Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family size and the quality of children

If couples decide to have fewer children in order to achieve higher “quality” offspring, are they correct in assuming that the quality of children bears an important and inverse relation to family size? If they are correct, how does number of children operate to affect individual quality? This research (using U.S. whites primarily) takes educational attainment (among adults) and college plans (among youngsters) as the principal indicators of quality, but also directs some attention to measures of intelligence. The analysis supports the “dilution model” (on average, the more children the lower the quality of each child) and indicates that only children do not suffer from lack of siblings, and that other last-borns are not handicapped by a “teaching deficit. ” Number of siblings (relative to other background variables) is found to have an important detrimental impact on child quality—an impact compounded by the fact that, when couples are at a stage in life to make family-size decisions, most background factors (however important to the quality of their children) are no longer readily manipulable. A special path analysis of college plans among boys uses a modification of Sewell’s Wisconsin Model as its base. The results show that number of siblings is a negative influence on intervening variables affecting college plans. In general, the research documents the unfavorable consequences for individual siblings of high fertility, even in a country that is (at least for whites) as socially, economically, and politically advantaged as the United States.
ENTITLEMENT EFFECTS, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS

Many studies have identified the work disincentive effects of unemployment insurance. This paper points out the entitlement effect of this and other social insurance programs on employment, as the risks of labor-market participation are reduced by the existence of unemployment benefits. This employment-increasing effect can offset the disincentive effect, with the net impact on employment becoming an empirical issue. Using data on a sample of married women for 1971, we find that on net there is a slight negative effect on employment of higher unemployment insurance benefits. The entitlement effect on employment is, though, generally positive and significant, suggesting that the provisions of social insurance induce increased labor-force participation among women who otherwise would remain out of the labor force.
Energy-efficient joint millimeter-wave fronthaul and OFDMA resource allocation for C-RANs

As an emerging paradigm for the fifth generation mobile communication system, cloud radio access networks (C-RANs) with millimeter-wave (mmWave) wireless fronthauls have been proved with a strong capability in reducing both capital expenses and operating expenses, as well as providing high energy efficiency (EE). In this paper, we investigate the energy-efficient downlink resource allocation in an OFDMA-based C-RAN with TDMA-based mmWave fronthauls. We first formulate the energy efficiency maximization problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear fractional programming (MINLFP) problem with the constraint of mmWave fronthaul, and then transform the MINLFP problem into a subtractive optimization problem by means of the Dinkelbach method. Then, we work out the transformed problem using the Lagrangian dual decomposition method. Finally, we evaluate the EE performance of our proposed algorithm by comparing to several benchmark schemes, and it shows that our proposed algorithm can achieve great EE performance gain over the benchmark schemes.
Joint Ventures in Kazakstan: Views from Local and Foreign Partners

For all the talk of a crisis of confidence in the region of the former Soviet Union (FSU), international business goes on as it has done throughout the decade since the fall of Communism. This article reports on the views of foreign and local partners who have established joint ventures in Kazakstan, the largest of the independent satellite republics of the FSU. Findings suggest that such joint ventures are playing an integral role in the growth of business in Kazakstan, although they are difficult to manage successfully.
Modelos de valoración basados en magnitudes contables: limitaciones del modelo de resultado residual

La investigacion contable orientada al mercado de capitales ha vuelto a dirigir recientemente su interes hacia los modelos de valoracion de acciones. Este cambio se ha venido produciendo de manera paralela a la constatacion empirica de la existencia de numerosas anomalias en el comportamiento del mercado y la capacidad de las variables contables para explicar las diferencias en las rentabilidades obtenidas por los titulos en el mercado. Todo ello ha propiciado el diseno y desarrollo de estrategias de inversion que permitian obtener rentabilidades anormales positivas. En este escenario, el analisis de los datos contables ha ido cobrando mayor interes, centrandose el interes en tratar de determinar el valor de una empresa (valor intrinseco) y, pasando a un segundo plano, la explicacion del comportamiento del precio. La determinacion del valor intrinseco pasa necesariamente por el establecimiento de un modelo de valoracion. Durante la ultima decada, el Modelo de Resultado Residual (MRR) ha llegado a ser prominente en la literatura. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los fundamentos conceptuales del MRR. Despues de indicar sus ventajas en comparacion con los modelos tradicionales de valoracion, nos centramos en la descripcion de sus limitaciones tanto desde un punto de vista teorico como empirico. Las caracteristicas mas significativas que se analizan son: la violacion de la "condicion de excedente limpio", el efecto escala, y la estimacion del valor terminal. Las distintas circunstancias inherentes a la aplicacion empirica del modelo hacen que su analisis sea problematico, y que dificilmente podamos poner en duda su validez, ya que pueden ser las distintas proposiciones asumidas y necesarias para llevar el modelo a la practica las que sean erroneas.
Developing a new data envelopment analysis model for customer value analysis

