Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in graduate earnings by socio-economic background

Education is often regarded as a route to social mobility. For this to be the case, however, the link between family background and adult outcomes must be broken (or at least reduced) once we take account of an individual’s education history. This paper focuses on individuals who have completed university and provides new evidence on differences in graduates’ earnings by socio-economic background, with a particular focus on whether they attended a private school. We use data on the population of individuals graduating from UK universities in 2006-07 and find that those who attended private schools earn around 7% more per year, on average, than state school students some 3.5 years after graduation, even when comparing otherwise similar graduates and allowing for differences in degree subject, university attended and degree classification. This work complements Macmillan et al. (2013), who found that graduates from private schools were more likely to enter “high status” occupations. However, our results show that earnings differences persist even within occupations, with graduates who attended private schools earning 6% more than their state school compatriots working in the same occupations. This is equivalent to around £1,500 extra per year in our data. Together, these results suggest that there is a pressing need to understand why private schooling confers such an advantage in the labour market, even amongst similarly achieving graduates, and why higher education does not appear to be the leveller it was hoped to be.
Heterologous prime–boost vaccinations for poverty-related diseases: advantages and future prospects

Classical vaccination approaches, based on a single vaccine administered in a homologous prime–boost schedule and optimized to induce primarily neutralizing antibodies, are unlikely to be sufficiently efficacious to prevent TB, malaria or HIV infections. Novel vaccines, capable of inducing a more powerful immune response, in particular T-cell immunity, are desperately needed. Combining different vaccine modalities that are able to complement each other and induce broad and sustainable immunity is a promising approach. This review provides an overview of heterologous prime–boost vaccination modalities currently in development for the ‘big three’ poverty-related diseases and emphasizes the need for innovative vaccination approaches.
Therapeutic potential of perivascular cells from human pluripotent stem cells

Vascularization of injured tissues or artificial grafts is a major challenge in tissue engineering, stimulating a continued search for alternative sources for vasculogenic cells and the development of therapeutic strategies. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), either embryonic or induced, offer a plentiful platform for the derivation of large numbers of vasculogenic cells, as required for clinical transplantations. Various protocols for generation of vasculogenic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from hPSCs have been described with considerably different SMC derivatives. In addition, we recently identified hPSC‐derived pericytes, which are similar to their physiological counterparts, exhibiting unique features of blood vessel‐residing perivascular cells, as well as multipotent mesenchymal precursors with therapeutic angiogenic potential. In this review we refer to methodologies for the development of a variety of perivascular cells from hPSCs with respect to developmental induction, differentiation capabilities, potency and their dual function as mesenchymal precursors. The therapeutic effect of hPSC‐derived perivascular cells in experimental models of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are described and compared to those of their native physiological counterparts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of the Vegetation in Experimental Streptococcus viridans Endocarditis

This study examines the role of the vegetation in catheter-induced experimental endocarditis in predisposing to bacterial colonization of cardiac valves and in influencing the course of the disease and response to penicillin therapy. Platelet-fibrin vegetations developed at areas of valvular trauma and were colonized when Streptococcus viridans were injected intravenously. Pretreatment with warfarin prevented vegetation formation, but animals still developed endocarditis at the same rate after injection of 106S. viridans. The course of the disease in anticoagulated animals was more explosive, as determined by a more rapid rise in fever and level of bacteremia. Mean survival was shorter in anticoagulated rabbits (7 versus 12.7 days). Large vegetations containing 109S. viridans/g were found in control animals, whereas anticoagulated rabbits developed only microscopic deposits. Large vegetations required a longer duration of penicillin therapy to sterilize than the infected valves of the anticoagulated group (7 versus 3 days). Therefore, a preformed platelet-fibrin deposit is not a prerequisite for bacterial colonization of cardiac valves. After infection, the vegetation is an important factor in determining the subacute course of disease and resistance to penicillin therapy.
Modelling Labour Market Adjustment to Trade Liberalization in Tunisia

