Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systemic risk from real estate and macro-prudential regulation

There is considerable evidence that boom and bust cycles in real estate are the primary cause of financial crises. This paper develops a model of real estate pricing based on rational behaviour with two regimes. In 'normal times' prices of housing units are determined by the consumers who live in them and are equal to the discounted stream of housing services. In 'boom and bust times' speculators find it profitable to borrow from banks and enter the market. There is an agency problem because banks are unable to fully assess the risk that the speculators are taking and this leads to risk shifting and asset substitution. The result is a bubble in real estate prices in that they are higher than the discounted stream of housing services during the boom phase. This model is then used as the basis for analysing macro-prudential polices designed to prevent the occurrence of such bubbles. These measures include monetary policy, fiscal tools such as real estate transfer taxes, and annual real estate taxes and banking regulation such as restrictions on loan-to-value ratios, countercyclical capital requirements and loan provisions.
Neurological Manifestations of West Nile Virus Infection

Abstract Background: Over the past four years, West Nile virus (WNV) has become a significant health issue in North America. In 2002, WNV infection made its first appearance in the human population in Canada. Methods: Patients who presented to the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto with neurological disease attributed to WNV infection were identified and followed by the neurology service. Clinical features and results of laboratory, electrodiagnostic, radiological and pathological studies are presented. Results: In August and September 2002, 26 patients were admitted with WNV infection; 14 presented with neurological illness. Encephalitis was the most common presentation (11 patients). Eleven patients developed neuromuscular disease; two at presentation and nine after encephalitis. While the majority had a motor process that localized to the anterior horn cell and/or motor neuron, two patients had evidence of a demyelinating neuropathy and one a sensorimotor axonal neuropathy. Less common manifestations included rhombencephalitis, ataxia, myelopathy and parkinsonism. Death occurred in four patients; two > 75 years of age, and two who were immunocompromised. Conclusions: The most common neurological manifestation of WNV infection was encephalitis with subsequent neuromuscular involvement. The diversity of clinical and pathological findings, however, suggests widespread involvement of the central and peripheral nervous system. A poorer prognosis for neurological recovery and overall survival was seen in older and immunocompromised patients.
Multinational Enterprises, Technology Diffusion, and Host Country Productivity Growth

This paper investigates U.S. multinational enterprises (MNEs) as a channel of international technology diffusion in 40 countries over 1966-1994. Data on technology transfer are used to distinguish between the technology diffusion effect and other productivity-enhancing effects of MNEs. The study finds that the technology transfer of U.S. MNEs contributes to the productivity growth in DCs but not in LDCs. It further shows that a minimum human capital threshold is required for a country to benefit from the technology transfer of U.S. MNEs; however, this threshold is not met in most LDCs.
Public eProcurement as socio‐technical change

ERP systems and those that support enterprise-wide business activities such as eProcurement represent complex socio-technical change. The imperative for researchers and practitioners is to identify ways of understanding and develop methods to assist in managing the complexity and messiness associated with the breadth and depth of change as the affordances of technologies and the needs of users emerge over time. In this paper theoretical concepts are presented and an empirical illustration of three cases of public eProcurement implementations is provided to make visible and make sense of the complex twists and turns of socio-technical change. These experiences reveal the nuances of socio-technical change, its fluid and emergent nature, the effect of unintended consequences, the role of influential agents and change in the representations of work practices. These theoretical concepts are analytically powerful and could provide practitioners with useful tools in understanding the envisaged and serendipitous nature of socio-technical change and the intended and unintended outcomes that may emerge in implementing enterprise-wide business information systems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Risk Factors for Domestic Child Sex Trafficking in the United States

