Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Relationship between Institutions and Economic Development

The paper tries to improve our understanding on the role of institutions in development by critically examining the current orthodox discourse on institutions and highlighting some of its key problems. After discussing some definitional problems, the chapter examines a number of problems in the orthodox literature arising from the widespread failure to distinguish between the forms and the functions of institution. Then it critically examines the excessive emphasis on property rights in the orthodox literature. Finally, it discusses a number of problems that arise from the simplistic view on institutional change that underlies the orthodox view on institutional persistence.
Proteomic Analysis of Ovarian Cancer Tumor Fluid is a Rich Source ofPotential Biomarkers

Proteomic analysis of body fluids can be used to identify proteins associated with malignant transformation. We investigated the potential of hightroughput proteomics to profile the proteins in ovarian cancer tumor fluid. Tumor fluid samples were obtained from 10 women with high-grade ovarian serous carcinoma and from 10 women with benign serous cystadenoma. The samples were subjected to immunodepletion of albumin and IgG, followed by in-depth proteomic profiling by LC-MS/MS. A total of 1135 proteins were identified, 358 (32%) were detected in both malignant and benign pools, 505 (44%) only in the malignant pool, and 272 (24%) only in the benign pool. The proteomic profile of tumor fluid was similar to human plasma and the secretome of ovarian cancer cells. Proteins related to cellular metabolism were predominantly present in tumor samples. TIMP1 was determined by ELISA, confirming the proteomic data and its significantly higher level in individual malignant tumor fluids when compared with benign tumor fluids. In the present study, proteomic analysis of tumor fluid permited the identification of a large number of proteins expressed only in malignant tumors. Proteomic analysis of tumor fluid is a strategy in studies of biomarkers for ovarian cancer that can lead to significant advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Commercial delivery of genetic improvement to conifer plantations using somatic embryogenesis

Somatic embryogenesis of conifers has been the subject of intensive research by a number of organizations over the last 15 years. The maintenance, cryopreservation and production of embryos from embryogenic cultures of individual trees have been demonstrated for several commercial species. These attributes have enabled CellFor Inc. (a commercial provider) to develop and deploy over 4 500 clones in field tests. It is expected that selection of elite clones from such tests will result in gains of more than 40% in volume growth over population means. While in- dividual elite parent trees may exhibit improvements in excess of 25%, seed orchards typically yield less than half this gain operationally. Hence the ability to deploy selected clones of elite families through mass production of somatic embryos has significant value. CellFor has developed a bulk embryo production and sowing methods to achieve this, with initial volumes of 2 million somatic seedlings annually. somatic / embryogenesis / conifer / clonal / forestry
An Integrated Analysis of Aberrantly Expressed miRNA and mRNA Profiles Unveils a Robust Regulatory Network in HepG2 Cell

As crucial negative regulatory small non-coding molecules, microRNAs (miRNAs), have multiple biological roles. The abnormal expression of specific miRNAs may contribute to the occurrence and development of tumor. Here, based on HepG2 and L02 cells, we attempted to demonstrate the potential regulatory network of aberrantly expressed miRNA profiles, interaction between miRNA and mRNA, and potential functional correlation between different miRNAs. De-regulated miRNA and mRNA expression profiles were completely surveyed and identified by applying deep sequenc-ing and microarray techniques, respectively. The genome-wide and integrative analysis of miRNA-mRNA was performed based on their functional relationship according to experimentally validated and predicted targets. Nearly 50% targets were negatively regulated by at least 2 aberrantly expressed miRNAs. Similar results were obtained based on experimentally validated and predicted targets. Compared with abnormal miRNAs, their targets showed various expression patterns: stably expressed, down-regulated or up-regulated. Although the theoretical potential miRNA-mRNA interaction could be predicted, they showed consistent or inconsistent expression patterns. Both functional enrichment analysis of target mRNAs of dysregulated miRNAs and abnormal mRNA profiles suggested that corresponding pathways were involved in tumorigenesis. Moreover, to obtain potential functional relationships between different miRNAs, we also performed expression analysis of homologous miRNAs in gene families. Generally, they could co-regulate biological processes with similar roles. The integrative analysis of miRNA-mRNA indicated a complex and flexible regulatory network. The robust network mainly derived from multiple targets for a specific miRNA (and vice versa), each mRNA and co-regulation roles of different miRNAs.
Model Persistence and the Role of the Exchange Rate and Instrument Inertia in Monetary Policy

