Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herpesvirus in Red-Headed (Common) Agamas (Agama agama)

Diseases induced by herpesviruses affect a broad spectrum ofmammalian species, including humans, and have also been identified in birds, amphibians, and reptiles. This case report describes a herpesvirus-induced disease in a group of red-headed (common) agamas. Nine wild-caught red-headed agamas (Agama agama) were purchased from an animal dealer by the Detroit Zoological Park. The animals were quarantined prior to display, but all of the animals subsequently died; 8 over a period of 38 days and the ninth 6 months later. All of the lizards were necropsied by 1 of the zoo’s veterinarians. The 2 agamas (agama nos. 1 and 2) that are the subjects of this report were found dead on the same day. Agama no. 1 had multiple pin-point white foci in the liver but no other evident gross lesions. Agama no. 2 had no gross lesions. Multiple tissues from both lizards were obtained at necropsy, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, and submitted to the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory. The tissues were processed routinely and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) for examination. Microbiologic and virologic examinations were not performed. The liver and spleen of agama no. 1 contained multiple randomly distributed foci of necrosis. These regions had little associated inflammation, but at the periphery there were numerous eosinophilic to slightly amphophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies with peripheral halos (Fig. 1). The characteristics of these bodies were consistent with those of herpesvirus inclusion bodies. Within some of the necrotic hepatic foci
Aid, foreign direct investment and economic development

This thesis is intended to contribute to the development economic literature in two ways. Firstly, it introduces a new methodology to deal with the foreign aid problem and its host-country macroeconomic consequences. We claim that that two-sector growth models a la Benhabib and Farmer (1996) involving foreign aid as an input in the production functions are the natural frameworks to tackle this concern. Contrary to the popular claim saying that aid´s effectiveness on economic growth has been almost nil because it is mostly channeled into consumption and not investment, we clearly show that optimal allocation of aid does call for some significant allocation of aid directly into production of consumption goods. Besides, we demonstrate that, under perfect foresight scenarios, the higher is the relative price of the economy the slower is the impact of foreign aid on economic growth and more aid is needed to achieve rapid growth. Finally, under the assumption that aid may be viewed as a means of giving happiness to people, it would not be optimal that the endogeneity of labor-leisure choice play a crucial long run role in the propagation of foreign aid shocks in terms of affecting resource allocation decisions -as it is claimed by other authors. On the other hand, we explore in this thesis the host-economy’s distributive consequences of foreign direct investment (FDI) on rising wage inequality in developing countries. By adopting a simple two-sector optimal growth model where a pro-gradual liberalization scenario is assumed a la Desmet and Rojas (2008), we show that transitory external shocks promoting FDI inflows (a diminishing in the world interest rate, for instance) induce some improvements in the economy, particularly by reducing the technological gap. However, the level of wage inequality is increased and most importantly, serious short run consequences for the economy in terms of social welfare maximization appear in the very short run under constrained regimes. Better endowed economies (in terms of the number of skilled labor) may contribute to reduce this negative impact.
Modeling the Dependence between Number of Trials and Success Probability in Beta‐Binomial–Poisson Mixture Distributions

Summary. Beta‐binomial models are widely used for overdispersed binomial data, with the binomial success probability modeled as following a beta distribution. The number of binary trials in each binomial is assumed to be nonrandom and unrelated to the success probability. In many behavioral studies, however, binomial observations demonstrate more complex structures. In this article, a general beta‐binomial–Poisson mixture model is developed, to allow for a relation between the number of trials and the success probability for overdispersed binomial data. An EM algorithm is implemented to compute both the maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters and the corresponding standard errors. For illustration, the methodology is applied to study the feeding behavior of green‐backed herons in two southeastern Missouri streams.
The post-offering performance of IPOs in the Indian banking industry

In the literature, the underperformance of IPOs is a well-documented empirical anomaly. This study concentrates on IPOs from the banking sector of an emerging economy, India. In a developing country, the role of the banking sector for economic development is undisputed. In view of its importance in economic resource allocation and its distinction from other industries in general, this paper analyses the post offering performance of banking sector IPOs in detail. The performance evaluation on the basis of stock returns did not find significant evidences of underperformance for the IPOs from the banking sector. Moreover, the study, based on key accounting parameters, found improvement in the performance of the banks in the post-listing period. There were no significant differences across ownership groups (public sector banks vis-à-vis their private counterpart) in the IPO performance.
Exploring Uneven Development in Producer Service Sectors: Detailed Evidence from the Computer Service Industry in Britain

