Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sortir du chômage en Île-de-France

Resume L’objet de cette recherche est d’expliquer les disparites intercommunales de retour a l’emploi dans la region Ile-de-France. Partant du fichier historique statistique de l’anpe, on estime des modeles de duree du chomage qui permettent d’evaluer les chances de sortir du chomage dans chaque commune de la region. On constate globalement que les disparites locales sont fortes d’une commune a l’autre, quel que soit l’indicateur que l’on retient pour estimer ces disparites. Les ecarts d’une localite a l’autre restent eleves lorsqu’on neutralise les differences de structure par âge, sexe et qualification, ce qui confirme l’existence d’un effet specifique du territoire. La region affiche une geographie particuliere : au centre et dans la grande peripherie, les sorties du chomage sont plus rares que dans une zone intermediaire de moyenne peripherie a l’echelle regionale. Les localites les plus eloignees du centre se caracterisent generalement par des durees du chomage elevees. Pour tenter d’interpreter cette logique concentrique, nous nous interessons a l’impact de la structure urbaine sur le retour a l’emploi. Alors que certaines localites semblent souffrir d’une mauvaise connexion physique aux opportunites d’emplois, on peut evoquer pour d’autres des effets de segregation residentielle.
SIN NOMBRE VIRUS INFECTION OF DEER MICE IN MONTANA: CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWLY INFECTED MICE, INCIDENCE, AND TEMPORAL PATTERN OF INFECTION

Sin Nombre virus (SNV), hosted by the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), is the principal cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in North America. To improve our understanding of factors that contribute to the occurrence of HPS, we conducted an extensive field study of the characteristics of newly infected (as determined by recent acquisition of antibody) deer mice and the temporal pattern of antibody acquisition (seroconversion) from 1994 through 2004 in Montana, USA. We sampled 6,584 individual deer mice, of which 2,747 were captured over multiple trapping periods. Among these 2,747 deer mice, we detected 171 instances of seroconversion. There was no relationship between seroconversion and the acquisition of scars. However, recently infected Montana deer mice were more likely to be older, more likely to be males, and more likely to be in breeding condition. In addition, recently infected male deer mice gained less weight over the 1-mo period following seroconversion than did those that did not acquire antibody, suggesting that SNV infection may have negatively impacted the health of infected rodents. Incidence was highly variable among years, and timing of infections was primarily associated with the breeding season (generally early spring through late fall).
Chronic disease as a barrier to breast and cervical cancer screening

AbstractOBJECTIVE: To assess whether chronic disease is a barrier to screening for breast and cervical cancer. DESIGN: Structured medical record review of a retrospectively defined cohort. SETTING: Two primary care clinics of one academic medical center. PATIENTS: All eligible women at least 43 years of age seen during a 6-month period in each of the two study clinics (n=1,764). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Study outcomes were whether women had been screened: for mammogram, every 2 years for ages 50–74; for clinical breast examinations (CBEs), every year for all ages; and for Pap smears, every 3 years for ages under 65. An index of comorbidity, adapted from Charlson (0 for no disease, maximum index of 8 among our patients), and specific chronic diseases were the main independent variables. Demographics, clinic use, insurance, and clinical data were covariates. In the appropriate age groups for each test, 58% of women had a mammogram, 43% had a CBE, and 66% had a Pap smear. As comorbidity increased, screening rates decreased (p<.05 for linear trend). After adjustment, each unit increase in the comorbidity index corresponded to a 17% decrease in the likelihood of mammography (p=.005), 13% decrease in CBE (p=.006), and 20% decrease in Pap smears (p=.002). The rate of mammography in women with stable angina was only two fifths of that in women without. CONCLUSIONS: Among women who sought outpatient care, screening rates decreased as comorbidity increased. Whether clinicians and patients are making appropriate decisions about screening is not known.
Short CDAI: Development and validation of a shortened and simplified Crohn's disease activity index

Background: The aim of this study was to develop a shortened Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI). Methods: A short CDAI was developed retrospectively using patient‐level data from four budesonide clinical trials to select variables from the full CDAI which best predicted health‐related quality of life as measured by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), using the multiple linear regression model. The validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the short CDAI compared to the original CDAI were determined using data from nine clinical trials of budesonide. Results: The variables selected for the short CDAI were abdominal pain, diarrhea frequency, and general well‐being. In all nine studies involving 1373 patients with active and inactive CD (5863 visits), the Pearson correlation coefficients between the short CDAI scores and the original CDAI scores at baseline (r = 0.899, P < 0.001), and the score differences (r = 0.963, P < 0.001) were excellent. The short CDAI accounted for 82.4% of the variance of the original CDAI. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the short CDAI was marginally better than that for the full CDAI, and both demonstrated good reliability (r = 0.600 versus r = 0.549). In patients with active CD who remitted during follow‐up, the mean short CDAI scores decreased from 247 to 97, a score difference of 150 ± 60 points (P < 0.001). In patients with stable CD who relapsed, the mean short CDAI scores increased from 109 to 244 points, a score difference of 135 ± 62 points (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The short CDAI is a valid, reliable, and responsive tool for the measurement of CD activity. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
The Study of Compliance Maintenance as a Strategy for Comparative Research