This paper investigates short and long run effects of trade liberalization on employment and wages using a specific factor trade model. Employment and wage equations are estimated using data (1971-1996) for importable and exportable sectors in Tunisia. Results from empirical testing using the model find some supports for the theoretical predictions of Edwards (1988) for the exportable sector. On the other hand, in the importable sectors, we find results that are opposed to those predicted by Edwards (1988) since employment and wages increase. A possible reason for the divergence of theory and practice is that the Edward’s model is premised on the basis of a fixed supply of labour. Exportable employment could therefore only rise if importable employment fell. However, as we have seen, the supply of labour increased dramatically in Tunisia as women entered the labour market. This allowed employment in importable to be maintained (even slightly increase) as the exportable sector expanded.
The impact of thyroid nodule size on the risk of malignancy and accuracy of fine-needle aspiration: a 10-year study from a single institution.

BACKGROUND False-negative rates for thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) vary from 0.4% to 13%, but the effect of nodule size on the accuracy of thyroid FNA remains controversial. We hypothesized that large thyroid nodule size does not contribute to the risk of malignancy or the risk of a false-negative FNA. METHODS All thyroid FNAs performed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center during September 2001-August 2011 were reviewed. A strict correlation between the biopsy site, location, and size of nodule on ultrasound (US) and pathology report was ensured. FNA results were classified as benign, atypical, follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), suspicious for malignancy (SM), or malignant, and the pathology result was categorized as either benign or malignant. Nodules were analyzed by size: 0.5-0.9 cm (group A), 1.0-3.9 cm (group B), and ≥ 4 cm (group C). Incidental thyroid cancer was not included. RESULTS Of 3013 patients undergoing FNA, 667 (22.1%) had surgery. Patients were excluded for nodules <0.5 cm, nondiagnostic FNA, or no preoperative US, leaving 540 patients with 695 nodules. Among patients referred for surgery, FNA results were benign in 417 nodules (60%), atypical in 22 (3.2%), FN/SFN in 122 (17.6%), SM in 77 (11.1%), and malignant in 57 (8.2%). Postoperative malignancy rates by FNA result were 7% if benign, 4.5% if atypical, 23% if FN/SFN, 33.8% if SM, and 78.9% if malignant. FNA accuracy was 60% in group A, 68.5% in group B, and 80.3% in group C (p=0.01). False-negative rates for FNA were 7.0% overall, 15.8% in group A, 6.3% in group B, and 7.1% in group C (p=0.25). Sensitivity and negative predictive value were highest in group B at 81.6% and 93.7%, respectively. The prevalence of malignancy was not different between groups. CONCLUSION Our results show that the thyroid nodule size ≥ 4 cm increases neither the risk of false-negative FNA results, nor the overall risk of malignancy. We also show a tendency toward a higher false-negative rate in subcentimeter nodules. We conclude that a large nodule size should not prompt automatic referral for thyroidectomy. An increased awareness of potential sampling error in subcentimeter nodules is warranted.
An Application of Principal Component Analysis to Stock Portfolio Management

This thesis investigates the application of principal component analysis to the Australian stock market using ASX200 index and its constituents from April 2000 to February 2014. The first ten principal components were retained to present the major risk sources in the stock market. We constructed portfolio based on each of the ten principal components and named these “principal portfolios". Principal portfolio one, which represents the market risk, is essentially a 1/N portfolio on the underlying stocks, and principal portfolio two has the highest price correlation with the ASX200 index. Rebalancing the positions based on the coefficients changes in component two did not bring better performance but more closely followed the ASX200 index. Moreover, allocation strategies applied to the principal portfolios instead of the underlying stocks substantially reduced the risk and would have avoided the significant drop in 2008 financial crisis. The high number principal components were used to identify near linearly correlated stocks and based on this idea we proposed a stock selection procedure that pick stocks according to the correlation structure. We found a portfolio of at most 25 stocks closely resemble the ASX200 index. It is not any combination of stocks can used to present the whole data set like other papers have implicitly suggested. The variance explained by principal component one was used as a measure the level of systemic risk. The market was more concentrated during crisis period and indicates less diversification benefits to exploit. The variance explained by the first principal component can serve as a leading indicator of financial crisis. The KMO measure of sampling adequacy closely followed the variance explained by first principal component and may also be used as a leading indicator of financial crisis.
The determinants of corporate corruption in Cameroon

