Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The beauty of "bigness" in contest design: merging or splitting?

This paper studies in a multiple-winner contest setting how the total efforts may vary between a grand contest and a set of subcontests. We first show that the rent-dissipation rate increases when the numbers of contestants and prizes are "scaled up". In other words, the total efforts of a contest exhibit a striking "increasing return to scale" property: when the numbers of contestants and prizes scale up proportionally, the total efforts of the contest increase more than proportionally. Thus, the total efforts must increase when a set of identical subcontests are merged into a grand contest. Equivalently, the total efforts decrease when a grand contest is evenly divided. We further allow the grand contest to be split into uneven subcontests. We show that under a mild and plausible condition (regular contest technology), the grand contest generates more efforts as compared to any split contests.
Alternative Approaches to Money and Growth

This paper reexamines the issue of money and growth in an economy with both endogenous labor supply and endogenous capital stock using three recently developed approaches: the money-in-the-utility-function approach, the cash-in-advance approach, and the transactions-costs approach. By establishing a qualitative equivalence between alternative setups, the authors find economically justifiable conditions such that all comparative statics results derived.from the aforementioned approaches are identical. Copyright 1992 by Ohio State University Press.
Compact Balanced UWB BPF Based on HMSIW and D-DGS

A compact balanced UWB bandpass filter (BPF) is proposed in this paper, which is based on the half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) and the differential defected ground structure (D-DGS). Using the HMSIW, the filter can achieve compact size, wide passband and good compatibility. Two D-DGS cells are employed to provide good suppression for the common-mode (CM) noise, while they have small effect on the performance of differential-mode (DM) signals. To validate the design theory, a microstrip balanced UWB BPF is designed, fabricated and measured to meet compact size, low insertion loss, good return loss as well as proper bandwidth. The predicted results are compared with measured data and show reasonable agreement.
Profitable cost increases and the shifting of taxation : equilibrium response of markets in oligopoly

This paper considers the conjectural variations model of oligopoly and introduces a shift in its equilibrium solution : a cost-side shift, such as a change in technology or input prices, or the introduction of excise tax. The equilibrium effects of this cost-displacement are then found, deriving and examining explicit expressions for the resulting movements in individual outputs and hence in price, profits and market structure. The main motivation we offer for the exercise is methodological : to derive, for the model adopted, certain industrial-organization results of general interest and applicability, which we then put to work mostly in a more specific public finance context. The results we are referring to are, very simply, the comparative statics (of our model) of oligopoly, in response to changes in costs. It is indeed surprising that the problem is not one which has been treated systematically in the literature except for particular cases, such as special functional forms and / or symmetric industry
Financial (in)stability in Romania: the implications of Basel III

In this paper I propose a medium scale Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model for emphasizing the effects of the new Basel III Agreement for Romania’s financial stability. This model has similar structures as those developed by Walque et al. (2010) and Roger and Vlcek (2011) but, combining their features, it results a more comprehensive framework. First of all, I calibrated this model in order to obtain the deep parameters. After calibration, I used several shocks to conduct simulations for analyze if the model can capture the behavior of the economy. In the end of this study, I estimate the model using Bayesian techniques to match the data of the Romanian economy.
Ear localization using hierarchical clustering

Ear biometrics has been found to be a good and reliable technique for human recognition. With the initial doubts on uniqueness of the ear, ear biometrics could not attract much attention. But after it has been said that it is almost impossible to find two ears with all the parts identical, ear biometrics has gained its pace. To automate the ear based recognition process, ear in the image is required to be localized automatically. This paper presents a technique for the same. Ear localization in the proposed technique is carried out by using the hierarchical clustering of the edges obtained from the side face image. The technique is tested on a database consisting of 500 side face images of human faces collected at IIT Kanpur. It is found to be giving 94.6% accuracy.
The Role of Nitrogen on Charge-Trapping-Induced $V_{\rm th}$ Instability in HfAlON High-$\kappa$ Gate Dielectric With Metal and Poly-Si Gate Electrodes

