Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution and Transmission Patterns of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in China

ABSTRACT The emergence and transmission of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) pose an increasing threat to global TB control. This study aimed to identify the patterns of evolution and transmission dynamics of XDR-TB in populations in a region of China where TB is highly endemic. We analyzed a total of 95 XDR-TB isolates collected from 2003 to 2009 in Chongqing, China. Eight drug resistance genes covering 7 drugs that define XDR-TB were amplified by PCR followed by DNA sequencing. Variable-number tandem repeat 16-locus (VNTR-16) genotyping and genotypic drug resistance profiles were used to determine the evolution or transmission patterns of XDR-TB strains. Our results indicated that the Beijing genotype was predominant (85/95 [89.5%]) in XDR-TB strains, and as many as 40.0% (38/95) of the isolates were distributed into 6 clusters based on VNTR-16 genotyping and drug resistance mutation profiles. All isolates of each cluster harbored as many as six identical resistance mutations in the drug resistance genes rpoB, katG, inhA promoter, embB, rpsL, and gidB. Among the nine cases with continuous isolates from multidrug-resistant (MDR) to XDR-TB, 4 cases represented acquired drug resistance, 4 cases were caused by transmission, and 1 case was due to exogenous superinfection. The XDR-TB epidemic in China is mainly caused by a high degree of clonal transmission, but evolution from MDR to XDR and even superinfection with a new XDR strain can also occur.
Product Introduction with Network Externalities

The authors study the introduction of a new product in a market with network externalities. There is a common presumption that such markets exhibit excess inertia, i.e., that they are biased toward existing products. In contrast, the authors provide conditions under which equilibrium involves insufficient friction, i.e., a tendency to rush into new, incompatible technologies. They also analyze the firms' incentives to make their products compatible and they show that the firm introducing the new technology is biased against compatibility. Copyright 1992 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
The use of quality management techniques and tools: an examination of some key issues

Research has been undertaken into the difficulties and key issues associated with the use of statistical process control (SPC), failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), quality costing, quality function deployment (QFD), design of experiments (DOE) and the seven basic quality control tools. A 4-part classification - role in quality improvement, organisation and infrastructure, data collection and use and application - has been developed to examine the difficulties/issues associated with each of the techniques and tools. A number of issues have been identified which relate to all the techniques and tools examined, including management support, user understanding, integral approach, discipline and application. On the other hand, there are some issues, which relate to specific techniques and tools, including level of complexity, visual display, initial investment and overall status of TQM.
Understanding voter orientation in the context of political market orientation: is the political customer king?

Abstract This article develops a conceptual framework and measurement model of political market orientation (PMO). The relationships between different behavioural aspects of PMO and the attitudinal influences of such behaviour are analysed, and the study includes structural equation modelling to test several hypotheses. While the results show that political parties focus on several different aspects of market-oriented behaviour, especially using an internal and societal orientation as cultural antecedents, a more surprising result is the inconclusive effect of a voter orientation on PMO. This lends support to the argument of ‘looking beyond the customer’ in political marketing research and practice. The article discusses the findings in the context of the existing literature on political marketing and commercial market orientation.
Integration Methods and Optimization Algorithms

We show that accelerated optimization methods can be seen as particular instances of multi-step integration schemes from numerical analysis, applied to the gradient flow equation. Compared with recent advances in this vein, the differential equation considered here is the basic gradient flow, and we derive a class of multi-step schemes which includes accelerated algorithms, using classical conditions from numerical analysis. Multi-step schemes integrate the differential equation using larger step sizes, which intuitively explains the acceleration phenomenon.
The information content of implied volatility in light of the jump/continuous decomposition of realized volatility

In the framework of encompassing regressions, the information content of the jump/continuous components of historical volatility is assessed when implied volatility is included as an additional regressor. The authors' empirical application focuses on daily and intradaily data for the S&P100 and S&P500 indexes, and daily data for the associated VXO and VIX implied volatility indexes. The results show that the total explanatory power of the encompassing regressions barely changes when the jump/continuous components are included, although the weekly and monthly continuous components are usually significant. This evidence supports the view that implied volatility has very high information content, even when extended decompositions of past realized volatility are used. Moreover, adding GARCH‐type volatility forecasts in the regressions confirms these results. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 27:337–359, 2007
An Urgent Need For The "Fıne Tune" Of Financial Derivative Instruments

