Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics study of the helicone for a dual-band and dual-polarization horn

In this letter, a circular polarization radiator for a dual-band and dual-polarization horn is designed. The radiator consists of a cylindrical helix excited in the axial mode inside a conical horn. Using a conical horn the antenna gain increases, the sidelobe and backlobe levels decrease. With the cylindrical helix, the antenna has the characteristics of circular polarization and broad bandwidth. This antenna is fed by the coaxial cable, so a quarter turn of the helix parallel to the base plate is added for impedance matching. The aperture field and far field expressions are given. Simulated and measured results for voltage standing wave ratio, gain, axial ratio, and radiation patterns of the helicone are presented and show good agreement.
The influence of genetic variation in surfactant protein B on severe lung injury in African American children*

Objective:To determine whether genetic variations in the gene coding for surfactant protein B are associated with lung injury in African American children with community-acquired pneumonia. Design:A prospective cohort genetic association study of lung injury in children with community-acquired pneumonia. Setting:Two major tertiary care children's hospitals. Subjects:African American children with community-acquired pneumonia (n = 395) either evaluated in the emergency department or admitted to the hospital. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Three hundred ninety-five African American children (14 days to 18 yrs of age) with community-acquired pneumonia were enrolled. Thirty-seven patients required mechanical ventilation and 26 of these were diagnosed with acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Genotyping was performed on seven linkage disequilibrium-tag single nucleotide polymorphisms in the surfactant protein B gene. Univariate analysis demonstrated two linkage disequilibrium-tag single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs1130866 (also known as SP-B + 1580 C/T) and rs3024793, were associated with the need for mechanical ventilation in African American children (p = .016 and p = .030, respectively). Multivariable analysis indicated that both of these single nucleotide polymorphisms are independently associated with need for mechanical ventilation (p = .040 and p = .012, respectively) as was rs7316 when its interaction with age was considered (p = .015). Multivariable analysis examining acute lung injury demonstrated a significant association of rs7316 with acute lung injury (p = .031). Haplotype analysis was also performed. Two haplotypes, GTGCGCG and ATATAAG, were associated with need for mechanical ventilation using either univariate (p = .041 and p = .043, respectively) or multivariable analysis (odds ratios of 2.62, p = .048, and 3.12, p = .033, respectively). Conclusions:Genetic variations in the gene coding for surfactant protein B are associated with more severe lung injury as indicated by the association of specific single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes and haplotypes with the need for mechanical ventilation in African American children with community-acquired pneumonia.
Identifying Gifted Preschoolers in Turkey: The Reliability and Validity of the Turkish-Translated Version of the GRS-Preschool/Kindergarten Form.

The reliability and validity of the Turkish-translated version of the Gifted Rating Scales (GRS) were tested on 30 preschool teachers who provided ratings for a total of 390 preschoolers aged ranging from 4 years, 0 months to 6 years, 11 months. Results indicated that the reliability and validity of all five of the GRS-P subscales were high. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the five-factor model, corroborating other validation studies. Results found a significant difference in gender for artistic talent and motivation, but otherwise no effect for gender. There was no significant difference across age groups. The present study provides preliminary support for a Turkish-translated version of the GRS-P. Implications for the rating scale’s use as a viable screening instrument in Turkey to assist in early, pre-school gifted identification were discussed.
Molecular Imaging of Biological Samples on Nanophotonic Laser Desorption Ionization Platforms.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a comprehensive tool for the analysis of a wide range of biomolecules. The mainstream method for molecular MSI is matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, however, the presence of a matrix results in spectral interferences and the suppression of some analyte ions. Herein we demonstrate a new matrix-free MSI technique using nanophotonic ionization based on laser desorption ionization (LDI) from a highly uniform silicon nanopost array (NAPA). In mouse brain and kidney tissue sections, the distributions of over 80 putatively annotated molecular species are determined with 40 μm spatial resolution. Furthermore, NAPA-LDI-MS is used to selectively analyze metabolites and lipids from sparsely distributed algal cells and the lamellipodia of human hepatocytes. Our results open the door for matrix-free MSI of tissue sections and small cell populations by nanophotonic ionization.
Modelling the Impact of Aggregate Financial Shocks External to the Chinese Economy