This paper addresses two of the unsettled issues in the design of monetary policy in small open economies: the importance of the exchange rate and the interpretation of the observed inertia in the policy interest rate. In doing so, this paper derives an optimizing macroeconomic model that introduces habit formation in the consumer’s utility function and inertia in the inflation equation. As a consequence, aggregate demand and supply shocks will have a persistent effect on output and inflation. In this framework, we assess the performance of monetary policy rules under different degrees of habit formation and inflation inertia. We conclude that an inflation based rule, containing also a response to output and the exchange rate, is optimal. This rule performs particularly well in the presence of some domestic and foreign shocks. When less persistence is introduced in the economy, that rule is still the optimal one. Finally, the gains of adopting an inertial policy rule are directly related to the degree of inflation persistence in the model.
РАЗДЕЛ 2 КОРПОРАТИВНАЯ СОБСТВЕННОСТЬ SECTION 2 CORPORATE OWNERSHIP OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE : EVIDENCE FROM THE JORDANIAN CAPITAL MARKET ( 1995-2003 )

The capital structure choice has generated a lot of interest in the corporate finance literature. This interest is due to several reasons including the fact that the mix of funds (leverage ratio) affects the cost and availability of capital and thus, firms’ investment decisions. To date, much of the empirical research has been applied on companies listed on advanced stock markets. This literature considered a variety of factors such as company size, profitability, asset tangibility, firm growth prospects and ownership structure as possible determinants of the capital structure choice. This paper examines the finances of Jordanian listed companies and the impact of their ownership structure on the capital structure choice. Based on a panel data methodology (1995-2003), the results indicate that while Jordanian companies are not highly leveraged, their ownership structure does have a significant impact on capital structure, and that much of the main-stream determinants of capital structure are applicable to the Jordanian
PICS: SIMULATIONS OF STRONG GRAVITATIONAL LENSING IN GALAXY CLUSTERS

Gravitational lensing has become one of the most powerful tools available for investigating the “dark side” of the universe. Cosmological strong gravitational lensing, in particular, probes the properties of the dense cores of dark matter halos over decades in mass and offers the opportunity to study the distant universe at flux levels and spatial resolutions otherwise unavailable. Studies of strongly lensed variable sources offer even further scientific opportunities. One of the challenges in realizing the potential of strong lensing is to understand the statistical context of both the individual systems that receive extensive follow-up study, as well as that of the larger samples of strong lenses that are now emerging from survey efforts. Motivated by these challenges, we have developed an image simulation pipeline, Pipeline for Images of Cosmological Strong lensing (PICS), to generate realistic strong gravitational lensing signals from group- and cluster-scale lenses. PICS uses a low-noise and unbiased density estimator based on (resampled) Delaunay Tessellations to calculate the density field; lensed images are produced by ray-tracing images of actual galaxies from deep Hubble Space Telescope observations. Other galaxies, similarly sampled, are added to fill in the light cone. The pipeline further adds cluster member galaxies and foreground stars into the lensed images. The entire image ensemble is then observed using a realistic point-spread function that includes appropriate detector artifacts for bright stars. Noise is further added, including such non-Gaussian elements as noise window-paning from mosaiced observations, residual bad pixels, and cosmic rays. The aim is to produce simulated images that appear identical—to the eye (expert or otherwise)—to real observations in various imaging surveys.
Landscape spatial structure for predicting suitable habitat: The case of Dalea villosa in Saskatchewan

Prediction of potentially suitable habitat is important for the recovery of species protected by federal laws. Therefore, the objective of this research was to study the relationship between habitat configuration and hairy prairie-clover occurrence in order to predict suitable and unsuitable bare sand habitat across the study site. Bare sand patches were extracted from a land cover classification of the study site and several patch scaled metrics were calculated to characterize habitat spatial structure. Binary logistic regression was used to determine which metrics were significantly correlated with hairy prairie-clover occurrences. The logistic regression equation was subsequently used to predict suitable and unsuitable bare sand habitat for hairy prairie-clover based on the probability of occupancy. Results showed that about 29% of the variation in bare sand patch occupancy could be explained by the size, shape, and degree of isolation of a sand patch as well as the amount of vegetation on a sand patch in the early growing season. Based on these variables, 18.8% of bare sand patches in the study site were predicted to be unsuitable hairy prairie-clover habitat, 45.7% were predicted to be marginally unsuitable, 32.7% were predicted to be suitable, and 2.8% were predicted to be marginally suitable.
Small-Group Discussion and the Development of Interpretive Strategies in Literature Classrooms: a Quasi-Experimental Study with 9th - Grade Students.

