Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability of a 5-m multiple shuttle test

The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability of a modified 5-m multiple shuttle test. The ‘matchrelated fitness’ of 23 female hockey players was assessed on four occasions within 4 weeks. The results of each test session and each shuttle were analysed using analysis of variance with repeated measures to determine the reliability of the test. The mean distance for each of the six shuttles decreased (121.2 ↞ 7.5, 114.5 ↞ 7.5, 112.2 ↞ 7.5, 109.9 ↞ 7.9, 108.4 ↞ 8.1 and 108.7 ↞ 8.3 m for shuttles 1-6, respectively; P < 0.001) similarly for each of the four sessions (P = 0.99). The total and peak distances covered during the tests were not significantly different (P = 0.99 and P = 0.12, respectively). The intra-class correlation coefficient (R) for these variables was 0.98 and 0.86, respectively. The delta distance and the fatigue index calculated post-test were significantly different (P = 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively) between the four sessions. The intra-class correlation coefficient for both these variables was 0.74. Heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were not significantly different between sessions (P = 0.42 and P = 0.095, respectively). The intra-class correlation coefficient for heart rate ranged from 0.65 to 0.97 and that for RPE from 0.85 to 0.91. We conclude that the 5-m multiple shuttle run test is a reliable measure of total and peak distances, heart rate and RPE response and is sufficiently reliabile to track changes in fitness over a season. The delta distance and fatigue index are not as reliable and should be interpreted with caution.
Changing patterns of employment in post-socialist organizations in Central and Eastern Europe: management action in a transitional context

This article develops an alternative theoretical framework to the dominant ‘top-down’ macroeconomic and institutional views that have been so influential in studies of the post-socialist economic transition. The authors argue that in order to understand economic outcomes more fully, researchers need to adopt a theoretical approach that combines the sociological reasoning of the institutionalist view with micro-processual arguments that theorize employment and unemployment as outcomes of everyday social construction. Inverting the normal economic approach of starting from macro-economic trends and inferring the motives and practices of local socio-economic actors, the authors, therefore, seek to develop a ‘ground-up’ mode of explanation of unemployment dynamics that commences from the examination of the real decision-making practices and processes of socially embedded enterprise managers. Drawing on evidence from longitudinal case study research, the authors demonstrate that enterprise restructuring has not been a uniform or monocausal process and highlight the dangers of over-generalization from aggregated data.
Obstructive nephropathy in the neonatal rat is attenuated by epidermal growth factor.

BACKGROUND Obstructive nephropathy is a primary cause of renal failure in infancy. Chronic unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in the neonatal rat results in reduced renal expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), renal tubular epithelial (RTE) cell apoptosis and interstitial fibrosis. We wished to determine whether these changes could be prevented by exogenous administration of EGF. METHODS Thirty-three Sprague-Dawley rats underwent UUO within the first 48 hours of life, and received daily injections of either EGF (0.1 mg/kg/day) or saline (control) for the following seven days, after which obstructed and intact opposite kidneys were removed for study. These were compared to 11 sham-operated rats that received either no injections, EGF injections, or saline injections. Renal cell proliferation was determined by proliferating cell nuclear antigen, apoptosis was measured by the TUNEL technique, and the distribution of vimentin, clusterin, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), and alpha-smooth muscle actin were determined by immunohistochemistry. Tubular dilation, tubular atrophy, and interstitial collagen deposition were quantitated by histomorphometry. RESULTS Compared to controls, EGF treatment increased RTE cell proliferation in the obstructed kidney by 76%, decreased apoptosis by 80%, and reduced vimentin, clusterin and TGF-beta 1 immunostaining (all P < 0.05). EGF treatment reduced tubular dilation by 50%, atrophic tubules by 30%, and interstitial fibrosis by 50% (all P < 0.05). There was no significant effect of EGF on renal alpha smooth muscle actin distribution. There was no effect of saline or EGF injections on kidneys from sham-operated rats for any of the parameters studied. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that EGF stimulates RTE cell proliferation and maturation and reduces apoptosis in the neonatal rat kidney subjected to chronic UUO. These effects may contribute to the reduction in tubular dilation, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. By preserving renal development, administration of EGF attenuates the renal injury resulting from chronic UUO.
NASS-CDS Analysis of High Retention Seat Performance in Rear Impacts

