Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Funds: Assessing Effectiveness

This study is the first independent evaluation of social fund projects by OED. It reviews the development effectiveness of social fund projects and draws implications for future Bank support to them. It responds to the interest of the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors for an independent evaluation of this fast-expanding portfolio. The review is based on an examination of existing data and literature, and brings to bear new information relating to the participatory process in social fund projects and their institutional development impacts at the government, nongovernment, and community levels. The report finds that social fund projects have been highly effective in delivering small-scale infrastructure, but much less so in achieving consistently positive and significant improvements in outcomes and welfare impacts. While social fund projects have delivered slightly more than proportional benefits to the poor and the poorest, there have also been a significant number of non-poor beneficiaries. Most social fund beneficiaries are satisfied with the financed subprojects, but the greatest community problems have not necessarily been addressed and there is no assurance that the selected subprojects ensure the highest net benefits to the community.
IN VIVO MOBILIZATION OF KARYOTyPICALLY NORMAL PERIPHERAL BLOOD PROGENITOR CELLS IN HIGH‐RISK MDS, SECONDARY OR THERAPY‐RELATED ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKAEMIA

We have previously reported that mobilization of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome‐negative progenitors is possible in a significant number of Ph1‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) patients. In this pilot study we employed the same approach for patients with RAEB‐t, secondary AML (sAML) and therapy‐related AML (t‐AML). All patients except one had double or complex cytogenetic abnormalities in marrow cells before mobilization therapy. All patients received an idarubicin‐containing regimen (mini‐ICE protocol) followed by rh‐G‐CSF and the first leukapheresis was performed as they were recovering from aplasia. In six out of nine patients the leukapheresis product was entirely karyotypically normal, combined with a significant number of CFU‐GM, CD34+ cells and LTC‐IC. Recovery time from mobilization therapy was short and no patient died as a result of the procedure. To date, three patients have undergone autografting using their karyotypically normal collections, of which two (sAML) are alive with karyotypically normal marrow a few months after autografting.
Radical Islamic Terrorism in the Middle East and Its Direct Costs on Western Financial Markets

Close examination of the behaviour of participants in financial markets in the aftermath of terrorist attacks is a valuable line of enquiry. In this paper, we bring together insights from field of finance and politics. Specifically, we examine trading patterns on highly liquid insurance-type financial instruments around a specific terrorist event. This approach provides an insight into risk perception around political violence and allows us to answer a number of key questions on the impact of terrorist attacks on economies and societies. When examined and processed, intraday financial trade data yields valuable empirical evidence on immediate reactions to the threat posed by terrorist groups. The methodology applied in this paper also tells us much about the geographical resonance of terrorist events. We clearly show that fear of economic disruption can be activated in Western markets by events that are often geographically remote. Importantly, these datasets allow us to judge the vulnerability of financial markets to terrorist attack. This potentially allows public authorities to safeguard our interests more effectively. Financial markets are one important element of a "neglected home front" and the risks posed by disruption to those markets are such as to merit our urgent attention.
Drivers and barriers to business intelligence adoption: a case of Pakistan

This research project deals with the Drivers and Barriers to Business Intelligence Adoption. The Drivers and Barrier Methodology (DBM) is a useful tool for measuring how a particular technology such as Business Intelligence (BI) brings tangible benefits to a business enterprise such as a Consumer Bank or Telecommunications Company. This research helps us determine the key factors which force a company to adopt a certain technology and at the same time points out likely impediments and road blocks on the path to successful project completion. A previous body of work both on DBM and on the vast amount of research done in the domain of Business Intelligence and Data warehousing is used as foundation for this research project. A case of Pakistan is used apply the aforementioned methodolgy. The research concludes that depending on a secific user type such as a Power user, IT User or Business user a ’peculiar preference’ in drivers and unique aversion to barriers exist. The challenges and problems faced at each step of the adoption cycle are also highlighted.The findings provide valuable recommendations to application designers, IT Vendors, business analysts, marketers and solution providers.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Motor Vehicle Accidents: A Multidisciplinary Overview

Objective: Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) may result in intractable disability. This paper investigates posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a potential cause. Method: The literature was reviewed for recent studies on prevalence, symptom profile, and outcome of PTSD. Results: PTSD is prevalent in roughly 10% of survivors of MVAs during the first year. Comorbid depression and pain are common. Medical complications, psychophysiological reactivity, and possibly litigation may slow remission. Phobic symptoms can persist for years. Mood disturbance may augment the impact of pain on daily living and on self-perceived disability. Conclusion: Recently developed screening instruments, structured interviews, and behavioural approach tests yield quantitative and reliable assessments of symptom severity. Cognitive–behavioural intervention and antidepressants may improve coping, ease fear, and reduce the impact of pain.
Neuronal Localization of Presenilin-1 and Association with Amyloid Plaques and Neurofibrillary Tangles in Alzheimer’s Disease

