Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social security and well-being of the elderly : the case of France

We use the 1982 and 1993 reforms of the French pension system in the private sector to study the relationship between Social Security benefits and the well-being of the elderly between the late 70s and the beginning of the new century. Affecting people in a different way, depending on year of birth, gender or socio-economic status, these reforms provide some sources of identification to estimate the effect of benefit changes on the standard of living of elderly families. To avoid spurious correlation or endogeneity problems in the determination of the impact of Social Security benefits on well-being we compute simulated social security payments and compare their evolution to various measures of well-being based on income, consumption, poverty, inequality or life satisfaction for both elderly and non-elderly families. We then focus on the 1982 and 1993 reforms. Our estimations conclude to a general increase in income, consumption and subjective well-being. However, a one euro increases in simulated benefit does not induce a one euro increase in after tax income (except at the top of the distribution), which shows some substitution between the different sources of income available for the elderly households. Estimation of difference in difference models to evaluate the impact on income and consumption of the 1982 and 1993 reforms underlines that it may exist asymmetry in the substitution effect between the different sources of income of the elderly depending on the sign of the change in generosity of the pension reforms.
Sustainable destination development: the Tour Operator perspective.

Tourism has had a profound and irreversible effect on many destination areas. As the demand for new destinations increases, there is an unrelenting pressure for development in order to satisfy the growth of this complex, pervasive industry. This article presents the results of research undertaken into business attitudes towards sustainable tourism development by the British Federation of Tour Operators and Association of Independent Tour Operators members. The price-cutting competition’ of undifferentiated mass market operators continues to be a threat to sustainable destination development. Furthermore, the 1992 EC Directive on Package Travel is preventing operators from using local suppliers, which is a fundamental principle of sustainability. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Feasibility and performance analysis of a high power drive based on four synchro-converters supplying a twelve-phase synchronous motor

In this paper a high-power electric drive based on a quadruple-three-phase synchronous motor and four load commutated inverters (LCI) is investigated to evaluate its feasibility and performance. Based on accurate simulation analyses, the advantages of the proposed solution compared to the technologically-proven dual three-phase scheme are highlighted in terms of torque quality and motor efficiency improvement.
Competition along a river : Decentralizing hydropower production

We analyze the production of electricity from n power stations situated along a river in a dynamic model. Each power station's production of electricity is constrained by the quantity of water available to it (capacity constraint) as well as limitations of reservoir capacity (storage constraint). Due to the water flow, production from one power station affects the production capacity of the next downstream power station. We show that when no constraint (capacity or storage) is binding, competition dominates monopoly. We then provide some examples in which, because one power station is constrained, monopoly dominates competition. Finally, we illustrate the model with an empirical example.
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE INCREMENTAL PREDICTIVE ABILITY OF BEAVER'S NAIVE OPERATING FLOW MEASURE USING FOUR-STATE ORDINAL MODELS OF FINANCIAL DISTRESS

The purpose of this paper is to determine why net income adjusted for depreciation and amortization (NOF) is a strong predictor of financial distress. This paper develops four-state ordinal financial distress models lagged one, two, and three years before financial distress to test NOF, instead of using dichotomous bankrupt and nonbankrupt models. The results of this paper suggest that NOF is a strong predictor of financial distress because NOF is an alternative measure of economic income, not because NOF is a naive measure of operating cash flow. For this study, NOF is even a better measure of economic income than net income.
Detection of Bartonella henselae in defibrinated sheep blood used for culture media supplementation

Bartonella henselae was detected in defibrinated sheep blood employed in supplementing a selective bacteria culture medium by nested PCR. We recommended that highly sensitive technical tests be run to ensure a sterile culture medium for Bartonella spp. isolation, since infected blood samples used in preparation could lead to false-positive results.
Seasonal factors affecting nutrition in different age groups and especially preschool children

Nutrition programmes hardly ever consider the seasonality of food supplies. Alone these are important, but here we consider the effects of food shortages coinciding with other seasonal variables such as seasonal labour inputs which create heavy energy demands especially for sections of the population already vulnerable to the effects of food maldistribution. These include pregnant and lactating females and preschool children especially in the 0–24 month age group. The combined effects of seasonal labour inputs and food shortages on factors affecting the nutritional status of infants are considered in relation to the birth season which determines the age when children are most vulnerable to seasonality factors. Since the immunity of infants and small children varies with age, their birth season (and hence their age at different seasons of the year) greatly affects their survival chances.
New perspectives on strategic technology management in small high-tech companies

