Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The European Union and the governance of football: a game of levels and agendas

The institutions of the European Union (EU) have been involved in football-related matters for more than 30 years without having a direct competence in sport. This apparent paradox is the starting point of this thesis, which investigates the origin, development and consequences of EU policies on football. The EU interventions in football issues are examined through a conceptual framework based on models of agenda-setting and multilevel governance. This thesis draws on qualitative research through primary sources, mainly semi-structured interviews and official documents. The most important policy initiatives and decisions of the EU on football matters can be grouped under three headings: freedom of movement for workers, football broadcasting and football governance. EU institutions did not become involved in football matters by their own volition, but as a result of their responsibilities to adjudicate in legal disputes related to freedom of movement for workers and competition policy. The commercialisation of professional football especially over the last few decades generated internal conflicts in the governance of football that were only resolved with recourse to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The EU has acted as an alternative policy venue for football stakeholders wishing to challenge the decisions of football federations. Thus, the EU and football appear as two systems of multilevel governance that have coexisted in parallel for some time but have since clashed as a result of the instrumentalisation of EU venues by football stakeholders. The policies of the EU on football are a compromise between two different visions of the game. Whereas football was initially introduced onto the EU agenda only in economic terms through the ECJ and the Commission, the EU has subsequently developed a more holistic and nuanced vision of football that takes into account its wider social and cultural values. The intervention of the Member States and the European Parliament, at the request of football governing bodies, facilitated the further evolution of EU policies on football. As a result of all these processes, the authority of federations such as the international football federation (Federation Internationale de Football Association, FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has been diffused in favour of a horizontal network of governance that includes representatives from players, clubs and leagues.
Port facilities, regional spillovers and exports: Empirical evidence from Spain

This paper analyses whether regions benefit from their neighbours' transport facilities. We focus on ports and estimate a gravity model of trade that includes port facilities indicators as explanatory variables. The model is estimated by using exports from 19 Spanish regions to 45 countries from 2000 onwards. To test for the existence of regional spillovers, we construct a weight matrix that takes into account the relative importance of the neighbouring ports, as well as the quality of port infrastructure in destination countries. The findings suggest that regional spillovers play a larger role than port facilities themselves in the growth of Spanish exports.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Bacillus Bacterium from the Atacama Desert Wetlands Metagenome

ABSTRACT We report here the draft genome sequence of a Bacillus bacterium isolated from the microflora of Nostoc colonies grown at the Andean wetlands in northern Chile. We consider this genome sequence to be a molecular tool for exploring microbial relationships and adaptation strategies to the prevailing extreme conditions at the Atacama Desert.
Legitimating the Union: Dilemmas of Citizens' and National Elites' Inclusion in a Multilevel Europe

It is often claimed that the EU suffers from a range of, occasionally, difficult-to-identify legitimacy problems. This is mainly because of its complex internal structure and way of functioning – i.e. between various levels of governance and centres of decision-making authority. This paper focuses on the role of citizens and national elites in granting support for the EU. The bottom-up approaches of legitimisation are thus explored. Special attention is paid to the participatory opportunities for citizens and national elites in multilevel governance.
OPTIMAL TRADING STRATEGY WITH PARTIAL INFORMATION AND THE VALUE OF INFORMATION: THE SIMPLIFIED AND GENERALIZED MODELS

In this paper we deal with the optimization problem of maximizing the expected total utility from consumption under the case of partial information. By means of the martingale method and filter theory, we have acquired an explicit solution to optimal investment and consumption determined by the security prices for a special security price process. Furthermore, we establish a simple formula for valuing information, provided that the utility function is logarithmic. In the end, we extend most of the conclusions to a general situation where both the interest rate and dispersion coefficient of risk security follow some stochastic processes.
High-Dimensional Sparse Additive Hazards Regression

High-dimensional sparse modeling with censored survival data is of great practical importance, as exemplified by modern applications in high-throughput genomic data analysis and credit risk analysis. In this article, we propose a class of regularization methods for simultaneous variable selection and estimation in the additive hazards model, by combining the nonconcave penalized likelihood approach and the pseudoscore method. In a high-dimensional setting where the dimensionality can grow fast, polynomially or nonpolynomially, with the sample size, we establish the weak oracle property and oracle property under mild, interpretable conditions, thus providing strong performance guarantees for the proposed methodology. Moreover, we show that the regularity conditions required by the L 1 method are substantially relaxed by a certain class of sparsity-inducing concave penalties. As a result, concave penalties such as the smoothly clipped absolute deviation, minimax concave penalty, and smooth integration of counting and absolute deviation can significantly improve on the L 1 method and yield sparser models with better prediction performance. We present a coordinate descent algorithm for efficient implementation and rigorously investigate its convergence properties. The practical use and effectiveness of the proposed methods are demonstrated by simulation studies and a real data example.
The Activation Function-1 Domain of Nur77/NR4A1 Mediates Trans-activation, Cell Specificity, and Coactivator Recruitment*

