Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of Coagulation-Related Protein Genes During LPS-Induced Preterm Delivery in the Pregnant Mouse

Preterm delivery (PTD) has been associated with inflammation along with activation of the coagulation pathway. These studies sought to characterize the expression of several coagulation pathway genes including plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), tissue factor (TF), protease-activated receptor 1 (Par1), protease-activated receptor 2 (Par2), fibrinogen-like protein 2 (Fgl2), and thrombomodulin (TM) during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PTD in day 15 pregnant CD-1 mice. Western blot studies confirmed protein expression for PAI-1, Par1, Par2, Fgl2, and TM in the mouse uterus. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed increased PAI-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in the uteri, lung, kidney, and liver tissues at 2 to 6 hours after LPS injection. In contrast, TF expression significantly decreased by 12 hours in uterine tissue; whereas, its expression was unchanged in the other maternal tissues. The uterine mRNA for Par1, Par2, Fgl2, and TM remained stable. In summary, these studies have confirmed expression of coagulation pathway genes within the pregnant uterus; some of which are modulated during LPS-induced PTD.
Research and Development, Uncertainty, and Analysts’ Forecasts: The Case of IAS 38

This paper analyzes the consequences of the capitalization of development expenditures under IAS 38 on analysts’ earnings forecasts. We use unique hand-collected data in a sample of highly research and development (R&D) intensive German listed firms over the period 2000 to 2007. We find that the capitalization of development costs is significantly associated with both higher individual analysts’ forecast errors and forecast dispersion. This suggests that the increasing complexity surrounding the capitalization of development costs negatively impacts forecast accuracy. However, for firms with high underlying environmental uncertainty, forecast errors are negatively associated with capitalized development expenditures. This indicates that the negative impact of increased complexity on forecast accuracy can be outweighed by the information contained in the signals from capitalized development costs when the underlying environmental uncertainty is high. The findings contribute to the ongoing controversial debate on the accounting for self-generated intangible assets. Our results provide useful insights on the link between capitalization of development costs, environmental uncertainty, and analysts’ forecasts for accounting academics and practitioners alike.
HRV-derived data similarity and distribution index based on ensemble neural network for measuring depth of anaesthesia

Evaluation of depth of anaesthesia (DoA) is critical in clinical surgery. Indices derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) are currently widely used to quantify DoA. However, there are known to be inaccurate under certain conditions; therefore, experienced anaesthesiologists rely on the monitoring of vital signs such as body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure to control the procedure. Because of the lack of an ideal approach for quantifying level of consciousness, studies have been conducted to develop improved methods of measuring DoA. In this study, a short-term index known as the similarity and distribution index (SDI) is proposed. The SDI is generated using heart rate variability (HRV) in the time domain and is based on observations of data distribution differences between two consecutive 32 s HRV data segments. A comparison between SDI results and expert assessments of consciousness level revealed that the SDI has strong correlation with anaesthetic depth. To optimise the effect, artificial neural network (ANN) models were constructed to fit the SDI, and ANN blind cross-validation was conducted to overcome random errors and overfitting problems. An ensemble ANN was then employed and was discovered to provide favourable DoA assessment in comparison with commonly used Bispectral Index. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of this method of DoA assessment, and the results imply that it is feasible and meaningful to use the SDI to measure DoA with the additional use of other measurement methods, if appropriate.
Opioid Therapy and Immunosuppression: A Review

The idea that opioids modulate the immune system is not new. By the late 19th century, Cantacuzene, used morphine to suppress cellular immunity and lower the resistance of guinea pigs to bacterial infection. While exogenous opioids mediate immunosuppression, endogenous opiates exert opposite actions. Acute and chronic opioid administration is known to have inhibitory effects on humoral and cellular immune responses including antibody production, natural killer cell activity, cytokine expression, and phagocytic activity. Opiates behave like cytokines, modulating the immune response by interaction with their receptors in the central nervous system and in the periphery. Potential mechanisms by which central opiates modulate peripheral immune functions may involve both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system. The presence of opioid receptors outside the central nervous system is increasingly recognized. Those receptors have been identified not only in peripheral nerves but also in immune inflammatory cells. The immunosuppression mediated by opiates may explain the increased incidence of infection in heroin addicts. Opiates may also promote immunodeficiency virus infection by decreasing the secretion of α and β chemokines (important inhibitory cytokines for the expression of HIV) and at the same time increasing the expression of chemoreceptors CCR5 and CCR3, coreceptors for the virus. The fact that peripheral immunosupression is mediated at least in part by opioid receptors located in the central nervous system and that intrathecally administered opioids do not exert the same immunosuppressive effects may have important clinical implications for those patients receiving long-term opioid therapy for malignant and nonmalignant pain.
The experience of moving from mainstream to special school: a case study of eight teacher’s transformative learning