The impact of N on HfAlON dielectrics has been extensively studied in devices with TaN metal and poly-Si gate electrodes. A similar trend of the N effects was observed in both TaN and poly-Si devices in terms of equivalent oxide thickness, gate leakage current, threshold voltage (V th), transconductance, and subthreshold swing. However, compared to the HfAlON with TaN metal gate, a severe V th instability induced by charge trapping was generally observed in the poly-Si/HfAlON devices. In addition, the incorporation of N in the HfAlON films was found to play an opposite role in the V th instability between the TaN and poly-Si devices: In the TaN metal gate devices, the charge-trapping-induced V th instability in the HfAlON was slightly degraded by increasing the N concentration, whereas the V th instability was remarkably improved by increasing the N concentration in the poly-Si gate devices. The degradation of the V th instability observed in the TaN metal gate devices is believed to be due to the increase in preexisting bulk traps that is caused by incorporating N into the gate dielectric. The significant improvement on the V th instability in the devices with poly-Si gate could be mainly attributed to the remarkable suppression of electron trapping at oxygen vacancies by adding N into the high-K gate dielectric.
Examining how marginalized stakeholders successfully redress their issues: A social networks approach

Purpose – Can marginalized stakeholders whose issues with the firm are unaddressed because of their resource and legitimacy constraints (low salience) increase their salience by capitalizing on certain inherent properties of their stakeholder environment? The purpose of this paper is to examine this question using a real life case of the Coca-Cola controversy in Kerala, India, where a group of local aboriginals succeeded against all odds in shutting down a Coca-Cola plant which was allegedly polluting their water resources. The analysis of the longitudinal data collected in this case supported the hypotheses that the ability of marginalized stakeholders to increase their salience by influencing other stakeholders depends both on the attributes of other stakeholders (favorable, unfavorable and indifferent), and the triadic relationships among them. The triadic relationships among stakeholders show a tendency toward balance, and become particularly relevant when the marginalized stakeholder’s issues are per.
The Estimation of Quality-Adjusted Auction Returns with Varying Transaction Intervals

Abstract Previous research has separately addressed the problem of estimating risk in the presence of infrequent trading and the problem of estimating quality-adjusted returns in markets with quality variation in the observed price series. This paper simultaneously addresses both problems by applying a signal extraction method for unequally spaced data to decompose the observed price series with varying times between transactions into a quality-adjusted, permanent component (which would be observable in the absence of quality variation) plus a stationary, transitory quality variation component. Stamp auction transaction prices provide an application. Auction quality grading is treated in a manner analogous to bond ratings. Almost all of the observed variance is attributed to the auction quality variation. The observed auction returns and stock index returns are not well related.
BuddyBeads: techno-jewelry for non verbal communication within groups of teenage girls

The extremity in teenagers' attitudes and actions coupled with the opportunities of mobile communication creates new behaviors and re-shapes existing ones. But however meaningful the phone is in teenagers' lives, it is not designed to support their need for emotional communication and group identity. The BuddyBeads project suggests alternative communication forms among teenagers, which emphasize their social structures, behaviors and needs. BuddyBeads are techno-jewelry items that facilitate non-verbal and emotional communication among group members, through codes and signals which the group decided upon together. Each group member has a matching jewelry piece and can use it to communicate her emotional state to the other group members.
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of fructo-oligosaccharides in active Crohn's disease

