Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Behavior of Home Buyers in Boom and Post-Boom Markets

A questionnaire survey looked at home buyers in May 1988 in two "boom" cities currently experiencing rapid price increases (Anaheim and San Francisco), a "post-boom" city whose home prices are stable or falling a couple years after rapid price increase (Boston) and a "control" city where home prices had been very stable (Milwaukee). Home buyers in the boom cities had much higher expectations for future price increases, and were more influenced by investment motives. The interpretations that people place on the boom are not usually related to any concrete news event; there are instead oft-repeated cliches about home prices. This suggests that sudden real estate booms have, at least in part, a social, rather than rational or economic, basis. There is evidence for excess demand in boom markets and excess supply in the post-boom market; there appear to be various reasons for this: notions of fairness, intrinsic worth, popular theories about prices, coordination problems, and simple mistakes.
Aggregation and toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aquatic environment—A Review

The use of nanoparticles—particles with size ∼1–100 nm is increasing worldwide. This is particularly the case for applications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) in consumer products, which have expanded at a fast rate in the last decade. The properties of nano-TiO2 differ significantly from bulk-TiO2 of the same composition because of an increase in surface area. A release of nano-TiO2 from application sources to the aquatic environment may pose possible risks due to their bioavailability and toxicity. The aggregation of nano-TiO2 plays an important role in the environmental effects of nanoparticles because the size and shape of nanoparticles will determine the magnitude of any potentially toxic effect. Aggregation is affected by pH, ionic strength, and ionic identity (inorganic and organic) of aqueous suspensions and is reviewed in this paper. The current information on the evaluation of ecotoxicological hazards of nano-TiO2 to bacteria, algae, invertebrates, nematodes, and rainbow trout is also given.
Benefiting from diversity in Middle Eastern stock markets

This study examines the potential integration between Middle Eastern stock markets, in particular Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In a geographical area where there are extreme political and ideological differences, we find gains from financial market integration in the areas of efficiency and diversification. The study presents empirical evidence of cointegration between stock market capitalization and GDP in these countries, which shows that stock market growth is tied to economic growth. We also present some institutional detail in order to develop practical suggestions to strengthen Middle Eastern stock markets.
Homogeneous Risk Measures and the Construction of Composite Assets

The use of the expected utility hypothesis and the “portfolio approach” has recently become quite popular by both writers in monetary theory and in financial management. Most discussions are given within what might be called the Tobin-Markowitz framework. One very important result recently discussed at some length is the Tobin “separation theorem. ” This theorem essentially says that a quadratic preference function, or a normal distribution of returns on risky assets is a sufficient condition for the proportions of the various risky assets in a portfolio to be independent of the proportion of the portfolio held in a safe asset. The proofs of this theorem are given within a framework of the decision maker who minimizes portfolio variance for a given portfolio return, using variance as a measure of risk of the portfolio.
Body iron stores in middle-aged patients with DM and obesity

Dear Editor, We would like to discuss on the publication on “Body iron stores in middle-aged patients with DM and obesity). [1]” Gupta et al., concluded that “ iron stores are increased in obesity and diabetes” and noted that serum ferritin “may not be a strong risk factor in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes in middle aged North Indians. [1]” As Gupta et al., noted, their results is discordant with the reports from the Western. In fact, there are many factors that can affect the body iron stores and the important condition that is common in South and Southeast Asia is the underlying thalassemia and hemoglobin disorder. [2] High body iron stores can be seen in carrier of thalassemia and hemoglobin disorder. [2] In the present report, Gupta et al., did not rule out the underlying thalassemia and hemoglobin disorder, hence, this might be the explanation for their interesting observation.
Predicting the gross domestic product (GDP) of 289 NUTS regions in Europe with subjective indicators for human and social capital

Most of the aggregate-level analyses of the relationship between objective and subjective measures for well-being have limited themselves to the measures of national gross domestic product (GDP) and mean life satisfaction. We develop this line of research by embedding the analysis into the context of 289 NUTS (Nomenclature des Unités Territoriales Statistiques) regions in Europe and replacing the simple life satisfaction measure with measures of active human functioning. We suggest that the measures of personal and social well-being, as they are operationalized in the 6th Round of the European Social Survey (ESS) questionnaire, can be treated as subjective indicators for social and human capital and, thereby, can be associated with the regional level GDP in cross-sectional analysis. The empirical analysis shows that the indicator for ‘social trust’ appears to have a positive and significant correlation with regional GDP. The analysis also distinguishes another form of social capital; ‘social contact and support’, reflecting the relative frequency and quantity of social support, which also shows a positive relationship with regional GDP. Concerning subjective human capital, the strongest predictor for regional GDP appears to be the aggregated sense of ‘competence and meaning’ in the regions. These effects proved robust after including the objective control variables (population density, intramural research and development (R&D) expenditure, share of tertiary-educated population and employment).
Contestability and the Indeterminacy of Free-Entry Equilibria

