Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top Incomes in the Long Run of History

A recent literature has constructed top income shares time series over the long run for more than twenty countries using income tax statistics. Top incomes represent a small share of the population but a very significant share of total income and total taxes paid. Hence, aggregate economic growth per capita and Gini inequality indexes are sensitive to excluding or including top incomes. We discuss the estimation methods and issues that arise when constructing top income share series, including income definition and comparability over time and across countries, tax avoidance, and tax evasion. We provide a summary of the key empirical findings. Most countries experience a dramatic drop in top income shares in the first part of the twentieth century in general due to shocks to top capital incomes during the wars and depression shocks. Top income shares do not recover in the immediate postwar decades. However, over the last thirty years, top income shares have increased substantially in English speaking countries and in India and China but not in continental European countries or Japan. This increase is due in part to an unprecedented surge in top wage incomes. As a result, wage income comprises a larger fraction of top incomes than in the past. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and empirical models that have been proposed to account for the facts and the main questions that remain open.
Teaching biotechnology through case studies - can we improve higher order thinking skills of nonscience majors?

Teaching nonscience majors topics in biotechnology through case studies is the focus of this research. Our Biotechnology, Environment, and Related Issues module, developed within the Science for All framework, is aimed at elevating the level of students' scientific and technological literacy and their higher order thinking skills. The research goal was to investigate nonscience major students' ability to use various thinking skills in analyzing environmental and moral conflicts presented through case studies in the Biotechnology Module. The research population consisted of about 200 nonscience majors in eight classes of grades 10–12 from heterogeneous communities. We found a significant improvement in students' knowledge and understanding and higher order thinking skills at all academic levels. The scores that low academic level students achieved in the knowledge and understanding category were higher than their high academic level peers' scores. In the higher order thinking skills—question posing, argumentation, and system thinking—a significant difference in favor of the high academic level students was found. The gap that had existed between low and high academic level students narrowed. Most students reported that the biotechnological topics that they had studied were interesting and relevant. Based on these results, we advocate a curriculum that exposes students to scientific controversies through case studies with environmental and moral implications. Our research has shown that this approach is likely to contribute to developing scientific and technological literacy along with higher order thinking skills of nonscience majors. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed87:767–793, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10081
Influence of Intravenous and Intracerebroventricular Vasopressin on Baroreflex Control of Renal NerveTraffic

We performed experiments in α-chloralose-anesthetized rabbits with vagi sectioned, to determine the influence of intravenous and intracerebroventricular vasopressin on arterial baroreflex control of renal nerve activity. Arterial baroreflex control of renal nerve activity was assessed during phenylephrine-induced increases and nitroglycerin-induced decreases in arterial pressure. Intravenous vasopressin (4 and 40 mU over 1 minute) reduced basal renal nerve activity (from 149 ± 14 to 101 ± 13 and 28 ± 13 impulses/sec) without changing arterial pressure and reduced the sensitivity of the arterial baroreflex control of renal nerve activity. This effect was reversed by vasopressin antagonist (d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2]AVP) which blocks vasoconstrictor effects of vasopressin. Intracerebroventricular vasopressin (4, 40, or 400 mU) did not alter basal renal nerve activity or arterial pressure but increased the sensitivity of baroreflex control of renal nerve activity. This effect was not blocked by the vasopressin antagonist. The influence of intravenous vasopressin on basal renal nerve activity was not altered by sinoaortic baroreceptor denervation. In contrast, the inhibitory influence of intravenous vasopressin on lumbar sympathetic nerve activity was abolished by sinoaortic denervation. Finally, intravenous vasopressin inhibited renal nerve activity (by 43 ± 5%) in six rabbits with spinal cord transection. This effect was abolished by the vasopressin antagonist. We draw the following conclusions from these data: (1) intravenous and intracerebroventricular vasopressin have different effects on basal and baroreflex control of renal nerve activity; (2) these effects are mediated by different vasopressin receptors; (3) the effects of intravenous vasopressin on basal renal nerve activity are not baroreflex dependent, and appear to be mediated by spinal or, possibly, ganglionic mechanisms; and (4) the differing effects of baroreceptor denervation on the response of renal nerves (postganglionic fibers) and lumbar nerves (preganglionic fibers) suggest an effect of intravenous vasopressin on ganglionic transmission. However, another mechanism(s) may account for our observation, since we did not test this possibility directly.
Collaborative Partnership in the higher education curriculum: a cross-sector study of foundation degree development

Abstract The emergence of Foundation Degree programmes in response to employer workforce development needs provides a rich environment for the study of undergraduate curriculum innovation in the context of cross-sector partnerships in postcompulsory education. This article presents the findings of a case study of foundation degree development by consortia involving employer groups in the private and public sectors, six further education colleges and a research-led University. All three sectors shared a common goal of widening participation and the development of skills, yet contrasts in the range of other aims that each sought generated significant challenges to the curriculum development team. This qualitative study draws on evidence from documentary analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews of the major stakeholders over a period of 2 years. It highlights the barriers to effective curriculum change within partnership contexts and the benefits that can accrue.
Does maternal obesity adversely affect breastfeeding initiation and duration?

