Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top-down Budgeting as a Tool for Central Resource Management

Top-down budgeting emerged in the 1990s as a response to fiscal crisis. Previously, the traditional bottom-up approach to budget formulation had conferred centralised authority for resource allocation on the finance ministry. Then, in an attempt to control the growing fiscal deficits in the 1990s, the finance ministry only set the overall expenditure ceiling and subceilings, and delegated detailed resource allocation decisions to line ministries. However, the level of delegation and the method of determining the expenditure ceilings vary across countries. This article describes country experiences with top-down budgeting and makes policy suggestions for its use as a tool for central resource management. The article also explores the relative advantages, disadvantages, and complementarities of the two approaches.
Self-referential Lobbying of the Accounting Standards Board: The Case of Financial Reporting Standard No 1

This paper employs a Latourian framework to analyse the informal and formal lobbying of the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) over its flagship standard on cash flow statements. The purpose of the analysis is to reveal how the self-referential rhetoric of key lobbyists, such as companies and auditors, was used to “enrol” the ASB into amending its standard in line with the transformative practices of some large companies. The issue of whether net debt should be included on cash flow statements is analysed in detail, as it reveals how a small group of companies were able to enrol the ASB into accepting their translated definition of “cash”. The paper concludes that, given that the ASB essentially relies on voluntary compliance, it responded to the rhetoric of key allies in the standard-setting process in order to maintain its position as an obligatory passage point and so retain support for its project to reform accounting.
GTP exchange factor Vav regulates guided cell migration by coupling guidance receptor signalling to local Rac activation

Summary Guided cell migration is a key mechanism for cell positioning in morphogenesis. The current model suggests that the spatially controlled activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) by guidance cues limits Rac activity at the leading edge, which is crucial for establishing and maintaining polarized cell protrusions at the front. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which RTKs control the local activation of Rac. Here, using a multidisciplinary approach, we identify the GTP exchange factor (GEF) Vav as a key regulator of Rac activity downstream of RTKs in a developmentally regulated cell migration event, that of the Drosophila border cells (BCs). We show that elimination of the vav gene impairs BC migration. Live imaging analysis reveals that vav is required for the stabilization and maintenance of protrusions at the front of the BC cluster. In addition, activation of the PDGF/VEGF-related receptor (PVR) by its ligand the PDGF/PVF1 factor brings about activation of Vav protein by direct interaction with the intracellular domain of PVR. Finally, FRET analyses demonstrate that Vav is required in BCs for the asymmetric distribution of Rac activity at the front. Our results unravel an important role for the Vav proteins as signal transducers that couple signalling downstream of RTKs with local Rac activation during morphogenetic movements.
Discussion on the Article "On Ontological Foundations of Conceptual Modelling" by Boris Wyssusek

A transistor amplifier has an integral resistance-capacitance negative feedback network in order to stabilize it and allow a broadband impedance match. To minimize transmission line effects and phase shifts, the capacitor is formed using a control electrode pad as one capacitor plate and the control electrode has integral fingers. The resistor can be of the floating gate type for ease of construction. The transistor can be an FET.
Apolipoproteins in lipid transport, an impressionist view.

The major function of the lipoproteins is to provide the organism with a transport system for triacylglycerol and cholesterol. This system appears to be both highly effective and dynamic in normal subjects. While about 150 g of fat per day are fully absorbed from the gut, the plasma triglyceride pool in the blood is approximately 3 g in the fasting state and does not exceed 12 g in the postabsorbtive state. About 1 g/day of cholesterol is produced in the liver and 0.2-0.5 g is absorbed from the gut, but the plasma pool is kept at a steady level under 6 g. It is therefore understandable that minor abnormalities in the proteins that regulate lipid transport lead to grossly abnormal plasma lipid levels. These abnormal lipid levels in turn are associated with lipid accumulations at abnormal sites: the artery wall, macrophages, tendons, skin and various other tissues. This causes the clinical picture doctors observe, such as atherosclerosis, xanthomas, corneal opacifications and lipaemia retinalis. Clinicians are used to the description of abnormal lipid transport in terms of the lipids proper, for example hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and combined hyperlipidaemia. These parameters can be measured easily and relatively accurately. Cholesterol and triglyceride are, however, innocent bystanders in lipoprotein disorders. We will therefore describe the transport disturbances in terms of the protein abnormalities of apolipoproteins, receptors, transfer proteins and enzymes. This enhances the pathophysiological understanding on the one hand and on the other provides arguments for measuring apolipoproteins in the assessment of atherosclerosis risk. This article is by no means a complete review of the literature; recently two excellent books have appeared with reviews of the different lipoprotein subjects. '2 Rather, it is an impressionist picture of a rapidly developing scene.
CORRUPTION IN VISEGRAD FOUR COUNTRIES