Despite increased effort to respond to human trafficking at national and state levels, very little empirical research has been conducted on domestic child sex trafficking. This study retrospectively examines associations between multiple risk factors and domestic child sex trafficking (i.e., entry into the commercial sex industry under the age of 18) in a sample of individuals aged 16 and older currently involved in the commercial sex industry (N = 273). Two primary research questions are addressed: (1) What set of risk factors, prior to entering the commercial sex industry, are associated with domestic child sex trafficking and (2) what group differences, if any, exist in risk factors between current or former domestic child sex–trafficking victims and non-trafficked adults engaged in the commercial sex industry? A cross-sectional survey was administered using Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) in five cities in one Midwestern state. Overall, 115 participants (48.3%) were identified as current or former domestic child sex–trafficking victims. Bivariate results suggest that childhood emotional and sexual abuse, rape, ever running away from home, having family members in sex work, and having friends who purchased sex were significantly associated with domestic child sex trafficking. Multivariate results indicate that domestic child sex trafficking victims were significantly more likely to have ever run away and to be a racial/ethnic minority than non-trafficked adults engaged in the commercial sex industry. Findings can inform state-level policies on human trafficking and assist child protection and juvenile justice agencies in developing prevention and intervention responses to commercial sexual exploitation.
A natural mutation of the amino acid residue at position 60 destroys staphylococcal enterotoxin A murine T-cell mitogenicity

A variety of techniques have been used to identify the amino acid residues of bacterial superantigens involved in their interactions with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and T-cell receptor (TCR). In this study, we isolated a naturally mutated staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) from three different Staphylococcus aureus strains, in which the amino acid at position 60 has been changed from aspartic acid (D) to asparagine (N). We then studied the influence of this change on the immunological activities of SEA. Our results demonstrated that this mutation does not affect the capacity of SEA to bind MHC class II molecules and consequently activates human monocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes. In contrast, mutated SEA failed to stimulate the proliferation of murine splenic lymphocytes of two different strains, and when presented by human MHC class II molecules, it also failed to activate murine cell line 3DT, which expresses the SEA-specific TCR V beta element (V beta 1). These results indicate that this mutation alters the interaction between SEA and murine TCR. The reactivity patterns of the mutated SEA with two specific anti-SEA monoclonal antibodies suggested that the observed effect of the isolated mutation in the murine system might be due to certain conformational changes in the SEA molecule introduced upon changing the D at position 60 to N. Site-directed mutagenesis of the N residue to D or to glycine reconstituted the ability of SEA to stimulate murine splenic lymphocytes. The different effects of this natural mutation at position 60 on the immunological activities of SEA with murine and human cells highlight the relevance of the affinity and avidity in SEA-TCR interactions in the function of different species or may reflect a difference in epitope specificity.
Technological choice and the organization of work in capitalist firms

Tn recent years, a number of political economists and historians have reopened the question of the effects of increased division of labour on the level of skill of the workforce in a capitalist economy. While some writers have contended that the predominant effect of progressive increases in the division of labour has been deskilling, others have found that the results of technological change have varied considerably depending on the nature of the change and the circumstances under which it was undertaken.2 New technologies may, for example, lead to the consolidation of tasks formerly performed by two or more groups of workers rather than to an ever more minute division of tasks, and entirely new skills may be required or the demand for old ones enhanced by innovation. In this article, we develop a framework to explore the relationship between the choice of technology by management and the organization of work within the firm. Integrative as well as differentiating modes of change are considered, as is the impact of power relationships within the firm on the choice of an appropriate technology. We begin with the impact on work organization brought about by the choice of technologies of various kinds. The differences caused by changes in product technology are distinguished from those generated by changes in process technology. In section II we look at ways in which transaction costs and power relationships within the firm might retard the ability of managers to adopt new technologies.
GAAP choice by European companies

Purpose – This paper examines the adoption of internationally accepted accounting standards by European companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The study focuses on the evolution of the use of different generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), and on the features of those companies that have adopted these non‐local GAAP.Design/methodology/approach – The sample was obtained from 336 Forms 20‐F for the period 1997‐2000. Using the information included in contingency tables and Pearson chi‐square statistic, proves whether there are any relationships between GAAP choice and other explanatory factors, i.e. country, size, industry, time listed and profitability.Findings – The majority of the analysed companies keep using domestic‐GAAP. IAS firms are mainly non‐financial entities based in Switzerland and more profitable than US‐GAAP companies, which are mainly financial entities or companies engaged in SIC code 7 (services) based in Germany and less profitable than IAS firms.Research limitations/.
Toward Transplantation Tolerance: A Large Step on a Long Road