The objective of this study is to identify the determinants of corporate corruption in Cameroon with data of the national institute of statistics in Cameroon. I find out that, companies have devoted 0.747% and 1.56% of their turnover (companies' revenue) respectively to pay bribes and to give gifts to civil servants. In addition, corporate corruption in Cameroon is caused by poverty and the weak institutions, it is more rampant in certain regions rich in natural resources. For these reasons, the government should fight against corporate corruption in poor communities and in localities rich in natural resources. It must particularly promote governance in the following public administrations: police, gendarmerie and taxes. It should also enhance its credibility by communicating its strategies to fight against corruption. Finally, it must simplify administrative procedures.
Staphylococcal Cell Wall: Morphogenesis and Fatal Variations in the Presence of Penicillin

SUMMARY The primary goal of this review is to provide a compilation of the complex architectural features of staphylococcal cell walls and of some of their unusual morphogenetic traits including the utilization of murosomes and two different mechanisms of cell separation. Knowledge of these electron microscopic findings may serve as a prerequisite for a better understanding of the sophisticated events which lead to penicillin-induced death. For more than 50 years there have been controversial disputes about the mechanisms by which penicillin kills bacteria. Many hypotheses have tried to explain this fatal event biochemically and mainly via bacteriolysis. However, indications that penicillin-induced death of staphylococci results from overall biochemical defects or from a fatal attack of bacterial cell walls by bacteriolytic murein hydrolases were not been found. Rather, penicillin, claimed to trigger the activity of murein hydrolases, impaired autolytic wall enzymes of staphylococci. Electron microscopic investigations have meanwhile shown that penicillin-mediated induction of seemingly minute cross wall mistakes is the very reason for this killing. Such “morphogenetic death” taking place at predictable cross wall sites and at a predictable time is based on the initiation of normal cell separations in those staphylococci in which the completion of cross walls had been prevented by local penicillin-mediated impairment of the distribution of newly synthesized peptidoglycan; this death occurs because the high internal pressure of the protoplast abruptly kills such cells via ejection of some cytoplasm during attempted cell separation. An analogous fatal onset of cell partition is considered to take place without involvement of a detectable quantity of autolytic wall enzymes (“mechanical cell separation”). The most prominent feature of penicillin, the disintegration of bacterial cells via bacteriolysis, is shown to represent only a postmortem process resulting from shrinkage of dead cells and perturbation of the cytoplasmic membrane. Several schematic drawings have been included in this review to facilitate an understanding of the complex morphogenetic events.
GLBT INCLUSIVNESS; IMPACTING ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

