Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Institutional Incentives for Resource Mobilization

This article examines the effect of institutional arrangements on resource mobilization in three irrigation systems in Nepal. Applying tools of institutional analysis, three hypotheses are tested. Specifically, these hypotheses concern the influence of (1) decision-making autonomy, (2) extent of external agency involvement and (3) reliability of water delivery on farmers' incentives to mobilize their own resources for system operation and maintenance costs. Findings indicate that: (1) the more control farmers have in system decisions, the more likely it is they will contribute their own resources; (2) indirect intervention tends to promote farmer financing of recurrent costs to a greater extent than does direct outside involvement; and (3) reliable water delivery is the key to effective local resource mobilization.
Endogenous mitochondrial oxidative stress: neurodegeneration, proteomic analysis, specific respiratory chain defects, and efficacious antioxidant therapy in superoxide dismutase 2 null mice

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. However, it is not yet understood how endogenous mitochondrial oxidative stress may result in mitochondrial dysfunction. Most prior studies have tested oxidative stress paradigms in mitochondria through either chemical inhibition of specific components of the respiratory chain, or adding an exogenous insult such as hydrogen peroxide or paraquat to directly damage mitochondria. In contrast, mice that lack mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2 null mice) represent a model of endogenous oxidative stress. SOD2 null mice develop a severe neurological phenotype that includes behavioral defects, a severe spongiform encephalopathy, and a decrease in mitochondrial aconitase activity. We tested the hypothesis that specific components of the respiratory chain in the brain were differentially sensitive to mitochondrial oxidative stress, and whether such sensitivity would lead to neuronal cell death. We carried out proteomic differential display and examined the activities of respiratory chain complexes I, II, III, IV, V, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes alpha‐ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase in SOD2 null mice in conjunction with efficacious antioxidant treatment and observed differential sensitivities of mitochondrial proteins to oxidative stress. In addition, we observed a striking pattern of neuronal cell death as a result of mitochondrial oxidative stress, and were able to significantly reduce the loss of neurons via antioxidant treatment.
The Influence of Oil and Gas Exports on Russia's Monetary Policy

This article examines the implementation of monetary policy in Russia in the context of significant revenues from commodity exports. It argues that a strong balance of payments forces the Central Bank to choose between an appreciating ruble and inflation. The Russian government has at its disposal a powerful tool that allows it to simultaneously prevent ruble appreciation and contain inflation. These two objectives are achieved by saving a portion of oil and gas revenues in reserve funds when the market is strong. Such a policy lays the foundation for macroeconomic stability and enhances the attractiveness of the Russian economy for investors.
The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the normal ferret and its postnatal development

The anterograde transport of 3H proline and of horseradish peroxidase has been used to study the retinogeniculate pathway in normal adult ferrets and in young ferrets during postnatal development. The lateral geniculate nucleus in adults shows a characteristic “carnivore” pattern, with layers A, A1, C, C1, C2, and C3, and a medial interlaminar nucleus recognizable either cytoarchitectonically or on the basis of the retinogeniculate innervation. In addition, there is a well‐defined, rather large perigeniculate nucleus.
Advertising and Competition in the Ethical Pharmaceutical Industry: The Case of Antihypertensive Drugs*

This paper uses data on the majority of name‐brand antihypertensive drugs marketed in the United States during 1988–93 to test the hypothesis that advertising decreases the price elasticity of demand in the pharmaceutical industry. This is the first study to directly estimate the effects of drug product promotion on the price elasticity of demand in this industry. We find strong evidence of an advertising effect. In particular, detailing efforts (the salient means for product promotion in this industry) systematically lower price sensitivity. Given the inverse relationship between elasticity of demand and price, it is likely that consumers pay higher prices as a result of the advertising that occurs in this industry. Our findings are thus consistent with Hurwitz and Caves, who find evidence that advertising inhibits entry into this market but in contrast to earlier research that found no anticompetitive effect.
Analysis of Integrated Starter-Generator Operation in the Starter Mode on a Mathematical Model

New consumer requirements to modern cars have resulted in developing an integrated starter-generator. This multifunctional and multiconnected system is of great interest for commercial application. The integration of the internal combustion engine, the starter and the generator into a single power unit allows one to implement qualitatively a new concept of a car power unit with a substantial improvement of its ecological parameters. The results of this integrated starter-generator modelling in the starter mode in all ranges of speeds and initial conditions are given in this paper. The realization of the proposed control system is described on a mathematical model. The control algorithm has been verified by using the "Matlab-Simulink" software.
Serum antibody and opsonic responses to vaccination with pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide in normal and splenectomized children.