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between maternal obesity and the initiation and duration of breastfeeding. METHODS Analysis was made of the 1995 National Health Survey, in which personal interviews were conducted on a multistage area sample of private dwellings and a list sample of non-private dwellings in all states and territories of Australia. Mothers between the ages of 17 and 50 years (n = 1991) with children under the age of 4 years in 1995 participated in the study. RESULTS Of the group of mothers with a body mass index (BMI) of 20-25, 89.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 87.4-91.0) initiated breastfeeding, compared with 82.3% (95% CI 77.6-87.0) of mothers with a BMI of 30 or more. There was also a significant difference between the mean and median duration of breastfeeding of obese and non-obese mothers (BMI 30 and over, < 25, respectively). These differences remained significant when maternal smoking, age and other sociodemographic factors were taken into consideration. CONCLUSIONS Health professionals should be aware that obese women may be at increased risk of not breastfeeding or stopping breastfeeding prematurely.
Significant efflux of carbon dioxide from streams and rivers in the US

The evasion of carbon dioxide from inland waters was only recently included in assessments of the global carbon budget1,2. Current estimates of carbon dioxide release from global freshwater systems, including lakes and wetlands, range from 0.7 to 3.3 Pg C per year1,3-6. However, these estimates are based on incomplete spatial coverage of carbon dioxide evasion, and an inadequate understanding of the factors controlling the efflux of carbon dioxide across large drainage networks5. Here, we estimate the amount of carbon degassed from streams and rivers in the United States using measurements of temperature, alkalinity and pH, together with high resolution data on the morphology and surface area of these waterways. We show that streams and rivers in the United States are super-saturated with carbon dioxide compared to the atmosphere, emitting 97 ± 32 Tg carbon each year. We further show that regionally, carbon dioxide evasion from streams and rivers is positively correlated with annual precipitation, which we attribute to climatic regulation of stream surface area and the flushing of carbon dioxide from soils. Scaling our analysis from the U.S. to temperate rivers between 25°N and 50°N we estimate a release of around 0.5 Pg carbon to the atmosphere each year.
Magnetically Driven Warping, Precession, and Resonances in Accretion Disks

The inner region of the accretion disk onto a rotating magnetized central star (neutron star, white dwarf, or T Tauri star) is subjected to magnetic torques that induce warping and precession of the disk. The origin of these torques lies in the interaction between the surface current on the disk and the horizontal magnetic field (parallel to the disk) produced by the inclined magnetic dipole: the warping torque relies on the radial surface current generated by the twisting of the vertical field threading the disk, while the precessional torque relies on the azimuthal screening current due to the diamagnetic response of the disk. Under quite general conditions, there exists a magnetic warping instability in which the magnetic torque drives the disk plane away from the equatorial plane of the star toward a state in which the disk normal vector is perpendicular to the spin axis. Viscous stress tends to suppress the warping instability at large radii, but the magnetic torque always dominates as the disk approaches the magnetosphere boundary. The magnetic torque also drives the tilted inner disk into retrograde precession (opposite to the rotation of the disk) around the stellar spin axis. Moreover, resonant magnetic forcing on the disk can occur, which may affect the dynamics of the disk. The magnetically driven warping instability and precession may be related to a number of observational puzzles. Examples include (1) spin evolution of accreting X-ray pulsars: it is suggested that the observed torque reversal of the disk-fed magnetized neutron stars is associated with the wandering of the inner disk around the preferred perpendicular state; (2) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in low-mass X-ray binaries: the magnetic torque induces disk tilt, making it possible to explain the observed low-frequency QPOs using disk precession; (3) superorbital periods in a number of X-ray binaries as a result of warped, precessing disks; and (4) photometric period variations of T Tauri stars.
To cut is divine, to poke is sublime

by the ASGE, and under Dr. David Lieberman, industry has partnered with the ASGE to support the endeavor. A pediatric CORI program, developed with the support of the adult project, is in relatively early stages, under the direction of Dr. Mark Gilger of Texas Children’s Hospital and the aegis of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. Pediatric CORI also has industry support. As part of the development of Pediatric CORI, it is hoped to develop standardized reporting terminology and reporting standards for pediatric endoscopy. With the potential for practitioner education and direct reporting of endoscopic data, via a system that can be installed in endoscopy units, Pediatric CORI offers the potential for a huge upgrade in the quality and accuracy of information that pediatric endoscopy can offer our patients. With this tool, we will be able to capture prevalence and clinical data about a variety of conditions about which we know very little at present, and analyze the data in a variety of ways. There is now real potential for us to be “ the way we should be. ”
Efficacy of tramadol and butorphanol pretreatment in reducing pain on propofol injection: A placebo-controlled randomized study