The focus of this article is upon the compliance-inducing mechanisms present in any political system. The notion of compliance relationships is central to all conceptualizations of the political system and its functions, as it is related to all political ‘primitives” such as power, influence, authority, etc. Political systems exist above all for the purpose of establishing compliance with some set of norms or values. The primary institutional form reflecting the performance of this function is government. Members of governmental institutions attempt to maintain the compliance system (a) because of the security of habits, and (b) because they share the same set of norms or values. For a number of reasons the efforts of these actors to maintain the compliance system may not be coordinated: they may or may not act ‘rationally” according to the criteria of rationality applied, but the end product of their activity is a stream of demands for compliance that is oriented toward the enhancement of a desired normative system.
Can Payments for Watershed Services Help Finance Biodiversity Conservation? A Spatial Analysis of Highland Guatemala

Abstract Payments for environmental services (PES) are a promising mechanism for conservation. PES could either provide additional funding for protected areas, pay land users to conserve biodiversity outside protected areas, or both. PES require a secure long-term source of financing to work effectively. Obtaining payments directly for biodiversity conservation is difficult, however. In most cases, water users are the most likely source, either directly or indirectly. Thus the potential for PES to help conserve biodiversity depends, in a large measure, on the degree to which areas of interest for conservation of water services overlap with areas of interest for conservation of biodiversity. This paper examines the extent of such an overlap in the case of highland Guatemala. The results show that this potential varies substantially within the country, with some biodiversity conservation priority areas having very good potential for receiving payments, and others little or none. Overall, about a quarter of all biodiversity conservation priority areas have potential for receiving payments. Thus PES are far from being a silver bullet for biodiversity conservation, but they can make a meaningful contribution to this objective.
Entrepreneurial Learning: Researching the Interface between Learning and the Entrepreneurial Context

The context for the research presented in this article arises from increasing interest, by academics and practitioners, in the importance of learning and knowledge in the knowledge–based economy. In particular, we consider the scope for applying concepts of learning within the field of entrepreneurship. While it has gained currency within the field of management, the application of these concepts to entrepreneurship has been limited. In this Introduction to the Special Issue, we review the development of the field of entrepreneurship as a context for the emergence of learning as an area of scholarly attention, summarize a number of key themes emerging from the organizational learning literature, and outline the article selection process and summarize the key elements of each of the included articles. The article concludes with some reflections on future research at the interface between learning and the entrepreneurial context.
Newly Detected Celiac Disease by Wireless Capsule Endoscopy in Older Adults With Iron Deficiency Anemia

Background The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) is estimated to be 1% in the US population, yet many cases are undiagnosed. CD might present itself in the older adults (age >60 y) for the first time, solely with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Recent studies indicate that approximately 20% of newly diagnosed CD patients are older than 60 years. Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) identifies small bowel mucosal abnormalities by direct visualization. Incidental findings observed by WCE indicative of CD prompt confirmatory diagnostic tests such as IgA class antitissue transglutaminase antibody and IgA class antiendomysial antibody. Aim To present the frequency of mucosal abnormalities and their location suggestive of CD observed by WCE, in the older adults with IDA. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, data is collected from patients who underwent WCE mostly for the evaluation of IDA with or without other symptoms such as obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, and chronic diarrhea over a period of 5 years (2002 to 2007). Results Out of 652 cases of WCE, 360 were older adults (age >60 y). Evaluation of IDA was the indication in 279 out of 360 (78%) older adults. Among the 279 older adults with IDA, 7 (2.5%) had mucosal abnormalities suggestive of CD (atrophy, scalloping, mosaicism, layering, and nonspecific ulcerating jejuno-ileitis). Subsequent evaluation with serum antibody testing±multiple distal duodenal biopsies confirmed the diagnosis in all patients. Five out of 7 (71%) older adults had normal looking duodenal mucosa on WCE, but had classic abnormalities of CD distally. Conclusions (1) Mucosal abnormalities of CD may be seen on WCE for the first time, in the older adults with IDA with no past clinical picture of the disease. (2) Duodenum may be entirely normal by esophagogastroduodenoscopy examination; whereas the proximal and distal intestine may show classic features of CD by WCE.
An empirical analysis of import demand function for Turkey: An ARDL bounds testing approach