This paper proposes an application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the value of customers. In order to distinguish between expectations and needs of profitable and unprofitable customers and to allocate marketing investments among them, customers are compared with each other and ranked in a customer value pyramid. To this end, we use a combination of the Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) model [3], assurance region (AR) model, and cross-efficiency evaluation. A numerical example demonstrates the application of the proposed model in an Iranian manufacturing company.
EXPLAINING PLANT‐LEVEL DIFFERENCES IN MANUFACTURING OVERHEAD: STRUCTURAL AND EXECUTIONAL COST DRIVERS IN THE WORLD AUTO INDUSTRY

Using data from 62 automobile assembly plants worldwide, we examine the extent to which various structural cost drivers (plant scale, automation, and product mix complexity) and exe‐cutionalcost drivers (product manufacturability, management policies, and production practices) account for plant‐level differences in manufacturing overhead. Our analysis of structural drivers finds that overhead hours per vehicle are negatively associated with production volumes, consistent with economies of scale in overhead functions. However, automation appears to have little influence on overhead levels. Product mix complexity's effect on overhead requirements varies with the complexity's form and the plant's manufacturing capabilities. Option and parts complexity (measures of peripheral and intermediate product variety) both exhibit adverse effects on overhead, reflecting the considerable logistical, coordination, and supervisory challenges that accompany an increased number of parts and more complex manufacturing tasks. In contrast, model mix complexity (a measure of fundamental variety) appears to have little impact on direct or overhead labor requirements in auto assembly plants. Our analysis of executional drivers provides empirical support for the claim that advanced manufacturing practices such as the reduction of buffers, multiskilled production workers, and the use of teams can lower overhead costs. We also find preliminary evidence that the lower overhead costs in Japanese auto assembly plants are due primarily to the use of multiskilled work teams and the shifting of traditional overhead activities to production workers. Overall, our results indicate that manufacturing overhead is a function not only of the structural cost drivers that have dominated the academic literature but also of executional cost drivers that are harder to duplicate and therefore potentially more valuable for achieving competitive advantage.
Multistation proprioceptive exercise program prevents ankle injuries in basketball.

PURPOSE To investigate the effectiveness of a multistation proprioceptive exercise program for the prevention of ankle injuries in basketball players using a prospective randomized controlled trial in combination with biomechanical tests of neuromuscular performance. METHODS A total of 232 players participated in the study and were randomly assigned to a training or control group following the CONSORT statement. The training group performed a multistation proprioceptive exercise program, and the control group continued with their normal workout routines. During one competitive basketball season, the number of ankle injuries was counted and related to the number of sports participation sessions using logistic regression. Additional biomechanical pre–post tests (angle reproduction and postural sway) were performed in both groups to investigate the effects on neuromuscular performance. RESULTS In the control group, 21 injuries occurred, whereas in the training group, 7 injuries occurred. The risk for sustaining an ankle injury was significantly reduced in the training group by approximately 65%. [corrected] The corresponding number needed to treat was 7. Additional biomechanical tests revealed significant improvements in joint position sense and single-limb stance in the training group. CONCLUSIONS The multistation proprioceptive exercise program effectively prevented ankle injuries in basketball players. Analysis of number needed to treat clearly showed the relatively low prevention effort that is necessary to avoid an ankle injury. Additional biomechanical tests confirmed the neuromuscular effect and confirmed a relationship between injury prevention and altered neuromuscular performance. With this knowledge, proprioceptive training may be optimized to specifically address the demands in various athletic activities.
Performance of an In-House Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Genotyping System for Assessment of Drug Resistance in Cuba

As commercial human immunodeficiency virus type 1 drug resistance assays are expensive, they are not commonly used in resource-limited settings. Hence, a more affordable in-house procedure was set up taking into account the specific epidemiological and economic circumstances of Cuba. The performance characteristics of the in-house assay were evaluated using clinical samples with various subtypes and resistance patterns. The lower limit of amplification was determined on dilutions series of 20 clinical isolates and ranged from 84 to 529 RNA copies/mL. For the assessment of trueness, 14 clinical samples were analyzed and the ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System v2.0 was used as the reference standard. The mean nucleotide sequence identity between the two assays was 98.7% ± 1.0. Additionally, 99.0% of the amino acids at drug resistance positions were identical. The sensitivity and specificity in detecting drug resistance mutations was respectively 94.1% and 99.5%. Only few discordances in drug resistance interpretation patterns were observed. The repeatability and reproducibility were evaluated using 10 clinical samples with 3 replicates per sample. The in-house test was very precise as nucleotide sequence identity among paired nucleotide sequences ranged from 98.7% to 99.9%. The acceptance criteria were met by the in-house test for all performance characteristics, demonstrating a high degree of accuracy. Subsequently, the applicability in routine clinical practice was evaluated on 380 plasma samples. The amplification success rate was 91% and good quality consensus sequences encoding the entire protease and the first 335 codons in reverse transcriptase could be obtained for 99% of the successful amplicons. The reagent cost per sample using the in-house procedure was around € 80 per genotyping attempt. Overall, the in-house assay provided good results, was feasible with equipment and reagents available in Cuba and was half as expensive as commercial assays.
How Interpersonal Motives Clarify the Meaning of Interpersonal Behavior: A Revised Circumplex Model