This article presents a quasi-experimental study exploring the effect of small-group discussion on students’ ability to develop interpretive strategies in literature classrooms. In the absence of such research in secondary education, we conducted a study with 9th-grade students, including one experimental group and one control group. The main hypothesis was that, when students approach literary texts by working in peer-led small groups, with a teacher facilitator, they develop interpretive strategies to a greater extent than when they approach texts within the context of teacher-centered instruction. Results indicated that, by the end of the academic year, a) students who studied literary texts in small groups developed interpretive strategies to a higher level than students who worked on texts alone, within the context of teacher-centered instruction and b) students of the experimental group demonstrated higher individual competence in the development of interpretive strategies, but the improvement was not statistically significant. Conclusions and implications for educational practice are being discussed.
Cross-Temporal Analysis of Genetic Diversity in the Endangered Medium Tree Finch (Camarhynchus pauper) and Closely Related Darwin's Finches

II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 2 INTRODUCTION 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 8 SAMPLES 8 LABORATORY METHODS 9 GENETIC AND STATISTICAL ANALYSES 10 RESULTS 13 GENETIC DIVERSITY OVER TIME 13 GENETIC STRUCTURE OVER TIME 15 GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OVER TIME 15 HYBRIDIZATION AND STRUCTURE ON FLOREANA ISLAND 16 MIGRATION AND POPULATION SIZE OVER TIME 17 DISCUSSION 18 GENETIC DIVERSITY OVER TIME 18 HYBRIDIZATION OVER TIME 22 MIGRATION OVER TIME 23 IMPLICATIONS FOR C. PAUPER CONSERVATION 23 REFERENCES 26 TABLES AND FIGURES 33
Scale-dependent responses to forest cover displayed by frugivore bats

Despite vast evidence of species turnover displayed by Neotropical bat communities in response to forest fragmentation, the exact shape of the relationship between fragment area and abundance for individual bat species is still unclear. Bats’ ample variation in diet, morphology, and movement behaviour can potentially influence species’ perception of the landscape. Thus, studies describing fragment area at a single spatial scale may fail to capture the amount of forest available from the perspective of individual bat species. In the present paper, we study the influence of forest cover on bats inhabiting a fragmented forest in Mexico, focusing on some of the most common frugivore species: Artibeus jamaicensis, Carollia spp. (C. brevicauda/C. perspicillata) and Sturnira spp. (S. lilium/S. ludovici). We quantified forest cover at scales ranging from 50 to 2000 m, and measured the influence of forest cover on bat capture success, a surrogate for abundance. The three species displayed positive and significant scale-dependent associations with forest cover. Abundance of A. jamaicensis increased with forest cover measured at scales ranging between 500 and 2000 m, while Carollia spp. responded more strongly to variation in forest cover measured at scales of 100� 500 m. For Sturnira spp. , abundance was a function of presence of creeks near mist-netting sites, and amount of secondary forest present at a 200 m scale. The observed variation in responses to forest cover can be explained in light of interspecific differences in diet, home range, and body size. Our results illustrate a method for measuring the effect of forest fragmentation on mobile species and suggest that changes in abundance in fragmented landscapes emerge from the interaction between species’ traits and landscape structure.
Dealing with Outlier in Linear Calibration Curves: A Case Study of Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Outlier in the calibration of lead by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) has been studied with help of the statistical tool F-test and T-test. The process consisted on measuring five standard solutions with three replicate to prepare the calibration curve. Ordinary least squares method (OLSM) was used to get the equation of the linear calibration curve; the correlation coefficient R² and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to validate the linearity of this calibration curve. Proceeding to the graphic representation and the residual plot of the calibration, a suspected outlier was found. The statistical tool F-test and T-test were used to examine the suspected outlier, they yield the same result and confirm the outlier data. The calibration curve with and without the outlier data were taken care to investigate the effect of this outlier in the limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), the concentration of lead in the fourteen samples and the uncertainty related to calibration curve. It has been observed that the linearity of the calibration curve is accepted for both cases. For the case of the calibration with the outlier, the estimated LOD and LOQ were 1.76 µg L-1 and 5.18 µg L-1, respectively. The concentrations of lead in the sample are between 2.85 µg L-1 and 22. 61µg L-1 and the uncertainty related to calibration curve vary between 1. 17µg L-1 and 1.41 µg L-1. On the other hand, for the calibration without the outlier data, the value of LOD and LOQ were improved compared to the previous value, the value of these two parameters were 1.32 µg L-1 and 3.96 µg L-1, respectively. The concentration of lead in the sample vary between 2.75 µg L-1 and 22.52 µg L-1, compared to the previous concentration these value decrease from 0.40% and 3.29%. The uncertainties related to calibration curve vary between 0.90 µg L-1 and 1.09 µg L-1 for the second case, compared to the uncertainty in the first case, the uncertainty decreases from 22.48% to 23.53%. In conclusion, dealing with outlier improves the quality of the measurement and allow producing a reliable analytical data.
Antecedents of Batik Tanah Liek Consumer Purchase Intention

