Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stratigraphic Ranges of the Benthic Foraminifera and Microfacies of the Upper Maastrichtian-Paleocene Shallow Marine Carbonate Successions in the Eastern Pontides ( Ne Turkey )

This study is a synthesis and reinterpretation of our previous works on microfacies and benthic foraminiferal assemblages of the Eastern Pontides Upper Maastrichtian-Palaeocene shallow water carbonate sequences. The aim of this study is to introduce relation between stratigraphic distribution of the foraminiferal assemblages and facies. The Upper Maastrichtian-Paleocene (K/T) transition is determined by the last occurence of predominant orbitoidal forms and by the first appearance of associations with miliolids, algae and bryozoans. The stages of the Paleocene are distinguished by means of miliolidal and rotalidal foraminifers. In the Upper Maastrichtian packed biosparite and rudistid-biosparite microfacies are predominant. Dolosparite microfacies can be used as key levels in the Upper Maastrichtian-Paleocene (K/T) transition and transitions between the Paleocene stages. In the Paleocene, biosparite rich in molluscan shell fragments, algal biosparite, miliolid biosparite microfacies are dominant. Many endemic taxa are exist through the Maastrichtian-Paleocene. Stratigraphic ranges of benthic foraminifera are of local importance.
Stochastic Geometry Modeling of Coverage and Rate of Cellular Networks Using the Gil-Pelaez Inversion Theorem

In this letter, we introduce new mathematical frameworks to the computation of coverage probability and average rate of cellular networks, by relying on a stochastic geometry abstraction modeling approach. With the aid of the Gil-Pelaez inversion formula, we prove that coverage and rate can be compactly formulated as a twofold integral for arbitrary per-link power gains. In the interference-limited regime, single-integral expressions are obtained. As a case study, Gamma-distributed per-link power gains are investigated further, and approximated closed-form expressions for coverage and rate in the interference-limited regime are obtained, which shed light on the impact of channel parameters and physical-layer transmission schemes.
Role of α1‐adrenergic receptors in detrusor overactivity induced by cold stress in conscious rats

α1‐Adrenergic receptors (ARs) are involved in micturition control both centrally and peripherally. α1‐AR antagonists improve not only voiding but also storage symptoms in patients with bladder outlet obstruction. We investigated the role of α1‐AR mechanisms involved in detrusor overactivity induced by cold stress in conscious rats.
“Back the Bid”: The 2012 Summer Olympics and the Governance of London

ABSTRACT: The Olympic Park being developed in east London for the 2012 Games is one large urban renewal project among many in the city. The impact of the Games on urban development may be of less significance than the impact on city politics. Bidding for and delivering the Games has contributed to a reassessment of the recent experiment with mayoral government. The article examines these changing representations of the structures of London government that are now seen as a success. Much of the literature on Olympic cities is highly critical of the impact of the games, but the (current) substantial support for London 2012 also needs to be explained. We examine how London has created opportunities for support, and moments and spaces for celebration when political leaders and Londoners can come together around particular representations of themselves and the city.
The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) handbook: a guide to assess spondyloarthritis

The field of spondyloarthritis (SpA) has experienced major progress in the last decade, especially with regard to new treatments, earlier diagnosis, imaging technology and a better definition of outcome parameters for clinical trials. In the present work, the Assessment in SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) provides a comprehensive handbook on the most relevant aspects for the assessments of spondyloarthritis, covering classification criteria, MRI and x rays for sacroiliac joints and the spine, a complete set of all measurements relevant for clinical trials and international recommendations for the management of SpA. The handbook focuses at this time on axial SpA, with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) being the prototype disease, for which recent progress has been faster than in peripheral SpA. The target audience includes rheumatologists, trial methodologists and any doctor and/or medical student interested in SpA. The focus of this handbook is on practicality, with many examples of MRI and x ray images, which will help to standardise not only patient care but also the design of clinical studies.
High performance work systems and organizational performance: an empirical study of Taiwan's semiconductor design firms

This paper presents a study examining the relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) and organizational performance in Taiwan's semiconductor design industry. The hypotheses are tested by matching and analysing data collected from field interviews with 21 HR managers and surveys of 21 senior operations managers and 1,129 employees. The results of the statistical analysis demonstrate that the effective use of employee empowerment practices is positively related to organizational performance.
Which Master of Business Administration (MBA)? Factors influencing prospective students' choice of MBA programme – an empirical study