Mutations in the presenilin-1 (PS1) gene is a cause of early- onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Endogenous PS1 is associated with the endoplasmic reticulum in the cell body of undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. At early stages of neuronal differentiation in rat hippocampal culture, PS1 appears in all neuritic processes and in growth cones. In mature differentiated neurons, PS1 is concentrated in the somatodendritic compartment but is also present at lower levels in axons. A similar localization of PS1 is observed in vivoin neurons of the adult human cerebral cortex. In sporadic AD, PS1 appears in the dystrophic neurites of mature amyloid plaques and co-localizes with a subset of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). About 30% of hippocampal NFTs are labeled with a highly specific antibody to the PS1 C-terminal loop domain but not with an antibody to the PS1 N terminus. This observation is consistent with a potential association of the PS1 C-terminal fragment with NFTs, because PS1 is constitutively cleaved to N- and C-terminal fragments in neurons. These results suggest that PS1 is highly expressed and broadly distributed during early stages of neuronal differentiation, consistent with a role for PS1 in neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, the co-localization of PS1 with NFTs and plaque dystrophic neurites implicates a role for PS1 in the diverse pathological manifestations of AD.
Microbial Community Structures in Foaming and Nonfoaming Full‐Scale Wastewater Treatment Plants

A survey of full‐scale activated‐sludge plants in Illinois revealed that filamentous foaming is a widespread problem in the state, and that the causes and consequences of foaming control strategies are not fully understood. To link microbial community structure to foam occurrence, microbial populations in eight foaming and nine nonfoaming full‐scale activated‐sludge systems were quantified using oligonucleotide hybridization probes targeting the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of the mycolata; Gordonia spp. ; Gordonia amarae; “Candidatus Microthrix parvicella”; the α‐, β‐, and γ‐subclasses of the Proteobacteria, and members of the Cytophaga‐Flavobacteria. Parallel measurements of microbial population abundance using hybridization of extracted RNA and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed that the levels of mycolata, particularly Gordonia spp. , were higher in most foaming systems compared with nonfoaming systems. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and microscopy suggested the involvement of “Candidatus Microthrix parvicella” and Skermania piniformis in foam formation in other plants. Finally, high numbers of “Candidatus Microthrix parvicella” were detected by FISH in foam and mixed liquor samples of one plant, whereas the corresponding levels of rRNA were low. This finding implies that inactive “Candidatus Microthrix parvicella” cells (i.e., cells with low rRNA levels) can cause foaming.
A three-way, on-site comparison of the 10 V Josephson voltage standards of the PTB, the SP, and the BIPM

Comparisons of the 10 V Josephson array voltage standard (JAVS) of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) were made at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesansalt (PTB), Braunschweig, Germany with those of the PTB and of the Swedish National Testing and Research Institute (SP), Bor ås, Sweden, in January 1998. Although the results agree within an overall uncertainty of less than one part in 109, a small but interesting dependence on microwave power was observed in the dc output of one array.
Teaching and learning of contents from numerical methods using the technology: Comparison of the use of two technological resources

In this paper we compare the methodology using the Excel software used in the academic year 2014_15 with the methodology using the Java in the academic year 2013_14. These were taken to teaching content of the course of Numerical Methods (METNU) Systems Engineering Degree from the College of Engineering of Porto Institute. In terms of results Excel software appears as a good alternative to Java.
Improved Atmospheric Modelling of the Oasis-Desert System in Central Asia Using WRF with Actual Satellite Products

Because of the use of outdated terrestrial datasets, regional climate models (RCMs) have a limited ability to accurately simulate weather and climate conditions over heterogeneous oasis-desert systems, especially near large mountains. Using actual terrestrial datasets from satellite products for RCMs is the only possible solution to the limitation; however, it is impractical for long-period simulations due to the limited satellite products available before 2000 and the extremely time- and labor-consuming processes involved. In this study, we used the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with observed estimates of land use (LU), albedo, Leaf Area Index (LAI), and green Vegetation Fraction (VF) datasets from satellite products to examine which terrestrial datasets have a great impact on simulating water and heat conditions over heterogeneous oasis-desert systems in the northern Tianshan Mountains. Five simulations were conducted for 1–31 July in both 2010 and 2012. The decrease in the root mean squared error and increase in the coefficient of determination for the 2 m temperature (T2), humidity (RH), latent heat flux (LE), and wind speed (WS) suggest that these datasets improve the performance of WRF in both years; in particular, oasis effects are more realistically simulated. Using actual satellite-derived fractional vegetation coverage data has a much greater effect on the simulation of T2, RH, and LE than the other parameters, resulting in mean error correction values of 62%, 87%, and 92%, respectively. LU data is the primary parameter because it strongly influences other secondary land surface parameters, such as LAI and albedo. We conclude that actual LU and VF data should be used in the WRF for both weather and climate simulations.
Investigating Adoption Determinants of Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA)

Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) gain an increasing focus in the academic literature as well as in practice. According to Forrester Research at least 63% of the North-American, European and Asian-Pacific enterprises have adopted SOA by the end of 2008 (Heffner 2008). However, there is still a lack of a coherent picture of why firms adopt SOA. As Vitharana et al. point out "future research should investigate organizational and industry characteristics that influence adoption of the service paradigm" (2007). Thus, the aim of this research is to investigate different proposed drivers of SOA adoption, such as technological advantages such as reduced costs due to modularity and reuse, business advantages such as increased business flexibility, or environmental determinants, such as management fashion.
Addressing hospital length of stay outlier patients: A community wide approach

Length of stay outlier patients, who remain in hospitals for extended periods of time, is an important challenge to the improvement of health care efficiency. This study identified outlier patients and programs to address them in the metropolitan area of Syracuse, New York. It demonstrated that, during 2013, outlier patients accounted for 2.4 percent of adult medicine discharges and an excess average daily census of 53.3 patients in the Syracuse hospitals. During 2013, outlier patients accounted for 4.3 percent of adult surgery discharges and an excess average daily census of 44.1 patients. In two studies, the Syracuse hospitals identified the need for multiple intravenous therapy, extensive wound care, and total parenteral nutrition in the community, as major causes of outlier stays in hospitals. Each of the hospitals has developed a program with a long term care facility to address these needs. Efforts to address outlier lengths of stay are also focusing on Potentially Preventable Complications in Syracuse. The mean length of stay for inpatients with post admissions complications was almost three times the stay for the medical/surgical population during 2013.
Environmental sex determination in a parasitic copepod: checking heterogeneity and unpredictability of the environment

For some organisms, sex is not fixed by genotype at conception but determined later by environmental conditions encountered during development (environmental sex determination, ESD). According to theoretical models, selection should favour ESD when the environment experienced by offspring is patchy and unpredictable and affects the relative fitness of males and females differen- tially. In a field study, we analysed the environmental heterogeneity displayed among individuals of the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis, a host for the copepod Pachypygus gibber, which is characterised by ESD. Consistent with theoretical predictions, environmental parameters that affect sex-specifically the fitness of the parasite (food and sexual partners) vary significantly in space and time. The spatial genetic structure of populations of P. gibber in the Thau lagoon, France, was investigated from allozyme data. No differentiation was found between distant populations, indicating that the larvae disperse intensively in the lagoon. Since their environment has been shown to be heterogeneous in space, and since the mothers cannot leave the host in which they developed, we conclude that both parent and offspring have little control over the quality of the environment the offspring enters. All the conditions are thus validated to support the adaptive nature of ESD in P. gibber.
Measuring jobs from micro, small, and medium-size enterprises financed by IFC client financial institutions

International Finance Corporation (IFC) surveyed 34 banks in 25 countries in all six regions, which account for about 10 percent of financial markets department Million Micro, Small, and Medium-Size Enterprises (MSMEs) reach reporting portfolio. This note compares firm-level employment data with IFC's definition of MSMEs. It also summarizes findings on jobs provided by the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) surveyed and estimates the jobs provided by MSMEs financed through IFC's network of client financial institutions worldwide, using a portfolio extrapolation method. The medians for employment were lower than the averages for each loan size bucket, showing that most enterprises are much smaller than the average shows. The medians represent the underlying characteristics of the supported enterprises better because they minimize the effects of outliers. This analysis assumes that one loan represents one firm and does not account for double counting if firms have multiple loans from the same or other financial institutions. Based on the total MSMEs reached, an estimated 80-202 million jobs were provided with a median estimated employment of 106 million jobs. The 3.3 million SMEs employed about 60 million or 56 percent of the workers, while the 20 million micro firms provided 46 million (44 percent).
Global Overview of Trade Policies