Nur77/NR4A1 is an “orphan member” of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. Nur77 and its close relatives Nurr1 and NOR-1 bind as monomers to a consensus binding site, the nerve growth factor induced protein I-B (NGFI-B)-binding response element (NBRE). The Nur77/NURR1/NOR1 nuclear receptors are classified as immediate early response genes which are induced through multiple signal transduction pathways. They have been implicated in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, the mechanism of coactivation and ligand independent trans-activation remains unclear. Hence we examined the molecular basis of Nur77-mediated cofactor recruitment and activation. We observed that Nur77 trans-activates gene expression in a cell-specific manner, and operates in an activation function-1 (AF-1)-dependent manner. The AB region encodes an uncommonly potent N-terminal AF-1 domain delimited to between amino acids 50 and 160 and is essential for the ligand-independent activation of gene expression. Steroid receptor coactivator-2 (SRC-2) modulates the activity of the N-terminal AF-1 domain. Moreover, SRC-2 dramatically potentiates the retinoid induced RXR-dependent activation of the Nur77 ligand binding domain (LBD). Interestingly, the N-terminal AB region (not the LBD) facilitates coactivator recruitment and directly interacts with SRC, p300, PCAF, and DRIP-205. Consistent with this, homology modeling indicated that the Nur77 LBD coactivator binding cleft was substantially different from that of retinoic acid receptor γ, a closely related AF-2-dependent receptor. In particular, the hydrophobic cleft characteristic of nuclear receptors was replaced with a much more hydrophilic surface with a distinct topology. This observation accounts for the inability of this nuclear receptor LBD to directly mediate cofactor recruitment. Furthermore, the AF-1 domain physically associates with the Nur77 C-terminal LBD and synergizes with the retinoid X receptor LBD. Thus, the AF-1 domain plays a major role in Nur77-mediated transcriptional activation, cofactor recruitment, and intra- and intermolecular interactions.
The Bacterial Enzyme IdeS Cleaves the IgG-Type of B Cell Receptor (BCR), Abolishes BCR-Mediated Cell Signaling, and Inhibits Memory B Cell Activation

Ag binding to the BCR is a critical step in B cell development and activation, initiating a cascade of signaling events ultimately leading to proliferation, differentiation, or cell death. A bacterial enzyme, IgG-degrading enzyme of Streptococcus pyogenes (IdeS), was shown to specifically cleave IgG molecules below the hinge region of soluble IgG and when IgG is bound to Ag, resulting in one F(ab′)2 molecule and one homodimeric Fc fragment. Whether IdeS could also cleave the IgG molecule when it is present in the BCR attached to the B cell membrane in a complex with CD79a and CD79b is unknown. In this article, we present human in vitro and ex vivo data showing that IdeS cleaves the IgG present in the BCR complex and very efficiently blocks Ag binding to the BCR. As a consequence of IdeS cleaving the BCR, signaling cascades downstream of the BCR are blocked, and memory B cells are temporarily silenced, preventing them from responding to antigenic stimulation and their transition into Ab-producing cells.
Protection against Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Injury in Renal Proximal Tubule Cell Lines by Inhibition of Poly(ADP–Ribose) Synthase

Radicals including superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide or hydroxyl radicals and NO or peroxynitrite cause the breakage of DNA strands and activation of poly–(ADP–ribose) synthase (PARS). Recent studies showed that inhibition of PARS activity reduces the tissue injury after exposure to oxidative stress. However, the role of PARS in renal injury by oxidants has not been examined. In this study effect of a PARS inhibitor, 3–aminobenamide (3–AB), on injury of opossum kidney or LLC–PK1 cells by hydrogen peroxide or tert–butyl hydroperoxide (t–BHP) was examined. The exposure of opossum kidney cells to hydrogen peroxide activated PARS and decreased cellular adenosine triphosphate levels in a concentration–dependent manner. Inhibition of PARS with 3–AB prevented the cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide and also prevented adenosine triphosphate depletion. 3–AB did not have hydroxyl radical scavenging effect. In contrast, t–BHP did not affect the PARS activity. The decrease in cellular adenosine triphosphate levels by t–BHP was less than that by hydrogen peroxide. 3–AB failed to prevent the cell death induced by t–BHP. PARS activation after exposure of hydrogen peroxide was inhibited by addition of t–BHP. However, t–BHP showed an additive effect on cell death with hydrogen peroxide. These results indicate that activation of PARS plays an important role in hydrogen peroxide induced injury in opossum kidney cells and that hydrogen peroxide and t–BHP induce cell injury by different mechanisms.
${\cal H}_\infty$ State-Feedback-Control Design for Discrete-Time Fuzzy Systems Using Relaxation Technique for Parameterized LMI