Financial derivative instruments, which were initially designed to hedge currency risks and thus to prevent financial instability after the collapse of the Bretton-Woods System, exposed, particularly, developing economies to remarkable risks and financial instabilities in the 1990s, and they played a much greater role than previously estimated in the international financial crises. Recent global financial crisis of 2008, once more time, indicated that they have huge potential to be dangerous for even developed economies. However, their potential role in creating instabilities in financial systems were ignored or underestimated by the dominant “neo-liberal” perspective which have wanted to shape the world economy in a pure financial liberalization approach rather than financial regulation. In this respect, the paper aims to analyze and discuss the proposed policies about the financial regulation of financial derivatives in order to put what should be done for a “win-win” solution since there can be two extremely different points of view about them.
Modulation of Antibody-Mediated Immune Response by Probiotics in Chickens

ABSTRACT Probiotic bacteria, including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, have been shown to enhance antibody responses in mammals. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a probiotic product containing the above bacteria in addition to Streptococcus faecalis on the induction of the chicken antibody response to various antigens, both systemically and in the gut. The birds received probiotics via oral gavage and subsequently were immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) to evaluate antibody responses in serum or with tetanus toxoid (TT) to measure the mucosal antibody response in gut contents. Control groups received phosphate-buffered saline. Overall, BSA and SRBC induced a detectable antibody response as early as week 1 postimmunization (p.i.), which lasted until week 3 p.i. Probiotic-treated birds had significantly (P ≤ 0.001) more serum antibody (predominantly immunoglobulin M [IgM]) to SRBC than the birds that were not treated with probiotics. However, treatment with probiotics did not enhance the serum IgM and IgG antibody responses to BSA. Immunization with TT resulted in the presence of specific IgA and IgG antibody responses in the gut. Again, treatment with probiotics did not change the level or duration of the antibody response in the gut. In conclusion, probiotics enhance the systemic antibody response to some antigens in chickens, but it remains to be seen whether probiotics have an effect on the generation of the mucosal antibody response.
A minimal cost analysis model for utilisation and capacity planning in surgical services

This chapter explores cost reduction and capacity planning in surgical services. Classical operating suite (OR) utilisation is defined as the ratio of total OR time used to total OR time budgeted, but that definition of utilisation allows scheduling inefficiencies and costs to go undetected. Instead, a more accurate description of the overall use of resources can be achieved by dividing classical utilisation into under-utilisation and over-utilisation, and incorporating those measures within a minimal cost analysis model. The model, which was developed from a study of surgical case records collected over six years, indicates that the potential cost savings are significant.
Immiserizing Growth for a Quota-Distorted Small Economy under Variable Returns to Scale

The authors demonstrate that growth of a small open economy distorted by import quotas, in contrast to the case of tariffs, improves welfare when the industries display identical variable (or constant) returns to scale. Furthermore, growth cannot reduce welfare if the industry that experiences technical progress exhibits a greater returns to scale than the static industry. Conversely, if the dynamic sector displays a smaller returns to scale than the static sector, growth of a quota-distorted small economy can be immiserizing. The authors' results are independent of whether Hicks-neutral technical progress occurs in the importable or the exportable sector.
VAR FORECASTING MODELS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Vector autoregressions (VARs) have been proposed as good forecasting models of macroeconomic variables. This paper presents three naive VAR models of the Australian economy estimated on quarterly data for fifteen variables to 1985(4). Their performance in “forecasting” the calendar and financial year outcomes for 1986–87 (on an ex-ante basis) is compared with that of three sets of private sector forecasts, the 1986–87 Budget forecasts and the actual outcomes from the same period. In general, the VAR forecasts perform at least as well or better than comparable private sector forecasts. Each VAR model is estimated using a different method for allowing for trends in the data. The detrending procedure is an important determinant of the quality of forecasts, with the best forecasts produced by the two models which employ detrending processes appropriate for data which follow a random walk.
Wealth Distribution, Inflation Tax, and Societal Benefits of Illiquid Bonds

Illiquid nominal government bonds are shown to have two opposing effects on welfare. First, the relatively poor choose to top-up money balances for future consumption by purchasing nominal bonds at a discount. The wealth distribution becomes more centered with a smaller consumption deviation from the first best. Second, the higher inflation tax on monetary wealth to finance interest payments makes money less valuable, so that the quantity of output produced in exchange for money decreases. The trade-off between the welfare-enhancing effect on wealth distribution and the distortionary effect on output implies the socially optimal discount rate and liquidity. Copyright (c) 2009 The Ohio State University.
The fair valuation mess