A general notion of market perfect contestability is introduced. It coincides with the definition given by Baumol et al. under Bertrand competition, but is compatible with other forms of competition : Cournot competition as well as monopolistic competition. Using this notion, we illustrate the fact that the number of active firms in free entry equilibrium may be largely indeterminate and different levels of positive profits may in many cases be sustained. This is shown to be true, in spite of market perfect contestability, either under Cournot competition or under product differentiation. Examples are given for both cases. Appropriate conditions of increasing returns are required.
INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTIVITY ESTIMATION AND ITS UNDERLYING ECONOMETRIC SPECIFICATIONS: A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT In recent years researchers have considered a variety of regional models relating to infrastructure productivity. These models are often based upon overly simple econometric specifications and are typically formulated as if spatial interactions are absent. In this paper, we try to account for some of these shortcomings. We do this by considering spatial lags of certain independent variables, as well as of the dependent variable. We also consider spatial correlation of the error terms, general patterns of heteroscedasticity and of time series autocorrelation, and systems problems. Our results strongly suggest that regional infrastructure productivity involves spatial spillovers relating to both observable variables and error terms. They also suggest that corresponding coefficient estimates are very sensitive to model specifications.
Involvement of Varicose Veins in Superficial Venous Thrombosis

Varicose veins are usually a sign of a benign disease, however with progression of the disease and advanced age, they can lead to serious clinical problem. Beside chronic venous insufficiency, superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) represents one of the most frequent complications which can complicate with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism. Classical risk factors for SVT are similar as for DVT. However, varicose veins represent one of the most important risk factors for the development of SVT. In varicose veins blood flow is usually turbulent, with increased shear stress which causes vascular damage, resulting in endothelial dysfunction and structural deterioration of vessel wall accompanied by inflammatory response. Because of changes in hemodynamic conditions, in varicose veins the constitution of blood is changed. In varicose veins haematocrit level is increased and consequently blood viscosity. Further, in the blood of varicose veins circulating inflammatory markers are increased, as well as circulating markers of endothelial damage. There is also imbalance between the pro-and anticoagulant factors and between pro-and antifibrinolytic agents favouring hypercoagulable microenvironment. Therefore, varicose veins represent the highest risk for development of SVT.
Oligonucleotide microarrays demonstrate the highest frequency of ATM mutations in the mantle cell subtype of lymphoma

Mutations have been described in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene in small numbers of cases of lymphoid neoplasia. However, surveys of the ATM mutation status in lymphoma have been limited due to the large size (62 exons) and complex mutational spectrum of this gene. We have used microarray-based assays with 250,000 oligonucleotides to screen lymphomas from 120 patients for all possible ATM coding and splice junction mutations. The subtypes included were diffuse large B cell, mantle cell, immunoblastic large B cell, follicular, posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder, and peripheral T cell lymphoma. We found the highest percentage of ATM mutations within the mantle cell (MCL) subtype (43%, 12 of 28 cases), followed by a lower level (10% of cases) in the other subtypes. A frame-shift ATM mutation was found in one peripheral T cell lymphoma patient. In six MCL cases examined, four ATM variants were due to somatic mutation in the tumor cells whereas two others seemed to be germ-line in origin. There was no difference in p53 mutation status in the ATM mutant and wild-type groups of MCL. There was no statistically significant difference in the median overall survival of patients with wild-type vs. mutated ATM in MCL. Additional mutational and functional analyses are needed to determine whether ATM mutations contribute to the development and progression of MCL or are just the consequence of genomic instability in MCL.
The Ecology and Evolution of Inducible Defenses

Inducible defenses are responses activated through a previous encounter with a consumer or competitor that confer some degree of resistance to subsequent attacks. While the importance of inducible resistance has long been known in host-parasite interactions, it is only recently that its importance has emerged in other natural systems. Althought the structural defenses produced by invertebrates to their competitors and predators are by no means the same as an immune response triggered by parasites, these responses all share the properties of (1) specificity, (2) amplification and (3) memory. This review discusses the following ecological consequences and evolutionary causes of inducible defenses: (1) Inducible defenses render historical factors important in biological interactions and can affect the probability of individual survival and growth, as well as affect population dynamics of consumers in some circumstances. (2) Although the benefits of inducible defenses are often balanced by fitness costs, including reduced growth, reproductive output and survivorship, the role of costs and benefits in the evolution of inducible defenses is by no means clear. A more integrated approach would involve a multivariate analysis of the role of natural selection on the inducible characters of interest, their norms of reaction and correlated fitness characters. (3) The disproporcionate representation of inducible, morphological defenses among clonal organisms may be due to both a higher rate of origination and enhanced selection to maintain these defenses in clonal taxa. (4) Inducible defenses should be most common when reliable cues are available, attacks by biological agents are unpredictable, and the fitness gains of defenses are balanced by the costs. An integrated approach to studying inducible defenses would thus combine mechanistic estimates of costs, population-level estimates of defense effectiveness, and genetic estimates of correlations between fitness and inducible characters. This will allow us to estimate rates of evolution in these phenotypically plastic threshold characters.
Code interception technology for spectral phase-encoded OCDMA system by using super-structured fiber bragg grating (SSFBG)