Today’s workforce is a diverse montage of race, age, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. There is now more diversity among the workforce than ever before and this trend is predicted to persist well into the 21 st century (Ivancevich and Gilbert 2000). Managing diversity well can bring a competitive advantage to an organization and conversely, if not managed well an organizations’ profitability can be negatively impacted. The underlying premise is that individuals are valuable and support the achievement of organization goals (Barry and Batemen 1996; Van Hoye and Lievens 2003). One of the components of diversity in the workplace is sexual orientation. Often sexual orientation represents a non-observable type of diversity and in recent years has received a signifcant amount of increased attention (Van Hoye and Lievens 2003). Research shows that lesbians and gay men hold highly varied attitudes toward their sexual identity and the decision to share this information is highly complex (Button 2001; Cain 1991). The decision to affirm one’s sexual identity depends on the organizational context (Day and Schoenrade 1997) and disclosing sexual orientation within the workplace can: (a) leave one open to discrimination, (b) influence personal and social development, and (c) impact performance and job satisfaction. Studies demonstrate that the degree to which gays and lesbians are satisfied with work is correlated to how accepting they perceive the workplace environment. Further, because work is considered an indication for psychological well-being a great deal needs to be done to empower GLBT employees (Van Den Bergh 2003). Recent studies have demonstrated that the more open employees are, the more committed to the organization they will be, have higher job satisfaction, perceive support from top management, have lower role ambiguity, and less conflict between work and home (Day and Schoenrade 1997). These factors, combined with the overall social climate, have motivated many organizations to invest heavily on initiatives to become more inclusive of GLBT people. Despite increasing significance, empirical inquiry regarding sexual orientation in the work place is scarce (Van Hoye and Lievens 2003). Although numerous organizations have developed policies that affirm sexual diversity in the workplace little research exists on the implications of these policies for the GLBT employee or the organization they work for (Button 2001). To this end, organizations have only just begun to realize that GLBT diversity significanlty impacts learning and performance in the workplace. This working paper discusses the HRD professionals role in fostering an inclusive environment for GLBT persons that, in turn postiively impacts organizational learning and performance.
The dynamics of sovereign debt crises in a monetary union

Inspired by the European debt crisis of 2010, this paper provides a theoretical framework to analyze the dynamics of sovereign debt crises in a monetary union. I assume that there is a maturity mismatch between the short maturity debt of a country and the long horizon flow of tax revenues, i.e., the need for countries to roll over their debt. A debt crisis can ensue due to doubts about the future ability and willingness for a country to keep rolling over its debt. A monetary union is a collection of such countries with a tragedy-of-the-commons dilemma regarding some common institution, such as a common currency: the default in one country also hurts the other countries in that union, creating an incentive for mutual assistance. Several issues will be addressed. A mechanism for contagion will be proposed and analyzed. The scope for mutual assistance and its ability to prevent a member default will be investigated. Trade offs regarding the participation of the private sector in such rescue operations will be discussed. Implications for the moral hazard on member countries to pursue fiscally prudent policies will be drawn.
Mechanistic Analysis of Ammonium Inhibition of Atmospheric Methane Consumption in Forest Soils

Methane consumption by forest soil was studied in situ and in vitro with respect to responses to nitrogen additions at atmospheric and elevated methane concentrations. Methane concentrations in intact soil decreased continuously from atmospheric levels at the surface to 0.5 ppm at a depth of 14 cm. The consumption rate of atmospheric methane in soils, however, was highest in the 4- to 8-cm depth interval (2.9 nmol per g of dry soil per day), with much lower activities below and above this zone. In contrast, extractable ammonium and nitrate concentrations were highest in the surface layer (0 to 2 cm; 22 and 1.6 μmol per g of dry soil, respectively), as was potential ammonium-oxidizing activity (19 nmol per g of dry soil per day). The difference in zonation between ammonium oxidation and methane consumption suggested that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria did not contribute significantly to atmospheric methane consumption. Exogenous ammonium inhibited methane consumption in situ and in vitro, but the pattern of inhibition did not conform to expectations based on simple competition between ammonia and methane for methane monooxygenase. The extent of ammonium inhibition increased with increasing methane concentration. Inhibition by a single ammonium addition remained constant over a period of 39 days. In addition, nitrite, the end product of methanotrophic ammonia oxidation, was a more effective inhibitor of methane consumption than ammonium. Factors that stimulated ammonium oxidation in soil, e.g., elevated methane concentrations and the availability of cosubstrates such as formate, methanol, or β-hydroxybutyrate, enhanced ammonium inhibition of methane oxidation, probably as a result of enhanced nitrite production.
Transcatheter atrial septal defect occlusion in piglets by balloon detachable devices

