Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Price and Income Elasticities Estimated from BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys and ACCRA Price Data

Price and Income Elasticities Estimated From BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys and ACCRA Price Data Lester D. Taylor University of Arizona* This paper represents a low-key effort to estimate both price and income elasticities for several broad categories of expenditure from cross-sectional data sets that combine price information collected by ACCRA with the BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys. Sixteen quarters of data for 1996 through 1999 are analyzed. Statistically strong, and for the most part sensible, price elasticities are obtained for six exhaustive categories of expenditure (food consumed at home, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous expenditures) from both simple double-logarithmic demand functions and equations based upon an Almost Ideal Demand System. The results are clearly supportive of further research. * I am grateful to Sean McNamara of ACCRA for making EXCEL files of ACCRA surveys available to me and to the Cardon Chair Endowment in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona for financial support. Construction of data sets and econometric estimation have all been done in SAS. 1 The standard reference for the history of early empirical studies of consumer behavior using data from household budget surveys is Stigler (1954); see also Houthakker (1957). Important 20 century studies with a family budget focus include Allen and Bowley (1935), Shultz (1938), Prais and Houthakker (1955), Deaton and Muelbauer (1980), and Pollak and Wales (1992). 2 The reference here is to price elasticities estimated from conventional household budget surveys. Deaton (1990) provides an exception. In contrast, estimation of price elasticities for goods, such as telephone or utility services, in which the data used in estimation are collected from the records of vendors or from the actual bills of consumers are fairly commonplace. Cf., Price and Income Elasticities Estimated From BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys and ACCRA Price Data Lester D. Taylor University of Arizona
Regulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor expression

Impaired vasoconstriction to angiotensin II (AII) in diabetes may be related to impaired calcium mobilization via the inositol 1,4,5-trisphophate receptors (InsP 3 R). As TGF-b downregulates the InsP 3 Rs in cell culture we determined whether anti-TGF-b antibody (anti-T) treatment in diabetic rats reverses the effects of diabetes on aortic contractions to AII. Three groups (n=6 per group) were evaluated at week 2: rats made diabetic with streptozotocin, anti-T treated diabetic rats, and control rats. Blood glucose and body weights were similar in both diabetic groups. In diabetic rats, maximal isometric aortic contractions to AII were decreased by 50% (p<0.05 vs. control), without a significant change in EC50. Treatment of diabetic animals with anti-T completely restored AII mediated contractions. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was performed to evaluate levels of the InsP 3 R isoforms and AT1R mRNA in the aortic samples. InsP 3 R-1 and InsP 3 R-3 mRNA levels were decreased in diabetic animals (-25% and - 38%, respectively, p<0.05 vs. control). Treatment with anti-T normalized InsP 3 R-1 mRNA levels and partially restored InsP 3 R-3 mRNA levels. AT1R mRNA levels increased in the diabetic group and increased further with antibody treatment. In conclusion, impaired aortic contractions to AII in diabetes is associated with a decrease in InsP 3 R-1 and InsP 3 R-3 mRNA levels and an increase in AT1R levels. Anti-T treatment restored InsP 3 R-1 levels and AII-induced aortic contraction. We suggest that hyperglycemia in diabetes attenuates AII response through TGF-b mediated down regulation of InsP 3 R-1.
Metformin for Rapidly Maturing Girls with Central Adiposity: Less Liver Fat and Slower Bone Maturation

