Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS? BUSINESS OWNERSHIP GROWTH BY GENDER ACROSS THE AMERICAN URBAN LANDSCAPE

type="main" xml:id="ecin12224-abs-0001"> This study identifies the determinants of growth for male and female business ownership in a subset of U.S. counties. The results indicate that there are important characteristic and behavioral differences between the male and female populations in each county that affect regional changes in business ownership for each gender. In particular, the education level of males and females as well as the local family structure impact the propensity for firms owned by each gender differently. A Blinder-Oaxaca type decomposition, a novel approach in the context of regional outcomes, demonstrates that although the effect of characteristic differences is larger, the behavioral differences are key to narrowing the gender disparity in business ownership . ( JEL L26, R2, R3)
The Emergence of Entrepreneurial Intentions in Indigenous Entrepreneurs: The Role of Personal Background on the Antecedents of Intentions

The fact that models of entrepreneurship have generally been developed on a global scale has made the matter of explaining and assessing indigenous level experience rather difficult from the perspective of reliability and validity. It is therefore very important from an academic perspective to reveal such local scale entrepreneurial behaviours. Research was conducted in three stages. Personal backgrounds formed by factors such as role models, traits and experience, and contextual terms were addressed. Then clues regarding cognitive structures and processes were researched by focusing on how entrepreneurs recognize opportunities. Finally, factors having an influence in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions were addressed. The sampling structure of this study was entrepreneurs in the town of Biga, which is one of the main economic fields of the Canakkale region in Turkey. Findings on the research topic were obtained by evaluating entrepreneurial activities in different time periods by indigenous entrepreneurs and by conducting detailed interviews with these entrepreneurs. Using this research method made possible a more effective understanding the decision-making paradigm of the entrepreneurs. The 26 entrepreneurs analysed in the study were divided into three basic types according to the dominant factors determined following analysis of the reasons that led them to start an entrepreneurial career.
Exploring Factors Responsible for Low Achievement in Science at Secondary Level in Odisha

Science is one of the compulsory and demanding fields of school education that provided sufficient systematic logical knowledge and experience related to matter of living as well as non living world. Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. These days science has significant vocational and educational value. However it is observed that that achievement level of students in science subject at secondary level is not satisfactory due to various reasons which are not only serving as serious barriers to adequate science education in the country but also for the obstruction of national development and prosperity in terms of future citizen’s proper understanding in science. Therefore it is necessary to undertake one action research to find out the factors responsible for student’s poor achievement in science. The present study tried to significant factors contributing for the low achievement of students at secondary level by constructing one tool i.e. Interview Schedule to map the factors causing low achievement in science at secondary level. The finding suggested that maximum percentage (81.66%) of students confirmed low quality of science teaching as a significant factor for their low achievement in science where as 66.66 percentage of students supported faulty teaching method for this same problem. Average percentage of students confirmed that Curriculum and instructional materials (53.33%), Psychological factors (43.33%), are the barrier categories that providing factors for low achievement in science. However, only 35 % as well as 30% students have approved infrastructural and socioeconomic factors for their low achievement in science respectively. The paper also suggested that by improving content knowledge and pedagogical competency of science teachers in terms of in-service and pre service teacher education, this serious problem from science education can be removed.
Investigation of attitudes about corporate social responsibility: Business students in Iran

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is about the social expectations and responsibilities of business to its environment, which is highlighted recently in practice and theory. In today’s business era, there is an increasing emphasis on how to improve CSR among firms operations in order to be more institutionalized which will lead to more survival chance in addition to the need of being technically and economically efficient. A lot of studies are conducted to define the determinants of CSR among the firms, which is also the aim of the presented study. This paper to do so firstly defines the CSR determinants and then analyzes their significance among business students as future business leaders in Iran with its particular business environment. Findings implied employees' gender, age and living background have no impact on CSR, while employees' religiosity and Machiavellianism and relativism influence CSR significantly. Results for Iran are the same, in comparison to the other countries which were studied before and are useful for managers to plan for improving the CSR.
The Demand for Younger and Older Workers

This study examines how worker productivity and risk factors affect the demand for younger and older workers modeled using concepts from labor economics. The two primary National Football League player labor markets—the draft process and veteran free agent market—provide rich empirical environments for testing hypotheses from the model. Clubs demonstrate greater demand for rookies by drafting them earlier and for veterans by signing them faster. Greater physical productivity enhances labor demand for all players, but risk factors exert a more severe labor market penalty for veterans, patterns consistent with theory and with previous research on the demand for risky workers and older workers.
Charter School Competition and Its Impact on Employment Spending in Michigan's Public Schools