Ways of extracting financial condition indices (FCI) are explored and alternative FCIs external to the Chinese economy are constructed to model their predictive content. The exploration aims at highlighting the rich and varied dynamic features of financial variables underlying FCIs and the importance of synchronising dynamic information between FCIs and the real-sector variables to be forecasted. The modelling experiment aims at improving the forecasting model upon which the FCIs are assessed. Four variables are chosen as the likely macro channel of the FCIs affecting the Chinese economy. It is found that the FCI-led models enjoy forecasting advantages over a benchmark model in three out of the four variables, although the benchmark model is not dominated by the FCI-led models when judged by in-sample encompassing tests. The evidence indicates the increasing exposure of the Chinese economy to the global financial conditions.
MALE-FEMALE PRODUCTIVITY DIFFERENTIALS: THE ROLE OF ABILITY AND INCENTIVES ⁄

We consider the response to incentives as an explanation for productivity differences within a firm that paid its workers piece rates. We provide a framework within which observed productivity differences can be decomposed into two parts: one due to differences in ability and the other due to differences in the response to incentives. We apply this decomposition to male and female workers from a tree-planting firm in the province of British Columbia, Canada. We provide evidence that individuals do react differently to incentives. However, while the women in our sample reacted slightly more to incentives than did the men, the average difference is not statistically significant. The productivity differential that men enjoyed arose because of differences in ability, strength in our application.
Wellbeing of Traditional Owners: conceptual and methodological approach

This paper presents the conceptual and methodological aspects of an in-progress research project. The project objective is to explore wellbeing of Traditional Owners of country, both in a generic sense and with specific emphasis on the benefits, which Traditional Owners derive from country and participation in natural resource management (NRM) activities. Wellbeing is an inclusive concept, integrating domains such as economic opportunity (employment/income), health (mental/physical), social interactions (family, community), country and culture, among others. A literature review is provided on frameworks and models of wellbeing. From those applications, a framework suitable for the scope of this research is developed and implemented through a combination of qualitative (based on focus group discussions) and quantitative (questionnaire) methods. The paper describes some preliminary data and offers some equally preliminary conclusions. The research is being funded by the Burdekin Dry Tropics Board and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, and conducted in collaboration with Nywaigi Traditional Owners in North-east Queensland.
EU-expansion effects on the SEE export to EU – Possible trade diversion

The future of EU lies in the SEE or to rephrase, the future of the SEE lies in the EU. This is considered to be the case as the SEE countries that are not yet EU-members have been promised future membership and are therefore considered the next potential EU members. As this scenario lies in the future of an EU expansion an interest of what lies in the past of these two regions rises. This interest increases with consideration of existing research putting forth empirical evidence that suggest the EU expansion causes trade to divert away from non-members. In addition to this, a decrease of the SEE export to EU has been suggested to exist. In this paper I therefore ask if the EU expansion has affected this SEE export to EU in any way. This information is not important just in itself but also because of the long EU membership process, which differs with years between the SEE countries due to their different development stages. Different EU accession dates may cause further trade diversion for individual SEE countries as the EU expands further. To be able to answer the question in this paper an empirical research is performed with the frequently used gravity model. The gravity equation is estimated through the OLS procedure. In aim of receiving the best regression results from the OLS an alternative version of the standard gravity equation, a fixed effect equation, is calculated and run as well. The quantitative study is performed on panel data from 1995 to 2008. By analyzing the export flows from 8 SEE countries to the 27 EU members a search for possible trade diversion effects reflecting the SEE export to EU is pursued. Based on the analysis pursued an indication of trade diversion could be found and concluded to exist despite lack of significance of many estimates. The trade diversion reflects an export decrease from SEE to EU as an effect of every expansion year of the union. This indicates that further EU expansion may very well cause further export diversion from individual SEE countries to EU. However since the results are not completely clear cut, there is still room for further research as it may bring further support for these findings or further counter argument to these results.
Entry deterrence in the Schmalensee–Salop model

The question of entry deterrence in a Schmalensee type product differentiation market, that is in a market that can be depicted by a circle with circumference of 1, is investigated. It is normally assumed that incumbent firms or brands locate equidistantly whereas an entrant settles exactly in the middle between two firms. For questions of entry deterrence it has become customary to treat the n + 1 model with n incumbents and one entrant as if there were 2n firms located equidistantly. For this to hold, strong assumptions are needed. Using the Salop specification of the Schmalensee model, but without these strong assumptions, the number of entry deterring firms is calculated.
Universal Health Coverage Reforms: Patterns of Income, Spending and Coverage in Four Developing Countries