Background/Aims: Girls with low-birth weight (LBW) and postnatal weight catch-up tend to develop visceral and hepatic fat excess, which may be accompanied by an upregulated adrenarche with precocious pubarche (PP) and by a rapidly progressive puberty with early menarche and shorter stature. A pilot study suggested that metformin treatment for 4 years reduces central adiposity in LBW-PP girls and normalizes puberty and adult height. In this cohort, we studied the relationship between metformin treatment, bone maturation, and body composition. Methods: Longitudinal hand X-rays (0–4 years, analyzed by BoneXpert) were available from 34 LBW-PP girls (89% of the original cohort; n = 17 untreated, n = 17 metformin-treated; age at the start of treatment 8 years) along with body composition (0–4 years, by DXA), hepatic fat, and abdominally subcutaneous and visceral fat (posttreatment, by MRI). Results: The tempo of bone aging was accelerated in untreated girls (≈16% faster vs. chronological aging) and normal in metformin-treated girls (≈20% slower vs. untreated girls). Metformin-treated girls gained more height per bone-age year and had less visceral and hepatic fat. The tempo of bone maturation was associated (R = 0.55; p < 0.001) with hepatic fat. Conclusion: Metformin treatment in rapidly maturing girls with central adiposity normalized bone maturation. This normalization was accompanied by less central fat and was related closely to hepatic fat.
Directed Polymers in Random Environment are Diffusive at Weak Disorder 1

In this paper, we consider directed polymers in random environment with discrete space and time. For transverse dimension at least equal to 3, we prove that diffusivity holds for the path in the full weak disorder region, i.e., where the partition function differs from its annealed value only by a non-vanishing factor. Deep inside this region, we also show that the quenched averaged energy has fluctuations of order 1. In complete generality (arbitrary dimension and temperature), we prove monotonicity of the phase diagram in the temperature. Les Polymères Dirigés En Milieu Aléatoire Sont Diffusifs À Faible Désordre Résumé: Ce travail porte sur les polymères dirigés en milieu aléatoire en temps et espace discrets. Lorsque la dimension transverse est supérieure à trois, nous prouvons que le polymère est diffusif dans toute la région de faible désordre, c’est-à-dire où la fonction de partition diffère de son espérance par un facteur multiplicatif de limite non nulle. Bien à l’intérieur de cette région, nous établissons aussi que les fluctuations de l’énergie moyenne du polymère (à environnement fixé) sont d’ordre un. Dans le cas général d’une dimension et d’une température quelconques, nous montrons que le diagramme de phase est monotone dans la température.
Comment on: Butler et al. A Critical Analysis of the Clinical Use of Incretin-Based Therapies: Are the GLP-1 Therapies Safe? Diabetes Care 2013;36:2118–2125

In the July issue, Butler et al. (1) published a “point” narrative of a two-part Point-Counterpoint addressing the safety of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. The review contains factual errors and some nontransparent or not fully elucidated statements relating to previously published studies. Nyborg et al. (2) reported the nonclinical pancreas toxicology data of liraglutide in ∼1,200 animals. Butler et al. refer to these data as treatment being stopped 2 weeks before the evaluation of tissues in nonhuman primates. This is incorrect. All the data reported in Nyborg et al. are from animals killed while on liraglutide treatment. Age was recorded for all animals, and treatment continued for 2 …
NimbRo KidSize 2009 Team Description

This document describes the RoboCup Humanoid League team NimbRo KidSize of Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany, as required by the qualification procedure for the competition to be held in Graz in July 2009. Our team uses self-constructed robots for playing soccer. The paper describes the mechanical and electrical design of the robots. It also covers the software used for perception and behavior control.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACTS: LESSONS FROM THE ISLAND OF RHODES, GREECE

During the post Second World War period, the island of Rhodes experienced significant changes at several levels of its economy, society, and environment, associated directly or indirectly with rapid tourism development. The tourism impacts are profound on both locals and visitors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the key informants’ perceptions in Rhodes toward tourism impacts. Moreover it correlates the respondents’ perceptions with the previous studies’ outcomes in the region. Finally, it produces information concerning the perceived future strategies and policies that have to be followed and discusses tourism evolution in Rhodes based on various theories of tourism development.
TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF THE PREVALENCE AND CAUSES OF BEHAVIOUR DISORDERS AMONG CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN IBADAN, OYO STATE