This paper seeks to determine how competition from charter schools affects a broad range of employees including instructors, administrators, and support personnel. Three empirical models are estimated utilizing a panel data from Michigan: a fixed effect model, a fixed effect model with lagged dependent variable, and an instrumental variable model. The key findings are that when a school district faces competition from charter schools they spend a larger percentage on instructors (most likely most of this is going toward teachers and not teacher aides), while spending a smaller percentage on employees that support instructors. The models seem to imply that the increased spending on teachers may not be reflected in a salary increase.
In and out of the labour market: long-term income consequences of child-related interruptions to women's paid work

Why do Canadian mothers have lower incomes than women who have never had children? Microdata from the 1995 GSS allow examination of two hypotheses: (1) mothers have spent more time out of the labour force, thus acquiring less human capital; (2) higher levels of unpaid work lead to fatigue and/or scheduling difficulties. Measuring work history does little to account for the "family gap. " The estimated child penalty is reduced by allowing for "human capital depreciation" and controlling for unpaid work hours, but the two hypotheses together cannot entirely explain the gap.
Separation of sublethal and lethal effects of the bactericidal/permeability increasing protein on Escherichia coli.

Binding of the bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI) of granulocytes to Escherichia coli promptly produces several discrete outer envelope alterations and growth arrest without major impairment of bacterial structure or biosynthetic capabilities, raising the question whether these early effects of BPI are sufficient to cause bacterial death. In this study, the bactericidal action of BPI was examined more closely. We have found that bovine or human serum albumin blocks bacterial killing without preventing BPI binding or an increase in outer membrane permeability. Moreover, addition of serum albumin after BPI results in growth resumption without displacement of bound BPI and without (early) repair of the envelope alterations. These effects are opposite to those produced by Mg2+ (80 mM), which displaces greater than 85% of bound BPI and rapidly initiates outer envelope repair without restoration of bacterial growth. The extent of rescue by serum albumin depends on the time and pH of preincubation of BPI with E. coli: e.g., for E. coli J5 treated with human BPI, t1/2 = 79 min at pH 7.4 and 10 min at pH 6.0. The serum albumin effects on BPI action are the same in wild-type E. coli and in a mutant strain lacking an activatable phospholipase, indicating that serum albumin does not act by sequestering membrane-damaging products of bacterial phospholipid hydrolysis. The progression from reversible to irreversible growth arrest, revealed by the subsequent addition of serum albumin at different times, is paralleled by a decrease in amino acid uptake and an increase in the permeability of the cytoplasmic membrane to o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactoside. These findings demonstrate at least two stages in the action of BPI: (a) an early, reversible, sublethal stage in which BPI has effects on the outer envelope and causes growth arrest, and (b) time- and pH-dependent progression to a lethal stage, apparently involving cytoplasmic membrane damage, possibly caused by penetration of a small subpopulation of BPI.
Effect of membrane composition and of co‐encapsulation of immunostimulants in a liposome‐entrapped crotoxin

Crotoxin isolated from the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus (South American rattlesnake) was incorporated into liposomes by the dehydration–rehydration vesicle method using different membrane compositions and the co‐encapsulation of immunostimulants. Crotoxin was also encapsulated into liposomes formed from a non‐phospholipid amphiphile, a mixture of polyoxyethylene 2‐cetyl ether, dicetyl phosphate and cholesterol. The preparations were characterized in relation to stability, toxicity and the protection of mice against whole venom after immunization. All liposome preparations were quite stable, retaining more than 75% of the originally encapsulated crotoxin after 1 week of incubation at physiological temperature. Co‐encapsulation with lipopolysaccharide increased the leakage of crotoxin. In contrast, co‐encapsulation of the lipid moiety of lipopolysaccharide did not influence the stability of liposomes. Toxicity of liposomes was dependent on membrane composition. Liposomes made with phospholipids that were resistant to phospholipase A2 activity were less toxic. Mice immunized with three doses of the 1×LD50 of crotoxin encapsulated into liposomes, and with associated immunostimulants, were protected against challenge with 8×subcutaneous LD50 of C. durissus terrificus venom. Using the same immunization schedule, liposomes made from a non‐phospholipid mixture and without immunostimulants achieved 100% protection.
Determinants of efficiency in South East Asian banking

This paper explores the efficiency of banks in five South East Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) using the non-parametric data envelopment approach and Tobit regression. The results indicate that efficiency has significantly declined over the period 1998–2004 indicating that the post-1997 crisis restructuring had a negative influence on bank performance. In line with the established literature on emerging markets, foreign banks appear to be more efficient than the domestic counterparts. However, state-owned banks exhibited greater efficiency than their local private sector peers. Among country-level factors, national banking development shows a strong and positive link with bank efficiency. The results are robust to different assumptions of bank inputs, outputs, technological changes, and national banking convergence.
Action spotting exploiting the frequency domain