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is a central social aspiration of most developing countries, but one that poses multiple policy challenges. This research reviews reforms in four developing countries over the past 15 years: Colombia, Ghana, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The countries were selected to illustrate different circumstances, policy approaches, and results in different regions of the world and for countries with different income levels. The research examines the changes that took place in the four countries in absolute and relative spending levels for public, private, and total health spending, along with changes in health insurance coverage. In particular, it explores the hypotheses that effective coverage expansion requires additional public financing and reduces out-ofpocket spending. The research also analyzes the link that may exist between the countries’ economic cycles, health spending, and health insurance coverage. Finally, it looks at consequences of expanding coverage for equity. All four countries have aimed to achieve UHC through social insurance mechanisms. Colombia’s reform started in 1993 and has been able to achieve near universal coverage while reducing out-of-pocket spending and controlling total health costs. Ghana’s reforms are more recent, starting in 2005, yet it has managed to achieve significant gains in health coverage and has also reduced dependence on out-of-pocket spending. Vietnam’s social insurance reforms started in the 1990s. It has increased coverage while modestly reducing reliance on out-of-pocket spending during a period when total health expenditures tripled. Reforms in the Philippines since 1995 show slow progress in expanding coverage, rising expenditures and a growing reliance on out-of-pocket expenditures.
Curbing rework in offshore projects: systemic classification of risks with dialogue and narratives

Rework arises in offshore projects due to errors and omissions, and this can significantly contribute to project cost and cause schedule overruns. Indeed, these additional and unnecessary costs can uncontrollably spiral to account for 25% of capital expenditure for offshore platform projects. Yet rework costs are frequently dismissed as isolated and rare instances of unfortunate circumstances and alien to normal practice. Original evidence stemming from this research indicates that cost and schedule overruns are a recurrent feature of offshore projects. Moreover, the risk of overruns are further exacerbated by increasingly complex commercial and contracting arrangements, technical challenges, changing local economic and regulatory conditions, and a shift towards projects being undertaken in peak oil frontier regions. To acquire new knowledge on the dynamics of offshore rework, the experiences of 23 oil and gas industry practitioners were captured using in-depth interviews. A risk classification matrix was subsequently developed in order to provide a frame of reference to mitigate future rework. Failing to give consideration to rework risks increases the potential for latent conditions to become embedded within organisational and project systems and processes. Consequently, the likelihood of failures, accidents or even catastrophes increases.
ESTIMATING F‐STATISTICS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF POPULATION STRUCTURE

This journal frequently contains papers that report values of F-statistics estimated from genetic data collected from several populations. These parameters, FST, FIT, and FIS, were introduced by Wright (1951), and offer a convenient means of summarizing population structure. While there is some disagreement about the interpretation of the quantities, there is considerably more disagreement on the method of evaluating them. Different authors make different assumptions about sample sizes or numbers of populations and handle the difficulties of multiple alleles and unequal sample sizes in different ways. Wright himself, for example, did not consider the effects of finite sample size. The purpose of this discussion is to offer some unity to various estimation formulae and to point out that correlations of genes in structured populations, with which F-statistics are concerned, are expressed very conveniently with a set of parameters treated by Cockerham (1 969, 1973). We start with the parameters and construct appropriate estimators for them, rather than beginning the discussion with various data functions. The extension of Cockerham's work to multiple alleles and loci will be made explicit, and the use of jackknife procedures for estimating variances will be advocated. All of this may be regarded as an extension of a recent treatment of estimating the coancestry coefficient to serve as a mea-
Institutional Feedback and Support for the Welfare State: The Case of National Health Care

Researchers interested in the political consequences of the welfare state argue that cross-country variations in the design of social policy institutions produce distinct patterns of public support for the welfare state. This research proposes an institutional feedback effect in which welfare institutions, once created, transform political debate, generate new constituencies, and alter how individuals and interest groups interpret their preferences. Existing research has found mixed results for these proposed institutional feedback effects on public opinion. This project contributes to research on institutional feedback through an analysis of cross-national variation in public support for national health care. National health care provides a unique opportunity for studying institutional feedback by avoiding problems with the measurement of key variables common to previous work in this area. This research offers evidence in support of institutional feedback effects by demonstrating links between the structure of health care institutions and public attitudes.
Extracellular Proteolysis and Angiogenesis

Summary Extracellular proteolysis is an absolute requirement for new blood vessel formation, a process known as angiogenesis. This review will examine the role of the matrix metalloproteinase and plasminogen activator/plasmin systems during angiogenesis. Extracellular proteolysis has also been implicated in the generation of molecules with angioregulatory activity. These include, but are not limited to, angiostatin and endostatin. However, despite an abundance of data on their bioactivity, the molecular mechanisms by which these molecules achieve their effects are unknown. Anti-proteolysis, particularly in the context of angiogenesis, has become a key target in therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting tumor growth and other diseases associated with neovascularization.
The cyclicality of consumption, wages and employment of the public sector in the euro area