Factors which influence students' selection of a Master of Business Administration programme are identified and the variation in their relative importance across the student population investigated. This research also identifies the features of a university which attracts students, as well as examining the students' perceptions of the management school as compared to the university as a whole. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 76 current Master of Business Administration students. The data were analysed using a grounded theory approach and five key themes emerged from the data: repute, syllabus, quality, facilities and career. While these five themes reappeared throughout interviews, their definitions and relative importance varied widely. The conclusions drawn from this research are that numerous factors influence a postgraduate student's choice of Master of Business Administration programme and that prospective students are well informed when making their decision. The reputation of the university appears to be a key factor.
Anti‐ageing glycoprotein promotes long‐term survival of transplanted neurosensory precursor cells

Cell therapy, to replace lost tissue, is a promising approach for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. Many studies suggest, however, that the percentage of transplanted cells that survive and undergo functional integration remains low as a result of immune rejection, suboptimal precursor cell type, trauma during cell transplantation, toxic compounds released by dying tissues or nutritional deficiencies. We recently developed an ex vivo system to facilitate identification of factors contributing to the death of transplanted neuronal (photoreceptor) cells and compounds that block these toxic effects. In this system, photoreceptor precursor cells (PPCs) are sandwiched between a neurosensory retinal explant and retinal pigment epithelium derived from human embryonic stem cells. Explant medium was collected to identify toxic components and PPC survival was assessed by flow cytometry. We also assessed the potential for AAGP™, a cryopreservative molecule, to improve PPC survival. We identified elevated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the explant medium and demonstrated that AAGP™ reduced PGE2 levels by 2.6‐fold. A pro‐inflammatory stress assay suggested that this may result from AAGP™ inhibition of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression. We confirmed that PGE2 reduced the viability of cultured PPCs by 44% and found that the survival rate of PPCs pretreated with AAGP™ was 2.8‐fold higher than in untreated PPCs. These data suggest that PGE2 release from necrotic tissue may be one factor that reduces the survival of transplanted precursor cells and that the pro‐survival molecule AAGP™ may improve long‐term transplanted cell viability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
POLICY SYSTEMS AND THEIR COMPLEXITY DYNAMICS: ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS AND MANAGED CARE MARKETS

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii TABLE OF CONTENTS . v LIST OF FIGURES . vii LIST OF TABLES . xvi CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW Introduction . 1-1 Purpose of the Dissertation . 1-2 The Academic Medical Center Population . 1-4 Research Approach . 1-5 Dissertation Setting . 1-7 Contributions of the Dissertation . 1-8 Limits of the Dissertation . 1-8 Structure of the Dissertation . 1-9 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Contribution . 2-1 Background . 2-3 Concepts of Chaos and Complexity . 2-5 A Brief Look at Other Theoretical Perspectives . 2-24 CHAPTER 3. COMPLEXITY SCIENCE METAPHORS AND METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS Metaphorical Use of Complexity . 3-3 Use of Methodological Tools . 3-8 Summary . 3-11 CHAPTER 4. U.S. MEDICAL SCHOOLS Medical School Literature . 4-1 Background . 4-2 Three Missions . 4-5 The Teaching Mission of Medical Schools . 4-6 The Research Mission of Medical Schools . 4-11 The Patient Care Mission of Medical Schools . 4-16 Legislation and Policy Affecting Teaching Hospital Revenues . 4-20 CHAPTER 5. METHODOLOGY Research Methodology and Design . 5-1 Data Collection and Coding Methodology . 5-8 Data Analysis Methodology . 5-21 CHAPTER 6. RESULTS OF ANALYSES OF CURRENT DATA U.S. Medical Schools . 6-1
DETERMINANTS OF THE INDONESIA GOVERNMENT YIELD CURVE

The bond market plays an important role as an alternative source of financing in the current economic growth. Indonesian government funding through the domestic bond market continues to grow, indicated by the issuance of bonds which tends to increase over time. Research on the yield curve usually imposes the effect of macroeconomic fundamentals such as interest rates, inflation, economic growth, money supply and exchange rate. However, research on the determinants of the yield curve beyond macroeconomic factors, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia, is still limited. By using a vector error correction model, this study aims to analyze the determinants of the yield curve of government securities (SUN) in Indonesia by looking at how the yield curve responds to shocks on these factors. The results of study concluded that the development of yield curve on government bonds experienced a fluctuating movement influenced by liquidity factors, fundamental macroeconomics, external factors and market risk factors. Yield curve, Macroeconomy, Liquidity, Market risk, Vector error correction model, Indonesia
Comparison of two computational formulas for a WAIS-R seven subtest short form.