Introduction The commensal intestinal microbiota drive the inflammation associated with Crohn's disease. However, bacteria such as bifidobacteria and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii appear to be immunoregulatory. In healthy subjects the intestinal microbiota are influenced by prebiotic carbohydrates such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). Preliminary data suggest that FOS increase faecal bifidobacteria, induce immunoregulatory dendritic cell (DC) responses and reduce disease activity in patients with Crohn's disease. Aims and methods To assess the impact of FOS in patients with active Crohn's disease using an adequately powered randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial with predefined clinical, microbiological and immunological end points. Patients with active Crohn's disease were randomised to 15 g/day FOS or non-prebiotic placebo for 4 weeks. The primary end point was clinical response at week 4 (fall in Crohn's Disease Activity Index of ≥70 points) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Results 103 patients were randomised to receive FOS (n=54) or placebo (n=49). More patients receiving FOS (14 (26%) vs 4 (8%); p=0.018) withdrew before the 4-week end point. There was no significant difference in the number of patients achieving a clinical response between the FOS and placebo groups in the ITT analysis (12 (22%) vs 19 (39%), p=0.067). Patients receiving FOS had reduced proportions of interleukin (IL)-6-positive lamina propria DC and increased DC staining of IL-10 (p<0.05) but no change in IL-12p40 production. There were no significant differences in the faecal concentration of bifidobacteria and F prausnitzii between the groups at baseline or after the 4-week intervention. Conclusion An adequately powered placebo-controlled trial of FOS showed no clinical benefit in patients with active Crohn's disease, despite impacting on DC function. ISRCTN50422530.
Cyclin D 1 Degradation Is Sufficient to Induce G 1 Cell Cycle Arrest despite Constitutive Expression of Cyclin E 2 in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Dand E-type cyclins mediate G1-S phase cell cycle progression through activation of specific cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk) that phosphorylate the retinoblastoma protein (pRb), thereby alleviating repression of E2F-DP transactivation of S-phase genes. Cyclin D1 is often overexpressed in a variety of cancers and is associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. Loss of cyclin D can cause G1 arrest in some cells, but in other cellular contexts, the downstream cyclin E protein can substitute for cyclin D and facilitate G1-S progression. The objective of this study was to determine if a flexible heteroarotinoid anticancer compound, SHetA2, regulates cell cycle proteins and cell cycle progression in ovarian cancer cells. SHetA2 induced cyclin D1 phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and proteasomal degradation, causing G1 arrest in ovarian cancer cells despite continued cyclin E2 expression and independently of p53 and glycogen synthase kinase-3B. Cyclin D1 loss inhibited pRb S780 phosphorylation by cyclin D1-cdk4/6 and released p21 from cyclin D1-cdk4/6-p21 protein complexes to form cyclin E2-cdk2-p21 complexes, which repressed phosphorylation of pRb S612 by cyclin E2cdk2 and ultimately E2F-DP transcriptional activity. G1 arrest was prevented by overexpression or preventing degradation of cyclin D1 but not by restoration of pRb S612 phosphorylation through p21 knockdown. In conclusion, we show that loss of cyclin D1 in ovarian cancer cells treated with SHetA2 is sufficient to induce G1 cell cycle arrest and this strategy is not impeded by the presence of cyclin E2. Therefore, cyclin D1 is a sufficient therapeutic target in ovarian cancer cells. [Cancer Res 2009;69(16):6565–72]
Mixmaster universe in fourth-order gravity theories.

We analyze the behavior of the Bianchi type-IX cosmological model in the full fourth-order theory of gravity in four space-time dimensions on approach to the singularity both analytically and numerically. By directly analyzing the full fourth-order field equations we prove explicitly that the Belinski-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz (BKL) analytic solution (and the accompanying bounce law) is also a solution to the more general case that we consider. But it appears to be nongeneric, because a perturbation analysis shows that power-law Kasner asymptotes are unstable on approach to the singularity. On the other hand, we find that the model possesses a stable isotropic monotonic power-law asymptotic solution and accordingly we show that there is a general solution which is nonchaotic near the space-time singularity
Measurement of Tumor Hypoxia in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Based on 18F-Fluoroazomyin Arabinoside Uptake