Corruption as an economic phenomena is mentioned in the first part of paper. Differences in the extent of corruption among countries can be explained by the summary of the main causes and consequences of corruption. Corruption influences economic performance and competitiveness. The level of corruption in post communist countries is above EU average level and it is usually higher in the former communist countries than in most European Union countries. The second part of paper will focus on the level of corruption in the Czech Repu blic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria. The Visegrad Four countries have gone through similar social and historical development in recent decades. Comparison of the four countries has confirmed the hypothesis that the level of corruption is inf luenced by social developments and traditions. Austria is mentioned as an example of a country that went through the centuries similar development such as Visegrad Four countries but its situation was different during the communist regime in the other ment ioned countries. If development is comparable in the Visegrad Four countries and different from the situation in Austria it can be interpreted as a consequence of the communist regime .
Urban poverty and the informal economy in South Africa's economic heartland

The paper describes urban poverty and the informal economy in the economic hub of South Africa, the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging region (which includes Johannesburg). Its findings show the limited possibilities for using the informal economy as a means of resolving pressing issues of poverty in South Africa's cities. After an introduction about the post-apartheid government's Reconstruction and Development Programme, the paper describes the scale and nature of urban poverty and the causes of its growth and the growth and changing complexion of the informal economy, including the rapid growth of “survivalist” enterprises and the links between the formal and informal economy. This includes a consideration of what constrains the informal economy and the links between supporting the informal economy and addressing poverty.
Applications of Different Types of Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses in Keratoconus and Their Visual Results

Purpose To show applications of different types of gas-permeable contact lenses in patients with keratoconus and to compare visual acuity (VA) results. Methods A total of 229 eyes of 133 patients who used different types of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses between April 2003 and April 2010 at the Cornea and Contact Lens Unit of Eye Clinic 2 of the Ministry of Health, Ulucanlar Eye Training and Research Hospital, were included. Visual acuity of patients was classified as uncorrected and corrected with eyeglasses and corrected with contact lenses. The patients were compared in terms of VA, daily contact lens wear time, and complications. Results A total of 70 out of 133 (52.6%) patients in our study were male, and 63 (47.4%) were female. The mean age was 25.9 ± 7.03 years (12-45). As for the classification of the 229 eyes included in the study, 136 of 229 (59.4%) eyes had moderate keratoconus, 88 (38.4%) had advanced keratoconus, and 5 (2.2%) had severe keratoconus. Following the contact lens application, the VA in all patients increased when compared to uncorrected and corrected with eyeglasses groups and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.005). When a comparison of different types of contact lenses was made, a statistically significant difference was not found (p>0.5) in terms of increase in VA. When patients were evaluated in terms of contact lens wear times, it was observed that Boston Equalens II was preferred by patients wearing lenses 4–8 hours/day. For patients wearing lenses more than 8 hours a day, Rose K lens was used the most. No serious complication was observed in any of the patients that would lead them to stop wearing contact lenses during the follow-up period. There was also no need for keratoplasty in any patient during the follow-up period. Conclusions We detected an increase in VA in patients with rigid contact lenses. In addition, some contact lenses were better tolerated by patients and were used for a longer time during the day.
Government Spending, Taxes, and Economic Growth

This paper develops an endogenous growth model of the influence of public investment, public transfers, and distortionary taxation on the rate of economic growth. The growth-enhancing effects of investment in public capital and transfer payments are modeled, as is the growth-inhibiting influence of the levying of distortionary taxes that are used to fund such expenditure. The theoretical implications of the model are then tested with data from 23 developed countries between 1971 and 1988, and time series cross sectional results are obtained that support the proposed influence of the public finance variables on economic growth.
Contrats et régulation des services urbains. Le syndicat des Eaux d'Ile-de-France (1922–2002)

Les services urbains (eau, assainissement, eclairage public, gestion des dechets, transports collectifs, etc.) accompagnent l’histoire des villes. Ils contribuent a l’organisation de l’espace urbain (que l’on songe aux consequences multiples de l’apparition des premieres lignes de tramways dans les villes francaises vers 1875 (1), puis du developpement du metro), modifient en profondeur les conditions de vie des habitants (le ramassage systematique des dechets, l’eclairage des rues, l’eau courante dans les habitations) et representent un des principaux leviers d’action des elus locaux. La France se distingue de ses voisins pour avoir choisi un mode original d’organisation des services urbains : la delegation de service public. La gestion deleguee s’appuie sur le principe d’une devolution des services a un tiers, generalement une entreprise privee. Celle-ci, sans se substituer a l’autorite publique, est chargee par contrat de remplir des fonctions qui peuvent etre tres etendues : exploitation du service, relations avec les usages, conception et construction des ouvrages et des reseaux. La caracteristique premiere de la delegation est sa constance : elle est utilisee depuis des decennies par les municipalites francaises alors meme que dans la plupart des autres pays, l’implication des entreprises privees a progressivement ete remplacee par des formes d’organisation a dominante publique (regies, entreprises municipales) pendant les deux premiers tiers du vingtieme siecle, pour revenir en force, sous des formes diverses, depuis les annees 1980. On peut faire le constat de l’existence d’un « modele » francais, ayant su accompagner les nombreuses evolutions techniques, institutionnelles et economiques qui ont marque les services urbains depuis deux siecles. Cependant, ces dernieres annees ont vu une remise en cause de l’efficacite de ce « modele ». L’augmentation importante des prix, les « affaires » qui ont touche certaines collectivites, le contexte general de liberalisation des services publics, les modifications intervenues en matiere de droit des contrats ont alimente une reflexion portant sur l’organisation du secteur et la regulation des activites des entreprises delegataires (2). Une analyse retrospective nous permettra de mieux comprendre les choix qui ont ete realises en matiere de delegation, de mettre en Contrats et regulation des services urbains. Le syndicat des Eaux d’Ile-de-France (1922–2002)
Medline: An introduction to on-line searching