This study empirically examines the business cycle behaviour of public consumption and its main components, the public wage bill (including its breakdown into compensation per employee and public employment) and intermediate consumption, in the euro area aggregate, euro area countries and a group of selected non-euro area Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Japan and the US). It looks across a large number of variables and methods, using annual data from 1960 to 2005. It finds robust evidence supporting that public consumption, wages and employment co-move with the business cycle in a pro-cyclical manner with 1–2 year lags, notably for the euro area aggregate and euro area countries. The findings reflect mainly the correlation between cyclical developments, but also point to an important role of pro-cyclical discretionary fiscal policies.
The Relevance of AAS 29 to the Australian Public Sector: A Cause for Doubt?

In December 1993, the AARF issued Australian Accounting Standard AAS 29, Financial Reporting by Government Departments. The Standard requires all Australian government departments (GDs) to adopt comprehensive accrual financial reporting no later than 30 December 1996. Given the magnitude and potential financial cost of these reforms, the claimed benefits of AAS 29 justify empirical investigation and scrutiny. The purpose of the present study was to test underlying rationales of AAS 29 by reference to ratings and opinions of 172 federal and state GDs in Australia. The key rationale of AAS 29 is that accrual-based financial reports will be relevant to the economic decision making of GDs and their external users. While the empirical results presented in this paper are confined to the internal viewpoints of senior GD officials and representatives, they cast into doubt the relevance of AAS 29 in the Australian public sector.
Macropartisanship and Macroideology in the Sophisticated Electorate

There are many reasons to believe that political parties' fortunes and the ideological preferences of the electorate are tied together. Yet existing evidence finds no relationship between trends in the partisan and ideological identifications of the American electorate (Box-Steffensmeier, Knight, and Sigelman 1998). We argue that a portion of the electorate organizes political debate in terms of liberal and conservative referents and, in turn, links ideological and partisan identifications over time. Evidence from CBS News and New York Times survey data affirms the conclusion that for the more sophisticated portion of the electorate, partisan and ideological trends are mutually reinforcing in both the long and the short run. These groups are also more likely to vote than less politically sophisticated groups, so the incentives for politicians to link popular ideological sentiment with partisanship are strong; the people who pay attention to politics and put them in office (or kick them out) are the same people who connect ideology and partisanship.
Taste Tests: Changing the Rules to Improve the Game

In the food industry, taste tests are an important element in product development, test marketing and advertising. The primary factor detracting from the reliability of taste tests is guessing by subjects; it confounds true discrimination and preference with random responses. In this paper simple modifications of discrimination and preference tests are suggested. Easily implemented, these changes do not increase the costs of the test while greatly reducing the probability of a subject guessing correctly. Two experiments to check the effect of these changes on task difficulty were carried out. Results show that there may be some increase in respondent's task difficulty, but this increase is overshadowed by the increased reliability of the suggested test design.
Optimal Participation Taxes

Addressing extensive labour supply responses, the literature has established a case for larger transfers to the working poor than to even poorer non-working people. This paper casts new light on this result. I argue that the result hinges crucially on the labour supply responses of people in income brackets above that of the working poor. Then distinguishing between more and less poor working people, I show that if a single working type faces a negative tax, it is the poorer one. I extend the analysis by endogenising wages and show that key conditions will be of the same form as with exogenous wages.
Policy And Implementation: Land And Agrarian Reform In South Africa

In developing nations, particularly in Africa, agrarian and land reform is part of economic development. The main reason is that no country sustained a transition out of poverty without raising productivity in its agriculture sector (Timmer, 2005). This article examines the process of balancing land and agrarian reform in the agricultural sector in South Africa, where the need for social justice has to be weighed against the potential loss of agricultural production. The process has been likened to “balancing deck chairs on the Titanic” (Davis, 1993). In addition, the article seeks to measure the level of success achieved since 1994 and to suggest ways forward, by drawing on Brazil’s experience, where the process has evolved to developing ecological citizenship and agro-ecological production.
Is Rising Returns to Scale a Figment of Poor Data

While using detailed firm-level data from the private business sector, this study identifies two empirical puzzles: (i) returns-to-scale (RTS) parameter estimates rise at higher levels of data aggregation, and (ii) estimates from the firm level suggest decreasing returns to scale. The analysis shows that, although consistent with rising estimates, the Basu-Fernald (1997) aggregation-bias effect does not drive this result. Rather, rising and too low returns-to-scale estimates probably reflect a mixture of random errors in factor inputs. It turns out, in fact, that a 7.5-10 percent error in labor (hours worked) can explain both puzzles.