Since the 1980’s, Turkish economy has revealed a dramatic growth. The purpose of the present study is to develop the import demand behavior of Turkey as an emerging economy and discover the long-run relation between the import demand and the components of GDP. One of the main reasons we adopt a disaggregated model to test aggregated import demand function estimation is that it deals with the potential aggregation bias when the different macro components have different import contents. The second reason is we believe that elimination of the biasedness will produce better forecasting results. This study examines the long-run and short-run elasticities of Turkey’s disaggregate import demand using an annual dataset that covers the period of 1980 to 2011. The error-correction modeling and cointegration analysis are the appropriate techniques since we try to discover the long-run relation between the import demand and components of GDP. First we determine the degree of integration of each variable in the model to apply the cointegration test that is known as an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL). We collect the dataset from United Nations Statistical Division National Accounts Official Country Data and World Bank’s Development Indicators. This paper is one of the first studies to estimate import demand function of Turkey using the recent data which makes it different from earlier studies. Our results suggest that there is a long run relationship between the dependent variable and the control variables in the import demand function. All the explanatory variables are statistically significant in the long-run and the short-run as well. Our results also suggest that in the long run all of the included variables in the model are statistically significant. All the independent variables have inelastic effects on imports except total consumption. Relative price variable has a positive effect which may suggest in the short run importers cannot adjust price changes faster, consequently causing an increase in import expenditure bills. Thus, Turkish trade balance may get worsen if imports exceeds exports.
Extrasynaptic δ-containing GABAA receptors in the nucleus accumbens dorsomedial shell contribute to alcohol intake

Recent findings suggest that extrasynaptic δ-subunit–containing GABAA receptors are sensitive to low-to-moderate concentrations of alcohol, raising the possibility that these receptors mediate the reinforcing effects of alcohol after consumption of one or a few drinks. We used the technique of viral-mediated RNAi to reduce expression of the GABAA receptor δ-subunit in adult rats in localized regions of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) to test the hypothesis that δ-subunit–containing GABAA receptors in the NAc are necessary for oral alcohol consumption. We found that knockdown of the δ-subunit in the medial shell region of the NAc, but not in the ventral or lateral shell or in the core, reduced alcohol intake. In contrast, δ-subunit knockdown in the medial shell did not affect intake of a 2% sucrose solution, suggesting that the effects of GABAA receptor δ-subunit reduction are specific to alcohol. These results provide strong evidence that extrasynaptic δ-subunit–containing GABAA receptors in the medial shell of the NAc are critical for the reinforcing effects of oral ethanol.
Policy change and learning: Implementing EU environmental policies affecting agriculture

This thesis aims to show whether and how the implementation of the EU environmental policy could be improved through policy learning. The results are based on two case studies: the development of agri-environmental policy in Finland and the implementation of the Water Framework Directive(WFD)in Ireland. The institutional analysis shows that the institutional structures changed due to the membership: the formal structures changed almost overnight and, as a result of increased cross-sectoral cooperation and policy learning, the informal structures also changed. The implementation of agri-environmental policy was studied in one administrative region, namely Uusimaa, located in southern Finland. The adaptation of EU environmental policies is an interesting research topic, not only because of the policy process itself but also because of the actors and context involved.
Model-free simultaneous design of multiloop PID controllers for TITO interactive processes with time delays

This paper presents a model-free simultaneous design method of multiloop PID controllers for two-input-two-output (TITO) interactive processes with time delays. The controller design directly exploits experimental process data without identifying process models. By employing the virtual reference approach, structure of the reference model matrix achievable by the multiloop control scheme is derived and the decentralized multiloop controllers that exactly solve a model-reference control problem are synthesized accordingly. Then, each controller is approximated to PID structure through a frequency-domain approach. The PID controllers design depends on the reference models that are optimally specified by minimizing a model-reference control criterion. Because the controller design is applicable to closed-loop data, it is preferable in industrial applications and the method can be used to improve existing underperforming controllers. Simulation studies show the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Selling and the Salesman: Prediction of Success and Personality Change