Detachable balloon devices were applied in the occlusion of experimental ASDs in 20 piglets. The detachable balloons were made from Latex; the occluder balloon was placed on the left atrial side and required a floppy disk and counter‐occluder(s) support from the right atrial side (17 experiments), or a second detachable balloon from the right side (3 experiments). Full occlusion was noticed in all cases. There was one device embolization in the descending aorta (device with a regular floppy disk and no counter‐occluder). The device was covered by tissue in 3 to 4 weeks with the balloon flat on the septum in approximately 2 months; it required minimal rim and no wires in the left atrium. The double balloon model was wireless. The balloon detachable device was found effective and safe in the occlusion of experimental ASDs in piglets. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 51:529–534, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predictors of outcome in patients with tuberculous meningitis.

OBJECTIVE To assess predictors of mortality and neurological sequelae in patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM). METHODS Patients with TBM treated at 12 university hospitals in Turkey between 1985 and 1997 were evaluated using a standardised protocol applied retrospectively. Variables associated with hospital mortality as well as with the presence of neurological sequelae at 6 months were determined using logistic regression models. RESULTS Four hundred and thirty-four patients between the ages of 13 and 83 years (mean 33 years) were evaluated. Sixty-eight per cent of these patients presented with Medical Research Council Stage II or III. One hundred and one patients (23.3%) died and 67 (27%) of evaluable survivors had neurological sequelae. In multi-variable analysis, convulsion (OR 3.3, 95%CI 1.2-9.0, P = 0.02), comatose mental status (OR 6.0, 95%CI 3.6-10.2, P = 0.01), and delayed or interrupted treatment (OR 5.1, 95%CI 2.4-11.2, P = 0.01) were shown to be predictors for mortality. The presence of extra-meningeal tuberculosis (OR 2.1, 95%CI 1.1-4.2, P = 0.035), cranial nerve palsy (OR 2.6, 95%CI 1.4-4.2, P = 0.01), hemiparesia/focal weakness (OR 9.3, 95%CI 3.8-22.6, P = 0.01), hemiplegia/multiple neurological deficit (OR 7.1, 95%CI 2.14-23.38, P = 0.01) and drowsiness (OR 4.2, 95%CI 2.04-8.82, P = 0.01) were independent predictors of neurological sequelae at 6 months following hospital discharge. CONCLUSION The results of this study emphasise the importance of prompt and uninterrupted anti-tuberculosis therapy for tuberculous meningitis. The presence of seizures or coma on admission to hospital are important predictors for mortality, while the presence of focal neurological signs is a predictor for persistent neurological sequelae in survivors.
Histamine in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a persistent inflammation of the synovium, leading to the erosion of articular cartilage and bone. Synovial mast cells and their effector molecule, histamine, receive increased attention as mediators of joint inflammation. The aim of our study was to analyse levels of free histamine in serum and joint fluid of RA patients and to evaluate the potential inflammatogenic properties of histamine in vivo and in vitro. Histamine levels were measured by an ELISA in synovial fluid and sera of RA patients and of healthy controls. Histamine levels were also assessed in plasma of RA patients undergoing anti‐TNF‐α treatment. In the murine part of the study, histamine was injected intra‐articularly in the knee joint of mice and the joints were subsequently analysed with respect to induction of inflammation. RA patients displayed significantly lower levels of histamine in circulation (0.93 ± 0.16 ng/ml) compared with the healthy controls (1.89 ± 0.45 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Locally, in synovial fluid the levels of histamine were even lower (0.37 ± 0.16 ng/ml, P < 0.0006). Long‐term anti‐TNF‐α treatment significantly increased circulating levels of histamine in RA patients. Our experiments on animals show that histamine on its own neither induces inflammation in the joint cavity nor influences the course of HMGB1 and peptidoglycan‐induced joint inflammation. Based on our experimental and clinical studies we suggest that histamine lacks harmful properties in RA.