Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The environmental Kuznets curve at different levels of economic development: a counterfactual quantile regression analysis for CO2 emissions

This paper applies the quantile fixed effects technique in exploring the CO2 environmental Kuznets curve within two groups of economic development (OECD and non-OECD countries) and six geographical regions – West, East Europe, Latin America, East Asia, West Asia and Africa. A comparison of the findings resulting from the use of this technique with those of conventional fixed effects method reveals that the latter may depict a flawed summary of the prevailing income–emissions nexus depending on the conditional quantile examined. The paper also extends the Machado and Mata decomposition method to the Kuznets curve framework to explore the most important explanations for CO2 emissions gap between OECD and non-OECD countries. We find a statistically significant OECD--non-OECD emissions gap and the decomposition reveals that there are non-income related factors working against the non-OECD group's greening. We tentatively conclude that deliberate and systematic mitigation of current CO2 emissions in the non-OECD group is required.
Deep in the Desert: Merging the Desert and the Spiritual through 4WD Tourism

Abstract Our paper positions four-wheel drive (4WD) travel into the Australian desert by veteran or dedicated travellers as a spiritual experience in three ways: by considering the desert itself as a sacred space; the experience of such a journey as a form of ‘nature religion’; and by viewing the actual journey itself as pilgrimage. Our argument is informed by interviews with expert 4WDers to the desert. Our study might be useful in designing sustainable strategies for 4WD desert tourism, as well as for scholars from a variety of disciplines such as sustainability and environment studies, religious studies and tourism studies, to name a few.
Disturbance estimation in novel non-intrusive magnetic position measurement system

Magnetic sensors and nonlinear models of magnetic fields (as functions of distance) can be used for position estimation in a number of real-world applications. However, disturbances from foreign ferromagnetic objects and from other spurious magnetic fields can cause significant errors in position estimates. This paper develops a disturbance compensation system based on redundant magnetic sensors and use of adaptive disturbance estimation algorithms. The developed disturbance compensation system is used for position estimation in a pneumatic cylinder application. Experimental results demonstrate that sub-mm accuracies can be obtained in position estimates, even in the presence of foreign ferromagnetic objects. The developed position estimation system can be used in a large number of industrial and mobile applications for piston position estimation tasks.
Searching for protein signatures using a multilevel alphabet

Short motifs are known to play diverse roles in proteins, such as in mediating the interactions with other molecules, binding to membranes, or conducting a specific biological function. Standard approaches currently employed to detect short motifs in proteins search for enrichment of amino acid motifs considering mostly the sequence information. Here, we presented a new approach to search for common motifs (protein signatures) which share both physicochemical and structural properties, looking simultaneously at different features. Our method takes as an input an amino acid sequence and translates it to a new alphabet that reflects its intrinsic structural and chemical properties. Using the MEME search algorithm, we identified the proteins signatures within subsets of protein which encompass common sequence and structural information. We demonstrated that we can detect enriched structural motifs, such as the amphipathic helix, from large datasets of linear sequences, as well as predicting common structural properties (such as disorder, surface accessibility, or secondary structures) of known functional‐motifs. Finally, we applied the method to the yeast protein interactome and identified novel putative interacting motifs. We propose that our approach can be applied for de novo protein function prediction given either sequence or structural information. Proteins 2013; © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Techniques of interorganizational cost management: A review essay

Abstract Cost management involves initiating and making decisions which will improve the cost effectiveness of an organization. This paper reviews the interorganizational cost management practices. In a dyadic relationship, two collaborating firms emphasize on intensive and long-term relationships. In a network relationship, the coordinating principles facilitate cooperation among members in the network. A dynamic learning capability that creates competitive advantage needs to be extended beyond firm boundaries. A number of inter-organizational cost management techniques such as target costing, open book accounting, value chain analysis, information sharing etc. are greatly focused in different studies. Reviewed papers within the literature have a mixture of theoretical models, such as transaction cost economics, resource-based view, agency theory, actor network theory, contingency theory, industrial network approach, and structuration theory.
Training of requirements analysis modeling with UML-based prototype generation tool

To develop high quality software products efficiently, the requirements analysis is the most important phase in a software development process, but it is generally difficult to achieve the goal sufficiently. To master requirements analysis skills, the training of defining a desirable requirements specification should be conducted to the education at the university to train students to become high quality systems engineers. We have proposed a method of model-driven requirements analysis using Unified Modeling Language. Based on our requirement analysis method and the supporting tool, this paper proposes a way how to train the modeling ability of graduate students in our university.
Modulation of human cytochrome P450 1A1-mediated oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene by NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase and cytochrome b5.