By administering a personality inventory and attitude questionnaire to 201 college-student salesmen prior to and after a selling experience, an attempt was made to (1) measure the predictive value of several personality and attitudinal variables in regard to sales success and (2) assess any personality changes after a short selling period. None of the main predictor variables (Extraversion, Self-esteem, and Machiavellianism) correlated significantly with the two criteria of sales success. Combining the variables via a discriminant function analysis did not result in significant discrimination of sales success among salesmen. However, at the end of the selling period, all salesmen showed a significant increase on the extraversion (p < .005) and self-esteem scales (p < .005). Several possible explanations for these results were discussed.
LEARNING TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE: THE USE OF INDICATORS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Performance indicators (PIS) are central to the Thatcher Administration's strategy for reforming the management of government. This paper reports on research into the development and use of PIS in government departments, public agencies and private businesses in the 1980s. This comparative approach shows that the problems of performance assessment and the methods adopted for the design of PI systems, cut across the public/private divide but are related to the specific characteristics of organizations and their environment. The paper further analyses various dimensions of PI systems - notably, the measurement of quality and consumer satisfaction - and examines their implementation and evolution. The lifecycle of PIS suggests a possible prescriptive theory: the ‘mature’ PI model seems to be characterized by being designer-built, parsimonious and timely. The drive towards the development of PI systems, it is concluded, is likely to intensify in the 1990s, in response to the Next Steps initiative and as instruments for the regulation of privatized monopolies.
Characterization of Bacillus cereus Isolates Associated with Fatal Pneumonias: Strains Are Closely Related to Bacillus anthracis and Harbor B. anthracis Virulence Genes

ABSTRACT Bacillus cereus is ubiquitous in nature, and while most isolates appear to be harmless, some are associated with food-borne illnesses, periodontal diseases, and other more serious infections. In one such infection, B. cereus G9241 was identified as the causative agent of a severe pneumonia in a Louisiana welder in 1994. This isolate was found to harbor most of the B. anthracis virulence plasmid pXO1 (13). Here we report the characterization of two clinical and one environmental B. cereus isolate collected during an investigation of two fatal pneumonia cases in Texas metal workers. Molecular subtyping revealed that the two cases were not caused by the same strain. However, one of the three isolates was indistinguishable from B. cereus G9241. PCR analysis demonstrated that both clinical isolates contained B. anthracis pXO1 toxin genes. One clinical isolate and the environmental isolate collected from that victim's worksite contained the cap A, B, and C genes required for capsule biosynthesis in B. anthracis. Both clinical isolates expressed a capsule; however, neither was composed of poly-d-glutamic acid. Although most B. cereus isolates are not opportunistic pathogens and only a limited number cause food-borne illnesses, these results demonstrate that some B. cereus strains can cause severe and even fatal infections in patients who appear to be otherwise healthy.
Reproducibility of Serum Pituitary Hormones in Women

Endogenous pituitary hormones are commonly used in clinical and epidemiologic studies and some of them are thought to influence the risk of several diseases in women. In most studies, endogenous levels of pituitary hormones are usually assessed at a single point in time, assuming that this single measurement represents the long-term biomarker status of the individual. Such an assumption is rarely tested and may not always be valid. This study examined the reproducibility of the following pituitary hormones: adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and prolactin, measured using the Luminex xMap method in sera of healthy premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The study included 30 premenopausal women with three yearly samples and 35 postmenopausal women with two repeated yearly samples randomly selected from an existing prospective cohort. Analysis of intraclass correlation coefficients suggested higher reproducibility in postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women for the following hormones: FSH (0.72 and 0.37, respectively), LH (0.83 and 0.44, respectively), and growth hormone (0.60 and 0.35, respectively). The intraclass correlation coefficients were relatively high and similar between postmenopausal and premenopausal women for ACTH (0.95 and 0.94, respectively), TSH (0.85 and 0.85, respectively), and prolactin (0.72 and 0.69, respectively). This study found that serum concentrations of FSH, LH, and growth hormone are stable in postmenopausal women and that ACTH, TSH, and prolactin are stable in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, suggesting that a single measurement may reliably categorize average levels over at least a 2-year period. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(8):1880–3)
Impact of Current Climate Proposals

This article investigates the temperature reduction impact of major climate policy proposals implemented by 2030, using the standard MAGICC climate model. Even optimistically assuming that promised emission cuts are maintained throughout the century, the impacts are generally small. The impact of the US Clean Power Plan (USCPP) is a reduction in temperature rise by 0.013°C by 2100. The full US promise for the COP21 climate conference in Paris, its so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) will reduce temperature rise by 0.031°C. The EU 20-20 policy has an impact of 0.026°C, the EU INDC 0.053°C, and China INDC 0.048°C. All climate policies by the US, China, the EU and the rest of the world, implemented from the early 2000s to 2030 and sustained through the century will likely reduce global temperature rise about 0.17°C in 2100. These impact estimates are robust to different calibrations of climate sensitivity, carbon cycling and different climate scenarios. Current climate policy promises will do little to stabilize the climate and their impact will be undetectable for many decades.