In this paper I investigate the nature of uneven development in the computer service sector in Britain by using results from a four-county interview survey of 173 firms. The research adds constructively to the large literature on producer services by providing detailed empirical evidence on the key regional variations within a leading growth sector. First, analysis of the survey data illustrates that new-firm formation processes, which vary both quantitatively and qualitatively across Great Britain, underlie the highly uneven spatial distribution of computer service employment. In particular, rates of entrepreneurship, the sector of origin, and the mode of start-up appear to vary regionally, with growth becoming relatively self-generating in the South East where the computer industry as a whole has traditionally been well represented. Second, through an examination of the backward (supplier), horizontal (joint venture), and in particular the market linkages of the surveyed computer service firms, the evidence gained suggests that, although regional, status, and subsectoral variations in the nature of market linkages both are indicative of, and contribute to, uneven development in this sector, backward and horizontal linkages are of less importance.
Food as Relationship

ABSTRACT Our modern food system is based on the same industrial principles as the rest of the industrial economy: specialization, simplification and economies of scale, and the principle objective is maximum production and short term return. Consequently the complex system of interdependent relationships is largely ignored. This paper illuminates some of the challenges confronting our current and future food security and related potential health consequences of this system and points to possible alternatives for the future.
EU budgetary dynamics: incremental or punctuated equilibrium?

In this article I study the long-term evolution of the main categories of expenditure of the European Union (EU) budget (1984–2011). The aim is to assess the extent to which the EU is affected by a structural form of policy inertia, and to investigate the general pattern of policy stability and change in the EU in light of the two models of policy dynamics currently existing in the literature: the incrementalist model and the punctuated equilibrium model. The analysis of long series of original data extracted from the EU budget shows that EU policies do not evolve following an incrementalist pattern, but by a punctuated equilibrium dynamic.
First detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus O/Ind-2001d in Vietnam

In recent years, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype O, topotype Middle East-South Asia (ME-SA), lineage Ind-2001d has spread from the Indian subcontinent to the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. In the current report, we describe the first detection of this lineage in Vietnam in May, 2015 in Đắk Nông province. Three subsequent outbreaks caused by genetically related viruses occurred between May–October, 2015 after which the virus was not detected in clinical outbreaks for at least 15 subsequent months. The observed outbreaks affected (in chronological order): cattle in Đắk Nông province, pigs in Đắk Lắk province and Đắk Nông province, and cattle in Ninh Thuận province. The clinical syndromes associated with these outbreaks were consistent with typical FMD in the affected species. Overall attack rate on affected premises was 0.85 in pigs and 0.93 in cattle over the course of the outbreak. Amongst 378 pigs at risk on affected premises, 85 pigs died during the outbreaks; there were no deaths among cattle. The manner in which FMDV/O/ME-SA/Ind-2001d was introduced into Vietnam remains undetermined; however, movement of live cattle is the suspected route. This incursion has substantial implications for epidemiology and control of FMD in Southeast Asia.
Decreased tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)‐dependent anticoagulant capacity in patients with cirrhosis who have decreased protein S but normal TFPI plasma levels

Protein S acts as a cofactor for tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in the down regulation of thrombin generation, and acquired and congenital protein S deficiencies are associated with a concomitant TFPI deficiency. In contrast, in patients with liver diseases, decreased protein S, but normal or increased levels of TFPI have been reported. We compared TFPI and protein S plasma levels between 26 patients with cirrhosis and 20 healthy controls and found that TFPI levels were comparable between patients (111 ± 38%) and controls (108 ± 27%), despite reduced protein S levels (74 ± 23% in patients vs. 98 ± 10% in controls). Subsequently, we quantified the activity of the TFPI‐protein S system by measuring thrombin generation in the absence and presence of neutralizing antibodies to protein S or TFPI. Ratios of peak thrombin generation in the absence and presence of these antibodies were calculated. Both the protein S and the TFPI ratios were increased in patients with cirrhosis compared to controls. Protein S ratios were (0·62 [0·08–0·93] in patients vs. 0·32 [0·20–0·54] in controls; TFPI ratios were 0·50 [0·05–0·90] in patients vs. 0·18 [0·11–0·49] in controls). Thus, although the acquired protein S deficiency in patients with cirrhosis is not associated with decreased TFPI levels, the TFPI/protein S anticoagulant system is functionally impaired.
Human Rights and Development Practice

In the past two decades, there has been a growing engagement between development and human rights practitioners and thinkers. But are participants in this dialogue still mainly talking past each other? Or has there been valuable cross-fertilization and learning-the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) themselves being a fruit of this convergence? This note addresses three points. The first point is the growing convergence between human rights and development thinking along several dimensions, particularly on social and economic rights. The second point is a consideration of the continuing areas of difference or divergence and of outstanding or open questions. Are these areas of conflict or are they valuable complementarities? The third point asks where are we with MDGs on the ground, and what can the dialogue between human rights and development contribute to furthering progress on MDGs?
What’s local? Access to fresh food for older people