Background and Aims: Pain of propofol injection has been recalled by many patients as the most painful part of the induction of anesthesia. Tramadol and butorphanol are commonly used analgesics for perioperative analgesia in anesthesia practice. However, their potential to relieve propofol injection pain still needs to be explored. Material and Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 90 American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II adult patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia with propofol as an induction agent. Consecutive sampling technique with random assignment was used to allocate three groups of 30 patients each. Group I patients received an injection of normal saline 3 ml intravenously (placebo) while Group II and Group III patients received injection of tramadol 50 mg and butorphanol 1 mg intravenously, respectively. Before induction of anesthesia patients were asked about the intensity of pain on propofol injection by using visual analog scale (VAS) before the loss of consciousness. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance with Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. The value of P < 0.05 was considered as a significant and P < 0.0001 as highly significant. Results: The incidence of pain in Group I was observed in 80% of the patients, while it was observed in 23.33% and 20% of patients in Group II and III, respectively. Mean VAS scores were 2.27 ± 1.51, 1.14 ± 1.74, and 1.03 ± 1.72 in Group I, II, and Group III patients, respectively. The incidence of pruritus was 10% and 6.7% and erythema in 13.2% and 6.7% in Group II and III, respectively. Conclusion: Pretreatment with both butorphanol and tramadol significantly reduced pain on propofol injection; however, they exhibited comparable efficacy among each other. Thus, either of these two drugs can be considered for pretreatment to reduce propofol injection pain.
Duality of a Supersymmetric Model with the Pati-Salam Group

Recently one of the authors proposed a dual theory of a Supersymmetric Standard Model (SSM), in which it is naturally understood that at least one quark (the top quark) should be heavy, i.e., almost the same order as the weak scale, and the supersymmetric Higgs mass parameter $\mu$ can naturally be expected to be small. However, the model cannot have Yukawa couplings of the lepton sector. In this paper, we examine a dual theory of a Supersymmetric Model with the Pati-Salam gauge group $SU(4)_{PS}\times SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R $ with respect to the gauge group $SU(4)_{PS}$. In this scenario, Yukawa couplings of the lepton sector can be induced. In this model the Pati-Salam breaking scale should be around the SUSY breaking scale.
La gouvernance hospitalière : quelques réflexions à partir de la gouvernance d'entreprise

La transposition de la problematique de la gouvernance d’entreprise a la gouvernance hospitaliere conduit a etudier les eventuels liens de causalite entre les systemes de gouvernance visant a reguler les comportements des dirigeants de l’hopital et la performance de ce type d’organisation. L’objectif de cet article est a la lumiere de l’organisation des hopitaux dans le contexte francais associe a la recente reforme HPST (1) de preciser ce que peut etre une gouvernance hospitaliere dans cette perspective ; (2) d’analyser la question de la latitude manageriale en fonction de la structuration des pouvoirs dans le cadre de l’hopital ; (3) d’identifier les principales parties prenantes impliquees dans la gouvernance hospitaliere et (4) de proposer une matrice representant le systeme de gouvernance hospitalier.
Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Subjects Following Omnivore, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Culturable Populations and rRNA DGGE Profiling

In this study, the fecal microbiota of 153 healthy volunteers, recruited from four different locations in Italy, has been studied by coupling viable counts, on different microbiological media, with ribosomal RNA Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (rRNA-DGGE). The volunteers followed three different diets, namely omnivore, ovo-lacto-vegetarian and vegan. The results obtained from culture-dependent and -independent methods have underlined a high level of similarity of the viable fecal microbiota for the three investigated diets. The rRNA DGGE profiles were very complex and comprised a total number of bands that varied from 67 to 64 for the V3 and V9 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Only a few bands were specific in/of all three diets, and the presence of common taxa associated with the dietary habits was found. As far as the viable counts are concerned, the high similarity of the fecal microbiota was once again confirmed, with only a few of the investigated groups showing significant differences. Interestingly, the samples grouped differently, according to the recruitment site, thus highlighting a higher impact of the food consumed by the volunteers in the specific geographical locations than that of the type of diet. Lastly, it should be mentioned that the fecal microbiota DGGE profiles obtained from the DNA were clearly separated from those produced using RNA, thus underlining a difference between the total and viable populations in the fecal samples.
Proteomic and phototoxic characterization of melanolipofuscin: Correlation to disease and model for its origin

