Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The behaviour of the US consumer price index 1913–2003: a study of seasonality in the monthly US CPI

This article analyses the seasonality in the monthly consumer price index (CPI) over the period January 1913 to December 2003. We examine three types of month effects: if the mean of monthly CPI changes of the entire data set, and of a given month were significantly different from zero; if the mean of monthly CPI changes of a given month was different from the mean of the other months; and if the variance of the monthly CPI changes for a given month was different from the variance of the other months. The mean of monthly CPI changes for the entire data set (0.27%) was found to be significantly greater than zero. The means of monthly changes show a downward trend from September to December. When the data are sliced into three sub-periods, we find an increasing trend in the means and medians of monthly changes but a decreasing trend in the SDs of the monthly changes. The mean of monthly CPI changes during the republican presidencies (0.15%) was significantly lower than during the democratic presidencies (0.38%).
Prisoners and escapees: improving the institutional responsibility square in Bangladesh

The article argues that explanations of problematic governance are institutional rather than organizational and have their roots in the deep structures of society. Bangladesh is used as an exemplar for such analysis, deploying the notion of the institutional responsibility square comprising four institutional domains of state, market, community and household. A prior or ‘total institution’ metaphor is used to describe the ways in which different classes are obliged to pursue their livelihoods, entrapped within the problematic social embeddedness of these four institutional domains. The article develops this argument via three themes: permeability between these domains (i.e., blurred moral boundaries between public and private behaviour); problem of legitimation of public institutions, given this permeability; and the incorporated rather than independent characteristics of civil society, thus limiting optimism about its potential to create reform. Nevertheless the article offers a strategic agenda of institutional improvement (i.e., escape from the prison) based on the principles of shifting people's rights from the problematic, uncertain informal sphere towards the formal realm. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Realization of a 3D vision mobile robot that can avoid collision with moving obstacles

The authors present a real-time visual system for avoiding collision with moving obstacles and describe a realization of robots using the system to avoid collisions with moving objects. The visual sensor used in this system is a passive optical stereo type having no mechanical moving parts. Using two special slit patterns, the sensor is configured so as to split the two images obtained by individual cameras placed on the right and left, and to project the split images onto one CCD sensor, providing some 200 autofocusing subsystems. These subsystems can operate independently of one another, making real-time processing possible. <<ETX>>
What Is Transparency?

This article examines the evolving definition of transparency from a postmodernist approach. It traces the meaning of transparency from its use by nongovernmental and supranational organizations to its use in the international relations, nonprofit, public policy, and administration literature. It finds that the definition of transparency reveals three metaphors: transparency as a public value embraced by society to counter corruption, transparency synonymous with open decision-making by governments and nonprofits, and transparency as a complex tool of good governance in programs, policies, organizations, and nations. In the first metaphor, transparency is subtly intertwined with accountability. In the second, as transparency encourages openness, it increases concerns for secrecy and privacy. In the third, policymakers create transparency alongside accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness. The analysis concludes that these meanings affect the way organization members conduct and will conduct their day-to-day activities and how policies are and will be created. Transparency is becoming an unofficial mandate by the public and is often a legal mandate.
Dax1 Associates with Esrrb and Regulates Its Function in Embryonic Stem Cells