This article seeks to engage with two key debates: how we understand ‘local’ with respect to the ways in which people move around local economies to buy food; and what this tells us about food planning and policies to reduce the length of the food supply chain. Using a focus group of older people in Brighton and Hove, England, the article suggests that the social experience of food shopping is informed by individuals’ cultural capital, allied to the ways in which they travel around the city. In contrast, food planning is dominated by imperatives to localize the points of both production and sale, apparently with scant regard for the rather different connections between production and sale made by the shoppers themselves. The article concludes that, for the older people in the study at least, ‘local’ is little more than a spatial referent along a continuum of shopping experiences.
Commentary: The balance of payments and the savings gap

The recent national accounts showed the United Kingdom to be running a balance of payments deficit of 5.7 per cent of GDP in the third quarter of 2007, matching the record deficit incurred in 1988/9. In the period up to 1972, when exchange rates were fixed, a balance of payments deficit was a cause for concern, since there was the risk that it would not eventually be possible to meet the gap between imports and exports. The willingness of foreigners to invest in the United Kingdom might be limited and the foreign exchange reserves, which could be used to pay for imports, definitely were. With the change to floating exchange rates the exchange rate adjusts to clear the market. A balance of payments deficit does not then raise the same concerns, and this sometimes leads to the view that it is not very important. What should we make of the current balance of payments situation and what is it telling us about the state of the economy?
Design for experience: the "Look mama!" experience

In specific cases it can be useful to start product design with defining the experience that the product should evoke, before defining functionality. We illustrate such an approach. It describes the development of an innovative, interactive product that stimulates communication between children aged 4-6 and their parents. Based on user research, a characterisation of the user-product relation and qualitative product characteristics were defined. This formed the starting point for all further design activities. From this, a product concept and design were developed and tested. The final design, a device with a set of 'playing stones' that can be used as sound containers, features innovative interactions; it lacks traditional buttons but instead has tangible, playful controls
Pop-out into memory: a retrieval mechanism that is enhanced with the recall of subject-performed tasks.

Subject-performed tasks (SPTs; i.e., carrying out the actions during study) improve free recall of action phrases without enhancing relational information. By this mechanism, items pop into a person's mind without active search, and this process especially extends the recency effect. The authors demonstrated the existence of the extended recency effect and its importance for the SPT recall advantage (Experiments 1 and 2). Carrying out the action and not semantic processing caused the effect (Experiment 3). The extended recency effect was also not a consequence of a deliberate last-in, first-out strategy (Experiment 4), and performing a difficult secondary task (an arithmetic task) during recall reduced memory performances but did not influence the extended recency effect (Experiment 5). These data support the theory that performing actions during study enhances the efficiency of an automatic pop-out mechanism in free recall.
Computed tomography measurement of acetabular dimensions: Normal values for correction of dysplasia

Background A successful periacetabular osteotomy includes reliable planning based on radiographs and CT scanning. However, we lack normative CT values in planning realignment of the osteotomized acetabulum. Patients and methods We retrospectively studied 70 hips that had been CT-scanned. Patients who showed no signs of developmental disturbances in either of the hip joints were eligible for the study. Sex differences were also studied. Results The AA-angle, CE-angle, ACE-angle and AcetAV-angle, depicting frontal, sagittal and horizontal alignment, averaged 3° (SD 4°), 41° (7°), 31° (5°) and 21° (7°), respectively. The upper normal value (+ 2SD) for the AA-angle was 12°, normal range (± 2SD) for CE-angle was 27°–55°, lower normal value (– 2SD) for the ACE-angle was 22°, and normal range (± 2SD) for the AcetAV-angle was 6°–35°. However, comparison of mean angles in women with those in men showed a statistically significant difference for the AA-angle and AcetAV-angle, but we found no significant differences between the mean figures for right and left hips. Interpretation Knowledge of the normal dimensions of the acetabulum is essential in the diagnosis of the type and severity of DDH, as well as in preoperative planning. Accurate estimation of the normal contact surface orientation permits correct realignment of the osteotomized acetabulum
Modeling and Analysis of Switching-Mode DC-DC regulators

The nonlinear dynamics of PWM DC–DC switching regulators operating in the continuous conduction mode are investigated. A quick review of the existing analysis techniques and their limitations are first presented. A discrete nonlinear time-domain model is then derived for open-loop DC–DC converters. This model is then extended for closed-loop regulator systems implementing any type of compensation scheme. The equilibrium solutions of the closed-loop system are then identified. The eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix evaluated at the equilibrium solution are used to assess its stability. The methods developed are used to study the dynamic behavior of a DC–DC buck regulator implementing different types of compensation design: proportional, integral, proportional–integral, and proportional–integral–derivative type feedback control. A detailed bifurcation analysis of the dynamic solutions as a design or a control parameter is changed is presented. A period-doubling route to chaos is shown to exist in voltage-mode regulators, depending on the values of the parameters of the compensator and the input voltage. A further investigation of the behavior of the converter in the instability regions was carried out to improve the understanding of this interesting behavior.
Continuity of care and health outcomes among persons with severe mental illness.

