Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Estimate of the Age Distribution's Effect on Carbon Dioxide Emissions

type="main" xml:lang="en"> We estimate the age distribution's impact on carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2006 by exploiting demographic variation in a panel of 46 countries. To eliminate potential bias from endogeneity or omitted variables, we instrument for the age distribution in a country's current population with lagged birth rates, and the regressions control for total population, total output, and country and year fixed effects. Carbon dioxide emissions increase with the share of the population aged 35 to 49 years, and this result is statistically significant and quantitatively large. (JEL Q4, J1)
Rapid sequence intubation for pediatric emergency airway management

Objectives To characterize current practice with respect to pediatric emergency airway management using a multicenter data set. Methods A multicenter collaboration was undertaken to gather data prospectively regarding emergency intubation. Analysis of data on adult emergency department (ED) intubations clearly demonstrated that rapid sequence intubation (RSI) was the method used most often. We then conducted an observational study of the prospectively collected database of pediatric ED intubations (EDIs) using the National Emergency Airway Registry Phase One data, gathered in 11 participating EDs over a 16-month time period. A data form completed at the time of EDI enabled analysis of patients’ ages, weights, and indications for EDI; personnel; methods employed to facilitate EDI; success rates; and adverse events. Data forms were analyzed regarding the methods of intubation employed, and frequencies, success rates, and adverse event rates among various intubation modalities were compared. Results Of 1288 EDIs, there were 156 documented pediatric patients. Initial intubation attempts were all oral, including rapid sequence intubation in 81%, without medications (NOM) in 13%, and sedation without neuromuscular blockade (SED) in 6%. Older children and trauma patients were more likely to be intubated with RSI compared to younger children and patients presenting with medical illnesses. Intubation using RSI was more successful on the first attempt (78%) compared with either NOM (47%, P < 0.01) or SED (44%, P < 0.05), though this finding is likely explainable by the age differences among groups. Intubation was successfully performed by the initial intubator in 85% of RSI, 75% of NOM, and 89% of SED attempts (P = NS for both comparisons vs RSI). Overall, successful intubation occurred in 99% of RSI and 97% of non-RSI intubation attempts (P = NS). Only one of 156 patients required surgical airway management. True complications occurred in 1%, 5%, and 0% of RSI, NOM, and SED attempts, respectively (P = NS for both comparisons vs RSI). The majority of initial intubation attempts were by emergency medicine residents (59%), pediatric emergency medicine fellows (17%), and pediatrics residents (10%). These groups were 77%, 77%, and 50% successful, respectively, on the first laryngoscopy attempt, and 89%, 89%, and 69% successful overall. Conclusions A large, prospective, multicenter observational study of pediatric EDIs was conducted at university-affiliated EDs. RSI is the method of choice for the majority of pediatric emergency intubations; it is associated with a high success rate and a low rate of serious adverse events. Pediatric intubation as practiced in academic EDs, with most initial attempts by emergency and pediatrics residents and fellows under attending physician supervision, is safe and highly successful.
The Governance of the European Union: A New Institutionalist Approach

ABSTRACT The analysis of European integration has tended to use a toolkit drawn from international relations. But since the revival of integration in the mid-1980s, the governance of the European Community and European Union has increasingly come to resemble that of a multi-tiered state. Accordingly, this article analyzes the governance of the European Union from a comparative public policy perspective. Using new or historical institutionalism, three levels are considered. In the first part, attention is focused on the EU's institutions and the available instruments of governance. The second part examines the analysis of governance at the policy-specific or sub-system level, and puts forward an approach based on governance regimes. The final part considers the institutional roots of the persistent, regulatory character of governance in the European Union.
Integration of Environmental Aspects in Tourism Higher Education: the Hotel Managers' Point of View

Our environment and our society is continually dynamic. Courses such as hotel management, hygiene, food and beverage, front office are essential for the tourism sector. Besides, concern for environmen tal issues is one of the key components of higher education for tourism. This study presents a critical review of environmental aspects in higher education for tourism in Turkey. Because the demand for vocational schools (two-year colleges) is more than that for faculties, there are more vocational schools than four-year faculties in Turkey. Their curriculum was researched and determined to lessons about the environment. In the scope of this study; a questionnaire was conducted on managers of blue flag hotels to learn their opinion about the sector. According to these reviews, the importance of environ mental education in higher education was emphasized.
Signaling and Regulation miR-31 Is a Broad Regulator of b 1-Integrin Expression and Function in Cancer Cells