Investment funds use actual trading market prices to value their portfolio investments where possible and “fair valuations” (estimated values) when actual market prices are not available. The methods used to “fair value” portfolios recently have come under scrutiny. SEC inquiries and enforcement actions and shareholder lawsuits have revealed significant problems in the ways in which fair valuations of the portfolios of investment companies, as well as private investment funds are conducted. Congress and academic commentators are beginning to question fund valuation methods. Despite the importance of the issue to investors, there is little uniformity of practice among funds, no generally accepted means to conduct fair valuations, and little disclosure by funds of the methods by which fair valuations are conducted, who conducts them, when they are conducted, or how much fair valuation affects portfolio or unit valuations. The SEC has never conducted a public study or rulemaking, or issued a significant report on fair value practices. Instead, it is the stuff of a pair of short, 30‐year‐old SEC accounting bulletins and a few cryptic references in periodic revisions to Form N‐1A. Yet, in a letter the SEC staff sent to the Investment Company Institute (ICI) in April 2001, the SEC staff dramatically expanded the use of fair value pricing for use with securities for which actual trading market prices are available.
π‐Conjugated Lewis Base: Efficient Trap‐Passivation and Charge‐Extraction for Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells

A π-conjugated Lewis base is introduced into perovskite solar cells, namely, indacenodithiophene end-capped with 1.1-dicyanomethylene-3-indanone (IDIC), as a multifunctional interlayer, which combines efficient trap-passivation and electron-extraction. Perovskite solar cells with IDIC layers yield higher photovoltages and photocurrents, and 45% enhanced efficiency compared with control devices without IDIC.
The Measurement of Average Farm Size

Comparisons are regularly drawn between the average sizes of farms in particular countries or regions and in different farm‐type categories. Indeed average farm size is often considered to explain (or create expectations of) changes or differences in technical or economic efficiency through time or between countries. There are, however, a number of issues involved in specifying what is meant by a farm and in choosing a suitable measure of farm size. These are examined prior to a discussion of various measures of average size, one of which (the mid‐aggregate point) is described in some detail. The measures are illustrated with reference to agricultural holdings in England and in the Member States of the European Union.
Nationalism, Patriotism and Foreign Policy Attitudes among Chinese University Students*

Abstract Does empirical evidence support treating “nationalism” and “patriotism” as separate concepts in China and is there a relationship between strong nationalist/patriotic attitudes and foreign policy preferences? To analyse the construction of Chinese national identity, Chinese university students (N = 1346) took part in a survey in Beijing in spring 2007. The data supported the assumption of a conceptual separation between nationalism and patriotism. CCP members and students from rural backgrounds were more nationalistic than non-members and students with urban upbringings. Moreover, nationalism had a stronger link to foreign policy preferences than patriotism, and respondents with a greater degree of nationalism were less likely to favour international cooperation and more likely to prefer protectionist policies. The associations of nationalism and patriotism with foreign policy attitudes, and the contribution of other potential explanatory factors to the relationship between nationalism, patriotism and policy attitudes were explored with linear regression models.
Assessing Adverse Selection in Crop Insurance Markets: An Application of Parametric and Nonparametric Methods

This paper investigates adverse selection in crop insurance markets using both parametric and nonparametric methods. Our results reject the conditional independence of the choice of insurance contracts and risk of loss, implying the presence of informational asymmetries between insurers and insureds in the markets. Results also show that actual premium rates are significantly different from both pure and fair premium rates. Our findings provide useful insights into asymmetric information problems and methods to assess the risk of loss in crop insurance markets.
Sodium Methyldithiocarbamate Causes Thymic Atrophy by an Indirect Mechanism of Corticosterone Up-Regulation

Sodium methyldithiocarbamate (SMD) is an agricultural fumigant-type pesticide commonly used as a pre-plant biocide. SMD is currently listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the third most commonly used conventional pesticide. Previously, SMD has been shown to be immunotoxic in mice. Initial immunotoxicological studies indicated that thymocytes are major targets of SMD or its breakdown products in mice. The purpose of the present study was to determine if this effect was mediated by an SMD-induced stress response. The decrease in thymus weight correlated to a decrease in all thymocyte subpopulations. However, as seen in earlier studies, the double positive (CD4+CD8+) thymocyte subpopulation was more selectively decreased than the other subpopulations. The double negative (CD4−CD8−) and single positive (CD4+CD8− or CD4−CD8+) thymocyte subpopulations decreased in absolute numbers while increasing in percentage of the remaining cells in the thymus after SMD intoxication. In the current study, SMD caused an increase in serum corticosterone, a stress-related hormone. Blocking corticosterone either by 1) adrenalectomy or by 2) chemically blocking synthesis of nascent corticosterone in adrenal-competent animals abrogated the thymocyte atrophy caused by SMD. However, an additional stressor (restraint) did not act additively or synergistically to increase atrophy. Therefore, it is likely that SMD causes thymic atrophy by increasing serum corticosterone.
EphA3 biology and cancer