MEDLINE is presented as a prototype for on-line bibliographic search systems. Creation of the data base, indexing language, and file organization are reviewed. On accessing the files, search logic is illustrated with a sample MEDLINE search. NLM's development of a document delivery system to complement its bibliographic retrieval system is discussed.
Glucose and lipid homeostasis in adult rat is impaired by early‐life exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which belongs to the degradation product of many perfluorinated compounds, is on the list of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and is currently detected in both wildlife and humans. The consequence of gestational and lactational exposure to PFOS on prediabetes effect in offspring was investigated in rats in the present study. Maternal rats were treated with vehicle, 0.5 mg/kg/day or 1.5 mg/kg/day PFOS respectively from gestation day 0 to postnatal day 21. The glucose and lipid metabolism effects were investigated on the offspring in adulthood. The gestational and lactational exposure to PFOS led to low body weight from birth to weaning, and evoked signs of a prediabetic state, with elevated fasting serum insulin and leptin level, impaired glucose tolerance, though the fasting serum glucose and glycosylated serum protein level were normal. Abnormal lipid homeostasis was also observed by the phenomenon of hepatic steatosis and increased gonadal fat pad weight. However, the circulating serum level of fasting triglyceride and cholesterol level were no different from controls. Our results suggested that developmental exposure to PFOS may contribute to glucose and lipid metabolic disorder in adulthood. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 28: 532–542, 2013.
La retirada heterogénea: estrategias y desempeños de los grupos económicos nacionales en la Argentina de la década de 1990

This paper analyzes Argentinean business groups� strategies and performance during the nineties. We find empirical evidence supporting the claims that: a) these strategies were diverse and changed over the decade; b) business groups� specific strategies depended upon structural factors (such as sectorial specialization, linkages with the state, access to external markets, level of indebtedness and structure of corporate governance) as well as upon non structural factors (such as perceptions regarding market conditions and the timing and consolidation of economic reforms, and organizational dynamics); c) different strategies had heterogeneous impacts on business groups� trajectories; and d) considering domestic business groups as a whole, it can be said that along the liberalization process they lost their previous position in the Argentinean economy and substantially changed their profile compared with precedent decades.
Molecular predictors of clinical outcome in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) involves the upper aerodigestive tract and can destroy the structure and function of organs involved in voice, speech, taste, smell and hearing, as well as vital structures necessary for survival. HNSCC has long been a treatment challenge because of the high rate of recurrences and of advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Molecular identification of tissue biomarkers in diagnostic biopsy specimens may not only identify patients at risk for developing HNSCC but may also select patients that may benefit from more aggressive treatment modalities. Several biomarkers studied to date such as the proteins p53, cyclin D1, p16, Cox‐2 enzyme, epidermal growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, matrix metalloproteinases and the Fhit marker for genomic instability could be manipulated for the therapeutic benefit of these patients. This review presents the most updated information on molecular biomarkers with the greatest prognostic potential in HNSCC and discusses some factors that contribute to the controversy concerning their prognostic importance.
Bilingual listeners' perception of temporally manipulated English passages.

