Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Covariance Stationarity of International Equity Markets Returns: Recent Evidence

Intertemporal stationarity tests of the variance-covariance matrix of monthly returns on seven international equity indices are conducted over the most recent period. Pairwise covariances are then decomposed into their component statistics for further examination of the source(s) of stationarity or nonstationarity. Historical analysis reveals that pairwise covariances were invariably highly nonstationary over forecast intervals that varied in length between one month and five years. Reliance on historical covariances to estimate future covariances over a hold-out sample produced suboptimal results in comparison to an alternative naive forecasting model. These findings were robust in that they were invariant to whether nominal or real returns were used. Evidence on the intertemporal stationarity of the vector of mean returns is also provided. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.
In Search of Education's Holy Grail

A prospective teacher faces many obstacles when preparing to become an educator; one of the largest obstacles to overcome is teacher certification. Among the criteria that most states require of the prospective teacher is completion of an approved program of study at an accredited university and testing to assess the teacher's knowledge level in pedagogy and subject matter areas. Upon completion of the minimum requirements for certification, the teacher is faced with the uphill battle of obtaining employment and, more importantly, student success. Many proponents of improving student success believe the answer to education's woes is for teachers to obtain national board certification. Can National Board or American Board certification truly save the schools and improve student success? Is national board-type certification a viable option for career and technical education teachers?
Strategic HRM: Transforming Its Responsibilities Toward Ecological Sustainability—The Greatest Global Challenge Facing Organizations

If we are to move to a more sustainable world, all actorsNincluding governments, organizations, communities, and individualsNneed to play their part in committing to a shift in the way we live our lives. This conceptual article explores the challenges that face the human resource management (HRM) profession in moving to a strategic position that supports the requirements of the biophysical environment. We argue that this is becoming an imperative for the future survival and success of organizations large and small, and thus is likely to be a key "modus operandi" for HRM professionals in the future who are looking to embed ecological sustainability into their organizations. This article offers new insights into developing business strategies for ecological sustainability, highlighting the implications for strategic HRM activity through organizational effectiveness, leadership, values, and, ultimately, HRM processes and systems.
Levetiracetam: the first SV2A ligand for the treatment of epilepsy

Levetiracetam is a multiple action drug that primarily acts through an interaction with the synaptic vesicle protein 2A. Levetiracetam is the first drug of its kind to be approved for the treatment of epilepsy and is now the most prescribed among the newer antiepileptic drugs. The discovery process identifying levetiracetam's antiepileptic potential was unique because it challenged several dogmas of antiepileptic drug discovery, and thereby encountered skepticism from the epilepsy community. This was contrasted by a very successful development programme leading to rapid regulatory approval by the FDA. The history of levetiracetam proves that a small core group of committed scientists and physicians, who dare to challenge the conventional scientific doctrine, can be successful in bringing to market a truly novel therapy for epilepsy patients.
A transcription factor FgSte12 is required for pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum.

A conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade homologous to the yeast Fus3/Kss1 mating/filamentation pathway is involved in the regulation of vegetative development and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum. However, little is known about the downstream transcription factors of this pathway. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the homeodomain protein Ste12 is a key transcription factor activated by Fus3/Kss1. In this study, we characterized a Ste12 orthologue FgSte12 in F. graminearum. The FgSTE12 deletion mutant (ΔFgSte12) was impaired in virulence and in the secretion of cellulase and protease, although it did not show recognizable phenotype changes in hyphal growth, conidiation or deoxynivalenol (DON) biosynthesis. In addition, ΔFgSte12 and the FgGPMK1 (a FUS3/KSS1-related MAPK gene) mutant shared several phenotypic traits. Furthermore, we found that FgGpmk1 controls the nuclear localization of FgSte12. Yeast two-hybrid and affinity capture assays indicated that FgSte12 interacts with the FgSte11-Ste7-Gpmk1 complex. Taken together, these results indicate that FgSte12 is a downstream target of FgSte11-Ste7-Gpmk1 and plays an important role in pathogenicity in F. graminearum.
Welfare use and children’s longer-term achievement

We investigate the effects of mothers’ welfare use on children’s longer-term performance. To address issues of improper comparison groups and the endogenous nature of welfare participation, we focus on less-educated single mothers and adopt a correction function approach. Data are drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 – Children and Young Adult from 1994 to 2010. Estimation results confirm the positive longer-term effects of mothers’ welfare use. On average, a child whose mother used welfare in all 20 quarters after childbirth experiences a 0.56-point increase in their yearly high school grade point average, is 12% more likely to graduate from high school and earns $1112.76 more in the first-observed income than a child whose mother does not.
Nonlinear Pricing with Random Participation