Circumplex models have organized interpersonal behavior along 2 orthogonal dimensions-communion (which emphasizes connection between people) and agency (which emphasizes one person's influence over the other). However, many empirical studies have disconfirmed certain predictions from these models. We therefore revised the model in 4 ways that highlight interpersonal motives. In our revision: (a) the negative pole of communion is indifference, not hostility; (b) a given behavior invites (not evokes) a desired reaction from the partner; (c) the complement of a behavior is a reaction that would satisfy the motive behind that behavior; (d) noncomplementary reactions induce negative affect. If the motive is unclear, the meaning of the behavior is ambiguous. This ambiguity helps explain failures in social support, miscommunications in everyday life, and features of most personality disorders. The model emphasizes measurable individual differences: Reactions that are complementary for one person need not be complementary for another.
To resist or to germinate? The effect of fire on legume seeds in Brazilian subtropical grasslands

Fire plays an important role in several grassland ecosystems in the world. Fire can trigger germination in several species, by breaking the physical dormancy of their seeds. Thus, we hypothesized that exposure to high temperatures during fire would break seed dormancy and enhance germination. We tested the effect of high temperatures on the germination of six species of legumes from Brazilian subtropical grasslands. We used heat shock experiments with the following treatments: 60, 90, 120 and 150oC for one minute. Seeds were then placed to germinate for 60 days in 12/12 hours light/dark and 20/30oC. Germination was generally low for all study species. Most species was not affected by heat shock treatments. However, Stylosanthes montevidensis was the only species that had its physical dormancy broken when exposed to 120oC. The seeds of all the other species were neither stimulated nor killed by high temperatures. Although the exposure to high temperatures did not affect the germination of the study species (except for one), it also did not kill seeds, thereby showing that seeds are resistant to fire. Therefore, the rapid passage of fire in these grasslands is not sufficient to break the dormancy of most of the studied species of legumes.
RGS12 and RGS14 GoLoco Motifs Are GαiInteraction Sites with Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitor Activity*

The regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins accelerate the intrinsic guanosine triphosphatase activity of heterotrimeric G-protein α subunits and are thus recognized as key modulators of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. RGS12 and RGS14 contain not only the hallmark RGS box responsible for GTPase-accelerating activity but also a single Gαi/o-Loco (GoLoco) motif predicted to represent a second Gα interaction site. Here, we describe functional characterization of the GoLoco motif regions of RGS12 and RGS14. Both regions interact exclusively with Gαi1, Gαi2, and Gαi3 in their GDP-bound forms. In GTPγS binding assays, both regions exhibit guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) activity, inhibiting the rate of exchange of GDP for GTP by Gαi1. Both regions also stabilize Gαi1 in its GDP-bound form, inhibiting the increase in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence stimulated by AlF 4 − . Our results indicate that both RGS12 and RGS14 harbor two distinctly different Gα interaction sites: a previously recognized N-terminal RGS box possessing Gαi/o GAP activity and a C-terminal GoLoco region exhibiting Gαi GDI activity. The presence of two, independent Gα interaction sites suggests that RGS12 and RGS14 participate in a complex coordination of G-protein signaling beyond simple Gα GAP activity.
Languages in School and Society: Policy and Pedagogy