This is a case study of eight teachers who have transferred from mainstream schools to special schools. It uses their reflections on the transition process gained through a series of interviews and tasks that illuminate their perceptions of their change process. These reflections are then analysed using a model that differentiates between the professional practice of the teacher, the school’s culture and Community of Practice and the wider educational system consisting of, for example, Teaching Standards, performance management and Ofsted inspections. It looks to answer some of the questions raised by the Salt Review (2010) about the quality of the supply of teachers into special schools. It addresses the issue of whether specialist skills are required for teaching in special schools and proposes a way to understand the key difference between the demands placed upon teachers in each if the two different sectors by looking in detail at the teachers’ understandings of their teaching practices. It finally proposes an induction model that can be individualised for the teacher which will support the transition process for them. It is located within a qualitative research approach and assumes the social construction of a shared cultural reality.
Determinants of mutual fund flows

The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of aggregate fund flows to both equity and hybrid mutual funds. We test three hypotheses that help explaining the relationship between mutual fund flows and stock market returns, namely; the feedback-trader hypothesis, the price-pressure hypothesis and the information-response hypothesis. Our study relies on Swedish quarterly data on mutual fund flows over the period 1998 to 2013. The methodology is two-fold; through our structural models (AR(1)) we can say something regarding the relationship between mutual fund flows and financial macro variables. The analysis is further strengthened by utilizing a vector autoregressive model (VAR) to test for Granger causality in order to determine the order of events. Similar to both Warther (1995) and Jank (2012), we only find support for the information-response hypothesis. Additionally, we find new financial variables that have predictive power in determining mutual fund flows, namely; market fear (VIX), exchange rate, households’ expectation regarding inflation as well as outflows from mutual bond funds. Our study contributes to the body of literature in two ways. First, it complements recent findings on determinants of mutual fund flows but we also add to the knowledge by included new macro financial variables describing the real economy. Secondly, the vast majority of previous studies have used US data, we add to that a deeper understanding of determinants of mutual fund flows in smaller economies by using Swedish data.
Friedman and Money in the 1930s

There is a veritable industry concerned with the nature of monetary analysis at the University of Chicago in the 1930s. To a large extent, discussion of that analysis parades under the rubric of “oral tradition,” due to the opening, largely incidental, comments of Milton Friedman (1956) in his essay, “The Quantity Theory ofMoney:ARestatement. ”1 Rather than retrace the steps of that disputatious odyssey, it is sufficient to acknowledge the collection assembled by Robert Leeson (2003) titled Keynes, Chicago, and Friedman, and in particular Leeson’s own summary essay in that work. It is there that Leeson reports his findings of an “oral tradition” of a quantity theory of money link. Leeson refers to notes taken by Friedman in Lloyd Mints’s graduate lectures in the course Money and Banking in the fall quarter of 1932, in which Mints systematically
The Effects of Managerial Shareholding on Audit Fees: Evidence from Hong Kong

This study investigates how managerial shareholding affects audit pricing for listed companies in Hong Kong. Based on agency theory, we examine the relationship between managerial shareholding and audit fees, from the perspectives of the alignment effect and the entrenchment effect. We posit a non‐linear relationship, which is tested by grouping sample firms into three levels of managerial shareholding: low, intermediate, and high regions of management ownership. The empirical results reveal that the association of managerial ownership with audit fees is non‐linear: managerial shareholding is significantly and negatively associated with audit fees in the low and high regions of managerial ownership, whereas the association is significantly positive in the intermediate region. These correlations are further confirmed by the results of curvilinear regression analysis.
Graduate Attributes for Higher Education and Their Development in Bahrain

The general consensus in our society to the primary aim in obtaining a university degree is to improve one’s wellbeing by obtaining a suitable well paid position after graduation. Many educationalists disagree with this goal to be the ultimate as stated by Haigh and Clifford (2010) ‘there is more to life than doing a job. The graduates of our higher education system will be more than employees/employers, they will also be future leaders in our world and our neighbours and so affect our lives at all levels’. It is statements such as these that sparked the Graduate Attributes debate that has been going on over the past two decades and has recently intensified. This paper addresses Graduate Attributes as an issue that has been underestimated by higher education across the globe, but recently there have been some efforts to formalize and appropriately articulate them within the curriculum. The paper looks at Graduate Attributes as they are perceived by educators worldwide and presents some of the recent international efforts to establish attributes for higher education. The generic attributes that are suggested by a number of educational entities are presented and compared to find the commonalities of recommended attributes for future graduates. A discussion of the state of Graduate Attributes in Bahrain’s higher education sector is carried out including a brief review and general observations of the attributes as published by a number of universities for Business and IT disciplines. The paper addresses the requirements of the National Authority for Qualifications and Quality Assurance of Education and Training in Bahrain and its possible impact on improving the state of Graduate Attributes offered by higher education institutions in Bahrain.
Rural - urban growth linkages in India