OBJECTIVES Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 located in the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum is the most important enzyme in both activation and detoxification of carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), in combination with microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH). However, it is still not clearly explained how the electron transfer is mediated by NADPH:CYP oxidoreductase (POR), another component of the microsomal enzymatic system, on CYP1A1 during BaP oxidation, and whether microsomal cytochrome b5 might influence this electron transfer. METHODS High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed for separation of BaP metabolites formed by enzymatic systems containing human CYP1A1. RESULTS Human CYP1A1 expressed with POR in eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression cellular systems, in microsomes of insect cells (Supersomes) and in a membrane fraction of Escherichia coli, respectively, and these enzyme systems reconstituted with purified cytochrome b5 were utilized to study BaP oxidation. Human CYP1A1 expressed in Supersomes oxidized BaP to seven metabolites [7,8- and 9,10-dihydrodiols, 1,6-dione, 3,6-dione, 3- and 9-phenols, and a metabolite with unknown structure (Mx)], whereas this enzyme expressed in membranes of E. coli formed only the metabolites 1,6- and 3,6-diones, 3- and 9-phenols, and Mx. Addition of cytochrome b5 to CYP1A1 expressed in the eukaryotic system led to a more than 2-fold increase in BaP metabolism, but had essentially no effect on BaP oxidation by CYP1A1 expressed in E. coli. CONCLUSION The effect of cytochrome b5 on CYP1A1 conformation and the electron transfer to this enzyme may contribute to the cytochrome b5-mediated stimulation of BaP oxidation.
Colorectal Cancer Incidence Among Young Adults in California.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence has decreased over the past three decades, due largely to screening efforts. Relatively little is known about CRC incidence among the young adult (YA) population ages 20-39, as screening typically commences at age 50 for average-risk individuals. We examined CRC incidence with a focus on YAs in order to identify high-risk subgroups. Methods: We analyzed 231,544 incident CRC cases from 1988-2009 (including 5617 YAs 20-39 years of age) from the California Cancer Registry. We assessed age-specific incidence rates by race/ethnicity, gender, and colorectal tumor location, and calculated the biannual percent change (BAPC) to monitor change in incidence over the 22-year study period. Results: The absolute incidence of CRC per 100,000 was low among YAs 20-29 and 30-39 years old (ranging from 0.7 per 100,000 among Hispanic and African American females aged 20-29 up to 5.0 per 100,000 among Asian/Pacific Islander males aged 30-39). However, we observed increasing CRC incidence rates over time among both males and females in the YA population, particularly for distal colon cancer in Hispanic females aged 20-29 (BAPC=+15.9%; p<0.042). Conclusion: The absolute incidence of CRC remains far lower for YAs than among adults aged 50 and over. However, CRC incidence is increasing among young adults, in contrast to the decreasing rates observed for adults in the screened population (aged 50 and above). More research is needed to better characterize YAs at increased risk for CRC.
Quantity or quality? foreign aid implications on economic growth in least developed countries

Using panel data for the period of 1975-2011, this study attempts to answer the question of whether the quantity or quality of foreign aid matters to economic growth of least developed countries (LDCs). Quality effects are captured using different specifications of both bilateral and multilateral aid. The quantity effects are measured by the squared term on the aid variable. The timing of effects between aid and growth are controlled for using both short term (annual) and long term (5-year averaged) panel data. Issues of endogeneity, measurement bias, simultaneity and reverse causality are addressed. Generally, after controlling for trade, fiscal and monetary policies and other institutional factors, results from this study support the conclusion that quantity rather than quality of aid matters for economic growth of LDCs. These results are robust to different samples and estimation techniques. Nonetheless, the study does not discount the importance of the quality of aid, rather, emphasizes that regardless of the type of aid flows, quantity and continuous flow is important for LDCs.
Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue volume measured using coronary computed tomography angiography and atherosclerotic plaque characteristics in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis

Aim To investigate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and coronary plaque composition. Methods EAT volume (measured using coronary computed tomography angiography) and coronary plaque characteristics were assessed on a per-segment basis (modified 15-segment American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association classification) in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis. Coronary plaques were classified into four types: 1, calcified plaques; 2, mixed plaques (calcification dominant); 3, mixed plaques (non-calcification dominant); and 4, non-calcified plaques. The gold standard for luminal stenosis was conventional coronary angiography. Results In 365 patients (mean age 58.7 ± 8.0 years), EAT volume was 169.85 ± 29.94 ml. There were no significant between-group differences in patient characteristics. Statistically significant differences in EAT volume between non-calcified and calcified plaque groups were observed. EAT volume showed a positive correlation with total cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and a very weak correlation with age, triglyceride, body mass index and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusion EAT volume was higher in the presence of non-calcified and mixed plaques in patients with ≥50% severe coronary artery stenosis.
Estimating the ECB Policy Reaction Function