* This volume, a tribute to Robert Politzer by his colleagues and former students, consists of 30 papers that reflect the breadth of Politzer's interests over a long and distinguished career. Topics are highly varied and include methodological issues in large-scale studies of linguistic homogeneity and heterogeneity; language planning in Quebec; L2 and bilingual pedagogy, research, and assessment; and contexts for language learning. The first section, consisting of four papers on very disparate topics, is the most far-ranging. Joseph Greenberg examines the parallel between classical grammarians and Moslem legal theorists. Joshua Fishman, Frank Solano, and Grant McConnell report on a methodological check of studies of the relationships between linguistic heterogeneity/homogeneity on one hand and gross national product and civil strife on the other. They find that the relationship is negligible and argue that crosspolity studies that examine only a small number of variables are often misleading. This section also includes Andre Martinet's study of phonological change on the French-Italian border and Sandra Schecter's historical account of language policy and planning in Quebec. The remaining sections deal with topics more directly related to the professional concerns of most TESOL Quarterly readers. Part 2 contains a rich variety of papers dealing with recent developments in L2 pedagogy. Wilga Rivers argues for the value of interactive activities in the L2 classroom, a theme that is also taken up by Robert DiPietro and Frederick Bosco, who present a view of the learner as an active participant in social and personal activities. The other chapters in this part include Celeste Kinginger and Sandra Savignon's study of task variation and classroom discourse, Mary McGroarty's review of effective L2 teaching practices, Ann Fathman's overview of developments in L2 teaching methods, and Patricia Porter's review of approaches to communicative syllabus design. This section concludes with James Robinson's examination of the role of cross-cultural communication in the ESL classroom. The third section is dedicated to research in the L2 classroom. It
Substrate-Dependent Effects of Human ABCB1 Coding Polymorphisms

One of the many obstacles to effective drug treatment is the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which can restrict the plasma and intracellular concentrations of numerous xenobiotics. Variable drug response to P-gp substrates suggests that genetic differences in ABCB1 may affect P-gp transport. The current study examined how ABCB1 variants alter the P-gp-mediated transport of probe substrates in vitro. Nonsynonymous ABCB1 variants and haplotypes with an allele frequency ≥2% were transiently expressed in HEK293T cells, and the transport of calcein acetoxymethyl ester and 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY-FL)-paclitaxel was measured in the absence or presence of the P-gp inhibitor cyclosporin A. The A893S, A893T, and V1251I variants and the N21D/1236C>T/A893S/3435C>T haplotype altered intracellular accumulation compared with reference P-gp in a substrate-dependent manner. It is interesting that certain variants showed altered sensitivity to cyclosporin A inhibition that was also substrate-specific. These functional data demonstrate that nonsynonymous polymorphisms in ABCB1 may selectively alter P-gp transport and drug-drug interactions in a substrate- and inhibitor-dependent manner.
Surface integrated waveguide fed Antipodal Fermi-Linear Tapered Slot Antenna at 28 GHz

To obtain wide bandwidth and high gain at millimeter wave frequency, Antipodal Fermi-Linear Tapered Slot Antenna (AFLTSA) is proposed. The proposed antenna achieves wide bandwidth from 23 to 33 GHz as well as flat gain of 14.5 dBi over wide operating frequency band. It achieves the side lobe level of -8 dB in H Plane and -16 dB in E plane. Proposed design also achieves the front-to-back ratio of -20 dB and symmetric pattern.
Futures Markets, Buffer Stocks, and Income Stability for Primary Producers

A REMARKABLE aspect of academic and non-academic discussions of commodity-price-stabilization programs has been their failure to examine the role of private futures markets. Price theorists have long recognized -at least formally-the need for information on future prices if allocative efficiency is to be achieved. Furthermore, there is a very substantial literature on hedging: the use of futures markets to reduce risk and to permit specialization in risk taking. However, the commodityprice-stabilization literature and the theoretical literature on hedging have this one fundamental omission in common: neither looks at the way in which farmers-or primary producers in generalcould optimally use efficiently organized futures markets under laissez faire. Virtually the whole of the hedging literature examines the decision-making problems facing merchants holding inventories but does not examine to any significant degree the hedging problems facing primary producers. The commodity-pricestabilization literature implicitly assumes that the word "price" refers to the spot price and entirely ignores the continuum of future prices. This myopia with respect to future prices has meant that numerous interventions by governmental authorities in commodity markets have been confined to the manipulation of spot prices. As shall be demonstrated, direct manipulation of spot prices is likely to be a very inefficient and unnecessarily costly method of achieving governmental policy goals: in particular, the stabilization of producer incomes. It is, therefore, a fundamental reason why so many international commodity agreements prove to be unsuccessful or abortive. ' Before discussing what national or international policy should be, it is necessary to understand how individual producers at the macroeconomic level could make optimal use of an idealized set of futures markets. Farmers are assumed to have a certain trade off between risk and expected income. The reduction of risk (income variation) is important per se, but it may be even more important in reducing the external capital rationing constraint that farmers generally face.2 Therefore, one does not have to assume that farmers are more risk averse than other individuals to make hedging attractive to them. The dominant technological fact which distinguishes the farmer from the grain merchant holding inventories is that the farmer has to make investment commitments (planting decisions) from which the future output is uncertain. Thus, risk aversion consists of protecting himself from the