This study investigated teachers’ perception of the prevalence of behaviour disorders among children with intellectual disabilities in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The independent variable considered in the study is teachers’ perception while the prevalence of behaviour disorders among children with intellectual disabilities in Ibadan is the dependent variable. The study adopted a survey research design. Fifty (50) teachers were selected from five schools and a care-giving center in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria as participants. A validated questionnaire named “Teachers’ Perception of the Prevalence of Behaviour Disorders among Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities” (TPPBDPID) r = 0.78 was used as instrument to gather data for the study. Data were analysed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The decision criterion for acceptance or rejection of the various hypotheses was set at 0.05 alpha levels. The study revealed that there were no significant relationships between teachers’ gender, educational status and teaching experience with their perception of behaviour disorder among pupils with intellectual disabilities. However, broken home, uninviting home environment among others, caused behaviour disorders among pupils with intellectual disabilities. Recommendations were made for parents, teachers and government to be very vigilant and always be at alert to identify any behaviour that is against the acceptable norm within their homes, classrooms, schools and appropriate measures should be used to manage it.
Gastric lavage in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To analyze standardization of gastric lavage protocols in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children. METHODS A systematic review was conducted for the period between 1968 and 2008 in the following databases: LILACS, SCIELO and MEDLINE. The search strategy included the following terms: "gastric lavage and tuberculosis" or "gastric washing and tuberculosis" with the restriction of "children aged up to 15 years;" "gastric lavage and tuberculosis and childhood" or "gastric washing and tuberculosis and childhood. " There were retrieved 80 articles and their analysis was based on information on the gastric lavage protocol for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children: preparation of children and fasting; time of gastric aspiration; aspiration of gastric residues; total volume of aspirate; solution used for aspiration of gastric contents; decontaminant solution; buffer solution; and time for forwarding samples to the laboratory. After a thorough analysis, 14 articles were selected. RESULTS No article detailed the whole procedure. Some articles had missing information on: amount of gastric aspirate; aspiration before or after solution injection; solution used for gastric aspiration; buffer solution used; and waiting time between specimen collection and laboratory processing. These results showed inconsistencies of gastric lavage protocols. CONCLUSIONS Although gastric lavage is a secondary diagnostic approach used only in special cases that did not reach the diagnostic scoring as recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, there is a need to standardize gastric lavage protocols for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children.
The returns to speaking a second language

Does speaking a foreign language have an impact on earnings? The authors use a variety of empirical strategies to address this issue for a representative sample of U.S. college graduates. OLS regressions with a complete set of controls to minimize concerns about omitted variable biases, propensity score methods, and panel data techniques all lead to similar conclusions. The hourly earnings of those who speak a foreign language are more than 2 percent higher than the earnings of those who do not. The authors obtain higher and more imprecise point estimates using state high school graduation and college entry and graduation requirements as instrumental variables.
A Comparative Analysis of Global City Policies in Climate Change Mitigation: London, New York, Milan, Mexico City and Bangkok

Global cities have emerged as major players on climate change issues. The paper considers five case studies (London, New York, Milan, Mexico City, Bangkok), with the aim of identifying main emission drivers at urban level and verify the coherence of urban mitigation strategies with local emission contexts. At this purpose, local emission inventories and mitigation plans of the five cities are compared through a set of city indicators. In all cases GHG emissions derive primarily from local energy uses. Transportation and energy uses in buildings are the most emitting sectors in all cities, with different weights in analyzed cases depending on specific conditions. City mitigation strategies and measures, though characterized by different time horizons, are coherent with local emission contexts. The need of standardized indicators and methodologies constitutes an area of future development and investigation.
Plastic Deformation and Seismic Properties in Fore-arc Mantles: A Petrofabric Analysis of the Yushigou Harzburgites, North Qilian Suture Zone, NW China