Pancreatic cancers are thought to be unusually hypoxic, which might sensitize them to drugs that are activated under hypoxic conditions. In order to develop this idea in the clinic, a minimally invasive technique for measuring the oxygenation status of pancreatic cancers is needed. Methods: We tested the potential for minimally invasive imaging of hypoxia in pancreatic cancer patients, using the 2-nitroimidazole PET tracer 18F-fluoroazomycin arabinoside (or 18F-1-α-d-[5-fluoro-5-deoxyarabinofuranosyl]-2-nitroimidazole [18F-FAZA]). Dynamic and static scans were obtained in 21 patients with either locally advanced or metastatic disease. The hypoxic fraction was determined in the 2-h static scans as the percentage of voxels with SUVs more than 3 SDs from the mean values obtained for skeletal muscle. Results: Hypoxia was detected in 15 of 20 evaluable patients, with the hypoxic fraction ranging from less than 5% to greater than 50%. Compartmental analysis of the dynamic scans allowed us to approximate the tumor perfusion as mL/min/g of tissue, a value that is independent of the extent of hypoxia derived from tracer uptake in the 2-h static scan. There was no significant correlation between tumor perfusion and hypoxia; nor did we see an association between tumor volume and hypoxia. Conclusion: Although pancreatic cancers can be highly hypoxic, a substantial proportion appears to be well oxygenated. Therefore, we suggest that a minimally invasive technique such as the one described in this study be used for patient stratification in future clinical trials of hypoxia-targeting agents.
Earning and Learning: How Schools Matter.

Education is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy--yet scholars, educators, policymakers, and parents do not agree about what the money spent on education really buys. In particular, they do not agree on how much education improves children's ability to learn or whether the things children learn in school truly improve their chances for success as adults. If schooling increases how much students know and what they know does pay off later, then it is important to ask what schools can do to increase students' learning and earning. The essays in this book report estimates of the effects of learning on earnings and other life outcomes. They also examine whether particular aspects of schooling--such as the age at which children begin school, classroom size, and curriculum--or structural reform--such as national or statewide examinations or school choice--affect learning. Taken together, their findings suggest that liberals are correct in saying that more investment is needed in early education, that class sizes should be further reduced, and that challenging national or state standards should be established. But they also provide support for conservatives who ask for a more demanding curriculum and greater school choice. Contributors include John Bishop, Eric Hanushek, James Heckman, Christopher Jencks, Caroline Minter Hoxby, Fred Mosteller, and Christopher Winship.
Effects of repeated yohimbine administration on reinstatement of palatable food seeking: involvement of dopamine D1‐like receptors and food‐associated cues