The code interception of spectral phase-encode optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) system is studied. A theoretical model of code interception based on SSFBG is presented and then the eavesdropping principle is also analyzed in theoretically. The result of eavesdropping is simulated by Optisystem3.0 and Matlab7.1. The simulation results have shown that the information of spectral phase-encoded OCDMA system can be eavesdropped effectively by using this model.
Synergistic Effect of Nod1 and Nod2 Agonists with Toll-Like Receptor Agonists on Human Dendritic Cells To Generate Interleukin-12 and T Helper Type 1 Cells

ABSTRACT A synthetic Nod2 agonist, muramyldipeptide (MDP), and two Nod1 agonists, FK565 and FK156, mimic the bacterial peptidoglycan moiety and are powerful adjuvants that induce cell-mediated immunity, especially delayed-type hypersensitivity. In this study, we used human dendritic cell (DC) cultures to examine possible T helper type 1 (Th1) responses induced by MDP and FK565/156 in combination with various synthetic Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, including synthetic lipid A (TLR4 agonist), the synthetic triacyl lipopeptide Pam3CSSNA (TLR2 agonist), poly(I:C) (TLR3 agonist), and CpG DNA (TLR9 agonist). Immature DCs derived from human monocytes expressed mRNAs for Nod1, Nod2, TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9. The stimulation of DCs with MDP and FK565 in combination with lipid A, poly(I:C), and CpG DNA, but not with Pam3CSSNA, synergistically induced interleukin-12 (IL-12) p70 and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), but not IL-18, in culture supernatants and induced IL-15 on the cell surface. In correlation with the cytokine induction, an upregulation of the mRNA expression of these cytokine genes was observed. Notably, IL-12 p35 mRNA expression increased >1,000-fold upon stimulation with lipid A plus either MDP or FK565 compared with stimulation with each stimulant alone. In contrast, for the expression of CD83 and costimulatory molecules such as CD40, CD80, and CD86, no synergistic effects were observed upon stimulation with Nod plus TLR agonists. The culture supernatants of DCs stimulated with lipid A plus either MDP or FK565 activated human T cells to produce high levels of IFN-γ, and the activity was attributable to DC-derived IL-12. These findings suggest that Nod1 and Nod2 agonists in combination with TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9 agonists synergistically induce IL-12 and IFN-γ production in DCs to induce Th1-lineage immune responses.
Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and correlation with coronary artery stenosis among 200 patients undergoing cabg

Aim: To study the incidence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis among patients undergoing CABG.To find its correlation with age,sex and any predilection to side and site of carotid artery. Methods: Doppler ultrasound of carotid arteries was done in 200 patients undergoing Carotid Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). Patients including both sexes were aged between 35 and 75 years. Patients without any pre existing neurological deficits in the last 6 months were included in the study. Results: Among the study population, 34 cases (17%) of carotid artery stenosis cases were found. The highest number of patients 17 (50%) was found in the age group of 56-65 years. The prevalence of carotid artery stenosis among patients aged more than 55 years (21.5%) is significantly high (p<0.05), than patients less than 55 years (10.1%) old.Out of 34 cases, 38% had bilateral carotid artery stenosis, 32% had right side and 30% had left side carotid stenosisThe commonest site involved was at carotid bulb and internal carotid artery (CB and ICA) in 61.9% of cases.The average IMT of patients who had normal carotid arteries was found to be 0.1193mm on right side and 0.1151mm on left side. Conclusions: Males are at more risk than females. In the age group of 56-65yrs,there is a peak incidence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. The carotid stenosis is highly prevalent among patients with severe coronary artery disease.Atherosclerosis predominantly affects the carotid artery bifurcation due to its typical flow characteristics. The average IMT of carotid arteries of indian patients who had normal carotid arteries was found to be 0.1193mm on right side and 0.1151mm on left side.
Morbidity of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLN) Alone Versus SLN and Completion Axillary Lymph Node Dissection After Breast Cancer Surgery: A Prospective Swiss Multicenter Study on 659 Patients