The fore-arc mantle above a subducting slab is a unique site where complex partial melting, melt/ fluid–rock interaction, and deformation of mantle rocks occur. To constrain these geological and geodynamic processes we analyzed the deformation microstructures, crystal preferred orientations (CPOs or fabrics), and water content in natural harzburgites that occur as exhumed massifs in the North Qilian suture zone, NW China. These harzburgites are very fresh, and have mineral assemblages of olivine ( 81–87 vol. %), orthopyroxene ( 11–17 vol. %), clinopyroxene ( 1–2 vol. %), and spinel ( 1 vol. %). Detailed analyses of mineral textures, CPO patterns, and rotation axis distributions suggest that the plastic deformation of olivine and pyroxene was accommodated by activating a series of slip systems of dislocation. The olivine (A-/D-type fabric) shows dominant (010)[100] and/or (001)[100] slip systems, as well as other minor [100]-glide, {0kl}[100], and [001]glide slip systems. The orthopyroxene shows dominant (100)[001] and subordinate (010)[001] slip systems, with minor (100)[010] and (100)[0vw] slip systems. The water content is extremely low in the orthopyroxene (38–44 ppm by weight), equilibrated olivine (4–7 ppm), and bulk-rock samples (9–14 ppm). Previously published refractory mineral and whole-rock compositions, as well as estimated low-pressure ( 1–2 GPa), high-temperature ( 1100–1300 C), low-stress ( 1–4 MPa) and water-poor conditions of deformation, suggest that these harzburgites represent a remnant of fossil fore-arc lithospheric mantle that was probably both formed (experienced partial melting and high-temperature melt/fluid–rock reaction) and deformed in a young and warm fore-arc mantle setting (i.e. juvenile subduction zone). Based on these results, a refined schematic model of olivine fabric distributions in subduction zones is proposed. In this model, the A-/D-type olivine fabrics are inferred to be prevalent in fore-arc lithospheric mantle. The opposing polarizing directions of A-/D-type olivine fabrics with other underlying anisotropic sources in the mantle wedge (e.g. B-type olivine fabrics and oriented serpentinite layers) may weaken the trench-parallel fast S-wave anisotropy contributed by the deformed fore-arc mantle, and thus provide an alternative explanation for the short or nearly null delay times of local shear-wave splitting (sourced from intra-slab earthquakes) that have been detected in some fore-arc regions. In addition, topotactic antigorite fabrics after the A-/D-type olivine fabric might play a minor role in contributing to the low Pand VC The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com 1897 J O U R N A L O F P E T R O L O G Y Journal of Petrology, 2015, Vol. 56, No. 10, 1897–1944 doi: 10.1093/petrology/egv053
Equal virulence of rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus in infants hospitalised with lower respiratory tract infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus (RV) are predominant viruses associated with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants. We compared the symptoms of LRTI caused by RSV and RV in hospitalised infants. RV showed the same symptoms as RSV, so on clinical grounds, no difference can be made between these pathogens. No relation between CT-value and length of hospital stay was found. RV and RSV LRTI in infants 23
Structure of MSEs in the NCR of India: Features Emerging from a Sample Study

The objective of this work is to provide an empirical basis to the investigation at hand. First, a description of the primary data collected from the field (NCR or National Capital Region in and around Delhi and its adjoining areas in Haryana, UP and Rajasthan) has been presented. The primary data have been collected by the researcher through visiting the (sample) enterprises and filling in the schedules with the response to a set of questions eliciting quantitative or qualitative data from the respondents or the relevant information gathered from the records of the enterprises in the sample. The data and information so obtained have been coded so as to render themselves to the relevant statistical/quantitative analysis. Secondly, relevant statistical analysis has been carried out to test the hypotheses formulated with reference to the objectives of this investigation.
Modelling distribution of flounder larvae in the eastern English Channel : sensitivity to physical forcing and biological behaviour