The rural nonfarm economy accounts for one-quarter of all full-time employment in rural India and for nearly one-third of rural income, and is also intimately linked to agriculture. This paper examines the importance of rural-urban growth linkages in India, and aims to assess the impact of agricultural growth on national demand for nonfarm products. In addition, because growing land scarcity raises concerns about prospects for rural labor absorption, the paper highlights the impact of agricultural growth on rural nonfarm incomes and employment. Four major sections address these objectives. The first provides a descriptive overview of nonfarm activity in India. It examines the importance, composition and location of nonfarm activity as well as general trends over the past 30 years. The second explores the relationship between agriculture and changes in nonfarm activity. After reviewing previous growth linkage studies, it compares nonfarm activity in high- and low-productivity agricultural states cross-sectionally and over time. The third section estimates the volume of rural nonfarm income and employment generated by agricultural growth, while the fourth projects patterns of demand for nonfarm goods emanating from alternative agricultural growth scenarios.
New Optimization Strategy for Design of Active Twist Rotor

This paper presents the development of a mixed-variable optimization framework for the aeroelastic analysis and design of active twist rotors. Proper tailoring of the blade properties can lead to the maximization of the active twist and the control authority for vibration reduction under operating conditions. Thus, using mathematical optimization, the cross-sectional layout is designed using continuous and discrete design variables for an active composite rotor blade to maximize the dynamic active twist while satisfying a series of constraints on blade cross-section parameters, stiffness, and strength. The optimization framework developed includes the Intelligent Cross-Section Generator as the cross-section and mesh generator, University of Michigan/Variational Asymptotic Beam Sectional analysis code for active cross-sectional analysis, and Rotorcraft Comprehensive Analysis Software for aeroelastic analysis of the active twist rotor blade. The optimization problem is solved using a surrogate-based approac.
Predicting change in bank efficiency in Jordan: a data envelopment analysis

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the relative efficiency pattern of Jordanian banks during the period between 1998 and 2004.Design/methodology/approach – The deterministic data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a quantitative approach was used to obtain the efficiency of individual commercial banks in Jordan.Findings – The results of the DEA Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes model show an increase in bank efficiency in the entire period except in 2003 and 2004 where a decrease in bank efficiency was shown for few banks in the sample. The total efficiency scores suggest that the liberalisation programme has provided the anticipated efficiency gains. Most efficiency scores showed consistent increases after the introduction of the policy with the exception of few banks which have responded differently and shown decreased in efficiency. This may be taken to imply that the banks have responded differently to the new system. The analysis further shows that both assets utilisation and the labour factor had an adver.
Why being there is not enough: organized proximity in place-based philanthropy

Philanthropy is gaining momentum in European society. Wealthy individuals and foundations are a growing source of financial benevolence. This paper explores the role of two concepts of proximity for obtaining access to philanthropic resources. First, geographical proximity refers to physical co-presence (‘being there’). It stresses the immediacy and serendipity of social interaction as facilitators of philanthropic support. In contrast, organized proximity refers to a network logic (‘being connected’) and emphasizes strategies of cooptation. Based on a multi-method case study in the city of Heidelberg, the paper finds philanthropy to be primarily place-based. Being there, however, is an insufficient condition since there is strong incidence that local organizational interlocks between advisory boards enhance the attraction of donations towards the social realm of academia.
Economic impact of childhood psychiatric disorder on public sector services in Britain: estimates from national survey data.