Understanding strategy in small high-technology companies presents a paradox. In an environment of uncertain technologies and dynamic markets taking the time and resources to develop a formal strategy seems futile, yet a strategic perspective is vital in small companies with little margin for error. Strategy in this context seems both impossible and essential. This study focuses on how small high-tech companies strategically manage their technology — arguably their most important asset. Most relevant high-tech theoretical prescriptions are based on a large company perspective; advice for strategic technology management in small companies is sparse and overly focussed on 'technology planning'. Rather than simply equating strategy with planning, multiple perspectives can be used to explain strategic technology management in small high-tech firms. A model of strategy is presented which views practice in small high tech firms from different viewpoints: strategy as rational planning, as incremental learning and as imagined vision, all within a social context. This holistic view provides a coherent description of actual high-tech strategy practice, via an analytic model that helps practitioners understand the complex nature of their strategic management, and in turn learn and improve.
The Relative Activity of “Function Sparing” HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors on Viral Entry and CCR5 Internalization: Is Allosteric Functional Selectivity a Valuable Therapeutic Property?

Six allosteric HIV-1 entry inhibitor modulators of the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) receptor are compared for their potency as inhibitors of HIV-1 entry [infection of human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)] and antagonists of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3-like 1 [CCL3L1]-mediated internalization of CCR5. This latter activity has been identified as a beneficial action of CCL3L1 in prolonging survival after HIV-1 infection ( Science307:1434-1440, 2005 ). The allosteric nature of these modulators was further confirmed with the finding of a 58-fold (HOS cells) and 282-fold (PBMC) difference in relative potency for blockade of CCL3L1-mediated internalization versus HIV-1 entry. For the CCR5 modulators, statistically significant differences in this ratio were found for maraviroc, vicriviroc, aplaviroc, Sch-C, TAK652, and TAK779. For instance, although TAK652 is 13-fold more potent as an HIV-1 inhibitor (over blockade of CCL3L1-mediated CCR5 internalization), this ratio of potency is reversed for Sch-C (22-fold more potent for CCR5-mediated internalization over HIV-1 entry). Quantitative analyses of the insurmountable antagonism of CCR5 internalization by these ligands suggest that all of them reduce the efficacy of CCL3L1 for CCR5 internalization. The relatively small magnitude of dextral displacement accompanying the depression of maximal responses for aplaviroc, maraviroc and vicriviroc suggests that these modulators have minimal effects on CCL3L1 affinity, although possible receptor reserve effects obscure complete interpretation of this effect. These data are discussed in terms of the possible benefits of sparing natural CCR5 chemokine function in HIV-1 entry inhibition treatment for AIDS involving allosteric inhibitors.
The Association Between Spiritual and Religious Involvement and Depressive Symptoms in a Canadian Population

Data from a large epidemiologic survey were examined to determine the relationship of religious practice (worship service attendance), spiritual and religious self-perception, and importance (salience) to depressive symptoms. Data were obtained from 70,884 respondents older than 15 years from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (Wave II, 1996–1997). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of the religious/spiritual variables to depressive symptoms while controlling for demographic, social, and health variables. More frequent worship service attendees had significantly fewer depressive symptoms. In contrast, those who stated spiritual values or faith were important or perceived themselves to be spiritual/religious had higher levels of depressive symptoms, even after controlling for potential mediating and confounding factors. It is evident that spirituality/religion has an important effect on depressive symptoms, but this study underscores the complexity of this relationship. Longitudinal studies are needed to help elucidate mechanisms and the order and direction of effects.
Disrupted seasonal clockwork in the population dynamics of a freshwater copepod by climate warming

Life history responses are expected to accompany climate warming, yet little is known how long‐term effects of climate and environmental change affect the seasonal dynamics of planktonic organisms. We used an historical data set from Lake Washington (U.S.A.) to quantify population responses of a calanoid copepod (Leptodiaptomus ashlandi) to long‐term changes in temperature and resource availability and explore potential mechanisms for the responses. Increasing water temperatures (annual mean increase of 1.5°C in the upper 10‐m water volume) and longer stratification periods (about 4 weeks) were observed between 1962 and 2005, coincident with a pronounced decline in Leptodiaptomus densities. However, production was maintained because of an increase in the production to biomass ratio and a life cycle shift in Leptodiaptomus from an annual to a 6‐month cycle. Cross‐wavelet analyses demonstrated that the annual thermal forcing of copepod recruitment observed during the first two decades of the study weakened substantially, leading to more stochastic population dynamics during the past two decades. This shift from one to two generations per year was most likely produced by a longer and warmer growing period combined with changing fluctuations in resource (phytoplankton) availability. Climate change can lead to higher‐frequency voltinism in ectothermic organisms and to temporal reorganization of their population dynamics.
Literature Review of Online Remedial Education