Purpose: A recent study used the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to determine the safety performance of high retention seats in fatal rear impacts. The odds of fatal injury were reduced 46.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 39.3–52.4, z = 9.982, P <.0001) with high retention seats. This study extends the earlier one by establishing an exposure group of nonfatal occupants in towaway crashes using NASS-CDS. Methods: The 2001–2008 NASS-CDS was analyzed for rear impacts of 1992 to 2008 model year GM vehicles with high retention or baseline seats using the same search strategy as in FARS. Injuries were analyzed by severity (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale [MAIS]). The number of fatalities from FARS and number of nonfatal occupants from NASS-CDS were used to determine the risk for fatal injury in towaway crashes with 5–7 o’clock principal direction of force (PDOF). The odds ratio for fatal injury and the change in fatality risk were determined with ±95% confidence intervals, z-statistics, and significance levels. Injury risks were also determined using NASS-CDS. Results: Based on 2001–2008 FARS and NASS-CDS, the fatality risk was 0.21% in high retention seats and 0.39% in baseline seats in 5–7 o’clock towaway crashes. The odds for fatality were 46.8% (95% CI, 39.8–53.0, z = 10.001, P <.0001) lower with high retention seats. There was a higher trend for lower serious-to-critical injury in high retention seats than baseline seats in NASS-CDS. Six electronic cases were available in NASS-CDS with fatal injury in high retention seats. Only one involved the seat performance as a factor in the fatality, a 72-year-old belted female in a 14 mph rear delta V impact who experienced fractures of the thoracic spine. Her upper body likely wrapped around the upright seatback. Conclusions: High retention seats significantly reduced the odds for fatal injury in towaway crashes with 5–7 o’clock PDOF. There was a trend for lower serious-to-critical injury risks, but more data are needed to determine significant differences.
Two B3 domain transcriptional repressors prevent sugar-inducible expression of seed maturation genes in Arabidopsis seedlings

During development of plant seeds, embryos import nutrients and store massive amounts of reserves. Seed reserves are rapidly degraded and mobilized to support seedling development after germination. HIGH-LEVEL EXPRESSION OF SUGAR-INDUCIBLE GENE 2 (HSI2) of Arabidopsis thaliana is a B3 DNA-binding domain protein that represses the transcription of sugar-inducible reporter gene. Although disruption of HSI2 or HSI2-Like 1 (HSL1) did not affect growth, seeds with disruption of both HSI2 and HSL1 (KK mutant) developed abortive seedlings that stopped growing 7–9 days after imbibition. KK seedlings developed swollen hypocotyls that accumulated seed storage proteins and oil on medium containing sucrose or other metabolizable sugars, and calluses developed from KK seedlings also accumulated seed storage reserves. The expression of seed maturation genes, which include LEAFY COTYLEDON-type master regulators, in KK seedlings depended on the concentration of sucrose, suggesting that sugar controls the expression of seed maturation genes. Our results suggest that HSI2 and HSL1 repress the sugar-inducible expression of the seed maturation program in seedlings and play an essential role in regulating the transition from seed maturation to seedling growth.
Term Structure of Interest Rates with Short-Run and Long-Run Risks

To explain the violation of the expectations hypothesis, we propose a consumptionbased model with recursive preferences, where long-run risks are separated from economic uncertainty and ination is aected by the real side shocks. We show that the calibrated model matches well the nominal upward-sloping yield curve. Consistent with our model’s implication, we nd that variance risk premium based on interest rate swaptions is a strong predictor for short-horizon excess bond returns, whereas forward-rate based predictors drive long-horizon excess bond returns.
Capacity to Sustain Sustainability: A Study of U.S. Cities

Why do some governments implement more sustainability practices than others? Based on a national survey of U.S. cities, this article finds moderate levels of sustainability efforts and capacity in U.S. cities; about one-third of the sustainability practices identified in this article have been implemented. The authors conclude that, first, capacity building is a useful conceptual focus for understanding sustainability implementation in U.S. cities. Capacity building involves developing technical and financial support and increasing managerial execution. Second, sustainability is strongly associated with managerial capacity, which includes establishing sustainability goals, incorporating goals in operations, and developing a supportive infrastructure. Third, getting stakeholders involved furthers the capacity for sustaining sustainability efforts. Citizen involvement is strongly associated with securing financial support for sustainability.
Social accountability: an introduction to the concept and emerging practice