BACKGROUND Approximately one in ten children aged 5-15 in Britain has a conduct, hyperactivity or emotional disorder. METHODS The British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys (BCAMHS) identified children aged 5-15 with a psychiatric disorder, and their use of health, education and social care services. Service costs were estimated for each child and weighted to estimate the overall economic impact at national level. RESULTS Additional health, social care and education costs associated with child psychiatric disorders totalled £1.47bn in 2008. The lion's share of the costs falls to frontline education and special education services. CONCLUSIONS There are huge costs to the public sector associated with child psychiatric disorder, particularly the education system. There is a pressing need to explore ways to reduce these costs while improving health and well-being.
RNA as a Versatile and Powerful Platform for Engineering Genetic Regulatory Tools

Abbreviations: RNA: ribonucleic acid, siRNA: small interfering RNA, miRNA: microRNA, mRNA: messenger RNA, ncRNA: non-coding RNA, DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid, UTR: untranslated region, RNAi: RNA interference, GC: guanine and cytosine, RBS: ribosomal-binding site, SD: Shine-Dalgarno, TPP: thiamine pyrophosphate, SELEX: Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment, PCR: polymerase chain reaction, GUC: guanine, uridine, and cytosine, ATP: adenosine triphosphate, FMN: flavin mononucleotide, GlcN6P: glucosamine-6-phosphate, PTGS: post-transcriptional gene silencing, dsRNA: double-stranded RNA, RISC: RNAi-induced silencing complex, pre-miRNA: precursor hairpin transcript encoding microRNA, pri-miRNA: primary hairpin transcript encoding microRNA, RNP: ribonucleoprotein, miRNP: microribonucleoprotein, pol III: RNA polymerase III, shRNA: short hairpin RNA, pol II: RNA polymerase II, VEGF: vesicular endothelial growth factor, ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, HIV-1: human immunodeficiency virus 1, SPR: surface plasmon resonance, FRET: fluorescence resonance energy transfer, HCV: hepatitis C virus, NS3: non-structural protein 3, CTLA-4: cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4, PSMA: prostate-specific membrane antigen. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews Vol. 24, 311-346 (2007)
Critical Observations on Financialization and the Financial Process

The term "financialization" is a recognition that finance has come to play a key role on the modern capitalist economy. But users of the term do not agree on its meaning and recognition of the growing scale of finance has not brought about an increased understanding of financial processes. The paper examines the reasons for increased turnover in financial markets. The main themes in the literature on financialization are examined and shown to lack a coherent account of financial processes that goes beyond the evidence of financial activity.
Networking for marketing advantage

States that networking theories have attracted increasing attention during the 1990s – although the network concept is certainly not new. Looks at the computer industry in Silicone Valley, California and the textile industry in Prato, central Italy. Discusses co‐operative behaviour and the relative advantages derived from such arrangements. Examines the slate industry in North Wales and, specifically, the decision by six long‐established slate quarries to come together to market their common product and promote Welsh slate at a global level. Aims to look at the industry’s past, present and future trends discovering how this inter‐firm collaboration aims to turn around the plight of industry.
Pheromones and other semiochemicals of ticks and their use in tick control

This review addresses the role of compounds secreted into the external environment that mediate important aspects of tick behaviour. Known as semiochemicals, these information-containing compounds include pheromones (used for conspecific communication), allomones (defence secretions) and kairomones (used for host identification and location). An impressive body of knowledge has accumulated concerning the identification of the compounds that comprise these semiochemicals. Pheromones are the best known and intensively studied, including arrestment (=assembly) pheromones, attraction–aggregation–attachment (AAA) pheromones and sex pheromones. Arrestment behaviour is mediated by contact with excreta from other ticks. In contrast, aggregating and sexual behaviours comprise a hierarchy of responses to different types of chemical compounds that must be recognized in a sequential order to achieve the end result. Ixodid ticks also produce an allomone that protects against certain insect predators. Finally, ticks use kairomones for host identification, e.g. volatiles such as CO2 and NH3 and various oils such as glandular secretions from deer. Knowledge of tick pheromones has been used to develop innovative new technologies for tick control. These products incorporate tick pheromones and small amounts of pesticide to attract and kill ticks on their hosts or in vegetation. The kairomones and the tick allomone also may be of interest for use in controlling ticks.
Child Labor Across the Developing World: Patterns and Correlations

The aim of this study is two-fold. First, based on summary data at the country-level for an unusually large set of developing countries originally obtained from household sample surveys conducted between 1993 and 2003, the authors construct a detailed profile of child economic activity and child labor, attempting, wherever the data permit, to identify similarities and differences across regions and between genders. Second, they link the country-level data on child economic activity and child labor to country-level indicators of the state of economic and social development in the same time period in order to (1) ascertain if cross-country correlations previously identified in the literature are found in the data, and (2) illumine other possible correlations that may exist. As part of this exercise, the authors examine one important relationship that has thus far not been directly investigated in the literature, namely, the cross-country correlation between child labor, agriculture, and poverty.