Integrins are adhesion receptors involved in bidirectional signaling that are crucial for various cellular responses during normal homeostasis and pathologic conditions such as cancer progression and metastasis. Aberrant expression of noncoding microRNAs (miRNA) has been implicated in the deregulation of integrin expression and activity, leading to the development and progression of cancer tumors, including their acquisition of the metastatic phenotype. miR-31 is a key regulator of several critical genes involved in the invasion-metastasis cascade in cancer. Using diverse cell-based, genetic, biochemical, flow cytometry, and functional analyses, we report that miR-31 is a master regulator of integrins as it targets multiple a subunit partners (a2, a5, and aV) of b1 integrins and also b3 integrins. We found that expression of miR-31 in cancer cells resulted in a significant repression of these integrin subunits both at the mRNA and protein levels. Loss of expression of a2, a5, aV, and b3 was a direct consequence of miR-31 targeting conserved seed sequences in the 30 untranslated region of these integrin subunits leading to their posttranscriptional repression, which was reflected in their diminished surface expression in live cells. The biological consequence of decreased the cell surface of these integrins was a significant inhibition of cell spreading in a ligand-dependent manner. Although different reports have shown that a single integrin can be regulated by several miRNAs, here we show that a single miRNA, miR-31, is able to specifically target several integrin subunits to regulate key aspects of cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Mol Cancer Res; 1–9. 2011 AACR.
Government and the entrepreneurial ecology: The case of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Entrepreneurship promotion and support is an integral component of an economic development strategy. The state of a community’s entrepreneurial ecology impacts the volume and success rates of new ventures. Building a better understanding of a community’s entrepreneurial ecology will facilitate better policy and program interventions for the purpose of economic development. This research endeavors to build a better understanding of the entrepreneurial ecology of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. In particular, the primary focus is the impact of government policy and practice on the entrepreneurial ecology. The research determines that according to key informants, municipal, provincial, and federal government supports for entrepreneurs in Halifax are helpful but may have an unduly bad reputation. Additionally, business registration and reporting processes have been successfully streamlined, government supports often involve removing risk from entrepreneurs with potential unintended consequences, and secondary government interactions may be undermining encouragement and support for entrepreneurship.
Effect of a Lignin-Degrading Fungus on Feeding Preferences of Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) for Different Commercial Lumber

Abstract The feeding preferences of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, for commercial lumber Alaska yellow cedar, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach; yellow birch, Betula alleghaniensis Britton; northern red oak, Quercus rubra L. ; redwood, Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl; and spruce (Picea spp.) were examined to determine whether the presence of the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Marasmiellus troyanus (Murrill) Singer could alter the relative preference of termites for these wood species. In paired choice tests with fungus-inoculated sawdust versus control sawdust, termites showed a strong preference for the fungus-inoculated sawdust for all wood species tested, except for Alaska yellow cedar. In a multiple-choice test using sawdust without fungus, termites showed a very strong preference for red oak sawdust over the other three species. In a paired choice test using fungus-inoculated sawdust, termites showed a preference for redwood over red oak sawdust. In a feeding test using autoclaved wood blocks without fungal decay, there was no difference in termite consumption of birch, red oak, or redwood. The relative preference of termites for redwood increased when blocks were decayed by M. troyanus for 3 and 8 wk. These results indicate that chemical modifications due to fungal decay affected the feeding preference of termites for different commercial lumber.
Adalimumab induces and maintains clinical remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Adalimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Its efficacy as maintenance therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis has not been studied in a controlled, double-blind trial. METHODS Ulcerative colitis long-term remission and maintenance with adalimumab 2 (ULTRA 2) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of adalimumab in induction and maintenance of clinical remission in 494 patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis who received concurrent treatment with oral corticosteroids or immunosuppressants. Patients were stratified based on prior exposure to TNF-α antagonists (either had or had not been previously treated with anti-TNF-α) and randomly assigned to groups given adalimumab 160 mg at week 0, 80 mg at week 2, and then 40 mg every other week or placebo. Primary end points were remission at weeks 8 and 52. RESULTS Overall rates of clinical remission at week 8 were 16.5% on adalimumab and 9.3% on placebo (P = .019); corresponding values for week 52 were 17.3% and 8.5% (P = .004). Among anti-TNF-α naïve patients, rates of remission at week 8 were 21.3% on adalimumab and 11% on placebo (P = .017); corresponding values for week 52 were 22% and 12.4% (P = .029). Among patients who had previously received anti-TNF agents, rates of remission at week 8 were 9.2% on adalimumab and 6.9% on placebo (P = .559); corresponding values for week 52 were 10.2% and 3% (P = .039). Serious adverse events occurred in 12% of patients given adalimumab or placebo. Serious infections developed in 1.6% of patients given adalimumab and 1.9% given placebo. In the group given adalimumab, 1 patient developed squamous cell carcinoma and 1 developed gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS Adalimumab was safe and more effective than placebo in inducing and maintaining clinical remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis who did not have an adequate response to conventional therapy with steroids or immunosuppressants.
Submodularity of energy storage placement in power networks