Serum pneumococcal antibody and opsonic activity were measured in normal and splenectomized children before and after vaccination with capsular polysaccharides of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Splenectomized children showed a lower mean antibody response to four capsular polysaccharide types after vaccination but had higher antibody levels than normal children before vaccination for 10 of the 12 antigen types. Two splenectomized children showed high serum antibody levels before vaccination but low autologous pneumococcal opsonic activity, measured with a phagocytic test that employed normal human leukocytes. Thirteen (42%) of 31 splenectomized patients and three (25%) of 12 normal subjects with a twofold pneumococcal antibody increase after vaccination failed to show an autologous opsonic response. Alternative-pathway opsonic activity was moderately reduced in five splenectomized patients; however, immunochemical measurements of Clq, C3, properdin, and factor B were normal in all patient sera. These observations suggest that vaccination with pneumococcal polysaccharides may not enhance serum opsonic activity against vaccine pneumococcal types in some splenectomized, as well as unsplenectomized, children.
Diagnostics of rational expectation financial bubbles with stochastic mean-reverting termination times

We propose two rational expectation models of transient financial bubbles with heterogeneous arbitrageurs and positive feedbacks leading to self-reinforcing transient stochastic faster-than-exponential price dynamics. As a result of the nonlinear feedbacks, the termination of a bubble is found to be characterized by a finite-time singularity in the bubble price formation process ending at some potential critical time ᵵ c, which follows a mean-reverting stationary dynamics. Because of the heterogeneity of the rational agents’ expectations, there is a synchronization problem for the optimal exit times determined by these arbitrageurs, which leads to the survival of the bubble almost all the way to its theoretical end time. The explicit exact analytical solutions of the two models provide nonlinear transformations which allow us to develop novel tests for the presence of bubbles in financial time series. Avoiding the difficult problem of parameter estimation of the stochastic differential equation describing the price dynamics, the derived operational procedures allow us to diagnose bubbles that are in the making and to forecast their termination time. The tests have been performed on four financial markets, the US S&P500 index from 1 February 1980 to 31 October 2008, the US NASDAQ Composite index from 1 January 1980 to 31 July 2008, the Hong Kong Hang Seng index from 1 December 1986 to 30 November 2008 and the US Dow Jones Industrial Average Index from 3 January 1920 to 31 December 1931. Our results suggest the feasibility of advance bubble warning using stochastic models that embody the mechanism of positive feedback.
A novel yield aware multi-objective analog circuit optimization tool

This paper proposes a novel multi-objective yield aware analog sizing tool that utilizes scrambled Quasi Monte Carlo (QMC) approach for efficient yield estimation and Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm-2 (SPEA2) as a search engine. Analog circuit sizing tools have been utilized for the last two decades to overcome challenging trade-offs in analog circuit design. However, due to the variation phenomenon, some solutions at the Pareto front (PF) move towards the suboptimal region. To overcome this issue, yield aware optimization tools, where yield is given as a new design objective, have been proposed in the last decade. Conventionally, Monte Carlo (MC) approach has been used for the yield estimation. However, large sized MC analysis is a highly inefficient and time consuming process because of the numerous simulations performed during the optimization process. Rather than conventional MC, using QMC, which utilizes Low Discrepancy Sequences (LDS), enhances the synthesis time since, it promises low estimation errors with fewer number of simulations. Thanks to the QMC based variability analysis and multi-objective search engine, a yield aware PF that allows the designer to access all robust solutions can be obtained within an acceptable synthesis time.
The Property/Liability Insurance Cycle: A Comparison of Alternative Models

The objective of this paper is to compare alternative models of insurance pricing as theories of the property-liability underwriting cycle. The existing literature has focused on comparing two models, the financial pricing and capacity constraint models. However, these are not the only relevant models. We show that six alternative models imply the same general form of the pricing equation. We apply the model to data on stock property-liability insurers for the period 1935–1997. We find that the actuarial model and the capacity constraint hypothesis are the only theoretical models that are consistent with the data.
Roles of the novel coiled-coil protein Rng10 in septum formation during fission yeast cytokinesis

The regulation of Rho-GAP localization is not well understood. A novel coiled-coil protein Rng10 is characterized that localizes the Rho-GAP Rga7 in fission yeast. Rng10 and Rga7 physically interact and work together to regulate the accumulation and dynamics of glucan synthases for successful septum formation during cytokinesis.
Infectious Agents and Inflammation: The Role of Microbiota in Autoimmune Arthritis

