dropping, long time dipping and so on. However, the reports for the solar cell having inverted form, photo-voltaic devices using PEDOT:PSS as hole transport layer, are not enough. In this work, we made the dense perovskite layer through fast-dipping method that casted films was soaked into diethyl ether. We study on the morphology and electrical properties of Methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) thin films. The solar cells were consisted with ITO/PEDOT:PSS/MAPbI3/PCBM/Ag. The device performance were investigated with solar-simulator. At the same time, morphology, optical properties and crystalline variations were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively.
Mental and cultural changes of enterprise management in accordance with the paradigm of unity

Abstract The phenomenon of the social, economic, political, cultural, and spiritual activities of the Focolare Movement, implemented in the economy of communion businesses on the global scale for more than 20 years, inspired Biela to formulate the paradigm of unity concept to show its importance in the social sciences field (Biela 1996, 2005). The author of this research paper has expanded Biela’s concept on the basis of the new paradigm theoretical analysis in the social sciences field, particularly in management sciences, and has conducted an empirical investigation in 110 businesses of the economy of communion in 22 countries (Grochmal 2013). The need of essential mental and cultural changes by the entrepreneurs (managers), as well by the employees, in the management processes is presented in this paper according to the paradigm of unity. The necessity of these changes results from the fundamental assumptions of this same paradigm: from the new holistic look on the management process and interpersonal relationships between shareholders and stakeholders; from the personalistic treatment of each participant in the economic process; and from the role human, relational, and spiritual capitals play in the modern management
Treatment for Hyperglycemia Promotes Pancreatic Regeneration in Rats Without CCK-1 Receptor Gene Expression

Introduction and Aim Recent studies have suggested that CCK is not essential for normal pancreatic growth in mice. We examined whether the treatment of hyperglycemia participates in a non-CCK-1-receptor–mediated mechanism of pancreatic regeneration after partial (30%) pancreatectomy (Px) with use of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, an animal model for type 2 diabetes mellitus without CCK-1 receptor gene expression. Methodology Male OLETF rats were divided into five groups at 24 weeks of age. The first group was killed to examine the pancreas at 24 weeks of age (PrePx). The second group underwent a midline laparotomy and received a standard rat chow (ShamPx). The remaining three groups of rats received one of the following three treatments after Px: a standard rat chow (PxC), a diet containing acarbose (PxA), or a standard rat chow and once-daily subcutaneous injection of insulin (PxI) for 8 weeks. Results PxC rats had significantly higher serum glucose levels than did PxA and PxI rats. Pancreatic weight and pancreatic contents of protein in PxA and PxI rats were significantly higher than in PxC rats. The pancreas in PxC rats was atrophic, and marked inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in the pancreas. In addition, tumor necrosis factor-&agr; (TNF&agr;) was expressed in the inflammatory cells, acinar cells, and islets in PxC rats. However, histologic alterations, including expression of TNF&agr;, remained at a minimum in PxA and PxI rats. Conclusion We conclude that the control of serum glucose levels plays an important role in preventing pancreatic atrophy and participates in the non-CCK-1-receptor–mediated mechanisms of pancreatic growth in rats.
Marketing Channels and the Durable Goods Monopolist: Renting versus Selling Reconsidered

Research on durable goods has shown that because of a time inconsistency problem, a monopolist manufacturer prefers to rent rather than sell its product. We reexamine the relative profitability of renting versus selling from a marketing perspective. In particular, using a simple linear demand formulation, we assume a durable goods monopolist has to use downstream intermediaries to market its product. In contrast to the case of an integrated monopolist, we find that when the monopolist has to rely on intermediaries, then it prefers to go through an intermediary that sells rather than one that rents its product. Similarly, the intermediary that sells the product is more profitable than the intermediary that rents the product. However, if the monopolist can commit to a set of prices, then the intermediary that rents is more profitable than the intermediary that sells. Copyright 1995 by MIT Press.
Covariates of Repeat Tourism: An Endogenous Switching Poisson Model

This paper introduces the endogenous switching Poisson model to analyse the underlying reasons behind repeat visitation to Madeira Island. The advantage of the model is that it allows for both unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity in the covariates. Using data gathered by questionnaire, the authors confirm that the overall fit of the model is good and outperforms other related count data models. From the model estimation it is clear that the number of visits to Madeira Island is supported by multiple variables such as destination attributes, hotel facilities and travel cost, tourist motivation and tourist satisfaction. The related policy implications are derived.
Does structure influence growth? A panel data econometric assessment of “relatively less developed” countries, 1979–2003

Neo-Schumpeterian streams of research emphasize the close relationship between changes in economic structure in favor of high-skill and high-tech branches and rapid economic growth. They identify the emergence of a new technological paradigm in the 1970s, strongly based on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs), arguing that in such periods of transition and emergence of new techno-economic paradigms, the intermediate development countries and the countries which are not at the technological frontier have higher opportunities to catch-up. Although this debate is theoretically well documented, the empirics seem to lag behind the theory. In this article, we contribute to this literature by adding enlightening evidence on the issue. More precisely, we relate the growth experiences of countries which had relatively similar economic structures in the late 1970s, with changes occurring in these countries' structures between 1979 and 2003. The results reveal a robust relationship between structure and (labor) productivity growth, and lend support to the view that producing (though not user) ICT-related industries are strategic branches of economic activity. Copyright 2011 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved. , Oxford University Press.
Estimation of household tap water demand function with correction for sample selection bias