OBJECTIVES Continuity of care is considered to be essential to the effective treatment of persons with severe mental illness, yet evidence to support the association between continuity and outcomes is sparse because of a lack of longitudinal studies and of comprehensive continuity measures. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between continuity of care and outcomes. METHODS A new multilevel measure of service continuity, the Alberta Continuity of Services Scale for Mental Health (ACSS-MH), was used in a 17-month follow-up study of 486 adults with severe mental illness in three health regions of Alberta, Canada. RESULTS Endpoint information was obtained for 411 participants (85 percent). The mean continuity score reported by patients was 131+/-20 out of a possible 185. The mean continuity score as rated by observers was 39+/-10 out of a possible 59. Higher levels of observer-rated continuity were associated with older age, lower annual household income, a diagnosis of psychotic disorder, and no suicidality or alcohol use. Continuity was also significantly associated with a better quality of life at endpoint (generic and disease specific), better community functioning, lower severity of symptoms, and greater service satisfaction. The associations between continuity and quality of life held after adjustment for empirically identified confounders. CONCLUSIONS Positive relationships between continuity of care and health outcomes among persons with severe mental illness suggest that efforts at improving continuity in and among mental health services are worthwhile.
The Campus Parking Game: A Demonstration of Price Discrimination and Efficiency

This article presents a classroom game that allows students to directly experience the welfare improvements that can result from price discrimination. The demonstration uses a very familiar decision-making scenario, campus parking, to introduce the concept of price discrimination as well as reinforce the concepts of opportunity cost, consumer surplus, and search costs. This game can be used in a variety of classes, including principles, intermediate theory, industrial organization, or environmental economics, and can be conducted in a 50-minute class period with follow-up discussion in the next class.
Reactive arthritis in a population exposed to an extensive waterborne gastroenteritis outbreak after sewage contamination in Pirkanmaa, Finland

Objectives: To assess the occurrence, clinical picture, and triggering infections of reactive arthritis (ReA) associated with a large waterborne gastroenteritis outbreak. Methods: After an extensive sewage contamination of the water supply system, an estimated 8453 of the 30 016 inhabitants of the town of Nokia fell ill. General practitioners and occupational physicians were advised to refer any patients with suspicion of new ReA to rheumatological examination including faecal culture, human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 and antibody tests for Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Yersinia. Results: Forty-five patients (33 females, 12 males) aged 16–77 years (median 53) were referred. ReA was diagnosed in 21, postinfectious arthralgia in 13, and other musculoskeletal conditions in 11 patients. HLA-B27 was positive in five out of 44 patients (11%). Of the 21 patients with ReA, possible triggering infections were observed in seven (33%), Campylobacter in four, Yersinia in three, and Salmonella in one, who also had Campylobacter infection. ReA was mild in all but one patient who presented with persistent Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis infection. Conclusions: Taking into account the large population contaminated with potentially arthritogenic agents, the occurrence of ReA was rare and mild in character.
A low-cost permanent magnet synchorous motor with SMC and ferrite PM

This paper proposes a low-cost permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with soft magnetic composite (SMC) and ferrite permanent magnet (PM) for home applications. The main novelty of this proposed motor is that it combines two relatively cheap magnetic materials in an axial flux switching permanent magnet motor (AFSPMM). By using the ferrite PM and SMC material, the material cost and manufacture cost of AFSPMM can be reduced greatly. A 675 W 3600 rpm AFSPMM is designed and analyzed in this paper. The commercial finite element method (FEM) package ANSOFT is used to analyze the motor performance and the d-axis current is set to zero to achieve the optimum torque characteristic.
An Application of Mixed Integer Programming in the Direct Mail Industry

The object is to help a mailing list compilation company (M.C.R.B.) to select the most promising types of mailing lists for development and to schedule the development of the selected lists in one of the two available production facilities. A mixed integer programming model is used to perform the selection and the scheduling task. The formulation of the model places the solution technique in the general family of “project selection” models. The problem was solved using CDC's OPHELIE II code. The size of the program is 229 rows by 871 variables of which 65 are zero-one. As a result of the study, management substantially modified the company's product mix and reduced the level of production resources employed. There was a marked improvement in the profitability of the Company.