The canonical selection contracting programme takes the agent's participation decision as deterministic and finds the optimal contract, typically satisfying this constraint for the worst type. Upon weakening this assumption of known reservation values by introducing independent randomness into the agents' outside options, we find that some of the received wisdom from mechanism design and nonlinear pricing is not robust and the richer model which allows for stochastic participation affords a more general empirical specification. We develop a multidimensional methodology for addressing this class of problems, providing two important applications to nonlinear pricing. First, with nonlinear pricing by a monopolist the familiar “nodistortion-at-the-top” result persists, but in tandem with the surprising conclusion that there is either no distortion at the bottom or bunching. Second, in a simple model of product differentiated duopolists competing with nonlinear pricing we show that, generally, the duopoly outcome is qualitatively similar to the monopoly outcome. However, when marginal costs are symmetric and competition is sufficiently intense, distortions disappear and the equilibrium outcome takes a remarkably simple form: efficient quality allocations with cost-plus-fee pricing. Copyright 2002, Wiley-Blackwell.
Regulating Collaborative Government: Towards Joined-Up Government?

This article examines the role of regulatory agencies in the development of joined-up government. It argues that they have the potential to both control and influence those agencies they regulate, and consequently constitute potentially significant catalysts for joined-up government. However, there are dangers that rivalry between regulatory agencies (and their different sponsors) and non-collaborative regulatory regimes (including game-playing and regulatory capture) may frustrate such moves towards joined-up government. It also argues that joined-up government requires joined-up regulation, otherwise so-called “wicked problems” that spread across the joins of government are likely to remain unsolved, or at best partially solved. Moves towards joined-up government, including joined-up regulation, are likely to be hindered by the way in which the state is functionally organised and the entrenched interests of politicians, bureaucrats and professionals that have sustained such an organisational and functional carve-up of the state. Consequently progress towards joined-up government, if the past is anything to go by, is likely to be slow and possibly more aspirational than real.
Clusterin and COMMD1 Independently Regulate Degradation of the Mammalian Copper ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B*

Background: Clusterin and COMMD1 interact to down-regulate copper transporters ATP7A and ATP7B. Results: Clusterin and COMMD1 act independently and under different conditions to target ATP7B degradation via different pathways. Conclusion: Clusterin and COMMD1 regulate the quality control of ATP7A/ATP7B and directly impact copper homeostasis. Significance: Clusterin and COMMD1 allelic variations may influence the clinical expression of Menkes and Wilson diseases. ATP7A and ATP7B are copper-transporting P1B-type ATPases (Cu-ATPases) that are critical for regulating intracellular copper homeostasis. Mutations in the genes encoding ATP7A and ATP7B lead to copper deficiency and copper toxicity disorders, Menkes and Wilson diseases, respectively. Clusterin and COMMD1 were previously identified as interacting partners of these Cu-ATPases. In this study, we confirmed that clusterin and COMMD1 interact to down-regulate both ATP7A and ATP7B. Overexpression and knockdown of clusterin/COMMD1 decreased and increased, respectively, endogenous levels of ATP7A and ATP7B, consistent with a role in facilitating Cu-ATPase degradation. We demonstrate that whereas the clusterin/ATP7B interaction was enhanced by oxidative stress or mutation of ATP7B, the COMMD1/ATP7B interaction did not change under oxidative stress conditions, and only increased with ATP7B mutations that led to its misfolding. Clusterin and COMMD1 facilitated the degradation of ATP7B containing the same Wilson disease-causing C-terminal mutations via different degradation pathways, clusterin via the lysosomal pathway and COMMD1 via the proteasomal pathway. Furthermore, endogenous ATP7B existed in a complex with clusterin and COMMD1, but these interactions were neither competitive nor cooperative and occurred independently of each other. Together these data indicate that clusterin and COMMD1 represent alternative and independent systems regulating Cu-ATPase quality control, and consequently contributing to the maintenance of copper homeostasis.
Design and analysis of a new halbach magnetized magnetic screw for artificial hearts

Due to the limited number of the donor hearts, artificial heart (AH) systems are required for the therapy of the terminal heart diseases. Existing electric-drive AHs employ the rotary blood pumps or linear motors, but suffering from blood damage and poor thrust density, respectively. Very recently, the concept of magnetic screw was proposed. The magnetic screw actuator integrated with permanent magnet (PM) brushless machine is capable of converting rotational motion into linear motion and vice versa. Since it offers high force density, wear-free, small size and light weight, magnetic screw actuator has a bright future in AH applications. The purpose of this paper is to propose and analyze a new magnetic screw with the halbach PM array, which offers improved force density.
The radiologic anatomy of the lumbar and lumbosacral pedicles.