This paper highlights the World Bank's growing interest and involvement in social accountability initiatives, which derive from its core goals of promoting poverty reduction and effective and sustainable development. It addresses five fundamental questions: (i) what is social accountability; (ii) why is it important; (iii) what are its core features; (iv) what are the key applications; and (v) what are the factors that underpin its success. The paper also explores the linkages between the concept and other key issues such as governance, gender, participation, empowerment and rights. Social accountability is defined as an approach toward building accountability that relies on civic engagement, i.e., in which it is ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations that participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability. In a public sector context, social accountability refers to a broad range of actions and mechanisms that citizens, communities, independent media and civil society organizations can use to hold public officials and public servants accountable. These include, among others, participatory budgeting, public expenditure tracking, monitoring of public service delivery, investigative journalism, public commissions and citizen advisory boards. These citizen-driven accountability measures complement and reinforce conventional mechanisms of accountability such as political checks and balances, accounting and auditing systems, administrative rules and legal procedures. Evidence suggests that social accountability mechanisms can contribute to improved governance, increased development effectiveness through better service delivery, and empowerment. While the range of social accountability mechanisms is wide and diverse, key common building blocks include obtaining, analyzing and disseminating information, mobilizing public support, and advocating and negotiating change. Critical factors of success include: access to and effective use of information, civil society and state capacities and synergy between the two. Ultimately, the effectiveness and sustainability of social accountability mechanisms is improved when they are institutionalized and when the state's own internal mechanisms of accountability are rendered more transparent and open to civic engagement. Social accountability mechanisms to be effective on the long run need to be institutionalized and linked to existing governance structures and service delivery systems.
University education in Italy

Notwithstanding the low level of tuition fees and absence of other access barriers, Italy is characterised by low educational achievement at university level. Possible reasons for this phenomenon are examined and a formal model is proposed predicting that families will invest more in their children the higher a child’s unobservable “ability”. Since family income provides an incentive for better student performance, richer parents internalise this effect by investing more resources in the education of their children. This study’s empirical analysis does not contradict this theoretical model. Using the Bank of Italy’s representative sample of the Italian population (1995), we observe that family income does not prevent enrolment at the university, whereas unobservable “ability” is more relevant, especially as it shapes the secondary education choices. Using administrative data on students enrolled in some faculties of the State University of Milan in 1995‐1996, we show that students’ performance is positively correlated with unobservable “ability” and with family income. We take this last evidence as supporting the idea of family networking – students from richer families tend to go quicker because they have better prospects when they leave university.
Should Regulators care About Price Stability? Evidence from the Swedish District Heating Sector

Regulatory agencies routinely seek to promote price stability. Such practices have no clear rationale under the neoclassical approach to public utility regulation. An alternative view, which can justify price stability, is that public utility regulation exists to protect customers’ relationship-specific sunk investments. Using data from the Swedish district heating sector during the 1998-2007 period, we find evidence that customers are more reluctant to take up the monopoly service the greater the rate of increase in past prices and the greater the variability of past prices around this trend. These results are consistent with the view that price stability promotes customer-side sunk investment. More generally, these results are consistent with the view that a primary objective of monopoly price regulation is the protection and promotion of customer sunk investment.
(Not) in the Hands of the Member States: How the European Commission Influences EU Security and Defence Policies

The European Union's (EU) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is run using special procedures. The Member States have not delegated powers to the supranational institutions. Yet a number of studies challenge the assumption that policy‐making lies exclusively with Member States' governments. The Commission's putative influence within the CFSP, however, remains to be studied systematically from an analytical perspective. Aiming to fill this gap in the literature, this article asks how the Commission de facto influences EU foreign and security policies beyond its delegated powers. Two least likely cases are analysed: the launch of EU naval mission Atlanta and the adoption of an EU Maritime Security Strategy. By addressing this question, the article contributes to a better understanding of the level of EU foreign policy integration. It also adds knowledge on the possible causes of this development, and thus to the EU integration literature more generally.
High Capacity and Robust Digital Image Watermarking

In this paper, a robust and high capacity digital image watermarking scheme using discrete cosine transform is proposed. The original image is first segmented into mxn image blocks and each image block is decomposed by discrete cosine transform. Then, the twelve representative DCT coefficients are selected for watermark embedding by adaptive quantization of the selected coefficients. Experimental results show the proposed method is capable of embedding 4096 bits of information in images with dimensions 512 x 512 pixels and is robust to various attacks such as JPEG compression, Gaussian lowpass filter, which outperforms the existing watermarking algorithm.
OPPORTUNITIES IN CORPORATE VENTURING — ACTORS CREATING PASSAGEWAYS