Objective:To assess the morbidity after sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy compared with SLN and completion level I and II axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in a prospective multicenter study. Summary Background Data:ALND after breast cancer surgery is associated with considerable morbidity. We hypothesized: 1) that the morbidity in patients undergoing SLN biopsy only is significantly lower compared with those after SLN and completion ALND level I and II; and 2) that SLN biopsy can be performed with similar intermediate term morbidity in academic and nonacademic centers. Methods:Patients with early stage breast cancer (pT1 and pT2 ≤ 3 cm, cN0) were included between January 2000 and December 2003 in this prospective Swiss multicenter study. All patients underwent SLN biopsy. In all patients with SLN macrometastases and most patients with SLN micrometastases (43 of 68) or isolated tumor cells (11 of 19), a completion ALND was performed. Postoperative morbidity was assessed based on a standardized protocol. Results:SLN biopsy alone was performed in 449 patients, whereas 210 patients underwent SLN and completion ALND. The median follow-ups were 31.0 and 29.5 months for the SLN and SLN and completion ALND groups, respectively. Intermediate-term follow-up information was available from 635 of 659 patients (96.4%) of enrolled patients. The following results were found in the SLN versus SLN and completion ALND group: presence of lymphedema (3.5% vs. 19.1%, P < 0.0001), impaired shoulder range of motion (3.5% vs. 11.3%, P < 0.0001), shoulder/arm pain (8.1% vs. 21.1%, P < 0.0001), and numbness (10.9% vs. 37.7%, P < 0.0001). No significant differences regarding postoperative morbidity after SLN biopsy were noticed between academic and nonacademic hospitals (P = 0.921). Conclusions:The morbidity after SLN biopsy alone is not negligible but significantly lower compared with level I and II ALND. SLN biopsy can be performed with similar short- and intermediate-term morbidity in academic and nonacademic centers.
Bupropion-SR, sertraline, or venlafaxine-XR after failure of SSRIs for depression.

BACKGROUND After unsuccessful treatment for depression with a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), it is not known whether switching to one antidepressant is more effective than switching to another. METHODS We randomly assigned 727 adult outpatients with a nonpsychotic major depressive disorder who had no remission of symptoms or could not tolerate the SSRI citalopram to receive one of the following drugs for up to 14 weeks: sustained-release bupropion (239 patients) at a maximal daily dose of 400 mg, sertraline (238 patients) at a maximal daily dose of 200 mg, or extended-release venlafaxine (250 patients) at a maximal daily dose of 375 mg. The study was conducted in 18 primary and 23 psychiatric care settings. The primary outcome was symptom remission, defined by a total score of 7 or less on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17) at the end of the study. Scores on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR-16), obtained at treatment visits, determined secondary outcomes, including remission (a score of 5 or less at exit) and response (a reduction of 50 percent or more on baseline scores). RESULTS Remission rates as assessed by the HRSD-17 and the QIDS-SR-16, respectively, were 21.3 percent and 25.5 percent for sustained-release bupropion, 17.6 percent and 26.6 percent for sertraline, and 24.8 percent and 25.0 percent for extended-release venlafaxine. QIDS-SR-16 response rates were 26.1 percent for sustained-release bupropion, 26.7 percent for sertraline, and 28.2 percent for extended-release venlafaxine. These treatments did not differ significantly with respect to outcomes, tolerability, or adverse events. CONCLUSIONS After unsuccessful treatment with an SSRI, approximately one in four patients had a remission of symptoms after switching to another antidepressant. Any one of the medications in the study provided a reasonable second-step choice for patients with depression. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00021528.).
The Value of CEO Mobility: Contextual Factors That Shape the Impact of Prior CEO Experience on Market Performance and CEO Compensation

This study examines the value that prior CEO experience has for the companies that hire such CEOs—as reflected in the firms’ subsequent market-based performance—as well as its value for the CEO that possesses this experience—as reflected in his or her initial compensation. While we suggest that shareholders tend not to benefit from firms hiring experienced CEOs, we also argue that particular firm and industry contextual factors that shaped the prior CEO experience help ameliorate this detrimental effect. Regardless, we also suggest that prior CEO experience generally stands to benefit the CEOs, in that it brings them a compensation premium over those CEOs without such prior experience. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 654 US CEO succession events that occurred between 2001 and 2004 and found broad support for our hypotheses. We close with a discussion of the implications of our findings for future research as well as what they mean for firms hiring experienced CEOs and for CEO careers more generally. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A conceptualization of the relationships between service quality and visitor satisfaction, and their links to destination selection

Six different conceptualizations of the relationship between visitor satisfaction and service quality have been suggested in the literature. A model is developed which integrates and reconciles these differences. Its central components are recognition of the distinction between quality of performance and quality of experience, and those between individual transactions and global or overall satisfaction and quality. At the transaction level, satisfaction is the affective psychological response to a destination, while service quality is cognitive belief about the destination's features or attributes. Both overall service quality and overall satisfaction are attitudes with cognitive and affective components.