Tolerance has occupied the efforts of transplant scientists and physicians since the first successful clinical transplants in the 1950s. The development of new therapeutic agents combined with a more detailed understanding of alloimmunity has intensified this interest and prompted clinical trials aimed at achieving drug-free acceptance of transplanted organs. Despite this enthusiasm, progress has been slower than many predicted as new barriers to tolerance have been appreciated. In this issue, Fudaba and colleagues describe an approach to achieving tolerance to transplanted kidneys in patients with renal failure and multiple myeloma that had failed to respond to traditional chemotherapeutic agents. They report six individuals who following nonmyeloablative conditioning underwent bone marrow and kidney transplantation from HLA-identical siblings. Following a short course of immunosuppression, all six patients accepted the transplanted kidney with five of the six maintaining good function. Only one individual developed rejection, which responded to a temporary reintroduction of immunosuppression. Tumor control was achieved in the majority of these patients who presented with advanced disease with complete remission in three patients and partial remission in one patient. Achieving this degree of success in a patient group considered by many to be untreatable is truly remarkable.
Anti-Synchronization Audio Watermarking Algorithm Based on Absolute Mean Quantization and Parameter Estimation

The paper proposes an anti-synchronization audio watermarking algorithm based on absolute mean quantification and parameter estimation, and combines implicit synchronization technology and explicit synchronization technology, for implementing precise positioning of feature points. By theoretical analysis and experimental results of quantification scheme, the paper designs a multi-valued quantification based on absolute mean. For de-synchronized attack such as time scaling, undersampling and spring attack, the paper proposes a TSM parameter estimation algorithm for audio recovery to implement resynchronization of watermark embedding and watermarking extraction. The simulation experiment indicates that the algorithm in the paper not only has great robustness for conventional attack, but also can effectively resist de-synchronized attack.
THE ECONOMICS OF HOMELESSNESS: THE EVIDENCE FROM NORTH AMERICA

It is generally believed that the increased incidence of homelessness in the US has arisen from broad societal factors - changes in the institutionalization of the mentally ill, increases in drug addiction and alcohol usage, etc. This paper reports on a comprehensive test of the alternate hypothesis that variations in homelessness arise from changed circumstances in the housing market and in the income distribution. We utilize essentially all the systematic information available on homelessness in US urban areas - census counts, shelter bed counts, records of transfer payments, and administrative agency estimates. We use these data to estimate the effects of housing prices, vacancies, and rentto-income ratios upon the incidence of homelessness. Our results suggest that simple economic principles governing the availability and pricing of housing and the growth in demand for the lowest quality housing explain a large portion of the variation in homelessness among US metropolitan housing markets. Furthermore, rather modest improvements in the affordability of rental housing or its availability can substantially reduce the incidence of homelessness in the US.
CD4 T-lymphocyte activation in acute severe asthma. Relationship to disease severity and atopic status.

Lymphocytes are prominent among the inflammatory cells infiltrating the asthmatic airways, and several studies have suggested that cell-mediated immunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic asthma. We have measured (1) the expression of activation markers on the CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte phenotypic subsets in the peripheral blood of patients hospitalized with acute severe asthma ("status asthmaticus"), and (2) the serum concentrations of two proteins elaborated by activated T-lymphocytes (interferon-gamma and the soluble interleukin-2 receptor). The results were compared with those in control subjects (mild asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, and normal). CD4+ lymphocytes from patients with acute severe asthma showed significant increases in the expression of three surface proteins associated with lymphocyte activation (interleukin-2 receptor [IL-2R], class II histocompatibility antigen [HLA-DR], and "very late activation" antigen [VLA-1]) as compared with those from normal control subjects. In contrast, CD8 cells were devoid of IL-2R and VLA-1, in both patients with acute severe asthma and control subjects, and the expression of HLA-DR on these cells was not increased above that of control subjects. The serum concentrations of interferon-gamma and soluble IL-2R were significantly elevated in patients with acute severe asthma as compared with all the control groups. Concentrations decreased as the patients improved clinically during the first 3-day period of hospital treatment. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantitative analysis of afferents expressing substance P, calcitonin gene‐related peptide, isolectin B4, neurofilament 200, and Peripherin in the sensory root of the rat trigeminal ganglion