STUDY DESIGN An anatomic and radiologic study of lumbar and lumbosacral pedicle anatomy. OBJECTIVES To define the radiologic anatomy of the lumbar and first sacral pedicle in the coaxial projection. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Fluoroscopic assistance for pedicle screw placement requires radiologic landmarks. The radiologic landmarks have previously been assumed. Detailed study of the correlation between anatomy and radiology is required. METHODS Lumbar vertebrae and sacra were marked with radiopaque material to demonstrate the pedicle cortical borders. The vertebrae were then imaged in the coaxial projection to determine the correlation between the pedicle cortex and the radiologic image. Pedicle dimensions were recorded. RESULTS Pedicle dimensions were consistent with known measurements, yet the long axis of the L4 and L5 pedicle ellipse was oblique to the vertical. Consequently, the minor diameter of the pedicle ellipse was considerably less than the measured pedicle width at L5. The radiologic pedicle image was consistently within the true pedicle cortex, by up to 3 mm, and probably represents the inner cortical border of the pedicle. The S1 pedicle has reliable anatomic landmarks, yet only the medial and superior borders were visualized. CONCLUSIONS The radiologic pedicle image in the lumbar and lumbosacral spine is a reliable guide to the true bony cortex of the pedicle. At S1 the pedicle image is less well correlated with the cortical borders of the pedicle, yet other reliable anatomic landmarks exist.
Distinct roles of metabotropic glutamate receptor dimerization in agonist activation and G-protein coupling

The eight metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are key modulators of synaptic transmission and are considered promising targets for the treatment of various brain disorders. Whereas glutamate acts at a large extracellular domain, allosteric modulators have been identified that bind to the seven transmembrane domain (7TM) of these dimeric G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We show here that the dimeric organization of mGluRs is required for the modulation of active and inactive states of the 7TM by agonists, but is not necessary for G-protein activation. Monomeric mGlu2, either as an isolated 7TM or in full-length, purified and reconstituted into nanodiscs, couples to G proteins upon direct activation by a positive allosteric modulator. However, only a reconstituted full-length dimeric mGlu2 activates G protein upon glutamate binding, suggesting that dimerization is required for glutamate induced activation. These data show that, even for such well characterized GPCR dimers like mGluR2, a single 7TM is sufficient for G-protein coupling. Despite this observation, the necessity of dimeric architecture for signaling induced by the endogenous ligand glutamate confirms that the central core of signaling complex is dimeric.
China's “Soft” Centralization: Shifting Tiao/Kuai Authority Relations

This article analyses China's recent attempts to counter “local protectionism” and establish standardization in policy implementation and enforcement by centralizing a growing number of its regulatory bureaucracies up to the provincial level (what I refer to as “soft” centralization). In this article, I argue that Beijing's experiment with soft centralization, while successful to some extent, has nevertheless fallen short of its goals and that thus far this transformation remains imperfect and incomplete. The institutional cleavages and fragmentation that so often give rise to corruption and other pathologies of the state appear to have shifted from horizontal, geographic lines to vertical, functional ones. Moreover, the principal beneficiaries of this shift to centralized management are the provinces, not Beijing, as the institutional mechanisms of personnel and budgetary resource allocations are concentrated at the provincial level. Although this has curbed localism to a degree by transferring power from local governments to the newly centralized bureaucracies, it has also contributed to a situation in which newly strengthened provinces may play a key role in the emergence of a sort of perverse federalism.
Modelado de diálogo basado en conocimiento, acciones y expectativas

This work proposes a declarative model for the modelling of dialogue management systems. The model is based on a functional division which distinguishes four main levels: specification, user-interface, representation and execution, which correspond, respectively, to the structures dialogue rule, dialogue move, information state and dialogue phase. The work concentrates on the specification level and describes its main features: knowledge-driven, control of expectations and execution of actions.
Diagnosing the LIBOR: Strategic Manipulation and Member Portfolio Positions

The London Interbank Oered Rate (Libor) is a vital benchmark interest rate to which hundreds of trillions of dollars of nancial contracts are tied. We provide new evidence that panel banks may have misreported actual borrowing costs when quoting rates to the Libor survey. This evidence stems from discontinuities involved in the Libor’s construction. We introduce a simple model where banks’ possession of Libor indexed contracts leads them to quote rates that are clustered at discontinuities and show that such clustering has been severe in the 3-Month U.S. Libor throughout 2009. We then present suggestive evidence that several banks have large exposures to the Libor through their interest rate derivative portfolios and have recently proted from the rapid descent of the Libor.
Area Variations in Self-perceived Limiting Long Term Illness in Britain, 1991: Is the Welsh Experience Exceptional?