The lack of progress in the Doha negotiations does not mean that trade policies have remained just as they were at the start of the Cycle in 2001. A new version of the MAcMapHS6 database, which contains the bilateral tariff protection agreements of 170 countries, covering more than 5,000 products, can be used to give the most recent picture of these protections. We are interested not only in measuring the tariff barriers which countries maintain to protect their domestic markets, but also evaluating those encountered by their exports in external markets, including tariff preferences. The whole of this data taken together highlights the interests of the various players and helps us understand the positions they defend in multilateral negotiations.
Biophysical Characterization of Endotoxin Inactivation by NK-2, an Antimicrobial Peptide Derived from Mammalian NK-Lysin

ABSTRACT NK-2, a membrane-acting antimicrobial peptide, was derived from the cationic core region of porcine NK-lysin and consists of 27 amino acid residues. It adopts an amphipathic, α-helical secondary structure and has been shown to interact specifically with membranes of negatively charged lipids. We therefore investigated the interaction of NK-2 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the main, highly anionic component of the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, by means of biophysical and biological assays. As model organisms and a source of LPS, we used Salmonella enterica strains with various lengths of the LPS carbohydrate moiety, including smooth LPS, rough LPS, and deep rough LPS (LPS Re) mutant strains. NK-2 binds to LPS Re with a high affinity and induces a change in the endotoxin-lipid A aggregate structure from a cubic or unilamellar structure to a multilamellar one. This structural change, in concert with a significant overcompensation of the negative charges of LPS, is thought to result in the neutralization of the endotoxic LPS activity in a cell culture system. Neutralization of LPS activity by NK-2 as well as its antibacterial activity against the various Salmonella strains strongly depends on the length of the sugar chains of LPS, with LPS Re being the most sensitive. This suggests that a hydrophobic peptide-LPS interaction is necessary for efficient neutralization of the biological activity of LPS and that the long carbohydrate chains, besides their function as a barrier for hydrophobic drugs, also serve as a trap for polycationic substances.
The Role of Intermediaries in Information Services Outsourcing: A Testbed for Simulation

Transaction cost economics suggests that services should be outsourced when there are a large number of vendors available to provide a service, since this eliminates possibilities of opportunism. However, clients face search costs when there are a large number of vendors to choose from. This paper develops a simulation testbed to analyze the role of intermediaries in reducing search costs for clients.
Portability Moves in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, 1998-2005

Portability in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) enables a household to use a voucher issued in one jurisdiction when moving to another jurisdiction where the program is administered by a different local public housing agency. This article reports the results from a study examining portability moves in the HCVP from 1998 to 2005. Using a specially constructed longitudinal data set developed from U.S. Housing and Urban Development administrative records, the study identifies records that represent portability moves and then analyzes household and neighborhood characteristics associated with portability moves. Of the 3.4 million households that received housing assistance in the voucher program from 1998 to 2005, 8.9 percent made a portability move. The rate of portability movers was highest among African-American households (10.3 percent) compared with White households (8.1 percent) and Hispanic households (8.6 percent). Compared with households in the HCVP overall, portability movers are more likely to comprise households with young children and more likely to have a younger head of household. Length of stay in the HCVP is correlated with portability moves, and portability moves are most likely to occur between the fourth and fifth years of HCVP participation. When examining public housing jurisdictions by program costs, three-fifths of portability moves were made to lower cost jurisdictions compared with the originating jurisdiction. The data also show reductions in census tract poverty rates and other neighborhood indicators for households that completed portability moves.
Influence of Centrality and Distinctiveness of Actions on Script Sorting and Ordering in Patients With Frontal Lobe Lesions

In order to further investigate script knowledge in patients with frontal lobe lesions (FP), 30 participants with frontal brain damage, 14 controls with posterior brain damage (PC) and 30 normal controls (NC) were asked to sort script actions with various degrees of centrality and distinctiveness according to the script to which they belonged and their order of execution. Actions were given in 3 conditions: scripts with headers (SH), scripts without headers (SwH) and scripts with distractor header (SDH). Results confirmed the dual dissociation we observed in a previous study (Allain, Le Gall, Etcharry-Bouyx, Aubin, Emile, 1999). Twelve FP made numerous errors in sequencing actions regardless of the conditions, but rejected the irrelevant title. Fourteen FP made few sequencing errors but used the irrelevant title. The last 4 FP performed as well as the PC and NC in every condition. Sorting errors made by the FP mainly concerned actions with low levels of centrality and distinctiveness. These data are consistent with the view that frontal lobe lesions selectively impair the syntactic component of script representation without affecting its semantic component.