This paper studies the problem of optimally placing energy storage devices in power networks. We explicitly model capital and installation costs of storage devices because these fixed costs account for the largest cost component in most grid-scale storage projects. Finding an optimal placement strategy is a challenging task due to (i) the discrete nature of such placement problems, and (ii) the spatial and temporal transfer of energy via transmission lines and distributed energy storage resources. To develop an efficient placement framework with performance guarantees, we investigate the structural properties of the optimal value function for the multi-period economic dispatch problem with storage dynamics, and an analytical characterization of optimal storage controls and locational marginal prices. In particular, we provide a tight condition under which the optimal placement value function is submodular and an efficient computational method to certify the condition. When this condition is valid, a modified greedy algorithm for maximizing a submodular function subject to a knapsack constraint provides a (1 - 1/e)-optimal solution.
The New Literacy Crisis: Immigrants Teaching Natives in the Digital Age

tudents today have never experienced life without email, and they may never use a printed set of encyclopedias. They have a natural level of comfort with technology that we must work hard to achieve; yet we are their teachers. Our students are the “digital natives” and we are the “digital immigrants” (Prensky, 2001a). This irony has been fully realized by all K-12 teachers who attempt to integrate technology into their instructional practices. We wonder, “Who is the teacher? ” and “Who is the learner? ” We question if we, as digital immigrants, still have knowledge to impart to our students, the digital natives.
Effects of Campaign Spending in an Open List PR System: The 2003 Legislative Elections in Flanders/Belgium

In countries with a majoritarian electoral system, the expenses of challengers are generally found to have a stronger effect on the electoral outcome than the expenses of incumbents. Research on campaign expenditure effects in Brazil suggests that this is not the case in countries with an open list PR system and large districts. This hypothesis is confirmed by an analysis of the effect of individual campaign expenses on the number of preferential votes in the 2003 legislative elections in Flanders/Belgium. An analysis of high quality candidates shows that the expenses have a substantial effect on the vote which does not vary according to incumbency status. However, the effect of media exposure on the vote is stronger than and largely independent of the effect of campaign expenses.
Analysis of Antioxidant Activities Contained in the Boesenbergia pandurata Schult. Rhizome

The rhizome of Boesenbergia pandurata Schult. was found to possess potent antioxidant activity in a rat brain homogenate model. Bioassay-guided isolation of the active compounds from a CH2Cl2–MeOH (1:1) extract led to the isolation of 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone, panduratin A, 5,7-dihydroxyflavanone, 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4′-methoxychalcone, 2′,4′-dihydroxy-6′-methoxychalcone, and 4-hydroxypanduratin A. Panduratin A, 4-hydroxypanduratin A, and 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4′-methoxychalcone were also found to exert neuroprotective effects.
Facing e-HRM: the consequences on employee attitude towards the organisation and the HR department in Italian SMEs

Adopting the employee-organisation relationship framework, our paper explores the consequences of e-HRM systems on employee attitude towards both the organisation and the HR department in Italian SMEs. Through a large-scale survey of 494 employees, data confirm that the consequences of e- HRM are not always entirely positive or negative. In detail, with reference to Italian SMEs, operational e-HRM practices seem to enhance the perceived internal efficiency of the HR department but have no impact on employee organisational commitment. On the other hand, relational and transformational e-HRM practices positively influence employee commitment as well as their perceptions of the competence of HR departments. Our evidence suggests several theoretical and managerial implications and would serve as a prelude to the growing body of theory and research seeking to explain the emergence of the e-HRM challenge in shaping the employee-organisation relationship and in influencing the role of the HR department in SMEs.
Future of India–China Boundary: Leadership Holds the Key?

W ill India and China resolve their boundary dispute during the tenure of Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping? The strategic communities in both countries are optimistic, particularly after the high tension prevailing along the border during President Xi Jinping’s tour of India in September 2014. Both Prime Minister Modi and President Xi are seen as decisive leaders. Both are expected to hold power in their respective countries for a few years to come. Personalities and personas matter greatly for scoring political brownie points. The boundary dispute, quintessentially, is political in nature. The 2005 Agreement on the ‘Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India–China Boundary Question’ acknowledged as much: the ‘two sides are seeking a political settlement of the boundary question’. In future India–China boundary negotiations, will the two leaders go for territorial exchange or will they remain content with the status quo, and simply define the Line of Actual Control (LAC)?
Investment Frictions and Leverage Dynamics

The paper examines the effect of investment frictions on leverage dynamics, using a model of a firm whose investment projects are (1) indivisible and lumpy, and (2) subject to time-to-build. Regressions on the model-simulated data demonstrate that investment frictions can provide alternative interpretations of the observed leverages shown in the empirical literature. Cross-sectional analysis of firms in the oil and gas extraction industries, as well as analysis across all industries, reveals the evidence that small firms have more volatile investments and longer time-to-build, which may explain the observed differences in leverage dynamics across small and large firms.
Security analysis of an image encryption algorithm based on chaos and DNA encoding