ABSTRACT Self-renewal capacity and pluripotency, which are controlled by the Oct3/4-centered transcriptional regulatory network, are major characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. Nuclear hormone receptor Dax1 is one of the crucial factors in the network. Here, we identified an orphan nuclear receptor, Esrrb (estrogen-related receptor beta), as a Dax1-interacting protein. Interaction of Dax1 and Esrrb was mediated through LXXLL motifs of Dax1 and the activation- and ligand-binding domains of Esrrb. Furthermore, Esrrb enhanced the promoter activity of the Dax1 gene via direct binding to Esrrb-binding site 1 (ERRE1, where “ERRE” represents “Esrrb-responsive element”) of the promoter. Expression of Dax1 was suppressed followed by Oct3/4 repression; however, overexpression of Esrrb maintained expression of Dax1 even in the absence of Oct3/4, indicating that Dax1 is a direct downstream target of Esrrb and that Esrrb can regulate Dax1 expression in an Oct3/4-independent manner. We also found that the transcriptional activity of Esrrb was repressed by Dax1. Furthermore, we revealed that Oct3/4, Dax1, and Esrrb have a competitive inhibition capacity for each complex. These data, together with previous findings, suggest that Dax1 functions as a negative regulator of Esrrb and Oct3/4, and these molecules form a regulatory loop for controlling the pluripotency and self-renewal capacity of ES cells.
Going short-term or long-term? CEO stock options and temporal orientation in the presence of slack

Research summary: We draw on behavioral agency theory to explain how decision heuristics associated with CEO stock options interact with firm slack to shape the CEO's preference for short- or long-term strategies (temporal orientation). Our findings suggest CEO current option wealth substitutes for the influence of slack resources in encouraging a long-term orientation, while prospective option wealth enhances the positive effect of slack on temporal orientation. Our theory offers explanations for non-findings in previous analysis of the relationship between CEO equity based pay and temporal orientation and provides the insights that CEO incentives created by stock options (1) enhance the effect of available slack upon temporal orientation and (2) can both incentivize and de-incentivize destructive short-termism, depending upon the values of current and prospective option wealth. Managerial summary: We explore how compensation design can play a role in affecting the CEO's preference for short- or long-term strategic projects. When the CEOs have accumulated option wealth, they are more likely to invest in the long term. Yet when they have a large number of recently granted options with the potential to generate significant wealth in the event of successful risk taking, the CEO is more likely to prefer the short term in order to achieve personal wealth gains more quickly. The more liquid assets the firm holds, the weaker both of the aforementioned effects. An implication for boards is that they should anticipate CEO short-termism if the CEO has been granted new options, underlining the potential negative consequences of option compensation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relaxation of sheep cerebral arteries by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neurogenic stimulation: inhibition by l‐NG‐monomethyl arginine in endothelium‐denuded vessels

1 Perivascular nerves of the sheep middle cerebral artery show immunoreactivity for both vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP). 2 Rings of endothelium‐denuded sheep middle cerebral artery precontracted with 5‐hydroxytryptamine were relaxed by CGRP (maximum relaxation = 87.8 ± 8.1%, pD2 = 7.81 ± 0.12, n = 12) and by VIP (maximum relaxation = 55.1 ± 4.1%, pD2 = 7.65 ± 0.04, n = 18). Rings of endothelium‐denuded cat middle cerebral artery precontracted with U46619 were also relaxed by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (maximum relaxation = 53.1 ± 6.1%, pD2 = 7.82 ± 0.11, n = 6). 3 Haemolysate (1 μl ml−1) inhibited VIP‐induced relaxation in endothelium‐denuded sheep and cat middle cerebral artery (n = 6) but had no effect on the CGRP‐induced relaxation of the sheep middle cerebral artery (n = 6). 4 The relaxant response to VIP in endothelium‐denuded sheep middle cerebral artery was inhibited by methylene blue (10 μm) and augmented by either M&B 22948 (10 μm) or superoxide dismutase (150 units ml−1). Indomethacin (1 μm) had no effect. 5 The addition of l‐NG‐monomethyl arginine (100 μm) inhibited both neurogenic and VIP‐induced relaxation of endothelium‐denuded sheep MCA by 56 ± 6% and 60 ± 6% (n = 5) respectively. The CGRP‐induced relaxation was unaffected. 6 It is concluded that neurally mediated vasodilatation in the sheep middle cerebral artery is mediated largely by VIP through a direct action on smooth muscle through a cyclic‐GMP‐mediated mechanism that appears to involve synthesis of nitric oxide from l‐arginine. Vasodilatation by CGRP, which is also contained in perivascular nerves, does not utilize this pathway.
Implicit authentication for mobile device based on 3D magnetic finger motion pattern