(Received December 1995; in revised form December 1996) SENIOR M. L. (1998) Area variations in self-perceived limiting long term illness in Britain, 1991; is the Welsh experience exceptional? , Reg. Studies 32, 265-280. The relatively high prevalence of limiting long term illness (LLTI) in Wales compared with England and Scotland is examined and largely confirmed at a variety of geographical scales. In addition, an analysis of gender differentials in age standardized LLTI ratios reveals that it is much more common in Wales for male LLTI ratios to exceed female ones. Normal theory and Poisson regressions are used to model statistically age-gender standardized LLTI at a small area level throughout the whole of Britain. Potential explanatory variables, obtained from Censuses of Population, include: current and former employment in the coal industry; unskilled and semi-skilled manual occupations as a proxy for life style; a range of deprivation measures designed to reflect lack of wealth and relatively poor ho.
Insecticidal activity of synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphates, insect growth regulators, and other livestock parasiticides: An Australian perspective

The present review is restricted to the collation and evaluation of information describing the excretion profile and ecotoxicity of veterinary medicines developed specifically for the control of either internal or external parasites of livestock. It identifies numerous gaps in our knowledge and highlights our poor understanding of the environmental fate of many of these chemicals, especially those developed for the control of ticks, lice, and/or biting flies. Residues of most anthelmintics are largely harmless to dung‐feeding arthropods, but those of many ectoparasiticides, especially the synthetic pyrethroids, are highly toxic to fly larvae and adult dung beetles. Organophosphates, because they are metabolized extensively and eliminated mostly in urine, are considered to be unlikely to have a major impact on the development or survival of dung‐dwelling organisms. The present review stresses the need for better information regarding spatial and temporal usage patterns of veterinary parasiticides, and it examines the role of ecotoxicological models for evaluating their impact on populations of dung‐dependent arthropods.
The Occupational Integration of Male Migrants in Western European Countries: Assimilation or Persistent Disadvantage?

This paper looks at the migrants' occupational integration process. Two main theoretical perspectives are tested: the first one (assimilation view) claims that in the short-run migrants are penalized, but as they settle in the receiving country they get integrated into the host society; the second one (segmented assimilation view) claims that disadvantages persist in the long-run. EU-LFS and ESS data are described and modelled, in order to compare the labour market performances of migrants in four European old-receiving countries (Germany, France, Great Britain and Sweden) and in two new-receiving countries (Spain and Italy) both in a short-term and in a long-run perspective. We find that a) in the short-run, migrants' labour market condition is worst with respect to the natives; b) this gap decreases with older migrants; c) the ethnic penalty disappears with the second generation, when they achieve a level of education comparable to that of the natives. Policy Implications Labour market policies appear to face a trade-off: policies oriented towards the flexibilization could improve migrants’ occupational integration, but such policies are also likely to increase the risk of poverty for the natives. In the case of the Southern new-receiving countries, a similar tradeoff could emerge for policies aiming at stopping the underground economy. Concerning integration in the long run, our results definitely point to the importance of education. We would suggest policies oriented towards a full educational integration of the migrants’ offspring, since such policies could eliminate the gap separating them from the natives.
A joint back calculation model for the imputation of the date of HIV infection in a prevalent cohort

In studies of the natural history of HIV‐1 infection, the time scale of primary interest is the time since infection. Unfortunately, this time is very often unknown for HIV infection and using the follow‐up time instead of the time since infection is likely to provide biased results because of onset confounding. Laboratory markers such as the CD4 T‐cell count carry important information concerning disease progression and can be used to predict the unknown date of infection. Previous work on this topic has made use of only one CD4 measurement or based the imputation on incident patients only. However, because of considerable intrinsic variability in CD4 levels and because incident cases are different from prevalent cases, back calculation based on only one CD4 determination per person or on characteristics of the incident sub‐cohort may provide unreliable results. Therefore, we propose a methodology based on the repeated individual CD4 T‐cells marker measurements that use both incident and prevalent cases to impute the unknown date of infection. Our approach uses joint modelling of the time since infection, the CD4 time path and the drop‐out process. This methodology has been applied to estimate the CD4 slope and impute the unknown date of infection in HIV patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. A procedure based on the comparison of different slope estimates is proposed to assess the goodness of fit of the imputation. Results of simulation studies indicated that the imputation procedure worked well, despite the intrinsic high volatility of the CD4 marker. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reentry Challenges Facing Women with Mental Health Problems

Women entering the correctional system represent a population at high risk for mental health and the body of research on the mental health needs of women offenders is growing. These mental health problems pose challenges for women at every stage of the criminal justice process, from arrest to incarceration to community reentry and reintegration. In this article, we examined mental health status among a sample of 142 women leaving confinement and the role that mental health problems played in shaping their reentry outcomes using data collected between 2002 and 2005 in Houston, Texas. In the year after leaving prison, women with mental health problems reported poorer health, more hospitalizations, more suicidal thoughts, greater difficulties securing housing and employment, more involvement in criminal behavior, and less financial support from family than women with no indication of mental health problems. However, mental health status did not increase the likelihood of substance use relapse or reincarceration. The article concludes with a discussion of recommendations for improved policy and practice.