Substance P (SP), calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), and isolectin B4 (IB4) are widely used as markers for peripheral neurons with unmyelinated fibers, whereas neurofilament 200 (NF200), and Peripherin are used as markers for neurons with myelinated fibers, and with unmyelinated or small‐caliber fibers, respectively. To study the selectivity of these markers for specific neuronal types, we analyzed their expression in neurons in the rat trigeminal ganglion by light‐ and electron‐microscopic immunocytochemistry. Most SP‐immunopositive (+), CGRP+, and IB4+ fibers were unmyelinated, but a small fraction (∼5%) were small myelinated fibers (<20 µm2 in cross‐sectional area, equivalent to <5 µm in diameter, Aδ fiber). Similarly, whereas the majority of NF200+ fibers were myelinated, a large fraction (23.9%) were unmyelinated, and whereas the majority of Peripherin+ fibers were unmyelinated and small myelinated, a significant fraction (15.5%) were large myelinated (>20 µm2 in cross‐sectional area, equivalent to >5 µm in diameter, Aβ fiber). Our findings confirm that SP, CGRP, and IB4 can be used as reliable markers for neurons with unmyelinated fibers, and question the suitability of NF200 as a marker for neurons with myelinated fibers, and of Peripherin as a marker for neurons with unmyelinated, or fine‐caliber fibers. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:126–138, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
WHEN IS THE SHORT RATE MARKOVIAN

We answer this question in the very general context of the n-factor Heath, Jarrow, and Morton model for the evolution of the term structure of interest rates, with nonrandom volatility. the answer is that a constraint is imposed on the behavior of the volatility structure. We explain the importance of this result for the design of efficient numerical algorithms for the valuation of options on the term structure. Copyright 1994 Blackwell Publishers.
The Land Use Energy Connection

To date, most planners have focused on the relationship between urban form and energy consumption. They argue that compact housing and urban patterns reduce both household and transportation energy use and should be promoted to combat a variety of ills, including import dependency and climate change. However, planners also have a strong role to play in energy production, particularly with the increasing adoption of renewable forms of energy. Planners will play an integral part in harmonizing local land use regulations and policies that will either promote or hinder the adoption of these technologies. In this article, we review industry and government reports, regulations, professional standards, news articles, and peer-reviewed literature in disparate fields. We identify pertinent environmental and land use planning issues of different types of centralized, distributed, conventional, and renewable energy generation, the implications and externalities of their fuel extraction, transportation, transmission and distribution, siting of generation facilities as well as the disposal of the waste. While the literature is voluminous, these issues have received scant attention in the planning literature. We make the case that land use and environmental planners should have a strong interest in energy.
Predictors of tobacco smoking and smokeless tobacco use among adults in Bangladesh.

INTRODUCTION To examine predictors of current tobacco smoking and smokeless tobacco use among the adult population in Bangladesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used data from the 2009 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in Bangladesh consisting of 9,629 adults aged ≥15 years. Differences in and predictors of prevalence for both smoking and smokeless tobacco use were analyzed using selected socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that included gender, age, place of residence, education, occupation, and an index of wealth. RESULTS The prevalence of smoking is high among males (44.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 42.5-47.0) as compared to females (1.5%, 95% CI: 1.1-2.1), whereas the prevalence of smokeless tobacco is almost similar among both males (26.4%, 95% CI: 24.2-28.6) and females (27.9%, 95% CI: 25.9-30.0). Correlates of current smoking are male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 41.46, CI = 23.8-73.4), and adults in older age (ORs range from 1.99 in 24-35 years age to 5.49 in 55-64 years age), less education (ORs range from 1.47 in less than secondary to 3.25 in no formal education), and lower socioeconomic status (ORs range from 1.56 in high wealth index to 2.48 in lowest wealth index. Predictors of smokeless tobacco use are older age (ORs range from 2.54in 24-35 years age to 12.31 in 55-64 years age), less education (ORs range from 1.44 in less than secondary to 2.70 in no formal education), and the low (OR = 1.34, CI = 1.0-1.7) or lowest (OR = 1.43, CI = 1.1-1.9) socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION Implementation of tobacco control strategies needs to bring special attention on disadvantaged group and cover all types of tobacco product as outlined in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and WHO MPOWER to protect people's health and prevent premature death.