Touch pattern based implicit authentication has been proposed to defend against diverse attacks against mobile devices that aim to obtain credentials, e.g., passwords, in the process of user authentication. However, this defense technique cannot obtain a complete user operation pattern by merely deriving user operation data via a touch-enabled screen, since user operations, including on-screen and in-air finger movements, are performed in a three-dimensional space. In this paper, we propose a novel three-dimensional magnetic finger motion pattern based implicit authentication technique, referred to as FingerAuth. To use FingerAuth, a user first wears a magnetic ring on her finger and uses this finger to operate her mobile device, e.g., typing messages and surfing websites. By using a built-in three-axis magnetometer on the mobile device, we can derive the three-dimension (3D) magnetic finger motion pattern that is used as a human behavioral feature to implicitly authenticate the user. We construct robust 3D magnetic finger motion pattern detection model using machine learning techniques. Real-world experiments were conducted to demonstrate that our approach achieves high accuracy of 96.38% as well as low false acceptance rate of 4.06% and low false rejection rate of 3.18%.
The Contribution of Tourism Development to Economic Growth of Sweden: A Panel Data Approach

By using panel data for 21 counties in Sweden from 2003 to 2013, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between tourism development and economic growth in this country, within the neoclassical growth framework. To address the objective of this study, the appropriate panel data methods are used, namely both static and dynamic panel approaches. The results show that tourism is a positive and significant determinant of Swedish economic growth. Moreover, the tourism coefficient proves its robustness through majority of performed estimations. Therefore, this study supports the existence of the tourism-led growth hypothesis in this Scandinavian country, which is in line with our expectations. Hence, macroeconomic policies that promote tourism expansion will directly stimulate economic growth and this is expected to happen in the future since Swedish tourism capacity is still not used at its full potential.
Traditional Institutions and Decentralisation: A Typology of Co‐Existence in Sub‐Saharan Africa

In the 1990s several governments in Africa adopted policies to introduce democratic decentralisation. At the same time, governments also understood the value of recognising traditional institutions. A scholarly debate thus emerged, as many saw traditional institutions as insurmountable obstacles to democratic decentralisation. Could one have both institutions in the same society? Several case studies were conducted to answer this question. Some of these concluded by saying that traditional institutions would help bring legitimacy to the local government systems. Others warned that as traditional institutions were not downwardly accountable, one should avoid a situation where they got too much power. This article addresses the question of institutional co‐existence from a new angle. Instead of asking if different institutions should co‐exist, it develops a theoretical framework that enables us to investigate variations in how they may co‐exist. By presenting two dimensions, dependency of traditional institutions and type of decentralisation, the article presents a fourfold typology of institutional co‐existence. Malawi, South Africa and Uganda are selected as examples that illustrate the differences between the categories. The empirical study of these cases reveals that there are both strengths and weaknesses with the typologies. As the four categories are only theoretical constructs, the countries do not always fit perfectly into the strict scheme. However, the advantage is that the typology made it possible to make a well structured discussion of the similarities and differences between cases. What co‐existence means varies between countries; this needs to be stressed in all our discussions of the relevance of traditional institutions in local governance.
Activating killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor 2DS2 binds to HLA-A*11