In higher vertebrates, mucosal sites at the border between the internal and external environments, directly interact with bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Through co-evolution, hosts developed mechanisms of tolerance or ignorance toward some infectious agents, because hosts established “gain of function” interactions with symbiotic bacteria. Indeed, some bacteria assist hosts in different functions, among which are digestion of complex carbohydrates, and absorption and supply of vitamins. There is no doubt that microbiota modulate innate and acquired immune responses starting at birth. However, variations in quality and quantity of bacterial species interfere with the equilibrium between inflammation and tolerance. In fact, correlations between gut bacteria composition and the severity of inflammation were first described for inflammatory bowel diseases and later extended to other pathologies. The genetic background, environmental factors (e.g., stress or smoking), and diet can induce strong changes in the resident bacteria which can expose the intestinal epithelium to a variety of different metabolites, many of which have unknown functions and consequences. In addition, alterations in gut permeability may allow pathogens entry, thereby triggering infection and/or chronic inflammation. In this context, a local event occurring at a mucosal site may be the triggering cause of an autoimmune reaction that eventually involves distant sites or organs. Recently, several studies attributed a pathogenic role to altered oral microbiota in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to gut dysbiosis in spondyloarthritis (SpA). There is also growing evidence that different drugs, such as antibiotics and immunosuppressants, can influence and be influenced by the diversity and composition of microbiota in RA and SpA patients. Hence, in complex disorders such RA and SpA, not only the genetic background, gender, and immunologic context of the individual are relevant, but also the history of infections and the structure of the microbial community at mucosal sites should be considered. Here the role of the microbiota and infections in the initiation and progression of chronic arthritis is discussed, as well as how these factors can influence a patient’s response to synthetic and biologic immunosuppressive therapy.
Body doping analysis of vertical strained-SiGe Impact Ionization MOSFET incorporating dielectric pocket (VESIMOS-DP)

The Vertical Strained Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Impact Ionization MOSFET with Dielectric Pocket (VESIMOS-DP) has been successfully developed and analyzed in this paper. There are significant drop in subthreshold slope (S) while threshold voltage is increase as the body doping concentration increases. It is notable that for body doping concentration above 1020, the S values keep increasing which is not recommended as the switching speed getting higher distracting performance of the device. An improved stability of threshold voltage, VTH was found for VESIMOS-DP device of various DP size ranging from 20nm to 80nm. The stability is due to the reducing charge sharing effects between source and drain region. In addition, the output characteristic was also highlighted a very good drain current at different gate voltage with the increasing of drain voltage for VESIMOS-DP with high body doping concentration. VESIMOS-DP with low body doping concentration suffers PBT effect that prevents the device from being able to switch off. Hence, high body doping concentrations are imperative for obtaining better device characteristics and ensure the device works in II mode.
The Efficiency Implications of Earnings Retentions: An Extension

This paper reports on another attempt to statistically uncover evidence of embodied technological change as an explanation of changes in labor productivity in the United States. In this version of the test, an interregional cross-section, time-series sample of data was used. While the hypothesis has a lot of appeal, it has proven difficult to find manifestations of embodiment in econometric tests. This study has proven to be no exception. Despite the unique data set, results were again not supportive of the hypothesis. A possible limitation of this test is that the time period studied may have been too short. REFERENCES
Analysis of pure- and mixed-mode class-B outphasing amplifiers

This paper analyses the pure- and mixed-mode operation of class-B outphasing amplifiers and provides the analytical expressions for the drive profiles, when assuming ideal devices. In pure-mode operation, output power is controlled by phase modulation only. In mixed-mode operation, amplitude control replaces phase control at the deep back-off power levels to save driving power and hence improve efficiency. Envelope simulations using a 10.6 dB PAR W-CDMA signal verify the analysis of an ideal class-B outphasing amplifier model with only 10 dB of transistor's power gain. In mixed-mode operation, they predict up to 65% of average total-efficiency which is 7%-points higher than an equivalent asymmetrical (1:3) Doherty amplifier.
Operational auditing education

Posits that traditional text‐book‐oriented auditing education is not enough to provide students with the necessary background to become an internal auditor. Proposes that by forming a partnership, in order to enhance internal auditing education, educators and internal auditing professionals can improve a student′s learning. Investigates how this can be done. Suggests that an auditing course provided by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the University of Central Florida (UCF) could be the answer.
Segmentation of Fetal Left Ventricle in Echocardiographic Sequences Based on Dynamic Convolutional Neural Networks

Segmentation of fetal left ventricle (LV) in echocardiographic sequences is important for further quantitative analysis of fetal cardiac function. However, image gross inhomogeneities and fetal random movements make the segmentation a challenging problem. In this paper, a dynamic convolutional neural networks (CNN) based on multiscale information and fine-tuning is proposed for fetal LV segmentation. The CNN is pretrained by amount of labeled training data. In the segmentation, the first frame of each echocardiographic sequence is delineated manually. The dynamic CNN is fine-tuned by deep tuning with the first frame and shallow tuning with the rest of frames, respectively, to adapt to the individual fetus. Additionally, to separate the connection region between LV and left atrium (LA), a matching approach, which consists of block matching and line matching, is used for mitral valve (MV) base points tracking. Advantages of our proposed method are compared with an active contour model (ACM), a dynamical appearance model (DAM), and a fixed multiscale CNN method. Experimental results in 51 echocardiographic sequences show that the segmentation results agree well with the ground truth, especially in the cases with leakage, blurry boundaries, and subject-to-subject variations. The CNN architecture can be simple, and the dynamic fine-tuning is efficient.
Unemployment insurance, then and now, 1935-85.