This paper develops a conceptual understanding of how corporate venture managers recognise and discover opportunities in a network environment. In an effort to create a better understanding of who is involved in the process, this paper reports on the development path of several entrepreneurial opportunities of the Danish corporate venture capitalist, Danfoss A/S. This paper distinguishes itself from previous research done on entrepreneurial opportunities by creating a holistic and conceptual framework, which broadens and expands the perception of the market participants involved in processes of recognition and discovery. Consequently the paper offers insight into a diversified group of actors who mix and match technological and market capabilities in a constant process of recognition and discovery.
Informing Dose-Finding Studies of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Enhance Motor Function: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Objective. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the lesioned hemisphere might enhance motor recovery after stroke, but the appropriate dose (parameters of rTMS) remains uncertain. The present review collates evidence of the effect of rTMS on corticospinal pathway excitability and motor function in healthy adults and in people after stroke. Methods. The authors searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (1996 to April 2007), their own collection of peer-reviewed articles, and the reference lists of included studies. They included healthy adults or people with stroke who received rTMS to the primary motor cortex to facilitate or inhibit contralateral corticospinal excitability or movement control. Findings. Of the 625 references identified, 37 studies were included with 455 healthy adults (34 studies) and 69 people with stroke (3 studies). For healthy adults, the effects of rTMS on corticospinal pathway excitability varied within each frequency, for example, 1 Hz rTMS was found to facilitate, inhibit, and have no effect on amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs). After stroke there was a trend for recovery of MEPs (ie, presence of MEPs) after 10 daily sessions of 3 Hz rTMS (one study). Motor function in healthy adults might be adversely affected by 1 Hz rTMS (two studies), whereas combined frequency rTMS was found to have no effect (one study). Interpretation . There is as yet insufficient published evidence to guide the dose of rTMS to the lesioned hemisphere after stroke to improve recovery of a paretic limb. Moreover, it is apparent that there is variability in response to rTMS in healthy adults. Dose-finding studies in groups of well-characterized stroke patients are needed.
An Exploration in the Theory of Exchange-Rate Regimes

Three exchange-rate regimes--a float, a one-sided peg, and a cooperative peg-are evaluated and compared in terms of efficiency and welfare levels. The framework of analysis embodies country-specific monies, with the money of each country being used to transact in its commodity markets and its currency-denominated bonds. Welfare levels depend only on consumption levels. In the presence of perfect foresight all equilibrium allocations are Pareto efficient. In a floating exchange-rate regime the perfect foresight equilibrium allocation coincides with an equilibrium of a costless barter economy. The same result holds in a one-sided peg if the pegging country's exchange-rate stabilizing authority breaks even over time. In a cooperative peg regime there is a different equilibrium allocation for each combination of exchange-rate levels and monetary policies. Problems of policy coordination and conflicts in desired monetary policies are discussed.
Instead of bowling alone? Unretirement of pensioners in Sweden

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the re-entry to the workforce of fully retired persons (unretirement) and whether the decision to resume work depends primarily on social or economic reasons. Design/methodology/approach – Using Swedish register data for already retired individuals older than 55, the incidence of unretirement is studied. Determinant factors behind the decision to re-enter the labor force is analyzed in a binary response logit model. Findings – Unretirement varies between 6 and 14 percent under two different definitions. We find support for higher pension income to decrease the probability to unretire. Other determinants, such as marital status, largely support an interpretation that unretirement is a life-style decision rather than a response to an experienced negative economic situation post retirement. Research limitations/implications – Due to data limitations, the focus in this study is on the extensive margin (the event of returning to the labor force) and not on hours .
Who Gets Minimum Wages?

There have been rising levels of inequality in the earnings distribution in some OECD countries (principally the English-speaking ones), together with stub bornly high levels of unemployment in many others. Australia has shared in the increases in earnings inequality and persistent unemployment. The increasing earnings inequality has led to renewed interest in the usefulness of legally binding minimum wages as an instrument for redressing it. The high unemployment has led to a renewed interest in removing restrictions on what employers must pay, in the hope that this will increase employment. This paper provides the first detailed examination of the low- wage group in Australia and its standing in the distribution of household equivalent income. It finds that low-wage workea s are varied in their socioeconomic characteristics. They are not typically new entrants to the labour force. They look very like all wage earners in their age distribution. A majority work full-time and are married; 40 per cent have dependent children. Most live in lower income households, but many do not. A cut in low wages that focuses on those around the Australian Industrial Relations Commission minimum would be regressive. The circumstances necessary to make the gain to the unemployed exceed the losses to low-wage workers who have a low income appear to be quite implausible.