Significance Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) function as key recognition elements in innate immunity. Structural information for inhibitory KIRs 2DL2, 2DL1, and 3DL1 in complex with their respective HLA ligands is available, but such data for activating KIRs are lacking. We report here the successful crystallization and solved structure of the activating KIR2DS2 in complex with HLA-A*11:01. The structure clearly explains the role of Tyr45, which has long puzzled KIR researchers because it differentiates KIR2DS2 from all inhibitory KIRs, and is now shown to bind Thr80 of HLA-A*11:01. Using KIR2DS2 tetramers to bind HLA on live cells, we also provide evidence that peptide sequence can affect KIR–HLA binding. Our data thus resolve a long-standing problem in KIR biology. Inhibitory killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIRs) are known to recognize HLA ligands mainly of the HLA-C and Bw4 groups, but the ligands for KIRs are poorly understood. We report here the identification of the cognate ligand for the activating KIR 2DS2 as HLA-A*11:01. The crystal structure of the KIR2DS2–HLA-A*11:01 complex was solved at 2.5-Å resolution and revealed residue-binding characteristics distinct from those of inhibitory KIRs with HLA-C and the critical role of residues Tyr45 and Asp72 in shaping binding specificity to HLA-A*11:01. Using KIR2DS2 tetramers, binding to surface HLA-A*11:01 on live cells was demonstrated and, furthermore, that binding can be altered by residue changes at p8 of the peptide, indicating the influence of peptide sequence on KIR–HLA association. In addition, heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR was used to map the involvement of critical residues in HLA binding at the interface of KIR and HLA, and validates the data observed in the crystal structure. Our data provide structural evidence of the recognition of A*11:01 by the activating KIR2DS2 and extend our understanding of the KIR–HLA binding spectrum.
Comparing Administrative Satisfaction in Public and Private Higher Education.

This study examined job satisfaction among administrators in public and private higher education. Data on nearly 1,200 administrators, ranging from directors to presidents, was obtained through surveys of 120 public and private universities. It was found that both public and private higher education administrators were most satisfied with the intrinsic rewards of their positions and least satisfied with the extrinsic rewards and working conditions. However, administrators from private universities were significantly more satisfied than administrators from public universities on the extrinsic rewards dimension (salary, benefits, and promotion) . It was also found that, controlling for all other variables, an absence of interpersonal conflict and an atmosphere of teamwork accounted for most of the explained variance in overall satisfaction among both populations. Holding a higher administrative rank was significantly associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction in both groups. In public universities, campus size tended to reduce administrators' satisfaction with the quality of their relationships with others in the work place, while undergraduate quality tended to promote satisfaction in both groups. (Contains 63 references.) (MDM) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************************
Understanding the motivations of ecotourists: the case of trekkers in Annapurna, Nepal

Despite the growth in eco- and nature-based tourism, relatively little is understood about the intrinsic motivations of ecotourists. In addition to furthering our knowledge of the market, such an understanding may also provide a basis for the improved management of tourists for environmental goals. This paper is based upon empirical research of the intrinsic motivations of ecotourists visiting Annapurna in Nepal. Conclusions are reached that the medium of nature is central to the fulfilment of trekkers needs and that environmental education is essential for improved management. It also is suggested that the success of tourism in Annapurna should not be judged primarily on increasing the number of visitor arrivals. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Role of Personal and Family Background in Making Entrepreneurs in a Post-Socialist Environment

This paper sets out to investigate entrepreneurs in Latvia, which is one of the most advanced transition countries, having joined the European Union in 2004. Empirically, the paper draws on results from a representative survey of the Latvian population, based on the method of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, and complemented with additional questions related to the background and experiences of Latvian entrepreneurs. Results suggest that there are significant differences between personal characteristics and family background of entrepreneurs and nonentrepreneurs in Latvia. The biggest effects on entering entrepreneurship come from having parent entrepreneurs, sibling entrepreneurs, and having higher education.
Clinical Role of 18F-FDG PET-CT in Suspected and Potentially Operable Cholangiocarcinoma: A Prospective Study Compared With Conventional Imaging