Several validity studies for a seven subtest WAIS-R short form have been conducted with patients from different populations as participants. All of these studies demonstrated high correlations between the short form IQ estimates and the actual VIQs, PIQs, and FSIQs (i.e., .90 to .98). In general, there also were small mean differences in the short form versus actual IQs across samples. There currently are two computational formulas for the seven subtest short form. The original weighted formula and a revised proration formula. This study investigated the accuracy of the two short form computational formulas in samples of patients with brain impairment. It was found that the two formulas produced nearly identical results from both statistical and clinical perspectives. Given that the formulas produce nearly identical results and the majority of published studies with this short form have used the weighted formula, we recommend that future investigators use the original weighted formula to maintain clinical and scientific consistency.
Investigating the life and work of teachers

Relative importance of work has exponentially grown in teachers’ lives in the last 40 years. Moves to restructure schooling and education have increased and so have studies on the impact of these changes. This work allows us to concentrate on some of the complexities at the heart of many new school reform initiatives. Writing in 1975, at the end of a ‘golden age’ for Western society, Lortie summarized the relationship between teachers and educational research in the US in words that still stand up well today: "Schooling is long on prescription, short on description. That is nowhere more evident than in the case of the two million persons who teach in the public schools. " The point that Lortie makes has continued to be in force in the research discourse as related to teachers – a good deal of prescription and implicit portrayal but very little serious study of, or collaboration with, those portrayed.
Dynamic Tests of Option Pricing Models AR egression Approach

Option pricing models have typically been tested by comparing absolute errors. Little has been done in the way of developing rigorous statistical methodology. We test the predictions of an option pricing model using price differences. The most widely used models such as the Black-Scholes model, the jump-diffusion model and the stochastic volatility model very accurately predict one day price changes, given the change in the underlying asset. Delta hedging models are also tested and shown to be closely related to the regression of observed price changes on those predicted by the models. JEL Codes G13, C52
Modular Approach to Recognition of Strokes in Telugu Script

In this paper, we address some issues in developing an online handwritten character recognition(HCR) system for an Indian language script, Telugu. The number of characters in this script is estimated to be around 5000. A character in this script is written as a sequence of strokes. The set of strokes in Telugu consists of 253 unique strokes. As the similarity among several strokes is high, we propose a modular approach for recognition of strokes. Based on the relative position of a stroke in a character, the stroke set has been divided into three subsets, namely, baseline strokes, bottom strokes and top strokes. Classifiers for the different subsets of strokes are built using support vector machines(SVMs). We study the performance of the classifiers for subsets of strokes and propose methods to improve their performance. A comparative study using hidden Markov models(HMMs) shows that the SVM based approach gives a significantly better performance.
Solid‐Phase Chemical Synthesis of 5′‐Triphosphate DNA, RNA, and Chemically Modified Oligonucleotides

A chemical method for the solid‐phase synthesis of 5′‐triphosphate oligonucleotides is described. The full‐length oligonucleotides are first constructed using standard solid‐phase DNA/RNA synthesis, and then efficient implementation of a sequential 4‐steps synthetic procedure, executed either manually or in a fully automated fashion, affords the corresponding solid‐supported 5′‐triphosphate oligonucleotides. Using this synthetic procedure, the full‐length 5′‐hydroxyl oligonucleotides are initially transformed into the corresponding 5′‐H‐phosphonate mono esters, subsequently oxidized in the presence of imidazole to the activated 5′‐phosphorimidazolidates, and finally reacted with pyrophosphate on the solid support. The method uses safe, stable, and inexpensive reagents, and the process is scalable and readily applicable to automated synthesis compatible with the current commercially available DNA/RNA synthesizers. After cleavage from the solid support and deprotection, a range of DNA, RNA, and chemically modified 5′‐triphosphate oligonucleotides are obtained in a convenient and efficient manner and isolated in good yields after HPLC purification. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 50:1.28. 1‐1.28. 16. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The ABC transporter BCRP/ABCG2 is a placental survival factor, and its expression is reduced in idiopathic human fetal growth restriction

The efflux pump ATP binding cassette superfamily member G2 (ABCG2)/breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is highly expressed in human placenta. We have investigated the role of BCRP in the protection of the human placental trophoblasts from apoptosis and its expression in idiopathic fetal growth restriction, a condition associated with abnormal pla‐cental apoptosis. Inhibition of BCRP activity with the selective inhibitor Ko143 augmented cytokine (tumor necrosis factor‐α/interferon‐γ)‐induced apoptosis and phosphatidylserine externalization in primary tropho‐blast and trophoblast‐like BeWo cells. Silencing of BCRP expression in BeWo cells significantly increased their sensitivity to apoptotic injury in response to cytokines and exogenous C6 and C8 ceramides. BCRP silencing also increased intracellular ceramide levels after cytokine exposure but did not affect cellular protoporphyrin IX concentrations or sensitivity to activators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. BCRP expression in placentas from pregnancies complicated by idiopathic fetal growth restriction was decreased compared with controls, suggesting reduced transport of its substrates from the placenta. We conclude that BCRP may play a hitherto unrecognized survival role in the placenta, protecting the trophoblast against cytokine‐induced apoptosis and possibly other extrinsic activators via modulation of ceramide signaling. Decreased placental BCRP expression may result in reduced viability and hence functional deficit, contributing to the fetal growth restriction phenotype. —Evseenko, D. A. , Murthi, P., Paxton, J. W. , Reid, G. , Emerald, B. S. , Mohankumar, K. M. , Lobie, P. E. , Brennecke, S. P., Kalionis, B. Keelan, J. A. The ABC transporter BCRP/ ABCG2 is a placental survival factor, and its expression is reduced in idiopathic human fetal growth restriction. FASEB J. 21, 3592–3605 (2007)
The Impact of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): An Empirical Analysis of Sub-Saharan African Agricultural Exports