In this study, we establish a less-conservative H_ stabilization condition for a class of discrete-time Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy systems. To this end, we propose a useful relaxation technique that can be used to transform parameterized-linear-matrix inequalities (PLMIs) with homogeneous polynomial dependence on current-time parameters and preceding parameters into a finite set of LMIs. The main feature of this technique is that all possible slack variables can be included in the relaxation process to fully exploit the convexity of the PLMIs. By applying the relaxation technique, we establish a less-conservative LMI-based H_ stabilization condition.
Some Implications of the Comovement of American Company Earnings

Although there is considerable evidence to suggest that rates of return on common stocks are closely dependent on the company's underlying earnings growth, relatively little analysis has been undertaken of the determinants of earnings growth at the level of the firm. Such work as has been done has revealed depressingly little evidence of any consistent behavior. The process of earnings change remains largely a higgledy piggledy affair. This paper explores the comovement of company earnings. Part 1 suggests that the variation in earnings has reflected significant common and industry influences. There are considerable differences in the importance of these factors. On the one hand, cosmetic, food and brewing companies have been very successful in isolating themselves both from the fortunes of their immediate rivals and from those of the rest of the corporate sector. At the other extreme the earnings of tyre manufacturers and department stores have been closely dependent both on the general level of economic activity, and on the degree of prosperity within their industry. Such differences, it is argued, reflect the cross-elasticities of demand for the companies' products. The relevance of these findings for investors is emphasised by the fact that the differences in the importance of the common factor are paralleled by similar differences in the behavior of the common stocks. Part 2 looks more closely at the relationship between the earnings of the individual company and those of the corporate sector as a whole. Not only are there major differences in the extent to which the firm is affected by changes in the general level of prosperity, but these differences exhibit a strong measure of persistence. Thus, if the outlook for corporate earnings as a whole is known, the relative performance of individual firms becomes in some measure predictable. The sensitivity of company earnings to changes in the level of economic activity appears to be related in some degree to the systematic risk of the common stock. The possibility of being able to define risk in terms of accounting income numbers has several attractions. Firstly, it would provide some reassurance as to the meaningfulness of accounting income numbers. Secondly, it would offer a definition of risk which would be more meaningful to the operating company. Thirdly, it might be possible to develop more accurate estimates of systematic risk than those derived solely from an analysis of prior rates of return on the common stock.
Logistic regression with expert intervention

This paper deals with problem of analysis of traffic data. A traffic network has several types of roads: historical centre, peripherals, arterial roads, etc. They have specific properties. For a traffic analysis, large amounts of data are needed. Some traffic data are difficult to obtain due to their rare occurrence. Typical example is the investigation of traffic accidents. In these cases, data from other similar roads can be used. In such cases, an expert intervention added to the general analysis is very important. In this paper, the logistic regression with two types of expert intervention is briefly introduced. The performance of these methods is demonstrated on examples concerning seriousness of traffic accidents.
Social Security, Pensions and Retirement Behavior within the Family

This paper estimates a structural model of family retirement using U.S. data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women. Estimates using the HRS benefit from having, for each spouse, earnings histories provided by the respondent and the Social Security Administration, and employer provided pension plan descriptions. We find that a measure of how much each spouse values being able to spend time in retirement with the other accounts for a good portion of the apparent interdependence of the retirement decisions of husbands and wives. When we include this measure, the simulations almost double the frequency of predicted joint retirements. Once estimated, we use the model to investigate the labor supply effects of alternative social security policies, examining the effect of dividing credit for earnings evenly between spouses, or of basing social security benefits on the amounts accumulated in private accounts. Both policies change the relative importance of spouse and survivor social security benefits within the household and both raise the relative reward to work later in the life cycle. The incentives created are modest, and retirement responds accordingly. Nevertheless, at some ages, such as 65, there may be as much as a 6 percent increase in the old age work force under privatized accounts.
Impact of HIV-1 subtype on CD4 count at HIV seroconversion, rate of decline, and viral load set point in European seroconverter cohorts.

BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype may influence disease progression. We compared CD4 lymphocyte cell count levels at seroconversion, decline rates and viral load set point in individuals infected with different HIV-1 subtypes. METHODS We used data from the Concerted Action on SeroConversion to AIDS and Death in Europe (CASCADE) collaboration, restricted to those infected since 1996, aged ≥15 years, and applied mixed effects models for CD4 cell count decline and median regression for viral load set point (mean level 6-24 months from seroconversion). RESULTS The analysis included 3364 seroconverters with known HIV-1 subtypes. Compared with subtype B, CD4 at seroconversion was significantly higher for subtype CRF01 and lower for subtype C. Subsequent CD4 decline was significantly slower for subtypes A and CRF02 and marginally slower for subtype C compared with B. Mean CD4 loss at 2 years of seroconversion for white men exposed through sex between men, aged 30-39 years, having seroconverted since 2006, enrolled within 6 months of seroconversion, and without acute infection was 88, 142, 100, 130, 103, and 167 cells/µL for subtypes A, B, C, CRF01_AE, CRF02_AG, and G, respectively. In adjusted analysis, median viral load set point and time to clinical AIDS/death did not differ significantly by subtype, although all subtypes, except C, tended to have lower levels compared with B. CONCLUSIONS HIV-1 subtype significantly influences seroconversion CD4 cell levels and decline rates but not viral load set point. These findings may be helpful to HIV-positive individuals and their attending physicians in understanding disease progression.
Improved imaging of infections by avidin-induced clearance of 99mTc-biotin-PEG liposomes.

UNLABELLED This article describes the preparation and optimization of biotin-polyethyleneglycol (PEG) liposomes and their application in experimental infection models to improve the scintigraphic imaging of infection and inflammation. METHODS Biotin was coupled to PEG-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE) and subsequently incorporated in the PEG liposomes. Biotinylated liposomes were radiolabeled with 99mTc-hydrazinonicotinamide. In vitro binding studies were performed to find the optimal biotin concentration in the liposomes. In rats the biodistribution of the 99mTc-biotin-PEG liposomes was compared with the biodistribution of normal (nonbiotinylated) 99mTc-PEG liposomes. Furthermore, in vivo studies in rats were performed to study both the effect of the biotin content and the optimal avidin dose for efficient clearance of the liposomes. Liposomes containing 0.5 or 1.0 mol% biotin-PEG-DSPE were compared in rats with a Staphylococcus aureus infection in the left calf muscle. Avidin was injected 4 h after injection of the liposomes. RESULTS Biotinylation of the liposomes did not affect their in vivo behavior. All biotin-PEG liposome formulations tested showed good in vitro avidin binding with 50% inhibitory concentrations ranging from 36 to 8 micromol/L. With avidin doses higher than 100 microg, both preparations rapidly cleared from the circulation. As a result, abscess-to-blood ratios increased 5-fold. To illustrate the potential of the avidin-induced clearance of radiolabeled PEG liposomes, we also studied the 99mTc-biotin-PEG liposomes in rabbits with a subcutaneous S. aureus abscess. The infection was visualized only after injection of 100 microg avidin. CONCLUSION This study shows that biotin-coated 99mTc-PEG liposomes in combination with the injection of avidin can lead to improved imaging of infection or inflammation localized especially in regions with high blood-pool activity.
Effect of intraruminal infusion of potassium on the site of magnesium absorption within the digestive tract in sheep

Sixteen 2-year old female sheep were fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulae at Johnstone Memorial Laboratory, Lincoln University during 1989–90. They were offered, at 2 hourly intervals, a pelleted concentrate diet (900 g/day) and chaffed lucerne hay (100 g/day). In a split-plot experiment they were infused, intraruminally and at four rates, with potassium (providing 16, 26, 36 or 46 g K/kg food DM/day) and magnesium (providing 1·3, 1·8, 2·3 or 3·1 g Mg/kg food DM/day) within a Latin square design and with the liquid and solid phase markers 51chromium EDTA and 141cerium chloride. Net absorption of Mg before and after the duodenum was estimated from dietary intake, duodenal flow and urinary and faecal excretion of Mg. Increasing K intake resulted in a decline in net absorption of Mg from the entire digestive tract, supporting data in the literature. Increasing K intake from 16 to 46 g/kg DM decreased urinary Mg excretion by between 0·14 and 0·30 g/day, the extent of which was independent of the level of Mg intake. At high K intake Mg absorption from the rumen was reduced, the amount absorbed ranging from 0·07 g Mg/day at intakes of 1·3 g Mg/day and 46 g K/kg DM/day to 0·66 g Mg/day at intakes of 3·1 g Mg/day and 16 g K/kg DM/day. However, at high K intake, and when Mg absorption from the rumen was reduced, net Mg absorption from sites distal to the rumen was increased to an extent which suggested compensatory absorption. Increase in K intake was associated with a consistent reduction in plasma Mg concentration which was independent of Mg intake. Increases in Mg intake resulted in increases in Mg absorption and plasma Mg concentration at all rates of K intake in direct proportion to rate of intake. The reduction in Mg absorption from the rumen at high K intake was associated with an increase (0·3 units) in pH of rumen digesta.