The authors first explore the changing European society and its impact on higher education. This forms a background to the main focus of the paper – the effectiveness of remedial or developmental education. The paper then provides an overview of the core elements of successful remedial or developmental courses and summarizes developments in online education and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). The added value of IT in remedial education is subsequently examined in depth through a review of the literature and research. Finally, addressing the role of information and communications technology in online remedial education, the authors clarify the connections between the key components of remedial and online education.
Improvements to a compact MOSFET model for design by hand

In this work, an improved version of the basic structure of a compact MOSFET model and the respective parameters extraction methodology are proposed. The aim of this approach is to increase accuracy in hand calculations for analog circuit design without significantly increasing its complexity. The influences of both inversion level and channel length are considered in the modeling of a few features such as mobility, threshold voltage and onset of saturation. Simple design examples of current sinks and sources are accomplished to compare the basic and the improved models.
Submission patterns, submission policies, and revealed preferences for agricultural economics journals.

We document the submission, rejection, and resubmission patterns of ninety-six papers published in five agricultural and environmental economics journals and use this information to infer authors' preferences among the set of journals. These data are augmented with stated preferences about submission fees, page charges, and membership requirements to forecast the effect of chances in journal submission policies on submission rates. We predict that if the American Journal of Agricultural Economics were to eliminate page charges and adopt a $100 submission fee, submissions to the journal would rise 18% and submissions to the Review of Agricultural Economics would fall 6.5%. Copyright 2009 Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
Glucose Intolerance and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children Exposed to Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Utero

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to examine the carbohydrate tolerance and cardiometabolic risk among children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus in utero. METHODS. In this study, 164 Chinese children whose mothers had participated in a previous study on the screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (63 had gestational diabetes mellitus and 101 had normal glucose tolerance during the index pregnancies) underwent follow-up evaluations at a median age of 8 years (range: 7–10 years). Children's weight, height, hip and waist circumferences, and blood pressure were measured, and weight-adjusted oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. RESULTS. Six children (3.7%) demonstrated impaired glucose regulation or diabetes mellitus at the follow-up evaluation. Children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus had significantly higher systolic (94 ± 1.2 vs 88 ± 0.9 mmHg) and diastolic (62 ± 0.8 vs 57 ± 0.6 mmHg) blood pressure values and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.58 ± 0.04 vs 1.71 ± 0.03 mmol/L) levels, after adjustment for age and gender. A high (≥90th percentile) umbilical cord insulin level at birth was associated with abnormal glucose tolerance in the offspring. CONCLUSIONS. Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus increases the offspring's cardiometabolic risk, and in utero hyperinsulinemia is an independent predictor of abnormal glucose tolerance in childhood.
Preparing for, Conducting and Evaluating Workshops for Agricultural Technical School Instructors in Egypt

The Agricultural Technical Schools (ATS) of Egypt were designed to prepare skilled workers for the agricultural economy. A project funded by USAID through the Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities (MUCIA) was designed to prepare ATS instructors for incorporating supervised agricultural internships and agribusiness decision–making skills into their curricula. Workshops were presented, with assistance from university faculty in Egypt, on topics including planning, conducting and evaluating internships, and on selected agribusiness competencies that were relevant to ATS programs. Workshop participants rated the workshops and materials very highly. The ATS instructors also indicated that their competency in teaching the topics had increased as a result of the workshops. The instructors indicated other topics that future workshops could address. The researchers identified a series of lessons learned about conducting workshops in a foreign country and offered recommendations to assist other U.S. faculty in getting involved in international development projects.
Spectra MRSA, a New Chromogenic Agar Medium To Screen for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT A novel chromogenic medium, Spectra MRSA (Remel, Lenexa, KS), was designed to detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rapidly and more efficiently than traditional media (i.e., tryptic soy agar with 5% sheep blood [SBA] and mannitol salt agar [MSA]). A multicenter study (including four clinical trial sites and the Medical College of Wisconsin [MCW] Milwaukee, WI) compared the performance characteristics of Spectra MRSA to those of the traditional media for the detection of MRSA. For this study, 767 nasal swab specimens from the multicenter study (traditional medium used, SBA) and 667 nasal swab specimens from MCW (traditional medium used, MSA) were plated on each test medium and examined after 24 and 48 h of incubation. At 24 h, the sensitivity and the specificity of each medium were as follows: in the multicenter study, 95.4% and 99.7%, respectively, for Spectra MRSA and 93.6% and 100%, respectively, for SBA; at MCW, 95.2% and 99.5%, respectively, for Spectra MRSA and 88.7% and 94.0%, respectively, for MSA. The positive predictive values of each medium at 24 h were as follows: in the multicenter study, 98.1% for Spectra MRSA and 100% for SBA; at MCW, 95.2% for Spectra MRSA and 60.4% for MSA. In our evaluation, we found that Spectra MRSA was able to rapidly identify and differentiate methicillin-resistant S. aureus from methicillin-susceptible S. aureus on the basis of the utilization of chromogens that result in denim blue colonies, thus eliminating the need for biochemical analysis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Extending the incubation beyond 24 h did not significantly improve the recovery of MRSA and resulted in decreased specificity.
The Role of Identity Integration in Hedonic Adaptation to a Beneficial Life Change: The Example of “Coming Out” for Lesbians and Gay Men