Abstract This paper estimates the policy reaction function of the European Central Bank in the first four years of EMU using an ordered probit model which accounts for the fact that central bank rates are set at multiples of 25 basis points. Starting from a baseline model which mimics the Taylor rule, the impacts of different economic variables on interest rate decisions are analysed. It is concluded that the monetary growth measure which was announced by the ECB as the first pillar of their monetary strategy does not play an outstanding role for the actual interest rate decisions. More sophisticated measures like the money overhang which uses information from both pillars are better suited. Overall, it is concluded that the revision of the monetary policy strategy in May 2003 which implied a downgrading of the first pillar will not induce any observable changes in monetary policy decisions.
Effects of the menstrual cycle and oral contraception on singers' pitch control.

PURPOSE Difficulties with intonation and vibrato control during the menstrual cycle have been reported by singers; however, this phenomenon has not yet been systematically investigated. METHOD A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial assessing effects of the menstrual cycle and use of a combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP) on pitch control in singing is presented. Audio-electrolaryngograph recordings were made and blood samples were taken from 9 singers in each of the 3 phases of the menstrual cycle both under the placebo and the OCP conditions for a total of 6 months. Participants sang an exercise consisting of an ascending octave followed by a descending major triad, starting on pitches F4 and B4. Pitch control was assessed in terms of the octave's deviations from pure intonation and of the vibrato rate and extent. RESULTS Significant differences were found between the 3 phases of the cycle regarding octave size only for pitch F5 during OCP use. Significant vibrato rate differences between placebo and OCP conditions were found only for pitch F5. CONCLUSION OCP use may have an effect on pitch control in singers. Possible explanations point to a complex interaction between hormonal milieu and pitch control, enhancing the need for longitudinal studies.
Reduced Energy Consumption and Improved Accuracy for Distributed Speech Recognition in Wireless Environments

The central theme of this dissertation is the study of a multimedia client for pervasive wireless multimedia applications. Speech recognition is considered as one such application, where the computational demands have hindered its use on wireless mobile devices. Our analysis considers distributed speech recognition on hardware platforms with PDA-like functionality (i.e. wireless LAN networking, high-quality audio input/output, a low-power general-purpose processing core, and limited amounts of flash and working memory). We focus on quality of service for the end-user (i.e. ASR accuracy and delay) and reduced energy consumption with increased battery lifetimes. We investigate quality of service and energy trade-offs in this context. We present software optimizations on a speech recognition front-end that can reduce the energy consumption by over 80% compared to the original implementation. A power on/off scheduling algorithm for the wireless interface is presented. This scheduling of the wireless interface can increase the battery lifetime by an order of magnitude. We study the effects of wireless networking and fading channel characteristics on distributed speech recognition using Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b networks. When viewed as a whole, the optimized distributed speech recognition system can reduce the total energy consumption by over 95% compared to a client-side ASR implementation. We present an interleaving and loss concealment algorithm to increase the robustness of distributed speech recognition in a burst error channel. This improvement allows a decreased reliance on error protection overhead, which can provide reductions in transmit energy of up to 46% on a Bluetooth wireless network. The findings presented in this dissertation stress the importance of energy-aware design and optimization at all levels for battery-powered wireless devices.
Road Network Extraction via Aperiodic Directional Structure Measurement

In this paper, we present a novel aperiodic directional structure measurement (ADSM) toward road network extraction. Based on the observations from Cognitive Psychology regarding the aperiodicity and local directionality, ADSM can well characterize roadlike structures independent of the spectral character and contrast. By exploiting such measurement as guidance, we construct a mask to denote potential road regions. Then, by combining with some common morphology operators, our approach is able to provide robust road centerlines efficiently. We evaluate our approach with data from various satellite sensors and make comprehensive comparisons with previous state-of-the-art methods. Experimental results demonstrate the merit using our ADSM as a metric to identify potential road structures, as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of our road network extraction system.
Heterologous Expression of Methylketone Synthase1 and Methylketone Synthase2 Leads to Production of Methylketones and Myristic Acid in Transgenic Plants1[W][OPEN]