Chaos and cryptography have some common features. Due to the close relationship, researchers try to combine the chaotic system with cryptosystem. Despite the many proposals that use various methods in the design of encryption algorithms, there is a definite need for a mathematically rigorous cryptanalysis of these designs. In this study, we analyze the security weaknesses of an image encryption algorithm based on DNA encoding and chaos. By applying chosen-plaintext attacks, we show that all the secret parameters can be revealed.
Fast algorithm for computing the shape of a set of digital points

This paper presents an efficient algorithm to find the shape of a set of digital points. We compute the true digital Voronoi tessellation in O(m/sup 2/) complexity. The algorithm needs an m/spl times/m image and the coordinates of the n initial points. The shape is then computed, in O(n) expected time, as a subgraph of the Delaunay triangulation. <<ETX>>
Positive regulation of Clostridium difficile toxins

The toxigenic element of Clostridium difficile VPI 10463 contains a small open reading frame (ORF) immediately upstream of the toxin B gene (G. A. Hammond and J. L. Johnson, Microb. Pathog. 19:203-213, 1995). The deduced amino acid sequence of the ORF, which we have designated txeR, encodes a 22-kDa protein which contains a helix-turn-helix motif with sequence identity to DNA binding regulatory proteins. We used a DNA fragment containing the C. difficile toxin A repeating units (ARU) as a reporter gene to determine if txeR regulates expression from the toxin A and toxin B promoters in Escherichia coli. To test the affect of txeR on expression, we fused the ARU gene fragment in frame with the toxin promoters. The fusions expressed a 104-kDa protein that contained the epitopes for monoclonal antibody PCG-4, which we used to measure levels of recombinant ARU by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. When txeR was expressed in trans with the toxin B promoter-ARU fusion contained on separate low-copy-number plasmid, expression of ARU increased over 800-fold. Furthermore, when we tested the toxin A promoter fused to ARU, expression increased over 500-fold with txeR supplied in trans. Our results suggest that TxeR is a positive regulator that activates expression of the C. difficile toxins.
The effects of captopril and losartan on erythrocyte membrane Na+/K+- ATPase activity in experimental diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus induces a decrease in sodium potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+- ATPase) activity in several tissues in the rat and red blood cells (RBC) and nervous tissue in human patients. This decrease in Na+/K+- ATPase activity is thought to play a role in the development of long term complications of the disease. Angiotensin enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin-II receptor antagonists (ARBs) reduce proteinuria and retard the progression of renal failure in patients with IDDM and diabetic rats. We investigated the effects of captopril and losartan, which are used in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, on Na+/K+- ATPase activity. Captopril had an inhibitory effect on red cell plasma membrane Na+/K+ ATPase activity, but losartan did not. Our study draws attention to the inhibitory effect of captopril on Na+/K+ ATPase activity. Micro and macro vascular complications are preceeding mortality and morbidity causes in diabetes mellitus. There is a strong relationship between the decrease in Na+/K+ ATPase activity and hypertension. The non-sulphydryl containing ACEi and ARBs must be the choice of treatment in hypertensive diabetic patients and diabetic nephropathy.
Factors promoting acute and chronic diseases caused by yersiniae

The experimental system constructed with the medically significant yersiniae provides a powerful basic model for comparative study of factors required for expression of acute versus chronic disease. The system exploits the close genetic similarity between Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of bubonic plague, and enteropathogenic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica. Y. pestis possesses three plasmids, of which one, shared by the enteropathogenic species, mediates a number of virulence factors that directly or indirectly promote survival within macrophages and immunosuppression. The two remaining plasmids are unique and encode functions that promote acute disease by enhancing bacterial dissemination in tissues and resistance to phagocytosis by neutrophils and monocytes. These properties are replaced in the enteropathogenic yersiniae by host cell invasins and an adhesin which promote chronic disease; the latter are cryptic in Y. pestis. Additional distinctions include specific mutational losses in Y. pestis which result in loss of fitness in natural environments plus gain of properties that facilitate transmission and infection via fleabite.
Absorption, tolerability, and effects on mitochondrial activity of oral coenzyme Q10 in parkinsonian patients

We report a pilot study of three oral doses of coenzyme Q10(CoQ10) (200 mg administered two, three, or four times per day for 1 month) in 15 subjects with Parkinson's disease. Oral CoQ10 caused a substantial increase in the plasma CoQ10 level. It was well tolerated, but at the highest dose (200 mg four times per day) mild, transient changes in the urine were noted. CoQ10 did not change the mean score on the motor portion of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. There was a trend toward an increase in complex I activity in the subjects.