At the same time that solutions were being sought for the problems of people reaching old age without income and savings in the depressed American economy of the 1930’s, another incomemaintenance problem was being intensively scrutinized-unemployment among able-bodied workers of all ages. If poverty in old age represented a burden no longer to be accepted, so, too, did the involuntary unemployment of millions of American workers. The Great Depression resulted
Terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab in atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

BACKGROUND Atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome is a genetic, life-threatening, chronic disease of complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy. Plasma exchange or infusion may transiently maintain normal levels of hematologic measures but does not treat the underlying systemic disease. METHODS We conducted two prospective phase 2 trials in which patients with atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome who were 12 years of age or older received eculizumab for 26 weeks and during long-term extension phases. Patients with low platelet counts and renal damage (in trial 1) and those with renal damage but no decrease in the platelet count of more than 25% for at least 8 weeks during plasma exchange or infusion (in trial 2) were recruited. The primary end points included a change in the platelet count (in trial 1) and thrombotic microangiopathy event-free status (no decrease in the platelet count of >25%, no plasma exchange or infusion, and no initiation of dialysis) (in trial 2). RESULTS A total of 37 patients (17 in trial 1 and 20 in trial 2) received eculizumab for a median of 64 and 62 weeks, respectively. Eculizumab resulted in increases in the platelet count; in trial 1, the mean increase in the count from baseline to week 26 was 73×10(9) per liter (P<0.001). In trial 2, 80% of the patients had thrombotic microangiopathy event-free status. Eculizumab was associated with significant improvement in all secondary end points, with continuous, time-dependent increases in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In trial 1, dialysis was discontinued in 4 of 5 patients. Earlier intervention with eculizumab was associated with significantly greater improvement in the estimated GFR. Eculizumab was also associated with improvement in health-related quality of life. No cumulative toxicity of therapy or serious infection-related adverse events, including meningococcal infections, were observed through the extension period. CONCLUSIONS Eculizumab inhibited complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy and was associated with significant time-dependent improvement in renal function in patients with atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome. (Funded by Alexion Pharmaceuticals; C08-002 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00844545 [adults] and NCT00844844 [adolescents]; C08-003 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00838513 [adults] and NCT00844428 [adolescents]).
Supply Chain Management: Relationships, Chains and Networks

The term supply chain management is used to represent a variety of different meanings, some related to management processes, others to structural organization of businesses. This paper identifies and discusses various definitions of supply chain management, summarizes the associated bodies of knowledge and connects them using a systems approach. Systems levels of supply chain management are identified as the internal supply chain, the dyadic relationship, the external supply chain and the inter-business network. Empirical research on behavioural aspects of relationships, chains and networks in the European automotive aftermarket is discussed, identifying gaps in perceptions of requirements and performance held by customers and suppliers in the areas of quality, delivery, service, range and price. A combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis demonstrates substantial differences between approaches to supply chain management, though performance in relationships, chains and networks in the territories examined does not differ significantly. Customer dissatisfaction in relationships is shown to increase upstream in the supply chains examined, extending the applicability of the industrial dynamics ‘Forrester effect’ to softer, behavioural aspects of performance. Conclusions are drawn supporting the suggestions of operations strategists that position in the supply chain is an important strategic variable which, to date, have not been comprehensively proven empirically.
The New Great Debate about Unionism and Collective Bargaining in U.S. State and Local Governments

Recently some state and local governments in the United States have sharply reduced or eliminated public employee unionism and bargaining rights in the belief that their fiscal adversity stems mainly from overcompensation of public employees caused by collective bargaining. The authors examine public-private sector pay and benefit relationships, the effects of unions on public employee pay, the effectiveness of employment dispute resolution procedures, and the ability of public sector labor and management to combat fiscal adversity. They provide new evidence showing that: on balance, public employees are undercompensated relative to their private sector counterparts; the effects of unions on compensation are smaller in the public than in the private sector; and public sector dispute resolution procedures and joint labor-management initiatives to reform work function reasonably well.