This article attempts to estimate household tap water demand function using the data from a survey conducted on households in the Korean metropolitan cities by employing a sample selection model. The results show that there exists sample selection bias in the sample and that failure to correct for sample selection bias distorts the mean estimate of water demand upward by 13.8%.
Dual‐Priming Oligonucleotide‐Based Multiplex PCR for the Detection of Helicobacter pylori and Determination of Clarithromycin Resistance with Gastric Biopsy Specimens

Background: Assessment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) clarithromycin resistance has rarely been performed routinely despite an increasing resistance rate. Our aim was to develop and evaluate the use of dual‐priming oligonucleotide (DPO)‐based multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect point mutations in the 23S rRNA gene responsible for clarithromycin resistance of H. pylori.
Is the use of Social Networking Sites Correlated with Internet Addiction? Facebook Use among Taiwanese College Students

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between Facebook involvement and internet addiction. We sampled 577 university students in Taiwan and administered a survey of Facebook usage, Facebook involvement scale (FIS), and internet addiction scale. The FIS comprises three factors (salience, emotional support, and amusement). Results showed that the Facebook involvement scale had good reliability and validity. The correlation between Facebook involvement and internet addiction was measured at . 395. This means that a higher degree of Facebook involvement indicates a greater degree of psychological dependency on the internet, and a greater propensity towards social withdrawal and other negative psychological consequences associated with internet addiction. Besides, the correlations between three factors of FIS (salience, emotional support, and amusement) and internet addiction ranged from . 313-372, indicating that these neither of these factors (salience, emotional support, and amusement) is more effective than the others in predicting internet dependency. Keywords—Social networking sites, Facebook, Facebook Involvement, Internet Addiction
The Streptococcus pyogenes Capsule Is Required for Adhesion of Bacteria to Virus-Infected Alveolar Epithelial Cells and Lethal Bacterial-Viral Superinfection

ABSTRACT An apparent worldwide resurgence of invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections remains unexplained. However, we recently demonstrated in mice that when an otherwise nonlethal intranasal GAS infection is preceded by a nonlethal influenza A virus (IAV) infection, induction of lethal invasive GAS infections is often the result. In the present study, we established several isogenic mutants from a GAS isolate and evaluated several virulence factors as candidates responsible for the induction of invasive GAS infections. Disruption of the synthesis of the capsule, Mga, streptolysin O, streptolysin S, or streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B of GAS significantly reduced mortality among mice superinfected with IAV and a mutant. In addition, the number of GAS organisms adhering to IAV-infected alveolar epithelial cells was markedly reduced with the capsule-depleted mutant, although this was not the case with the other mutants. Wild-type GAS was found to bind directly to IAV particles, whereas the nonencapsulated mutant showed much less ability to bind. These results suggest that the capsule plays a key role in the invasion of host tissues by GAS following superinfection with IAV and GAS.
Association of the Yeast RNA-binding Protein She2p with the Tubular Endoplasmic Reticulum Depends on Membrane Curvature*

Background: Transport of localized mRNAs encoding yeast membrane proteins to the bud is coordinated with segregation of the endoplasmic reticulum. Results: The localized RNA-binding protein She2p associates with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum in a curvature-dependent manner. Conclusion: She2p is an RNA- and lipid-binding protein. Significance: Direct targeting of mRNAs via membrane-associated RNA-binding proteins might facilitate their local translation. Localization of mRNAs contributes to the generation and maintenance of cellular asymmetry in a wide range of organisms. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the so-called locasome complex with its core components Myo4p, She2p, and She3p localizes more than 30 mRNAs to the yeast bud tip. A significant fraction of these mRNAs encodes membrane or secreted proteins. Their localization requires, besides the locasome, a functional segregation apparatus of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER), including the machinery that is involved in the movement of ER tubules into the bud. Colocalization of RNA-containing particles with these tubules suggests a coordinated transport of localized mRNAs and the cortical ER to the bud. Association of localized mRNAs to the ER requires the presence of the locasome component She2p. Here we report that She2p is not only an RNA-binding protein but can specifically bind to ER-derived membranes in a membrane curvature-dependent manner in vitro. Although it does not contain any known curvature recognizing motifs, the protein shows a binding preference for liposomes with a diameter resembling that of yeast ER tubules. In addition, membrane binding depends on tetramerization of She2p. In an in vivo membrane-tethering assay, She2p can target a viral peptide GFP fusion protein to the cortical ER, indicating that a fraction of She2p associates with the ER in vivo. Combining RNA- and membrane-binding features makes She2p an ideal coordinator of ER tubule and mRNA cotransport.
Intraday Price Change and Trading Volume Relations in the Stock and Stock Option Markets