Purpose Melanolipofuscin (MLF) is a complex granule, exhibiting properties of both melanosomes and lipofuscin (LF) granules, which accumulates in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and may contribute to the etiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). MLF accumulation has been reported by Feeney-Burns to more closely reflect the onset of AMD than the accumulation of lipofuscin. In an effort to assess the possible contribution MLF may have to the onset of AMD, we analyzed the phototoxicity and protein composition of MLF and compared those results to that of LF. Methods Specifically, we observed the accumulation of MLF in human RPE from different decades of life, and assessed the phototoxicity of these granules. We also employed fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and proteomic analysis to examine the composition of MLF granules in an effort to ascertain their origin. Results Our results show that MLF granules are phototoxic and their accumulation more closely reflects the onset of AMD than does LF accumulation. Our compositional analysis of MLF has shown that while these granules contain some similarities to LF granules, MLF is substantially different. Of significant interest is the finding that MLF, in contrast to LF, does not contain photoreceptor-specific proteins, suggesting that MLF may not originate from the phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. Instead the presence of RPE- and melanosome-specific proteins would suggest that MLF accumulates as a result of the melanosomal autophagocytosis of RPE cells. Conclusions Our results provide significant insight into understanding the formation and toxicity of MLF and suggest a possible contribution to the etiology of retinal diseases.
Doctorates for American Women, 1868–1907

Although the lofty rhetoric accompanying the founding of the major American graduate schools seemed to indicate that they would be open to both sexes, the first women applicants quickly learned that this access was often not available. Their eventual admission and first degrees, which came as early as the 1870s at Boston University and as late as the 1960s at Princeton University, was the result of a series of skirmishes at several European as well as American universities, at least two major strategies, a large cast of participants, and the active support (financial and otherwise) of a few women's groups, especially the young Association of Collegiate Alumnae (ACA).
Contribution of reactive oxygen species to the pathogenesis of left ventricular failure in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats: effects of angiotensin II blockade

Objective We investigated the contribution of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation to the pathogenesis of diastolic heart failure (DHF) in Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) hypertensive rats, with the aim of testing our hypothesis that the cardioprotective effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) blockade are provided by the suppression of this pathway. Methods DS rats were maintained on high (H: 8.0% NaCl) or low (L: 0.3% NaCl) salt diets from age 7 to 17 weeks. DS/H rats were also treated with candesartan cilexetil (10 mg/kg per day, orally) or a superoxide dismutase mimetic, tempol (3 mmol/l in drinking water) from age 7 to 17 weeks. Results DS/H rats represented hypertension, left ventricular (LV) relaxation abnormality and myocardial stiffening with preserved systolic heart function. As compared with DS/L rats, DS/H rats showed higher levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), p22phox and gp91phox mRNA expression, NADPH oxidase activity and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) contents in LV tissues. Gene expression of uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), an inner mitochondrial membrane proton transporter, was also 2.8 ± 0.5-fold higher. In DS/H rats, treatment with candesartan did not alter blood pressure, but resulted in a marked improvement of the hemodynamic deterioration; these therapeutic effects were accompanied by decreases in myocardial NADPH oxidase activity, TBARS contents and the expression of TGF-β, CTGF, p22phox, gp91phox and UCP-2. Similar therapeutic effects were provided by treatment with tempol in DS/H rats. Conclusions Our data suggest that NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS production contributes to the pathogenesis of DHF in DS hypertensive rats, and that the cardioprotective effects of AngII blockade are, at least partially, mediated through the suppression of this pathway.
Feasibility of humanoid robots stepping over obstacles

It is believed that humanoid robots have better mobility than other mobile robots. However, little work has been reported on this mobility for nontrivial motion such as walking on rough terrains and overcoming obstacles. In this paper, we address the problem of obstacle overcoming by stepping-over, focusing on the feasibility analysis. That is, given an obstacle to overcome, we determine if the robot can step over it. In our analysis, we present a technique of global optimization under constraints to obtain the maximum height or width of an obstacle that the robot can step over while maintains the stability and avoids any collision between the robot legs and the obstacle. This analysis is a basis of motion planning for the robots to step over obstacles. It also provides an approach for evaluating the capability of obstacle overcoming of humanoid robots.