ABSTRACT After apparently beneficial life changes, people are expected to experience elevated well-being. However, research suggests that some individuals adapt quickly to change, so their well-being increases little in the long-term. We propose this phenomenon is explained by the integration of the changes into identity, in interaction with perceived valence of the changes. We hypothesized that higher integration would be associated with smaller increases in well-being for changes perceived as positive. For changes perceived as negative, higher integration would be associated with larger increases in well-being. Lesbians and gay men (N = 80) completed a questionnaire on well-being, perceived valence of coming out and its integration into identity. Moderated regressions supported the hypotheses, revealing the importance of considering identity integration and perceived valence in research on adaptation to changes. The results question the merits of interventions promoting identity integration.
Regionalism, Municipal Organization, and Interlocal Cooperation in Canada

Le défi que pose la gouvernance d’entités comportant plusieurs municipalités est une question qu’étudient depuis longtemps les chercheurs qui s’intéressent à l’administration municipale. Alors que des modifications de structures de gouvernance sont souvent suggérées comme solutions aux problèmes de coordination et de services dans les régions métropolitaines, des études plus récentes ont démontré qu’une forme de coopération plus décentralisée et mise en place sur une base volontaire est plus prometteuse en matière de continuité des politiques et des services. Il y a eu très peu de recherche sur l’état de la coopération volontaire dans les régions métropolitaines du Canada, et c’est une lacune à laquelle je tente remédier ici en analysant les ententes intermunicipales dans six régions métropolitaines canadiennes et en tentant d’en évaluer l’importance. Mes résultats montrent que les municipalités, dans ces régions, concluent assez peu d’ententes, et que, quand elles le font, il s’agit d’accords de faible envergure, qui posent peu de risques et qui ne concernent pas des mécanismes liés à la gouvernance ou aux services.
The role of paracetamol in the pathogenesis of asthma

Paracetamol use represents a putative risk factor for the development of asthma. There is convincing epidemiological evidence that the risk of asthma may be increased with exposure to paracetamol in the intrauterine environment, infancy, later childhood and adult life. A dose‐dependent association has also been observed in these different age groups in different populations world‐wide. An association has also been shown between paracetamol use in both rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema. There is biological plausibility with paracetamol use leading to decreased glutathione levels resulting in increased oxidant‐induced inflammation and potentially enhanced T‐helper type 2 responses. At the population level, patterns of paracetamol use might explain, to some extent, the world‐wide variation in the prevalence of asthma and related disorders, particularly the high rates in English‐speaking countries, which have high per capita prescription and over‐the‐counter use of paracetamol. A temporal association also exists between the international trends of increasing paracetamol use and increasing prevalence of asthma over recent decades. Further research is urgently required, in particular randomized‐controlled trials (RCTs) into the long‐term effects of frequent paracetamol use in childhood, to determine the magnitude and characteristics of any such risk. Importantly, RCTs will also enable evidence‐based guidelines for the recommended use of paracetamol to be developed.
Intermediate modes of larval development: bridging the gap between planktotrophy and lecithotrophy

SUMMARY The extraordinary diversity of larval form and function in marine invertebrates has motivated many studies of development, ecology, and evolution. Among organisms with pelagic development via a larval stage, this diversity is often reduced to a dichotomy between two broad nutritional categories: planktotrophy and lecithotrophy. Despite the clear utility of the planktotrophy–lecithotrophy dichotomy to those interested in the history or consequences of life history patterns, it is also clear that a number of larval forms do not fit neatly into either of these general categories. Here we review studies of these intermediate larval forms, focusing on descriptions of larvae known as facultative feeders. Recent descriptions of larval development suggest that facultative feeders and other intermediate larval forms are not as rare as commonly assumed. We assess the importance of these forms for models of life‐history evolution and call for a more‐detailed and nuanced view of larval biology to account for their existence. Clearer knowledge of the phylogenetic distribution and frequency of occurrence of larvae that exhibit intermediate nutritional requirements is also essential for evaluating current ideas on evolutionary transitions between planktotrophy and lecithotrophy. Finally, intermediate larval types provide valuable and underutilized opportunities for testing hypotheses in the fields of larval ecology and the evolution of development.