This study investigates intraday relations between price changes and trading volume of options and stocks for a sample of firms whose options traded on the CBOE during the first quarter of 1986. After purging the price change series of the effects of bid/ask spreads, multivariate time-series analysis is used to estimate the lead/lag relation between the price changes in the option and stock markets. The results indicate that price changes in the stock market lead the option market by as much as fifteen minutes. The analysis of trading volume indicates that the stock market lead may be even longer. THE INTENSE TRADING ACTIVITY in and, in fact, the very existence of organized stock option markets attest to the economic benefits that these financial contracts provide. Reduced transaction costs and increased financial leverage are two reasons why trading in the stock option market may be more attractive than trading in the market for the underlying stock. In addition, these cheaper and more flexible trading opportunities attract new and differently informed investors to the marketplace. The resulting increase in trading activity, together with the inextricable arbitrage linkage between stock and option prices, imply an increase in market efficiency. This study investigates empirically the intraday price change and trading volume relations between stocks and options for a sample of firms whose options were actively traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange during the first quarter of 1986. In particular, intraday call option price changes are translated into implied stock price changes using the American call option pricing model. These intraday implied stock price changes are then compared with the actual stock price changes to identify which, if either, market leads the other. In perfectly functioning capital markets, there should be complete simultaneity between the series, that is, new information disseminating into the marketplace should be reflected in the prices and the trading activity of both securities simultaneously. Institutional factors, however, may make the stock option market more attractive to information traders. This may cause price changes and trading activity due to new information to be observed in the option market first, followed by price
Visualization of Morphological and Molecular Features Associated with Chronic Ischemia in Bioengineered Human Skin

Abstract We present an in vitro model of human skin that, together with nonlinear optical microscopy, provides a useful system for characterizing morphological and structural changes in a living skin tissue microenvironment due to changes in oxygen status and proteolytic balance. We describe for the first time the effects of chronic oxygen deprivation on a bioengineered model of human interfollicular epidermis. Histological analysis and multiphoton imaging revealed a progressively degenerating ballooning phenotype of the keratinocytes that manifested after 48 h of hypoxic exposure. Multiphoton images of the dermal compartment revealed a decrease in collagen structural order. Immunofluorescence analysis showed changes in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 protein spatial localization in the epidermis with a shift to the basal layer, and loss of Ki67 expression in proliferative basal cells after 192 h of hypoxic exposure. Upon reoxygenation MMP-2 mRNA levels showed a biphasic response, with restoration of MMP-2 levels and localization. These results indicate that chronic oxygen deprivation causes an overall degeneration in tissue architecture, combined with an imbalance in proteolytic expression and a decrease in proliferative capacity. We propose that these tissue changes are representative of the ischemic condition and that our experimental model system is appropriate for addressing mechanisms of susceptibility to chronic wounds.
CEO compensation, IOS and the role of corporate governance

The empirical relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) compensation, the investment opportunity set (IOS) and corporate governance mechanisms is analyzed for a sample of 415 Canadian firms in 1997. Results indicate that firms with high IOS pay higher levels of total compensation to their CEOs. In addition, CEOs of high IOS derive a larger proportion of their compensation from performance‐contingent forms of pay such as bonuses, stock option grants and long‐term incentive plans. However, CEOs with weak boards of directors are compensated more than CEOs with powerful boards. Contrary to our expectation, we find that in high IOS firms with weak boards of directors, CEOs seek to have higher proportions of contingent forms of pay in their compensation. An implication of this result is that contingent compensation practices may be a more value‐enhancing form of remuneration for CEOs.
Suicidal thinking among adolescents with a history of attempted suicide.

OBJECTIVE To examine the risk of suicidal plans and ideation, depression, and other factors (low self-esteem, loneliness, fatalism, pessimism) among adolescents with a lifetime history of attempted suicide. METHOD A self-administered questionnaire was used in a school-based survey of five middle schools (grades 6 through 8) enrolling 6,400 students. Usable questionnaires were obtained from 5,423 (85.3%). Data were obtained on a wide range of constructs including recent and lifetime suicide attempts, recent and lifetime suicide plans, recent ideation, symptoms of DSM-IV major depression, self-esteem, pessimism, loneliness, and fatalism. RESULTS Data on crude prevalence showed thoughts about death, wishing to be dead, thoughts of suicide, and suicide plans were all significantly higher among youths with a history of attempts. Suicidal thinking was related to being more lonely, more fatalistic, and more pessimistic, and to less self-esteem, in addition to depression and a history of attempts. Multivariate analyses revealed the strongest factors associated with current suicidal thinking were history of attempts (odds ratio [OR] = 3.50), depression (OR = 5.34), and recent life stress (OR = 2.64). Compared with youths with none of the factors examined, those with six or more were at extreme risk (OR = 67.87). CONCLUSIONS The strong association between history of suicide attempts, current ideation, and depression indicates that past suicide attempts occur in the context of other signs of psychosocial dysfunction. Given the paucity of epidemiological data on the natural history of suicidal behaviors among youths, more epidemiological studies of the antecedents and consequences of the range of suicidal behaviors among children and adolescents are needed. Given the high risk of subsequent suicidal behaviors by youths who have attempted but not completed suicide, this constitutes a high-risk population on which future research should focus.