OBJECTIVES:This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical role of integrated positron emission and computed tomography (PET-CT) in patients with suspected and potentially operable cholangiocarcinoma.METHODS:Between October 2005 and May 2007, 123 patients with suspected cholangiocarcinoma were enrolled in this study after diagnostic workup, including biliary dynamic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP) with magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. Patients with overt unresectable cholangiocarcinoma or gallbladder cancer diagnosed via conventional imaging were excluded. Consecutively, each enrolled patient underwent PET-CT. Data were prospectively collected and analyzed in comparison with CT and MRI/MRCP.RESULTS:The overall values for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of PET-CT in primary tumor detection were 84.0%, 79.3%, 92.9%, 60.5%, and 82.9%, respectively. PET-CT demonstrated no statistically significant advantage over CT and MRI/MRCP in the diagnosis of primary tumor. According to different morphologic characteristics of cholangiocarcinoma, PET-CT showed no significant difference in detecting those of mass-forming, periductal-infiltrating, and intraductal-growing types. PET-CT revealed significantly higher accuracy over CT in the diagnosis of regional lymph nodes metastases (75.9% vs 60.9%, P = 0.004) and distant metastases (88.3% vs 78.7%, P = 0.004). Additional use of PET-CT for assessing resectability correctly showed different results from those determined by conventional imaging in 15 (15.9%) of 94 patients with cholangiocarcinoma.CONCLUSIONS:PET-CT improved the accuracy of preoperative staging in patients with cholangiocarcinoma planning to undergo curative resection. Thus, PET-CT had an important clinical impact on the selection of proper treatment.
Color difference thresholds in dentistry.

PURPOSE The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to determine 50:50% perceptibility threshold (PT) and 50:50% acceptability threshold (AT) of dental ceramic under simulated clinical settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS The spectral radiance of 63 monochromatic ceramic specimens was determined using a non-contact spectroradiometer. A total of 60 specimen pairs, divided into 3 sets of 20 specimen pairs (medium to light shades, medium to dark shades, and dark shades), were selected for psychophysical experiment. The coordinating center and seven research sites obtained the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals prior the beginning of the experiment. Each research site had 25 observers, divided into five groups of five observers: dentists-D, dental students-S, dental auxiliaries-A, dental technicians-T, and lay persons-L. There were 35 observers per group (five observers per group at each site ×7 sites), for a total of 175 observers. Visual color comparisons were performed using a viewing booth. Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy approximation was used for fitting the data points. The 50:50% PT and 50:50% AT were determined in CIELAB and CIEDE2000. The t-test was used to evaluate the statistical significance in thresholds differences. RESULTS The CIELAB 50:50% PT was ΔEab = 1.2, whereas 50:50% AT was ΔEab = 2.7. Corresponding CIEDE2000 (ΔE00 ) values were 0.8 and 1.8, respectively. 50:50% PT by the observer group revealed differences among groups D, A, T, and L as compared with 50:50% PT for all observers. The 50:50% AT for all observers was statistically different than 50:50% AT in groups T and L. CONCLUSION A 50:50% perceptibility and ATs were significantly different. The same is true for differences between two color difference formulas ΔE00 /ΔEab . Observer groups and sites showed high level of statistical difference in all thresholds. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Visual color difference thresholds can serve as a quality control tool to guide the selection of esthetic dental materials, evaluate clinical performance, and interpret visual and instrumental findings in clinical dentistry, dental research, and subsequent standardization. The importance of quality control in dentistry is reinforced by increased esthetic demands of patients and dental professionals.
Dissimilation of glucose by Bacillus subtilis (Ford's strain).

Ford's strain of Bacillus subtilis (N.C.T.C. 2586) dissimilated glucose mainly to 2,3-butanediol and glycerol under anaerobic conditions at pH 6.2 to 6.8. For each 100 moles of glucose fermented, 57 moles of 2,3-butanediol, 40 moles of glycerol, 20 moles of lactic acid, 13 moles of ethanol, and 5 moles of formic acid were produced. Aerobic conditions favoured formation of 2,3-butanediol and acetoin, oxidation of the substrate, and formation of acetic and butyric acids, but greatly depressed the amount of glycerol and lactic acid formed. In alkaline media (pH 7.5), acids were formed at the expense of the diol and glycerol.