In this paper we present a novel method for action spotting in a video sequence, that employs the 3D Fourier transform in order to define a 3D gradient correlation function operating at the frequency domain. In that way we achieve invariance to spatiotemporal variations and also to frame reordering. One of the most attractive features of the proposed scheme is it's high degree of computational efficiency and the fact that it can be implemented by fast transformation algorithms in the frequency domain. Experiments conducted to a publicly available database demonstrated the superiority of the proposed method in terms of more accurate estimations and significantly lower computational complexity.
Operational water consumption and withdrawal factors for electricity generating technologies: a review of existing literature

This report provides estimates of operational water withdrawal and water consumption factors for electricity generating technologies in the United States. Estimates of water factors were collected from published primary literature and were not modified except for unit conversions. The water factors presented may be useful in modeling and policy analyses where reliable power plant level data are not available. Major findings of the report include: water withdrawal and consumption factors vary greatly across and within fuel technologies, and water factors show greater agreement when organized according to cooling technologies as opposed to fuel technologies; a transition to a less carbon-intensive electricity sector could result in either an increase or a decrease in water use, depending on the choice of technologies and cooling systems employed; concentrating solar power technologies and coal facilities with carbon capture and sequestration capabilities have the highest water consumption values when using a recirculating cooling system; and non-thermal renewables, such as photovoltaics and wind, have the lowest water consumption factors. Improved power plant data and further studies into the water requirements of energy technologies in different climatic regions would facilitate greater resolution in analyses of water impacts of future energy and economic scenarios. This report provides the foundation for conducting water use impact assessments of the power sector while also identifying gaps in data that could guide future research.
Specific detection of toxigenic vibrio cholerae based on in situ PCR in combination with flow cytometry.

OBJECTIVE To develop an in situ PCR in combination with flow cytometry (ISPCR-FCM) for monitoring cholera toxin positive Vibrio cholerae. METHODS In running this method, 4% paraformaldehyde was used to fix the Vibrio cholerae cells and 1 mg/mL lysozyme for 20 min to permeabilize the cells. Before the PCR thermal cycling, 2.5% glycerol was added into the PCR reaction mixture in order to protect the integrality of the cells. RESULTS A length of 1037bp DNA sequence was amplified, which is specific for the cholera toxin gene (ctxAB gene). Cells subjected to ISPCR showed the presences of ctxAB gene both in epifluorescence microscopy and in flow cytometric analysis. The specificity and sensitivity of the method were investigated. The sensitivity was relatively low (10(5) cells/mL), while the specificity was high. CONCLUSION We have successfully developed a new technique for detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae strains. Further study is needed to enhance its sensitivities. ISPCR-FCM shows a great promise in monitoring specific bacteria and their physiological states in environmental samples.
The Development of the Distribution of Wealth in Sweden

This paper is concerned with the distribution of wealth in Sweden in 1975 and its development during the period 1920–75. The paper is based on a large study on wealth undertaken for the Swedish Commission on Wage‐Earners and Capital Formation. The first report from this study was presented in 1979 as a book in Swedish: Roland Spant, Den svenska formogenhetsfordelningens utveckling (The Development of the Distribution of Wealth in Sweden), SOU 1979:9. That first report will also be published in English. Prior to that the main results can be found in this paper. During 1980–81 we intend to publish specific reports on the distribution of shareholding, the effects of inflation, the development of the distribution of wealth 1975–78, the importance of pension rights etc.
Evaluation of anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects of carnosol in a Balb/c WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma model