Acute exposure to the pharmacological stressor yohimbine induces relapse to both food and drug seeking in a rat model. However, no systematic studies on the effects of chronic stress on relapse have been conducted. Because chronic stress causes changes in dopamine D1‐like receptor‐mediated transmission in prefrontal cortex (a relapse node), we tested the hypothesis that chronic exposure to stress increases vulnerability to relapse via dopamine‐mediated mechanisms. Additionally, to determine the role of food‐conditioned cues in reinstatement of food seeking, we made discrete food‐paired cues either available (CS Present) or not available (CS Absent) during extinction and reinstatement testing. Rats responded for palatable food reinforcers in daily 3‐hour sessions, and the behavior was extinguished. To model chronic stress, rats were injected daily with yohimbine (0.0, 2.5, or 5.0 mg/kg; i.p.) during the first 7 days of extinction. Injections were combined with SCH‐23390 (0.0, 5.0, or 10.0 µg/kg; i.p.), a D1‐like receptor antagonist. Rats were then tested for reinstatement of food seeking triggered by acute yohimbine (0.0, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg; i.p.) and pellet priming. Rats treated previously with chronic yohimbine displayed increased responding following acute yohimbine priming relative to non‐chronically stressed rats, but in the CS Absent condition only. Conversely, the lower dose of chronic yohimbine caused an increase in pellet‐primed reinstatement, but this effect was more pronounced in the CS Present condition. Importantly, SCH‐23390 combined with repeated yohimbine injections attenuated these effects. Thus, chronic stress may increase vulnerability to relapse under specific circumstances via a dopamine D1‐like receptor‐mediated mechanism.
LXR, PPARγ, and PPARδ Agonists Are Not Sufficient to Demonstrate Therapeutic Potential against Mouse Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Aim: We aimed to investigate whether the agonists for liver X receptor (LXR) ameliorate lupus-like phenotypes in mice mediated by the clearance of apoptotic cells, and compare with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ plus PPARδ agonists, which also facilitate the clearance of apoptotic cells and exert anti-inflammatory effects in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: We investigated the efficacy of LXR agonist (GW3965) or dual treatment of PPARγ (pioglitazone) and PPARδ (GW0742) agonists in SLE animal models, female MRL/MpJ-Fas/J mice and BALB/cAJcl mice treated with pristane. The data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s honestly significant difference tests. Results: The treatment with LXR or PPARγ/δ agonists did not significantly alter the swelling of lymph nodes, ds-DNA production, albuminuria, histological score of glomerular lesions, and mRNA expression of target genes including Abca1, C1qa, Icam1, Mertk and Tnf. Conclusion: LXR or PPARγ/δ agonists targeting the impaired clearance for apoptosis cells may not be efficient in the remission induction therapy in SLE.
Phonological awareness in Swedish‐speaking children with complex communication needs

Abstract Background Children with complex communication needs (CCN) often experience problems achieving literacy. The aim of this project was to study phonological awareness, a central predictor for literacy achievement, in children with CCN, and to compare their performance to a group of children with natural speech. Method One group of 15 Swedish children with CCN and cerebral palsy (CP), and one group of 15 children with natural speech, matched for gender, linguistic age and mental age, were administered nine phonological awareness tasks, testing onset/rime and phonemic awareness. Results Overall, children with CCN showed good levels of phonological awareness. However, on the one task that did not include any verbal support from the experimenter, the children with CCN performed at a significantly lower level. Conclusion Phonological awareness does not seem to depend on overt articulation, although the lack of speech might affect the children's ability to manipulate linguistic material that is not verbally presented.
Getting Out Early: An Analysis of Market Making Activity at the Recommending Analyst's Firm

This paper examines trading volume for Nasdaq market makers around analyst recommendation changes issued by an analyst at the same firm. Using Nasdaq PostData, we find a disproportionate increase in market making volume associated with the firm's recommendation changes and evidence of elevated sell volume at the recommending analyst's firm in the 2 days preceding a downgrade. The implications are that the information source matters in determining the placement of trades and that the issuing analyst's firm appears to be rewarded for prereleasing information through increased volume. These findings constitute new evidence of compensation for research production through the market making channel.
Quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection kinetics

Tissue culture infections of CD4-positive human T cells by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proceed in three stages: (i) a period following the initiation of an infection during which no detectable virus is produced; (ii) a phase in which a sharp increase followed by a peak of released progeny virions can be measured; and (iii) a final period when virus production declines. In this study, we have derived equations describing the kinetics of HIV-1 accumulation in cell culture supernatants during multiple rounds of infection. Our analyses indicated that the critical parameter affecting the kinetics of HIV-1 infection is the infection rate constant k = Inn/ti, where n is the number of infectious virions produced by one cell (about 10(2)) and ti is the time required for one complete cycle of virus infection (typically 3 to 4 days). Of particular note was our finding that the infectivity of HIV-1 during cell-to-cell transmission is 10(2) to 10(3) times greater than the infectivity of cell-free virus stocks, the inocula commonly used to initiate tissue culture infections. We also demonstrated that the slow infection kinetics of an HIV-1 tat mutant is not due to a longer replication time but reflects the small number of infectious particles produced per cycle.