The Princeton Ocean Model coupled with a particle-tracking module is used to assess the effects of physical forcing and vertical migratory behaviour on the transport and dispersion of larvae in the region of freshwater influence (ROFI) of the eastern English Channel (EEC). Results of numerical modelling are compared with the observed concentrations of flounder Pleuronectes flesus larvae. The simulations show that accumulation of neutrally buoyant particles occurs on the ROFI margin, 20 km off the French coast. Tides and freshwater input induce the net along-shore northward transport. Tidal currents modulate the magnitude of horizontal transport, whereas the freshwater input controls the location of accumulation zones. The vertical migration of particles causes a significant departure from the passive transport pattern and modifies the intensity of dispersion. The diurnal (light dependent) migration tends to decrease the magnitude of the cross-shore dispersion of particles. When the vertical migration is controlled by the tidal (sea level variation) cycle, particles move northward faster, and exhibit less dispersion. The migratory behaviour synchronised with the tidal currents (ebb/flood cycle) produces a relatively slow northward migration and a low dispersion in both alongand cross-shore directions. This suggests that vertical migratory behaviour could control the intensity of dispersion and the relative dominance of either retention or downstream advection of the larvae in the EEC.
In vitro antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of Leonurus cardiaca subsp . Persicus , Grammosciadium platycarpum and Onosma demawendicum

Antioxidant activity of the aerial parts of Leonurus cardiaca subsp. Persicus, Grammosciadium platycarpum and Onosma demawendicum were investigated employing six in vitro assay systems. IC50 for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity was in the order: O. demawendicum (221 ± 11.7) > L. cardiaca (144 ± 12.1) > G. platycarpum (45 ± 2.1) μgml -1 , respectively. The extracts showed very good nitric oxide-scavenging and Fe 2+ chelating ability activity. The L. cardiaca subsp. Persicus showed Fe 2+ chelating ability activity as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (IC50 were 20 versus 18 μgml -1 ). None of the extracts exhibited good antioxidant activity in linoleic acid model. The extracts showed good reducing power that was better than vitamin C (p < 0.05). G. platycarpum and L. cardiaca subsp. Persicus had higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents than O. demawendicum. The total phenolic compounds in the extracts were determined as gallic acid equivalents, and total flavonoid contents were calculated as quercetin equivalents from a calibration curve.
Modelling the interaction between the tourism accomodation industry and the environment

This paper models the tourism accommodation industry, which both impacts and depends on environmental quality – a composite common pool resource. It is shown that open-access leads, generally, to both economic and environmental over-exploitation, i.e. “the tragedy of the commons”. This also affects the overall tourism industry, as tourism accommodation and environmental quality play central roles in it. Basically, it leads to mass tourism characterised by tourists with low willingness to pay. The model results emphasise that, apart from situations where positive externalities are very significant, or the open-access faces binding restrictions such as land availability, Pintassilgo e Silva________________________________________________________________ 394 firms’ entry should be limited, not only on the grounds of efficiency but also on sustainability.
Aftershock distribution of the M_S 8. 0 Wenchuan earthquake and three dimensional P-wave velocity structure in and around source region

3-D P-wave velocity structure in crust and uppermost mantle in and around Wenchuan earthquake source region was studied using long-term accumulated seismic travel time data in Sichuan-Yunnan region and aftershock data of Wenchuan earthquake. The result shows that shallow P-wave velocity structure has good correlation with surface geology. Longmenshan fault zone is imaged as high P-wave velocity region in 0-20 km depth. Pengguan complex and Baoxing complex are imaged as two local high velocity anomaly bodies. The upper crustal high velocity anomaly bodies in Longmenshan fault zone control the distribution of aftershocks. At the southern part of the aftershock zone, aftershocks occurred only in the northeast of the high velocity body related to Baoxing complex. In the middle part, the distribution of aftershocks seems to be controlled by the high velocity anomaly body corresponding to Pengguan complex to some extent; In the northeast part, the high velocity body around Ningqiang-Mianxian may prevent the further extension of aftershocks to the northeast. The existence of upper crustal high P-wave velocity zone in Longmenshan implies that the upper crust has relatively high strength, which may play an important role in obstructing the extrusion of Tibetan Plateau material to east, and are prone to accumulate energy in deep depth. Yangzi Block is characterized by high velocity region below 30 km depth, and its front extends to Tibetan Plateau with depth increasing and reaches to the west of Longmenshan fault zone in the lower crust and upper mantle.