This study aims to examine the influence of the segment of product innovation, such as product feature innovation, product packaging innovation, and product uniqueness innovation, and then competitiveness toward consumer purchase intention on Batik Tanah Liek product. The proposed model was tested among 100 potential customers of Batik Tanah Liek from Padang as respondens. The result from Multiple Regression Analysis reveal that product feature innovation, product packaging innovation, and product uniqueness innovation has unsignificant effect on consumer purchase intention. While, product competitiveness has positive and significant effect on purchase intention. Therefore, Batik Tanah Liek’s marketers should consider aspects of product competitiveness in development of consumer consumer purchase intention.
Predicting introduction, establishment and potential impacts of smallmouth bass

Aim The introduction of non‐indigenous species has resulted in wide‐ranging ecological and economic impacts. Predictive modelling of the introduction and establishment of non‐indigenous species is imperative to identify areas at high risk of invasion to effectively manage non‐indigenous species and conserve native populations. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), a warm water fish species native to central North America has negatively impacted native fish communities, including cyprinids and salmonid populations, as a result of intentional introductions. We predicted the introduction risk; species establishment based on habitat suitability; identified lakes at high risk of invasion; and finally assessed the consequential impacts on native salmon, trout and cyprinid populations.
Nanotechnology and supercritical fluids

Supercritical fluid (SCF) technology has become an important tool of materials processing in the last two decades. Supercritical CO2 and H2O are extensively being used in the preparation of a great variety of nanomaterials. The interest in the preparation and application of nanometer size materials is increasing since they can exhibit properties of great industrial interest. Several techniques have been proposed to produce nanomaterials using supercritical fluids. These processes, taking advantage of the specific properties of supercritical fluids, are generally flexible, more simplified and with a reduced enviromental impact. The result is that nanomaterials with potentially better performances have been obtained. We propose a critical review of the supercritical based techniques applied to the production of nanoparticles materials. Keywords : Supercritical fluids; Nanoparticles; SCF technology; RESS; SAS.
Landuse effects on runoff generating processes in tussock grassland indicated by mean transit time estimation using tritium

The east Otago uplands of New Zealand’s South Island have long been studied because of the environmental consequences of converting native tussock grasslands to other land covers, notably forestry and pasture for stock grazing. Early studies showed that a ﬀ orestation substantially reduced annual water yield, stream peak ﬂows, and 5 7-day low ﬂows, mainly as a consequence of increased interception. Tritium measurements have indicated that surprisingly old water is present in catchments GH1 and GH2, and the small headwater wetland and catchment (GH5). The old water contributes strongly to baseﬂow (and therefore also to quickﬂow). The data have been simulated assuming the presence of two types of water in the baseﬂow, young water 10 from shallow aquifers connecting hillside regolith with the stream, and old water from deep bedrock aquifers, respectively. The mean transit time of the young water is of the order of months, while that of the old water is 25–26 years as revealed by the presence of tritium originating from the bomb-peak in NZ rainfall in late 1960s and early 1970s. Such a long transit time indicates slow release from groundwater reservoirs within the 15 bedrock, which constitute by far the larger of the water stores. Comparison of the results from catchments GH1 (tussock) and GH2 (pine forest) suggests that about equal quantities of water (85 mm annually) are contributed from the deep aquifers in the two catchments, although runo ﬀ from the shallow aquifers has been strongly reduced by a ﬀ orestation in GH2.
Control of cell fate decisions of embryonic stem cells by mechanical forces

Mounting evidences implicate mechanical properties of the substrates, upon which the cells adhere, to influence critical biological functions including cell fate decisions in mesenchymal stem cells. However, how embryonic stem cells respond to forces or underlying substrates is not clear at this time. The work presented here examines how mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) respond to externally applied forces and underlying substrates. We examined if mESCs can be directed to differentiate by external local forces through integrin mediated pathway. Surprisingly, we found that cyclic loading of the same stress amplitude can induce cell spreading in mouse embryonic stem cells but not in ∼10 times stiffer differentiated cells. The stress induced spreading response was dictated by cell softness, suggesting that it is the intracellular deformation of the cytoskeleton that dictates cell spreading response. A local stress via focal adhesions alone can induce embryonic stem cells to differentiate, in the absence of soluble differentiation factors. Now that we see that mESCs can be directed to differentiation solely by external mechanical forces, we next examined if mESCs can be kept in their pluripotent state by culturing them on soft substrates. We found that soft substrates that match the intrinsic stiffness of the cell can maintain populations of mESC culture homogeneously in an undifferentiated state. The underlying biophysical mechanism is to match matrix substrate stiffness to that of the mESCs which in turn generates low cell-matrix tractions and low colony stiffness correlating well with compact and round colony morphology, expressed high levels of OCT3/4, NANOG, and the Alkaline Phosphatase activity, even in the absence of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF). The mESCs on the soft substrates formed more efficient embryoid bodies and teratomas than those on rigid substrates. Collectively, these results strongly suggest that mechanics is indispensable in physiological functions of embryonic stem cells.