Abstract Agents that destroy tumor cells and simultaneously boost host anti-tumor immunity are of keen interest in cancer therapy. In the present study, the effect of carnosol on anti-tumor immunity in a Balb/c mouse model of fibrosarcoma was evaluated. Carnosol was administered intraperitoneally daily (at 5 or 10 mg/kg/day, for 7 days) to tumor-bearing mice (i.e. 7 days after initial injection of tumor cells). Another group of tumor-bearing mice was treated with 20 mg cyclophosphamide/kg/d (positive control); a final group received vehicle only (vehicle control). After an initial measure on Day 0, tumor size was measured twice during the 7-day treatment period. One day after the final treatment with vehicle/carnosol (i.e. Day 7), the mice had their tumors measured and then were euthanized to permit their spleen and tumor to be harvested for isolation of, respectively, splenocytes and tumor-associated lymphocytes. Using these materials, spontaneous and mitogen-induced release of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and interferon (IFN)-γ, lymphocyte proliferation, and the absolute numbers/relative percentages of splenic and tumor-associated T-regulatory (Treg) and other T-lymphocyte sub-sets were evaluated. The results showed that carnosol at both doses significantly suppressed tumor growth and caused depletion of splenic and tumor-associated Treg cells. It also caused relative (vs control mouse cell values) decreases in splenocyte spontaneous/inducible production of IL-4 and IL-10 and increases in IFNγ and cell proliferation. Carnosol at either dose did not cause changes in the percentages of CD4+ or CD8+ lymphocytes in the spleen or in tumor-associated lymphocyte populations. The observed increases in IFNγ, decreases in IL-10 and IL-4 production, and reductions in splenic/tumor-associated Treg cell levels might be signs reflecting the potential anti-tumor activity of carnosol. Based on the findings here, it is asserted that carnosol is a likely candidate – after more complete toxicologic evaluation – for eventual use as an anti-cancer therapeutic.
Educational and Child Labor Impacts of Two Food for Education Schemes : Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Rural Burkina Faso * January , 2012

This paper uses a prospective randomized trial to assess the impact of two food for education schemes on education and child labor outcomes for children from low-income households in northern rural Burkina Faso. The two food for education programs under consideration are, on the one hand, school meals where students are provided with lunch each school day, and, on the other hand, take home rations which provide girls with 10 kg of cereal flour each month, conditional on 90 percent attendance rate. After the program ran for one academic year, both programs increased enrollment by 3 to 5 percentage points. The scores on mathematics improved for girls in both school meals and takehome rations villages. Conditional on enrollment, the interventions caused attendance to decrease, but this was mainly driven by lower attendance among new enrollees. The interventions also led to adjustment in child labor, with children (especially girls) with access to food for education programs, in particular the take home rations, shifting away from on farm labor and off-farm productive tasks which possibly are more incompatible with school hours.
Myofiber orientation and electrical activation in human and sheep atrial models

Anatomically realistic computational models provide a powerful platform for investigating mechanisms that underlie atrial rhythm disturbances. In recent years, novel techniques have been developed to construct structurally-detailed, image-based models of 3D atrial anatomy. However, computational models still do not contain full descriptions of the atrial intramural myofiber architecture throughout the entire atria. To address this, a semi-automatic rule-based method was developed for generating multi-layer myofiber orientations in the human atria. The rules for fiber generation are based on the careful anatomic studies of Ho, Anderson and co-workers using dissection, macrophotography and visual tracing of fiber tracts. Separately, a series of high color contrast images were obtained from sheep atria with a novel confocal surface microscopy method. Myofiber orientations in the normal sheep atria were estimated by eigen-analyis of the 3D image structure tensor. These data have been incorporated into an anatomical model that provides the quantitative representation of myofiber architecture in the atrial chambers. In this study, we attempted to compare the two myofiber generation approaches. We observed similar myo-bundle structure in the human and sheep atria, for example in Bachmann's bundle, atrial septum, pectinate muscles, superior vena cava and septo-pulmonary bundle. Our computational simulations also confirmed that the preferential propagation pathways of the activation sequence in both atrial models is qualitatively similar, largely due to the domination of the major muscle bundles.
Initiation of Protein Synthesis by a Labeled Derivative of the Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 Strain during Transit from the Stomach to the Cecum in Mice Harboring Human Microbiota

ABSTRACT Although studies on the survival of bacteria in the digestive tract have been reported in the literature, little data are available on the physiological adaptation of probiotics to the digestive environment. In previous work, a transcriptional fusion system (i.e., luciferase genes under the control of a deregulated promoter) was used to demonstrate that a derivative of the Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 strain, ingested in a fermented milk and thus exhibiting initially a very weak metabolic activity, synthesized proteins de novo after its transit in the digestive tract of mice harboring human microbiota (known as human-microbiota-associated mice). With the same genetic system and animal model, we here investigate for the first time the ability of L. casei to reinitiate synthesis in the different digestive tract compartments. In this study, most ingested L. casei cells transited from the stomach to the duodenum-jejunum within 1 h postingestion. No luciferase activity was observed in these digestive tract compartments after the first hour. At later times, the bulk of bacteria had transited to the ileum and the cecum. Luciferase synthesis was detected between 1.5 and 2.0 h postingestion at the ileal level and from 1.5 h to at least 6.0 h postingestion in the cecum, where the activity remained at a maximum level. These results demonstrate that ingested L. casei (derivative of the DN-114 001 strain) administered via a fermented milk has already reinitiated protein synthesis when it reaches the ileal and cecal compartments.