Abstract Eph receptor tyrosine kinases control cell-cell interactions during normal and oncogenic development, and are implicated in a range of processes including angiogenesis, stem cell maintenance and metastasis. They are thus of great interest as targets for cancer therapy. EphA3, originally isolated from leukemic and melanoma cells, is presently one of the most promising therapeutic targets, with multiple tumor-promoting roles in a variety of cancer types. This review focuses on EphA3, its functions in controlling cellular behavior, both in normal and pathological development, and most particularly in cancer.
Hemodynamic significance of internal carotid artery disease

ABSTRACT— Neurologic symptoms in the region of an internal carotid artery stenosis are considered to be embolic in most instances. Only in a subgroup has carotid occlusive disease with impairment of the collateral supply, caused a state of hemodynamic failure with marked reduction of perfusion pressure. Though unproven, it is reasonable to assume that without surgical intervention, the risk is higher than average for patients with hemodynamic failure. Equally, should there be any postoperative improvement of cerebral blood flow or neurologic deficits, it should be looked for in this group. Thus, it is necessary to distinguish those with low perfusion pressure from the population of patients with carotid artery disease.
Toward a definition of the complete proteome of plant peroxisomes: Where experimental proteomics must be complemented by bioinformatics

In the past few years, proteome analysis of Arabidopsis peroxisomes has been established by the complementary efforts of four research groups and has emerged as the major unbiased approach to identify new peroxisomal proteins on a large scale. Collectively, more than 100 new candidate proteins from plant peroxisomes have been identified, including long‐awaited low‐abundance proteins. More than 50 proteins have been validated as peroxisome targeted, nearly doubling the number of established plant peroxisomal proteins. Sequence homologies of the new proteins predict unexpected enzyme activities, novel metabolic pathways and unknown non‐metabolic peroxisome functions. Despite this remarkable success, proteome analyses of plant peroxisomes remain highly material intensive and require major preparative efforts. Characterization of the membrane proteome or post‐translational protein modifications poses major technical challenges. New strategies, including quantitative mass spectrometry methods, need to be applied to allow further identifications of plant peroxisomal proteins, such as of stress‐inducible proteins. In the long process of defining the complete proteome of plant peroxisomes, the prediction of peroxisome‐targeted proteins from plant genome sequences emerges as an essential complementary approach to identify additional peroxisomal proteins that are, for instance, specific to peroxisome variants from minor tissues and organs or to abiotically stressed model and crop plants.
'I felt that I was benefiting someone': youth as change in a refugee

Youth can be ‘powerful catalysts’ in their own and their community’s development. The paper describes the experience of youth based on their participation as decision makers in and implementers of a community-based research project in a Palestinian refugee camp of Beirut, Lebanon. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 youth and 10 of their family members or friends. The participants were asked to describe the reasons they joined the project, why they stayed on, what they liked most/least about the project, how the project influenced their lives and what they would change about the project. Thematic analysis identified recurrent themes. Youth joined the program because of its benefit to children and their community. They stayed with the program because of the solidarity they found with the team and because of their relationship with the children. They perceived that they had an important role to play in the project’s success. Youth acknowledged all the skills they gained from the project. Focus groups with others corroborated their statements. This project confirmed that youth can be powerful change agents in their own development and that of their communities. An Enabling Attributes Model is proposed for projects that aim to actively engage youth as community catalysts.
Modelling Stock Returns With Neural Networks

Neural networks have attracted much interest in financial engineering but many multivariate data series remain diflcult to model. In this paper we use a non trivial problem in expsure analysis of share prices to multiple factors to explore the interrelationships among the numerous network and data engineering parameters and we highlight the importance of a careful choice of the indicators used as network inputs. We show how data pre-processing can improve generalisation performance by up to 30.5% and present a "time-sensitive" cost function, designed to take into account gradually changing input-output relationships. We give empirical evidence that when it is combined with the right leaMags in the indicators generalisation can be further improved by up to IO. 1 %.
RCS of waveguide cavities: a hybrid boundary-integral/modal approach

The author presents a hybrid boundary-integral method (BIM)/modal approach for analyzing the scattering from open cavities that consist of uniform waveguide sections connected by arbitrary discontinuity regions. The BIM/modal approach entails determining the generalized scattering matrix of the discontinuity region by the BIM. Once the generalized scattering matrices of the individual sections are found, they can be cascaded to form the scattering matrix of the composite structure. Finally, the radar cross section of the open cavity is found by a reciprocity formulation in conjunction with the Kirchhoff approximation. Numerical results generated using the hybrid BIM/modal approach and experimental measurement for an offset bend at 10 GHz are compared, and excellent agreement is obtained. <<ETX>>