PURPOSE The current study measured, objectively and subjectively, how changes in speech rate affect recognition of English passages in bilingual listeners. METHOD Ten native monolingual, 20 English-dominant bilingual, and 20 non-English-dominant bilingual listeners repeated target words in English passages at five speech rates (unprocessed, two expanded, and two compressed), in quiet and in noise. For noise conditions, performance was measured at a signal-to-noise ratio that was determined through an adaptive procedure to avoid ceiling and floor effects. Listeners also made subjective judgments of speech rate, speech clarity, and performance confidence. RESULTS In noise, stepwise improvement was observed as rate slowed down. A similar effect was not found in quiet. This pattern in performance was largely comparable across listener groups but was most robust in English-dominant listeners. Changes in speech rate and presence of noise significantly affected listeners' subjective ratings; however, no intergroup differences were observed for any of the subjective ratings. CONCLUSIONS Bilingual listeners benefited from slow speech rates, more evidently so in noise than in quiet. Their performance, however, did not reach a monolingual level, even at the most favorable rate. Nonetheless, all listeners reported comparable confidence when processing temporally manipulated English passages.
Manpower planning: Strategy and techniques in an organizational context

efforts to force welfare recipients into "workfare" work for reliefactivities. This book is of limited value to the general reader. It may be useful to those with a special interest in WIN, providing some additional information about experiences in that program. But the flaws associated with the data collection and analyses do not allow any general conclusions about the effectiveness of supportive services in work-training efforts.
The impact of the electoral system on the level of women's legislative representation in post-apartheid South Africa

In just two decades after the demise of apartheid in South Africa, women's legislative representation has grown in leaps and bounds rising from nearly nothing to over 40%, which is twice the world average of 20%. While this trend can be attributed to a number of factors, this paper casts a spotlight on the role of the electoral system structure vis-à-vis the changes in women's representation. The paper investigates how the proportional representation system and its associated features such as the use of closed lists, multimember constituencies and a large district magnitude have influenced increased women's electoral representation in post-apartheid South Africa. The paper further argues that while the electoral system has played an important role in the rise of women's representation, this explanation is hardly sufficient as statistics show that the rapid increase of female representatives is linked, among other factors, to the African National Congress 50/50 gender quota which has seen it contributing more than 75% of women representation in the National Assembly.
Reproductive deficiency in bulls from synthetic breeds according to the type of crossbreed and the morphology of the Y chromosome

We used 550 Braford and 214 Brangus-Ibage bulls to study the association between Y chromosome morphology and the evaluation of breeding-soundness, karyotyping and breeding records were used to assess Y chromosome morphology. In general, no direct association was detected between the individual type of Y chromosome and reproductive fitness as previously estimated through breeding soundness examination. The type of breeding strategy used to form the synthetic breeds was also analyzed. The Braford breed is about 3/8 Zebu (Bos taurus indicus) and 5/8 Hereford (Bos taurus taurus) but when the breeding strategy used 1/4 Zebu animals to produce Braford bulls which were 3/8 Zebu a greater percentage of the bulls had to be culled due to reproductive problems. Our study shows that certain interactions between genotypes can be detrimental to the reproductive efficiency of 3/8 Zebu animals and that breeding strategies avoiding or favoring certain genotypes can be used to reduce the percentage of bulls from synthetic breeds that are culled due to problems with semen quality.
CaV2.2 and CaV2.3 (N- and R-type) Ca2+ Channels in Depolarization-evoked Entry of Ca2+ into Mouse Sperm*

As sperm prepare for fertilization, surface Ca2+ channels must open to initiate required, Ca2+-mediated events. However, the molecular identity and functional properties of sperm Ca2+ channels remain uncertain. Here, we use rapid local perfusion and single-cell photometry to examine the kinetics of calcium responses of mouse sperm to depolarizing stimuli. The linear rise of intracellular [Ca2+] evoked by ∼10-s applications of an alkaline high [K+] medium directly reports activity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Little response occurs if external Ca2+ is removed or if external or internal pH is elevated without depolarization. Responses are inhibited 30–40% by 30–100 μm Ni2+ and more completely by 100–300 μm Cd2+. They resist the dihydropyridines nitrendipine and PN200–110, but 1–10 μm mibefradil inhibits reversibly. They also resist the venom toxins calciseptine, ω-conotoxin MVIIC, and kurtoxin, but ω-conotoxin GVIA (5 μm) inhibits ∼50%. GVIA also partially blocks transient, low voltage activated Ca2+ currents of patch-clamped spermatids. Differential sensitivity of sperm responses to Ni2+ and Cd2+ and partial blockade by GVIA indicate that depolarization opens at least two types of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in epididymal sperm examined prior to capacitation. Involvement of a previously undetected CaV2.2 (N-type) channel, suggested by the action of GVIA, is substantiated by immunodetection of Ca2+ channel α1B subunits in sperm and sperm extracts. Resistance to dihydropyridines, calciseptine, MVIIC, and kurtoxin indicates that CaV1, CaV2.1, and CaV3 (L-, P/Q-, and T-type) channels contribute little to this evoked response. Partial sensitivity to 1 μm mibefradil and an enhanced sensitivity of the GVIA-resistant component of response to Ni2+ suggest participation of a CaV2.3 (R-type) channel specified by previously found α1E subunits. Our examination of depolarization-evoked Ca2+ entry indicates that mature sperm possess a larger palette of voltage-gated Ca2+channels than previously thought. Such diversity may permit specific responses to multiple cues encountered on the path to fertilization.