The African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) which was signed into law in 2000 as part of U.S. trade legislation has the objectives of increasing trade and investment between the U.S. and eligible Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, by reducing or eliminating tariffs applied to African exports of different products. This Act represents a promising approach to economic growth and development in SSA through international trade. This research paper examines the impact of AGOA on African agricultural exports. The study uses the gravity trade model framework and panel data depicting annual agricultural trade from 35 eligible SSA countries to the United States over years both before and after AGOA’s implementation (1990-2011). There is wide variation in trade flows and the economic characteristics of the panel data obtained from the 35 SSA countries include numerous observations of zero trade flows. As the gravity equation is generally estimated in logarithms which are not defined for zero values, alternative statistical estimation methods, the Heckman model and the Poission family of regression modeling techniques, were used to test whether the inclusion of the zero values would change the parameter estimates significantly. The study differs from previous empirical analyses of AGOA which did not attempt to account for zero trade flows. In addition, most of these studies were based on data from the early years of AGOA while this study includes more recent data and is based on a longer time period. The statistical results indicate that the AGOA trade preferences do not have a statistically significant impact on SSA agricultural exports, although some of the model results indicate that AGOA may have a positive effect on SSA agricultural exports to the United States. Results from some of the models indicate that an increase in per capita GDP in the SSA countries decreases agricultural exports to the United States. Likewise, currency appreciation of the SSA countries decreases the agricultural trade flows. A tariff rate quota and the exclusion of some agricultural products from the legslation still limit AGOA’s broader positive economic impact. Further liberalization, reform and extension of AGOA for a longer time, investment to improve trade facilitation services, agricultural productivity and processing to meet high quality standards, and adoption of a comprehensive development assistance policy are needed if the African countries are to realize sustained economic growth and development. Keywords: AGOA, Agriculture, SSA, United States, Gravity Model
Estimating the uncertainty of the simulation properties of large nonlinear econometric models

This paper outlines a new technique for calculating the mean and variance of the density function of a model's simulation properties. This technique is computationally more tractable than the only other existing technique (Fair, 1980). A set of five examples are then provided, using the National Institute's Model 7, of this technique in practical application.
An Empirical Analysis of Homosexual/Heterosexual Male Earnings Differentials: Unmarried and Unequal?

Using data from the 1990 U.S. Census (PUMS 5%), the authors present the first large-scale study of wage differentials between heterosexual and homosexual men. The homosexual sample, consisting of gay men in unmarried partnered relationships, are estimated to have earned 15.6% less than similarly qualified married heterosexual men, and 2.4% less than similarly qualified unmarried partnered heterosexual men. The authors interpret these two figures as upper- and lower-bound estimates of the differential between homosexual and heterosexual men. The dual comparison enables the authors to disentangle the penalty to being unmarried from other determinants of the wage differential; estimated at 14.1%, this variable appears to be the main source of the wage gap.
Long-Term Medical Conditions and Major Depression in the Canadian Population

Objectives: To evaluate associations between long-term medical conditions and major depression in the Canadian population, and to examine the impact of these conditions on health care service use and disability. Methods: Data from the first wave of the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) were used. The NPHS used a probability sample of 17 626 Canadians and included questions about long-term medical conditions, health care service use, and disability and a brief predictor of major depression. Contingency tables and graphical techniques were used to evaluate associations between the variables of interest. Results: Various chronic medical conditions were associated with an elevated prevalence of major depression. There was no evidence that subjects with major depression and comorbid medical conditions were more likely to be admitted to hospital or to be high users of physician services. However, major depression comorbid with chronic medical conditions was associated with a greater than expected extent of activity limitations. Conclusions: Chronic illness may increase the risk of depression or the duration of depressive episodes; either effect could lead to an increased prevalence. Alternatively, major depression may predispose individuals to certain chronic illnesses. Comorbid major depression and chronic medical conditions are associated with a considerable burden of disability in the Canadian population but not excessive use of physician services.