Heterologous expression of two wild tomato genes affects methylketone production in Arabidopsis, tobacco, and cultivated tomato plants but with adverse effects to the plants. Some plants produce methylketones as potent defense compounds against various insects. Wild tomato (Solanum habrochaites), a relative of the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), synthesizes large amounts of 2-methylketones in its glandular trichomes, but cultivated tomato trichomes contain little or no methylketones. Two enzymes, Solanum habrochaites methylketone synthase1 (ShMKS1) and ShMKS2, are required to convert β-ketoacyl acyl-carrier protein intermediates of the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway to methylketones. ShMKS2 is a thioesterase that hydrolyzes β-ketoacyl acyl-carrier protein, and ShMKS1 is a decarboxylase that converts the resulting 3-ketoacids to 2-methylketones. We introduced ShMKS2 by itself or together with ShMKS1 to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and cultivated tomato under the control of the 35S, Rubisco small subunit, and tomato trichome-specific promoters. Young tobacco and Arabidopsis plants expressing both genes under the control of 35S and Rubisco small subunit promoters produced methylketones in their leaves but had serious growth defects. As plants matured, they ceased to produce methylketones. Tobacco plants but not Arabidopsis or tomato plants expressing only ShMKS2 under the 35S promoter also synthesized methylketones, but at a lower rate. Transgenic cultivated tomato plants expressing ShMKS1 and ShMKS2 under trichome-specific promoters had slightly elevated levels of methylketone. Trace amounts of myristic acid were also detected in transgenic plants constitutively expressing ShMKS2 with or without ShMKS1. These results suggest that increases in methylketone production in plants will require the targeting of the pathway to self-contained structures in the plant and may also require increasing the flux of fatty acid biosynthesis.
Estrogen receptor‐negative breast cancer cells transfected with the estrogen receptor exhibit increased RARα gene expression and sensitivity to growth inhibition by retinoic acid

We and others have shown previously that retinoic acid (RA) selectively inhibits the growth of estrogen receptor (ER)–positive human breast carcinoma (HBC) cells and ER‐negative cells are refractory to RA inhibition of growth. The ER‐negative cells inherently express lower levels of RARα and retinoic acid response element (RARE)–mediated RA‐induced CAT activity. In this study we report that when ER‐negative MDA‐MB‐231 cells were transfected with the ER gene they not only expressed higher levels of RARα and RARE‐mediated RA‐induced CAT gene expression, but their growth was now inhibited by RA. Estrogen enhanced RARα gene expression not only in established ER‐positive cell lines but also in ER‐transfected MDA‐MB‐231 cells. The estrogen effect appears to be direct and at the gene transcription level since it did not alter the stability of RARα mRNA and cycloheximide failed to block estrogen‐mediated enhancement of RARα gene expression. Our data strongly suggest that ER‐mediated enhancement of RARα levels plays an important role in RA inhibition of HBC growth. In addition, we also report here that HBC cells appear to express a unique isoform(s) of RARα which was detected only when the full‐length RARα cDNA was used as a probe; the RARα1 and RARα2 specific probes failed to hybridize with the HBC specific RARα message.
South African social security under apartheid and beyond

Under apartheid, the trappings of a welfare state for whites were created. Over time, social security was gradually extended to other groups, and recently social assistance benefits were equalised. This left South Africa with high social security levels for a middle-income developing country. However, the social security system still largely reflects the historical needs of vulnerable white groups under apartheid, among whom unemployment was minimal, given their preferential access to jobs and education. Thus the social security system now has inadequate provision for the most vulnerable, the unemployed. In contrast, four out of five pensioners receive a means-tested social pension — a major poverty-alleviating factor in rural black communities. This article analyses the social security system against the backdrop of apartheid and the more recent democratisation, and assesses its major deficiencies, the forces acting for its expansion and the binding fiscal constraint.
Assimilation of Inter-Organizational Information Systems: Insight from Change Resistance Theory in Public Electronic Procurement

Public electronic procurement is an Internet-based inter-organizational information system (IOIS) that is intended to facilitate government-to-business (G2B) or government-to-government (G2G) electronic communication, information exchange and transaction support through web access or value-added network. This chapter is primarily built upon theoretical work in the IOIS adoption and diffusion area, and in particular on theories of technology assimilation. Stages of the assimilation process and the aggregation strategy have been explained in the context of public electronic procurement. Resistance theory is also discussed. We have argued that understanding both resistance variables and relevant change management interventions or moderators can be very useful in determining the extent of public e-procurement assimilation.